Colossians 1:13

Good morning, this is truth in love and I'm so thankful and glad to be able to spend time with you this morning. Thank you for watching the video. Thank you for joining me. The floor is always going to be yours.

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We are to grow up in all aspects and to him who is the head even Christ? So Jesus is the truth we We hear his truth from his word and that's what we want to talk about God's Word God speaking to us and we want to do it in love whether we do it here or Where wherever we are, whatever we're doing.

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For Jesus just want to do a short video this morning a devotion that I did last weekend with a prayer Group that I'm in. And it's gonna be from Colossians we've already we've already touched on this verse.

But uh, I wanted to go back to it because it's so it's so powerful so impactful so helpful and Just want to do a little devotion. Going back and touching on one of the verses we've already looked at in Colossians.

So I hope you'll stick around with me as we look at it together. Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1 verses or just verse 13 we're gonna look at verse verse 13 and And see what God has to say to us this morning.

Delivered from the Domain of Darkness

Verse 13 says for he delivered us from the domain of darkness and Transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son now. We got to know the context because he says for which means there's something that comes before it.

So Paul of course is is writing this letter to the church at Colossae the the the Colossian Church. And it's also going to the the church at Laodicea, but but Colossae Was a church that he did not found.

Nor had he been to. But one of his disciples one of the the folks that he had led to the Lord Helped found this church and and I was also a messenger back to Paul. Obviously wanting Paul to communicate to the church about issues that were going on at the church.

And we're gonna get into more of those issues and how Paul addresses those issues later as we discuss Colossians but the context of verse 13 Paul Paul does his introduction his greeting to them and then he offers this prayer to the Lord for these folks at the church the Colossian Church, and he's giving thanks for them and Then at the very end of the prayer he's giving thanks for what they've been given this God has qualified them.

There's a sense that you have to be qualified. Which none of us Were ever and could ever be qualified to inherit eternal life right in and of ourselves but Jesus Was qualified and therefore we received The qualification that he earned that's what's given to us so that we may inherit eternal life.

And so Paul is Giving thanks for this this qualification That we may in that of this inheritance That we've received. And then he goes on explaining about this inheritance giving us more information about this heritage because that was This was Paul's way of attacking Or addressing the the issues that they were having at the Colossian Church Just as a reminder.

The the big thing the big issue that that Paul is addressing Was that you had you had two groups of people that were making up this this church this new church following Jesus it was a Group, which which Paul addresses on this situation hugely in Ephesians where God God is bringing together and Making one out of two two people groups or Where we're familiar with The Jewish people being God's chosen people God's elect throughout the old hope Old Testament and then the Gentiles everyone else being outside being Paul describes them as far away, but in Christ God is bringing Together into one these two people groups, which is actually, you know, the Jewish people and then everyone else.

That's what the Bible refers to as Gentiles everyone else other nations He's bringing the nations to Christ and bringing us and making us all one together. But in this particular situation The Gentile group, of course They had their other religions their own religions and then you had the the Jewish group Who had their own religion?

The Jewish religion With the temple with Jerusalem with what the Pharisees and Sadducees had had brought to them had taught them Had You know how they changed God's Word in God's ways they had they had this This religion and both groups were trying to bring bring into This this new religion this new church Concepts ideas theology practices rituals.

They were trying to bring in from their old religions to to add to This new Christian religion and Paul is Paul is addressing this and and the way he is addressing it It seems from the start is that he is focusing on the authentic This is who you were but this is now who you are.

And so the two can't mix it's like water and oil. They can't meet they can't be together. And so in verse 13 when he says for He is he's coming off his thankfulness for this being qualified for this inheritance and What is this inheritance he says you he has delivered he delivered us.

There's there's a rescue going on here. He has delivered us from the domain the domain of darkness and this word domain. If you look in your translation, or if you look in other translations, it may translate the English word Into a different word you can I've seen domain Or dominion and and both concepts are true of this word domain or dominion of darkness.

