Another World
Rooted • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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We’re over a month into our series: Rooted.
We’re talking about what forms the foundation of our faith. How we can be deeply rooted in our faith.
So far we’ve talked about the Bible, God’s Character, the Trinity, and prayer. Today we’re going to talk about another world.
Believe it or not there is evidence of another world. Now, before you think I’ve gone off my rocker, I’m not talking about aliens from another planet.
I’m talking about a world we can’t see, but exists in the same space our physical world exists. I’m still talking crazy nonsense, right?
Just hear me out before you bundle me up and send me off to the looney bin. Because I’m talking about a spiritual world.
Spiritual World
Spiritual World
The Bible gives us a small glimpse into this world in 2 Kings 6:15-17
15 When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” 16 Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”
Right about now, Elisha’s servant probably thinks Elisha went off the deep end. He’s looking around for anyone else who might be friendly. Uuuumm… sure, how many did you say are with us?
You’re using common core math again aren’t you. Cause the last I checked there are only two of us and from where I stand, I still only see two of us!!!
Then Elisha does something to his servant of little faith. He prays for the servant’s eyes to be opened.
17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
There’s a lot more going on than the eye can see. The servant is given an opportunity to see and experience another world. We also benefit by this glimpse into the spiritual world.
What goes on in the spiritual world is so intertwined with the physical world that what happens there effects what happens here. And what happens here effects what happens there. What happens in one world has consequences in the other.
What is out there in the spiritual world?
What kind of beings did Elisha’s servant see?
Were they little green aliens riding on supercharged chariots with rocket engines?
While yes, there are inhabitants in the spiritual world. Other beings that exist all around us. These other beings aren’t little green aliens with big bug eyes. Rather they are the angels the Bible talks about.
They don’t exist somewhere out beyond the universe. They are all around us in the spiritual world. The spiritual world as its name describes is the world in which spiritual beings exist.
We may know the spiritual world exists and we may know angels and demons exist, but what exactly are angels and demons? Well let’s start with angels.
Angels
Angels
Angels are created spiritual beings. We see angels mentioned by most Bible versions between 113 and 116 times in the OT.
In the NT they are mentioned between 169 and 172 times by most Bible versions.
Let’s look at Heb 1:13-14
13 Now to which of the angels has he ever said: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?
They are spiritual beings God sends to serve anyone who truly believes in Jesus Christ. The Greek word translated serve here means “to render assistance or help by performing certain duties, often of a humble or menial nature.”
Ps 148:1-5 says they are created.
1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly armies. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created.
That means angels are created beings entirely separate from humans. Humans will never become angels nor will angels ever become humans.
However, angels are personal beings. God uses them for many purposes. They appear and deliver messages to humans.
Angels appear in visions and dreams.
1 In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision.
5 I looked up, and there was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
An angel delivered a message to Daniel in a vision.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Joseph was told how Mary was carrying the promised Messiah by an angel in a dream.
They also appear in physical form.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
Zacharias is told by this angel that his wife Elizabeth would conceive and give birth to John the Baptist. Now I don’t know about you, but if I were standing there and an angel just physically appeared out of thin air I’d be freaking out.
I may be visited by angels and never know it which I’m fine with that, but I pray that God never does what He did to Zacharias to me. I’d probably have a heart attack right on the spot.
Angels are obedient to God.
20 Bless the Lord, all his angels of great strength, who do his word, obedient to his command.
Angels are powerful spiritual beings that God created to help and serve mankind. They are completely obedient to God and rejoice every time a human comes to eternal salvation.
How many angels are there?
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
Would you say it’s sufficient to just say, a lot!!!
We must remember we don’t pray to nor do we worship angels Rev 19:10
10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.
This is where understanding our faith and how God communicates with us can be very difficult. Was that vision, or that dream something from God or was it just my own desires? Or even worse was it me allowing Satan and/or his demons an opportunity to tempt me and manipulate me?
How can we know?
Well, we must understand what demons are.
Demons
Demons
What are Demons?
