Various Scriptures
October 23, 2022
I don’t think I’ve ever spoken about Halloween during a sermon, but today is your lucky day. I’m not going to condemn Halloween, but want to point out some parallels between our world today and the origin and meaning of Halloween which goes back 100's of years. So, here’s today’s history lesson . . . . .
The ancient Celtic people believed that evil spirits came out of hiding as summer turned into Fall, which for the Celts signaled the beginning of winter, which they associated with death.
As a result, they observed a festival called "Samhain," which was designed to ward off evil spirits. They dressed in costumes in order to disguise their humanity, hoping the evil spirits wouldn’t recognize them. They built bonfires to light the dark nights to frighten them away. They gave treats at their doors, in an effort to appease the evil spirits.
The Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was especially thin, which allowed the evil spirits to visit the living.
When thousands of Celts became Christians during the 6th and 7th centuries, the church made the decision to try to incorporate the celebration of Samhain rather than extinguish it.
So, they linked Samhain with their celebration of All Hallow's Day at the start of November. This was a time when the church remembered and honored the "holy ones or hallowed." The saints who served Christ and were now in heaven.
Eventually, October 31st became known as All Hallow's Eve — which leads to our modern day Halloween.
Fast forward almost 1000 years later, on October 31, 1517, a priest by the name of Martin Luther went to the door of the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg, Germany, and nailed to the door a document in which he questioned 95 things about the church.
Among them was whether the church's embracing of the traditions of others had not backfired. In embracing the celebration of All Hallow's Eve, the church had hoped the pagan world would be drawn from evil to a greater fascination with good. However, what was happening, was the opposite.
Luther feared that the church was losing its focus on God’s holiness and His call in our lives to be holy. But people were becoming more and more fascinated with the evil. It wasn't the first time, nor was it the last.
Again, I’m not going to condemn Halloween. We all have our points of view about it. My boys have gone trick or treating, no gruesome outfits, we’ve given candy, we’ve given scriptures with the candy as well. Our church will be participating in a city wide Halloween festival next weekend. No objections!
But my concern, is the same concern that Martin Luther had. Not just with Halloween, but with all that we allow to come into the church which leads us further from the truth in who Jesus is.
We’ve been talking about the church for the past weeks and my point today, and in many ways I can just stop after saying this, but you know I won’t . . .
For the church to be healthy, we can only have one leader . . . . and that is Jesus, the Christ. Paul told the church in Colossae - - -
15 Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 AND HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH. - Colossians 1:15-20
We see that in other passages as well. Jesus is the HEAD of the church. By Him and through Him and in Him . . . all things were created. We must always start with Jesus and end with Jesus. There’s no middle ground for this. And I believe that’s part of the big problem in the church world. We want to incorporate a little Jesus with a little of the world and pretty soon we have a watered down church that’s more of a social club. Too many churches compromise the message of Jesus
This is 100% wrong. We may make a mistake about a particular topic, we may disagree about what’s correct about a passage, but we must always start and end with Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
I think most of us would have a pretty clear understanding of what it means to say Jesus is my Savior. He’s the One and the only One who saved me from eternal death and destruction. He’s the only One who can redeem me. I can’t do it myself - - - I can’t save myself.
I can’t do enough good works to earn my salvation. Instead salvation is a gift from God to me because of what Jesus did on the cross for me. We can affirm, as Paul said, Jesus is the image of the invisible God. So, we can all call Jesus our Savior. He saved me!
But to proclaim Jesus as our Lord becomes a little stickier. So, we need to understand what it means to say Jesus is Lord.
A lord is someone with authority, control, or power over others. They’re your master or ruler. The word lord was used as a title of respect. We’ve seen programs where someone says, “thank you, m’lord.” It’s a sign of respect.
When Jesus healed people, some referred to Him as Lord, which was a sign of respect for the healer. That’s all it signified. But after the resurrection, Jesus was often called Lord. And it was more than a show of respect.
To say “Jesus is Lord,” became a way of declaring Jesus’ deity. In John 20, when a guy named Thomas was doubting the resurrection. Jesus appeared to him, and Thomas exclaimed - - -
My Lord and my God!! - John 20:28
Saying Jesus is Lord had a dual meaning. He is Lord indicates Jesus is our ruler. In a sense we are indebted to Jesus for giving us the gift of life and hope. AND Jesus is also our Lord in the sense that He defeated death and is God.