And what are those two concepts? Well we have We have a domain as in Like to me is like a location. It's an area We've been delivered out of this Location of darkness and and the the thought that come to my mind as an example to help me understand it was I of course I Cannot understand completely What it means to not have my eyesight to be one who was blind but to some degree I understand Somewhat of what they have to go through or deal with.

They they are unable they have limitations because they do not have their eyesight. But we we know that many who do not have their eyesight adapt and and Do very well in Their daily lives because they they just become accustomed to how they must live.

But yet because of the darkness that they're in There are there are limitations. And so if you want to speak of if you want to speak of free will here Here's the concept of free will if you want to use that term if you want to think of a free will.

Here here's how you can think of free will as understood in this in the scriptures if you are physically if you are physically blind. You are living in its darkness. For for a lack of better or better way of explaining and you you live you're living in darkness.

You you can't see so there are limitations on what you can do therefore. You can only you can only do though. Some things can increase, you know, like we talked about before that you can You Can begin to do things?

Better. You can learn to do more things. But there there are Going to be limitations and so you can only do What you can do as someone who is living in darkness and that's where that come a more biblical concept of a free will comes from or a better understanding of what Biblical free will is you you are only able to do you you can't go outside of the boundaries.

Just like if you were blind if you do not have your eyesight there there are boundaries. There are limitations there are things that you you can't do so there are there's a circle that you live in so You are only able to do what you are able to do within those boundaries and.

And That would be a more biblical understanding of what free will is you were only able to do what you're able to do Within those boundaries or you're free to do. Only what you were able to do within those boundaries.

Okay, so that's where that's where we've been delivered out from. The the location this domain of Darkness where we are on we are only able to do what we are able to do within that boundary of darkness which what is.

What is outside that boundary is anything? That's good anything. That's pleasing to the Lord. If you recall some of the verses in the Bible our our Righteousness our right living is like filthy rags to the Lord.

The scripture says that we can We can do nothing apart from him. Scripture says that no one is good. No, not one. So out Outside of those boundaries is please is doing things that please the Lord is doing anything.

That's good. So we're only able to do what we can do within that boundary that domain of darkness. And these are. These are trues that that should. That we should meditate on and and let's settle in our heart and our mind.

That the realities of who who we are apart from Christ. That this is this is reality. This is who we are. We can do nothing apart from Christ. No one does good. No, not one. We we are in we are subject to these boundaries.

We are chained to these boundaries. So we we must have a rescuer. We must have a deliverer we must have a Savior if we want to be be free from these chains of Living in this location this domain of darkness and then the other concept the other idea of this word is dominion and Dominion simply means power or authority.

So this this darkness that we're living in is a power is an authority. And there's and there's in my mind there's two concepts to that as well and and I was hitting on that Living at the location having being chained to that location.

Is is a power is an authority over us. We're controlled by that location because that's all that's the only place that we can function. That's the only place that we can go. We can't go outside of that domain of darkness because of the Dominion the darkness has over us and then the other concept is Scripture speaks of the powers and rulers and principalities in the spiritual realm.

And we're familiar with Satan or the devil and and the other fallen angels the the demons and so there's this concept of powers and spiritual rulers that that would has Dominion over us who has power who has authority over us.

While we're in that domain of darkness. Isn't that a rotten isn't isn't that a horrible? thought. That Living as Americans in this United States. We have this concept of freedom. But yet if we study scripture if we look at God's Word We will realize that this is a False Security I would say a false sense of security.

It um, it veils our eyes even further from the truth. The Bible describes us as Being spiritually blind. But it's almost like living as an American. We have a double set of blinders on first. We're spiritually blind from the truth.

But secondly as an American this this false sense of autonomy of freedom that we have Deceives us into thinking that that We are able to rule and govern ourselves. When that's not what scripture teaches us Scripture teaches that we we live in the domain of darkness.

