WEBVTT 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:04.959 Alright, are you guys ready for the Word of God this morning? 00:00:04.959 --> 00:00:06.000 I know I am. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.560 Yeah, so let's turn to Ephesians chapter 1. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:11.199 We're gonna be starting at verse 15 in just a minute. 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:16.960 We are in a sermon series right now called In Christ, and it's all about the book of Ephesians. 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:24.480 And we're this year we're studying the first three chapters, which help us to uh understand more clearly our identity in Christ. 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:35.759 It's only when we understand our identity in Christ that we can then fulfill our purpose in Christ, and we'll be talking about that in the coming year in the last three chapters of Ephesians. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:40.799 And the t the title of today's message is In Christ, Raised and Seated. 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:42.880 In Christ, raised and seated. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:44.719 So let's read the word of God together. 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:47.280 Ephesians 1, 15 through 23. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:01:46.159 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every other name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:58.319 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:00.239 Let's pray together. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.519 Father, we thank you for the word of God that is rich. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:11.120 And Lord, we thank you that you have given us this word to encourage us, to instruct us, to comfort us, to correct us. 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:17.199 Father, to give us all the things that we need to be able to live this life the way that you've designed for us to live. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:25.520 And so we ask that you would help us to have open minds and open ears and open hearts to receive from you what you want to say to us. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:34.240 And Lord, we pray that the Word of God would be fruitful, that it would produce the type of fruit in each of us that you desire for it to produce. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.199 And we thank you for it in Jesus' name. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:38.080 Amen. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:38.960 Amen. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.719 How many of you are sick and tired of being sick and tired? 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:44.000 Anybody? 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:49.520 Anybody just over being anxious about everything? 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:56.159 Is there anyone that could do with a little bit less distress and depression in your life? 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:59.919 Can we just be real with each other this morning? 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:06.960 These are the kinds of things that we feel oftentimes more than occasionally. 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:25.680 We understand that there are sometimes physiological reasons for these things to occur, but there are other times when the reason that we're experiencing these things is because we are either not, we don't understand the truth from Scripture, or we're not applying the truth from Scripture to our lives. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:49.039 And so today, my hope is that God will use the words of this passage in Ephesians 1 to remind us of some important things that we can more fully embrace in our lives so that we can walk lives that are more free from anxiety and depression, sickness and disease and trouble and all of those things that uh are difficult, right? 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:53.599 Now we understand that in this world we will have trouble, we will have tribulation. 00:03:53.599 --> 00:04:08.240 So I'm not saying that we won't have anything like that's that's happening, but how many of you know when we know that God is in charge and we know that we're serving him and following him and he's watching over us, then we can be okay even in the midst of our struggle, right? 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:10.639 So that's my hope for us this morning. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:15.360 And last week, Mark did a great job of opening this portion up. 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.920 And it's really a prayer that Paul is praying over the Ephesian church, right? 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:23.759 And you remember there were eight things that he gave us that we could pray for our people. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:29.279 I want to encourage you also, and I found myself this week praying these things for myself as well. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:49.120 We need this on a continual basis, and also those around us, our family members, workmates, people that are in school with us, strangers, everybody needs these things to occur in their lives in order for them to understand more clearly who Jesus is and what he's done for them, right? 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:59.279 So let's just quickly look over the eight things that he recommended to us that we pray, pulling them from Paul's prayer in that first chapter of Ephesians. 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:08.000 First, that for God to work on the level of the spirit, second, for wisdom, third, pray for revelation. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.240 How about for hope? 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.079 Hope's a big one. 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.879 To hear the calling of the Lord. 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:24.319 Remember, we believe that God is the one by his spirit that does the calling and brings people to the point of understanding their need for salvation. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:28.879 Six, to see the incredible riches of our inheritance as believers. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.759 We're going to focus on that more in just a minute. 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:34.879 Seven, to experience the power of God. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:38.800 And eight, to see Christ as he truly is. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:43.199 How many of you in your own lives have experienced all eight of those? 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:46.399 Not a lot of hands going up. 