Participants: David Asscherick
Series Code: EHE
Program Code: EHE000007
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00:17 Good evening ladies and gentleman
00:18 don't you just love that bumper music that brings 00:20 ascent to another exciting program that were calling 00:23 the Eleventh Hour edition were coming to you live 00:26 from Battle Creek, Michigan. My name is Pastor Jason 00:29 and your host. And I'm so excited about the messages 00:32 that pastor Asscherick has been bringing us 00:34 night by night. How about you folks would you say Amen? 00:37 Okay, now you know these is the 3ABN audience 00:39 out there so as I say Amen really load ready, 00:41 Amen praise Lord. God has been good and he has been 00:45 lifting himself up. One of the things that 00:48 I've experienced is a new persuasion that Jesus Christ 00:51 is alive and he loves me, how about you? Amen. 00:55 And tonight Buddy Houghtaling is sitting by right now 00:58 with a beautiful version of the song I am persuaded 01:01 taken from Romans chapter 8 I understand it 01:03 Buddy take it away. 01:24 I am persuaded that death nor life, 01:29 Could ever keep my Father from me. 01:33 I am persuaded that there's no angel, nor principality, 01:41 That could separate me from my God above, 01:45 Or is love in Jesus Christ. 01:50 I am persuaded that I'm His child, 01:53 And He'll love me for the rest of my life. 02:01 I am persuaded that there's no power, 02:04 Nothing present, nothing to come. 02:09 I am persuaded, no height, nor depth, 02:13 no creature, not anyone, That could separate me 02:18 from my God above and His love in Jesus Christ. 02:26 I am persuaded that I'm His child, 02:29 And He'll love me for the rest of my life. 02:34 Sometimes I feel I'm more than a conqueror. 02:42 But even when I'm at my weakest, 02:47 Of one thing I am sure. 02:51 I am persuaded that death nor life, 02:55 Could ever keep my Father from me. 03:00 I am persuaded that there's no angel, nor principality, 03:07 That can separate me from my God above, 03:12 And His love in Jesus Christ. 03:16 I am persuaded that I'm His child, 03:20 And He'll love me for the rest of my life; 03:24 And He'll love me for the rest of my life. 03:28 Amen. Well brother you may be just persuaded 03:39 but I agree with you tonight Jesus Christ is a God 03:43 that you can trust him be a friend of I see pastor 03:45 Asscherick is making his way up here right now 03:47 and he is got a lode of information for you tonight. 03:50 I want to take you for just a moment though 03:52 back in time to the day when our beloved 03:54 commended Jesus Christ was standing with his angel 03:57 friends looking at them I suppose the tears 04:00 were running down there faces. 04:02 As they put their arms around him for what was going 04:04 to be last time in a very long time. 04:07 And then one of the angels flew swiftly to a little girl 04:10 a young maiden and gather area around, 04:13 around Galilee in the town of Nazareth and 04:17 lady named Mary. And said it's in your hands now Mary, 04:23 do you want to see the Messiah coming to the world 04:26 through your, through your womb and when she said 04:29 be it unto me according that I will another angel pace 04:32 another side and angel who used to be know as Lucifer 04:36 knew exactly what it happen in heaven. 04:40 Jesus had stepped into the glory of his father 04:42 I suppose and disappeared it was now in the room of Mary. 04:47 Coming into this world for what purpose? 04:50 For what purpose my friends? To go the cross, 04:55 what did he do it what is the cross mean, 04:58 pastor Asscherick has answers tonight. 05:00 Pastor Asscherick God bless. 05:02 Amen. Good evening every one. Good evening. 05:05 Wasn't that a beautiful song? Well, that. Thank you, 05:07 I tell you thank you Buddy for that, is that your son? 05:10 He is beautiful who that happen. Oh! he is beautiful 05:16 thank for singing, wasn't that a wonderful introduction, 05:19 I was really I felt like I was right there in heaven 05:22 just before Jesus left to come to this planet. 05:25 Well our message tonight is the first in a two part 05:27 series entitled The Cross: The Fulcrum of the Ages. 05:31 The Cross: the Fulcrum of The Ages tonight is part 1 05:34 and then we will be back on Sunday for part 2. 05:37 I will take two nights off and actually I will make a 05:40 quick flight down to Florida and then a quick flight back, 05:43 and if I don't make it Pastor Jason Seiber 05:45 will do what he can do. And in absence he will pick up 05:48 the time. Of course I'm, I am imagining 05:51 that he is hoping that doesn't happen. 