And we are ruled and have a have authority over us from the dominion of darkness. And that's a horrible place to be but it's a reality it's a concept that we need to. We need to settle in our minds that that's who we are.

That's where we live without and apart from Christ and our friends and our families our neighbors and everyone our community needs to know that reality and The blunders need to be removed. So that this this reality of being able to only function and and live within the boundaries of the darkness and And being on being shackled to this authority having to submit to this authority this power of darkness Is a concept that we need to.

It needs to become a reality it needs to become a reality so that we can Pursue the deliverer. We'll never we'll never pursue the deliverer if we continue to live in Deceitfulness if we continue to be deceived that we're not living in darkness that we're not under this power of darkness.

So there's that concept. There's that concept of where we were apart from Christ, but Paul says they were they were delivered they were rescued they were taken out of they were taken out of this domain this dominion of darkness and It says and Paul says he they were transferred and if we're in Christ, it's us too.

We were transferred. We were taken out of and and not just taken out of and and left to ourselves. We were moved into a different location and this is the good news and this is him. This is him sharing the the authentic apart from the false apart from the fake apart from you know the the kind of religion that they were trying to form in their own image where They've been led to Christ, but they were trying to bring in they were trying to bring in their other Practices theology religion rituals all that all those concepts to make to make a new religion, but this is the authentic and Paul is telling them this is where you were so this this religion that you had before whether whatever religion whatever pagan religion they practiced as a Gentile and and this Religion that you had as a Jew as a Jewish person.

That you're trying to bring in where you were Was in the domain and the dominion of darkness. What an insult I Mean this is scandalous. This is really scandalous language. This is. This is a tremendous insult to say to someone Paul is telling these people you are wrong.

You are wrong about your religion. There's nothing good about your religion you Gentiles. These different religions that you practice. There is nothing good in them that you could bring over to add to Christ.

This Jewish Religion that you had there's nothing good in it that you did that you believe that you could bring in. To add to Christ to make it better. You are wrong. You are not right. It was false. It was evil and Where you were you were chained to that domain and dominion of darkness that religion is.

Is darkness. How scandalous to be told and and to be the one that is telling someone that you are wrong? And and that's what we are doing. We we are we are scared to do it very very often we are scared to do it.

Because we don't want to offend we don't want to lose relationships. We don't want to ruffle feathers. Well, whatever the case may be. But this is when when we are presenting Jesus. And it doesn't it doesn't matter how much you try to Convince yourself convince me convince a church convince anyone else that God God is just a God of love.

The gospel is just about love. Everything about your church service needs to be friendly and about love. We need to we need to greet folks from from the parking lot all the way in to to where they sit the the music needs to be uplifting and fun and the We can do all those things and try to deceive ourselves and Try to deceive those who are coming in try and and deceive those who we're trying to reach.

But when you get down to the bottom line No matter how much you try to sugarcoat Christianity if you're leading someone to Jesus. You're telling them That they are wrong that they have been wrong. They that they have lived in darkness.

They are not free. They are enslaved to darkness and That they are are wrong. Plain and simple you are telling people that they are wrong. No matter how you sugarcoat it. And it's scandalous and it's tough and I Think that's why American Christianity has has a been so sugarcoated and it's and it's why that All these false concepts have have come about.

It's because it's so offensive. Telling someone they are wrong Is very very offensive. But when you get down to the bottom line of Christianity if you're leading someone to Jesus You're telling them that they're wrong.

And that's that's what Paul is telling them here. Your religion you cannot there's nothing good in your old religion that you can bring in to add to Jesus to make it better. You can't add to Jesus. He is sufficient and not only is he sufficient He's he's the only real authentic.

There there's nothing above Beyond or beside him. There's not even anything underneath him. Because it doesn't exist. Jesus is the only one so therefore you can't add to him to make him better and To come to him you have to realize that you were wrong.

About how you were living about your beliefs. You were enslaved to darkness. You were you lived in darkness and were enslaved to darkness and that's what he is trying to remind them here that they were wrong but Coming to Christ.

