This reading comes from Colossians chapter 2 and Hebrews chapter 2.
Please follow along on the screen, the bulletin, or your own Bible.
In Colossians 2 verse 13 we read,
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
God made a life together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses
by cancelling the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands.
This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame
by triumphing over them in him.
Then in Hebrews 2 verse 14 we read,
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,
he himself likewise partook of the same things,
that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death,
that is the devil,
and deliver all those who through fear of death
were subject to lifelong slavery.
Amen.
Thank you so much, Annabelle.
It's so great to see you,
or not see you very much on Zoom,
but so great to just be with you together,
even if it's virtually.
We just,
just so value,
even during this COVID social distancing time,
the sense of being able to be together as a community,
and to really walk with one another through this time.
So let me,
let me just pray for us
as we get into God's word together.
Father,
just so aware that
your word can often stay in our heads,
but in our lives we often fail to live in the light of the incredible truths
that you have proclaimed to us.
But I pray, Lord,
this morning for wherever we are,
whatever situation we're going through,
Lord,
whether we are doing well or struggling,
Lord,
we pray that you would speak to us,
not just for information in our heads,
but you would show us in our hearts
what it means for us to walk in victory,
what it means for us to live in the light of who you are,
and the amazing work that you have done
through the cross and resurrection in our lives, Lord.
So we just pray that you would come and be with us now,
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Great.
We've been going through,
as those of you who've been following along this series,
a series on gospel orthodoxy.
And what we've been talking about is how gospel doctrine,
which is not meant to just stay in our heads,
but is meant to fuse into our lives,
is to be the backbone of our lives.
It's to give us structure and strength
to be able to face and live in the light of all the other things
that are going on in our world
and all the other things that God calls us to as his people.
And so we need to continue to realign our lives
to gain good, healthy posture
in not just physically with our bones and our body,
but also with our souls and with our hearts.
And that's why we're looking at the gospel again
over this series.
And what we've seen is we've looked over these last few weeks
at justification.
We have seen how the gospel tapestry,
which has so many threads,
that through justification and guilt and condemnation
have been dealt with,
and we've been acquitted,
and we've been given a new status of righteous in Christ
if we are trusting in him and we're in him.
We've seen that instead of slavery,
he has brought us redemption and freedom from sin
and all those things that bind and hold us.
We've seen how in adoption and reconciliation,
he has taken us from being orphans and alone and rejected,
and he's brought us in to his family
as dearly loved sons and daughters
of the king of the whole universe.
We have a loving heavenly father.
Even though our earthly fathers may not be all we wish,
we have one who is everything we would long for,
and that is the God of all creation.
And today we're going to look at a final theme in this series,
which is instead of fear and walking in defeat,
we're going to see how Christ brings victory.
I don't know about you,
but have you ever gone into an exam
knowing that you haven't studied hard enough?
Knowing that it's too big, it's too hard,
there was too much to cover,
and before you even go into the examination room,
you feel like a sense of defeat.
You feel like, even before I've started,
like giving in.
Well, that's how many Christians live,
and many of us live in our lives.
You see, we want to follow Jesus,
but then it looks like,
and it feels like,
everything in Hong Kong
kind of pushes against us
trying to really follow him with all of our hearts,
whether it's our work culture,
whether it's politics,
whether it's education system,
and things with our kids,
or whether it's even just your own sense of sin in your life.
Doesn't it often feel
like we're just fighting against a relentless tide
that it seems just so difficult to overcome?
I don't know if any of you feel like that.
Well, Scripture,
and what we're going to look at today,
shows us there's a reason for that.
It says,
we shouldn't be surprised
that these things are hard,
because there is a war on.
Did you know that?
There's a fight.
And the Bible, Ephesians, tells us
there is a spiritual battle
that is taking place for every believer.
Here's what Ephesians 6 says.
Put on the whole armor of God
that you may be able to take your stand
against the schemes of the devil,
for we don't wrestle against flesh and blood,
against other human beings,
but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers
over this present darkness,
against spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly places.
