Our World as Satan’s Kingdom

Transcript

GRM 1244
September 13, 2020
Our World as Satan's Kingdom
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh


One of the things I like to do on vacation is read, and read some things that aren't particularly related to what we have been studying together. I usually try to take some material along that is not directly related to what we have been particularly studying together on Sunday, just to move me into different areas. And that stirs my thinking on some other things. We did some other things, we had a good time. Family came out for some different weekends, we enjoyed that. We went off-roading in a jeep for a couple of days, that was fun. Not a couple of days out, we went and stayed, went out in a jeep and then came back, I'm not a camper, but we had a good time. Some of what I was reading and contemplating in light of what is going on, I thought I would just walk through with you some things I think are a concern. In fact, when I came in this morning I had received a theological journal and as I opened it up one of the articles is on an issue related to the kingdom and the movement among evangelicals to see more involvement in activities that will help bring in the kingdom. I think much of what is going on in the world there is confusion because we have lost focus.

So what better place to begin than with our favorite chart, so we're going to put that chart up. You recognize that? I have a cup on my desk that has that on it. It is very basic, where the seventy weeks of Daniel, we're not going into that, but that tan area between the first coming of Christ when He was crucified and then ascended back to heaven down until the rapture of the church, those areas that meet and the one arrow turns back up where the church is gathered to heaven. We're in that church age which is followed by seven years, the seven years' tribulation we call it, that's where the arrow is. And that will be followed by the kingdom, after the seven years. Now this is basic, foundational, to us who take the literal interpretation of prophecy along with the rest of scripture. The church age does not end by bringing in the kingdom, the church age ends with seven years of tribulation, turmoil. Revelation chapters 6-19 covers that seven-year period, and we've studied it together. Now keeping that in mind helps keep our focus balanced. We're not going to improve the world, we don't need to do social things to improve the world or protect the climate so that the kingdom can come in. The world literally is going from bad to worse, the worst is yet to come for this world. That seven-year period will be the worst the world has ever seen. We've studied Revelation, billions of people will die, it will be a time of what we call natural catastrophes, wars, intense persecutions; the world has never seen it. It will be worldwide, there will be a central government governing the world, so all that going on.

My concern is that many Christians today have gotten confused and lost their moorings, it's true for pastors as well. We need to be careful that we don't get caught up in what is going on. We live in a world where we are bombarded 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the events that are taking place and pretty soon they begin to absorb our thinking. And we are told how important these days are and what is going on, and the next election will determine the course of this country and maybe of the world. And pretty soon our thinking gets adjusted to the world's thinking. I want to clarify things for us, and please pay attention because I know some people will go out and say do you know what Gil taught? You be sure that it is what I taught, not what they think I might have taught because their mind turned off. You know how it is, something comes up when someone is talking and that catches your attention, next thing you know you are thinking down that line and when you come back it is time to pray and go home.

We're going to talk about basic, let me set the foundation, we are in our country, we'll focus here to start. We have a divide between the liberals and conservatives, and whatever else you want to call the liberals, as they call themselves progressives or whatever, and conservatives and what other names. But just talk about the basic divide. And my concern is we find Christians getting drawn into this as though the most important thing for us is to be sure that we do all we can to come out on the right side. And I want to say something at the front and then we're going to look through scripture to support it. Everything in this world is under satanic authority. The conservatives just as much as the liberals, the liberals just as much as the conservatives. This whole world system, not only United States but all the governments, the educational systems, the nations are all under satanic authority. Now God has not abdicated the throne and we're touching on this in the book of Romans, just going to mention it. What we're going to have to deal with is the sovereignty of God and the responsible actions of the beings He has created, angels and humans. God has ultimate sovereign authority and His purposes are being accomplished in all the details. But by the same token, as we studied in Romans 1, because of their sin and rejection of Him God has turned sinners over to their own sinful desires so they pursue the sin that they love. But that does not frustrate God's plan, but He is not the one who causes them to sin. There is the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.

That's true in the angelic world. We're going to look at Satan, this whole world has been turned over to him. Let's start back in Isaiah 14, and we're just going to be reading a lot of scriptures with brief comments, brief is relative, you come here expecting that. Isaiah 14, we go back to the beginning with Satan, Isaiah 14:12, “How have you fallen from heaven, o star of the morning, son of the dawn!” And how this happened, verse 13, “You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,” now note this, “I will make myself like the Most High.” The fall of Satan occurred (he was created as a holy angel) when he decided… and you can read Ezekiel 28, we won't go there because of time, gives you further elaboration. He was perfect in his beauty, it doesn't get any better than that, God said he was perfect in his beauty. And he thought that he could replace God, and that's the goal of Satan from the beginning of his fall, from his descent, from the original sin of Satan, it was to replace God and thus have the worship due only to God, that is Satan's goal.

