Big Idea - Revelation 12:11 says that they conquered Satan by the blood of the lamb. We know that Satan is an enemy, but do we really understand how intense and real the spiritual battle is that is raging all around us? We underestimate Satan, I think in part because we misunderstand how God deals with Satan. We see that God is all-powerful, and so we assume God can just kick Satan out of heaven or, better yet, just get rid of him altogether. But this is not what we see in the Bible. We are shocked to find Satan in heaven in the first place! How can he be there? Why does it take a battle to throw him down from heaven to earth? What's worse, now he is on earth and mad as a hornet! Why doesn't got destroy Satan? If Michael and his angels have to battle Satan to defeat him, what chance do we have? We need to take very seriously that the war is real, and we should never take it lightly. Victory is ours, but if we are going to win, we must step onto the battlefield prepared, well-armed, and with the right battle plan. God has not destroyed Satan, and neither will we. But we can take away his weapons so that he is powerless. So, we must first understand what gives Satan power and then know how to take away his weapons to render him powerless. That is how we will conquer him. So, what are the weapons he wields that give him power, and how can we disarm him?

A quick survey of Revelation 12:1-12 speaks of the first coming of Christ, his ascension, and reign on high. The scene then shifts to a heavenly battle where Satan is defeated and thrown down from heaven to earth. The result is that the woman, who represents the people of God, flee to the wilderness for protection from Satan, who seeks to destroy her. We are told they conquered by the blood of the Lamb. The is rejoicing in the heavens, but woe on earth, as Satan is fighting mad because of his defeat and the short time he has left. This passage reveals the weapons of Satan and how to disarm him. His first weapon is actually the truth and the law. The second weapon is deception. He uses the truth in heaven, and he uses lies and deception on earth. So, we see two truths and a lie, well, two lies. In heaven and before God, Satan uses the law and the truth against us. He is the accuser of the brethren. It is more of a courtroom battle than an armed conflict. God has not destroyed Satan or kicked him out of heaven because Satan comes with a just complaint and represents the voice of justice. Based on God's law and His righteousness Satan speaks two truths that form his accusation against us. First, all humanity is guilty before God, guilty of treason against the king. The second truth is that because we are guilty, we are under a death sentence. We are not fit to be God's people or be part of His kingdom, we belong to Satan and the kingdom of darkness. God may destroy Satan, but He cannot ignore the truth of his accusations. Satan and the truth of his accusations must be answered in order to defeat him.

Satan's other weapon is deception. He cannot deceive God, but he can certainly deceive us. He is the deceiver of the whole world, and he lies to us about many things, but they can be summarized in two points. First, he lies to us about who we are, and second, he lies to us about who God is. When we listen to these lies, Satan gains great power and control over us, and by these, he can defeat us.

Now that we understand his weapons, what can we do to disarm him and take away his power? John tells us that "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." The blood of the Lamb defeated Satan. The scene in heaven of Satan's defeat was made possible by what Jesus did on earth. It was not Michael who overpowered Satan but the blood of the Lamb. How does the blood of Jesus disarm both the truth and lies of Satan? First, His blood silences Satan's accusations by fulfilling the law and paying the penalty for sin. There is now no condemnation. There is no longer any charge anyone can bring against us. Secondly, the blood of Jesus defeats the lies of Satan with the truth that by His blood, I am holy, righteous, and a child of God. That is who we are in Christ, by His blood. And it is by His blood that we know and affirm the truth that God is a loving Father because the blood is the indisputable proof of God's love for us. The more we know the power of the blood and speak its truth against Satan's lies, the less power He has over us. This is how we overcome, how we conquer Satan by the blood of the Lamb. And this is why we rejoice with the angels in heaven!

Big Idea - Often in Scripture, the idea of forgiveness of sins and cleansing from sin are put together. At first glance, it may seem that it is just two ways of talking about the same thing. In fact, most commentators make very little distinction between them. But, they do, in fact, describe two very different aspects of what the blood of Jesus has accomplished for us. Does it really matter? Isn't it enough to know that God has dealt with our sin and it's all good? The truth is, many Christians struggle with feelings of guilt and have a hard time grasping ad believing that they are really forgiven and that God has indeed dealt fully and completely with all our sins. I think one cause of this is that we do not fully understand all that Jesus has done in dealing with sin, and therefore we are not applying the full blessing of His grace to our lives. We battle with feelings of guilt and shame over our failures and mistakes because we do not understand what Jesus has done cast these away and set us free from self-condemnation and feelings of guilt. So, what is the difference between forgiveness and cleansing? How does Jesus' blood make us clean, and what does that mean for us in everyday life?

