Grace Blog
If I Was the Devil . . .
Tommy Nelson has some sobering words in Screwtape fashion. Check it.
If I Was The Devil - TheDevilisReal.com from Denton Bible on Vimeo.
Labels: Cape Coral, Grace Baptist Church, Spiritual Warfare | posted by TimBrister at 11:55 am | Categories: Spiritual Warfare |
Spiritual Warfare Series Airing on Pilgrim Radio Network
From November 2008 to May 2009, Pastor Tom Ascol preached a 16-sermon series on Spiritual Warfare from Ephesians 6:10-20. This sermon series is scheduled to air on “Extra Credit” on the Pilgrim Radio Network, weekdays from October 19 through November 9. A complete listing of message titles and airdates can be found at Pilgrimradio.com. According to their website, the sermons will air at 5AM, 5PM, and 10PM PST each weekday.
Labels: Grace Baptist Church, Pilgrim Radio Network, Spiritual Warfare, Tom Ascol | posted by TimBrister at 10:15 am | Categories: News and Announcements, Sermons, Spiritual Warfare |
Six Goals of Satan in Coming Against Believers
At the conclusion of his sermon “The Goal of the Enemy”, Pastor Tom Ascol listed six goals that Satan has to come against believers. They are:
1. Reclaim believers (Luke 22:31) - “Satan has asked for you all”
2. Devour believers (1 Pet. 5:8) - “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”
3. Ensnare believers (1 Tim. 3:7; 2 Tim. 2:24)
4. Intellectually confuse believers (Eph. 4:14) - “father of lies” (deceiving spirits, doctrine of demons)
5. Spiritually oppress believers (Rev. 12:10) - “accuser of the brethren”
6. Morally pollute believers (Rev. 2:18-29) - the spirit of Jezebel
Pastor Tom concluded with the truth that the devil hates the church. He hates Grace Baptist Church, and sometimes he will use individuals to accomplish his mission. Be on guard!
Think of Peter when he was being used by the devil (Jesus addressed Peter but said “get behind me Satan!”). Did Peter volunteer to be used by the devil? He probably would not have been aware of his involvement in the devil’s agenda had Jesus never made it known. How does this sobering account not cause us to examine ourselves and seek to have undivided loyalty and uninterrupted submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ?! May God help us to know, understand, and be about His work and stand firm against the schemes of the evil one.
Labels: Satan, Spiritual Warfare | posted by TimBrister at 10:59 am | Categories: Reflection and Review, Spiritual Warfare |
The Goal of Our Enemy
On Sunday, December 7, Pastor Tom Ascol continued in his series on Spiritual Warfare with a sermon entitled, “The Goal of Our Enemy.” This is the fourth sermon in the series taken from Ephesians 6:10-12, this time taking up the phrase, “the wiles of the devil.” Pastor Tom begins by asking two questions:
1. What is the goal or ultimate aim of Satan?
2. What are the strategies Satan uses to accomplish this goal?
Taking up the first question, Pastor Tom argued that “the goal of the devil is to destroy the work of God” (whenever or wherever it is found).
Satan’s identity is bound upon in his opposition to God. He is your “adversary” seeking to devour you. When Jesus explained the parable of the wheat and tares, it is explained that the devil had sown the tares among the wheat. His attack is first and foremost against God and secondly against God’s people.
There are two main arenas for the devil’s work: (1) the arena of creation and (2) the arena of redemption. In the arena of creation, we see the devil’s work from distinguishing Gen. 1-2 which as exceedingly good from Gen. 4-6 which was exceedingly evil such that God regretted that He had made man. The “x” factor is Gen. 3 where we see the devil attempting to destroy the work of God in His creation. In the arena of redemption, Satan attempts to overthrow the work of God first by attacking Jesus Christ, then individual Christians, and finally the church.
To listen or download this sermon, click here.
Labels: Grace Baptist Church, Spiritual Warfare, Tom Ascol | posted by TimBrister at 3:02 pm | Categories: Reflection and Review, Sermons, Spiritual Warfare |
Knowing Your Enemy, Part 2
On Sunday, November 30, Pastor Tom Ascol continued in his series on spiritual warfare with his third message from Ephesians 6:10-12 focusing on primarily on verse 12. Paul writes:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Pastor Tom’s outline addresses each description of the enemy’s army, namely (1) princes and principalities, (2) powers, (3) rules of he darkness of this age, and (4) spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Satan has a kingdom, and every human being is either under the rule of Christ or under the rule of the devil. There is no spiritual neutral zone. Jesus said, “He is not with me is against me.” Those who have not come to Jesus are under he deceptive power and domain of darkness of the devil.