He's saying behind the darkness
and behind the struggle of this world,
there is a personal mastermind,
a spiritual being called Satan
or the devil,
who has a staff team,
and together they are rulers
and authorities.
And their mission
is to steal, kill, and destroy.
It's to stand utterly opposed
to God, his glory,
and our flourishing in him.
And if you are thinking,
well, you really believe in Satan,
like red tights and pitchfork,
that kind of thing,
well, that's not the biblical image of Satan.
You see, actually,
I just read recently
that the church of Satan,
which actually exists, apparently,
doesn't believe in Satan's existence.
And it's fascinating
because Satan doesn't care
if you believe in him or not.
In fact, he's perfectly fine if you don't
because what he wants
is he wants for you
just to trust in yourself,
to glorify yourself,
to live for yourself,
to rely on your own self-centered
pride and desires,
and be totally apathetic
towards God and his kingdom.
And that's perfect for him,
for enough to kill, steal, and destroy
our spiritual life,
our relationships,
and even the whole of society
in the world.
And lined up
on Satan's front lines
of his army
are three other enemies
together with him.
The Bible says
they call them this,
sin,
the world,
and death.
Sin,
the world,
and death.
Look in this passage
that we,
from Ephesians,
it says,
and you were dead
in the trespasses
and sins
in which you once walked,
following the course
of this world,
following the prince
of the power
of the air.
That's another way
of saying Satan.
the spirit
that is now
at work
in the sons
of disobedience.
Do you see,
he says all those things,
there is sin,
there is the world,
and there is the devil,
and there is death
all in there.
How do they work?
Well,
he baits us
with sin.
What do I mean by that?
It's like a fisherman
puts bait
on his hook
and throws it
in the water
and then a fish
comes along,
takes the bait
and then he pulls it up,
reels in the fish
and there the fish
is just wiggling,
dangling
and they are powerless
at that stage.
They are powerless.
They are under
that fisherman's control.
That's how Satan works.
He baits us with sin
but then the world
is like the tidal system
that pushes us
towards the bait.
It's the peer pressure
of the world around us.
It's the get for yourself,
live for yourself,
make yourself happy
and that social media
tells you.
It's the performance
oriented,
self-reliant,
jump into the rat race
and become a rat
or else you'll get
eaten alive
kind of mentality
that is everywhere
that we swim in
in Hong Kong.
And so what we do
is we follow the course,
we go with the flow
of this world
so often
and the result
when we take the bait
is then we live
like that fish
under the power
of Satan
and we end up
to the final enemy
which is death.
Spiritual death,
physical death.
That's where
the enemy wants
things to end up.
And you might want
to think
how does Satan
bait us
in this way?
What is his kind
of military tactics
that he uses?
Well, I think
there are a few
that scripture
describe,
but there are
two key areas
where there's
to operate.
One is in our mind
and the other
is in our heart
because you see
on that battlefield
your mind
is a battlefield.
You feel this
every day.
He,
Satan comes
and he lies
to us.
You remember
Adam and Eve
in the Garden
of Eden?
Satan comes
and says,
did God really
say don't eat
from that tree?
Oh,
if you eat
from,
you won't die.
You'll become
like God.
And what do they
do?
What's he doing?
He's twisting
God's word
so that you
stop believing
he's really good
that you can
actually trust
what he says.
And so then
as you begin
to doubt
that he's a father
who cares for you,
you start to look
elsewhere for
satisfaction
rather than to God.
And then from that
what happens
is once he's got
you to sin,
then he rubs
shame and guilt
in your face
with accusation.
Can't you do
anything right?
New year,
you said you're
going to read
the scripture
and you read it
for three days
and now you've
given up.
Hey,
you loser.
And as we start
living under the lies
and the accusations
of the enemy,
what happens is
we start beginning
to project those
onto others
and we start deceiving
and lying other people
and accusing other people,
blaming them
like Adam and Eve.
started doing
and tearing
our relationships
apart
and that's
Satan's work.