Come over to Matthew 4. This is the temptation of Christ by Satan in the wilderness at the beginning of His public ministry, where He was led up into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. That was part of the purpose of God. Satan was going to do what he desired to do here. And we're just going to focus on the one point in the temptation. Look at verse 5, “Then the devil took Him into the Holy City and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, cast yourself down.’ ” And Christ tells him that you don't put God to the test. That leads us to this last temptation, “the devil took Him up to a very high mountain,” you see the power of the devil, to show out here and act, “took Him up to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.” So you know, with our technology today, we get to see much of the world but Satan takes Him up and in a moment of time he shows Him all the kingdoms of the world. Not one, not some of the major, all the kingdoms of the world “and their glory; and he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give to You,’ ” that's all the kingdoms of the world, “ ‘if you fall down and worship me.’ ” You don't want to lose sight of what Satan is doing, his total commitment is to replace the living God. You say, that's so foolish, it's stupid. Well, remember the verse I always quote to you from 1 Rugh 1:1, sin makes you stupid, and that's true for Satan as well as humans, angels as well as humans. The Bible does indicate that sin does make you stupid. He says I'll give you all these kingdoms in all their glory, but you must worship me. That's what Satan wants, that's where we're going. Remember in the tribulation, that seven-year period, what's going to happen. Revelation 13, in the middle we have the Antichrist, that false christ, the one that the world will worship because he is trying to replace Christ the Son of God. And when worship is directed to the Antichrist, it will be a worship of Satan as he tries to carry out his plan.

Christ does not tell Satan you don't have authority over these kingdoms to give to Me. What He picks up on in verse 10, “Jesus said to him, ‘Go Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” He doesn't say Satan, you don't have the authority to give Me that. The word ‘world’ here is the word ‘cosmos,’ we have it in English c-o-s-m-o-s, in English we usually say the cosmos, we just transliterate it over from the Greek, it's this world. That word will be used 187 times in the New Testament, we're going to look at, not all of them, but a few of them, I want you to understand the context of it. The cosmos is all the world system and all it includes -- the governments, the countries, the education, the religious systems, all of it, the part of the cosmos over which Satan has authority.

Come over to Luke, Luke records this temptation as well, he gives us some details that Matthew doesn't, Luke 4 and we'll pick up with verse 5. “Satan led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” That's the power of Satan, he could spread that out all before Christ so it could be seen instantly. “And the devil said to Him, ‘I will give You all this domain and its glory,’ ” now note this, “ ‘for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.’ ” Now basically he is talking about the same scene, this is all this domain, this is a different word than cosmos but it refers to the inhabited cosmos. But Satan's power, you note, when I say Satan rules over the cosmos, all the kingdoms and nations and all that it entails because cosmos entails that organized world. Sometimes we're told we get the word cosmetics from it because it means to put in arrangement, to structure. So this whole world system, we are told here it has been handed over to me (Satan), I give it to whomever I wish. That's why we say there is not a conflict even though we may not resolve it. God tells us in other scriptures He sets over it whomever He chooses, now Satan says I can give the authority over these kingdoms to whomever I want, and both are true. God is absolutely sovereign and He has turned authority, like in Romans 1 when man sinned and rejected God, God turned him over to his sin. Now man chooses and sins at his own pleasure, his own choice, but he never frustrates the plan of God. But God never caused that sin. And so both are in play here, God is absolutely sovereign, that's indicated when it says it has been handed over to me. Isn't it interesting? He wants to replace the One who had authority to give him authority, he can't do it but he still tries, if You'll only worship me. Verse 7, “Therefore if you worship before me, it shall be Yours,” we can take a shortcut to the kingdom, you can rule this cosmos, you don't have to go to the cross, worship me and it is our partnership that will get it done. Again, Christ doesn't say you don't have that power, you don't have that authority, He says “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” That's what I want you to see, this is the conflict going on, Satan and God. Satan ruling this cosmos and all that is in it.

