Quote from Forum Archives on November 5, 2004, 10:58 am

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

WHO KNOWS YOU?
October 31, 2004

Text: Luke 10:17-24

As my time on Active Duty Naval service was coming to an end, I was able
to attend the transition classes offered to those leaving the military.
The topics included job hunting suggestions and techniques. One of the
lessons about finding another job, we learned, is to activate our
networks of family, friends, and colleagues to get job leads and,
perhaps, even entry into interviews. In other words, getting a job lead,
and perhaps even a job itself, can depend upon “who you know.”

Well, that is a fairly common proverb in many areas of life: “it’s not
what you know; it’s who you know.” For the most part, nothing wrong with
using acquaintances and friendships to get ahead a little. But this
morning’s Scripture read from the Gospel of Luke gives us a different and
more important perspective. “Who you know” might be beneficial for some
situations, but when it comes to the vital spiritual matters of salvation
and eternal life, it is much more important to determine “who knows you.”

Jesus tells us this himself. He had sent out seventy-two (some
manuscripts say “seventy”) followers to towns ahead of him to announce
the kingdom of God. Apparently, their mission was a success. In verse 17,
we learn that they “returned with joy.” They saw success on the spiritual
warfare front as they exclaimed that “even the demons submit to us in
your name.” Jesus was clearly joyful himself. He replied, “I saw Satan
fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you authority to trample
on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;
nothing will harm you.”

This is good news to his followers. No wonder they were on an exhilarated
high. They can trample on “snakes and scorpions,” a figure of speech used
in that day to refer to demons. How could anyone get more power than
that? The powerful world of the demons was broken! They cannot command
the soul of the follower of Jesus!

On a day like October 31st, that is good news to hear. Halloween is not a
celebration that exalts our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that
much about Halloween has been secularized; that is, for most of us, it
has no religious or spiritual significance. Sort of like Christmas and
Easter to a lot of people who like to celebrate the worldly aspects of
those religious days but never touch the sacred meanings of the. So I
know that we can enjoy cute children dressed in cute costumes and snack
on too much candy and have harvest or fall festivals and the like. In
those respects, Halloween is fairly harmless.

But I also know that there are those who do try to recreate and follow
pagan religions. I do know that there are those who worship satan. And I
do know that Halloween represents a special day to such followers. For
them, Halloween is much more than a secular day of fun. It is a religious
day. For pagans, at least some pagans, it is a day to “celebrate” - if
that’s what you want to call it - the wandering of the spirits of the
dead among the living. There are some strange and bizarre beliefs
expressed among the modern varieties of self-proclaimed pagans.

Among Satanists, the rituals associated with Halloween are downright
dangerous. Where they can get away with it, there are mutilations and
sacrifices of animals. True satanic rituals call for human sacrifice,
though. I am certain that we could get a varied response of what demon
possession means and how it is manifested in our modern culture, but I
have no doubt that if a person gives himself/herself in worship to satan,
then satan will have no problem possessing that person’s life down to the
soul.

This is frightening stuff. Satan and his demons have no desire other than
to completely wreck human lives. Where we meet with demon-possessed
people in Scripture, they are described in various phases of torment and
anguish. Some fling themselves into fire and some are constantly trying
to injure themselves and others. They are all miserable and not in their
right minds. They are all in desperate need of healing.

Yet, there are those who voluntarily give themselves over to the service
of satan. The powerful news is that Jesus’ disciples are given authority
over that enemy. The seventy-two who were sent out experienced that
authority and power. We experience it today. No matter what satan throws
at us, we are protected from his attempts to own us. For those resting in
the hands of Christ, satan has no power over our souls. “Lord, even the
demons submit to us in your name.”

As exciting as all this was, though, and as excited as even Jesus was to
give them the authority to “trample on snakes and scorpions,” it was not
the most important message that Jesus had for all of his followers that
day. There is no doubting that they got a lot accomplished because of
“who they knew” - even though “who they knew” was Jesus. The one
rejoicing over giving them the authority “to overcome all the power of
the enemy” went on to say, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits
submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

“Who you know” is fine and dandy and can get you a long way in this
world, but it is insignificant in comparison to “who knows you.” “Rejoice
that God knows you,” Jesus tells his followers. What good are all those
victories and all that other stuff if, in the end, God does not know you?
After all, Jesus once concluded his lesson in Matthew 7 about the tree
and its fruit with these sobering words: “Many will say to me on that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name
drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them
plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Now understand plainly that God is not playing with us or teasing us or
toying with us here. God makes it clear and evident what it takes for us
to be known by Him. It takes nothing less than the sacrifice of His
beloved Son. Our response is to believe in that same sacrifice as the
source for our forgiveness and healing. In John 14:1, we read, “Do not
let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.“ John tells
us later our status after trusting in Jesus. In his vision of the New
Jerusalem, John writes, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will
anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names
are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27) It comes as
no surprise, then, that Jesus tells his followers, “…do not rejoice that
the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in
heaven.” God knows us when we enter into His presence through belief in
Jesus Christ as our Lord.

Having our name written in the Lamb’s book of life has nothing to do with
our social stature, our wealth or poverty, our education, our race, our
nationality, or any other human distinction. Jesus rejoiced and praised
the Father because “you have hidden these things from the wise and
learned, and revealed them to little children.” The message of salvation
is not a message reserved only for those who can figure it out, the “wise
and learned,” but is a message given to everyone. It is not the private
property of a special class of people, but is available to everyone
across the board. A lot of “wise and learned” people in Jesus’ day, like
ours, have a lot of contacts; they know a lot of people. But that does
not mean that they are known by the most important Person. And even
though the “little” folk - the “common “ folk - might not have has many
contacts, they can still be known by the most important Person.

The mercies of God give us many reasons to praise Him joyfully. Being
given authority over the demons and freedom from satan’s eternal torments
are blessings we can certainly rejoice over. But, as Jesus reminds us,
they are not the ultimate reasons for our joy. “Rejoice that your names
are written in heaven.”

Is your name written in heaven? Does God know you? Your salvation
promised from God is only a confession away. Believe that Jesus died for
your sins and, through his suffering, washed you clean. “Rejoice that
your names are written in heaven.”

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN

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