You see,
that's the battlefield
of the mind.
But there's also
the battlefield
of the heart
which works together.
You see,
he tempts us
like with Adam and Eve
but also he can
intimidate
and discourage us.
Do you remember
that story of
David and Goliath?
a very famous story
where Goliath
is this monster
of a man,
this huge giant
who represents
the very enemies
of God's people
and he challenges
them to a fight,
anyone to fight
with him.
And the Israelite
warriors,
they take one look
at this huge guy
and they go,
what's the point
in fighting him?
They cower away
and it says
they were greatly
afraid and discouraged
because they go,
he's too big,
it's too difficult,
we can't beat him.
And he starts
mocking and taunting
them
and without lifting
a finger
he has them
under his control.
Discouraged,
fearful.
And then do you
remember in the story
this little shepherd boy,
David comes along
and everyone else
is now projecting
that same fear
onto him.
They're going,
you're just a kid,
have you got a death wish?
Like,
are you crazy
going out to fight him?
Voices of fear
coming in all the time
before he then
takes out one stone
and he silences
all those voices
with one slingshot,
knocks Goliath
to the ground,
walks up to him,
cuts off his head
and fear
suddenly
disappears
and turns
into victory.
You see,
friends,
I don't know
what Goliath
feels like
in your life
at the moment.
Whether it's COVID,
whether it's
cancer,
whether it's
just people
are just
not changing
in your family,
loved ones,
so you want to
respond to the gospel.
Nothing seems to be
happening
and you feel
discouraged,
you feel powerless.
sometimes you may
want to stay
faithful to God
and not date
a non-believer,
but it looks like
you look out
at the options
that are there
and you go,
there's nothing there
and despair
begins to set in
and your Goliath
starts to taunt you.
Maybe look elsewhere
or every time
you look on social
media,
that voice
whispers,
look at their
life,
chase what
they have.
Look,
where's trusting God
actually got you?
You're going to
miss out if you
stay trusting him
and you see
the lies
and the fear
and the discouragement
it all works together
and you see
that's the battlefield,
that's the place
of the fight.
You see,
every single day
we're in a battle
for truth versus lies,
we're a battle
for fear versus courage,
it's a battle
for your heart
and a battle
for your mind
and by the way
that's why
we want to do
this series
on getting right
gospel doctrine
because there's
so much false
teaching out there
that Satan wants
to deceive us
so that we don't
hold on to the
truth that we
have in him
and as Kevin
said last week,
in this battle
there is no
neutral territory,
there is no
Switzerland here,
you're either
baited on the
hook of Satan
and under his
control
or you are
living under
the freedom
of Jesus'
control,
there's no
middle ground
but the
Bible also
says that
every single
human being
is naturally
under,
like that fish
wiggling away
to death,
Satan's control
and there's only
one way to get
free,
so here's the
second thing
we want to
look at,
we've looked
at the war,
now we want
to look at
Jesus who's
the wounded
conqueror,
you see,
just when we
were powerless,
onto the
battlefield comes
God's champion,
here's what
1 John 3
says,
it says,
the reason
Jesus,
the son of
God appeared
was to destroy
the works of
the devil,
you see,
the reason he
came was to
destroy Satan,
sin,
the world
and death,
those lies
in his life,
he comes
against the
lies and
the accusations
by preaching
the truth,
by resisting
Satan's temptations
and calling
people to
repentance and
faith and
trust in him
and he breaks
the grip of
fear and
bondage that
people are,
healing the
sick,
delivering people
from demons
and the
accusations,
in his death
he came to
do away with
the very
grounds of
accusation that
Satan could
hold us
with,
see,
here's the
passage that
we looked
at earlier,
Colossians 2
says,
and you
were dead
in your
trespasses
and the
uncircumcision
of your
flesh,
God made,
you who
were dead,
God made
alive together
with him,
having forgiven
us,
justified
us,
cleansed us,
redeemed us,
forgiven us
all our
trespasses by
cancelling the
record of
debt that
I owe you,
that stood
against us
with its
legal demands,
that accused
us,
that left us
in Satan's
grip,
this he set
aside,
nailing it
to the
cross.
