The Spirit of the Age | Pastor Tre Townsley | 10.26.25

The Spirit of the Age

 Ephesian 2:1-2 And you He made alive, who were dead in

trespasses and sins,  2  in which you once walked according to

the course [aion] of this world, according to the prince of the power

of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience

 We were led by two things:

o a) the course (age) of this world

o b) the prince of the power of the air (Satan, who is the

spirit that currently works in those who are disobedient)

 We see this in the prevailing conditions of an area

 Acts 17:16; 22-23 16  Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his

spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given

over to idols. 22  Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus

and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very

religious;  23  for as I was passing through and considering the objects

of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE

UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without

knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

 Paul’s spirit was grieved because of the things that he saw,

it’s not always a spiritual unction.

 This could be idolatry, promiscuity, prayerlessness,

slumber/laziness, etc.

 The spirit of the age is subtle

 In 1 Corinthians 15:3, Paul gives the method of his teaching

3  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ

died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  4  and that He was buried,

and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

 Galatians 1:11-12 11  But I make known to you, brethren, that the

gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.  12  For I

neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through

the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 Galatians 1:6 6  I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him

who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel

 However, in Galatians 3:1 he reveals how it happened

 Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that

you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was

clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

 Bewitched: (bas-kah’ee-no) v. to malign, to fascinate

 Where else did this happen???

 Genesis 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast

of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman,

“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the

garden’?” 2  And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit

of the trees of the garden;  3  but of the fruit of the tree which is in the

midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall

you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4  Then the serpent said to the woman,

“You will not surely die.  5  For God knows that in the day you eat of it

your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and

evil.” 6  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that

it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise,

she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her,

and he ate.

 The spirit of the age is patient

 Matthew 13:24-28 24  Another parable He put forth to them,

saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed

in his field;  25  but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares

among the wheat and went his way.  26  But when the grain had

sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  27  So the

servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow

good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’  28  He said to

them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you

want us then to go and gather them up?’  29  But he said, ‘No, lest while

you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 

 Our posterity is at stake. Our children, our grandchildren, our

future generations.

 Go back to the basics

 Luke 15:17-18a 17  “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How

many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare,

and I perish with hunger!  18  I will arise and go to my father…

 Basic Principle #1: The Word

 Luke 4:3-12 3  And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God,

command this stone to become bread.” 4  But Jesus answered him,

saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every

word of God.’ ” 5  Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain,

showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  6  And

the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory;

for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I

wish.  7  Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

8  And Jesus answered and said to him,  “Get behind Me, Satan! For it

is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you

shall serve.’ ” 9  Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the

pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God,

throw Yourself down from here.  10  For it is written: ‘He shall give His

angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11  and, ‘In their hands they shall

bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12  And Jesus

answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt

the Lord your God.’ ”

 We must use spiritual weapons for spiritual battles

 Hebrews 4:12 12  For the word of God is living and powerful,

and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division

of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the

thoughts and intents of the heart.

 Ephesians 6:17b …and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word

of God

 Basic Principle # 2: Prayer

 Ephesians 6:18a 18  praying always with all prayer and supplication

in the Spirit,…

 In Matthew 6:5-9a, Jesus gives 4 directives to pray

 5  “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they

love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the

streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they

have their reward.  6  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and

when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the

secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward

you openly.  7  And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the

heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many

words. 8  “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the

things you have need of before you ask Him.  9  In this manner,

therefore, pray:

 Mark 1:35 35  Now in the morning, having risen a long while before

daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there

He prayed.

 Basic Principle #3: Self-Discipline

 Matthew 6:16-18 16  “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the

hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that

they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they

have their reward.  17  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and

wash your face,  18  so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but

to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees

in secret will reward you openly.

 Matthew 17:14-21 14  And when they had come to the multitude, a

man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,  15  “Lord, have

mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he

often falls into the fire and often into the water.  16  So I brought him to

Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17  Then Jesus answered

and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be

with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to

Me.”  18  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the

child was cured from that very hour. 19  Then the disciples came to

Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20  So Jesus

said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if

you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,

‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be

impossible for you.  21  However, this kind does not go out except by

prayer and fasting.”

 Matthew 16:24 24  Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone

desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,

and follow Me. 

 Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a

city broken down, without walls.

 Basic Principle #4: Community

 Hebrews 10:24-25 24  And let us consider one another in order to

stir up love and good works,  25  not forsaking the assembling of

ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one

another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Be Ye Separate | Pastor Chris | 10.19.25

 2 Corinthians 6:14–18

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

Ephesians 5:6–11

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not become partners with them;
8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Romans 12:2

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

James 4:4

4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15–17

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

We know what the word says… How do we raise a generation that is separate?

Daniel and His Friends Refusing the King’s Food

1–2 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Jerusalem and carries off sacred vessels from the temple to Babylon.

3–4 He orders that young men from Israel—without defect, well-educated, and wise—be trained to serve in his palace.

5 They are given daily portions of the king’s food and wine and taught for three years before entering royal service.

6–7 Among them are four from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; the chief official renames them Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Daniel 1:8–9

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.

Theme: In Babylonian captivity, Daniel chose not to conform to the empire’s way of life.
Lesson: Even when surrounded by the world’s power and culture, God honors those who stay pure and distinct in devotion.

11–13 Daniel proposes a ten-day test—he and his friends will eat only vegetables and drink water.
14–15 After ten days they appear healthier and stronger than those who ate the royal food.
16 The steward allows them to continue their simple diet permanently.
17 God gives the four young men knowledge, skill, and understanding; Daniel receives special insight to interpret visions and dreams.
18–19 When the training ends, they are presented to the king, who finds them wiser than all others.
20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding, they prove ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in Babylon.
21 Daniel remains in royal service until the first year of King Cyrus.

What is a current opportunity to be separate?

Samhain (Gaelic “SAH-win”)

• An ancient Celtic festival (Ireland/Scotland/Isle of Man) marking the end of harvest and the start of the “dark half” of the year (Oct 31–Nov 1).
• People lit bonfires and wore disguises; it was believed the boundary with the spirit world thinned.

In practice this meant things like:

• The souls of the dead (or spirits) might more easily visit or wander among the living.
• Divinatory activity (predicting the future) was more feasible, since the normal “separation” between worlds was loosened.

What were their goals during this liminal time?

Given that the boundary was understood to be more open, people acted in several distinct ways:

1. Honour and communicate with the dead & spirits

• They believed the souls of ancestors might revisit their homes and seek hospitality. Offerings of food and drink were left for these souls.
• Setting a place at the table and hearth for the dead was one custom.

2. Protection from harmful spirits / mischief

• Because the threshold was thinner, “hostile” or mischievous spirits might more easily cross into the human realm. So people adopted protective practices: wearing disguises (so as not to be recognised by spirits), carrying iron or salt, keeping fires lit, perhaps creating barriers.

3. Divination / future-telling

• Because Because the spirits were “nearer”, it was thought that glimpsing into the future (particularly about death, marriage, harvest, livestock) was more possible.