The main difference between forgiveness and cleansing is that forgiveness deals with our guilt before God, that is how our sin has affected God and His relationship with us. Cleansing, on the other hand, has to do with the effects sin has had on us and the stain it has left on us, body and soul. Being guilty and being dirty are very different things. The remedy for guilt is forgiveness, the remedy for dirt is a bath!

It is also important to understand that there is a difference between guilt and feeling guilty. Because we think these are the same thing, we misunderstand the important work of being washed in the blood. Guilt is a legal term that describes our position before God as lawbreakers deserving of punishment. Jesus' blood atones for sin, that is, it removes our guilt and puts us in right standing before God legally. But feeling guilty has nothing to do with our legal standing before God. It is how we think about ourselves. Our conscience is like a judge that tells us how we are doing. But not in a legal sense as much as in our relationships. Conscience has to do with how we feel we are doing in relation to ourselves - are we measuring up to our own expectations, and in relation to others - are we pleasing to them or disappointing to them? Jesus has dealt with our actual guilt, but we can still feel disappointed with ourselves and feel even worse that we have disappointed God and those we love. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that the blood of Jesus has purified or washed our conscience from dead works. Our conscience is the place where sin has left a deep and ugly stain. The Bible uses an image of a wedding robe that needs to be washed and bleached white. If you were invited to the wedding of a king or a prince, it would be insulting to the king to show up in a filthy garb. It likely also caused you to feel shame. Jesus has removed this stain from our conscience so that our conscience no longer condemns us. We know we are right in ourselves by the blood of Jesus, and we know we are not disappointing to God but well-pleasing to Him. David is a great example of one who knew the stain of sin and wanted it to be washed away from his heart and soul.

Jesus' blood has made this cleansing possible in ways the blood of an animal could never accomplish. That is because His blood is presented in the true Temple, it is the blood of a spotless life and of an eternal spirit. His blood is applied before the judge to remove guilt, but it must be applied to our own soul or heart to remove the stain upon our conscience. If we still feel the pain of guilt and self-condemnation, it is a sign that we have not applied the blood to our own hearts. We must 1) understand the problem and Jesus' remedy, 2) desire a clean heart, 3) acknowledge the voice of conscience and confess our sin, 4) trust in the effectiveness of Jesus' blood, 4) separate ourselves from sin. The result will be a life of joy, knowing that we are good and our life is well-pleasing to God through Christ. We then know we have full access to the very presence of God without shame or disgrace!

(1) Condemned by a Holy God

(2) The law matters but it cannot save

(3) Righteousness apart from the law

(4) A penalty paid by blood

(5) Righteousness: gift to receive

Big Idea

What did Jesus mean when He said that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood? Certainly, this is one of the hardest sayings of Jesus. But, He made it clear that eternal life depends on it, for if we do not eat and drink His flesh and blood, we have no life in us. So, what did He mean, and how are we to do this?

Jesus' teaching here is hard because the image is so contrary to our sense of right and wrong. The image of cannibalism is hard to overcome. While Jesus no doubt intended the image to be shocking, He did not intend the image to be taken that way. In the bigger context, Jesus declared that He is the bread of life. That is the image we must begin with. But He does add that His flesh and blood are the bread. This connection is unavoidable because it was only by His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood that His life can sustain us as spiritual food. While the image is harsh, Jesus' explanation is clear. What Jesus meant by eating His flesh and drinking His blood is that 1) He is the only food that can satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst, 2) We eat and drink by believing in Him and in His sacrifice for us, and 3) this kind of belief is the result of a deep understanding of all that Jesus is for us and to us.

