Wednesday, September 7, 2022 AM

Cross-cultural I have been I have had meals with family and friends literally all over the world and this is. This is just something that every culture Loves and isn't it? You know amazing, you know, it shouldn't surprise us at all that.

The fellowship meal became that that part of Christianity that early Christianity and we just centered around it before we just you know get started. And again, this is not a Sermon, this is more like a more like a discussion.

So I feel like more like I'm a discussion leader. If you have questions raise your hand have comments. Go ahead. No problem. I did want to make one announcement if anybody would like to Practice or rehearse for the psalm singing on Sunday.

There will be a rehearsal just following prayer meeting in the fellowship hall. So some of the tunes are a little bit older some are a little more difficult to learn. They're not quite as familiar, but if you practice a little bit Then they become become easier.

And I I can I can second that I would probably I could use a little rehearsal time myself. Why don't we start with the word prayer and then we'll get started on some devotion time. Lord God in heaven.

We acknowledge that the only reason we can come before you in prayer is because of what Christ has done on our behalf. Our identity is in him you look at us you see him and the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings too deep for words be with us as we open up your word and Learn from it learn more about who you are and who we are in you.

In the holy name of Christ Jesus we pray.

Amen.

If you would turn in your Bibles to Colossians 1. We'll be in primarily Colossians 1. We'll jump around a little bit. But the text that I wanted to bring to you tonight is Colossians 1 13 and 14. Out of the English Standard, which is what I have in front of me right now it the text reads.

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. There are some different versions out there who has a different version because I've got the new King James also in front of me.

King James.

Please. Slight differences. There are some textual variants. There are some differences here, and I don't want you to get bogged down in some of these. Differences especially if you are an advocate for King James.

Fabulous translation. There have been some movements throughout history. It says that some of the newer translation trying to take the blood out of out of the scriptures.

No.

Just read the rest of Colossians. So you can actually read a couple versions a little bit later on and references the blood of Christ. That's where our redemption comes from its flesh and blood so don't get bogged down there.

That's not the point. The point Paul is making is You were this. You're now this. So like I said It's a little bit of audience participation. What are? The state of those who are in the domain of darkness.

What are the state of those who are in the kingdom of his beloved Son and don't get wrapped around the actual of? Domain versus kingdom. Is Satan a king. Do the scriptures refer to him as a king. Yes, it does.

He's not the king. Certainly not king of Kings. You can remember in Matthew 12 where They were accusing Christ of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebulb, and it says you're casting out. He said that's impossible.

A Kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. I'm not going to can't cast out Beelzebulb by the power of Beelzebulb. But if I am casting out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit, then you know the kingdom of God has come upon you.

So.

Yes, he's a kingdom, and it's unified. So domain kingdom two different realms, so what is the state of people that are in the domain of darkness? Versus the state of people in the kingdom of his beloved Son all of.

We have lost Lost so hope hopeless sure dead trespasses and sin. That's a great one. I'm just right dead blind blind. We can go on and on. Can we one thing that Paul does though is he contrasts? You were this you're now this all right, so we've got is here's one.

I was about to say. Here's my favorite one. That's the terrible thing to say slaves of sin contrast that with slaves of Christ. Yes, I should have been a doctor because my handwriting is terrible. So that's Romans 620.

You were slaves of sin, and now you are slaves of God 622 or and in some verse a slave slaves of Christ, but slaves of God. Tell me that another contrast in the scriptures. Paul does this a lot so Lost hopeless, so I once was lost, but now I'm found and that a great one so How say again?

Yes, I like that deaf and hearing. Contrast you were this you're now this you were this you're now this here's a look. Here's one that Some people don't like very much. But yet is still true.

Romans 8.

7.

Romans 8 7 says starting in 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death. But to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law.

Indeed it Cannot. So you they do not and they're unable to obey all. Right contrast that. Versus the flesh walk in the spirit. Unable to obey. Are we now able to obey? How do we know that? What's the scripture say that you're able to obey?

Off the top of my head. Ezekiel 36 26 He took from you the heart of heart of stone and gave you a heart of flesh. I'll cause you to walk in my statutes. Or Jeremiah 31. Or a Hebrews 8. You had the law of God written on your heart again.

