WEBVTT 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:07.440 Hey, I'm Pastor Steve Hole. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:11.759 I want to empower you today to walk in your true identity as a worshiper and warrior. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.839 Today, embrace the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.120 Welcome to the Born for War podcast. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:25.519 All right, men and women. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:32.960 So this is the first Sunday of Advent, so you can't tell because of the lights and everything, but actually one of those candles is lit. 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:34.560 And Isaiah 9. 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:36.000 If you want to turn there, it's great. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:36.960 If you don't, it's fine. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:43.600 But this is one of the most famous prophetic messianic verses in all of the Old Testament. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:48.159 And I thought it was appropriate to start with this because of the message today. 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:49.359 So let me read it to you. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:52.000 And you know part of it, but sometimes we forget the second part of it. 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:55.920 It says this for unto us a child is born, for unto us a son is given. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:00.640 And the government, and the government will be upon his shoulder. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:07.040 That's the kingdom of God, government of God is upon the shoulder of Jesus. 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:13.680 And his name will be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:15.120 Now listen to this. 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:21.920 Of the increase of his government and peace, men and women, there will be no end. 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:31.920 But the kingdom of God continues to flow across the world through imagers like us in all that we do. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:51.519 And so God has put his government, the government of all the divine counsel, upon the shoulders of Christ, that the kingdom of God would go forth, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord will perform this. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:54.319 And so we see the zeal of the Lord through the life of Jesus. 00:01:54.560 --> 00:02:08.479 When you walk in following the kingdom first, the great mandate, which is seek first the kingdom of God is righteous, all these things being added unto us, the zeal of the Lord backs you up. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:09.599 Do you understand that? 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:11.360 The zeal of the Lord backs you up. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:15.520 So some of the stuff that we do, the zeal of the Lord does not back us up. 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:16.960 You own your own. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:17.520 Okay? 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:25.280 Christian religion in general is rule-based because of the platonic worldview that we have. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:30.479 And because of that, we're gonna talk about that today, it hinders what God can do. 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:42.159 So here I debated till the cows come home about whether to go into the cross today with the title Christus Victor, or to talk about who we are. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:53.360 And I'm I'm backing up to the fact that we have the play in two weeks, and then we also have uh Christmas Eve service, and I didn't want to get into demon possession on the Christmas Eve service. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:53.759 I don't know why. 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:56.159 Might not be good, okay? 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:59.439 So we're gonna talk about who you are in the image of God. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:05.919 So go back now to Genesis, and we're gonna go to work, so everybody get ready, because I'm gonna make you jump around a lot, which is different than usual. 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:10.560 But today I feel like on this theme of Croesus Victor, let's start with Genesis 1. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:14.879 Because Genesis 1 is the job description of humankind. 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:17.360 This is a job description that you begin. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:21.120 I'm gonna call it, NT Wright calls it the Christian vocation. 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:24.560 So I'm gonna call it the vocation of the imager, okay? 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:26.319 So listen to what he says. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.680 So this is in the very beginning, verse 26, starting in verse 26. 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:42.879 Then God said, Let us make man in our image according to our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps in the earth. 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:44.000 Let me just stop for a second here. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:49.360 I want you to note that we're not to have dominion over people, we're to have dominion over resources. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:55.520 So God created man in his own image, and in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:06.639 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over every living thing that moves on earth. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:11.039 Do you get this idea that he thinks that we probably aren't getting it the first time? 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:16.639 So he repeats himself twice in this verse about what really matters to God. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:22.319 So the imagers, that's us, create an image of God for a kingdom vocation. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:23.040 Write that down. 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:23.759 That's really important. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:30.240 You have a kingdom of God vocation given to you through a job description from the very beginning. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:34.720 The original factory setting was for us to live like this. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:36.319 So I'm gonna give you five observations. 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:39.839 I'm gonna do these really fast because of where we're going with the message. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:41.920 I don't want to spend too much time here. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:45.120 We'll come back to it, especially when we talk about demon possession. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.319 But five observations about the purpose of the imagers. 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:54.319 Number one, we were created in the likeness of God as his kingdom family. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:05:03.120 So earlier, when we were starting at the beginning, I talked about God created a divine council of principalities and powers in the heavenly. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:07.920 That was a kingdom family before Satan rebelled. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:10.240 And then we talked about the rebellion of Satan. 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:14.319 I talked about the gap theory, I talked about Genesis 1, 1, and 2 and all of that. