Satan Is the God of This World

[Music] you I was at a wedding at probably a couple of years ago I performed the wedding and after the wedding we had the reception and just a wonderful time we had a meal and I was in line standing waiting to get the food in the little buffet line they had and there was a gentleman that was right in front of me and he turned around he he said you know hey I understand you believe in God I said yeah yeah of course I just performed the wedding you know I I said yes I do of course and hey after talking he explained that he was an atheist yeah so that's that's interesting and so and I think the people who I performed the wedding know exactly what I'm talking about but he told me he was an atheist and so we continued to talk and we sat beside each other at dinner and we agreed that we could ask each other a couple questions just to be able to learn from each other I'm not gonna change this guy's mind I'm not trying to change his mind well if he could be changed I would try but we agreed to ask each other questions so first question I asked him is why does he not believe in God why does he believe that God does not exist and the answer that you've heard so many times and it has come out so many times and it is so prevalent if there is an all loving powerful God how can he allow all the pain and suffering that's going on in the world that how many times have we heard that over and over and over and over again and I'll tell you you know we're answering some of the comments and Facebook and YouTube and all of that and it is a common common theme that comes out over and over again and of course we understand it is based on a fundamental misunderstanding fundamental misunderstanding standing that even in the churches even in the Christian Church is the idea of salvation now is the only day of salvation that's partially based on that false idea that God is the one running everything right now in this world let's turn to 2nd corinthians verse chapter 4 I'm gonna get some water here mr. Frank said I can have the one on the right so I'm taking the morning right hmm that's good water I think the right side tasted better there I'm just kidding 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 2nd Corinthians now these are scriptures we've we've heard before we understand these I just want to lay it out at the beginning of this sermon 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4 and this is one of the reasons we understand who the god of this world is verse 3 but even if our gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing whose minds that god of this age has blinded the god of this age is what paul calls him has blinded who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them the god of this age let's turn to Ephesians 2 and verse 2 again just establishing why we teach what we teach of Satan being the god of this world and the god of this age Ephesians 2 and verse 2 it says in which you once walked according to the course of this world according to listen the Prince and the Prince of the power of the air the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience so he's called the god of this age he's called the Prince of the power of the air he is the one that runs things currently I want to read from a May June 2009 tomorrow's world article entitled Satan and his demons by miss dr. Meredith he writes the effect of Satan and his demons is awesome and Satan's actions are right now affecting the world around you more than you may begin to imagine this civilization this age the 6,000 year period from Adam until the return of Jesus Christ has been and still is a society dominated by Satan the devil and millions of his fallen angels or demons who followed him in rebellion against the Creator God mr. dr. Meredith continues so Satan the devil truly is the god of this world he is a genuine spirit being who greatly influences the actions of human beings subject to God's overruling power he's still subject overall to God's overruling power as we see the saith the the demons had to come out when Satan talked when I'm sorry when Jesus told them to come out of those they had possessed they still are subject to him subject to God's overruling power he is allowed to strike at nation's influence the behavior of demented dictators and rulers and cause this world to be heading for disaster this is something that most don't understand it's misunderstood and has caused many to lose their belief in an all-powerful creator God because of this fundamental misunderstanding thinking that God is the one currently running this world this earth many have gone through life conflicted with the question if there's an all-powerful loving God how could there be all this pain and suffering there's a lot of reasons for that we're going to focus on one of those reasons today that is that Satan is the god of this world based on the verses we just read we understand in God's church that Satan is actually the one currently running things and because of the holy days we understand that it is only for a short time and then it's over and we understand what the future holds so in today's sermon we're going to review the details from Scripture of our understanding of Satan being the ruler of this world we're going to go through Scripture and review why we understand that what scriptures show us and give us clarity and the history of Satan's rulership of this world so the sermon will be broken into three parts and then we'll briefly discuss how it impacts us what the implications are in our