Known In Hell
PETER DECLARES,
“…your adversary the devil…walketh about…seeking whom he may devour…resist,
steadfast in faith…: 1 Peter 5:8-9
JESUS DECLARED
“Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shalt be bound in heaven.” Matthew 18:18
JAMES ANSWERS
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7
THE SEVENTY RETURNED SAYING
“Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”
Luke 10:17
Some PREACHERS master their subjects
Some subjects master the preacher
Once in a while you will meet a preacher who…
Is both master of and mastered by his subject!
PAUL FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY
Scripture text: Acts 19:13-20
[13] Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
[14] And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
[15] And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
[16] And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
[17] And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
[18] And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
[19] Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
[20] So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
THE SCENE IS SET IN EPHUSES:
• It is occurring immediately after Paul has had another great outpouring experience of the
Holy Ghost upon 12 men at in vs. 6
• Prayer cloths were carrying healing to the sick and diseased
• Evil spirits were cast out
This is what we used to call “Ol’ Time Pentecost!”
A group of casual observers begin to see the fruit of pentecostal preaching and the deliverance ministry.
• Reminds me of the day in which we live
• So many traditional and nominal believers are stirred by our music
• The Baptists are raising their hands
• The Methodists are laying on hands
• The Charismatics have developed formulas to move God in whatever direction is most
desirable
*These seven sons of Sceva had all the “right” moves These seven had the formula to use the
Name of Jesus They had the education and theological training
1. You can’t throw out your theological terminology or quote Bible verses to demonically
possessed individuals.
2. Exegesis, homiletics, hermeneutics, canonization, and church history of the Assemblies of
God won’t help in the face of the demonic
3. Memory verses, Speed-the-Light Plaques, fellowship cards, and ordination certificates are
mostly meaningless when you are confronting Hell itself!
LISTEN
*One demonized man was a match for seven silly Christian self appointed and anointed
exorcists.
What were the results?
1. The seven were stripped naked
2. They were wounded physically
3. The devils wardrobe grew by seven new designer suits
4. The “pitiful seven” told their powerless tale God turned this unanointed and bloody defeat
into the Glory of God!
The text says:
“…and fear (of the Lord) fell on the Ephesians” “…the Name of the Lord was magnified”
Spooky spiritualists were saved a burning “service” was the natural thing to conduct Jews and Greeks were converted The word of God multiplied and prevailed!
LISTEN TO THE DEMONS TESTIMONY
Acts 19:15
• 1st – “JESUS I KNOW…” – they had been cast out of the heavenlies
• 2nd – “PAUL I KNOW…” •
3rd – “BUT WHO ARE YOU?”
We know that they knew Jesus:
- creator of all things including the devils
- Son of God
My question is “How did they know Paul?”
-* How had Paul become recognized in the pit of Hell?
-* Had they beaten him time and time again?
- *Had this man’s past followed him?
I. I believe that Paul had tormented Hell so forcefully and so repeatedly that every devil and
minion of the place feared to cross Paul’s path!
CONSIDER THIS:
GOD AND PAUL WERE INTIMATE.
PAUL
• Given revelation of Christ on the Damascus road
• Served by angels
• Earthquakes when he sang a hymn
• Fetters fell off a girl at Antioch at his command
• Drained the septic system of immorality at Corinth and built a church out of the most vile
• Snatched souls right under Caesar’s nose…even out of his own family
• Stormed up Mars Hill and demonstrated what he had preached
• Happy in the presence of King Agrippa
LADIES ANDGENTLEMAN
As long as Paul was alive, Hell had no peace!
II. WHAT WAS PAUL'SSECRET WEAPON? How did he remain sharpened to rise to each
task?
What was his anchor of power?
ANCHOR #1:
Listen to his words!
Paul was always saying… “I AM PERSAUDED
1.This was his secret…Revealed truth held him like a vise! The Word of God, the God of the
Word (Jesus), were unmovable, unshakable, undebatable, unchangeable and
unquestionable!
a.His anchor was found embedded in God’s faithfulness!
2. Paul operated in the gifts! He depended on the Spirit’s Revelation of the Devil’s next move!
3. Paul was not ignorant of the devices and wilds of the Devil! He had defeated hell again and
again!
Example:
Sheriff Larry Dean in Bossier Parish praying for a “word of knowledge” gift to solve a crime. The ability to place law enforcement personnel at the sight of the crime before the criminal shows up.
