Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding.

Jake Morris

[0:09] Well, good morning, Village Church. [0:12] For those that do not know me, my name is Jake and I serve on staff here at Village [0:16] as the youth director. [0:18] And I am thankful for another opportunity to come before you this morning and open God’s [0:23] word together. [0:24] Real quickly, I wanted to give, I haven’t been able to give an update from the stage

[0:27] yet about camp this past summer. [0:29] We took 38 students to camp. [0:32] Don’t worry, they all came back. [0:33] So that’s a positive. [0:35] But every year when I’m doing fundraising, I tell you guys that you’re giving money [0:39] to advance the mission of Jesus because Jesus changes lives at camp.

[0:43] And so I just wanted to let you know that we had three students go from death to life [0:47] at camp this summer, which is amazing that Jesus still saves. [0:51] He still is doing his work and it’s going to be exciting. [0:54] We’re going to have a couple of them get baptized here in a few weeks. [0:57] And so rejoice in that, celebrate with them, make sure to go tell them how excited you [1:02] are for them when you see them get baptized coming up.

[1:06] But second, every time I’m up here, I want to extend the invite for Village students. [1:10] We meet every Sunday night from 630 to 8. [1:13] So if you’re a sixth to twelfth grader in the room or the parent of a sixth to twelfth [1:17] grader, I want to invite you to come out tonight and join us to check out Village students. [1:22] We have all of the typical things of your student ministries, the great snacks, the [1:26] great games, the great events.

[1:28] But the big thing that we do is we focus on God’s word. [1:31] And my goal is to have a sixth grader come in that may not have a firm foundation in [1:36] their faith, but to walk away in 12th grade as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. [1:40] And so I want to invite you to come out, become a part of what God is doing at Village students [1:45] because he is doing a great work there. [1:48] But as for this morning, we’re going to continue in our series on the book of Colossians.

[1:52] If you have your Bible, we’re going to be in Colossians one in verse nine is where [1:56] we’re starting. [1:57] But last week, Steve walked us through the opening of the book. [2:01] He showed us that what we need to do is filter our lives through the lens of the gospel, [2:06] that everything we do should have the gospel at the forefront and center, that the gospel [2:11] is our source and our root of truth in our lives.

[2:15] And so this week, we’re going to see the apostle Paul continue this thought concerning how [2:19] we apply the gospel to the Christian life. [2:21] But I think this portion of Colossians answers some very pivotal questions about your walk [2:27] with Jesus and their questions that you are going to ask at some point or another. [2:32] They’re questions like this. [2:34] What is the will of God for my life?

[2:37] How do I endure through the Christian life? [2:41] And how can I be thankful when everything in my life seems to be in ruin? [2:46] And so this morning, we’re going to start in verse nine. [2:48] Here’s what God’s word says. [2:50] And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, [2:54] asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will

[2:57] and all spiritual wisdom and understanding. [3:00] So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, [3:05] bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, [3:09] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, [3:13] for all endurance and patience with joy, [3:16] giving thanks to the father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints

[3:21] in light. [3:22] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom [3:27] of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. [3:33] Point number one this morning, God’s will for your life is found through scripture. [3:38] God’s will for your life is found through scripture. [3:42] See, Paul opens up this section of Colossians, which

[3:45] with what I think is a remarkable phrase. [3:48] Okay, so he looks to the church at Colossae and he says, [3:51] I have not ceased to pray for you. [3:55] I want you to think about being just your average member of that church, [3:59] that the apostle Paul is a gigantic figure in the world at this time of Christianity, [4:05] that he has planted countless churches.

[4:07] They know how God has used him to advance the gospel, [4:12] and he is a pivotal part of the apostles. [4:15] And so this man looks to you and he’s writing a letter to your church. [4:21] And the first thing that he says to you is, hey, I just want to let you know [4:25] that since the day I heard about you, I have not ceased to pray for you. [4:30] How incredible is that?

[4:31] That the apostle Paul would pray for them in that way. [4:35] But I think this is a place where we do need to talk about [4:39] what that means when he says that he’s praying every season, [4:42] because that doesn’t mean that he’s praying for them every second of the day. [4:46] That is impossible. [4:47] Like we struggle to pray for two minutes sometimes.