life first we'll briefly review Satan's hiss I'm sorry Lucifer's history and how he became Satan next we'll see that he was given authority over the earth and remains in authority even after his rebellion then we'll see from Scripture that his authority will end when Jesus Christ returns and locks Satan away and again finally we'll just look at what it means for us what it means in our lives title is Satan is the god of this world very simple I was gonna have a much longer title than my wife said no that sounds dumb shorten it up thank you wife so before we get into it let's turn to Colossians 1 and verse 16 hodgins 1 and verse 16 here we see we're who created all things we see where these powers and authorities came from first I'm sorry Colossians 1 in verse 16 for by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth all things were created that are in heaven and on earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all authority all powers all sovereignty is ordained by God all things were created through him and for him that is important to understand that's important to understand before we get into it because God is the one that has allowed these things for a period of time only for a period of time so let's get into the the first part and that is the history of Lucifer before he became Satan and how he became Satan the devil and we're familiar with this none of what we're going to go through is new at all this is just re confirming and reiterating why we believe and why we understand this on a topic that again so many have fallen to misunderstanding so Ezekiel 28 we're familiar with Ezekiel 28 isaiah 14 in Ezekiel 28 is where we see some of the history of Lucifer so Ezekiel 28 and verse 12 Lucifer was created a perfect being Ezekiel 28 and verse 12 okay son of man take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre and say to him thus says the Lord this is speaking of Satan the devil or who became Satan the devil you were the seal of perfection perfect seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty it was a perfect he was a perfect creation of God you were in the in Eden the garden of God that's interesting every precious stone was your covering the Sardis and topaz and diamond the Beryl onyx and Jasper sapphire turquoise and emerald with gold the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created he was created beautiful and perfect verse 14 you were the anointed Carib who covers we understand he was one of three with Gabriel and Michael given great power great Authority I established you you were in the holy mountain of God you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones you were perfect in your ways perfect being here perfect in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity was found in you it says again going back the mid middle of verse 14 you were on the holy mountain of God we understand that the mountain to represent government so he was he was working within the proper true Government of God at one time that was his life he was living by God's laws at one time but he allowed his beauty and great authority to go to his head verse 17 your heart was lifted up because of your beauty you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor he became corrupt and perverted and twisted he allowed what God had given him which only came from God to go to his head to become puffed up verse 15 you were perfect in your ways from the days you were from the day you were created till iniquity was found in you sin started to pop up in his mind and he had entertained it and he allowed it to continue and marinate on it verse 16 by the abundance of your trading or slandering or possibly politicking you became filled with violence within and you sinned so here we have Satan or Lucifer who was created perfect he was righteous he was working within the government of God he was created beautiful and perfect and he sinned he allowed sin to enter in so we see that Lucifer was created as a righteous being and the history of his rebellion just want to establish that as our our first major point second we want to look at that Lucifer was given rulership of the earth Lucifer was given rulership will well we'll see in a minute and we'll get into some of the scriptures in a minute that he was given this rulership but this responsibility of authority that he had had gone to his head the it wasn't good enough what he had wasn't good enough he wanted more and some of these are the lessons we can take from this boy the lesson of I remember at the men's camp last year one of our one of the men there said that his brother apparently would makes a lot of mistakes in life and says I don't want to do things the easy way I want to do things the hard way that's what his brother said he said well okay I'll watch and learn you know that's that you could watch someone else and learn from it he said I want to do things my way well that's the hard way so the young man at camp said well I'll just watch and learn so we can watch and learn from Satan let's go to Isaiah 14 and verse 13 Isaiah 14 in verse 13 he wanted more what he had been given all that he had one of three powerful of the most powerful angels wasn't enough and you know one thing about that with the idea that I want more how dangerous is that we are all all of us at all times will always be subject to those above us and really we there needs to be an understanding of where we stand and who we are how many have risen up even in the Church of God and said oh you know and started their own churches over time