WEBVTT 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:14.320 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:16.600 an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:19.820 with dozens of nationalities worshiping together. 00:00:20.140 --> 00:00:23.000 We invite you to connect with us from wherever 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:27.219 you are through our website, ecb .asia, or our 00:00:27.219 --> 00:00:31.079 mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:39.520 by this week's sermon. beginning of a new series 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:43.159 in the book of Colossians. From the rest of the 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:46.679 month and part of August, we'll be studying the 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:49.259 New Testament, the book of Colossians, and I 00:00:49.259 --> 00:00:52.719 call this series Grace and Peace, a journey through 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:55.840 the book of Colossians. And you will see through 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:59.320 the study why the title exactly with these words. 00:01:00.100 --> 00:01:03.439 But before we start, would you please join me 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:09.719 as we pray? Lord, as we prepare to open this 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:15.359 ancient book, something that was written to the 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:18.159 very first Christians, the first generation of 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:23.239 Christians in history, we want to reconnect with 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:29.879 your truth. We want you to speak into our hearts 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:34.689 wherever we are. And I'm asking you, Lord, that 00:01:34.689 --> 00:01:39.609 the truth that you want to speak to us will reach 00:01:39.609 --> 00:01:44.049 deep into our hearts. And use me, Lord, beyond 00:01:44.049 --> 00:01:50.469 anything I can do on my own. Use me in your strength, 00:01:50.569 --> 00:01:56.409 in your grace, in your power. In Jesus' name 00:01:56.409 --> 00:02:03.569 I pray. Amen. The book of Colossians, for us 00:02:03.569 --> 00:02:06.310 to understand what we are going to be doing in 00:02:06.310 --> 00:02:09.310 the study today and the following studies, we 00:02:09.310 --> 00:02:12.669 need to look at the background of the book first. 00:02:12.710 --> 00:02:15.050 So we will spend the first few minutes looking 00:02:15.050 --> 00:02:17.289 at that. But first let me ask you a question. 00:02:19.150 --> 00:02:22.430 Are you experiencing God's grace and His peace? 00:02:24.870 --> 00:02:31.699 Or kind of? Because what we'll discover in this 00:02:31.699 --> 00:02:35.979 study is that God's grace and his peace are two 00:02:35.979 --> 00:02:38.400 things that God wants us to experience, to define 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:42.219 our lives. But somehow, as we follow the Lord, 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:46.219 these two things can become easily compromised 00:02:46.219 --> 00:02:49.740 and suddenly, like a person that starts limping 00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:53.900 because their leg is hurting, we start following 00:02:53.900 --> 00:02:59.120 God, but with a limping faith. And what God wants 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.500 us to understand through the book of Colossians 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:07.259 is that grace and peace are two things that he 00:03:07.259 --> 00:03:11.520 wants us to experience here and now. He wanted 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:13.979 the first Christians in history to experience 00:03:13.979 --> 00:03:16.960 it, and he wants you and me to experience the 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:23.219 same thing. So I first want to invite you to 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:28.580 travel with me. from Bangkok all the way to Turkey. 00:03:29.939 --> 00:03:33.780 You will see that in Turkey there's a little 00:03:33.780 --> 00:03:36.560 section, a valley, you can see there in the map, 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:40.500 that is a beautiful valley, and as you get into 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:44.340 that area, you will see a growing city, and some 00:03:44.340 --> 00:03:48.699 ruins of here and there, a few things surrounded 00:03:48.699 --> 00:03:53.439 by this big... Mount that is right there, hardly 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:56.840 excavated at all. And as you start walking around, 00:03:57.060 --> 00:04:01.439 you will see a sign that says very clearly, Colossae, 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:05.979 right there. And that's when it hits you. What? 00:04:06.580 --> 00:04:12.539 Is this the city to which Paul wrote the book 00:04:12.539 --> 00:04:19.410 to the Colossians? This thing? Yes. Right now 00:04:19.410 --> 00:04:21.769 you cannot see it because it's all covered and 00:04:21.769 --> 00:04:24.949 a few ruins there. But to really understand it, 00:04:25.009 --> 00:04:27.610 you have to travel not only to Turkey, but you 00:04:27.610 --> 00:04:30.910 have to travel in time to the year 60 of our 00:04:30.910 --> 00:04:37.269 era. So many years from now, all the way down 00:04:37.269 --> 00:04:41.930 to the year 60, this whole region was known as 00:04:41.930 --> 00:04:46.470 Asia Minor. And there were three cities in that 00:04:46.470 --> 00:04:52.980 valley. Colossae, Herapolis, and then Laodicea. 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:56.259 And these three cities were very close to each 00:04:56.259 --> 00:04:59.360 other. And the Apostle Paul had traveled through 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:03.500 that area. In fact, in the last missionary trip 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:06.720 that he took, he went all the way through Asia 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:09.560 Minor, all the way to Greece, and then he came 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:12.990 back to Jerusalem. But that's when... He was 00:05:12.990 --> 00:05:15.730 sent to prison and eventually to Rome and eventually 00:05:15.730 --> 00:05:18.670 he died, decapitated at the hands of the Romans. 00:05:20.470 --> 00:05:25.110 And even though he had never started any church 00:05:25.110 --> 00:05:30.089 in these three cities, the Christians that heard 00:05:30.089 --> 00:05:34.129 the message from him actually started spreading 00:05:34.129 --> 00:05:38.310 the gospel. And after the Apostle Paul went through 00:05:38.310 --> 00:05:41.860 this whole area, Churches were started. Christians 00:05:41.860 --> 00:05:45.939 started believing now in the Lord, and then churches 00:05:45.939 --> 00:05:48.259 were established in these three cities. One of 00:05:48.259 --> 00:05:53.399 them was the church of the Colossians. But what 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:56.459 is interesting is that what happens is that the 00:05:56.459 --> 00:06:00.660 apostle Paul now is in Rome. He's in prison there, 00:06:00.819 --> 00:06:06.939 and he meets in prison a guy whose name is Onesimus. 