[4:49] Imagine trying to pray constantly, right? [4:51] So that’s not what that can mean. [4:53] So when we look at scripture and you see that in scripture, [4:56] what that means though, is that it is a consistent pattern [4:59] in the prayer life of Paul, that every day he’s going before God [5:03] and praying for this church.

[5:06] So just think about how much encouragement that would give them. [5:09] But it also gives them a glimpse into the prayer life of the apostle Paul [5:13] and what he’s praying specifically for them. [5:16] And so when we look at this passage and what Paul is praying for here, [5:20] it’s the same thing that us as a staff at Village pray for you. [5:24] And the prayer is that you will be filled with the knowledge of his will.

[5:30] And so I know now, whenever I say the will of God, [5:33] immediately your brain is going to go haywire [5:36] and you’re going to be thinking about the top 10 things right now. [5:39] Specifically that you need to know the will of God on in your life. [5:43] And we do have things in our lives that we feel like we need the answers to from God. [5:48] Things like what college should I attend?

[5:51] Going from there, should I marry this girl or not? [5:54] Should we have kids once we’re married? [5:56] Should we buy this new house? [5:58] Should I buy this new car? [6:00] Should I take this job promotion? [6:02] Should I retire?

[6:04] And so we have these questions. [6:06] And we think that God is going to answer them sometimes [6:10] in very obvious and sometimes odd ways. [6:14] Okay, so I call this like the burning bush moment. [6:16] And we don’t believe this, but we act like it sometimes. [6:21] So here’s how this works.

[6:22] You’re sitting at your desk at work and all of a sudden your MacBook catches on fire. [6:29] Okay, flames shoot up. [6:30] And all of a sudden I hear God’s voice and he says, [6:33] Jake, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [6:39] Take that job promotion, for I am the Lord and I will be with you. [6:45] Has that ever happened to anybody in this room?

[6:48] If it has, please come and talk to me afterwards, [6:51] because that’s an incredible story. [6:53] But it doesn’t, right? [6:54] The will of God doesn’t work like that, but we want it to. [6:56] We just want God to give us the answer. [6:58] What am I supposed to do?

[7:02] And so what Paul argues for here is something that’s completely different than that. [7:07] You see, he says that we’re to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will [7:10] in what he calls all spiritual wisdom and understanding. [7:15] So what Paul’s doing here is making the case that there is a difference [7:18] between earthly wisdom and spiritual wisdom. [7:23] You see, earthly wisdom originates from and dies with you,

[7:27] but spiritual wisdom originates from God, [7:30] and it continues forever. [7:33] And so in order to understand God’s will, [7:35] we need to see that wisdom goes beyond our own mind’s capability, [7:39] that we need spiritual wisdom and understanding from God himself. [7:44] So the question then is, how do you get that?

[7:46] How do you get spiritual wisdom and understanding? [7:49] And I’m thankful that God has made this clear to us. [7:51] He says in his word that spiritual wisdom and understanding [7:54] begins with a proper attitude towards himself. [7:58] This is what Proverbs 1-7 says, pretty famous verse. [8:02] It says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of what?

[8:05] Knowledge. [8:06] Fools despise wisdom and instruction. [8:09] So knowledge or wisdom here begins with a proper view of God. [8:14] When you have this view of God and you fear God, [8:17] what it does is it takes the throne of your life [8:19] where you sit before Jesus and it takes you off of the throne

[8:23] and it puts Jesus on the throne. [8:25] And when that transfer happens, [8:29] what results is that we begin to rely on him to teach us. [8:34] And that’s where we gain spiritual wisdom and understanding. [8:38] So then we have to say, how does God teach us these things? [8:43] How does he give us this spiritual wisdom?

[8:45] And for that, we have to say his word. [8:48] That’s the only thing he’s given us, [8:49] but it is sufficient for us to know what his will is for our lives. [8:53] You see, the Bible is so clear over and over again [8:57] that the will of God is not found in these miraculous moments [9:00] or this moment where God speaks directly to you

[9:03] about the specific thing that you’re going through. [9:06] No, rather it’s the daily growth that you have [9:09] in the knowledge of God and his word that reveals his will for you. [9:13] In fact, his word many times, did you know [9:16] that it tells you exactly what God’s will is for your life. [9:21] And so this morning, if you’re struggling with that,

[9:23] if you’re questioning what God’s will is for your life, [9:26] I want to encourage you with three verses here quickly. [9:28] Here’s your first one. [9:30] First Thessalonians 4.3. [9:32] It says, for this is the will of God. [9:36] Perfect, right?