05:53 That's my hunch. You're imagining wrong. 05:56 He is praying that my plane not that it goes down 05:59 of course but that it's gets delayed. 06:02 Well let's begin with a word of prayer and then 06:04 we get right into our message proper this evening. 06:10 Father in heaven as we gather tonight 06:11 we are persuaded that neither death nor life no 06:14 angels, nor principalities or powers nor height, 06:16 nor depth or any other creature shell be able 06:19 to separate us from the love God that is in Christ Jesus. 06:23 Father tonight as we begin to unfold that love, 06:25 as we begin to try and understand from a universal 06:29 perspective father. I pray that your spirit 06:32 will be with us in a powerful way. 06:34 Lord tonight as we begin this two part series 06:36 on the cross I pray that you will lose my lips, 06:39 so that I may speak in a powerful compelling 06:43 and persuasive way. Father in heaven you said to Moses 06:46 may years ago who made man's mouth. 06:49 And surly father if you could speak to the mouth 06:51 of Moses you can speak to the mouth of David, 06:54 and so father I pray you will be with us tonight, 06:56 and that your word will come across and that your 06:59 son will be glorified and uplifted in this room 07:01 for we ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 07:05 for we ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 07:07 Why don't you open your Bibles with me to 07:08 Revelation chapter 12, Revelation chapter 12, 07:12 so many times when we seek to understand the cross 07:15 and its significances we see it from what I considered 07:20 to be a rather my optic point of view. 07:22 That is to say we see it from one perspective 07:25 and often times at limited perspective we see the cross 07:28 simply from our point of reference, 07:31 our point of view and we see it as, 07:33 as that place where Jesus saved us from our sins 07:36 and so we say on the cross Jesus pay it for my sins 07:40 and is that true yes or no. It's abundantly true that is, 07:43 that is one of great cornerstones 07:45 of the Christian faith, what we are going to trying 07:47 to do in the next two meetings is to understand 07:50 the cross not only from the perspective 07:52 of you and I that is to say sinners saved by grace. 07:55 We are going to try to take a larger universal look 07:58 at the cross, how does the cross look to the unfallen 08:01 angels, and to the unfallen worlds, who have not had 08:04 an experiential attachment an intimacy with sin. 08:10 And so this will begin a two part series entitled 08:12 of the cross. The Fulcrum of the Ages and we are going 08:14 to begin in what some people might consider 08:16 to be an unusual place and that's Revelation chapter 12. 08:20 Now what we are going to do is also maybe a 08:21 little unusual. We are going to read Revelation chapter 12 08:24 through in its entirety so that we can have a broad 08:27 sweep, a broad picture, what I call it airplane view 08:31 of this great chapter. Many theologians consider 08:34 Revelation chapter 12 to be the theological climax 08:36 of the book of Revelation. And so we are going to 08:38 take time and read through all 17 verses, 08:41 I will be reading you follow along in our Bibles 08:42 and try to get a picture in your mind of the 08:45 vivid imagery and of the powerful symbolism 08:48 is used in this chapter. We will then come back and 08:51 we will divide this chapter into five main elements 08:54 and then we will progress from there. 08:56 Let's begin in Revelation chapter 12 in verse 1. 08:59 Now a great sign appeared in heaven a woman clothed 09:02 with the sun, with the moon under her feet, 09:04 and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 09:07 Verse 2, Then being with child, she cried out in labor 09:09 and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared 09:11 in heaven: behold a great fiery red dragon 09:13 having seven heads and ten horns, 09:14 and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third 09:17 of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. 