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:20.800 So he's got a divine council, still there, angelic spirits that are part of his heavenly family. 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:28.399 Now, what God's doing is creating an earthly family that he wants to use to bring heaven to earth. 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:29.839 Does that make sense? 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:31.519 Okay, so number one, that. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:36.399 Number two, we exercise dominion over the resources of the earth. 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:44.959 So you have been given in the cultural mandate of the kingdom of God dominion over resources. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:51.360 So you're responsible for your finances, you're responsible for your job that you do, that you do it with excellence. 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:54.079 And sometimes we do and sometimes we don't, right? 00:05:54.240 --> 00:06:04.399 But we have the blessing of God behind us, we have the momentum of the kingdom of God behind us, the zeal of the Lord's behind us, when we go to our job and we do it with excellence for the glory of God. 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:11.759 It was Martin Luther during the Reformation that kind of turned Europe upside down by saying your vocation is worship. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:13.759 You see, the Catholic Church didn't say that. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:23.199 The Catholics said that worship is coming to a mass or being under the elements of communion and baptism of the priest. 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:30.959 And then Martin Luther comes along and says, that's great, but there's something way more important, and that is that you have a Christian vocation. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:36.480 Be the best blacksmith you can be, be the best mechanic that you can be, be the best lawyer. 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:38.480 That's worship to the Lord. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:40.319 So that's where that came from. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:45.439 Number three, we are created male and female to reflect the image of God. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:50.319 So the first equal rights amendment is right here in Genesis 1. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:52.879 Male and female creating the image of God. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:59.279 So no woman in this room, no man in this room is a greater imager based on your gender. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:00.079 Not at all. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:09.120 We all are male and female like a mirror, like an angled mirror reflecting God's glory to the earth. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:11.120 And in different ways. 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:18.319 I loved going, uh, you know, we have wholehearted men on Tuesday morning, and I mean that's man food. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:20.639 We have man food, man. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:27.120 We have four smoked meats, and we've got grits, and we have eggs, and we have, you know, you guys know what we have, right? 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:30.160 So 400 guys show up every Tuesday morning for that, okay? 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:31.600 So that's awesome, right? 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:35.120 Well then yesterday was woman food. 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:43.120 I mean, it's like souffle stuff, you know, and all that, you know, and everything. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:44.560 And and quiche. 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:50.319 It was kind of like kind of like it wasn't a quiche, I forget what they call it, but it's kind of like that, you know, and I loved it. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:56.079 And what I like going is because I think sometimes their food's better than ours as far as health. 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:57.279 You know? 00:07:57.680 --> 00:07:58.800 But anyway, there you go. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:00.399 Men and women are different, man. 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:00.959 It's okay. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:02.560 We reflect the image of God in different ways. 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:06.800 Number four, we're blessed by God to be fruitful and multiply. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:10.240 So you're supposed to be fruitful and multiply in everything you do. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:19.120 Not just own it yourself, but to look for others that God can use in a mighty way and make them fruitful and multiply. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:20.879 It's an abundance mentality. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:26.240 It's not that you only get half of the pie, it's that there's still half of a pie. 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:31.199 And so we come with a mentality, I want to make others fruitful and multiply too. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:33.600 That's multiplying your image into them. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.639 And then fifthly, we're promising abundant life. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:42.320 I mean, Jesus says the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I came that you may have a life and more abundant life. 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:45.519 So this is this is, you say, what is the abundant life? 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:48.000 Well, the abundant life is everything that I've just said. 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:53.039 It's being an imager of God, it's male and female, and be all female. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:09:02.960 Be all male, be who God created you to be, and don't let the culture define that for you, let scripture define that for you. 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:12.159 So the purpose of the imagers is the life of the kingdom of God, reflecting God's image with fruitfulness, freedom, and dominion. 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:13.679 That's pretty exciting. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:21.200 But what we have in America and what we have in the West is what I call a Platonic worldview, which is get to heaven. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:25.279 Get to heaven, don't go to hell and follow the rules. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:26.240 Right? 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:33.039 So we've turned a relationship of power and anointing, a kingdom of God revolution into a religion. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:37.600 So instead of being a revolution, we've become a religion, which is get people to heaven. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:43.840 We have more evangelists of all the spiritual gifts, we must have way more evangelists than anything else. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:57.440 Because everybody's trying to get everybody to sign on the dotted line, walk the aisle, say the prayer, whatever, and we still lead the world in pornography, we still lead the world in immorality, we still lead the world in drug addiction. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:05.360 If you want, by the way, if you want to be a counselor, a professional counselor, America is the best place to be. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:12.639 Because we have more people that need more counseling that are more depressed and more anxiety-driven than any other nation in the world. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:14.799 That's not a Christian nation, folks. 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:20.480 It's a mentality, gotta get them to heaven, don't go to hell, follow the rules. 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:27.120 I'm telling you, the vocation of God is way bigger and way better and more powerful than that. 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:28.799 Some N.T. 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:39.279 Wright, in one of his books called When the Revolution Began, which is great, powerful book on the cross of Christ, he talks about a works contract of salvation. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:42.480 In other words, earning God's favor. 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:49.840 And in the case of what we're talking about now, is that was birthed in the next, in two chapters later. 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:52.000 So now turn to Genesis 3. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:11:11.679 So in Genesis 3, Satan comes on the scene in the form of a serpent in the garden to steal, kill, and destroy the vocation of God as imagers that we were created to be. 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:15.279 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord had made. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:19.759 And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:32.080 And the woman said to the servant, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it lest you die. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:42.000 Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be open, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:51.279 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:54.080 She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:12:01.679 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sowed fig leaves together and made themselves covering. 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:10.240 So the strategies of Satan and demons is now to attack the imagers and to steal your vocation. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:16.159 To steal that vocation away from us of being a kingdom of God revolutionary that God called you to be. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:21.120 So I'm not gonna go through each of these, but I'm gonna give you seven tactics of Satan and demons. 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:29.840 You might want to jot these down, and either next week or after Christmas, I'm gonna go into detail about each one because this is where we get into demon possession. 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:35.679 This is where we get into the influence of the demonic powers even in your life. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:38.080 So, number one, question God's goodness. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:43.440 First thing he does is he comes in and he says, he questions God's goodness to Eve. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:47.519 Number two, he questions her true freedom. 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:49.679 Questions your true freedom. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:51.279 So question God's goodness. 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:53.360 Number two, question your true freedom. 00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:56.320 Number three, create discontentment. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:03.759 I mean, some of you in this room are so phenomenally blessed that you get discontented. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:06.240 And so and so that's what the enemy does. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:08.720 He comes and he creates discontentment where it wasn't there before. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:13.600 Number four, think that there are no consequences for our sin. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:15.440 You can be like God. 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:17.759 Okay, there's no consequences for your sin. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.519 Folks, there's a lot of consequences for your sin. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.480 And you can blow it, and we've all blown it in this room. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:28.399 Christian life is two steps forward and one step back, and it's never three steps far. 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:30.080 I mean, it's a battle, right? 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:35.120 So, but but we but we can't determine the consequences. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:42.240 And one of the great things that we learn as we mature in Christ is to think consequences before we do something dumb. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:43.440 Okay? 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:51.759 We don't do that when we're young, but as we get older, you start going, if I say yes to that, I know where this is going. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:53.120 This is not good. 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:57.360 Okay, number five, enticement to rebellion through the eyes. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:02.240 Enticement to rebellion through what you see. 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:04.960 Number six, shame and escape. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:07.039 Number seven, hiddenness and fear. 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:17.759 Now we talk a lot about shame around here, so we'll we'll cover that because I think it's actually the seed bed of the garden that grows a tree that becomes the rebellion in our life. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:22.240 So Satan's kingdom on earth is idolatry, slavery, and death. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:25.519 Evil is life spelled backwards. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:30.240 Evil is life spelled backwards, the exact opposite of the kingdom of God. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:38.240 And so God wants a kingdom family, you guys, and he came, and his death on the cross brought the victory. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:46.720 And the word I'm using here today in this brief message is Christus Victor, which is the Latin word for Christ the victor. 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:54.799 And the element of the atoning work of Christ that emphasizes the triumph of Christ over evil powers in the world. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.159 So here's one of the most powerful passages in Scripture. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:14:59.360 You should memorize it. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:00.399 It's huge. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:05.600 It's the cosmic war passage of why Christ came. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:06.799 1 John 3.8. 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:08.320 Write down 1 John 3.8. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:09.200 It's going to come up on the screen. 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:10.240 You don't have to turn there. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:14.639 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:18.960 For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:22.240 Now he did not say the whoa, he didn't say that. 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:27.039 He didn't say that the Son of God was manifested to get everybody to go to heaven. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:34.799 Oh, that the Son of God was manifested that he might be sure a lot of people don't go to hell. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:42.639 Oh, the Son of God was manifested that he might cause a bunch of people on the earth to follow the rules. