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The Great Deceiver

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The Great Deceiver Digging Deeper Links from the Discussion Guide for THE GREAT DECEIVER SESSION ONE: INTRODUCTION Mixed Survey Results: 2009 Barna Survey This Barna survey asked Christian Americans about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Satan and demons. 2013 The Gospel Coalition Survey This survey asked Americans if they believe in the devil and demon possession. The answers were somewhat different than the Barna Survey. What About Angels? This brief study by late Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod president Al Berry shares what the Bible reveals about angels- both holy and evil. Luther Against the Devil Martin Luther often spoke about the devil and demons. Was he simply a victim of Medieval superstition? CTCR article “Satanism” This Committee on Theology and Church Relations document describes the worship of Satan, then discusses what Scripture says about the fallen angel. “Yes, Virginia. There are angels!” This Lutheran Witness article discusses good and evil angels found in the Bible. Lutheran Hour Questions and Answers with Rev. Ken Klaus “Does the Devil Rule the World?” “Can Satan Heal? C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” In this classic C.S. Lewis book two demons scheme together to destroy a man’s faith. “Dancing on the Devil’s Grave” This article discuss things we should take into account when deciding whether and how to celebrate Halloween. “Exorcism as Mercy” This article discusses how the rite of exorcism is worked into the regular service in Madagascar where demon possession is still a frequent occurrence. SESSION TWO: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS DIGGING DEEPER: REST Rest and Recovery after Exercise. This article reveals something about the way God created our bodies- explaining why times of physical rest and recovery are important for improving sports performance. WORSHIP With Angels and Archangels: Worship in the Book of Revelation. Dr. Charles Gieschen discusses the amazing realities the Book of Revelation teaches us about worship. Afraid to Preach? Good. Rev. Jim Winsor describes what is really going on in worship and the sermon. Worship—The Activity of the Trinity. This article by a graduate student at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana discusses how God works during worship while we rest. Thanksgiving in the Old Testament. In this article Rev. Chad Bird examines the worship God established for His Old Testament people and how that worship is reflected in our services today. Worship for the Weary. This article reminds us how worship impacts us even when we may not feel it. PRAYER Prayer: The Voice of Faith. In this article Rev. John Pless reminds us prayer is our response to what God has already said to us in His Son. “Lord, Remember Us in Your Kingdom, and Teach Us to Pray...” In this article Dr. Richard Stuckwisch discusses how Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer to teach us how to pray. “A Simple Way to Pray” In 1535 Martin Luther wrote this short instruction on prayer to Master Peter the Barber. Martin Luther’s “Daily Prayers” Includes Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers as well as Asking a Blessing before a meal and Returning Thanks afterward. SESSION THREE: THE POWER OF PRAYER DIGGING DEEPER: Pressure Points- Spiritual Warfare in a series of columns Dr. Bruce Hartung discusses sexual misconduct among pastors and church workers, and gives good advice for all men engaged in spiritual warfare with Satan. In the February 2012 column Dr. Hartung explores our vulnerability to sexual misconduct- especially among pastors and church workers. In the March 2012 column Dr. Hartung stresses recognizing Satan’s temptations, but putting the blame for our sins squarely where they belong. In the April 2012 column Dr. Hartung shares suggestions several of his readers have shared for fighting temptation and walking more closely with God. In the July 2012 column Dr. Hartung shares a letter from a pastor dealing with guilt and feelings of unworthiness. Unlocking the Prison of Guilt. This Project Connect document discusses God’s plan to deal with our guilt. Lutheran Hour Questions and Answers with Rev. Ken Klaus “Lingering Guilt” “Prayer or Demand?” SESSION FOUR: DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME DIGGING DEEPER: “Midsummer Day” In this sermon Henri Schartau uncovers seven obstacles which Satan might be using to prevent you from growing closer to your God in faith. Christian Soldiers.This Lutheran Witness article describes the armor God provides as we live our daily lives. Lutherans and Hell. In this video Professor Roland Ziegler discusses why Lutherans still teach about hell. Lutheran Hour Questions and Answers with Rev. Ken Klaus “Sadness in Heaven for Those Not There?” THE GREAT DECEIVER - - Discussion Guide 2009 Barna Survey