Another contrast. Not on tablets of stone. But on the tablets of your heart. Not like the covenant that I made with him when I brought my land of Egypt. It's a new one. The contrast. The contrast. Contrast.

So we. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. Sir.

One of my wife's favorite.

Phrases in the scriptures is. But God. Exactly that's exactly the kind of contrast that I was thinking that I think that Paul is making right here the realm of darkness the realm of God kingdom of darkness kingdom of God.

Domain of darkness under the power of this slaves of sin. Man alien and reconciled. Alien stranger, it's not just being alien although. That's exactly what that says. Is there not a verse that also calls us enemies?

That need to be reconciled. So aliens strangers you are in someone else's realm illegally and now. You have become an adopted son. Excuse me so enemies of God Romans 5 adopted children of God. Romans 8 in the first Adam.

Romans 5 in the second Adam. So Romans 5 18 let's just let's let's put a nail in this in this coffin. So therefore is one trespass led to condemnation of all friends. So one act of righteousness leads justification in life for all men.

In one man condemnation. In the new man the new Adam life and grace and peace for all who are in him. All who are in Adam are dead. All who are in Christ are alive. That's the contrast that we see in this one verse, okay?

What does Jesus say about the kingdom all. Right, so you are are you in the kingdom of God. If we establish the fact that We are in the kingdom of God we are citizens.

We are.

Adopted. We've been transferred this and it's not like I'm looking around. I mean sometimes it feels pretty dark but the scriptures say You have been transferred into the kingdom of his beloved son. You have a new citizenship.

You have a new state. You have a new identity. You're someone else.

They're.

Alone in a crowd of people. And we are not even when we are alone. We are not alone. Again. A contrast. So what does Jesus say about his kingdom? We said that if he cast out demons by the Spirit of Christ the kingdoms come upon you.

What I like to say and what if we've heard Michael say before is. Wherever the king is that's where the kingdom is he brings it with him. He is king. You can even reference Acts 2 Last sermon the sermon on Sunday is Christ on David's throne in heaven.

Is he been enthroned? What does it mean to be enthroned? Means you've been coronated been crowned you're king. That's what it means. So are we in any doubt that when Christ takes the throne he is king.

Is there any confusion that that's what the scriptures teach? No, is there any confusion? That we have been transferred into this kingdom. No, that's what the scriptures teach. All right, so what? That's that's a pleasant thought.

Okay, so what and that's okay. That's an okay question to ask by the way. So what what does that mean. Not because of who you are but because of who He is. So everything you just described. You said this is how I think and act and move forward.

Because of what Christ is because of who Christ is and what he has done the focus is on him. I think that's a perfect description so. Would someone please read so we're gonna if you want to know if you really want to put a verse in context and know what It means it's as simple as reading several the verses before and several the verses after the paragraph before in the paragraph after.

It's not cosmic. But you can rip a verse out of context and make it say anything. So let's not rip this out says Oh, we're in the kingdom time to. Because take dominion and take up arms.

Okay.

Back up. What does Paul want us to do? Let's read verses 9 through 12. Verse 9 and so from the day we heard we have not ceased to pray for you asking that you may be Filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Fully pleasing to him bearing fruit in every good work increasing in the knowledge of God. So we've got walk in a manner worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to him bearing fruit increasing in knowledge.

What else what else does Paul want us to do? Strengthened with all power according to his glorious might according to all patience endurance and patience with joy endure with joy bear fruit increase in knowledge.

Walk in a manner worthy of him. That's what a citizen of the kingdom does. This is what you do. Because you're not here. You're here. You are instead of lost hopeless dead a slave of sin. You're a slave of Christ.

You're a slave of God. You're not deaf. You're hearing. You're no longer in the state of unable and unwilling to obey you now have the capacity to obey. Why? Because you are in Christ that's your new identity.

You are able to obey you are a citizen of that kingdom so he gives you some marching orders and because of this He give giving thanks to the Father so you give thanks to him for what he has done. He's qualified you Sealed you Stamped you and said yes qualified qualified qualified qualified.

To share in the inheritance of the Saints in light not the domain of darkness the domain of light. For he has transferred us from the domain of darkness and Transferred us it could have delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom We have the redemption the forgiveness of sins.