Big Idea:

(1) Tychicus, the bondslave of Jesus

(2) The new convert, Onesimus

(3) Three Jews and three Gentiles

(i) Aristarchus, Paul’s fellow-prisoner (ii) John Mark, serving again (iii) Jesus called Justus (iv) Epaphras, man of prayer (v) Luke, the careful historian (vi) Demas, a warning to us all

Big Idea - Most of the focus of Paul's letter to the Colossians is focused on the body of Christ and how they are to be putting on the new life in Christ as they live together as a community of faith. But, Paul does not intend that the Church be a fortress where God's people live cut off and in seclusion from the "outside" world. Instead, we are to be a people who live before the "outsiders" to display the wonders and truth of the Gospel in a winning and compelling way. Paul echoes the teaching of Jesus that we are to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven! How, then, are we to live before the outsiders? How do we put off the old self, which is so at home in the world and finds its greatest temptations in the lifestyle and practice of the outsiders, and at the same time engage with outsiders in a way that points them to Christ? How can we be "in the world, but not of the world?"

Paul is not unaware of the dangers and risks of living too much in the world. He uses the word "outsiders" for a reason. So, Paul warns us that the first thing we must do to live effectively before outsiders is to pray. The kind of prayer Paul describes is persistent, unwavering, watchful, and full of thanksgiving. This kind of prayer is only possible when we realize how helpless we are to put off the old and put on the new. It is only when we understand we are in desperate need of God's help every moment of our lives that we will pray like this. Not only are we completely dependent on Him to live the new life in Christ, but we are also powerless to proclaim the message of salvation to those who so urgently need to hear. It is God who opens the door of opportunity to share the good news, and it is God alone who can open the door of people's hearts and minds to welcome the message and receive it. So, Paul asks for prayer that God would open a door for the Word, the Gospel. Prayer is the work we do before God, and that work is our first priority. But, we must also do the work of living rightly before the outsiders. This requires us to walk wise, that is, to do what is right and godly in every situation. It means that we turn away from the old life of sin, but we don't have the attitude that we are superior to those still lost in sin. Instead, we treat them with compassion, patience, and humility. We are to love and serve them, not judge them or put on them the yoke of the law. Secondly, we are to speak to them with grace. Our heart and true attitude are expressed in what we speak and how we say things. We need to engage people, speak kindly, and be able to give an answer to their questions when they ask why we live the way we do.

Big Idea - The last time I spoke on the topic of husbands and wives, specifically the submission of the wife to her husband, a lady came up after the service quite upset and angry that I would teach such a thing. She had attended a conservative Christian university and had been taught that these ideas were old, outdated, and no longer applicable to the world we live in. She was convinced that wives do not need to submit to their husbands, and in fact, it was unchristian for a wife to do so. They should live as equals in the home, and their leadership should be shared as co-leaders. The teachings of the Bible on this topic are difficult. We live in an age when the idea of submitting to the rule of another over our life seems extreme and even abusive. We read Paul's instructions to slaves, and we wonder how Paul could support a system that is morally wrong! Why doesn't he instruct slaves to rebel against an institution that is clearly wrong and violates human rights and dignity? At the very least, it seems this passage is out of touch with the modern world and has nothing to speak to us in our time. One commentator writes we can only preach these passages "critically in order to unmask them as texts promoting patriarchal, that is male, violence." We may not go that far, but perhaps we feel that we live in a different culture and time, and therefore the Bible, and passages like this, have no authority to speak into our time and a radically different culture. The Bible, after all, was written at a different time and in a different culture. How can Scripture speak with authority over our time and culture? Or do we need to adapt the teachings of the Bible so that it conforms to modern culture? How can we understand and apply teachings like this in our modern world?

Truth is truth, and the truth of Scripture must stand above and over culture. We cannot simply push truth aside because it doesn't seem to fit into our modern thinking. But, it is also true that the Bible was written in a given context, culture, and setting. Times have changed, and culture has changed dramatically. Slavery is no longer legal or practiced as it was in ancient times. Families are different. But Paul was not simply talking about culture. The things he taught were quite radical in his time, even though it doesn't look radical to us. He was not conforming his teaching to fit the culture. He was, in fact, confronting culture. We need to see what Paul was teaching in the bigger context of Colossians chapter 3. He has been teaching about taking off the old life that was dominated by our sinful desires and our old sinful self and putting on the new life in Christ. A life that reflects the heart and nature of Jesus and of His Father in heaven. In this passage, he brings it home, so to speak. The new life is not something we put on only when we go to Church or out in public. In fact, the real test of the new life is at home. This is where the rubber meets the road, where we will really see if the transformation of the new life is genuine or if it is just a show we are putting on for others. We can pretend for a while in public, but at home, the real me is much more evident. Paul is pointing out critical ways that the new life of Christ will be evident at home and on the job. Living the new life in Christ transcends and goes far beyond culture and customs. These principles are to be lived out in our family and work relationships, at every age, and in every culture. Culture may change, but the new life in Christ is unchanging. These are unchanging principles we can apply to our relationships at home and at work that we observe in this passage. 1) the goal is not to overthrow our culture or conform to culture but to know how to live the new life in our sinful culture. 2) it starts with the Lordship of Christ. We are ultimately obeying and submitting to Him. 3) submission is entrusting yourself to someone's care and is voluntary, limited, and the practice of humility. 4) you can't dance unless one person leads and another follows. 5) leading is not about dominating but caring for others with compassion and meekness. 6) it takes a lot of forbearance and forgiveness on all sides. 7) we will all answer to God for how we conduct ourselves at home and work, and we will be rewarded accordingly.

