Sermon Tone Analysis

This morning we are going to be talking about vision, but not as you would think of when someone talks about vision.

Vision is essential to life.

OIt is hard to function when you have no vision, both being able to see the physical, but also the metaphorical.... that is when you are trying to ask those questions about your life… where you want to go and what do you want it to look like.

You know in order for you to see properly you must have light.

I am reminded of the importance of light every time im in a dark laundry room working on someones washer or dryer.

In fact sometimes Im doing something like trying to attach a wire connector or trying to mount something up under there and I have noticed that when I do not have my flashlight on the area in which I am working, I will fiddle around and take ten times as long as it should take because I am operating off of instinct and feeling my way around, compared to when I wisen up and shine a light on it, Light is essential to seeing

Jesus said

This morning I am not going to lead you into ten things on how to love your life more in 2020, this morning I want to shine a light in the darkness, not a darkness like I experience every time im under a washer, I want to shine a light into spiritual darkness, and I want to help you to see the unseen this morning.

Let me share a couple of experiences that I've ad just the last couple of weeks.

I have been experiencing a lot of heaviness here lately, battling some depression, and it is not just ordinary stuff.

A few weeks ago I was trying to take a break and refill, enjoy some personal family time, by the way pastors are entitled to that, but I got a text message at 9 PM on Christmas Eve, form a guy, saying that he was never going to darken the doors of this church, all pastors are the same, and really cut into me.

Now listen I could get hard hearted about it and say you know whatever, but I didn’t it bothered me for the next several days, and A time that was supposed to be refreshing, festive, full of laughter, turned into a break that bothered and discouraged me.

A year or two ago

Last week in fact on New Years day, I wake up to a cousin that called me and told me that my grandfather had taken a bad fall and it didn’t look good.

And good it was not, he broke seven ribs and one had punctured his lung, and We had to go all the way to Athens hospital to see him.

About 30 minutes before we leave, I get a text message from a guy that he was about to take his life, and that by time his family found him it would be too late.

I call this gentlemen and finally get him on the phone and he tells me the police are about to take him to the hospital, and then gets mad at me and hangs up because I tell him that I have to go see my grandfather.

These types of things are not all that uncommon for someone in the ministry, but what is uncommon is the time placement.... Someone told you if the devil cant stop something from taking off, he will sabotage its landing.

I And if he cant stop the start, he will help you to hold the foot on the gas where you can’t break.

Do you know what the devil wants modern Americans to believe, that he doesn’t exist and that everything can be boiled down to poor decisions and time managment.

I me that is it....

He doesn’t want educated Americans believiing in the existence of evil and a real Kingdom of Darkness.

And I have seen him hinder this ministry so many times with calculated attacks.

From what Paul calls false brethren that are secretely brought in.

I have seen people get buckled down to serve the Lord and misterously come down with some kind of sickness tht they can’t seem to kick.

I have seen great victories that the Lord has one to only minutes later get some discouraging news from someone that should be rejoicing and instead serves as that wet blanket on a hot fire.I have seen so many left field and bizzare things

I saw a facebook post the other day that said something to the effect of Pray for those in your circle because when He can’t get you he wil test everything around you

So tihs morning I want us to go into this new year not only seeing the things that is before us but to see the things that are unseen.

I want you to have VISION

I struggled with which passage of scripture to preach from this morning because I have preached from so many times before I didn't feel like I really had anything knew to say about that.

so I chose another passage from the book of Revelation.

So if you have your Bibles open up to Revelation chapter 9

I chose this passage because its descripes the nature of demons so well.

And you need to know what you are up against because as

So if you believe the Word of God and I trust that you do, beacause as

Psalm 119:105

So you need to believe the Word that is a light unto your path so when the enemy crosses your path you do not begin to fire at everyone around you.

Now in Revelation chapter 9 we are just kind of diving into it, but this is one of the judgement that fall in that time known as the Great Tribulation.

Now we are not in this time period though we are probably really close.

Now you will notice in this passage that there is a blow of the trumpet and it is the fifth trumpet, There are four others before this, with each trumpet blast getting worse and worse.

Now the question is when will the time of the Great Tribulation start.

It will start with what is called the rapture of the church

1 Thess

And when that time comes, the restraining force of evil will be removed and Hell will have a holiday.

And this invasion from the bottomless pit will take place and the darkening, dewfiling spiritus will cover the earth and inflict mankind, this is a judgment against lost humanity.

Now the reason I want to go through this passage this morning is because there are many things that we can pull from these passages that we can use equip ourselves for spiritual battle.

Are you ready?

Revelation 9

Degenerate Spirits

Now notice in verse 1 it describes a star falling from heaven, but it is not speaking of a celestial star that’s in outer space, because God gives this star a the personal pronoun of He, was given a Key that opened a shaft of the Bottom less pit.

Now what is this bottomless pit?

It is a prison, a sort of super max prison for demons.

It is the ADX FLORENCE Supermax for demons,

You say well I thought that demons were running around all of the place.

Well Two things with that type of statement

1. they are not running around all over the place like kids on halloween night.

The bible tells us that they are an organized army who hold different military ranks.

They are very calculated.

2. But are some demons that are so vile, so vicious and degenerate that God in his kindness and mercy has imprisoned them for the appointed time.

Now every demon is wicked but these are in a class of their own.

You think of some of the sick and twisted things that we see, you haven't seen anything yet.

Now if you are questioning this super max for demons, you need to go reread the passage where Jesus runs into a demon possessed man named legion, they begged Jesus not too throw them into the pit.

Can you imagine—can you imagine—what would happen in the world if worldwide all prison doors were flung open, every rapist, every murderer, every drug addict, every arsonist, every child molester, every thief, every pervert, every wicked person was just let loose, all the doors open?

And then, can you imagine there being absolutely no police force to control them?

How would you like to live in a city like that?

How would you like to live in a world like that?

Well, refuse Jesus Christ and you’ll see what it’s like, only worse, when the very pit of hell is opened, and the bottomless pit is opened.

I say, number one: they are degenerate spirits.

Darkening Spirits

Revelation 9

When these things are released there will not only be times of physical darkness but of great spiritual darkness.

IOn fact the Bible tells us that when the Lord returns the time that precedes his return will be times of incredible darkness.

Now I know that many of us constantly here all the horrible things that happen all the time.

There was just a church shooting last week in White Settlement.

Is is easy for us to get weighed down with these things that we will usually have one of two responces,

1.) we will allow it to consume us, that goes with that dog piling tactict of the enemy

2.) We will constantly be escaping all the bad that goes on the the world.

We put our haeads in the sand and cross our fingers that nothing unfortunate will happen.

Both of these approaches are dangerous to a disciple.

The one you will get your focus on the darkness and that is all you will be consumed with that you devlope a negative mindset that you will always just curse the darkness and forget to love and shine your light.

With the other appraoch of ignorance and passicvism, you will never get into the battle and fight for souls, and one day darkness will touch your life and you will be unprepared

Devouring Spirits

Now notice that God is using symbolism to describe the dark spirits, and he likens them to locusts.

There is a swarm of them, only these locusts are not feasting on the grass they are feasting on the souls of men, women, those wo are not saved.

There are historical records of locust swarms in the middle east, such swarms that they actually block out the sun in midday.

And they devour everything in sight.

Farmers tell us that the sound of these locust sound like chariots going into battle.

Now on this day it will be too late to help people suffering this type of affliction.

But can I tell you there are people that are suffering in like manner now and I believe whole heartedly that many times demons are involved.

Do you know what the devil wants to do?