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:45.200 No, he came to destroy the works of the devil. 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:47.519 And guess who he does it through? 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:48.799 You and me. 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:59.200 So he did his job, and now under that victorious Christ that lives in you, we can say with conviction, greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:01.679 Now that is the victory that we have in Christ. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:08.240 And so your vocation is being re-established from Genesis 1 through putting your faith in Christ. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:11.039 And I'm, of course, I'm a big believer in evangelism. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:12.399 Don't hear me say anything otherwise. 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.000 I'm just saying it doesn't end there. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:15.919 That's just the beginning. 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:25.440 So being born again, I like being, well, I like using the phrase in J from John 3, being born again because you've been born again. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:28.399 So anybody had babies in here? 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.200 Okay, I'm so glad you guys have the babies and we don't. 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:33.759 It's one of the great benefits of being a male. 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:38.080 Irregardless of whatever they tell you in the culture right now. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.720 Um, I'm not gonna get pregnant, okay? 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:50.159 But we we have this child, and I don't think that we have that beautiful child in front of us, and we just go, I just want them to just go to heaven. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:17:02.240 No, I think most of us think, I want this child to thrive, I want this child to make an impact, I want this child to bring joy to the world, I want this child to be a part of the blessing of this earth. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:09.519 That's that's in you, that's in you, with the vocation of Christ that's being reestablished through the cross. 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:11.279 So turn to Colossians 2. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:13.200 I told you we're gonna go to work on a few things. 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:14.559 We're gonna jump around a little today. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.480 So look at Colossians 2. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:18.960 Colossians 2, starting at verse 13. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.960 Colossians 2, 13. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:25.200 The cross disarmed principalities and powers. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:26.000 Jot that down. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:28.640 The cross disarmed principalities and powers. 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:36.799 And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he is made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:41.599 Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:46.240 Remember, I talked about the Platonic worldview is to keep the rules. 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:51.839 Well, the rules have been nailed to the cross, which was contrary to us. 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:55.599 In other words, you were not created by God just to obey rules. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:58.880 You're created for so much more than that. 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:03.359 And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:12.720 Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them and triumphed over them in it. 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:22.400 So he's using a Roman imagery of a conquering general, bringing the prisoners of war with him that everybody can see, saying, My rule and my reign here. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.960 That's what the kingdom of God is, men and women. 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:28.960 The kingdom of God literally means the reign and the rule of Christ. 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:42.640 So it is, it is imagers like us, having Christ in our lives, that we begin to live a life that brings increasingly so, the rule and the reign of Christ in all of our relationships. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:53.119 That's what I believe Jesus is referring to when he says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:56.079 The righteousness part, we think, is rules. 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:57.279 It's not rules he's talking about. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:58.319 He's talking about right. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:00.799 Here's a good definition of righteousness. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:02.720 It's right relationships. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:06.079 We walk in right relationships in the kingdom. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:13.680 You walk, you show me a man or a woman who walks in right relationships, and I'll show you someone who will never feel isolated. 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:18.960 And that's the number one way in which the enemy works is isolation. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:26.799 To create an environment or a situation in which you feel like you have no friends, you have no one who's got your back, and you have no bloodstained allies. 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:30.000 And what Christ wants you to do is He's creating a family. 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:31.920 That's why you're at the road. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:34.480 You're at the road because you're smart. 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:41.440 And you're smart because you know you need family in your life, because that's what you were created for was family. 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:42.799 Family on this earth. 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:45.279 We need spiritual family, we need physical family. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:55.599 And as we see the devolution of the family by satanic and demonic powers, more so, we need a spiritual family. 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:59.839 And that spiritual family grows with time, and that's why you put in the time. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.599 And we miss out. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.440 We miss out on the joy of being in family. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:07.119 So that's what he's talking about here. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:12.640 He's talking about disarming the principalities and powers through the cross. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:17.039 And then in Romans 5, 10 and 17, don't turn that, it's going to come up on the screen. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:25.200 For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:43.599 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness again, there's that word again, will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:46.559 Folks, that is not a Platonic worldview. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:50.559 We're not just to get saved, we're to reign. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:53.119 We're to reign in life. 00:20:53.279 --> 00:21:02.720 We're to walk with our chest out, our head up, and be proud, and I mean that in all the good sense of be proud that you're a Jesus follower. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.440 Walk in confidence, not in self-confidence, but in God confidence. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:16.559 But but don't let the enemy come in and put you on the defensive with all the insecurities of your past, because that's what he whispers. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:19.839 Oh, look what happened, look what you did over here, and look what you did over there. 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:21.200 And he's shaming you. 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:29.920 And you've got to be able to put that under the blood of Christ and say, look, he has disarmed all the principalities and powers, and you get out of my life, demons, in the name of Jesus. 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:32.559 And you've got authority and power to do that. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:35.119 I'll do it, I'll cover that a lot more next week. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:42.559 But Paul here is telescoping the new world order of the kingdom of God through our lives, church. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:43.680 This is huge. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:46.640 The word reign and life is basilia in Greek. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:51.920 It's the same word we get the word basilica, which is where we get castle, which is where we get the kingdom of God. 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:53.599 Basilia is the same word. 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:59.519 He's saying I'm calling you to be the kingdom of God in life. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:01.599 Reigning in life. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:08.160 The choice by the translators to say reign in life, I love that choice. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:09.119 I think it's fantastic. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:17.680 But it could have been to be kingdom people, to bring the kingdom of God to the earth, and it would be of subject to the Greek there. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:21.279 1 Corinthians 15, but now Christ is risen from the dead. 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:25.599 For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:31.200 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:47.680 When he delivers the kingdom to God, the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:49.920 Well, guess who he's doing that through? 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:59.279 He's doing it through us, not through studying who the Antichrist is or some eschatological view, but rather reigning in life wherever you are. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:02.480 Starting with your marriage, if you're married. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:09.119 If you're single, walking in the beauty of the kingdom as a wonderful and awesome single person. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:13.279 With your family, with your church, with your job. 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:19.359 We come and we put enemies under the feet of Christ by being Christ. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:26.000 Sometimes you don't even know what happens when you tell the truth. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:37.440 You know, you're in a situation with your boss or something, and you're tempted to lie or to embellish your numbers or whatever, and you choose, I'm gonna honor God. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:41.599 Probably won't get the raise then, but I'm gonna honor God. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:43.599 And you tell the truth. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:46.880 Do you know what happens in the heavenly realm when you're a truth teller? 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:51.039 I mean, God's gonna open doors that no man can shut. 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:54.319 I don't know how many times, and you guys heard me say this before, I'll just say it again. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:24:07.839 How many times we get ourselves in these jobs or these situations where the doors are closed and we don't understand why, and then we either blame God or we are frustrated about it when what God's saying is, when are you gonna grow up? 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:13.359 Because you keep lying and you keep manipulating and you keep hurting people over here. 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:16.880 And I'm gonna open doors for you just because you go to church? 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:19.200 Or just because you go to the road? 00:24:20.319 --> 00:24:21.039 Nope. 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:24.559 No, and then but but see the opposite's true. 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:29.200 It's called a secret history with God. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:34.319 Where you do you do the right thing and you continue to do the right thing. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:35.519 Nobody knows but God. 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:37.599 Nobody else notices but God. 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.599 And then the doors open. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:42.799 You're like, man, I don't just why did that happen? 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:49.200 Well, it's because of 15 decisions you made over the last three years where you did the right thing. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:52.960 You didn't lie, you didn't cheat, you didn't look at that stuff. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:54.079 You know, you followed him. 00:24:54.400 --> 00:25:02.400 So, well, Steve, are you talking about like a rights, sort of like a rights relationship with you where we earn God's favor? 00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:09.920 No, I'm talking about the scriptures say about the consequences of walking in the freedom of being a godly person. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:11.440 Because here's what's happening. 00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:13.119 Let me tell you what's happening. 00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:20.720 When you keep doing the right thing, you're pushing back dark principalities and powers. 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:28.319 And guess who wants to keep you where you're at and keep you limited in your integrity and limited in your destiny? 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:30.400 Principalities and powers. 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:31.920 Demons do. 00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:39.519 But when you do the right thing, the light is shining into the darkness, 2 Corinthians 4, and it's driving them back. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:42.720 And you're walking in a new kind of freedom that he has for you. 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:45.519 Well, it continues in 1 Corinthians 15 to say this. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:55.119 As was the man of dust, so he's going back to Adam, talking about Adam, Genesis 1, so also are those who are made of dust. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:26:07.359 As in the heavenly man, so he's saying the heavenly man is Christ, he was made of dust, he was both divine as well as human, so also are those who are heavenly. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:09.279 So now he's talking about us again. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:13.440 That you're dust, but you can be heavenly. 00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:21.920 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:27.839 So, church, he's taking the Corinthians back and say, guys, remember the first chapter of the book. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:30.240 Remember Genesis, remember the Torah. 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:34.960 In there, you are created in dust with a vocation, with a calling. 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:39.680 It's being re-established by the heavenly man. 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:43.440 Now, turning your Bibles to Ephesians 1. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:50.720 Ephesians 1 is huge because it's a prayer for wisdom, revelation, understanding of the riches of our inheritance in Christ. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:52.319 I felt like I had to go there. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:54.319 I have to camp on this a little bit. 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:59.680 Because in Ephesians 1, Paul is challenging the Ephesians to get it. 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:01.599 Look, this is your divine vocation. 00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:05.119 You're called to be imagers of the kingdom of God. 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:06.400 Starting at verse 15. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:07.839 So look at verse 15. 00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:16.400 Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:27.200 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:34.000 That the eyes, your eyes of understanding would be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of your calling. 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:37.680 He'd say this is this is more about, it's not about going to heaven, folks. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:41.039 This is about the hope of your calling on earth. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:41.599 Okay? 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:49.440 The hope of your calling, the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. 00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:59.920 Well, I've been a pastor, I've done a lot of funerals for people, and I don't want to go anywhere near sometimes certain families after the funeral. 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:04.640 Because everybody's giving up the inheritance, and it's really not fun to watch. 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:10.640 You've been given an inheritance from Jesus, from the Father, from the Spirit. 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:18.559 The Trinity has given you an inheritance of glory, the kingdom of God, that he's saying, I want you guys to understand this. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:27.920 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power. 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:44.400 So he's saying, this is my desire for you, Ephesians, this is my desire for you guys at the road, is that you would discover all the power that's available to you in the vocation of being imagers that bring the kingdom of God even to principalities and powers. 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:45.759 Now look at verse 20. 00:28:46.000 --> 00:29:03.839 Which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:16.400 So that power is the same power that seated Christ at the right hand of the Father, of which he says he will not get up from his seat until all his enemies are footstool under him. 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:20.720 So that's the that is a pressing out of the kingdom of God through the church. 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:22.000 Look at verse 22. 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:28.799 And he put all things under his feet and he gave him to be head over all things to the media. 00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:33.440 Oh no, no, it's not. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:39.039 He put all things under his feet and he gave him to be head over all things for the U.S. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:40.880 government in Washington. 00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:43.279 Wait. 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:49.279 He put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church. 00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:54.720 We are the sleeping giant in America. 00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:57.759 And it's time to wake up. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:01.519 God wants to use you and me to be his body. 00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:12.799 That's where the comma, all things to the church, comma, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:18.240 And that happened at the cross at Calvary, and he has disarmed all principalities and powers. 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:24.880 And if we'll just believe it, if every day we'll pray the Lord's Prayer, pray that prayer. 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:27.119 You guys have heard me say this again and again. 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:28.720 I just emphasize it here. 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:31.680 Pray the Lord's Prayer, read Psalm 23. 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:34.559 Read the Lord's Prayer if you don't know it yet until you memorize it. 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:37.440 And then read Psalm 23 until you memorize it. 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:45.359 But right there, there's power just in that alone that pushes back darkness. 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:48.880 And we are made alive in Christ. 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:50.799 Go to chapter 2, verse 1. 00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:52.240 Chapter 2, verse 1. 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:54.319 And he made you alive. 00:30:54.480 --> 00:31:14.640 You were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once also conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. 00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:15.519 Right? 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:16.960 We were that way. 00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:18.720 Some of you still are. 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:21.759 We're by nature children of wrath. 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:30.079 See, every time you sin and you choose to not follow Christ, you set yourselves up for wrath. 00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:34.000 Now, I don't believe you're gonna get wrath because you're a kingdom person. 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:38.960 And as we've said so many times, it's not three steps forward, it's two steps forward and one step back. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:40.000 You know what it is? 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:41.920 It's a chorallis fight. 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:49.200 So when I was doing the Worshiper Warrior Intensive in Connecticut recently, I started, I ended my talk with this video. 00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:54.720 And if I I would love to show it to you guys, but every time you stream, then you take it off YouTube, then they shut you down, man. 00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:57.119 And I've got enough strikes against me, let me tell you. 00:31:57.359 --> 00:31:57.599 Okay? 00:31:58.000 --> 00:31:58.799 So look it up. 00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:03.519 You guys look it up on your way home, or look it up when you go, put in Corallis Fight, 10th round. 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:08.319 Corallis, C-O-R-R-A-L-E-S fight, 10th round. 00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:09.759 Okay, it's really powerful. 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:13.119