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:51.680 Hopefully, we all have at different times in different ways, right? 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:54.079 And in ever-increasing measure. 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:59.680 That is that is what God intends for us as followers of Jesus Christ. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:04.560 It's a helpful way, again, just to kind of build a framework around your prayer life. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:09.839 And I uh have I use a tool called Prayer Mate, which is just a prayer app. 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:18.319 And you're able to kind of type in your own prayers in that, and it will pull that pull them up each day or every other day so that you don't forget to pray over those things. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:23.839 And so I popped these into my um algorithm, talking about a positive algorithm. 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:32.480 And so prayer mate has been presenting me with these eight prayer things, uh prayer points, and I've I've really enjoyed this week tapping into that. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:34.720 So just want to encourage you to continue that. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:38.720 So as we pick up today, Paul moves into preach praying. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:40.720 You guys know what preach praying is? 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:42.160 Have you ever experienced that? 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:50.079 Praying is talking to God about something, about others, and preach praying is talking to others about God. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:53.439 So there's sort of a flip-flop that happens. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:58.560 I experienced this as a teenager many times when I heard my mother praying. 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:17.279 She would start praying rather relatively quietly over on her side of the house, but depending on my brother and I's uh particular mode of operation at the time, in other words, our level of sin or temptation to sin, she would find her way over into the kitchen and finally into the living room. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:23.040 And my brother and I hiding out in our bedrooms that were just adjacent to the living room. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:30.000 And as she prayed, she would pray things like, Oh Lord, don't let my son settle for counterfeit women. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:33.680 This is her word. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:37.920 She would say, Don't let him settle for any floozies, okay? 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:41.040 For young people, you may not know what a floozy is. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:47.360 It's uh it's it's a flozy is a young lady that you don't want your son to end up end up with. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:08:06.000 It's so anyway, I am so grateful that my mom preach prayed uh because it was really important to me, and I am so grateful that as part partially because of her prayers, I am married to Amy Lind, and we've been married for 32 years. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:07.199 So grateful. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:08.000 Amen. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:08.879 Thank you, mom. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:15.920 So uh I don't know if you've ever engaged in preach praying. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:19.600 Some of you preach pray when you're uh praying over the food. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:30.879 I just want to say for all those relatives out there that have been wanting to say this for a long time, that's not the time to have intercessory prayer or to preach pray. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:33.360 That's the time to pray over the food and and let's see. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:35.039 And then we can talk during the meal. 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.519 Afterwards, we can have a whole prayer session later. 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:39.919 We can even fast, but just not right. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:43.200 Don't don't just don't do that right before the meal. 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:45.360 Anyway, I digress. 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:46.080 Okay. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:52.960 Um, so Paul, uh as is his way, seems to be overwhelmed by the goodness of God. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:59.120 He's overwhelmed, as we see Paul often being, by the goodness of God. 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:03.759 And so he's expressing it like the words, he just can't stop the words. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:08.559 They're just coming out of him, they're just flowing out of him like a river. 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:14.080 Uh, it's like he's freestyle rapping in a way, he's just letting it all come out. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.120 And we know that he's inspired by the Holy Spirit, right? 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:25.039 So he's in he's expressing in glowing terms the pathway to the incredible riches of our inheritance as believers. 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:37.600 Did you know that we as believers, that God has set aside for us an inheritance that is beyond compare, that is better than anything this world has to offer by far. 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:43.600 He has set those things aside for us and he has provided them for us. 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:53.440 And we'll find out in just a few minutes that we don't have to wait until the sweet by and by to begin to live inside of that inheritance. 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:55.039 Does that make sense? 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:57.279 That's what the scripture teaches us. 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:09.519 In verse 19, he uses the phrase according to, according to, in order to express the fact that Christ's followers are also beneficiaries based on that which God did in Christ Jesus. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:20.480 In other words, in Christ, we are positionally, our position is that we are co-heirs with him in that which he has been given by our heavenly father. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:22.000 Did you hear what I just said? 