https://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/260-most-american-christians-do-not-believe-that- satan-or-the-holy-spirit-exis#.Ujh3gMasiSo Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit Exist April 10, 2009 –A new nationwide survey of adults‘ spiritual beliefs, conducted by The Barna Group, suggests that Americans who consider themselves to be Christian have a diverse set of beliefs – but many of those beliefs are contradictory or, at least, inconsistent. The survey explored beliefs about spiritual beings, the influence of faith on their life, views of the Bible, and reactions to faiths other than their own. Views on Spiritual Beings The Barna survey asked questions about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Satan, and demons. All 1,871 self-described Christians were asked about their perception of God. In total, three-quarters (78%) said he is the ―all- powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe who rules the world today.‖ The remaining one-quarter chose other descriptions of God – depictions that are not consistent with biblical teaching (e.g., everyone is god, god refers to the realization of human potential, etc.). For the other survey items a four-point opinion scale was used to measure people‘s reactions to statements about each spiritual entity. Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan ―is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.‖ An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they ―agree somewhat‖ with that perspective. A minority of Christians indicated that they believe Satan is real by disagreeing with the statement: one-quarter (26%) disagreed strongly and about one-tenth (9%) disagreed somewhat. The remaining 8% were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan. Although a core teaching of the Christian faith is the divinity and perfection of Jesus Christ, tens of millions of Christians do not accept that teaching. More than one-fifth (22%) strongly agreed that Jesus Christ sinned when He lived on earth, with an additional 17% agreeing somewhat. Holding the opposing view were 9% who disagreed somewhat and 46% who disagreed strongly. Six percent did not have an opinion on this matter. Much like their perceptions of Satan, most Christians do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a living force, either. Overall, 38% strongly agreed and 20% agreed somewhat that the Holy Spirit is ―a symbol of God‘s power or presence but is not a living entity.‖ Just one-third of Christians disagreed that the Holy Spirit is not a living force (9% disagreed somewhat, 25% disagreed strongly) while 9% were not sure. A majority of Christians believe that a person can be under the influence of spiritual forces, such as demons or evil spirits. Two out of three Christians agreed that such influence is real (39% agreed strongly, 25% agreed somewhat), while just three out of ten rejected the influence of supernatural forces (18% disagreed strongly, 10% disagreed somewhat). The remaining 8% were undecided on this matter. Influence of Faith Most self-described Christians contend that their religious faith has significantly impacted their life. Almost six out of ten adults (59%) said their faith had ―greatly transformed‖ their life, while 29% said their faith ―has been helpful but has not greatly transformed‖ their life and 9% stated that their religious faith ―has not made much of a difference‖ in who they are and how they live. Christians were asked if they believed that a person must either side with God or with the devil – that there is no in-between position. A large majority strongly agreed with the notion (61%) while an additional 15% agreed somewhat. Just one out of ten adults disagreed somewhat (10%) and a similar proportion (11%) disagreed strongly. Surprisingly few adults (3%) did not have an opinion on this matter. A large majority of Christians also proclaimed that the most important purpose in their life is to ―love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul,‖ a notion drawn directly from the Bible (Mark 12:29-30). In total, three out of four self-described Christians (74%) strongly affirmed that idea, while 15% more agreed somewhat with the statement. Just 4% strongly disagreed and 7% somewhat disagreed with the statement. Three percent said they were not sure. Thoughts on Other Faiths Among self-identified Christians, few held a positive opinion of Wicca. Overall, just 5% had a positive opinion while 55% had a negative opinion of Wicca. However, a huge segment (40%) did not know enough about Wicca to have formed an opinion of it, despite it being described to them as ―an organized form of witchcraft.‖ Survey respondents were asked whether they believed that Mormons are Christians. Mormons themselves claim to be Christian, but most evangelical leaders say that they are not. There was no clear-cut perspective among the self-described Christians: four out of ten felt Mormons were Christian (18% strongly agreed, 21% somewhat agreed), three out of ten disagreed (17% strongly, 12% somewhat), and three out of ten were not sure what to think.
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