Satan had
us under
his control
because we'd
taken his
bait,
but Jesus
through the
cross and
resurrection has
liberated us,
taken sin on
himself,
brought us off
the hook,
brought us into
the freedom of
his waters,
we now have a
heavenly father
who loves us,
and here's what
he says,
in doing this,
what has he
done?
He disarmed
the rulers and
authorities and
put them to
open shame by
triumphing over
them in the
cross,
in him.
You see,
the image
here is of
a victorious
Roman general
who is riding
on his
chariot,
and he's
just come
back from
the battle,
and he's
riding through
the streets
with the
defeated enemy,
the slaves,
the prisoners
of war,
in chains
behind him.
The Goliath,
who seemed so
strong before,
had such a
big mouth,
is now
disarmed,
stripped of
all his
power,
humiliated in
the chains,
dragged behind
him on his
way to
execution.
Satan,
he's saying,
and all of
his army is
defeated.
He no longer
can claim any
power over a
believer in
Jesus.
Why?
Because he
says by
liberating us
from our
sins on the
cross, he
has liberated
us from
Satan's claim
on us.
He's liberated
us from
sin's claim
on us,
from the
world's claim
on us,
from death's
claim on
us.
His victory
is our
victory.
He has
lifted us
from Satan's
defeated domain
onto his
chariot of
victory.
That's what
Colossians says.
Colossians 1
says it like
this.
He has
delivered us
from the
domain of
darkness and
transferred us
into the
kingdom of
his beloved
son, in
whom we have
redemption,
the forgiveness
of sins.
Jesus, our
victorious
general, he's
plundered Satan's
prison, opened
the gates, removed
all right to
condemn you, shame
you, and hold
you prisoner to
fear and
discouragement.
And he's
brought us into
his kingdom of
truth and love.
And the fear
has no place
where there is
perfect love.
This is what
Jesus has done
for us.
He has given
us victory over
those great
enemies that we
feel powerless
in for.
But just think
about it.
how does
Jesus conquer?
Because his
victory is the
way that we
will be
victorious.
His victory
wasn't a
feel-good
victory.
You know,
victory doesn't
always feel
like really
great in the
moment.
You see, at
the cross, it
looked like the
powerful, the
proud, the
pushy, the
self-reliant had
won.
You know, just
like for us.
It seems like
the more
stronger you are,
the more
successful you
are, the more
fun you are,
that's the
way of victory.
But that was
Good Friday, and
Easter Sunday was
coming.
The world tells
you to beat
your Goliaths by
yourself trying to
be stronger, trying
to be more
successful, trying
to be more
attractive, trying
to get what you
can for yourself.
But the gospel
says you don't
need to make
yourself Goliath,
you don't need to
have a bigger
Goliath.
To beat Goliath,
you need a better
David.
And we have
one, that is
Jesus Christ, who
with the slingshot of
his cross and his
resurrection has
nailed that giant
right in the face.
Whatever giant that
we face in our
lives, which holds
us back from
Christ, he says,
by death I have
defeated it, and I
am the wounded
conqueror who rises
to victory.
And so that means
for you and I,
if we are trusting
in Jesus, he has
taken us out of
Satan's grip and
placed us on his
victory chariot,
headed to
resurrection glory.
This is the victory
that Jesus has won.
But now, if you
think about it and
you go, well, if
Jesus has won, why
do I still have to
fight?
Why does it still
feel like sometimes
Satan's winning?
Well, the thing is
that a wounded, dying
tiger, which has
had a death blow,
doesn't go down
without a fight.
It still has claws
to scratch and a
roar to try and
intimidate us, even
though his final
breath is near.
Satan, sin, the
world and the devil
and death itself are
still realities until
Jesus comes again
and will execute,
will wipe them away
forever.