So I want to bring it back to our country, we divided it between the liberals and the conservatives. I hear too many evangelicals getting up, talking like everything depends upon if we can get a conservative president, a conservative Congress, conservative Supreme Court. And however you choose to vote is fine, but be careful, that is not the issue. It is all under Satan's authority and control, just as it is under God. And God says He puts everybody that's in power, in power ultimately, and that includes the liberal side as well as the conservative side. There is no power, we'll get to this in Romans, but it has been put there by God. And Satan is ruling in this universe with the authority God has given him, he is literally the ruler of this cosmos. So I want to be careful, I want the foundational issue, we had it in the last song about Calvary, the foundational issue is the reconciliation that God accomplished in providing Christ to go to Calvary. That's the division in the world that makes a difference, those who have been reconciled to God through faith in the work of Christ on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin, and those who have not trusted in Him. You understand that foundation, conservative and liberal are the same, they are of their father, the devil, they do his will. You know, the devil does good things, not in the ultimate sense with the desire to please God, but remember he is working for worship. One of the strongest systems of social work is the Roman Catholic Church in our country, but it is not founded on the reconciling work of Christ. But it is hard to say it is not a good work to have a hospital taking care of crippled children or providing food for hungry people. The devil is happy to do it if it draws worship to me, the devil, good things on that level. We might say it's better to have those in government who have rules and protect certain rights for us, and we like that, sure, but don't get confused. I sometimes think Christians have lost focus on the foundation. Jesus told the moral people of His day, you are of your father, the devil. You didn't get any more moral in the New Testament days than the Judaizers who were trying to keep the Mosaic Law and you get no stronger criticism than that directed toward those very people. I get concerned that Christians lose their focus and we get so caught up. Christians can get a lot more enthusiastic and excited to talk about the political divide today than they do about the gospel, which is the real divide today. If the foundation is not built on the finished work of Christ then it is part of the work of the devil, you can't escape it.

A few verses, and then we're going to walk through them in a more orderly fashion. Come over to John 12. You know, John, there are 187 uses of the word ‘cosmos,’ that's what we're going to focus on, ‘world’ we usually have it translated in our Bible, ‘world.’ So you can get a concordance and look them up and follow them through. Sixty-eight of them are in the Gospel of John and then I think he does another 23, that's from my memory, in 1 John. So about one-half of the 187 references to cosmos are in the writing of John. I think there are like 41 of them in Jesus' discourse with His disciples on the night He is betrayed. The Bible is concerned about the cosmos and Christians understanding this cosmos, it is totally corrupted, it is hostile toward God, it is in rebellion against God, it is under the authority of Satan, these are his kingdoms, in that sense. John 12, we're going to look at verse 31. “Now judgment is upon this world, now the ruler,” (the archone) “the ruler of this world will be cast out,” Jesus acknowledges him. What Satan offered Him was a genuine offer in that temptation. All these things have been turned over to me, all the kingdoms of the world, this cosmos is mine and all that is in it, the ruler of this world. Well, I thought God was the ruler. In the ultimate, yes. But just like then, sinners are making decisions, acting. As Satan is and he has authority to do so. Remember in the book of Daniel, I think it is Daniel 10, when Gabriel was sent from the throne of God with a message for Daniel, he was stuck for three weeks because he couldn't get into that particular kingdom. Do you know why? He told Daniel, the demon that Satan had put in charge of that wouldn't let me in. I had to call for Michael, three weeks, so he could come and get me access. You see something of the authority of Satan over the kingdoms and the realm. We ought to understand, this country we live in is part of the cosmos that Satan rules over. I know, but if we get a conservative Supreme Court… Is it founded on the belief and proclamation of the reconciling work of Jesus Christ on the cross? Well, you can't expect that from the Supreme Court. No, you can't, because our governments are not founded on the biblical truth of God's reconciling work. The cosmos is hostile to God, but what we're picking up on is Satan is the ‘archone,’ the ruler of this world.

Come over to John 14:30. “I will not speak much more with you,” Christ is talking, “for the ruler,” the archone “of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” He is marshaling his forces; since he could not get the Son of God to bow and worship him, he will try to destroy Him. “The ruler of this cosmos is coming.” If we have a problem talking about Satan and ruling over this world system, we have a problem with the Bible, we have a problem with what Jesus taught.