He is our deliverer. He is our rescuer. He transferred us from darkness into the kingdom of His beloved son we were in a different location and have a different authority. You see that they're the kingdom Which belongs to his beloved son?

We're in a different location and we have it a different authority. So this this concept that we have as Americans still Is somewhat deceitful or misguided? Because we still don't have Autonomy, we don't rule ourselves completely we're either under the authority of darkness or We're under the authority of Jesus who is the king of this new of this kingdom that we're in.

I hope that makes sense. I hope that makes sense to you. And if you have any questions, please let me know so. What we want to look at and where this. This devotion this thought really takes off is in this concept because we've looked at the bad news we've.

We've come to the reality that we're wrong and. And that where we lived. Our our ownership was this darkness. But now we have new ownership. There's a king in town and he is he is our authority. But let's learn a little bit more about who he is who who the father describes Him as who Paul tells us he is so we have been transferred.

We're in a different location and we are under different authority. Which is the son the the the beloved son who is the king of this this new kingdom? And so what we want to do is skip over a few verses to verse 19.

And we're gonna learn a little bit more about our our new king and and his relationship to the father. Verse 19 says for it was the father's good pleasure. So it pleased God. This is something that made God happy.

This is what he wanted to do. It was it was the father's good pleasure and there's two concepts here for all the fullness. To dwell in him to dwell in who? Jesus the beloved son the king of this kingdom.

And it was God's good pleasure that all the fullness dwell in him. The fullness of what? Well just a few verses over Paul explains to us what this fullness is. Chapter 2 verse 9. This is who our king is.

This is who has authority over us. This is whom we serve. This is whom we love. This is the rescuer that brought us out of the domain and the dominion of darkness chapter 2 verse 9 for in him in Jesus all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.

Deity just means God so all the fullness of God Dwells in Jesus in bodily form. And so that's what he's speaking of here in chapter 1. For it was the father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him the fullness of deity.

The fullness of being God dwelt in him in bodily form. That's who our king is. That's who our authority is. That's who we submit to that's who our rescuer is. He is he is God himself and all the fullness of God dwelt in him bodily.

That's the identification of who we serve our king. Okay, so Just a little bit of application with that concept we Christians have lived you know in different circumstances. Of course we are most familiar with with being in this Democratic Republic which that's what it's supposed to be.

Where we have, you know a president and we have our different branches of government. We're not we're not under a king a monarchy or or anything like that or dictator. We have this Democratic Republic.

Which as I said before leads us into some deceitful thoughts about ourselves and about who we are but Christians in our history have lived under Dictatorships have lived under communism have lived under kings and queens.

They've lived in those circumstances. And so and oftentimes we know that in in those circumstances where you live in communism Marxism a Dictatorship a king or a queen. It's oftentimes Very difficult to live out your Christianity in those circumstances.

That that's where Many of our Protestant forefathers came from. Specifically thinking about the Baptists, you know, the the the Baptists were among several Protestant branches in England. That were being persecuted.

Because they did not conform to the to the the Church of the state the Church of England. Who King Henry was the authority over. And they didn't conform to that state church, so therefore they were persecuted and they they fled England to places like Holland and then as the To escape further some of them came to America.

That's where we have the pilgrims. Now that's the story of the pilgrims that's that's left out, you know in our school system that they were under religious persecution. Because they of their they didn't want to conform to this State church they fled to Holland and then they continue to flee to America and then our Baptist heritage is that a Group left Holland went back to England once the the dust settled and formed the Baptist Church there so living under these different forms of Governments have been very difficult for Christians in the past.

But here's the thing that that we need to realize and understand about this concept of this King. Paul tells us in verse 13 that we've been transferred to a different location to another to a kingdom and a kingdom has a king and This king is his beloved son.