The war is won,
but we have still
got to walk out our
victory and those
battles in our
day-to-day life.
So let's think,
from the war and the
conquering that Jesus
has done, how do we
now live in victory?
This is the third
thing I want to talk
about.
You see, some
people think living
in victory is
marching around
buildings kind of
just rebuking Satan.
Get out of here,
Satan.
And I know plenty
of people who do
that, and I see
actually Satan's
walking all over
their personal lives.
Others will say
things like,
2021, it's the
year of your
victory, it's the
year of breakthrough.
breakthrough.
And what they
mean is, it's the
year of health,
wealth, prosperity,
everything going
great for you.
Actually, Scripture
doesn't say either of
those things.
Here's what Scripture
says.
Victory means
staying close to
Jesus, trusting and
living for him,
living for his glory.
You know, that's it.
Because if he's
riding on the
victory chariot and
you're with him,
guess who's going to
be at the winner's
party?
And Satan will try
and do anything just
to get you to jump
off the chariot.
He's going, it's so
much more fun being
dragged down here in
the dirt.
You know, just try it
once.
Everyone else is
doing it.
You'll miss out if
you don't.
You'll never know
what it was like.
FOMO.
But Ephesians
tells us, put on
the armor of God
that you may be
able to withstand
an evil day.
And having done it,
he says, oh, march
around victorious.
No, he says, just
stand firm.
Stand.
Why do you have to
stand?
Because you've already
got victory.
You just need to
stay there in it.
Jesus has won it
for us.
We don't need to
fight wildly, launch
an anti-Satan
campaign.
Just stay on the
chariot, stay firm
with Jesus in
relationship with
him.
A victory is
yours because
it's his victory.
Now, how does
that work?
I want to show
us a few ways
that victory
works that
scripture tells
us about.
You see, it
works in two
ways.
Jesus gives
us victory
from things
and he gives
us victory
through things.
From is when
he removes it
completely.
Through is when
he takes you
through and does
something in the
midst of that.
in your lives.
And remember
our enemies
of sin,
the world,
and death
itself?
Well, that's
exactly where
God wants to
give you victory
from and
through.
So let me
explain what I
mean by that.
You know, for
myself, I lived
under Satan's
lies for a long
time when I was
younger.
I really tried
hard to be a
good Christian
Christian and I
realized I was
just really crap
at being a good
Christian.
And I felt I was
totally selfish and
this live stream of
accusations just
kind of kept playing
in my head saying
you're worthless,
you're a failed
Christian and I
became discouraged,
I became despairing
and depressed and
finally I became
really sick.
And I was actually
at one point bent
almost double because
I couldn't just hold
myself up with the
weight of everything
that's going on.
And someone said
to me, you know,
your posture is an
indication of your
soul.
So he said, just
stand up straight
and your soul will
begin to kind of
feel more confident.
So I tried, but I
couldn't because I
was powerless.
I felt God was
distant, harsh.
I was never good
enough.
I stopped reading
scripture.
I stopped praying.
I stopped really
wanting to live for
God in any
different way.
I just kind of
did my own thing.
And then a regret
live stream started
in my mind saying
because I looked at
everybody else around
me and I had to
take some time out
of university and
people were graduating.
Everyone was ahead
of me and it kind of
said to me, oh,
where are you?
You're just behind.
And Satan just tried
to get his hooks all
over me.
And then God's word
came to me.
Do you know,
Ephesians tells us
that we have a sword?
It's the sword of the
spirit, the word of
God.
And it's a sword that
we're meant to fight
with.
Do you realize that God
has given us the truth
of his word and he's
given us community and
he's given us prayer?
That's what Ephesians
there says.
You've got to pray at all
times.
He gives us these three
things.
There's others as well,
but the three things that
enable us to fight and
they're so powerful.
Because you see,
at one point,
out of the blue,
a person just said,
hey, they started
praying for me and
then they just said,
hey, I've just got a
couple of verses,
one from Psalm 107
and one from Psalm
118.