Look over in John 16:11, and this context of the coming of the Holy Spirit. And this becomes the divide. Verse 8, “When He comes,” the Holy Spirit, “He will convict the” cosmos. You see the cosmos is corrupted, is lost, the people of it. “He'll convict” the cosmos, “the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they don't believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler,” the archone, “of this cosmos (world) has been judged.” You see, the conflict is set up here, the cosmos, you need to send a rescue team in, there is no rescuing this cosmos as it is, it takes outside intervention. The coming of Christ to provide salvation to rescue some out of this cosmos, believers, then ultimately the coming of Christ to earth the second time to bring it destruction and establish His kingdom. We don't want to be confused. We get blended somehow, conservative Christianity has become conservative politics and the political situation, and believers are cranked up to go. But really He sent the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to the world. We're down here, we’ve got those who claim to be evangelical Bible-believing Christians, we have to fix the world, we have to make it a better place so Christ can have His kingdom. You don't get that out of scripture, you get that from twisting scripture. The world is a lost cause, it's not rescuable, it's corrupted. Now there is rescue for those in it, but it will take Christ's coming after the destruction and the establishing of His kingdom.

Satan is the ruler, so don't divide liberal and conservative, and these are on God's side and these aren't. Well, you would have to find out who there has placed his faith in the reconciling work of God. That doesn't mean on a more superficial level we can exercise our vote, that I would prefer to have someone in power that will enable us to continue to preach the word of God. But I also know Satan will use good things to corrupt us. Constantine the Roman emperor in the 4th century made Christianity the religion of the empire. Didn't help things. Immediately it looked good and now Christians weren't being persecuted. We ended up with Christendom and a mixture of empire and Christianity. Satan works.

So what I want to do is look through some scripture verses with you, starting in John 1. And we're just going to look at the cosmos in scripture so that when you watch the news you think cosmos, Satan's system, corrupted and vile. And it's not being played. One pastor comes on from an evangelical church, I admired the previous pastor and had some of his commentaries. I don't know much about this man except what I see on the news. He's just there, he's so mixed in the politics of the day. It's as though the reconciling work of Christ, well, that's important but it's not really what we need to focus on today. Who is going to get voted in, and what a difference it will make for our country. We can't rescue this country, God doesn't intend to rescue this country, we're going to the Tribulation. Remember Peter reminded us, knowing all these things are going to be burned up, be holy people. Where do we get the idea that we have to rescue the United States or the world is hopeless. Where are we going?

John 1, it's a world of darkness, the opening verses of John. Verse 4, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not (comprehend) overcome it.” Then you have John the Baptist coming to testify to the Light. Then verse 9, “there is the true Light which coming into the cosmos (world), enlightens every man.” There is not the light in the cosmos, this world and world system, we need light from the outside. There was light given in the Old Testament, Israel was the chosen nation, the word of God had been given to Israel and so on, but now you are having light in a greater way than it has ever come before. He is “the true Light which, coming into the world, provides light for (enlightens) every man. He was in the cosmos, and the cosmos was made through Him.” All this world and everything in it was a creation of God. It's the fall and Adam choosing to obey and worship, if you will, Satan, by obeying him and disobeying God that brought the fall of the cosmos. He brings light to every man. You'll note the light has to come from God. “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world,” the cosmos, “did not know Him. As many as received Him,” verse 12, “to them He gave the right to become children of God.” You see what He is doing? He is coming into this fallen, satanic system as it exists now and rescuing some out of it. This is not something that just Christians are… the darkness shall turn to dawning and the dawning to noonday bright. And God's great kingdom shall come to earth, the kingdom of love and light. That's not the way it is going to work, the cosmos is disintegrating. Sin in some instances is unraveling yet it is moving toward Satan's ultimate goal, Revelation 13, the man of sin, the Antichrist.

So come over to John 3:16, “For God so loved” the cosmos, “the world” that He decided to improve it. No. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the ‘cosmos’ to judge the ‘cosmos,’ the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” It brings salvation to a world that without Him is hopeless, destined to perish, the people in it will perish. “He who believes in Him is not judged, he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed.” If you don't believe… you start out a sinner, and unless you believe in Christ you’re lost. It's not like you start out good and along the way you got lost and now you maybe are rescued again unless you didn't do bad enough things and then you'll make it anyway. No. We are part of this system. Jesus said to the Jews of His day in John 8, “You are of your father the devil.” They were the most moral people. Paul said you couldn't have gotten anybody more moral than I was, I did everything I could to keep the Mosaic Law as perfectly as you could expect a man to keep it. He still failed, but from God's side I was the chieftest of sinners. Moral issue, as though everything hangs on it. Everything hangs on the work of Christ. Those moral people are Satan's people, they are too good to need a Savior, they think they are all right as they are. They are children of the devil, I don't say that to be mean, that's true of all of us until we place our faith in Christ. That's what He says, if you haven't believed you are already under judgment, condemned to perish in hell.