Big Idea - The last time I spoke on the topic of husbands and wives, specifically the submission of the wife to her husband, a lady came up after the service quite upset and angry that I would teach such a thing. She had attended a conservative Christian university and had been taught that these ideas were old, outdated, and no longer applicable to the world we live in. She was convinced that wives do not need to submit to their husbands, and in fact, it was unchristian for a wife to do so. They should live as equals in the home, and their leadership should be shared as co-leaders. The teachings of the Bible on this topic are difficult. We live in an age when the idea of submitting to the rule of another over our life seems extreme and even abusive. We read Paul's instructions to slaves, and we wonder how Paul could support a system that is morally wrong! Why doesn't he instruct slaves to rebel against an institution that is clearly wrong and violates human rights and dignity? At the very least, it seems this passage is out of touch with the modern world and has nothing to speak to us in our time. One commentator writes we can only preach these passages "critically in order to unmask them as texts promoting patriarchal, that is male, violence." We may not go that far, but perhaps we feel that we live in a different culture and time, and therefore the Bible, and passages like this, have no authority to speak into our time and a radically different culture. The Bible, after all, was written at a different time and in a different culture. How can Scripture speak with authority over our time and culture? Or do we need to adapt the teachings of the Bible so that it conforms to modern culture? How can we understand and apply teachings like this in our modern world?

Truth is truth, and the truth of Scripture must stand above and over culture. We cannot simply push truth aside because it doesn't seem to fit into our modern thinking. But, it is also true that the Bible was written in a given context, culture, and setting. Times have changed, and culture has changed dramatically. Slavery is no longer legal or practiced as it was in ancient times. Families are different. But Paul was not simply talking about culture. The things he taught were quite radical in his time, even though it doesn't look radical to us. He was not conforming his teaching to fit the culture. He was, in fact, confronting culture. We need to see what Paul was teaching in the bigger context of Colossians chapter 3. He has been teaching about taking off the old life that was dominated by our sinful desires and our old sinful self and putting on the new life in Christ. A life that reflects the heart and nature of Jesus and of His Father in heaven. In this passage, he brings it home, so to speak. The new life is not something we put on only when we go to Church or out in public. In fact, the real test of the new life is at home. This is where the rubber meets the road, where we will really see if the transformation of the new life is genuine or if it is just a show we are putting on for others. We can pretend for a while in public, but at home, the real me is much more evident. Paul is pointing out critical ways that the new life of Christ will be evident at home and on the job. Living the new life in Christ transcends and goes far beyond culture and customs. These principles are to be lived out in our family and work relationships, at every age, and in every culture. Culture may change, but the new life in Christ is unchanging. These are unchanging principles we can apply to our relationships at home and at work that we observe in this passage. 1) the goal is not to overthrow our culture or conform to culture but to know how to live the new life in our sinful culture. 2) it starts with the Lordship of Christ. We are ultimately obeying and submitting to Him. 3) submission is entrusting yourself to someone's care and is voluntary, limited, and the practice of humility. 4) you can't dance unless one person leads and another follows. 5) leading is not about dominating but caring for others with compassion and meekness. 6) it takes a lot of forbearance and forgiveness on all sides. 7) we will all answer to God for how we conduct ourselves at home and work, and we will be rewarded accordingly.