because somehow they miscalculated in their head about where they really stand in God's eyes thinking too highly the Angels will always be where they're at they're never going to become a part of the family of God that's not what they were designed for and there's a choice they can be either happy with that or they can rebel against it and be unhappy with what God has ordained and all of us no matter where we're at no matter where we're at no matter what we're doing being thankful that we are where God wants us to be whatever that is being thankful with what God has ordained Isaiah 14 and verse 13 for you've said in your heart now listen there's some key parts in this I will ascend into heaven so here's Lucifer the thoughts of Lucifer and he says I will ascend into heaven where was his domain I will exalt my throne he was given a throne clearly I will exalt my throne above the stars of God so here we have Satan the devil or again Lucifer saying what I have isn't good enough I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne my authority above the stars of God I will also sit on the Mount of the congregation on the farther side of the north and when it says the farther side of the north we we understand through other scriptures that in some way don't I don't understand exactly how his throne is in the north but he's talking about going up against God's throne and God's Authority verse 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds again the picture is he is on earth with a throne and with authority I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the Most High this can it be any more disgusting and arrogant than that I will be like the Most High what God had ordained what God had given him was not enough he wanted more he wanted more so we see he went it appears to take on God and his throne let's go to Revelation 12 he went to take on God and his throne and to think that I mean how messed up is it and and again I you know even the the Angels don't speak evil of him he is an authority but there is a perversion here for sure there is a perversion here revelation 12 and verse 9 but but again how messed up is it that he thinks that he can take on God and win the battle the one who created him the one who is all-powerful state Satan is still subject to him revelation 12 and verse 9 what happened when he went to take take on God and the angels of God so the Great Dragon was cast out that serpent of old he was cast out called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him and we see in verses 3 and 4 that he took a third of the angels he was one of three of the the Archangels and he took a third of them Luke 10 and verse 18 again we're reviewing why we understand this what were the history of Satan being the god of this world Luke 10 and verse 18 here we have Jesus Christ Jesus Christ saying in Luke 10 verse 18 he said to them I saw when Satan had come up I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven Satan was cast back down to the earth first he said I'm going to ascend above the clouds and be like the Most High and then he was cast back down to the earth Jesus saying I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven now let's go back to Isaiah 14 Isaiah 14 and really there's we can be so thankful that God tells us about this gives us as history gives us this background because without it how could we possibly know how could we know we wouldn't know Isaiah 14 verse 12 how you are fallen from heaven o Lucifer son of the morning how you are cut down to the ground you who weaken the nations and you know weaken the nations that's that's an interesting piece to add on because he's deceived the whole world and we see that from the beginning from Genesis in the Garden of Eden deceived the whole world deceived peoples and hear nation's the whole world nations are influenced by Satan the devil I'm going to read from the questions and answers section of the November December 2016 tomorrow's World magazine about why does God allow Satan to rule the earth or to rule on earth it says Lucifer is a third of I'm sorry Lucifer and a third of the angels rebelled against their creator at some point in the distant past Lucifer led these angels above the heights of the clouds to take the throne of God what we've read leaving their proper domain as it mentions in Jude 6 we're not going to turn they're leaving their proper domain or assigned responsibilities below the clouds here on earth unsuccessful they were cast back down to earth Satan failed in his rebellion but he remains in the office God gave him that is key he appears to have been given this authority while Lucifer while being Lucifer the he wanted more and that wasn't enough and he rose up against God was cast back down to the earth but he remains in the office God gave him where he is ironically still instrumental in God's plan and you know who knows when God would have seen foreseeing some of these things but what he would have exactly foreseen and there's a whole host of questions that might be out there about that but regardless he took a what way you know if boy if this happened to me yet oh this is the end of everything right my whole plans over with no God works it all out he's got he has it planned out and he had the he allowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ from the foundation of the world for us so that he can win and we would win so Satan still rules this world let's go to Luke 4 and verse 5 Luke 4 verse 5 so here we have Jesus having fasted for 40 days in the wilderness forty days