Demons are fallen angels who were disobedient to God. Angels who sinned against God. Now they continually work evil in the world. Yet, they are still angels who have many of the same attributes of angels we just discussed.
They were created by God Gen 1, but were disobedient to God by Genesis 3.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
At this point everything God created was “very good indeed.” That means there could not have been any disobedience within all of creation. For those who say Satan and the demons fell on day one, unless God considered their disobedience to be “very good indeed,” it must not be true.
But somewhere they became disobedient to God. Was Genesis 3:1 that moment or did it happen somewhere prior to this point?
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
It wasn’t just Satan that was disobedient thought. Jude 6
6 and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.
Demons are called Satans angels who were cast down with him Rev 12:9
9 So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.
We learn more about Satan in Eze 28:14-17
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub, for I had appointed you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in you. 16 Through the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I expelled you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and banished you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud because of your beauty; For the sake of your splendor you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground; I made you a spectacle before kings.
Satan was a high-ranking guardian angel, a cherub. He is prideful and wise. He is wicked and he sinned against God. He was expelled from God’s presence.
We see in Isa 14:12-15 the extent of Satan’s pride.
12 Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground. 13 You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. 14 I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you will be brought down to Sheol into the deepest regions of the Pit.
Satan was prideful and power hungry wanting to set himself and his throne above the One who Created him. He wanted to rule over God. When God cast Satan down his hatred for God and all of God’s creation grew so strong that he opposes God in every way.
What does that have to do with us?
Satan and his demons will do everything they can to keep people from believing in Christ. Those who already believe they will do everything they can to tempt them and distance them from God.
They do this in various ways. They use deception and pretend to be God.
20 No, but I do say that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons!
This promotes false religion, doctrine and philosophies.
Satan and demons use our weaknesses against us and cause division and are cunning in how they deceive.
17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, 18 because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
The division and doubt are common throughout the church today. And I far too many people ask me how people can believe in a cult. The smooth talk and flattering words used to make us feel stronger in our weaknesses can lead us into cults so easily.
Satan and his demons use worldly desires to tempt us.
16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.
Using our fleshly desires to tempt us into focusing on the world. Causes us anger, anxiety, fear and so much more.
And Satan uses temptation to blind unbelievers from seeing the gospel. 2 Cor 4:4
4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Satan twists and manipulates the gospel keeping unbelievers from actually seeing the truth.
You see, we aren’t just fighting angry, dark, evil people in this world we are fighting a spiritual war.
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual Warfare
We see the spiritual war in Eph 6:12
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
We have to understand the physical world has less to do with people seeing and coming to Christ than the spiritual world. The spiritual war Satan wages against God in the physical world.
If the Trinity didn’t confuse you enough I need you to understand we simultaneously live in two separate and different kingdoms. Look at Jn 18:36
36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
Our Creator God wants people to be saved and have eternal life. 2 Pe 3:9
9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
But Creator God allows Satan to be the god with a small g of this world within certain limitations. Eph 2:1-2
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
Thankfully we already know how the war ends. Look at Rev 20:10
10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
We don’t fight for victory, we fight from victory. 1 Jn 4:4-6
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
We still fight battles from a place of victory. In order to be most effective in the spiritual battles, we must fight the way God wants us to fight. That fight is perfectly demonstrated by Jesus.
Yes the armor of God is important to put on every day and I have done several sermons on that already. However, we also must follow Jesus’ example by perfectly loving God and perfectly loving others.
Okay maybe not perfectly, that might be an unrealistic expectation. But we are to allow the Holy Spirit transform our character so we naturally begin to love God and others more perfectly every day.
It’s not about us deciding we are going to change and try to will ourselves to change. It’s about the Holy Spirit making a deep down, internal character change we are not capable of making ourselves.
Meet people where they are and just give them the love of Christ. Even if that means holding them accountable in a gentle way full of kindness. They will see a true love for them, not a false face we put on.
That is how people who are seeking will begin to listen to the gospel. How people who are seeking will be opened up to hear the truth. How we win the spiritual battles from victory.