I was like,
where is that?
I have no idea what
they are.
And they just gave me
these verses.
I can still remember
them today.
And then about three
weeks later,
a friend of my mom's
from Ethiopia,
a missionary in Ethiopia
who I'd only ever met
once,
she said,
oh, I just thought
God was telling me
to pray for you.
And I felt there was
just a couple of
verses I wanted to
give you.
Do you know what
verses they were?
Exact same verses.
And this is not like
John 3, 16.
Psalm 107.
Anyone know that?
Right.
It's just totally
random.
Except it wasn't
random.
Because God,
through his word,
spoke to me.
And as he did,
his word,
through that prayer
that I've been praying
together,
lifted my soul.
It straightened
my back.
It gave me hope
to rise,
that my God
knew me.
My God saw me.
I'm not an orphan.
I'm a son of his.
That he would
deliver me
through this.
And he began
to just walk me
out of self-pity,
out of regret,
and to actually
start to live
for Jesus
rather than
pretending I was
and feeling
like a fraud.
And you know
what?
Since that day,
I've not lived
under regret
for a single day.
When regret
comes knocking
on my door,
I swing my sword
of Isaiah 43,
which says,
fear not,
I have redeemed you,
Chris.
I have called you
by name.
You are mine.
You see,
and it's gone.
That's victory
from sin.
And each one of us,
God wants to bring
us victory
from sin.
But do you know
what, guys?
We need to realize
where is the battle
with sin and
discouragement and
fear in your life
right now?
Some of us,
during COVID time
or even before,
we've been taking
Satan's bait,
jumping off the
chariot,
because we are not
getting in God's
word and starting
his word,
starting every day
getting in scripture.
And man,
let me tell you,
if you put down
all your weapons,
you're a sitting duck.
And some of you
feel defeated
because you tried
to start reading
scripture and it
didn't last very long.
And now you're just
going, hey,
I can't do it.
But actually,
God wants to say
to you,
don't walk this
alone.
God has given us
his word.
He's given us
community.
Get people around
us.
Say, hey, listen,
I need you to help
me read together.
I need you to pray
for each other.
Listen, in COVID
times, if you're just
by yourself,
you are like one
of those deers,
you know,
which lions just,
you know,
when they're chasing
the pack and they
just look after the
one deer that's by
themselves and then
they pounce.
That's what you're
like.
He says,
sit in prowls like
a roaring lion,
but actually in
community with his
word and in prayer
and in worship to
God.
These are our
weapons.
And so don't fight
alone.
Listen, in Lent time,
we're going to have
time where every day
during Lent,
we're going to have a
Bible reading time
on Zoom for just a
few minutes in the
morning.
If you know you
struggle with getting
scripture, listen,
you need to clear your
calendar.
Like, it doesn't
matter if you have to
answer that email.
Scrap it.
That time is more
important for you to
live in freedom than
for you to just get
stuff done.
Let's fight this
together because God
is going to give us
victory through these
things.
You know, some of us,
the battle is actually
not just from sin.
It's also through sin.
It's the battle to just
keep getting back up and
fighting and persevering.
Do you know, I've been
liberated from some sins in
my life, but there are
still sins that I'm sure
like you that I just
wrestle with every day.
And sometimes it feels
like you're just knocked
down again and again.
It feels like that Goliath's
got you.
But do you know what,
Jesus, I've discovered
this, Jesus has this
amazing ability.
That when I come back in
confession and repentance
and reminding myself of
his grace, I get his
grace so much more.
I'm like, you could even
love me.
And as I realise that,
do you know what, it
doesn't leave me crushed,
it leaves me more
grateful.
And what it does, it
changes my heart to be
less judgmental to be
towards others, more
compassionate, more
persevering.
And we begin to look a
little bit more like
Jesus and his love.
So brothers and
sisters, if you are
wrestling with these
things, whatever your
sin struggle is, stand
up, straighten up,
because God is going to
give you victory from
and he's going to give
you victory through your
sin.