“This is the judgment,” verse 19, “that the Light has come into the ‘cosmos,’ and men love the darkness rather than the Light.” So we live in a world of darkness. Even those who are unbelieving conservatives politically, they are in spiritual darkness. Try to talk to them about the gospel, find out the foundation that they are building on, it's a foundation of sand, it's not the rock of the finished work of Christ. Light has come into the world. This world is in darkness, the world, all the governments of the world, all the education systems, the religious systems, political systems, all this, it's in spiritual darkness. Yet we find Christians rallying as though the great need in our country is conservatives. Maybe you would vote for the Antichrist who could bring some order. Well, no, nobody is going to vote for him. Who is going to vote for him? The world, the people of this system. So this is the world.

Come over to John 6:33, “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the cosmos.” You see we are going to have this event. The cosmos is that which is separated and apart from God, God has to intervene and come into the cosmos, bring light and life, the bread of life to the cosmos. Come down to verse 51, Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the ‘cosmos’ is My flesh,” His death on the cross. Some poor deluded people think eating of the bread at the communion service is literally eating the physical flesh of Christ. When Christ gets done here He has to tell them, the words that I speak to you are spiritual, they are life. Just like thinking your physical baptism will save you, physically partaking of communion is physically partaking of Christ, it will save you. That is Satan's system. Just as he took the word of God when he tempted Christ in Matthew 4, Luke 4, he used the word of God, he quoted the word of God. So he quotes the word of God to people, but it is twisted. Peter will write about that in his second epistle and says those who twist the word of God to their own destruction. Satan knows the scripture far better than either you or me, he'll probably quote it verbatim from the first of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation. His power is to rule and control this vast world system and all the governments and nations and so on. Don't minimize. Well, they quote scripture, they say they believe the Bible, well, the devil does, too. So it's about Christ giving His life for the world.

Come over to John 8:12, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world,’ ” the light of the cosmos, it's in darkness, spiritual darkness, “he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” There are two kinds of people in this world, this cosmos -- people who are walking in spiritual darkness, people who are walking in spiritual light, and not talking about their politics. They say certain political positions… Might be more consistent, but we're talking about the foundational issue, you either walk in light or you walk in darkness. How do you know the difference? If you are following Christ because your faith is in Him, you walk in light. Everyone else walks in darkness, the majority of this system. Jesus said it's a few, the way to life is narrow, a narrow gate, a narrow road; the broad gate and the broad way, that's the road to destruction. So see the contrast -- light and darkness, light and darkness, light and darkness. Yes, we can tell that. Who did you vote for? We begin to deny the truth we say is so precious to us.

Come to John 15:18, Jesus still talking with His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” The cosmos, the world, this system and all in it and all the people in it, and part of it has hated Me. Well, aren't there good people in the world? They're not Christians, but don't they love… I didn't say this, Christ did. “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the ‘cosmos, part of this world system,’ the world would love its own, but because you were not out of the world, but I chose you out of the world…” Note this, it is not in and being part of the world, we are chosen out of the world, we still live here but we don't belong to this world system anymore. We sing the song, this world is not my home, I'm just a'passing through. That's true, we're strangers and pilgrims here, Abraham acknowledged that in Hebrews 11. A lot of Christians, we get confused, it seems these things are so important, and look at the decisions being made. What do you expect Satan to make? The world hates Christ and it hates you because you belong to Christ, it's because “I chose you out of the world.”

Well-meaning people that may be believers, I can't tell. One of the books that I read while I was gone, I'm sorting through, I said to Marilyn, I can't tell and I don't have to ultimately, but I don't think some of these are believers. They are classified among evangelicals, one of them teaches at a major evangelical school, and others recognize them as evangelicals. I don't see anything he writes that makes me think he is evangelical. But we don't belong to this system and these men are starting to write about how we fix the system and how important it is that we do social work because if we do things the world will appreciate that we do good things. What happened to our theology? Satan hates you, he hates God. We know from scripture nothing will change, after a thousand years in the bottomless pit, as soon as he is released he goes on the attack again to overthrow Christ.