09:19 And the dragon stood before the woman who was 09:21 ready to be devoured or who is ready to give birth 09:23 to devour her child as soon as it was born. 09:27 She born a male Child who was to rule all nations 09:29 with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up 09:31 to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into 09:34 the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God. 09:36 That they should feed her there one thousand 09:38 two hundred and sixty days and war broke out in heaven: 09:42 Michael and his angels fought with a dragon; 09:44 and the dragon and his angels fought, 09:46 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found 09:48 for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon 09:51 was cast out, that serpent of old, 09:53 called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole 09:55 world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels 09:57 were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice 10:00 saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, 10:02 and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His 10:04 Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, 10:06 who accused them before our God day and night, 10:08 has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood 10:11 of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, 10:13 and they did not love their lives to the death. 10:16 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! 10:19 Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! 10:21 For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, 10:24 because he knows that he has a short time." 10:29 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast 10:30 to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth 10:32 to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings 10:35 of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness 10:37 to her place, where she is nourished for a time 10:39 and times and half a time, from the presence 10:41 of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out 10:43 of his mouth like a flood after the woman 10:45 that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 10:48 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth 10:50 opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood 10:52 which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 10:54 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, 10:57 and went to make war with the rest of her offspring, 11:00 who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony 11:03 of Jesus. Powerful chapter isn't? 11:08 The imagery in that chapter is just amazing 11:10 it's inescapably gripping. You've here these elements 11:14 that are, that are so foreign to our natural experience 11:18 dragons and wars and wars in heaven I mean 11:21 so many different things here that are foreign 11:24 almost to the way that we see reality. 11:26 Yeah, here is John the last living Apostle there 11:29 out 24 miles out into the Aegean Sea, 11:32 and with an aged hand he was scribbling down 11:34 on papyrus these words these visions that Jesus 11:38 was revealing to him and you might be asking 11:40 as we comments this evening what does Revelation 11:42 chapter 12 have to do with the cross. 11:45 Why would be begin there about a message concerning 11:48 the cross. Well what we would like to do at this 11:51 point is to take Revelation chapter 12 and divided 11:53 into five main elements. Five main elements, 11:55 the first element that we are introduce to you in 11:59 Revelation chapter 12 is the women, it is what everyone. 12:03 The women notice there in verse 1 now a great sign 12:05 appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, 12:06 and the moon under her feet, and on her head 12:08 a garland of twelve stars. So, the first thing the John 12:12 saw there in that vision was woman well what is a woman 12:15 here is they say literal woman the answer is no. 12:18 An End time Bible prophecy that book of Revelation 12:20 as well as another places a women symbolizes the people 12:24 of God. A woman symbolizes the people of God, 12:27 now listen very carefully I purposely didn't say the word 12:30 church there. Because the woman was also used 12:33 in the Old Testament to symbolize the nation of 12:35 Israel and so the nation of Israel in the Old Testament 12:38 symbolize by a woman and the people of God 12:40 in the New Testament also symbolize by a woman 12:42 and so we avoid a necessary confusion when we say 12:45 the woman represents the people of God. 12:49 Can you say Amen to that? Amen. Now notice this 12:50 incredible statement taken here from 2 Corinthians 12:53 chapter 11 in verse 2 the Apostle Paul writing. 12:55 Writing to the church at Corinthians says, 12:58 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. 