00:06:08.539 --> 00:06:12.959 Onesimus was from that town, Colossae. And he 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:16.620 had escaped there. He was a slave that had escaped 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:20.660 his master, had run away, and got all the way 00:06:20.660 --> 00:06:25.660 to Rome. And now, he ends up in prison. And he 00:06:25.660 --> 00:06:27.899 has a roommate right there, the Apostle Paul. 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:31.019 And the Apostle Paul is going to waste no time. 00:06:31.470 --> 00:06:34.189 He wants to tell everyone about Jesus and about 00:06:34.189 --> 00:06:37.529 salvation in Jesus. So he tells Onesimus about 00:06:37.529 --> 00:06:42.810 the gospel. And Onesimus believes in Jesus. But 00:06:42.810 --> 00:06:45.269 as it turns out, the more they talk, the more 00:06:45.269 --> 00:06:48.509 they realize they knew people in common. In fact, 00:06:48.629 --> 00:06:52.250 the master of Onesimus that he escaped from, 00:06:52.430 --> 00:06:56.689 his name was Philemon. And Philemon was a friend 00:06:56.689 --> 00:07:01.050 of the Apostle Paul. In fact, Everything seems 00:07:01.050 --> 00:07:03.209 to indicate that it was the Apostle Paul who 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:06.970 had led Philemon to know Christ. So now Paul 00:07:06.970 --> 00:07:12.310 says, what? Your master is Philemon? Wow, this 00:07:12.310 --> 00:07:15.490 is going to be complicated. Because if Onesimus 00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:20.029 has to go back to his hometown in Colossae and 00:07:20.029 --> 00:07:23.310 go back to his master, his master now is like 00:07:23.310 --> 00:07:27.410 two Christians coming together now. But then 00:07:27.410 --> 00:07:29.750 the Apostle Paul, while he's in Rome, he gets 00:07:29.750 --> 00:07:33.350 a visit from another friend. His name was Epaphras. 00:07:33.730 --> 00:07:38.329 And Epaphras was the guy who had started the 00:07:38.329 --> 00:07:41.990 church in Colossae. He had preached the gospel. 00:07:42.009 --> 00:07:44.509 People came to know Christ, including Philemon 00:07:44.509 --> 00:07:47.089 now, was part of that community of Christians. 00:07:48.009 --> 00:07:54.170 So Paul starts thinking, wow. You started that 00:07:54.170 --> 00:07:57.850 church that Philemon attends. And Onesimus is 00:07:57.850 --> 00:07:59.930 going to go back there. So tell me more about 00:07:59.930 --> 00:08:03.209 what's happening with the church. And at that 00:08:03.209 --> 00:08:07.329 moment, the Apostle Paul starts hearing all the 00:08:07.329 --> 00:08:10.189 concerns. Because even though these people came 00:08:10.189 --> 00:08:13.930 to know Jesus, they were following him. Somehow, 00:08:14.230 --> 00:08:17.430 there were these other teachings that started 00:08:17.430 --> 00:08:20.230 infiltrating the church that were distorting 00:08:20.230 --> 00:08:25.350 the gospel. They were adding to it. And now it 00:08:25.350 --> 00:08:28.290 was compromising the experience of these Christians 00:08:28.290 --> 00:08:31.990 to live in the freedom of God's grace and God's 00:08:31.990 --> 00:08:36.409 peace. So the apostle Paul says, you know what? 00:08:36.809 --> 00:08:40.049 I'm going to write a letter to these Christians 00:08:40.049 --> 00:08:43.889 to make sure that they are going to walk in God's 00:08:43.889 --> 00:08:47.950 grace and his peace. And I'm going to teach them 00:08:47.950 --> 00:08:49.929 everything they need to understand so that they 00:08:49.929 --> 00:08:54.690 will not be deceived. But then he says, but I 00:08:54.690 --> 00:08:56.710 also want to write another letter to Philemon 00:08:56.710 --> 00:09:00.110 to tell him about Onesimus and to encourage him 00:09:00.110 --> 00:09:02.809 to receive him, not as the bad guy that escaped, 00:09:03.169 --> 00:09:06.750 but a new fellow believer and welcome him as 00:09:06.750 --> 00:09:10.009 a brother in Christ. So he starts writing these 00:09:10.009 --> 00:09:12.809 two letters, but how is he going to send them 00:09:12.809 --> 00:09:16.610 there? He's in prison. Well, he has another friend, 00:09:16.769 --> 00:09:21.049 Tychicus. And he says to Tychicus, I have a mission 00:09:21.049 --> 00:09:24.090 for you. Will you take these two letters, go 00:09:24.090 --> 00:09:26.669 to Colossae, take this letter to the church, 00:09:26.830 --> 00:09:29.990 take this one to Philemon, and introduce the 00:09:29.990 --> 00:09:33.470 church to Onesimus. So Onesimus is going with 00:09:33.470 --> 00:09:37.149 you. And they both go together. And that is how 00:09:37.149 --> 00:09:41.509 we receive the copy of the letter to the Colossians 00:09:41.509 --> 00:09:43.950 that we're going to be studying in the following 00:09:43.950 --> 00:09:51.000 weeks. Now, of course, You need to see this by 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:54.720 yourself. I just summarized it for you. But let 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:57.879 me read some of the sections of the letter so 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:00.799 that everything that I told you comes from the 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:04.480 text and now you see it come alive. This is what 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:08.460 the book says. The Apostle Paul is saying at 00:10:08.460 --> 00:10:11.480 the beginning of this section in chapter 1 and 00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:17.899 then chapter 4. By the way, this letter to the 00:10:17.899 --> 00:10:20.799 Colossians, was written for prison and so was 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:24.279 the fishens the philippians and philemon and 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:26.220 because these four letters were written from 00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:30.779 prison from rome they are known as the letters 00:10:30.779 --> 00:10:34.960 of the prison letters they all have that same 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:41.179 context but here is what paul says i want you 00:10:41.179 --> 00:10:45.899 to know colossians how much i have agonized for 00:10:45.899 --> 00:10:50.039 you and for the church in Laodicea, and for many 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:53.139 other believers who have never met me personally. 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:57.679 He's agonizing. Because he's realizing, what? 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:00.940 These people are teaching you that? And they 00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:05.860 are deceiving you with this? Oh no! He's agonizing 00:11:05.860 --> 00:11:08.500 for them. And then he says, I'm telling you this, 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:12.580 so no one will deceive you with well -crafted 00:11:12.580 --> 00:11:15.299 arguments, for though I am far away from you, 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:20.200 my heart is... With you. And then he tells about 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:23.120 the people he's sending. Tychicus will give you 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:25.820 full report about how I'm getting along. He is 00:11:25.820 --> 00:11:28.059 a beloved brother and a faithful helper. Who 00:11:28.059 --> 00:11:31.679 serves with me in the Lord's work. I have sent 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:34.440 him to you for this very purpose. To let you 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:38.899 know how we're doing. And to encourage you. And 00:11:38.899 --> 00:11:43.340 yeah. I'm also sending Onesimus. A faithful and 00:11:43.340 --> 00:11:46.809 beloved brother. One of your own people. He, 00:11:46.809 --> 00:11:49.409 Antiochus, will tell you everything that's happening 00:11:49.409 --> 00:11:54.029 here. But also there's Epaphras, a member of 00:11:54.029 --> 00:11:56.350 your own fellowship and servant of Christ Jesus. 