[9:37] That’s pretty clear. [9:38] This is the will of God. [9:39] So we should listen to what that says. [9:41] Look at what it says. [9:42] This is the will of God, your sanctification [9:45] that you abstain from sexual immorality.

[9:48] So what’s the will of God for every Christian’s life [9:51] to become more like Jesus, to be sanctified. [9:56] Ephesians 5.15 through 17. [9:59] It says, look carefully then how you walk, [10:01] not as unwise, but as wise, [10:04] making the best use of the time because the days are evil.

[10:07] Therefore do not be foolish, [10:10] but understand what the will of the Lord is. [10:13] What’s the will of the Lord in that passage? [10:15] Look carefully how you walk, have wisdom, [10:18] be wise not in your own eyes, [10:20] but through God and through who he is.

[10:22] Walk wisely.

[10:25] First Peter 2.15. [10:27] It says, for this is the will of God. [10:29] Once again, he can’t make it any easier [10:32] that by doing good you should put to silence [10:35] the ignorance of foolish people. [10:37] So what’s the will of God for us to do good, to glorify him?

[10:42] And you see, these are just a few examples [10:44] in God’s where we see him tell us [10:46] what his will is for our lives. [10:48] But my question is, what do all of these things have in common? [10:52] And this takes us back to Colossians 1. [10:55] You see, these things are based on the foundation of God’s word.

[10:59] How do we know what his will is? [11:01] We just read it, it’s in his word. [11:03] And Paul reiterates this at the end of verse 10 here in Colossians. [11:07] He tells us that we need to be increasing in the knowledge of God. [11:13] And so the will of God therefore is pretty clear. [11:15] It’s to make us more like Christ through his power

[11:18] of his written word on a day-to-day basis in our lives. [11:22] But this power, however, does not stop with the knowledge. [11:25] It doesn’t stop with just a proper understanding of God, [11:29] but it actually funnels into every part of your life. [11:32] Go back to the text, verse 10. [11:35] So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,

[11:39] fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work [11:43] and increasing in the knowledge of God. [11:46] Did you catch it? [11:47] That he says this knowledge of God’s will should result in what? [11:51] Three things. [11:53] Walking in a manner worthy of the Lord,

[11:56] lives fully pleasing to him, and bearing fruit in every good work. [12:00] Church, do you believe that? [12:02] Do you believe what God says there? [12:04] That you can live a life that is fully pleasing to the God of the universe. [12:11] That you can bear fruit in whatever you do. [12:15] That in Jesus, that you have that unlimited possibility.

[12:18] Why? [12:19] Because he lives in you and his spirit moves in you.

[12:24] You see, spiritual knowledge and our knowledge of God’s word [12:26] affects everything our hand touches. [12:29] That’s the driving force to the Christian life. [12:32] And my fear for many of you is that you are sitting there waiting [12:36] for God to give you the sign in the sky [12:39] as to what you’re specifically to do on a day-to-day basis in your life

[12:44] when God is looking at us and he’s saying, I gave it to you. [12:48] It’s right here. [12:50] It’s in the pages of this book. [12:52] Everything I’ve given you is sufficient for your life is right here. [12:56] Learn it, trust it, read it, make decisions based on it. [13:02] His word is sufficient, friends.

[13:07] See, this became real for me when I was a college student. [13:10] I went to a Christian college originally to study music for worship ministry. [13:15] I loved singing. [13:16] That’s one of my favorite things. [13:18] I did it a lot more back then. [13:20] Now I’ve gone to preaching because I like that more.

[13:22] But I did that and I was pretty good at it. [13:25] But the only issue was I knew nothing about music. [13:28] Nothing about music theory. [13:30] I just wanted to be the next Jeremy Camp. [13:32] I’m just going to level with you. [13:33] I had the faux hawk and everything.

[13:34] I mean, I was pretty awesome, not going to lie.

[13:38] But I got to my first music theory class, got a week in, [13:42] took my first test and I got a 41.

[13:46] And I said, well, that’s not good. [13:48] But I was like, maybe I’ll get better on the second one. [13:50] So I studied for the second one and then I got a 38, I think. [13:54] And so I went to the dean of my department and I told him, [13:57] I don’t think this is going to work out. [14:01] I don’t actually think this is what God wants me to do.