13:00 For I have betrothed, the word means given or engaged, 13:04 I have betrothed you to one husband, 13:07 that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 13:12 Paul here picks up on that analogy that powerful 13:14 analogy that the relationship between a man and his wife, 13:18 between a husband and wife, is a microcosm the 13:22 great relationship the Jesus Christ has with his church 13:25 if that make sense to you, why don't you say Amen. 13:28 Amen. You can read all about it in Ephesians 13:29 chapter 5 with the Apostle Paul says this is a great 13:31 mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 13:35 So, the first thing that John sees there in this 13:37 panoramic vision there from the island of Patmos 13:40 is a woman the people of God. Notice how she is clothed, 13:44 how she is adorned with the sun and the moon 13:47 and the stars, the garland of twelve on her head, 13:49 clothed with the sun and standing on the moon 13:51 what to these three things have in common the sun, 13:54 the moon, and the stars. These are things that God uses 13:57 to bring light to this earth. The sun in the day 14:00 and the moon and the stars at night. 14:01 I believe that is John was writing these words he had 14:04 Isaiah chapter 60 beginning in verse 1 in his mind Arise, 14:07 shine, for light has come, and the glory of the Lord 14:11 rises upon the. Behold, the darkness shall covers 14:14 the earth, and gross darkness the people; 14:15 But the Lord shall arise upon thee, And His glory 14:18 will be seen upon thee. What is God communicating 14:21 here about his church? That she will shine forth the light 14:24 of the glory of God to a world's steeped in darkness 14:27 depravity and sin. The first thing that John sees in his 14:31 vision. What is the second element that we are 14:33 introduced to the answer is the Wicked Dragon. 14:36 Notice that's the second element that we saw there 14:38 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 2. Then being with 14:42 child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 14:44 And another sign appeared in heaven: 14:46 behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads 14:50 and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 14:53 There need to no confusion about the identity 14:56 of the dragon for John spells it out in very plane 14:58 language in verse 29, notice that with me. 15:00 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, 15:03 call who everyone? The Devil and what's the next word? 15:07 Satan, Satan the adversary, who deceives how 15:11 much of the world? The whole world; 15:13 he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out 15:15 with him. We spoke about that last evening and we 15:17 talked about this Lucifer, this angel how could it be 15:20 that a bright, beautiful glories perfect resplendent 15:24 being could degenerate into what you and I know 15:27 today as the devil or Satan. Now friends in a sentence 15:31 what happen Satan is that he was filled with pride. 15:36 He was filled with word did I say everyone? 15:37 Pride, pride and this Lucifer become filled with pride about 15:39 his own glory and his own accomplishments and his 15:42 own beauty. I remind you what is at the center of pride, 15:46 PRIDE the same that is at the center of sin, 15:52 SIN and friends pride and sin are all about the same 15:56 thing namely me, me, me and is Lucifer took his eyes 16:01 off glory of God. After off of the majesty 16:03 and worthiness of God and begin look in mirror 16:06 and think to himself, well I'm looking quite nice myself, 16:08 his focus switched and he became Satan who formally 16:13 had been bright, beautiful, and glorious Lucifer, 16:15 are you with me on this yes or no? Amen. 16:17 So, so repugnant was this creature, 16:19 so terrible and contrasted was this change that John 16:22 reference to him as a great fiery red dragon. 16:26 Think about the contrast a bright, beautiful, 16:28 glorious resplendently iridescent being degenerating 16:31 into a deprived, and debauched, and disgusting 16:34 repulsive dragon, friends. It's a contrast that it's well 16:38 for us to notice, very important. As we continue 16:41 the next element that we are introduce to is the War, 16:44 there is a great war and I want you to notice that 16:46 in verse 7. Revelation chapter 12 and notice with me 16:49 verse 7 it says, an war broke out in Iraq. 16:53 Is that what it says war broke out where? 