and forty nights and he's now being tempted by Satan the devil which just a brief aside we were at the National Religious broadcasters convention there in California several months ago a few months ago and they had the the VR visual virtual reality and you put on the goggles right a lot of fun and I've just one little thing they have there and so I'm using them and I'm looking around and you're actually at the temple back in the day of Jesus time okay so that the temples built and you see the the animals out there where they're sacrificing the animals and you can go into the temple and look and everything wow it's so wonderful and it's you know the priests are around and you learn a lot through doing that and get the and all the proportions are correct so Wow you look up and it's just massive and incredible and so I'm I'm there and I accidentally pressed a button and it shot me to the top of the temple that was interesting I said wow this is where you know Satan told Jesus you know this is what I was thinking you know told Jesus to to jump off at this point you know but it was just you could see everything out there and I heard a voice you know you have this on you don't know what's around you right and I heard a voice that said jump off now or something like that and that's what that was mr. Smith he was just I quickly said you shall not tempt the Lord your God so that we had fun with that that was a blast so here we have Satan tempting Jesus Christ verse 5 taking him up on a high mountain verse 5 showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time Satan the devil with Jesus Christ apparently allowing Jesus to see all the kingdoms of the world in the moment in a moment of time and listen to what Satan said to him and the devil said to him all this authority I will give you and their glory I will give all of this to you you can't give the way something that's not yours listen to the next part for this has been delivered to me all these kingdoms all this world and all the nations of the world our mind and I will give them to you because all of this has been delivered to me it's all mine and I will give it to whomever I wish verse 7 therefore if you will worship before me it will all be yours and Jesus Christ came as it came he said he he will come as a king for that reason he was born but it wasn't his time and he didn't fall for the temptation he said get behind me Satan for it is written you shall worship the eternal your God and him only shall you serve so here we have say the devil saying himself this is all mine to give I owned it all and I'll give it to you he rules the nations kingdoms and peoples of this world and let's go to John 14 and here we don't see that say that Jesus refuted that not at all not at all mm-hmm Satan will tell the truth when it's in his interest but like we've I've talked with the kids before when do you believe a liar never even when they're telling the truth you can't trust it for their own benefit they'll only say what they need to say for their own benefit John 14 verse 30 I will no longer this is what so again one he didn't refute what Satan had said that all the kingdom's were Satan's and here what does Jesus say and this is one of three places we're not gonna look at the other parts I will no longer talk much with you John 14 verse 34 the ruler of this world is coming seit jesus said that Satan was the ruler of this world the ruler of this world is coming and he has nothing in me so we see from Scripture that Lucifer had been given rulership over the world and he remains in authority to this day Lucifer was created perfect beautiful as a creation of God rebelled against God wanted more wanted to be like God he was given authority as Lucifer rebelled and has authority to this day so part number three is that Jesus Christ will return and take over the rulership of this world and that's what we're looking forward to revelation 11 verse 15 Jesus Christ will return and take over the rulership of this world revelation 11:15 and think about the context of what we've read already and who really is running things at this moment revelation 11 verse 15 then the seventh angel sounded this is the the seventh trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdoms of this world who do they who owns them now who runs them now Satan the devil the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever clearly Christ is not the one directly ruling the kingdoms of this world right now it is Satan the devil and at the seventh trumpet when Jesus Christ descends from heaven it will be announced that he is the one that will take over the kingdoms of this world let's turn to Daniel 7 where we see actually the coronation ceremony of Jesus Christ as king of kings and Lord of lords Daniel 7 and these truths come out through the holy days it becomes evident through the holy days Daniel 7 and verse 9 Daniel 7 verse 9 I watched till Thrones were put in place and the Ancient of Days was seated his garment was white as snow and his hair was of his head was pure like sari was like pure wool his throne was a fiery flame its wheels a burning fire a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him a thousand thousands ministered to him this is the Majesty on high the Ancient of Days a thousand thousands ministered to him ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the court was seated and the books were opened let's go to verse 13 I was watching so he is seeing at the time of that that the nation's were going to be turned over to Jesus Christ verse 13 I was watching