00:11:56.570 --> 00:11:59.889 He sends you his greetings. And he always prays 00:11:59.889 --> 00:12:02.529 earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong 00:12:02.529 --> 00:12:05.909 and perfect, fully confident that you are following 00:12:05.909 --> 00:12:10.389 the whole will of God. I can assure you. That 00:12:10.389 --> 00:12:13.669 he prays hard for you and also for the believers 00:12:13.669 --> 00:12:21.230 in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Yes, that is Apostle 00:12:21.230 --> 00:12:24.169 Paul writing to these Christians in the city 00:12:24.169 --> 00:12:26.870 of Colossae. You see the background now? You 00:12:26.870 --> 00:12:29.230 understand what all of these things are coming 00:12:29.230 --> 00:12:33.210 together? And by the way, I always love studying 00:12:33.210 --> 00:12:36.669 the background. Of the Bible and understand what's 00:12:36.669 --> 00:12:39.169 going on in the culture. What is the archaeological 00:12:39.169 --> 00:12:42.610 evidence of that place. All of these things I 00:12:42.610 --> 00:12:45.509 always found fascinating. So anytime I get a 00:12:45.509 --> 00:12:48.350 chance to throw it in there. I give it to you 00:12:48.350 --> 00:12:52.610 so that you can also taste. The flavor of God's 00:12:52.610 --> 00:12:57.429 words. Amazing. But why would the Apostle Paul. 00:12:58.750 --> 00:13:02.429 Take the time. To write while he's in prison. 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:05.340 Organize all these people so that these letters 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:09.240 can get to these Christians. Why is it so important 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:16.399 that they get it? Well, for that, we have to 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:18.659 look at the very beginning of the letter. And 00:13:18.659 --> 00:13:21.419 this is where everything will start coming together. 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:26.840 So we go to chapter 1. And here we'll start understanding 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:30.379 the purpose. This is what the Word of God says. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:35.740 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will 00:13:35.740 --> 00:13:39.340 of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and 00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:44.220 from our brother Timothy. We are writing to God's 00:13:44.220 --> 00:13:47.279 holy people in the city of Colossae, who are 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:52.879 faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May 00:13:52.879 --> 00:14:01.919 God, our Father, give you grace and peace. And 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.000 that is the beginning of the letter. Everything 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:08.639 he says after that is the explanations of all 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.179 the things that we'll be finding in these studies. 00:14:12.539 --> 00:14:17.559 Even though the word shalom was a common, and 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:21.679 it is today, greeting among the Jewish Hebrew 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:26.000 speaking community. And many of these letters 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:30.379 will start with a greeting. Something unique. 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:35.360 about the Christian conviction, was that grace 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:38.860 and peace were the very things that Jesus came 00:14:38.860 --> 00:14:44.000 to give us. These are things that God wants us 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.899 to experience. And he tells the Colossians from 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:51.940 the very beginning, look, God our Father wants 00:14:51.940 --> 00:14:56.759 you to experience these things. And I am concerned 00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:59.980 that you are not experiencing them because of 00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:03.159 all this false teaching that has started infiltrating. 00:15:04.980 --> 00:15:10.620 Grace and peace are the very same things that 00:15:10.620 --> 00:15:15.480 you and I need in this walk. Grace is that assurance 00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:22.539 that you know 100 % beyond a doubt that God loves 00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:26.899 you and accepts you. You're never afraid that 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:29.940 maybe he's going to get tired of you and give 00:15:29.940 --> 00:15:33.480 up on you and say, you know, out. I don't like 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:38.460 you anymore. No. You feel completely accepted 00:15:38.460 --> 00:15:45.139 and forgiven by God. And peace is the assurance 00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:49.779 that his presence will never leave you. He's 00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:54.000 with you until the end. And therefore, the future 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:57.759 is certain. Not because of the circumstances 00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:02.379 that come and go, but because God is with you. 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:08.620 And therefore, it's going to be okay. Grace. 00:16:09.940 --> 00:16:17.740 Peace. Do you have that assurance? Are these 00:16:17.740 --> 00:16:22.480 assurances that the gospel brings. Becoming shaken. 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:26.860 By decisions that you have made. By memories 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:31.960 of your past. Is there anything. That is now 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:34.820 compromising your experience of God's grace and 00:16:34.820 --> 00:16:39.620 his peace. Because if so. Then the study today. 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:42.840 Is going to be the foundation for you and for 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:47.289 me. It's going to give us. First, the foundation 00:16:47.289 --> 00:16:51.769 of understanding salvation from the perspective 00:16:51.769 --> 00:16:56.950 of what God says salvation is. And once you reframe 00:16:56.950 --> 00:17:00.289 salvation from his perspective, suddenly grace 00:17:00.289 --> 00:17:05.390 and peace emerge victorious against any force, 00:17:05.630 --> 00:17:08.930 influence, or teaching that tries to suppress 00:17:08.930 --> 00:17:13.740 it. And this... Is what was happening to the 00:17:13.740 --> 00:17:18.619 people in the church of Colossae. There was a 00:17:18.619 --> 00:17:23.640 group of Judaizers who were Christian Jews. Who 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:26.619 were saying to the Gentiles, the non -Jews. Look 00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:29.319 guys. We are happy that you believe in Jesus 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:33.180 like we do. And that's all nice. Yeah, he's the 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:38.599 savior. But. If you truly want to be saved. You 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:42.490 need to believe in Jesus. Plus. Become a Jew. 00:17:43.369 --> 00:17:47.210 Because only we Jews. Can experience true salvation. 