[14:03] And I’ll never forget that he looked at me and he said, [14:06] Jake, this is the will of God for your life, [14:11] for you to be a worship leader. [14:12] And I looked at him and I said, the grades don’t show it. [14:18] I don’t see it and I don’t think that’s right. [14:22] And so then I said, I need to go talk to somebody

[14:24] who’s going to give me a blunt, honest answer. [14:27] And so I went to the one person who always in my life [14:30] has given me a blunt, honest answer and that’s Steve Gentry.

[14:35] If you didn’t know, I’ve known Pastor Steve [14:37] since I was 15 years old. [14:38] He was my Bible teacher, my freshman year of high school. [14:42] I went to Village for the first year that it, [14:44] when it launched for that first year, I was here as a part of that. [14:48] And Steve’s always been a big part of my life.

[14:50] And so I went back to him and I said, hey, [14:52] what do you think about this? [14:53] And I’ve been struggling, right? [14:54] Because it’s like, this is a big decision. [14:56] This is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. [14:59] And I said, Steve, what should I do?

[15:00] And he said, I don’t know, just get a Bible degree. [15:03] And I’m like, oh, I was so, so thankful that my life [15:07] is so simple for you. [15:09] So thankful, amazing. [15:12] But I thought about what he said. [15:15] And in the end I said, I guess I’m just going to do it.

[15:19] And can I tell you that that decision completely [15:22] changed the trajectory of my life? [15:25] That I wouldn’t be doing this, I don’t think, if I didn’t do that. [15:28] But what I learned through that was very important. [15:33] You see, what I needed was not all the answers [15:36] to every lingering question that I had about life

[15:39] and what I was supposed to be doing for a living. [15:42] What I needed and what you need is to saturate ourselves in this.

[15:49] And when I saturate my life in scripture, [15:52] the questions that are lingering in my life start to be clarified. [15:57] When I look to his word, I can find answers for the questions [16:00] that are so difficult to answer. [16:02] You see, his word determines his will for me in my life. [16:06] So how do you know who to marry?

[16:08] Look to the word. [16:09] See what God describes as a godly man or a godly woman. [16:13] Do they meet that criteria? [16:15] How do we know if we should have children? [16:17] I look to God’s word and I see that children are a blessing from God. [16:21] How do I know if you should take that job promotion?

[16:24] I look to the word and I see that God tells me to live with eternity in mind, [16:29] to have my priorities as godly priorities and not earthly ones. [16:34] And so what am I gonna do? [16:36] I’m gonna have to look at that job and say, [16:37] is this job gonna take me away from my responsibility as a father and as a husband? [16:42] Is this job gonna take me away from my ability to make disciples of Jesus?

[16:48] You see, in all these situations and more, [16:50] those who live according to scripture can be confident [16:53] that they’re living in the will of God. [16:56] Friends, that’s what he promises us here. [16:58] If you live according to this, that is where the will of God is found. [17:03] But Paul’s prayer does not end with them simply understanding and applying scripture.

[17:08] Point number two this morning, [17:10] the power of God is necessary for patience, endurance, and joy. [17:15] The power of God is necessary for patience, endurance, and joy. [17:20] Picking up at verse 10 again, [17:22] so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing the hymn, [17:26] bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,

[17:31] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, [17:35] with all endurance and patience with joy. [17:39] You see, just when we thought it was hard enough talking about God’s will, [17:43] it seems Paul hits us with another impossible challenge. [17:46] It’s three words that we all struggle with, endurance, patience, and joy. [17:52] And so we have to ask,

[17:55] how does Paul say that we can have all of these things in our life? [18:00] What is his answer? [18:02] He says the answer is in the power from God’s glorious might. [18:07] Now, I know you might be saying, Jake, I’ve been a Christian for a while. [18:10] What you’re saying there is not exactly breaking news, okay, [18:13] that I know I need God’s power in my life.

[18:17] And so that’s great. [18:18] I’m glad that you know that, but can we just be honest [18:21] about our life on a day-to-day basis with our little trials that we go through? [18:26] How do we react to God when those things happen? [18:29] For instance, in the morning, when you wake up, but your alarm doesn’t go off, [18:37] right, you set three, none of them go off and you tell your boss it didn’t go off,

[18:42] but you’re late for work, you go, God, why would you do this to me? [18:46] You get to work and someone took your favorite parking spot. [18:49] God, are you not sovereign? [18:51] Your kids act slightly out of line. [18:54] God, can you please help me understand what you’re doing here? [19:00] Or even something as silly as your favorite team losing,

[19:03] which happens to me constantly.