4. Paul stayed one step ahead of Hell…always!
a.The plot to kill him was foiled by his nephew in the youth department!
5. Most Christians are contented with a spiritual depth that:
a1. Saves form Hell
b.. Keeps from vulgar sin
c. Holds down guilt feelings
d. Will get us to heaven someday
This is 1st level…Elementary Christianity
Paul went to the foot of the cross and like us was regenerated.
But Paul went back to the cross on a life-changing visit!
A. On the second visit, Paul GOT ON THE CROSS!
“I am crucified with Christ…”
1. This second visit marked him…identified him…gave him notoriety…made him “KNOWN
IN HELL”!
B. He was alive and dead at the same time. He had his own Gethsemane experience where
he gave up his will to the will of God.
A. He was a dead man walking:
- dead to the flesh
- dead to the desire for recognition of peers
- dead to fashion and opinion
- dead to the world and its toys
*He was an alive man dying:
- Constant awareness of the spirit realm
- Hearing the still small voice
C. Maybe you are beginning to figure out the “Paul” that would cause the demon to speak
out “PAUL WE KNOW!”
1.I have often wondered what was meant when Paul told
2Timothy that he had “fought a good fight”.
3.I’ve heard preachers all my life speak from this text.
4.I believe that when Paul said those words, a camp-meeting broke out in Hell….
D. Every Demon shouted “AMEN” They had been pulverized in the fight
1. They had been dished on more than they dished out
2. They had suffered in defeat over and over
3.; You had better believe that Paul was KNOWN IN HELL!
ANCHOR #2
ANCHORr #1 was that he was persuaded
ANCHOR #2 is that “Paul persuaded men” 2 Cor 5:11
Paul was a soul winner. He saw men as lost (or saved)
Example:
Slide projector out of focus. Turn the lens by hand and see the picture clearly. What a difference.
A. We need to join Paul and see men clearly…saved or lost!
B. I struggle with seeing good people and thinking that they are OK with God.
C.I need focus…I need to see people correctly.
D. It’s simple…SAVED or LOST?
Paul saw it that way! Paul hated sin with God’s intensity
Paul Loved men with God’s intensity!
Paul saw the sinner as a rebel…as a prodigal son
Sinners were not good men drifting aimlessly
He saw men as co-conspirators with either Satan or with God!
For the sinner there were two alternatives only:
1. Pardon
2. Punishment
He said in Thessalonians that he had a one track mind (Phil
3:13-14) “THIS ONE THING I DO!"”
• No side excuses
• No other issues
• No ambitions
• No Jealousy
• No Rights or privilege
• No Reputation or notoriety
1. Paul had counted it all as dung.
2. Paul had counted everything as loss.
3. He was sold out…”Nothing for the devil’s bid”
4. The demon said it “Paul I Know”
ANCHOR #3
ANCHORr #1 was that he was persuaded
ANCHOR #2 is that “Paul persuaded men” 2 Cor 5:11
Anchor #3 " THE BLOOD FULLY COVERS"
Paul preached the blood of Jesus
If all have sinned, the blood covers all!
The atonement was unlimited to every man!
ANCHOR #4
ANCHOR #1 was that he was persuaded
ANCHOR #2 is that “Paul persuaded men” 2 Cor 5:11
ANCHOR #3 The Blood fully covers!
ANCHOR #4 "Blessed Assurance"
2 Cor 5:8 “To be absent is to be present”
Paul wasn’t concerned about death:
• No soul sleep
• No waiting in a holding tank of purgatory
• Just life into eternal life!
Paul called the stripes, the pain, the jail cells, the beatings, the shipwrecks, the weariness…
“Light Afflictions” Any of his episodes of this life could have been and should have been his last one.
Anchor #1 was that "HE WAS PERSAUDED"
Anchor #2 is that “PAUL PERSAUDED MEN” 2 Cor 5:11
Anchor #3 THE BLOODFULLY COVERS!
Anchor #4 "BLESSEDASSURANCE"
Anchor #5 “THE JUEGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST”
“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” 2 Cor 5:10
1.Here you can copy Paul! Paul was rich in the heavens.
Sorry to say that you can’t follow most modern-day preachers without being soon disappointed.
• They tell you to follow them
• Most are following a formula
• Most are saying the right words
• And, most are naked and beaten spiritually
YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL
- Fully surrendered
- Wholly sanctified
- Completely satisfied
The demons knew Paul - He was KNOWN IN HELL
Does hell know about you?