00:17:48.190 --> 00:17:51.750 So you have to first start. Guys sorry. Go and 00:17:51.750 --> 00:17:56.069 get circumcised. And secondly. All of you. Have 00:17:56.069 --> 00:17:58.809 to start obeying the Mosaic law. With all the 00:17:58.809 --> 00:18:02.750 rituals. And everything that we Jews have. Then. 00:18:03.690 --> 00:18:09.789 God will accept you. That was a teaching. That 00:18:09.789 --> 00:18:12.859 the Judaizers were. infiltrating in the church. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:16.460 And Paul is there agonizing when Epaphras is 00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:18.480 telling him everything that's happening. He's 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:20.700 like, no, please don't tell me that those guys 00:18:20.700 --> 00:18:26.559 got to your church too. But then, on the other 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:31.200 hand, you had the pagan worship of Colossae where 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:34.859 most of these people came from. They were Christians 00:18:34.859 --> 00:18:39.200 surrounded by family. co -workers, children, 00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:43.680 spouses, people that were still worshiping the 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:47.400 Greek and the Roman gods and deities. They were 00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:49.700 worshiping the spirits. They were going to the 00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:51.700 temples. They were doing all of these things. 00:18:51.859 --> 00:18:54.559 And some Christians that were now following Jesus 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.400 were saying, yeah, yeah, it's good to follow 00:18:57.400 --> 00:19:00.319 Jesus, but you know, we also need to worship 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:05.079 those angels. And don't forget to also pray to 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:07.660 that statue just in case. So you're all covered. 00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:13.799 And some of these people were implying that you 00:19:13.799 --> 00:19:17.099 following Jesus was not enough. That your future 00:19:17.099 --> 00:19:20.039 was not going to be securing him because there 00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:23.640 were things you were missing. There was new revelation 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:27.140 you didn't have. There was assurance and security 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:29.819 that could come from these other places. And 00:19:29.819 --> 00:19:36.000 you needed to get it too. So the peace was also 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:41.220 compromised. And grace and peace, as it turns 00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:48.259 out, are the two legs of following Jesus. If 00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:51.700 you cannot walk with grace and peace, your walk 00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:57.640 becomes compromised. And I recently had to go 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:01.160 through therapy to recover the movement of my 00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:05.190 knee. I can walk without limping now. But I can 00:20:05.190 --> 00:20:08.470 tell you, when you start limping, all your body 00:20:08.470 --> 00:20:10.630 starts aching because you start using muscles 00:20:10.630 --> 00:20:13.589 that are not supposed to be used for that. And 00:20:13.589 --> 00:20:15.990 you start using a leg that you're not supposed 00:20:15.990 --> 00:20:18.990 to do. And before you know it, you feel more 00:20:18.990 --> 00:20:23.349 unwell. It's not just the knee anymore. And the 00:20:23.349 --> 00:20:27.309 same thing happens spiritually. When grace or 00:20:27.309 --> 00:20:31.039 peace have been compromised, You start compensating. 00:20:31.099 --> 00:20:34.220 And before you know it, you are following Jesus, 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.940 but you feel just not right. You feel heavy. 00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:43.099 You feel sad. You feel discouraged. All of these 00:20:43.099 --> 00:20:46.240 other things are happening. And now you start 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:48.460 doing things, looking at things you shouldn't 00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:51.420 look. Engaging in relationships you shouldn't 00:20:51.420 --> 00:20:54.720 engage. You start doing things that you know 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:56.900 it's like, I don't even enjoy this thing. Why 00:20:56.900 --> 00:20:59.930 am I doing it? And now you start compensating 00:20:59.930 --> 00:21:03.809 with behaviors that do not belong to who you 00:21:03.809 --> 00:21:08.630 are in Christ. And all of this becomes compromised 00:21:08.630 --> 00:21:11.509 in a way that the Apostle Paul there is in prison 00:21:11.509 --> 00:21:16.269 saying, Oh no, this is not what Jesus saved you 00:21:16.269 --> 00:21:21.250 for. This is not the gospel. You don't need Jesus 00:21:21.250 --> 00:21:25.670 plus. You don't need to pray to Jesus and also 00:21:25.670 --> 00:21:32.690 this. No. So in the following section, he is 00:21:32.690 --> 00:21:36.210 going to help them understand salvation and reframe 00:21:36.210 --> 00:21:40.829 it. Because he believes that if you truly understand 00:21:40.829 --> 00:21:46.089 salvation, oh, grace and peace like therapy, 00:21:46.309 --> 00:21:48.849 you will start recovering the movement of those 00:21:48.849 --> 00:21:51.609 legs. And before you know it, you are feeling 00:21:51.609 --> 00:21:54.910 so much better. There's no pain anymore when 00:21:54.910 --> 00:21:59.039 you walk. If this is so important, I do not know 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:03.140 you. But I would like to know. What this is. 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:07.259 And it's so important. That he tells the Colossians. 00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:11.900 In this section of chapter 1. We have not stopped 00:22:11.900 --> 00:22:14.539 praying for you. Since we first heard about you. 00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:18.900 We ask God to give you. Complete knowledge of 00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:22.720 his will. And to give you. Spiritual wisdom and 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:25.720 understanding. Because it's this understanding. 