Jesus is amazing.
But it's not just
victory over sin.
Jesus also wants to give
us victory over the
world.
You know, in John's
gospel, Jesus says this.
He says, I've said these
things to you, that in me
you may have peace.
In the world you'll have
tribulation.
But take heart, literally,
take courage.
courage.
I have overcome
the world.
You know,
some of you,
victory from the world
this year is going to
look like this.
Family members that have
just been resistant to
the gospel, resistant to
you in so many different
ways, God is just going to
break through into their
hearts.
He's just going to melt
that resistance.
And he's going to draw
people to Christ.
People that you never
thought it was possible.
God is going to do that
this year.
I really believe that in
some of our lives.
For some of us, it's that
those voices of, why are
you single?
Why do you want to, like,
trust Jesus?
Why do you want to give
that much?
Like, think about your
financial security.
Don't trust Jesus in this
area.
Those voices that just
kind of come at you all
the time.
And you're just going to
go, they're not going to
bother you so much.
Because Jesus is going to
give you victory from the
world in some of these
areas.
And you can just trust him
and it will give you this
peace to just walk through
your day with him.
But for many of us, it's not
just victory from the world.
Jesus doesn't promise that
2021 is going to be a bed of
roses.
There's still COVID around.
There's still trials.
trials.
But he promises victory
through the world.
Which means courage and
peace in the midst of our
trials.
You see, that's how he
conquered, didn't he?
Through the cross.
You know, some of us have
rarely shared the gospel.
Because we live under this
fear of rejection, of
inadequacy.
This fear that we're just
not going to get it right.
Maybe we've had bad
experiences before and we
just don't know how to do
it.
And this year, that's
going to change.
Fear, you may still feel
afraid.
Jesus doesn't promise
removal of feelings.
But fear is not going to
rule you.
That you're actually going
to have a new confidence
to share with your
colleagues, with your
family, with your
friends.
And you're going to just
walk, and regardless of
what people's responses
are, even when it feels
negative to you, that you
come back in community and
we encourage each other and
we get back up.
With newfound courage and
confidence.
And that's the place of
peace with Jesus.
Because victory through the
world looks like courage in
spite of what others say.
And that's the place of
experiencing Christ's peace
in the midst of trials.
Victory from and through sin,
victory from and through the
world.
Let me give you one more.
One that I think has become
closer to some of us during
COVID times.
Victory from death and through
death.
There's this amazing passage in
Hebrews 2 which says this.
since therefore the children share in
flesh and blood, he, Jesus
himself, likewise partook of the
same things.
He became human.
That through death he might
destroy the one who has the power
of death, that is the devil, and
deliver all those who through fear
of death were subject to lifelong
slavery.
He's saying, like, Hong Kong is just
filled with a fear of death, right?
Like, it's no number four anywhere.
You know, and COVID has brought
death closer to some of us.
Some of us don't just have a
healthy caution.
We live paralyzed by fear.
For others it's not COVID, it's
cancer.
And cancer just kind of looms like
this Goliath in your family with
loved ones.
It's in your genetics.
It's wherever it is.
And Jesus says, with all of these
Goliaths of death, if we're in
Christ, he will give us victory.
You know, Jesus raised Lazarus from
the dead.
But Lazarus died again.
Jesus himself went through death and
came out alive victorious.
Victory from death.
Let me give you an example.
Eight years ago, I was in Hong Kong.
I got a call at 2 a.m.
My dad rang me to say, your mom's
just had a massive asthma attack.
The doctors said she's not going to
get through the night.
She's almost flatlining.
All the vitals are just down.
Listen, pray.
Pray.
Nothing else I could do.
I prayed and then I just went back
to sleep.
He said, I'll call you in the
morning.
He calls me back in the morning.
I'm expecting to get out and have
to get on a flight.
He rings me and says, you never
guess what.
The doctors have said it's just a
miracle.
They can't explain it.