16:56 Heaven. It's no surprise to you and I that war 16:58 is broke out in Iraq. It's common to speak about 17:01 war in the terrestrial room and the earthly room. 17:03 But, friends notice here war has spoken about 17:06 in the celestial room, in the heavenly kingdom. 17:10 War broke out where everyone? Heaven. 17:12 In Heaven and Michael and his angels fought 17:15 with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought. 17:16 Now the word war occurs only two times in 17:19 Revelation chapter 12 and let me ask you a very simple 17:21 question. Where did the war begin in heaven? 17:26 Now let you ask a second question according 17:28 Revelation chapter 12 well where were the war end? 17:33 Notice with me verse 17. And the dragon was enraged 17:36 with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest 17:39 of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God 17:41 and have the testimony of Jesus. Note with me that 17:44 the war that began in the celestial Rooms will be 17:47 completed and will reach its climax and conclusion right 17:50 here on planet earth. Friends this is a very important 17:54 point that we note. There are many people that say today, 17:57 Oh! There is no devil, there is no personal evil being. 18:00 But, friends I assure you that the very last one 18:03 that you would you to be aware that there is a devil 18:05 is the devil himself. He is the one who has invented 18:09 these ridiculous characters you know a pointy tail 18:13 and pitchfork and these kinds of things absolutely 18:15 ridiculous and rational thinking people look at that, 18:18 say surely this is straight out of Greek and Rome 18:20 in mythology. Friends all the while Satan is quoting 18:23 himself in a clandestine move to jump and to surprise 18:27 the entire word not as an angel of darkness friends. 18:30 But as an angel of what? Light, so the war broke out 18:34 in heaven that it will be finished on earth and notice 18:35 also number 4 here the weapon. Number 4 is the Weapon. 18:39 Now the word weapon does not occur in Revelation 18:41 chapter 12. But, the concept of the weapon 18:43 is surely there. Notice it with me in verse 11, 18:45 And they that is the people of God, overcame him, 18:48 that is Satan, by the blood of the Lamb. 18:51 They overcome by what everyone? By the blood 18:54 of the lamb. Where was the blood of the lamb spilt? 18:56 On and across of Calgary, that's right, and notice the 18:58 second element there in verse 11. And by the word 19:01 of their testimony, and they did not love their lives 19:03 to the death. Revelation's weapon friends, 19:05 is the cross of Jesus Christ. The weapon with which God 19:10 will defeat Satan is not your resolve, it's not your will, 19:14 it's not your commandment keeping. 19:16 You are moral leanings. The weapon with which God 19:20 will defeat Satan finally once and for all, 19:22 is the weapon of the cross. We are going to talk more 19:26 and more about that is we progress. 19:28 And the last element that we are introduced to round 19:31 out the 5 is the Winners that is to say those 19:33 who gain the victory we seem them there in verse 11, 19:36 love not their lives to the death. We see them in verse 19:39 17 the dragon was wroth. And so we divide Revelation 19:42 chapter 12 neatly and nicely into these 5 elements. 19:45 The woman, the wicked dragon, the war, the weapon 19:48 that Christ uses to overcome Satan once and for all 19:51 and those who avail themselves of that weapon 19:53 namely the winners. And friends do you know who 19:56 the winners are? That is you and me. 19:59 Can you say Amen? Amen. Brothers and sisters you can 20:02 be in that number when the saints go marching in. 20:06 Now what I like to do is for you to consider with me 20:08 something very important in the book of Genesis, 20:12 this is first book of the Bible, we find something 20:15 very important, we find a perfect God in the first two 20:18 chapters living in perfect communion with a perfect 20:21 people let me repeat that. In Genesis 1 and 2 we 20:23 find a perfect God. In perfect communion with a perfect 20:26 people, where do you that take place? 20:28 What was the name of that location? 