00:22:25.859 --> 00:22:28.799 Of the spiritual things. That is going to be 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:34.380 the antidote to this problem. And secondly, the 00:22:34.380 --> 00:22:37.880 way you live then will always honor and please 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:40.440 the Lord. And your lives will produce every kind 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:44.079 of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:47.099 you learn to know God better and better. Your 00:22:47.099 --> 00:22:50.019 relationship with God will be better. You will 00:22:50.019 --> 00:22:53.119 feel healthier. I mean, if you really get this 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:57.319 right. you are going to be in a better place 00:22:57.319 --> 00:23:01.720 spiritually. So pay attention. I do not know 00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:03.900 you, but the Apostle Paul already got my attention. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:07.539 What is it? What is it that I need to understand 00:23:07.539 --> 00:23:10.480 so I can walk with the leg of grace and peace? 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:13.460 Because if that is what God wants for me, I want 00:23:13.460 --> 00:23:18.380 it too. Tell me, Paul, what is it so I can have 00:23:18.380 --> 00:23:24.200 the grace and peace from God? He's going to tell 00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:30.660 us. But before I tell you. I have experienced 00:23:30.660 --> 00:23:33.480 throughout the years. As I share the gospel with 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:35.920 people. Disciple them. Go through counseling 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:40.460 with people. And start working. In growing understanding 00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:45.380 and maturity. I realize that not everybody. Has 00:23:45.380 --> 00:23:47.579 the right understanding of salvation. And the 00:23:47.579 --> 00:23:50.779 study today is so significant. Because for many 00:23:50.779 --> 00:23:55.089 people. Salvation is a destination. Hey, when 00:23:55.089 --> 00:23:58.089 I die, I'll go to heaven. Great. So until then, 00:23:58.130 --> 00:24:00.750 I'll just wait until I die and I hope I don't 00:24:00.750 --> 00:24:04.710 lose the ticket. And they live their life thinking 00:24:04.710 --> 00:24:06.890 that salvation is what will happen after they 00:24:06.890 --> 00:24:10.109 die. And often they suffer insecurity thinking, 00:24:10.329 --> 00:24:13.910 oh, maybe I'm not going to make it. Maybe I'm 00:24:13.910 --> 00:24:16.289 not good enough. Maybe I really messed up and 00:24:16.289 --> 00:24:21.679 now God is not going to like me anymore. Salvation 00:24:21.679 --> 00:24:24.779 is not a destination. It's so much more than 00:24:24.779 --> 00:24:28.019 that. Other people think, well, salvation is 00:24:28.019 --> 00:24:29.720 a preference. You know, it's like, I'm following 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:35.059 Jesus. I love Jesus. But, you know, Jesus, honestly, 00:24:35.180 --> 00:24:39.200 is one way to God among others. I mean, I have 00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:41.500 very good friends from other religions. They 00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:43.980 are very good people, even nicer than some Christians 00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:47.279 I know. You know, and in reality, I mean, that's 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:49.240 their culture, that's where they grew up. And 00:24:49.240 --> 00:24:54.140 as long as they believe that, and they are good 00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:59.500 people, they get a chance too. And other people 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:04.259 think of salvation as an uncertain future. It's 00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:09.420 like, God loves me. And I'm so happy He does. 00:25:09.779 --> 00:25:12.839 But I wake up tomorrow morning and I think, God, 00:25:12.839 --> 00:25:18.339 do you love me? God, have you given up on me? 00:25:19.259 --> 00:25:21.859 And often this person does the kind of prayers 00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:24.940 they pray. Because they're always doubting whether 00:25:24.940 --> 00:25:28.700 God really loves them or not anymore. And they 00:25:28.700 --> 00:25:31.480 are in that space. Needless to say, you never 00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:36.240 have peace. You always have fear. If this represents 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:38.980 your understanding of salvation, then this study 00:25:38.980 --> 00:25:41.920 is great. Because the Apostle Paul is going to 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:44.579 tell us right now. Three foundational things 00:25:44.579 --> 00:25:47.799 that you and I need to understand. First one, 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:51.660 salvation is not a destination. Salvation is 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:55.880 a change of realm. Yeah, there's a destination. 00:25:56.019 --> 00:25:58.099 The new heaven, the new earth will be with the 00:25:58.099 --> 00:26:02.200 Lord forever. Yeah, all of that. But at the core, 00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:06.000 what salvation is, is a change of realm on the 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:10.450 spiritual. And he's going to describe what we 00:26:10.450 --> 00:26:13.390 know here on the physical things of reality. 00:26:13.829 --> 00:26:16.589 And he's going to describe the spiritual level 00:26:16.589 --> 00:26:21.710 of reality. And the moment you ask Jesus to save 00:26:21.710 --> 00:26:26.569 you, something happened. Would you look at this 00:26:26.569 --> 00:26:29.349 verse with me and read it out loud together? 00:26:29.569 --> 00:26:33.109 The two slides that I'm going to show you. This 00:26:33.109 --> 00:26:36.529 is what he says together. He has enabled you 00:26:36.529 --> 00:26:40.210 to share in the inheritance that belongs to his 00:26:40.210 --> 00:26:46.230 people who live in the light. For he has rescued 00:26:46.230 --> 00:26:49.990 us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred 00:26:49.990 --> 00:26:54.150 us into the kingdom of his dear son who purchased 00:26:54.150 --> 00:27:01.269 our freedom and forgave our sins. What happened 00:27:01.269 --> 00:27:06.250 when I believe in Jesus? He gave me a ticket 00:27:06.250 --> 00:27:08.289 so I won't lose it so when I die I go to heaven? 00:27:09.130 --> 00:27:14.230 No. When I believe in Jesus, the apostle Paul 00:27:14.230 --> 00:27:20.029 says, he transferred you from where? The kingdom 00:27:20.029 --> 00:27:25.430 of darkness. He transferred me from the kingdom 00:27:25.430 --> 00:27:30.509 of darkness into what? The kingdom of Jesus. 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:38.460 I lived there before. Now I belong to this realm. 00:27:38.599 --> 00:27:43.859 The kingdom of light. The Bible talks about two 00:27:43.859 --> 00:27:47.039 kingdoms. The kingdom of darkness and the kingdom 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:53.359 of God. The kingdom of light. And the kingdom 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:57.720 of darkness, the Bible describes it as a realm 00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:04.180 that has authorities and principalities. Highest 00:28:04.180 --> 00:28:06.960 authority in this kingdom of darkness. That opposes 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:14.579 God. Is known as Satan. The devil. Lucifer. And 00:28:14.579 --> 00:28:19.339 he with his authorities. And principalities. 