[19:06] God, do you even care about me?

[19:10] You see, if we don’t even have the strength to not let these silly things weaken our faith in God, [19:16] what makes you think that you’re going to remain strong when true trials come into your life? [19:21] That’s where we have to be honest with ourselves. [19:24] You see, the difference between someone who endures well, has joy, [19:28] and has patience comes down to who holds the power in their lives. [19:32] And friends, many times we live as though we have the power and strength in ourselves

[19:37] to do the things that are necessary to live the Christian life, [19:42] that Jesus is over in a corner, in a box, and we’re going to let him stay there, [19:47] and we got it until we don’t have it. [19:50] Then we let Jesus out of the box, Jesus, fix my mess, and then get back in the box. [19:56] That’s not the Christian life, friends. [19:59] That’s not what Paul is talking about here.

[20:02] What Paul says here is the exact opposite. [20:05] He says that we need to cling to Christ, [20:07] that we need to be strengthened by his power according to his glorious mind. [20:14] You see, it goes back to the throne of your heart. [20:17] If Christ is on the throne, who’s going to be the one to strengthen your life? [20:21] It’s going to be him.

[20:23] It can’t be you. [20:24] Your life is no longer yours, and you cannot live the Christian life [20:29] without the strength of Jesus. [20:32] See, Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 3, starting in verse 16, he says this, [20:38] that according to the riches of his glory, [20:41] he may grant you to be strengthened with power

[20:43] through his spirit in your inner being, [20:47] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, [20:50] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [20:53] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints [20:56] what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [21:00] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,

[21:04] that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [21:08] So friends, according to that verse, how do you have patience in this life? [21:12] Through the power of Christ, how do you endure suffering? [21:16] Through the power of Christ, how do you have joy in the darkest of times? [21:21] Through the power of Jesus Christ.

[21:25] You see, when we look to his word for strength, [21:28] what we find there is an endless supply, Paul says there in Ephesians, [21:33] the breadth, the length, the height, the depth of the love [21:37] and the strength that God has for you as a chosen son or daughter of his. [21:45] His power is unlimited for you. [21:48] So friends, whatever you’re facing right now, I can guarantee you one thing.

[21:52] No matter how dark it is, no matter how difficult your situation may be, [21:58] it is not stronger than Jesus Christ, and he has power to endure you until the end.

[22:07] What it requires of us is to stop relying on our own power, [22:11] for us to get off of the throne and put Jesus back on the throne, [22:15] to cling to our Savior, to say, Jesus, I can’t do this alone. [22:20] I can’t do this without you. [22:22] And so I’m going to cling to you and hold on to you as the one who holds ultimate power. [22:28] So Paul shows us God’s will is found in his word.

[22:32] Our strength is found only in Christ. [22:36] But he still has one more place that he wants us to grow, and that’s in our thankfulness. [22:41] And that’s point number three this morning. [22:44] Thankfulness is the fruit of a heart changed by Christ. [22:48] Thankfulness is the fruit of a heart changed by Christ. [22:53] Colossians 1 verse 12 says this, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share

[22:59] in the inheritance of the saints in light. [23:02] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness [23:04] and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, [23:11] the forgiveness of sins. [23:13] See, I love that Paul ends this section with the reason to have hope, [23:17] to accomplish anything that he has said previously.

[23:21] Paul looks at the church at Colossae, and in that looking at us, [23:24] and he says, do you want all of this to be true of your life? [23:28] Do you want this to be your story? [23:30] What do you have to do? [23:31] Look to Christ. [23:32] Look to your redemption.

[23:35] So Paul calls the church to be thankful, [23:38] but he calls the church to be thankful in three very specific ways, [23:42] and three things that Jesus has accomplished on your behalf [23:46] that you should be thankful for. [23:48] The first of these that he says is that he’s qualified you [23:51] to share in the inheritance of the saints.

[23:54] And this might be the part of the verse, if you’re like me, [23:57] many times you see what’s coming and you want to get to the good part, right? [24:02] Talks about the redemption, the saving from our sin, [24:05] Jesus transferring us from darkness to light. [24:08] And so we skip to that part, but we miss this. [24:11] But I encourage you, friends, don’t do that.