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:30.960 We are co-heirs with Jesus in that which he's been given by his heavenly father and by our heavenly father. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:34.080 That sounds too good to be true, right? 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:36.240 Hello? 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:37.679 It's the gospel. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:41.519 It's actually, it actually means the good news. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:45.679 This is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:50.320 We didn't earn it, we don't deserve it, but he gives it. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:52.720 What's the next part of that song? 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:54.159 Anyway. 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:55.919 He gives it anyway. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:59.039 I was gonna say willingly or joyfully. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:06.639 We experience some of this amazing reality now, and we know that one day we will experience it fully. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:08.000 So let's talk about this. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:15.120 What is the inheritance that we're talking about here that Paul is bringing up in this Ephesians 1 passage? 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:19.919 It starts out, I believe, by the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead. 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:26.960 Remember his words here, the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:45.120 Now I feel it's necessary, even though I would I would hope that most of us understand or know this story, but we know that Jesus went to the cross and in so doing took upon himself the sins of the world, and he was crucified, he was nailed to the cross. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:55.519 And we know that the wrath of God was poured out upon him, and for the first time in all of eternity, there was a separation, a relationship between Father and Son. 00:11:55.519 --> 00:12:00.240 And Jesus cried out, Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:04.799 And then in the end, he said, It is finished. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:13.360 So the work of redemption or salvation was completed, but there was something else that needed to occur. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:18.879 There was something else that he had promised and that had been prophesied in the Old Testament. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:20.240 And what was that? 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.639 He was laid in a borrowed tomb. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:30.879 I don't know how many of you have been to Israel, but I've been to Israel and I've been to the garden where they suspect that Jesus may have been laid in a borrowed tomb. 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:35.440 And I walked inside of that tomb, and there was one thing that was very obvious to me. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.120 He wasn't there. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:43.519 Jesus was not there because on the third day, guess what? 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:45.440 He rose again. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:52.480 He rose again by the power of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:13:02.639 You see, God proved his unstoppable might when he raised Jesus from the dead, proving that he had defeated death, hell, and the grave. 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:04.559 When are those things defeated? 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:07.440 They were defeated at that point in time. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:14.480 Now we're going to experience, like I said, levels of understanding this experience as we move on. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:20.240 According to the scriptures, the resurrection of Christ was the first such event in human history. 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:23.120 And you might say, Well, haven't you read your Bible, Tyler? 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:24.879 There were other resurrections. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:26.879 I think of Lazarus. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:30.960 Remember, Jesus said, Lazarus, come out of that their grave. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:37.039 I'm sorry, that was the that's the Kentucky version, but Lazarus, come forth, come forth. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:39.679 And what did what happened? 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:41.600 Lazarus came out. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:43.120 Right? 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:47.759 But how many of you know that Lazarus died again? 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:51.759 He passed again from this life into the next. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:56.559 All others died after they had been resurrected, except for Jesus. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:02.879 Jesus was the first to rise in the power of everlasting life. 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:06.399 Alive, alive forevermore. 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:10.960 My Jesus is alive, alive forevermore. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:14.639 Now, that's good news just in itself. 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:19.600 I feel like I'm doing an infomercial this morning, but wait, there's more. 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:24.000 Because Jesus lives, we can live. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:29.679 Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we can be raised from the dead. 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:36.000 Because Jesus is alive, we can experience the life of God. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:44.320 The Bible says it like this: the same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in all believers. 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:46.960 That's amazing. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:51.440 Paul expresses this concept in the book of 1 Corinthians very well. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:53.919 Let's look at chapter 15, verse 20. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:15:00.559 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:06.080 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:12.080 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:29.120 We were born dead in our sins and trespasses, children of Adam, and yet when Jesus Christ came and he rose from the dead, how many of you know now we have the ability to be raised from the dead as well, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:30.960 This is a gift from God. 