NT Framework - The Worst Thing for Satan

What could possibly be the worst thing that could happen to Satan? Final judgement at the end of time is a definite possibility, and yet there is something that happens every day that is perhaps more fearful for him than that.

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Transcript

Welcome And Series Context

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Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.

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Fallen angels attempt to destroy believers. 1 Peter 5.8, right? Look at 1 Peter 5.8. Peter says, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. We're supposed to do this every day, right? Be on the alert, be on the watch. Why? Because your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. We saw this in the days of Job. We see the exact same thing. Where have you been, the Lord says? Oh, and roaming around the earth. Doing what? Seeking somebody to devour. Who you got in mind?

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Job. Job only loves you because you give Job goodies. And we'll get to that in a minute.

Intimidation Tactics In Acts

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And then he says, but resist him. Firm in your faith. Resist him. Resist him. But he they want to destroy us. Okay. Acts chap um, how do they do this? Well, first of all, there it's not always physical persecution. We'll talk about that. That's when he's really desperate. Um, when he's not as desperate, he'll use intimidation, he'll use threat. What do you see in Acts chapter 4? Peter and John heal this guy, this lame guy, and then they're brought before the council, and the council says, You're not supposed to teach in this name. You cannot teach in this name. Do not use the name of Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

And then they whipped him and sent him out.

Modern Pressure On Churches And Academia

SPEAKER_01 1:34

And they but before they left, they said, Hey, we can't stop. We can't stop preaching this name. And it says they went back out into the temple. I mean, like right in the temple. It says they went on preaching and teaching the name, and people were getting saved. But it's that intimidation. I mean, who was behind the council? Trying to intimidate them, trying to get them to stop preaching the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You got the whole COVID story here of the last few years. Uh you can't meet anymore as churches. We're gonna send you a letter from the Washington State of Health.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Okay.

When Persecution Turns Violent

Why Persecution Often Grows Faith

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Well, we're not gonna be intimidated. Scriptures tell us to not forsake assembling ourselves. Whose word is priority? The Lord's word, or some humans that are being manipulated by demons trying to divert our attention away from Christ. We're not gonna go along with that. That's intimidation, it's a threat technique. If you fall for that, guess what? You'll fall for anything. I mean, this is just a threat. This is really nothing. Okay. Toughen up. And most of the church said, oh, okay, we'll sit in our cars in the parking lot or we won't meet at all, or something like that. Whatever. Sorry, but that was just anemic. Uh academia. It happens in academia. What if you're a Christian in the academic sphere? You want to go and you want to study, you know, medicine, science, things like that. You want to go into the higher degrees, you want to get your graduate degree, or you want to go in further to PhD. Well, they have the gatekeepers, you know. Gatekeepers in in professional academia, they're not gonna let you through. They know you're a Christian. It's intimidation. You keep holding to that Christian stuff, you're not gonna get to go on and be whatever you want to be, a professor, you know, a researcher, whatever. Um you can't you can't be intimidated by it. But this is a form of trying to destroy believers. Now, if it gets if it it gets worse because it can get to physical violence, Acts chapter 7, there's a guy named Stephen. And uh Stephen was too much for any of Pharisees or even Saul to handle. The guy had arguments, he was able to put the scriptures together in ways that they could not handle. Because nobody could answer him. His wisdom, his ability with the scriptures above everybody. He was like what I consider the first apolog apologist for the Christian church. And they could they didn't know what to do with the guy, so when they didn't know what to do with the guy, they they the only thing they could do is just kill him. Because he was a threat. Who is he a threat to ultimately? Them or to Satan? See? Who is behind the council of the Pharisees and Sadducees there that were trying to stone or it did end up stoning Stephen? Well, obviously Satan. Uh think of the Christians in the Roman Colosseum in like what 270s of the Roman Empire. I mean, why were they thrown why were they thrown to into the basically to death you know in the Colosseum? It's because they they wouldn't worship Caesar, they're not gonna do that. They're gonna worship only Jesus Christ. And they had backbones, right? Who was behind all that though, throwing throwing them through the to the lion, throwing the Christians to the lion? See, it wasn't just the emperor. There's the princes and principalities of darkness that were working behind them to stop all this. Because the Christianity was getting out of control. It was growing, it was taking over. But at times, you know, um what ends up happening? Every time this happens, and there's persecution of the church in this way, like physical violence, the church tends to grow. Oddly enough, Tertullian said it this way in the early church blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. The more blood you spill, the more seeds are spawned to grow more Christian. We saw this in China, we see this everywhere. You throw they throw the pastors in China in prison for preaching the gospel, and what would happen? More people would become Christians. So they were like, okay, well, maybe this isn't the best thing to do. Because Satan kind of oversteps, he goes too far. And then, you know, the worst thing that could happen happens to him, and that's that second hand goes fast.

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Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spoke and Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.