In his first sermon on Pentecost, Peter said - - -
36 Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ. - Acts 2:36
Notice what Paul said in Romans 10:9 - - -
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9
Jesus’ lordship is tied to the resurrection. The statement “Jesus is Lord” means Jesus is God and has all all authority in heaven and on earth.
The beauty and power of Jesus is that He doesn’t hold us hostage by His lordship.
Think about it . . . Jesus left the joy and perfection of heaven to come to earth to take on a frail human body. He showed us what humility looks like. He reminds us to love one another in humility when before His death He told the disciples - - -
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. - John 14:30
Jesus is Lord. It’s the truth, whether or not people acknowledge the fact. He is more than the Messiah, more than the Savior; He is the Lord of all. Someday, Paul tells us - - - all will submit to that truth - - - -
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:9–11
Every tongue will ultimately confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
If that’s what we really believe, then we have to hold to this question from Jesus --
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? - Luke 6:46
If we really were to proclaim Jesus as Lord, then we should be submitting to His Lordship and authority. If Jesus is Lord, then He owns us; He has the right to tell us what to do. And we’re obligated to obey.
So, I know I started talking about Halloween and you might be wondering, where’s all this heading? That’s a really great question and I’m going to answer it.
We as a church, not just FBC, but the universal church is struggling when it comes to rejecting sin. We were warned about it. Read the history of the Israelites, read the prophets, read the Bible and we often repeat the past.
Paul told Titus - - -
9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,
11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. - Titus 3:9-11
When Paul says foolish, we may think of silly, nonsensical issues. The Greek is really more about telling us to avoid those stupid, moronic, lacking a grip on reality issues that pull us apart. Don’t get caught up on the minors, which we often do. Stay away from people who do that.
At the end of the book of Romans, Paul also tells us - - -
17 I appeal to you, watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. - Romans 16:17-18
Is that not what’s happening in our world? There’s lots of smooth talkers who take the Bible and just change it enough to say what they want. Not only are you to stay away from those people, but you are to be on guard for them, watch out for them as well. And sometimes the only way is to have a better understanding for yourself of who Jesus is.
If you don’t know, then you will be enticed by others to follow false ideologies. You’ll move further from the truth and the truth is Jesus. He’s the One who will sustain and hold you and show you the true direction you are supposed to move in.
Paul then tells Timothy in his final letter - - -
16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,
17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. - 2 Timothy 2:16-18
Again, Paul’s point is to avoid irreverent conversation. These 2 men were leading people astray. And Paul’s point is so important if we want to be a healthy church, stay away from talk like this, because their talk was spreading like gangrene - - - it eats away and destroys the body.
The church has allowed the thinking of the world to move in. We may try to bring the message of Jesus to different people in different ways. And that’s OK. Think about changes in the church over the past 30 years. We use far more technology. We may share the message in different ways, BUT we can never compromise the message. We must always be true to the Word of God. For when we do that, we are moving into all the concerns Paul and Peter were talking about.
We can never compromise the message of Christ. In fact, in our world, we must guard it more and more. Not to hold it to ourselves, but to share the true word of Jesus. We don’t ever want to subvert and pervert the word of God.
Yet, in all of Paul’s instructions, we always find grace - - -
1 If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. - Galatians 6:1
And in 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15 - - -
13 As for you, do not grow weary in doing good.
14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Jesus then tells us if you have an issue with your brother or sister in Christ, get it resolved. In Matthew 5, He said - - -
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. - Matthew 5:23-24
In other words, we offer grace and seek to restore our relationships.
As I think about Halloween, I’m even more struck at the depravity in our world. I’m appalled at the evil which we consider acceptable. I’m not speaking politics, I’m speaking about life and the world around us. If the church begins or continues to condone that sinfulness, then we too will be subject to God’s discipline.
Our call is to spread the word of Jesus, starting in our own backyard. If we do that, if we are true to the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, if we seek to honor Him with all that we do, as Paul tells us in Colossians 3 - -
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
If we do all that, we will hear those words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
Everything we do, we do in the name of the Lord Jesus. I pray that each of us would recognize that he’s calling us to go into the world to make a difference. But to do it with integrity, living the truth in Christ. Finally, Jesus told us - - -
36 When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” - Matthew 9:36-38
Friends, we are the laborers. Would we go out into the world and show who the Lord and Savior of the world is . . . Jesus the Christ.