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:43.440 Colossians 2 says it like this: having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power powerful working of God who raised him from the dead. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.320 And you, say that's me. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.080 Okay. 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:50.080 There's a delayed response this morning. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:51.519 That's okay, don't worry about it. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.600 This is being translated as we're going. 00:15:53.600 --> 00:16:11.519 And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:15.440 This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:19.840 My friends, this is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:24.080 Because Jesus lives, we live also. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:50.639 The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of all believers in Jesus Christ. 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:51.919 True believers. 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:55.360 He lives inside of us. 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:59.919 Is there anything too difficult for God? 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:03.120 That's a good answer. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.599 Let's confess that tomorrow as well, right? 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:07.519 And Tuesday and Wednesday. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:14.559 God raised Jesus from the dead, first of all, but how many of you know he also seated Jesus at his right hand? 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:20.480 It says in Ephesians 1, again, he seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:25.359 Now we can probably relate to the phrase right hand man or right hand person, right? 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:27.440 What does that mean typically? 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:35.200 That means somebody who's trusted, who has shown themselves faithful, somebody who understands all of the processes, all of the systems. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:45.039 If point A person wasn't able to perform for whatever reason, point B person could step in and do most of everything that point A person could do. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:46.400 Does that make sense, right? 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:48.799 So we think of things in that terms. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:54.720 There was a time in my life and ministry, a couple times in my life and ministry when I got to play this role. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:57.839 And I'm telling you, I enjoyed it so much. 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:03.839 It was an amazing gift that God gave to me to be able to serve others in that way. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:10.400 But how many of you know what God did for Jesus is far superior to that concept? 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:18.960 Following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, God seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:30.640 If you think of the throne room of heaven, where God is, the seat that's very closest to him at his right hand was prepared for Jesus Christ. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:43.039 And when Jesus entered into heaven after having defeated death, hell, and the grave, he was seated in the place of highest honor at the right place, the right hand of his heavenly Father. 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.599 What does the right hand of God signify? 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:48.640 It signifies a place of privilege and distinction. 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:56.000 It says that he was seated far above, far above, a place of privilege, a place of distinction. 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:58.960 There's only one Jesus. 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:04.079 Please don't let the world convince you of anything other than that. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:07.119 There's only one Jesus. 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:14.640 And our Heavenly Father made sure to let all of eternity know what he thinks of his Son, Jesus Christ. 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:17.519 He seated him at his right hand. 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:20.000 Philippians 2 says it beautifully. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:23.359 And being found in human form, he humbled himself. 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:28.799 Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:37.920 Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every other name. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:40.880 I added other in there, but every name. 00:19:40.880 --> 00:20:19.759 Do we believe that? 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:22.400 I don't know. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.039 Do we act like we believe it? 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:27.119 Do we think like we believe it? 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:29.359 Do we speak like we believe it? 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:31.759 Do we live like we believe it? 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:37.519 I feel like the man who brought his son to the disciples and they couldn't cast the demon out of him. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.119 He brought him to Jesus, and Jesus basically said, Do you believe? 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.720 And the man said, Lord, I believe. 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:47.279 And then he paused for a minute, I think, and said, Help my unbelief. 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:49.519 That's a beautiful prayer to pray. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:52.400 God makes us at that point of need, doesn't he? 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:57.920 He put all things under Jesus' feet. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:14.000 It's interesting that delineation of rules, all rule, all authority, all power, and all dominion, anything that can be named within the spiritual realm, Jesus has been given power and authority over. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:20.559 Go back to Philippians 2 and finish that portion up in chapter in verses 10 and 11. 