TESTING THE SPIRITS PART 11 OF 11

Text- 1 John 4:1-6

INTRODUCTION

HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW SOME PEOPLE ARE VERY GULLIBLE?

MAYBE YOU KNOW SOMEONE LIKE THIS.

A VERY GOOD MAGICIAN WAS PERFORMING GREAT FEATS OF MAGIC ON AN OCEAN LINER.  A MAN IN THE AUDIENCE THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING HE DID WAS REAL.  THEN ONE EVENING DURING A STORM, THE SHIP SANK WHILE THE MAGICIAN WAS DOING A DISAPPEARING ACT AND THE MAN AND MAGICIAN ENDED UP IN THE SAME LIFEBOAT. AFTER A WHILE THE MAN ASKED THE MAGICIAN, "ALL RIGHT, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE SHIP?"

AS HUMAN BEINGS IT IS IN OUR NATURE TO BE GULLIBLE AND BELIEVE OTHERS.

WHEN IT COMES TO ANGELS WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE ANGELS OF GOD AND THE ANGELS OF SATAN.

THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO IN THE TIMES IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING TODAY FOR TWO REASONS.

ONE REASON WHY IT IS HARD IS BECAUSE OF THE DECEPTIVE NATURE OF SATAN AND HIS ANGELS.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:12-15, "BUT WHAT I AM DOING, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO, THAT I MAY CUT OFF OPPORTUNITY FROM THOSE WHO DESIRE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE REGARDED JUST AS WE ARE IN THE MATTER ABOUT WHICH THEY ARE BOASTING. [13] FOR SUCH MEN ARE FALSE APOSTLES, DECEITFUL WORKERS, DISGUISING THEMSELVES AS APOSTLES OF CHRIST. [14] AND NO WONDER, FOR EVEN SATAN DISGUISES HIMSELF AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. [15] THEREFORE IT IS NOT SURPRISING IF HIS SERVANTS ALSO DISGUISE THEMSELVES AS SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; WHOSE END SHALL BE ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS."

A SECOND REASON WHY IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOD'S ANGELS AND SATAN'S ANGELS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO RELY UPON OUR FEELINGS AND OR EXPERIENCES RATHER THAN THE WORD OF GOD.

IN THESE DAYS AND TIMES WE HEAR ABOUT HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF ENCOUNTERS PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY HAVE HAD WITH ANGELS.

SOMETIMES IT CAN BECOME DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOD'S ANGELS AND SATAN'S ANGELS.

EVEN THE APOSTLE JOHN WAS MOMENTARILY CONFUSED BY THE APPEARANCE OF AN ANGEL.

JOHN WAS PERHAPS THE CLOSEST OF ALL THE DISCIPLES TO JESUS.

THIS CAN BE SEEN IN THE FACT THAT JOHN WAS ONE OF THE THREE DISCIPLES WHO ACCOMPANIED JESUS TO THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION WHERE JESUS REVEALED HIS GLORY TO THEM.

MATTHEW 17:1-2, "AND SIX DAYS LATER JESUS TOOK WITH HIM PETER AND JAMES AND JOHN HIS BROTHER, AND BROUGHT THEM UP TO A HIGH MOUNTAIN BY THEMSELVES. [2] AND HE WAS TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM; AND HIS FACE SHONE LIKE THE SUN, AND HIS GARMENTS BECAME AS WHITE AS LIGHT."

THIS CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN THE FACT THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE THREE THAT JESUS INVITED TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE TO PRAY WITH HIM.

MATTHEW 26:37, "AND HE TOOK WITH HIM PETER AND THE TWO SONS OF ZEBEDEE, AND BEGAN TO BE GRIEVED AND DISTRESSED."

IT CAN BE SEEN IN THAT JOHN WAS ONE OF THE CLOSEST TO JESUS AT THE LAST SUPPER.

JOHN 13:23-25 THERE WAS RECLINING ON JESUS' BREAST ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES, WHOM JESUS LOVED. [24] SIMON PETER THEREFORE GESTURED TO HIM, AND SAID TO HIM, "TELL US WHO IT IS OF WHOM HE IS SPEAKING." [25] HE, LEANING BACK THUS ON JESUS' BREAST, SAID TO HIM, "LORD, WHO IS IT?"

IT CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN THAT JESUS COMMITTED HIS MOTHER, MARY, TO JOHN FOR SAFE KEEPING.

JOHN 19:26-27, "WHEN JESUS THEREFORE SAW HIS MOTHER, AND THE DISCIPLE WHOM HE LOVED STANDING NEARBY, HE SAID TO HIS MOTHER, " WOMAN, BEHOLD, YOUR SON!"   [27] THEN HE SAID TO THE DISCIPLE, "BEHOLD, YOUR MOTHER!"  AND FROM THAT HOUR THE DISCIPLE TOOK HER INTO HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD."

TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER FIVE TESTS THAT WE CAN USE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE ANGELS OF GOD AND THE ANGELS OF SATAN.