You know, the moment you and other
friends started praying, her vital
signs went from almost flatlining
right back to normal.
Like, not even stable.
Just like, totally back to normal.
In an instant.
God can bring victory from death.
He has power to do that.
God can take us, the things that we feel
powerless and he has a slingshot that can do
what nobody else can do.
But my mom, like Lazarus, will die one day.
So will all of us.
Even if you're 21, you will.
Let me tell you it's 100% success rate there.
But Dylan Carson, who is a theologian, he
tells this story where he was at a prayer
time where everyone was praying for a
friend who had cancer.
And it looked like this was it.
And people were naming and claiming her
healing, binding the cancer and saying,
and in the midst of it, kind of casting out.
And then in the midst of all of that, I think
it was Carson's wife just really felt she had
to pray something different.
And his wife started praying this.
God, help her to die well.
Help her to die in a way that glorifies you.
Everyone looked around completely stunned.
Because they thought that actually victory is
only death, victory from death.
They didn't realize that victory can also be
victory through death.
You see, I want to die well.
I want to die close to Jesus, looking at Jesus,
seeing with a confidence that I'm going to see him.
I want to die like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the
German pastor who, on the last words before he
was executed by the Nazis, he said this.
He said, this is the end for me.
The beginning of life.
That's victory through death.
That resurrection hope that Jesus has gone through
the grave and so will we and we will see him face
to face.
And my hope for every watermarker is not that we all
become world shapers, although some of us may.
It's not that we all get our dream jobs, that we all
become famous, we all get the amount of money we want,
although some of us may.
My hope and prayer is that we are a people who learn together
as a community, learn to walk and fight together and walk in
victory over Satan, sin, the world and death.
That every one of us will stay so close to Jesus in his word,
prayer and worship, that we will, in community, have this gospel
courage to keep sharing, in spite of difficulties, the gospel.
We have this peace and we live in the light that we are
justified, redeemed, we are adopted, we are reconciled.
We're not orphans.
We have a father who loves us and we go into our world and we
go into our lives in that confidence.
As sons and daughters of the kings, as those who are more than
conquerors through him who loved us.
And when we die,
we will say the same as Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
This is the end for us.
This is the beginning of life with our wounded conqueror, Jesus, forever.
Victory from forever.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin.
The power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Let's pray together.
I think some of us,
we actually haven't recognised that we're really in a battle.
And there are things that you've been living under.
Where you haven't realised behind that, Satan has wanted to take you off the chariot.
And I believe today, God really wants to speak to you.
And he wants to tell you, don't walk through this alone.
Don't walk through thinking I'm always going to be defeated.
Some of you have just kind of given up,
whether it's in scripture reading,
whether it's really in just resisting temptation,
a whole load of areas.
And God wants to lift and straighten you up to say,
look to me.
Look to me in your difficult circumstances.
Look to me where there's things which you just think are just not changing
and you don't know where hope is going to come.
Look to me, I've overcome.
Look to me.
Some of us, we just need to get the sword of the spirit out.
And not just read scripture, but wield scripture against those lies.
Recognise where the battle is.
I just want to give you a second, just to allow God to just speak to you.
What's he saying to you right now?
Where is it that he wants you to walk in victory?
Father, we just thank you.
Lord, we are weak.
That we are more than conquerors, not through our own strength.
Lord, we are weak.
Jesus looked defeated, but actually his very defeat was the moment of his greatest triumph.
Lord, I pray for us that you would encourage us, that you would lift up our heads to see you today.
I pray that you would let the gospel go from not just our heads, but into our hearts.
Lord, I pray that we would be a community that's not just thinking about ourselves, but it's looking out for each other to fight together.
Lord, I pray that we would be those who get to our death day and have a glorious glimpse that Jesus is our great hope.
And that we would be the Lord.
Lord, I pray.
Lord, I pray that we stay close to you.
Lord, I pray.
Draw near to us now.
And may we draw near to you.
thank you for your victory that we have in you
in Jesus name, Amen