And who is this beloved son? Well, it pleased the father that all the fullness of deity dwell in him. Our King the one whom we're under the one whom we serve despite our current circumstances physically whether it be a communism dictator Marxism a False Democratic Republic.

Whatever type oppression that we are under here in this world. The kingdom that we are truly in is the kingdom of his beloved son and that beloved son. Has the fullness of deity dwelling in him in bodily form.

Our King is God our King has authority and rule over all other authorities and powers whether they be spiritual or earthly and. So that's the king that we serve that's the king that's protecting us. That's the king that's looking after us and we can be excited and we can be happy and we can glorify God.

Because of that despite our circumstances. Despite that we are persecuted. That's difficult. But despite persecution We are under the king who himself is God and he rules and has a plan and is sovereign.

That's our king. And then the second concept in verse 19 going into verse 20. That all the fullness dwell in him and then verse 20 and through him. This was the father's good pleasure verse 20 and through him to reconcile all things.

So all things are being reconciled. Reconciled not just the elect but all things are being reconciled to him to himself. Having made peace through what through the blood of his his cross. So there was some violence here when we see this this word blood.

We know that there was some violence here and it was the father's good pleasure that this Violence occur. Oh, thank you Roger. I appreciate it. My niece made it for me. Verse 20 is telling us that there was some violence that occurred.

So that this reconciliation this peace could happen. So where else and we're gonna wrap it up after in just a few minutes. But where else do we see this concept that it was God's good pleasure. That this violence happened so that all things could be Reconciled so that this peace could happen.

My mind goes straight to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. If you flip over to Isaiah 53 and you look at verse 10 we see that concept of Violence. Then the pleasure of God. But then we also see some promises.

When we look at the suffering servant, we look at Isaiah 53 and some of us. For for a long time. I wasn't familiar with with this verse. This is another one of those verses that that we don't like to bring up because we don't want to ruffle feathers.

We don't want to offend anybody, but this is the truth. This is reality. This is scripture. Isaiah 53 verse 10 says but the Lord was pleased. This pleased the Lord. Going back to Colossians. It was his good pleasure.

That this violence occurred so that reconciliation could happen and that's what Isaiah is speaking of. Even though it's difficult, even though it's hard to hear. It's hard to explain Isaiah 53 verse 10 the suffering servant.

This is what he tells us, but the Lord was pleased. And that's that's difficult. His only begotten Son. It pleased him to what? To crush him. There's that violence. It pleased the Lord to crush him putting him to grief.

No wonder people skip over that. No wonder people avoid that we're trying to explain that because it's difficult. It's difficult to explain that it pleased the Lord to crush his only begotten Son. To send him to grief to putting him to grief.

But there's a reason there's a glorious reason and we benefit from it and That's what makes it good news. What scripture says without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. There had to be a sacrifice and Reconciliation and peace that if We would expand our understanding of what the this peace that the Bible is talking about Because of sin because of our evil we are an eternity away from the God.

The punishment for sin is hell, which is an eternity long it never ends. So the separation between us and a right relationship with the father is an eternity long. It's never gonna happen. But there's a way God provided a way that peace could happen and That's what makes this peace so beautiful and so wonderful and that's why we can Settle in our mind this concept of This this reconciliation and what he had to do to gain it being pleasing to the Lord because It brought it's bringing a world.

It's bringing a people who were an eternity away To himself who didn't have a chance who never had a chance. He's giving he's providing a way So that peace can happen and that's how we can understand and and appreciate That it pleased the Lord to crush him to putting him to grief.

Because it brings peace and reconciliation to those Who were far off? Who were an eternity away who had no chance ever? Can now have peace with him. What wonderful news our Community our world needs to hear.

We've got to get to these three promises He says but the Lord was pleased to crush him putting him to grief if He would render himself as a guilt offering. There's that there's that process. There's that thing that had to happen to bring peace To those who were far off who never had a chance if he would render himself as a guilt offering.