00:28:20.380 --> 00:28:23.319 Oppose God and deceive people. So that they will 00:28:23.319 --> 00:28:26.380 not come out of oppression. Into the freedom 00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:34.299 of God. And all of us. We're born in that realm. 00:28:35.500 --> 00:28:38.740 Because the Bible says that Satan is the prince 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:42.680 of this world. The authority that he gained over 00:28:42.680 --> 00:28:47.279 the world, we gave it to him the moment we humans 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:51.220 trusted in him rather than God. And at that moment, 00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:56.140 that authority, he established his kingdom of 00:28:56.140 --> 00:29:00.789 darkness. And Jesus came specifically to break 00:29:00.789 --> 00:29:04.869 the power of Satan over our lives so that we 00:29:04.869 --> 00:29:08.049 could be transferred from that kingdom into his 00:29:08.049 --> 00:29:12.089 kingdom. So one thing that I want you to understand 00:29:12.089 --> 00:29:16.529 is that to follow Jesus is already here and now 00:29:16.529 --> 00:29:20.990 a transformation of where you belong and where 00:29:20.990 --> 00:29:26.859 you exist as an individual. Sometimes I walk 00:29:26.859 --> 00:29:30.119 here on the surrounding area to the ECB campus. 00:29:30.259 --> 00:29:32.420 And for those of you that know the area, know 00:29:32.420 --> 00:29:38.819 what kind of area this is. And as I walk around, 00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:43.059 I often think of this picture. You know, a little 00:29:43.059 --> 00:29:48.720 beam of light moving around in darkness. Because 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:53.180 I belong to Jesus. He's my king. They do not 00:29:53.180 --> 00:29:56.299 know Jesus. They belong to the kingdom of darkness. 00:29:57.220 --> 00:30:01.240 And the gospel, the good news, is the message 00:30:01.240 --> 00:30:03.720 that there's a way of escaping that oppression 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:07.759 and being transferred to the place that God wants 00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:13.420 you to experience His grace. Jesus forgave our 00:30:13.420 --> 00:30:21.579 sins. He said in Colossians. If you do not start 00:30:21.579 --> 00:30:26.339 realizing That your salvation is. A change of 00:30:26.339 --> 00:30:29.539 existence. A realm. You are going to be missing. 00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:32.819 Part of the big picture. And you will not be 00:30:32.819 --> 00:30:39.579 equipped. To make. To face. The struggle of the 00:30:39.579 --> 00:30:44.660 darkness. Against you. But this is powerful. 00:30:45.160 --> 00:30:48.380 And it will have. Two very important implications. 00:30:49.400 --> 00:30:52.000 We'll see them in a second. But I would like 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:54.779 to first ask you this question. Where are you? 00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:58.039 In the kingdom of darkness or in the kingdom 00:30:58.039 --> 00:31:02.019 of light? And you cannot say, well, kind of in 00:31:02.019 --> 00:31:08.720 between. There's no third kingdom. If you have 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:12.920 no peace, if you do not know God's grace, chances 00:31:12.920 --> 00:31:14.819 are you are here in the kingdom of darkness. 00:31:14.900 --> 00:31:18.819 And the only way to come out of there is to repent 00:31:18.819 --> 00:31:25.150 of your sins. And believe and trust Jesus' love 00:31:25.150 --> 00:31:29.970 for you that he came to die for your sins. And 00:31:29.970 --> 00:31:32.829 if you ask him to save you, he will and he will 00:31:32.829 --> 00:31:35.089 transfer you from the kingdom of darkness into 00:31:35.089 --> 00:31:40.690 his kingdom. Where are you? You need to know. 00:31:41.190 --> 00:31:43.970 Because that will be the first step in knowing 00:31:43.970 --> 00:31:52.809 whether you can walk with grace and peace. The 00:31:52.809 --> 00:31:55.410 next foundational thing that the Apostle Paul 00:31:55.410 --> 00:31:58.250 is going to tell them is that now that you belong 00:31:58.250 --> 00:32:03.250 to the kingdom of Jesus, you are here. Your salvation 00:32:03.250 --> 00:32:08.549 is not just a change of favor. Oh, God loves 00:32:08.549 --> 00:32:10.890 me. That's nice. Well, he doesn't love me anymore 00:32:10.890 --> 00:32:15.630 today. No, it's not a change of favor. It's a 00:32:15.630 --> 00:32:22.529 change of status. What do I mean by this? Well, 00:32:22.630 --> 00:32:25.990 in the following verses, he's going to tell us 00:32:25.990 --> 00:32:28.190 what it was like when we were in the darkness 00:32:28.190 --> 00:32:31.009 and how that changed that now we are in the kingdom 00:32:31.009 --> 00:32:34.349 of Jesus. And I'm also going to ask you to read 00:32:34.349 --> 00:32:37.509 these slides with me together. This is what he 00:32:37.509 --> 00:32:42.369 says. This includes you who were once far away 00:32:42.369 --> 00:32:47.230 from God. You were his enemies, separated from 00:32:47.230 --> 00:32:53.480 him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet, now 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:57.940 he has reconciled you to himself through the 00:32:57.940 --> 00:33:02.180 death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, 00:33:02.259 --> 00:33:05.680 he has brought you into his own presence and 00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:09.119 you are holy and blameless as you stand before 00:33:09.119 --> 00:33:16.319 him without a single fault. It's like, what? 00:33:23.180 --> 00:33:25.900 Really? Are you telling me that when I was in 00:33:25.900 --> 00:33:29.500 the kingdom of darkness, I was God's enemy? Because 00:33:29.500 --> 00:33:33.440 of all my sinfulness and choices and everything 00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:43.559 I've done? Me, God's enemy? Yeah. Wow. I don't 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:45.400 want to be God's enemy. God doesn't want you 00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:49.359 to be His enemy either. He wants you to be reconciled 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:56.460 to Him. That's why Jesus came. So, when he transferred 00:33:56.460 --> 00:34:00.380 me to the kingdom of light, to his kingdom, now 00:34:00.380 --> 00:34:05.519 I'm reconciled to him? Yes. Like, how much? Like, 00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:08.699 give me a percentage. Like, 60 % reconciled? 00:34:09.320 --> 00:34:19.860 70 % reconciled? 100 % reconciled. No. How could 00:34:19.860 --> 00:34:26.039 that be? Yeah. Now you are holy and blameless 00:34:26.039 --> 00:34:33.000 in his sight without a single fault. That's impossible. 00:34:33.900 --> 00:34:39.719 Me? No fault? Just talk to my wife. I know all 00:34:39.719 --> 00:34:43.480 my shame and guilt. I know what I've done last 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:50.869 year and the year before. Exactly. All those 00:34:50.869 --> 00:34:53.690 things that are in your mind, that's what Jesus 00:34:53.690 --> 00:35:02.510 died for. All of it. 100%. God never sees you 00:35:02.510 --> 00:35:06.889 in his kingdom anymore as damaged goods. He sees 00:35:06.889 --> 00:35:13.449 you as reconciled. He sees you forgiven. And 00:35:13.449 --> 00:35:20.880 this realization is... So amazing. That he says 00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:23.820 in the following verse. You were dead because 00:35:23.820 --> 00:35:26.500 of your sins. And because of your sinful nature. 