[24:14] Look at that text again. [24:16] What Paul is saying is that the Christian should be thankful [24:19] that Christ allows us to share in an inheritance [24:22] that will never fade or crumble. [24:25] I want you to think about this in light of the book of Joshua [24:28] that we just finished as a church.

[24:30] What happens at the end of the book of Joshua? [24:32] God’s people get their promised land, the land that was promised to Abraham. [24:37] God fulfilled his promise to them, and they got this land that was theirs. [24:42] And that was the mountaintop moment, right? [24:46] And nothing would ever happen to it.

[24:50] Except go read the book of Judges right afterwards. [24:53] What happens? [24:55] Israel’s captured. [24:56] Cities are destroyed. [24:58] The promise is burned. [25:01] And the whole rest of the Old Testament is yearning and longing

[25:04] for the ultimate promise that God gave, which was the Messiah.

[25:11] But friends, when I think about that, [25:13] and then I think about what God has done for his people,

[25:19] Jesus, through the cross, gave us an inheritance [25:23] that will never crumble and never fade. [25:26] But even more than that, he’s made you an heir of that kingdom. [25:29] Look at this, Romans 8, 16. [25:32] The apostle Paul tells us that the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, [25:37] that we are children of God.

[25:39] And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, [25:44] provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. [25:49] So that inheritance that God gave to his people in Joshua [25:52] was a foretaste of the true inheritance that he was gonna give, [25:56] which is the inheritance of the gospel. [25:58] That one that would never fade and never crumble.

[26:01] That if you are a son or a daughter of the living God, [26:05] that you have a promise in the future that you are an heir to a kingdom that will never end. [26:12] You should be thankful that you have a kingdom that will never end. [26:17] But second, he’s delivered you from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of Christ. [26:23] You see, I’ve heard many times salvation described [26:26] as Jesus is my lifeguard.

[26:29] Maybe you’ve heard this one. [26:31] It goes a little something like this. [26:33] I was drowning and I yelled out for God to save me. [26:38] And Jesus, as the lifeguard, came in, scooped me up, rescued me, [26:43] or he threw me a life preserver and he rescued me out of the water. [26:47] And he may be saying, Jake, I don’t really see why that’s wrong.

[26:52] What’s the problem with it? [26:54] And the issue with that, although I understand the heart behind it, [26:58] the issue is that it doesn’t actually explain our condition that we were in. [27:03] It explains Jesus and his saving, but it doesn’t explain our condition. [27:07] And this is where the apostle Paul tells us what our condition is. [27:12] If we’re not drowning, what are we?

[27:15] And this is where we go to the book of Ephesians. [27:17] In Ephesians 2, starting in verse 1, what I want you to do is I want you to look [27:21] and I want you to say, what is my condition or what was my condition before I came to Christ? [27:30] Here we go. [27:31] And you were what? [27:33] Dead.

[27:36] Underline that, highlight that, circle it, dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. [27:43] Following the course of this world, following the Prince of the power of the air, [27:47] the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, [27:51] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, [27:55] carrying out the desires of the body and the mind. [27:57] And we’re by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.

[28:04] Friend, your condition is not one of drowning and needing a life preserver. [28:09] Your condition’s death. [28:11] That you weren’t in a pool drowning. [28:13] That your condition is you are in a spiritual morgue with a cold dead body [28:21] under the power of this domain of darkness that Paul says. [28:25] This domain is controlled by Satan.

[28:27] He’s ruling over you, destroying you, leading you to eternal destruction. [28:33] It says you were children of wrath. [28:35] That means that you were an enemy of God. [28:38] That God’s wrath was directed towards you and it was going to be towards you for all of eternity. [28:44] Because he’s a holy and righteous God and he cannot be in the presence of sin. [28:49] So without Christ, all you are is dead and heading to more and more death.

[28:59] I’m thankful it doesn’t end there though. [29:02] Christ, you see, still intervenes on our behalf in his mercy. [29:06] Verse four of Ephesians 2. [29:08] But God, so thankful for those two words. [29:13] Being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, [29:18] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

[29:25] By grace, you have been saved. [29:29] You see, here’s what happens when you come to know Christ. [29:33] You’re that dead body in the spiritual morgue. [29:36] Jesus walks into that room. [29:39] He sees your condition. [29:42] And he looks at you.