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:33.839 So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:43.920 Every tongue, every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:48.240 Jesus has been made King of the universe. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:52.079 He is King of kings and Lord of Lords. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:58.400 And he rules and reigns, and his rule and reign will never end. 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:02.960 He will rule and reign forever and ever and ever. 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:11.359 How many of you are glad that there will be a day? 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:13.599 And here's the problem that we live. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:17.519 We live in this world where Satan isn't yet convinced that he's been defeated. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:28.160 He still, somewhere in his twisted mind, thinks that there's some possibility that he might still be able to win. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:35.759 And so he does everything within his power to try to mess with the world, with the world system. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:38.160 He's the God of this world system. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:55.519 He tries to do everything he can to dissuade people away from Jesus Christ, to keep them away from truth, to deceive them, to cause them to get involved in all kinds of controversial thinking and and uh I almost said conspiracy theories, but I didn't I didn't mean to go there. 00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:59.920 But he he wants to distract them in any way that he possibly can. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:03.759 Why? 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:10.079 So that we won't live as if these things are true. 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:21.039 I'm here to tell you that your Bible and my Bible tells us that there will be a day when Satan himself will have to acknowledge the defeat. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:41.759 He will have to own his defeat, and he will bow his knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and he, along with everyone in all of creation, will confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, our Father. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:47.839 And then he will be cast into the lake of fire. 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:54.640 Because he's not confessing those things as a believer in the sense that we have the ability to do in this world. 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:55.680 Right? 00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:57.839 He's a defeated foe. 00:23:57.839 --> 00:23:59.839 So let's start living. 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:02.000 Can I start living? 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:03.440 I'm asking myself. 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:05.519 Can I start living differently? 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:07.359 Can I start thinking differently? 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:13.440 Can I start believing differently, speaking differently, walking differently? 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:19.519 Is there any name that's greater than the name of Jesus? 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:26.160 Depression is a name, but how many of you know the name of Jesus is higher than depression? 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:36.799 Anxiety and fear and worry and strife and division, sickness and disease and all of those things have names. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:42.640 But how many of you know the name of Jesus is greater than any other name? 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:54.559 And if we as believers can get a hold of this reality and believe it and change the way that we think, our lives here on earth could be a lot better than what they are right now. 00:24:54.559 --> 00:25:02.880 And I'm not just talking about our experience, like things instantly improving from an experience standpoint, but how many of you know a perspective? 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:11.839 Our perspective can change considerably if we really believe that Jesus has already won the war. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:21.200 You see, our Father God has put all things under the feet of Jesus Christ his son. 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:24.640 He uses them as a footstool. 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:31.839 Now, that's great news, and we could just stop there. 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:33.759 But again, there's more. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:37.599 We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:38.799 What? 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:40.960 This is radical. 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:42.559 This is revolutionary. 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:45.599 This kind of thinking is hard to wrap our minds around. 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:56.240 And I'm not going to get into this in detail because in a couple of weeks, in Ephesians 2, there's an entire passage about what it means to be seated with Christ in heavenly places. 00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:00.480 And so I don't want to steal the thunder of whoever it is that's going to be sharing that message. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.880 But I'll just give you a little taste. 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:15.440 Suffice it to say, to sit in heavenly places is more than a figure of speech, like a term of endearment or something that we look to as like a fanciful thought. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:16.720 It's more than that. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:19.759 It is a spiritual reality for believers. 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:23.519 We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. 00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:24.400 And why is that? 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:26.880 Because of our union with Christ. 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:30.880 Remember, Christ is in us and we are in Christ. 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:32.240 We are in union with him. 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:44.559 And so the things that he enjoys, the things that he experiences, we have the ability in and through him to experience those same things and to know those same things. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:49.599 We reap the benefits of his position of divine authority. 