Big Idea - We all feel the pressure to prove that we are somebody, that we are important, and that our life has worth to others. So, we may do things to get attention or to prove to people that they should respect us or praise us. Sometimes, we may feel that we are not important, we are just a nobody, so instead of trying to get attention, we must just try to hide and be invisible so no one will see what a nothing we are. The people Paul was writing to at Colossae were being told by influential people around them that they were no good, that they did not measure up, that they were second class, and that their faith in God was fake. Paul wrote this letter to encourage them and to give them assurance and confidence that their faith was real and that they had incredible value and significance. In this passage, Paul shows them that the issue is not that their lives do not have incredible significance but that they are not seeing their worth and significance because they are looking at their life from the wrong perspective. They needed to change their point of view and see their life in a different light. This same message is incredibly relevant to us today. How do we see our lives? Are we looking at life from the right perspective, or are we trying to find meaning and significance in the wrong place? Do we need to see our life in a different light?

Paul's message to the Colossians is that they absolutely need to see their lives in a different light. First, they need to see their life in the light of the resurrection. Jesus died, but He also rose again to new life. BY faith in Him, our old life was put to death, and we are raised to a whole new life in Christ. We need to see our life not in light of who we were before but in light of the new person we now are in Christ. Second, we need to see our life from a new vantage point, a new perspective. We can view our life from ground level or from the vantage point of the throne where Jesus reigns on high. We must seek Jesus in His resurrected and exalted position, ruling at God's right hand in power. We also need to see our life from His perspective, that is, to see ourselves as He sees us. This will have a tremendous impact as we face the challenges, temptations, and problems of life when we look at things from heaven's vantage point rather than from ground level. Thirdly, Paul tells us that this new life is, for now, a hidden life. Other people do not see us as we really are. We don't even see ourselves in the light of the full wonder and glory of our new life in Christ. Our life may seem anything but spectacular or special. But it will not always be that way. One day Jesus will appear when He returns in the fullness of His splendor and resurrected glory. And when He appears, we too will appear with Him in glory. What we are will no longer be hidden, but the full glory and splendor of our life in Christ will be visible and plain for all to see! And we cannot imagine how spectacular and extraordinary that life is! But, by faith, we can live in the light of that day of revelation.

Big Idea - We all feel the pressure to prove that we are somebody, that we are important, and that our life has worth to others. So, we may do things to get attention or to prove to people that they should respect us or praise us. Sometimes, we may feel that we are not important, we are just a nobody, so instead of trying to get attention, we must just try to hide and be invisible so no one will see what a nothing we are. The people Paul was writing to at Colossae were being told by influential people around them that they were no good, that they did not measure up, that they were second class, and that their faith in God was fake. Paul wrote this letter to encourage them and to give them assurance and confidence that their faith was real and that they had incredible value and significance. In this passage, Paul shows them that the issue is not that their lives do not have incredible significance but that they are not seeing their worth and significance because they are looking at their life from the wrong perspective. They needed to change their point of view and see their life in a different light. This same message is incredibly relevant to us today. How do we see our lives? Are we looking at life from the right perspective, or are we trying to find meaning and significance in the wrong place? Do we need to see our life in a different light?

Paul's message to the Colossians is that they absolutely need to see their lives in a different light. First, they need to see their life in the light of the resurrection. Jesus died, but He also rose again to new life. BY faith in Him, our old life was put to death, and we are raised to a whole new life in Christ. We need to see our life not in light of who we were before but in light of the new person we now are in Christ. Second, we need to see our life from a new vantage point, a new perspective. We can view our life from ground level or from the vantage point of the throne where Jesus reigns on high. We must seek Jesus in His resurrected and exalted position, ruling at God's right hand in power. We also need to see our life from His perspective, that is, to see ourselves as He sees us. This will have a tremendous impact as we face the challenges, temptations, and problems of life when we look at things from heaven's vantage point rather than from ground level. Thirdly, Paul tells us that this new life is, for now, a hidden life. Other people do not see us as we really are. We don't even see ourselves in the light of the full wonder and glory of our new life in Christ. Our life may seem anything but spectacular or special. But it will not always be that way. One day Jesus will appear when He returns in the fullness of His splendor and resurrected glory. And when He appears, we too will appear with Him in glory. What we are will no longer be hidden, but the full glory and splendor of our life in Christ will be visible and plain for all to see! And we cannot imagine how spectacular and extraordinary that life is! But, by faith, we can live in the light of that day of revelation.