He has reconciled enemies. He has brought those who were against him. We're now not just for we're not just allies. We're in his family. We're adopted. Who is this King? What else does it say? Colossians 15 20.

All right, so we're in the kingdom of kingdom of his beloved son. Who is this? He is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all creation if you're not at all if you're at all confused on who this person is.

Paul delivers a Giant punch to the gut and he's like pay attention. This is not just a nice teacher who fed the hungry and performed a magic trick. Looked like he was dead and he was alive. This is who this King is in whose kingdom you are who has been whose image you have now been stamped to whom you owe your obedience and allegiance and You have been empowered to obey.

Who is this Christ? The firstborn of all creation. Meaning the preeminent number one for by him all things were created. Oh, so he's not part of creation. He is creator. In heaven and on earth visible and invisible with the thrones or dominions or powers or authorities all things were created through him and for him.

This isn't just some man your king. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body of the church and he is the beginning firstborn from the dead. That in everything he might be preeminent number one the first.

The most important for in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. That's your king and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether on earth or in heaven. Making peace by the blood of his cross.

There's that blood reference. So this translations. Okay. Okay, that's who the king is. That's his kingdom. We're in that's whose image we've been stamped by. All right. So so what. Okay, so you've given us these marching orders, this is the kingdom I'm in this is who.

I'm following.

And.

You who are once alienated and hostile. Doing evil deeds. This is who you were just as a reminder. Here's a reason to praise him because this is who you were. But now who are you? Reconciled in the body of his flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him and if indeed and this through your final marching orders.

Continue in the faith stable steadfast not shifting. From the hope of the gospel that has been proclaimed under all creation. Of course has been complained proclaimed under all creation. We just read about the firstborn of creation.

We just read about the one who created all things who created he was created all things were created for him through him by him. So, of course is being proclaimed under all creation because he's the ruler of all creation.

So we have our marching orders now that you we know that we're in this kingdom. This is what we do. We live in a manner worthy of Him who called us. What did he call us to? Well, he ripped us out of please.

Call us to good works and We know the famous verse of good works. Here's some more. It's not an exhaustive list. It's a it's kind of a theme. Pastor Ken and I were talking about this earlier. I'm not going to give you all the answers to the test.

You know, it's it's it's a it's conceptual. So he says this is who you are. Be strengthened in power and glorious might and endurance endure with patience and joy endure be steadfast. This is who you are being qualified to share in the inheritance of light.

There's your kingdom. This is your king therefore. Continue in the faith be steady stable steadfast. And the hope of the gospel as you heard at the beginning. That's what it means to be in the kingdom of God.

That's what it means to be a citizen. So we are in the world and I'll finish with this. We're in the world, but we are not of the world. We hear that a lot we say that a lot. While you sojourned here on earth.

While you are an alien here in this world. Remember who you are. Remember, you're the child of a king. So act like it conduct yourselves with dignity grace strength. Hope steadfastness. The child of a king we should act like it any closing thoughts or anything else as we were talking through this there's Mean we could stand up here.

I've got all sorts of verses and stuff. I wanted to bring you to bring it. I don't have time to do that. But mr. Dwight, please Thank you for bringing that up. Yeah, he has done it. So who gets all the praise?

Yes, we do. Yes, we are. We're ambassadors of the king. We have a message to share and We are responsible to share it accurately because we are a reflection of our king and We don't want to bring Reproach upon him.

What is what is. Peter says that when when you're persecuted for doing wrong you deserve it. But if you're persecuted For doing what is right? You're blessed. So when you represent the king accurately and you're maligned for it, which you know because everybody else.

Their enemies. They don't like Christ and they don't like you. So expect that opposition, but just make sure that the opposition you're experiencing is because you're reflecting Christ.

And you know, if you really really reflect Christ you can get murdered like he did sir in your presence.

There's fullness of joy at your right hand. There are Pleasures forevermore. I want you to pay over and over revenge seekers and peacemakers.

Are the riches of the glory this mystery which is Christ in you. The mystery.

Of Christ in you. I would love to sit here and and just hear all your. I'm so Thankful that people are being so interactive. Thank you for this. When the God looks at you. He sees Christ instead. That's your new identity.

I Thoughts I really would so do. Come talk to me afterwards. I'd like hearing this. I'm has mr Dwight to help me with some prayer requests and.