00:26:49.599 --> 00:26:55.039 We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who gives us the victory. 00:26:55.039 --> 00:27:03.039 Almost feel like this is the first time we're hearing this. 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:04.000 It's not, is it? 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:05.200 I hope. 00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:07.440 Neil and I okay? 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:09.359 Are we on track with the Word of God here? 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:11.440 Okay, I'm just making sure. 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:15.440 We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:27.039 Our spiritual seat in the heavenly realms is a position of high honor, much like being seated at the VIP table. 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:33.519 You ever had an experience like that in your life when you got called up to a table that you didn't expect to ever get to? 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:38.640 Being able to talk to certain people that you didn't ever think that you'd be able to talk to. 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:40.640 This is what this is like. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:42.240 We've been called up to that. 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.480 We have been given the royal privilege of being enthroned with the Son. 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:51.200 And one day, one day, we will partake of his glory. 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:55.119 We will be glorified as he is glorified. 00:27:55.119 --> 00:27:58.400 Now make no mistake, there's only one Jesus. 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:02.400 We're not a bunch of little Jesuses, not saying that. 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:04.880 There's only a need for one, right? 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:12.559 But he, in his goodness and in his kindness, wants to share with us what he's been given. 00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:15.440 What a loving Savior. 00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:18.400 What a kind Jesus. 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:23.839 If we will let the spiritual truth sink in, it will change the way we think and live. 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:28.640 It should give us the inspiration to serve God from a place of confidence. 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:32.000 Not arrogance, but confidence. 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:39.359 We can approach the throne of grace with confidence, with boldness. 00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:45.599 Because we've been granted entrance by Jesus Christ in the price that he paid. 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:51.680 And we get to experience the benefits of the inheritance that he fought and died for. 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:54.480 Even here in this life. 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:56.400 Even now. 00:28:56.400 --> 00:29:07.440 See, God raised Jesus from the dead, he seated him at his right hand, and God made Jesus the head of the church. 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:09.440 Here he goes. 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:12.480 Pastor Tyler talking about the church again. 00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:15.039 Kind of over the church talk. 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:21.039 Well, you got to deal with the Holy Spirit, with Paul, and with Jesus with the book of Ephesians. 00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:30.799 Like it or not, the book of Ephesians reiterates over and over and over again the reason why God developed the church in the way that he did. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:40.799 It says again in Ephesians 1 that he gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body. 00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:44.160 God made Jesus the head of the church. 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:46.720 We are a part of his body. 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:50.400 Can you wrap your mind around that? 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:54.160 Make no mistake, Christ is the head of the church. 00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:59.839 It's not the Pope, it's not a denominational leader, it's not some pastor that. 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:06.240 You see on TV, it's not a podcast host, it's not anywhere of the elders here at Trinity. 00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:08.079 And you can say amen. 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:10.400 I'm saying amen to that. 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:14.160 God made Jesus the head of his church. 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:15.759 It is Jesus. 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:21.839 He isn't just the head of the church, but he's also in charge of everything in the universe. 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:27.519 One of the hardest questions that God ever asked me was, who's in charge? 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:40.160 Because somewhere down deep on the inside of me, if I was to be completely honest, I wanted to say, you and me, Jesus, you and me, Jesus. 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:46.079 I wanted to slap that bumper sticker on my car that says Jesus is my co-pilot. 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:54.319 Because I have some really good ideas on how God should do things. 00:30:54.319 --> 00:30:59.039 Anyone here suffer with that same issue? 00:30:59.039 --> 00:31:02.720 I don't know what that would be called, but I get what is it? 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:03.279 Delusion. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:04.240 Delusion. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:07.759 That's the Bible word for what we're talking about here. 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.079 It is delusion, right? 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:14.720 To think that somehow, oh my goodness. 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:17.680 The way we think sometimes is crazy. 00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:18.319 Crazy. 00:31:18.319 --> 00:31:21.359 We need to stop the crazy train, the crazy bus, right? 00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:23.519 And get off of it. 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:27.039 He isn't just the head of the church is in charge of everything. 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:33.839 He lives to represent believers and he governs the universe for believers' sake. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:39.680 The fact that this world hasn't imploded yet is a miracle. 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:56.400 As many people that have their fingers close to those nuclear buttons that God has protected or preserved until the right time for things to be transformed and for God to make all things new again. 00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:58.000 It's a miracle. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:08.559 Let's look at Colossians 1. 00:32:08.559 --> 00:32:11.680 This is another one of Paul's run-on sentences, and I love it. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:14.319 It gives some greater detail into this. 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:19.839 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:33.039 For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:37.839 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:40.720 And he is the are you getting the point? 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.039 And he is the head of the body of the church. 00:32:43.039 --> 00:33:08.160 This is Jesus, the head of the church. 00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:11.279 We can trust him. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:16.960 Christ is the head of all things in order to benefit the church. 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:21.039 How many of you realize that we have a part to play in this whole equation? 00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:38.480 Even this passage that is talking about the preeminence of Christ and the fact that he is raised from the dead and that he is seated in heavenly places, it ends with declaring to the body of Christ the partnership that we have with Jesus. 00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:42.079 We are the body of Christ. 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:46.559 Church is not an institution, it is an organism. 00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:52.720 It exists and functions only because of its vital relationship with the risen Lord. 00:33:52.720 --> 00:34:00.480 Any church that moves its foundation away from Jesus Christ will not last, will not survive. 00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:08.239 Because we are believers, we are in the church which is Christ's body, and he is the head of that body. 00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:12.960 That means that there is a living connection between us and Christ. 00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:15.679 We are connected to him. 00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:20.159 The life that he lives, we get to experience as well. 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:25.119 Through the Spirit, we are united to him as the members of his body. 00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:39.599 This means that we share his resurrection, we share in his ascension, we share in his exaltation, and someday we will be united with him through glorification, when we will be made like him. 00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:45.440 This is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:34:45.440 --> 00:34:53.440 This is what the Ephesian church was going to need to hold on to when they were going to face persecution and tribulation and turmoil and trouble. 00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:58.880 This is how they had to set their minds and set their wills and choose to believe. 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:03.119 It was the only thing that was going to sustain them. 00:35:03.119 --> 00:35:12.079 To close, we are meant to display the fullness of Christ because we are being filled by Christ. 00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:18.960 We are meant to display the fullness of who Christ is because we are being filled by Christ. 00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:23.039 It says the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 00:35:23.039 --> 00:37:33.360 See, we have the privilege of manifesting Christ to the world. 00:37:33.360 --> 00:37:42.639 You and I and us together as the body of Christ, we have the privilege of showing the world who Jesus actually is. 00:37:42.639 --> 00:38:02.159 By the way we love each other, by the way we prefer one another, by the way we build one another up and encourage each other, by the way we confront each other in loving ways when we're we're uh going in the direction that we shouldn't go, by the way we support each other and help each other. 00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:18.480 We have the privilege of manifesting Christ to the world, but we can only do so if we continue, if Christ continually fills us with Himself and with His gifts of grace. 00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:21.599 I'll just finish with this thought. 00:38:21.599 --> 00:38:29.440 2 Corinthians 5 tells us that we've been made new creatures, old things have passed away, and all things have become new. 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:32.719 And so what is what does God say after that? 00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:38.239 Our job is we get to be ambassadors for Christ. 00:38:38.239 --> 00:38:55.199 We get to express to the world the inheritance of Christ that is living and expressing itself in us, in our lives, and through us, to a world that has no understanding of who Jesus really is. 00:38:55.199 --> 00:39:02.159 Our friends, you are the Bible, you are the only Bible today that some people are reading. 00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:07.360 Let's represent Christ the way that he deserves. 00:39:07.360 --> 00:39:08.559 Amen. 00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:10.000 Amen. 00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:23.840 If you want to just come and we'll we'll close with just a little song of worship, and I'm just gonna pray over us that the Lord would help us to live like we really believe this. 00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:25.920 I just want to encourage you. 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:32.239 The gospel is not intended to be preached on Sunday morning. 00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:51.280 The gospel is something that you should preach to yourself, to your children, to your grandchildren, to your grandparents, to anyone anywhere who will listen, because it's the power of God to salvation. 00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:56.159 The power of God comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:39:56.159 --> 00:40:01.360 What I proclaim to you this morning is a portion of the gospel. 00:40:01.360 --> 00:40:04.960 And I just want to encourage you, let's begin to think differently. 00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:06.880 Can we lift up our heads? 00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:11.039