20:29 Eden that's exactly right. The Garden of Eden, 20:32 now remarkably when you move all the way through 20:34 all 66 books of the Bible you come to the last book 20:37 of the Bible what book is that by the way. 20:39 The book of Revelation and in the last two chapters 20:41 of the last book of the Bible, yet again in Revelation 20:44 21 and 22 we find a perfect God in perfect communion 20:47 with a perfect people. So, the first two chapters 20:50 are Eden and the last two chapters of the Bible 20:53 are Eden restored, are you understanding yes or no? 20:56 Amen. Now notice with me just a moment here 20:58 as we sort of on try and get our fingers wrapped 21:00 around this. First book of the Bible Genesis, last 21:02 book of the Bible Revelation and what we learn 21:05 here is that the Bible itself suggests an Eden-to-Eden 21:10 perspective. If you hold up your Bible just like that 21:12 on this cover there is Eden on this cover there is Eden. 21:16 The Eden-to-Eden perspective is not some construct 21:19 four-step on the Bible it is something that is give to us 21:22 from the Bible itself. Now, notice something remarkable 21:26 here. If we set the book of Genesis over here 21:30 and we set the book of Revelation over here okay, 21:33 now everything in between is the Bible. 21:35 So, what's over here everyone? 21:37 Genesis. Genesis, and what's over here everyone? 21:39 Revelation. Revelation, now notice this with me. 21:41 The first two chapters of Genesis have a perfect God, 21:43 and perfect communion with a perfect people. 21:48 The last two chapters of Revelation a perfect God, 21:49 perfect communion with a perfect people. 21:50 Now note with me here, if I was to take one step 21:51 this direction. What chapter would I be in Genesis? 21:56 No what chapter would I be in Genesis, 21:58 I've gone from Genesis 1 and 2 into Genesis chapter 22:01 you've got it, brother Genesis chapter 3. 22:02 Now you say what is the significance about Genesis 22:05 chapter 3? Friends listen very carefully in Genesis 22:08 chapter 3 we find Jesus Christ fighting the thrust battle 22:12 with the serpent on planet earth that's Genesis 3. 22:16 Now follow me all the way through the canon of scripture 22:19 and we come now to Revelation 21 and 22. 22:21 Now if I stepped this way one chapter, 22:24 what chapter would I be in? Revelation. 22:27 Revelation what is that Jason? Chapter 20, 22:29 now listen carefully. What is the significance the 22:31 theological significance of Revelation chapter 20 22:34 chiefly this, the last battle that Jesus Christ fights 22:38 with the serpent on planet earth. Do you begin to see 22:41 the picture yes or no? Get it in your mind on this 22:44 end Eden move one chapter first battle. 22:47 No this end Eden resorted moved one chapter and the last 22:50 battle and so these two great pillars act like bookmarks 22:54 in between which the rest of the Bible, 22:57 the rest of the canon can be fit in place, 22:59 are you with me now, yes or no? Amen. 23:02 So, we say the Bible suggests an Eden-to-Eden 23:04 perspective. That is to say in the beginning of perfect 23:06 God and perfect communion with a perfect people, 23:09 so too in Revelation a perfect God in perfect communion 23:12 with a perfect people. Many theologians have 23:14 recognized this as something the Bible itself suggests. 23:16 Secondarily though the Bible employs a first battle 23:21 and a last battle perspective, are you with me on 23:23 this yes or no? It begins in Genesis 3 and it ends 23:27 in Revelation 20. Now, let's put everything together 23:30 before we progress even one movement further. 23:32 We read through Revelation chapter 12 and its entirety 23:35 and you might me thinking why? Why would be read 23:37 through Revelation 12 and its entirety and the answer 23:39 is just. Revelation chapter 12 more than any other 23:42 chapter in the Bible distills down for us this great 23:46 cosmic, conflict and battle between the forces of light 23:50 and darkness and good and evil. If there was one chapter 23:53 that you will going to pick out of the entire cannon 23:55 of the Bible and say, that's the chapter that's shows 23:57 the great battle, that's the chapter that shows 23:59 the great controversy, you would pick Revelation 12. 