00:35:26.659 --> 00:35:33.179 Was not yet cut away. But then. God made you 00:35:33.179 --> 00:35:39.599 alive with Christ. Forgave. What? All our sins. 00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:50.050 The moment Jesus saved you. He made you 100 % 00:35:50.050 --> 00:35:56.969 reconciled with God. And therefore, he does not 00:35:56.969 --> 00:36:06.829 need your help in saving you. Did you hear that? 00:36:08.050 --> 00:36:13.489 Jesus does not need your help in saving you. 00:36:14.190 --> 00:36:21.570 He already did it. He paid the price. And this 00:36:21.570 --> 00:36:24.389 concept is at the core of understanding what 00:36:24.389 --> 00:36:29.630 grace is. Grace is undeserving. It's a gift we 00:36:29.630 --> 00:36:32.690 do not deserve. But God loves us and demonstrated 00:36:32.690 --> 00:36:35.969 his love for us in this while we were still sinners. 00:36:36.150 --> 00:36:41.590 Christ died for us. And it was his death that 00:36:41.590 --> 00:36:51.190 paid for my guilt. This section seems to escape 00:36:51.190 --> 00:36:55.030 so many people that the Bible mentions it time 00:36:55.030 --> 00:36:57.550 and time again, especially the Apostle Paul, 00:36:57.730 --> 00:37:00.449 because of these Judaizers were visiting all 00:37:00.449 --> 00:37:03.989 these churches trying to say, Jesus plus this, 00:37:04.090 --> 00:37:10.010 plus that. If you are struggling with that, and 00:37:10.010 --> 00:37:13.329 you are feeling like maybe you are not good enough 00:37:13.329 --> 00:37:16.090 for God to save you, maybe you need to cooperate 00:37:16.090 --> 00:37:20.000 a little bit more, Get a little bit better and 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:23.820 then maybe God will save you. If that is what 00:37:23.820 --> 00:37:26.139 you are struggling with and that is keeping you 00:37:26.139 --> 00:37:29.579 from experiencing his grace. I want you to simply 00:37:29.579 --> 00:37:33.719 listen to these words from the New Testament, 00:37:33.860 --> 00:37:37.659 the book of Hebrews. Echoing exactly what Paul 00:37:37.659 --> 00:37:42.380 just said to the Colossians. For by one sacrifice, 00:37:42.820 --> 00:37:52.610 one his own. He has made perfect forever those 00:37:52.610 --> 00:38:00.010 who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also 00:38:00.010 --> 00:38:04.750 testifies to us about this. First he says, this 00:38:04.750 --> 00:38:07.909 is the covenant I will make with them after that 00:38:07.909 --> 00:38:11.909 time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their 00:38:11.909 --> 00:38:15.449 hearts and I will write them on their minds. 00:38:16.360 --> 00:38:20.699 Then he adds, their sins and lawless acts, I 00:38:20.699 --> 00:38:29.320 will remember no more. No more, no more, no more. 00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:34.980 And when these have been forgiven, sacrifice 00:38:34.980 --> 00:38:40.519 for sin is no longer necessary. I don't need 00:38:40.519 --> 00:38:44.300 your help. Thank you. No longer necessary. You 00:38:44.300 --> 00:38:46.559 want a sacrifice for me so I like you better? 00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:49.960 No longer necessary. My sacrifice was enough. 00:38:54.460 --> 00:38:58.860 This is why the gospel is called great news. 00:39:01.539 --> 00:39:05.400 So I have to ask you, are you trying to add to 00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:11.599 the cross? And I ask you because I have experienced 00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:18.059 the agony of the heart of the one who is there. 00:39:18.179 --> 00:39:24.619 So close, yet so far. I remember sitting with 00:39:24.619 --> 00:39:27.420 this godly man who was struggling in his life. 00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:30.639 And as we are praying together, he is confessing 00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:33.260 these things to the Lord and releasing his shame. 00:39:34.119 --> 00:39:39.659 But we get to a point. He was stuck. And as we 00:39:39.659 --> 00:39:44.159 pray, I said to him, do you receive the full 00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:51.360 forgiveness of Jesus over your shame? And even 00:39:51.360 --> 00:39:53.860 though I was expecting for him to say, yes, Jesus, 00:39:54.139 --> 00:39:57.659 I accept all your forgiveness. To my surprise, 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:03.579 this follower of Jesus says to me, no, I can't. 00:40:07.179 --> 00:40:11.840 So I ask again, did you accept the full forgiveness 00:40:11.840 --> 00:40:15.960 of Jesus over all of your shame? And he says, 00:40:16.039 --> 00:40:22.539 no, I can't. Because what I have done is too 00:40:22.539 --> 00:40:26.960 shameful. And at that moment, he starts weeping 00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:33.059 and weeping with sorrow. At that very moment, 00:40:33.119 --> 00:40:35.760 I realized this was a man that didn't understand. 00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:45.840 The gospel. Jesus died for all of your shame. 00:40:47.219 --> 00:40:54.059 He doesn't need your help. One sacrifice was 00:40:54.059 --> 00:40:57.380 perfect. The Lamb of God. He came to take away 00:40:57.380 --> 00:41:02.519 the sin of the world. He doesn't need to love 00:41:02.519 --> 00:41:06.260 you more. He does already what he needs from 00:41:06.260 --> 00:41:14.500 you. Is to trust him. Trust in his embrace. And 00:41:14.500 --> 00:41:19.480 that is what opens up the door now for you. For 00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:24.639 goodness starts flowing from you. I remember 00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:28.300 the story of this young woman that was so ashamed. 00:41:28.739 --> 00:41:32.219 Very promiscuous lifestyle that she had growing 00:41:32.219 --> 00:41:36.280 up. And she started feeling so filthy that she 00:41:36.280 --> 00:41:38.599 says, when I would take showers, I would just 00:41:38.599 --> 00:41:44.320 do this washing extra times with the soap. Because 00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:47.199 I would imagine that by doing so, I could wash 00:41:47.199 --> 00:41:51.780 away the filth that I felt inside. And I knew 00:41:51.780 --> 00:41:54.719 it was not doing it, but it was a way of trying 00:41:54.719 --> 00:41:59.050 to give me comfort. So then she decides that 00:41:59.050 --> 00:42:00.969 she needs to start going to church because she 00:42:00.969 --> 00:42:03.969 needs God. And as she's going to church, she 00:42:03.969 --> 00:42:08.429 says, I was trying very hard at getting good. 00:42:10.409 --> 00:42:14.030 And when she said that phrase, I thought, that 00:42:14.030 --> 00:42:17.730 summarizes it right there. I'm trying to get 00:42:17.730 --> 00:42:21.769 good. You know, I know I'm not good, but I'm 00:42:21.769 --> 00:42:24.929 trying to become good. Because if I become good, 00:42:25.400 --> 00:42:30.980 then God will love me. And after she tried that 00:42:30.980 --> 00:42:35.360 for a long time, didn't give her grace nor peace. 