Colossians 2:13-23
PICTURE IN YOUR MIND.....As Jesus was dying on the Cross that Friday, in the halls of Hell, Satan and his demons were laughing hysterically and with delight.
They were partying and celebrating. The party was in full fling!
It was the party to end all parties. Devilish laughter filled the air! From time to time Satan rose to make a speech to the cheers of the demons.
He displayed the calm confidence of someone who’s won his greatest victory.
It was hard-fought to be sure and until the last moment he was nervous, but then it happened, and when it did, he knew he was the victor at last.
That old curse ...this puny God is finally gone…we’ll see who crushes who’s head.
Hours passed…the music and partying grew even louder. They danced and sang and drank and cheered and laughed the night away.
By Saturday morning, when you’d have expected the crowd to thin out, it grew larger–and louder–and even more rowdy as more and more spiritual rulers from distant realms came from around the spiritual world. The world we cannot see....
Speeches were given, followed by one toast after another. Then, more dancing and in the darker corners, wild immoral behavior took place.
But then it happened! .......No one knows the precise moment but in the early hours of Sunday morning, a messenger arrived whispering something in the ear of Satan..... and he looked as though he had seen one of his own ghosts...But he grew faint at the news.
A nervous whisper ran through the crowd. It happened that fast.
The music stopped, the dancing ended, and on Sunday morning the party in hell was over forever...... Hell’s rejoicing was short-lived. The party that started on Good Friday ended on Easter Sunday. What appeared to be Satan’s greatest victory turned into his absolute defeat?
The Cross on Calvary and the empty tomb meant for Satan the party’s over.
When Christ rose from the dead he took all the power and sting out of ALL the principalities powers or domains of the spiritual world.
All the powers that rage against the Christian...Christ exposed them... laid them bare and then he shattered smashed them.
Read vs 15.
Now they are empty and defeated...beaten completely
That is what Jesus did on the cross...
When I was about 18 a friend of mine got hold of some drugs...
But he died after being thrown to of a moving car onto the hospital steps.
I had a dream....standing before God ...backing away... saying hope less... hopeless hope less end.
One thing Steve got right....in his short life
"Hopeless" describes exactly our position before the cross.
Before the cross, we were not friends with God. Thrown out of the Garden of Eden...we became independent of God...we were on our own.
We made the mess and we were powerless to fix it.
Then came plan of God...Calvary and the cross!! Starting with the Angel being placed at the gate to stop Adam and Eve coming back in...The tree of life was there...you don’t want to touch that when your in a state of rebellion with God. Then go across history to the cross at Calvary and to the empty grave.
And what was a hopeless end became for the Christ one an endless Hope. Check out 1 John 5:11,12. With Christ life without Christ ...no life.
Look back over history to the guy who ordered the death of Jesu...Pilate. Before Jesus was nailed to that cross he put a small sign was nailed above his head...
Jesus of Nazareth ...the king of the Jews!
The Jews authorities said, "no, no, … but Pilate said, "what I have written, I have written."
What you couldn’t see written in very small letters was all the sins of little Jackie Garratt
Vs 14 He cancelled All the record of sin against little Jackie!!!
Every time you or I broke a command of God... forgiven and cancelled...
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned.
Rom 6:23 Wages of sin... PAID IN FULL…so free the gift was eternal life.
Forgiven when we take Christ seriously and follow Him…
In colossia jews who were used to having holy days and following rules started to lea non the gentiles and said they had to do the same….( this is why the letter)
But Sinful man could never reach a holy God through his own efforts.
No matter how sincere the effort, no matter how agonizing the labour self beating or fasting....
Sinful man can never bridge the chasm between himself and a holy God.
Eph 2:8,9...Not by works or human effort...but by grace!!
It was the Grace if God that bridged that chasm between God and Man.
Do you really think God would put his Son through the humiliation and agony of the cross if all that was needed for us to get right with God was a little dieting here holiday there and of course a little skin whacking for the guys!
Sin is a horrible, and hideous, and it effects every human on this planet.
To be rid of sin demands the very wisdom and power of Almighty God.
All these visual practices are doomed to failure spiritually, Paul says in verse 23, ‘‘Because they are based on human teachings, human strength."
We could not fix it!!!
Because Jesus came to this earth to die and rise from the dead...not so that He could simply just plonk you in heaven for eternity. That’s only part of it and a very important part. But it was also to get himself out of heaven and into you where you are...taking His rightful place as God intended man to be...full of God...as it was in the garden of Eden!!
A man of God is a man in whom God
Through what Jesus did on the cross, if you are a Christ one you are acceptable. WHY? Because... The life of the Lord Jesus is placed in you to stop you being what you are in your nature, and that is unholy. That my friend is something only the Holy Spirit can do for you.
Once that new life is placed in you... You are free!!! Vs 20.
Let’s put this in real life…
The things that took Christ to the cross…in Christ they are terminated ...Finished! Vs 20.
One of the happiest days of my father’s life took place about 67 years ago.
My father was standing on parade in army uniform.
He was about to leave the army after the war.
You are now dismissed from his majesty's army and may, if you wish, seek civilian employment. But if you desire to sign on for another seven years, his majesties government we'll be happy to entertain you."
My father said under his breath...Not bloomin likey. He was free!
There was a man that had made the life of the soldiers an absolutely misery and his name was ‘regimental sergeant major’ . He had an immaculate uniform, a big voice, and a big mouth and a big moustache.
He loved to come right behind you while we were on parade, standing stiff.
Staring straight ahead. He would open his very big mouth one inch behind your ears and shout at the top of his voice, 'Am I hurting you boy?"
We had to answer, "No, sergeant major." "I can't hear you!"
"You're not moving your head, are you?" "no, sergeant major."
"I’m standing on your hair at the back! Get your hair cut
He was not a nice man!!!
Whenever we saw him coming, our backs would spring up straight. We'd swing our arms up to the shoulder, thumb on top, heels dug in.
The day my Dad was released He saw the rsm walking toward him.
My Dads head sprang up, His back straightened, and he began to march. His arm went to leap up to salute ... And a little voice inside me said.. "You are free from him, You died to him a few moments ago on that parade ground.... so he is dead to you. He has no power over you!!!"
So why salute a dead man walking!!!
So a very funny thing happened. His back curled over to a relaxed position, my hands found their way deliciously into my pockets.
And as he walked past the man, he whistled. I whistle a happy tune......and gave a little wave not a salute..
The RSM went red, turned to purple, turned to puce. He couldn't do a thing.
That's what the cross means to the Christian. We also died to all that it was necessary for Christ to die for.
VS 16 read....
So the next time people come our way and lean on you to act like them because they have a problem with the new direction you are taking
Or it could be....something like the food or drink or Satan tries to have a go at you and tempt you.....remember that although some people are powerful and Satan is mighty .....God is ALL powerful and All MIGHTY.....we should just whistle at 'em. Deg vara are....
Thine be the Glory risen conquering Son, endless is thy victory thou oer death has won.
The devil and the principalities, and powers, the determined people he uses...They can't do a thing.
With Christ He has set you free from following the world’s ideas of how to be saved—
He has don it...it really is finished.
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