I'm not saying we ought to treat all the world like you are my enemy and I can't have anything to do with you. No, but we ought not to lose our understanding that we are different. We don't belong to this world system, we are not brothers and sisters with the lost. They are children of the devil, we are the children of God. Don't say that arrogantly because… I’ll tell them, I want to share with you, I was a child of the devil myself, I belonged to him, I was wholeheartedly devoted to him. Then one day someone brought light to my life and told me… And share with them the truth of Christ. It is light and darkness, it's because you have been chosen out of the world and the world hates you. I can't make a list of all the people who say, I wish Indian Hills had a better reputation. We could get involved socially and show people we care. What's the most caring thing I can do? Bring the light, the glory of the gospel to people who are lost and on their way to an eternal hell, under God's condemnation, literally the walking dead living in darkness. Nothing is as nearly important as that. The devil subtly says we do some of this it will provide an opening, and then we will have an opening. We minimize the seriousness of the issue, Jesus goes on to remind them of that -- they hate Me, they'll hate you; they persecute Me, they'll persecute you.

Come over to John 17, and this is the high priestly prayer of Christ, and He repeatedly uses the word ‘world’ through this. We'll just pick up a selection, verse 9, “I ask on their behalf, I do not ask on behalf of the ‘cosmos, the world, the people who are part of this system,’ but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours.” You see, Christ makes a firm line, I'm praying for those that You have selected out of the world. We say, you're arrogant, you're self-righteous. No, have to explain the gospel. But what would I want to deny the gospel? We begin to see the world like it is. When I take my glasses off all of a sudden you are not clear anymore, your faces don't have any distinct features. Our theology becomes like that. And people say well, why, why, it is good enough, I think there is good in it. Never forget, the devil does good, as the world views it, it is his system, of course he does good. If it will help you worship me, I'll build a hospital for you, if it helps you worship me, I'll do this. That's the devil.

Down in John 17:14, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the ‘cosmos,’ even as I am not of the ‘cosmos.’ ” We don't want to be part of this world. We live here, we have to work, pay bills, buy groceries, but this is not our focus, we don't belong here, quit trying to fit. We have churches coming up trying to show how they fit. You are as much like the world as you could be, you like it here. Where do you get that out of scripture? “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world,” out of the cosmos, “but to keep them from the evil one.” We are living in dangerous territory, you understand that. We are in the devil's realm. Think of the worst anti-Christian plays in the world and you were going to go there to present Christ. We are in Satan's system here, it's very dangerous. The danger for us is not, at least at this point, that they will march in and haul us off to prison and perhaps execution like in some countries. The danger for us is the devil just moves us to become more comfortable having him sit next to us in church and have a church where the devil feels comfortable. That's what we are saying when we want the world to feel comfortable here. I mean, we are of the light and darkness, the children of the devil and the children of God, and we want the children of the devil to feel comfortable with the children of God. And I don't want the children of God to feel comfortable in that sense. We are to love the unbeliever, we are to be kind to them, merciful. Understanding our wretched and lost condition apart from God's grace. But we don't want to be like them, we will be different, and I expect our church should be different if it is a gathering of believers. “They are not of the world,” verse 16, “even as I am not of the world.”

Verse 18, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” That's what we're about. What did Christ come to do? Make friends, get everybody to like Him. He came as light and He said you will crucify Me because I told you the truth. Don't expect, you are so nice… if God is working they may say that. I appreciate your telling me that, I need to hear more. God is still drawing out some for Himself. Down in verse 25, “O righteous Father, although the world, ‘this cosmos, this system ignorant of God,’ has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them.” This is what it is about. The world doesn't know, doesn't understand.

Come over to John 18:36, this is where we are going, Jesus is with Pilate, Pilate is trying to question Him, “Jesus answered,” verse 36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” My kingdom is not of this world. It is not coming out from inside here. “If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting.” That's how the Romans built their empire. Spent some time this week reading on Constantine and the Roman Empire, the battle and fights for power. So I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews, they'd be defending My kingdom. “As it is, My kingdom is not of this realm,” it is not from here. This idea that we ought to, social thing coming in, we do kingdom work, I read it everywhere, we are doing kingdom work. What do you mean? We are doing salvage work, we are rescuers out of this hopeless world, doomed to destruction. Our best days are ahead, I know we will recover. There may be ups and downs, we've had a good life in this country, we're sitting here prosperous. Watch TV, there are more advertisements on how you could eat less, some people in the world would be happy to have just enough to get through the day. We are prosperous, we're doing well. But don't mistake that for spiritual prosperity, remember the warning to Israel, when you do become materially prosperous, don't forget God, but they did. So the devil works his way. “My kingdom is not of this world.” So anybody that tells you we ought to do kingdom work, say not me, I'm not going to try to do what God said only He would do. But I tell you I am doing His work which is gospel work, ‘turning the light on’ work, sharing the message of reconciliation and life.