00:42:36.539 --> 00:42:40.739 And one day, as she was sitting there in a spiritual 00:42:40.739 --> 00:42:45.440 retreat with the church, the person speaking 00:42:45.440 --> 00:42:50.000 says, there's nothing that you can do that you 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:54.880 can offer for God to save you. Nothing. Try hard. 00:42:56.559 --> 00:43:00.199 You can't. The only thing that you can bring 00:43:00.199 --> 00:43:07.000 to God is you. Your repentant heart, your broken 00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:13.219 heart, that's all you need. Are you trying to 00:43:13.219 --> 00:43:17.860 get good? Are you trying to become good? That 00:43:17.860 --> 00:43:21.280 will give you more headaches. Goodness is not 00:43:21.280 --> 00:43:24.559 something you try to become. It's something that 00:43:24.559 --> 00:43:29.119 flows from you once you experience God's grace 00:43:29.119 --> 00:43:37.059 and God's peace. It's like this. The painter 00:43:37.059 --> 00:43:41.960 doesn't paint to become a painter. The painter 00:43:41.960 --> 00:43:46.619 paints because he's a painter. The singer doesn't 00:43:46.619 --> 00:43:50.800 sing to become a singer. The singer sings because 00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:56.280 he's a singer. You do not become good so that 00:43:56.280 --> 00:44:01.500 you can do good. You are good, forgiven by Jesus, 00:44:01.920 --> 00:44:05.280 transformed by his power in his kingdom. And 00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:08.559 because you are in his goodness, now goodness 00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:16.239 flows from you. That is the power of grace. And 00:44:16.239 --> 00:44:19.320 until that clicks, all your efforts will be in 00:44:19.320 --> 00:44:24.539 vain. So are you trying to add to what Jesus 00:44:24.539 --> 00:44:28.000 has done? If your answer is yes, then that tells 00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:32.239 me you're not walking in his grace. But finally, 00:44:32.440 --> 00:44:37.780 salvation is a change of power. Because now you 00:44:37.780 --> 00:44:41.699 are in the kingdom of Jesus, the authority and 00:44:41.699 --> 00:44:45.599 power that Satan had before in your life has 00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:49.460 changed. Would you read this with me out loud? 00:44:50.119 --> 00:44:53.900 He canceled. the record of the charges against 00:44:53.900 --> 00:44:57.719 us and took it away by nailing it to the cross 00:44:57.719 --> 00:45:01.639 in this way he disarmed the spiritual rulers 00:45:01.639 --> 00:45:05.900 and authorities he shamed them publicly by his 00:45:05.900 --> 00:45:10.940 victory over them on the cross and this one you 00:45:10.940 --> 00:45:14.420 have died with christ and he has set you free 00:45:14.420 --> 00:45:19.559 from the spiritual powers of this world he has 00:45:19.559 --> 00:45:23.769 set you free from the oppressors that deceived 00:45:23.769 --> 00:45:29.309 you, that enslaved you. The moment he took you 00:45:29.309 --> 00:45:31.190 from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom 00:45:31.190 --> 00:45:34.809 of light, not only you changed realms, not only 00:45:34.809 --> 00:45:37.610 you changed status, completely forgiven and 100 00:45:37.610 --> 00:45:40.869 % reconciled, but now the authority of Jesus 00:45:40.869 --> 00:45:45.510 is yours. And you now have been given authority 00:45:45.510 --> 00:45:52.239 over the entities of darkness. That's why we 00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:58.000 do not act or walk in fear of them. If you came 00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:00.519 from a background in which you worship the spirits, 00:46:00.980 --> 00:46:05.059 in which at your home you will do rituals so 00:46:05.059 --> 00:46:09.239 the spirits will protect your home. If you saw 00:46:09.239 --> 00:46:13.059 dark shapes or figures moving around your spaces, 00:46:16.039 --> 00:46:18.760 If Jesus saved you from the kingdom of darkness 00:46:18.760 --> 00:46:27.400 into the kingdom of light, fear no more. Those 00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:31.139 spirits have no authority of your life. If they're 00:46:31.139 --> 00:46:34.900 invading your thoughts, if you're invading your 00:46:34.900 --> 00:46:38.900 dreams, you have the authority in Jesus' name 00:46:38.900 --> 00:46:41.820 to say, I command you in Jesus' name to leave. 00:46:42.579 --> 00:46:46.599 You have no authority. In my life. I belong to 00:46:46.599 --> 00:46:50.659 the kingdom of Jesus. He is my king. You deal 00:46:50.659 --> 00:47:00.099 with him. We no longer fear the spirits. Because 00:47:00.099 --> 00:47:04.280 we know. Who we belong to. And we know that Jesus. 00:47:05.099 --> 00:47:08.760 Had victory over them on the cross. And he has 00:47:08.760 --> 00:47:13.079 completely. Now deliver us. From the oppressing 00:47:13.079 --> 00:47:19.139 power. Of darkness. So if you are struggling. 00:47:19.800 --> 00:47:25.639 With darkness. And fear in your life. What exactly 00:47:25.639 --> 00:47:29.699 is that you are fearing? I'm here. To encourage 00:47:29.699 --> 00:47:34.619 you. Bring that to the Lord. Today. Because Jesus 00:47:34.619 --> 00:47:37.219 did not die on the cross. And resurrected on 00:47:37.219 --> 00:47:40.809 your behalf. So that you will not. Experience 00:47:40.809 --> 00:47:43.809 his grace and his peace. He wants you to experience 00:47:43.809 --> 00:47:48.170 it. But first you have to reframe your understanding 00:47:48.170 --> 00:47:54.269 of what it means to be saved. If this is what 00:47:54.269 --> 00:48:00.769 your life is described like. Something more broken 00:48:00.769 --> 00:48:04.550 rather than wholesome. Something empty rather 00:48:04.550 --> 00:48:10.929 than filled. Then today is the day. For you to 00:48:10.929 --> 00:48:15.349 become realigned with the Lord. Reconciled with 00:48:15.349 --> 00:48:21.269 Jesus. And let His grace and His peace actually 00:48:21.269 --> 00:48:26.889 lead the way. Because this is what the Apostle 00:48:26.889 --> 00:48:30.570 Paul wrote to you and to me. That to be saved 00:48:30.570 --> 00:48:36.630 means that I exist in a new realm. I have a new 00:48:36.630 --> 00:48:40.650 status. I have a new power. And because that 00:48:40.650 --> 00:48:45.349 is true, I can walk with grace and peace wherever 00:48:45.349 --> 00:48:49.349 I go, no matter where I am, because I'm a child 00:48:49.349 --> 00:48:55.429 of God with Jesus as my king. This time of worship 00:48:55.429 --> 00:49:03.869 is God's invitation to you. Would you trust him 00:49:03.869 --> 00:49:07.909 with your shame, with your guilt, with your regrets? 00:49:08.570 --> 00:49:12.070 with your fear? Will you rest in his embrace? 00:49:13.630 --> 00:49:17.269 Will you trust in his presence that he will be 00:49:17.269 --> 00:49:23.469 with you tomorrow and your future? Release anything 00:49:23.469 --> 00:49:30.849 that is holding you back. Lord, it's in your 00:49:30.849 --> 00:49:35.409 powerful name that we are asking you. Will you 00:49:35.409 --> 00:49:40.019 encounter us in this place of worship? Not just 00:49:40.019 --> 00:49:42.539 our voices and our hearts being lifted up to 00:49:42.539 --> 00:49:48.300 you, but you reaching down to us. Because there's 00:49:48.300 --> 00:49:50.360 many things that need to be broken right now 00:49:50.360 --> 00:49:58.320 in your presence. Grace and peace to you from 00:49:58.320 --> 00:50:03.059 God our Father. That is what you want us to experience. 00:50:04.500 --> 00:50:09.130 And that is what we're inviting. In Jesus' name. 00:50:35.550 --> 00:50:37.829 you will find giving options on our website. 00:50:38.710 --> 00:50:42.090 And remember to join us next week. God bless 00:50:42.090 --> 00:50:42.369 you.