in the night visions of vision that Daniel was having and behold one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven he came to the Ancient of Days and they brought him near before him they presented him to God the Father then to him was given Dominion and glory and a kingdom and this is the kingdom that will destroy all the other kingdoms this is the kingdom that will last forever that all peoples verse 14 that all peoples nations and languages should serve Him they haven't been serving him they've been serving Satan the devil unknowingly and and deceived but that's who's been running this world his Dominion verse 14 continuing is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed boy that's the time that we're looking forward to that's the time when this world won't be in all the pain and hurt anymore let's go to Revelation 20 and verse 1 so Jesus Christ returns mm-hmm it's announced and he takes over all the kingdoms of the earth and verse revelation 20 and verse 1 then I saw an angel coming down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold of the dragon that serpent of old who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years Satan will be put away for a thousand years during the Millennium he cast him into a bottomless pit into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nation's No More he's been to one deceiving Jesus Christ will take over Satan will be locked away and shall deceive the nation's No More till the thousand years were finished but after these things he must be released for a little while and we're gonna read on in verse four here and I saw Thrones and they that sat on them and judgment was committed to them and verse the latter part of verse four and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years that is the Saints that is us so we see that Satan will be locked away and Jesus Christ and His Saints will take over the kingdoms of this world so we've seen from Scripture that loose what Lucifer was like before he rebelled we saw that he was given authority over the earth and that he was he rebelled against God that wasn't enough he wanted more and he rebelled against his creator and wanted to take on the very throne of God he was cast back down to earth and he remains an authority even to now and we've seen that his authority will end when Jesus Christ returns to earth and puts Satan in prison or in Chains in the bottomless pit but what does it mean for us you know to have the the book knowledge is one thing but again there are there are lessons we can take from seeing what Satan had done with what God had given him we could take the lessons from that what else does it mean for us it means that we don't need to be deceived and I'm talking to all of us but even especially some of the younger people I say younger people when I was at camp several years ago a couple years ago I said or a preteen camp these are like seven-year olds to twelve year olds and I said young people and and then I said so how many of you think you're young no one raised their hand it's all relative they know young people who aren't them it's their younger brother their younger sister so anybody who is not a teen yet but you plan on being a teen one day and now all of the teens and all of us to not get confused on this God is not right now the one running the nations in this world it's Satan the devil he's the one running things God placed sin there for time but that time will end that's what we're looking forward to that time will end and we're going to be a part of it and us understanding that we don't have to be deceived understanding this truth gives context to the world around us it helps us understand what's happening when when it's in total confusion and no one else understands and it gives hope for the future let's turn to Ephesians 6 visions 6 okay and verse 11 vision 6 verse 11 we have Paul writing and this is where he's talking about the whole armor of God we've all read this he says put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil this very very very powerful being who deceives the nation's and people's and everyone but we can stand with God's help put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly or high places brethren we're fighting against very powerful spiritual beings in high places both with God's help we can overcome right now we're fighting a spiritual battle we don't need to be deceived in this battle we can look around and understand why this world is the way it is at least one of the reasons there there are several reasons a handful of reasons why there's so much pain and suffering but but we can understand that Satan is the one in charge of the world now we can look around and understand why the world is the way it is and that it won't be this way for much longer we can know Jesus Christ will return to this earth and set up God's true government and a way of peace and joy and happiness it is part of our calling it's part of our calling to take over this world and to reign with Jesus Christ and to fix this broken world that has been deceived for millennia it is a part of our job and our calling this is one of the reasons we've been called out of this world now to overcome with God's help the Prince of the power of the air and to fix this world with Jesus Christ at his return [Music] you

Channel: Living Church of God

Views: 10,205

Rating: 4.6434107 out of 5

Keywords: Satan, sin, demons, prophecy, kingdom, God

Id: NPPeP2B9UOc

Length: 46min 55sec (2815 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 13 2019