Come back to 2 Corinthians 5:9, this is what Paul says his ministry is in that cosmos and nothing has changed. It is Satan's world, cosmos, that has not changed. Christ has died and gone to heaven, nothing has changed. Verse 18, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ.” He reconciled us, brought us into right relationship with God through Christ. “Gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” That's our work today, it's not kingdom work, it is reconciliation work, a ministry of reconciliation, What? “Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling ‘the cosmos,’ the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” It has been passed on down through the centuries of time to us to give out that message. If the devil succeeds in saying you ought to be doing more good things that the world can recognize as good and appreciate, what will that do? That will turn us away from the one thing that we, as those who have been reconciled, can do in this dark world, bring light. I hope you understand when I say anybody can feed the poor, anybody can give money to the poor, anyone can do this. I'm not saying we don't do kind things, and it's wrong to give food to your neighbor and help… No, you understand what I am saying. But no one but a born-again believer can bring light to the darkness, that's what Paul is saying. How did you get out of the darkness? Someone brought the light to you, if not, you have never been saved. You may have been religious, you may have been raised here and exposed to the light but you rejected it. But you have to be exposed to the light and believe the light, the truth of the gospel. “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness…” That's what we have. What concerns me, we just get so fired up about politics and the importance of this, and we're really going to get involved and do what we can. And what? To further Satan's kingdom? No, but what will happen to our country? It's going to hell. Isn't that where the world is going? Isn't it perishing? What's the solution to rescuing a perishing world? Get conservative government? People don't even know the answer anymore, people in supposed Bible-believing churches are diverted off track.

One final passage and we'll close, Ephesians 6. Believer, don't lose sight of the fact you are dealing with an awesome foe. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world, we need the strength of the Lord in this battle. Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” These three words -- strong, strength, might, the Lord's strength, might, power. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces.” That word ‘world forces,’ that's our word ‘world’ joined to a word for strength, might. These world powers, world forces, the powers, the rulers of this darkness, could God be any clearer? We live in a fallen cosmos, we're in a world of darkness that hates us, makes us want to hide, to pull in, to not be known for our faith in Christ because that will bring out the animosity. We're fighting against spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies. You must “take up the full armor of God, so that you will to be able to resist in the evil day.” One of the great tactics of the devil is to get us to let down our defenses, to minimize the seriousness. The seriousness is not the political situation, the seriousness is the spiritual battle. If he diverts us to a counterfeit situation like they do in battle. They'll create a false situation over here to draw their attention over here, their energy over here, then we attack here. We are to be aware of the wiles, the schemes of the devil. We are on guard, we are in a spiritual war, not a political war, a spiritual war that has to do with the message of Christ, the truth that the living God who is Himself light. In Him there is no darkness and as His children we are now established in the world that we have been called out of, to be sent into, to bring light to those who are without hope. It's a hopeless world. The devil likes Christians to get involved in the hopeless tasks, feed the hungry, clothe the poor, take care of the world, be concerned about the climate, all these things that the world admires. Do you know why the world admires them? Because the devil delights to turn Christians away. Once you belong to God he can't do anything to take you away from God, but he can turn your attention away from faithfulness to Him. That's where we want to be personally and as a church standing for the truth, proclaiming the truth.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your grace. Lord, we are here as testimonies of your grace, trophies of your grace for eternity, rescued from our hopelessness, the darkness, the lostness, the sinfulness that enveloped us, that we have delighted, we lived in, we bathed in. It was our life, but by your grace we were rescued, we heard the message of life, drew us to salvation in Christ. You called us out of spiritual darkness to spiritual life, now we have been sent into this dark world, not to become part of it, not to try to improve it, but to bring the message of life to it. We desire to honor you with our lives personally and our life together as this church as we minister your truth in these days. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.