[29:45] And he says what he says and Luke 8, this little girl that he rises from the dead. [29:48] I love that story in Luke 8. [29:50] Jesus goes into this room where this little girl is dead and her father had called him in to help her. [29:57] And everybody thought that he wasn’t going to be able to do anything. [30:00] And Jesus goes over and touches her and he says, little one, rise. [30:06] And what happens?

[30:08] She rises. [30:10] And that’s what Jesus did to us. [30:12] If you are in Christ, you were dead. [30:14] And Jesus looked at you and he said, because of the gospel, [30:17] because of what I’ve accomplished for you, I say to you, rise and live again.

[30:25] You see, Jesus has the power to bring the dead to life. [30:27] And that’s my story. [30:28] And I hope it’s your story. [30:31] See, in doing so though, he’s placed you into his kingdom. [30:34] Did you notice that in the text that Paul says that he’s transferred you [30:37] out of that domain of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved son?

[30:42] That you are now no longer shackled to the past sin and shame that you have, [30:48] that you have redemption from it, that redemption was purchased by the blood [30:52] of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. [30:54] And so now you stand as a ransom son or daughter of the living God, [31:01] delivered from death by the power of Jesus Christ. [31:05] Friends, should you be thankful for that?

[31:08] Yes. [31:10] But it doesn’t even end there. [31:13] Paul finishes and he says, lastly, the forgiveness of our sins, [31:18] Jesus accomplishes for us. [31:21] You see, through the finished work of the cross, [31:24] we are not only made alive in Christ, but our sins,

[31:27] the darkness in which we once lived is no longer there. [31:31] Psalm 103, 12 says, as far as the east is from the west, [31:37] so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

[31:43] Friends, do you understand? [31:44] I love this. [31:45] I’ll never get tired of talking about this. [31:47] Do you understand that when God looks at you, [31:50] when the heavenly father looks at you as a redeemed son or daughter of his, [31:55] he no longer sees any of your sin?

[31:58] None of it. [31:59] All he sees is the blood of his son. [32:01] All he sees is his child. [32:03] All he sees is somebody who is an heir to his kingdom that will never fade. [32:08] Jesus did it all. [32:10] It’s all covered.

[32:11] It’s all gone.

[32:14] And so I’ve been made alive. [32:17] I’ve been forgiven. [32:19] I’ve been cleansed. [32:21] I’ve been adopted into the family of God. [32:24] And when I look at that and I look at all Christ has done for me, [32:29] the only thing I can do is bow before the cross and say, Jesus, thank you.

[32:35] Thank you for saving an ungrateful, undeserving sinner like myself. [32:42] You see, friends, God would have been completely justified to leave us in our sin, [32:46] to let me die in my death. [32:49] But instead, he died for me, to give me life. [32:54] He called my name and he brought me out of the grave. [32:56] And now I have eternity to thank him.

[33:00] And friends, one of the greatest ways that we can thank Jesus [33:03] is to live by his word, as Paul taught us here, to teach it to others [33:08] that they too may be called by the heavenly father out of the kingdom of darkness [33:13] and into the kingdom of light to go from an enemy of God [33:17] to a son or daughter of the living God. [33:21] Friends, is that your story this morning?

[33:24] Couple application points. [33:26] Number one, remember, true wisdom comes from God’s word. [33:30] True wisdom comes from God’s word. [33:33] Stop trying to find wisdom in so many other sources. [33:36] Stop trying to find God’s will in so many other sources. [33:40] Trust that his word is sufficient for you.

[33:43] Second, trust that God’s will for your life is your sanctification. [33:48] Trust that, believe it, that God wants to make you more like Jesus on a day to day basis. [33:54] Third, stop relying on your own strength and trust in the strength of Christ. [33:58] Friend, don’t be so foolish. [34:01] Rest in the power of Jesus. [34:02] It’s unlimited that he has the strength to conquer death.

[34:06] Surely he can handle whatever situation you’re in. [34:10] And lastly, thank Christ daily for all he’s accomplished on your behalf. [34:14] You see, the mark of a true Christian is one who lives a life that is thankful [34:18] every single day because they’ve been given a gift that they never deserved, [34:22] but that Jesus poured out on them so graciously. [34:26] Friends, be thankful Jesus is God and he is saved us.