Yet the conquest of the cross was the overthrow and defeat of the prince and power of the air. There is a real danger in thinking that God and Satan and dueling interlocutors who are fighting for supremacy. This dualism is nowhere found in Scripture. God is sovereign, and the devil is God’s devil. Although the world in which we live today embraces the ruler of darkness, his kingdom will come to an end, and those who belong to the kingdom of light in God’s beloved Son, take ground by the force of the gospel.
To listen or download this sermon, click here.
Labels: Grace Baptist Church, Spiritual Warfare, Tom Ascol | posted by TimBrister at 9:35 am | Categories: Reflection and Review, Sermons |
Current Sermon Series: Spiritual Warfare
A couple of resources I want to make you aware of is the new podcast, MP3’s, and archived live-streaming video of our series.
To listen or download the current sermons in the series, click here.
If you would like to watch previous sermons via live-stream, click here.
In the future, we hope to make more resources available, including references Pastor Tom has made in his sermons as well as book recommendations on spiritual warfare. If you have a question or issue you would be interested in Pastor Tom addressing, please submit them in the comments section of this post. Thanks!
Labels: Grace Baptist Church, Live-Stream, MP3s, Spiritual Warfare, Tom Ascol | posted by TimBrister at 4:30 pm | Categories: Resources, Spiritual Warfare |
The Arena of Our Warfare
One of the most important points in Pastor Tom’s two messages thus far is understanding the arena of our spiritual warfare. Because it is spiritual and the fact that our opponents are not flesh and blood but princes and principalities, it is tempting to conclude that we physical beings are rarely involved in the fight. The arena is in the heavenlies, right? Well, not if you take into the context Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as it leads up to the section on spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:10-18).
The first three chapters of Ephesians address our relationship to God in Christ, emphasizing our union with and identity in Jesus Christ. Chapter four brings out the implications of the gospel at work in the context of the body of Christ, such as unity, putting on the new self, and applying the virtues that cultivated through the graces of repentance and faith. In chapter five, we discover a key verse in Ephesians 5:18 which says,
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”
From there, Paul launches into a series of relational contexts, beginning with the husband and wife (5:22-33), then to parents and children (6:1-4), and finally to masters and slaves (6:5-9). Not only is the Spirit-filled life to be lived out in these contexts, but it is also here that we find the arena of our spiritual warfare. The greatest battles we will face in our Christian lives will take place in the most ordinary places (such as home and work) with the most familiar people (spouse and children). While these contexts are not comprehensive, they serve to show that there is not an area of our lives where there is not a fight. Nowhere will you find neutral ground. The devil is out to wage war with an army arrayed that wants to destroy your home, ruin your children, lose your job, and ultimately shame the name of Jesus Christ.
As Pastor Tom shared with us, “The call to follow Christ is a call to fight,” so let us recognize the arena of our warfare, put on the whole armor of God, and fight the fight of faith in all of our relationships. The battle is not in the heavenlies; it is in our own living rooms and prayer closets. The way we love our spouse, raise our children, and live out our lives in the world will indicate whether we are by God’s Spirit waging a good warfare as more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. May the family of Grace be strong in our stand, submitted to our Savior, and steadfast in the simplicity of our devotion to God in all things for His glory!
Labels: Ephesians, Grace Baptist Church, Spiritual Warfare | posted by TimBrister at 9:36 am | Categories: Reflection and Review, Spiritual Warfare |
Spiritual Warfare: A Fight You Can’t Avoid
This past Sunday, Pastor Tom Ascol started a series on spiritual warfare from Ephesians 6. The introductory message to this series, “A Fight You Can’t Avoid” (Eph. 6:10-12) was preached this past Sunday at the gathering of Grace Baptist Church. The pre-recorded video below contains a message for all Christians as well as non-Christians. You are in a fight for your very life!
Labels: Grace Baptist Church, Spiritual Warfare, Tom Ascol | posted by TimBrister at 8:21 am | Categories: Sermons, Spiritual Warfare |
Spiritual Warfare: Knowing Your Enemy
Pastor Tom Ascol continues his series on Spiritual Warfare by again taking up Ephesians 6:10-12, this time focusing on knowing our spiritual enemy–the devil. C.S. Lewis in his book The Screwtape Letters speaks of two approaches to the enemy that the devil would love for us to take, namely the materialist and the magician. The former ignores the spiritual realm and reality of an evil, personal devil, and latter makes too much of the devil by assuming that demons are the result of everything that happens. In his message, Pastor Tom steers us through an understanding of our spiritual enemy with the Word of God as the navigation tool. Below is the video of Sunday morning’s service for November 16, 2008.
Live Video streaming by Ustream
Labels: Ephesians 6:10-12, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Tom Ascol | posted by TimBrister at 12:15 pm | Categories: Spiritual Warfare |