Jesus was that guilt offering. He was the suffering serpent and then here's the three promises that just continues to elevate This this glorious thought Even further and further and further to where it's just be beyond comprehension how glorious this is.

If he will render himself as a guilt offering He will see his offspring. There will be in a relationship there. He's speaking of us as his offspring his kinship. We we are his there's an ownership. There's a family Concept there.

We are his offspring and he will see us there's a relationship that we are going to have with him and he with us and that he will. He will see the fruits of Offering himself up as this offering as this sacrifice.

He will see the fruit of His sacrifice and not only is it fruit its family. We are his offspring and then number two He will prolong his days. Number one. He's gonna live. He's gonna have to die as this offering but God is going to raise him from the dead.

He's going to live and not only is he going to live but he's going to live forever. And his kingdom is going to be forever. We've been transferred from the domain of darkness into The kingdom of his beloved son and this king and his kingdom.

Their days are will be Prolonged he's going to live and he's going to live forever and this kingdom is forever. And then there's one other promise about this kingdom and the good pleasure. He ends he ends this with his pleasure again what makes him happy the result of him crushing and putting to grief the suffering servant and the good pleasure of the Lord will what prosper his hand.

There's so much out there about Prosperity gospel about name it and claim it. If you send me money this this you'll get all these material blessings. This is the prosperity that we need to preach the kingdom of Christ.

Will prosper it will be victorious. It is victorious and we are in that kingdom. We have been transferred out of the domain the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved son and in that kingdom we are in a prosperous kingdom a kingdom that will continue to prosper a kingdom that is Victorious and will continue to gain victory forever.

Throughout all eternity it God will prosper this kingdom and that's where we are. We're under a prosperous King. And just like we mentioned earlier speaking of the different circumstances that we've lived in throughout history.

Marxism communism dictatorship Deceitful Democratic Republic. Whatever kind of circumstance that we're in we're we're under persecution whatever it may be we're in a place where just sin is rampant. Where we live spiritually and also physically is in this kingdom with a king Who lives forever and his kingdom is victorious and will continue to prosper.

That's our kingdom and that's our king. That's why we can't look at the circumstances. That's why we can't have a countenance based on our Circumstances around us we can have a countenance and we can have a joy.

Because of the kingdom that we live in and the king that rules that kingdom and his name is Jesus. And if you don't know him, I Would encourage you to come to him today. The Bible teaches us that we're all wrong and beyond being wrong.

We're all sinful. We've all sinned against a holy God. We've all done things that are wrong. We've broken his law. We've broken his commandments. We've all stolen. We've all lied. We've never kept him first.

We've all taken his name in vain we've broken all the commandments and Just like the summation of those commandments Jesus put them together when he said Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength and then the second is like it love your neighbor as yourself and and just like in that way We can sum up the law and breaking the law in this way.

Yes. We have all stolen. Yes. We have all lied. Yes, we have all taken God's name in vain. We've broken every single law that God has made. But just to summarize That breaking of the law it all boils down to what's underneath all that is a disbelief in God and his beloved Son Is a saying that you don't know what you're talking about God, you're a liar and I know better I'm not gonna believe in you.

So therefore I'm going to Break this commandment because I think that way is best. My way is better. It's a disbelief and it's a shaking of fists at God when we break his law and You and I both have done it but God has made a way of Reconciliation he has made a way of peace and that way was through the cross through crushing his son.

So that he could reconcile all things to himself through the blood of his cross. And what must we do. The Bible commands us Jesus first message Was that the kingdom of heaven is at hand? Repent and believe the gospel.

Repent of your sins and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. God said he will Make you his child. He'll call you his own and he will deliver you from the domain Being underneath the authority of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son where you can live in that freedom where you can live in that victory and You can prosper.

Thank you for joining me if I can pray for you. Just let me know that I can do that love to be able to do that. Let's go ahead and pray together father. We thank you for the time that you've given us To spend time in your word as we reach out to our community to glorify you to grow your kingdom to fill the earth.