24:02 Now what we seen Revelation chapter 12 in microcosm 24:06 that's means small, we see in the entire record 24:10 of scripture in microcosm. What we are going to do now 24:14 is something that I think you will find absolutely amazing 24:17 and very, very thrilling to your soul. 24:20 We are going to take and trace 6 stages of victory, 24:24 6 stages of progress in this great cosmic conflict 24:29 that begin in Genesis 3 extends all the way down 24:32 to Revelation 20 through 6 very distant and 24:36 distinguishable stages. This is a great battle a 24:39 great conflict. You have there Christ and the dragon 24:42 is making war with him and with his people and we 24:45 are going to trace this battle through and notice 24:48 the centrality of the cross. The centrality of what 24:51 word did I say everyone? The cross. The 24:53 cross notice again, we are warning to understand 24:55 the cross but not just from our narrow myopic view, 24:58 we attended to say Oh! the cross that's would Jesus 25:00 pay for my sins, surely that's true friends but 25:03 does the cross mean for the angels? What does the cross 25:06 mean God himself and what was the cross mean for us 25:09 throughout the ceaseless eternal ages when we are 25:12 redeemed sinners. Friends the cross is not just something 25:14 that we say will that's were he forgave my sins. 25:16 Surely that is true, but that is only one half 25:18 of the coin. Let's try to set that cross in a larger more 25:24 powerful and more holistic context, 25:27 as the very centerpiece of the great war between Satan 25:31 and God the great cosmic conflict. 25:34 And friends this is a not a Jorge Lucas film, 25:36 this is reality. Amen. 25:40 So, let's begin then the first stage that we find 25:43 we go to Genesis chapter 3 as we've already suggested. 25:46 Let us go there Genesis chapter 3, 25:48 now they paint the picture here very quickly in 25:51 Genesis chapters 1 and 2 as we've already said we 25:53 find a perfect God in perfect communion with a perfect 25:56 people everything was glorious and beautiful. 25:58 The atmosphere was beautiful, the water was clean, 26:01 the birds were flying overhead and you just can 26:05 let your imagination around while with which, 26:07 with what Eden much have looked like. 26:09 Now Adam and Eve had been placed in this garden 26:12 by God to tended and to keep it and to take care 26:15 of it's. But, in Genesis chapter 3 we are introduced 26:19 to an element that is out of context a discordant note 26:24 in the beauty and the harmony of Eden, 26:26 begging in verse 1, now the serpent was more cunning 26:28 than any beast of the field which the Lord God 26:29 had made. And he said to the woman, 26:31 "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree 26:34 of the garden'?" He begins to insinuate doubt, 26:37 to insinuate what word did I say? 26:39 Doubt. Are you sure that God said that? 26:42 And friends that's the same thing the devil would 26:44 to you and I and this day and it shall say now 26:46 I know think that the Bible says that but are you sure 26:49 that God said that and this is exactly how Satan 26:51 works. He begins to insinuate suddenly and cleverly 26:55 his doubt, notice verse 2. And the woman said 26:58 to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees 26:59 of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree 27:00 which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 27:02 'You shall not eat it, neither shall you touch it, 27:05 lest you die." Verse 4, then the serpent said 27:07 to the woman, five words "He will not surely die. 27:11 But, God had said four words in the date that we 27:12 thou shalt surely die four words and Satan here 27:16 inserts a fifth. Does it change the meaning 27:19 of the sentence yes or no? Oh! Friends these are 27:21 antithetical statements now. They are the exact 27:23 opposite, God had said "ye shall surely die, 27:26 Satan said Ye shall not surely die and I ask you the 27:29 question last night and I repeated again, 27:30 which one do you think would be more pleasing to the 27:34 heart and to the ears of Eve the first or the seconds? 27:38 The second and as we discussed last night 27:39 Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, 27:42 And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 27:44 Friends we are so pruned to deception 27:46 because our heart actually wants to be deceived. 27:50 Amen, Amen. Now notice what happens in verse 5, 27:53 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes 27:57 will be opened, and you will be like God, 27:58 knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw 27:59 that the tree was good for food, that it was desirable 28:02 to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate. 28:03 She gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 28:06 I emphasize the word saw there because the Bible 28:08 says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 we walk by faith, 28:12 not by sight. What is the woman walking by faith in 28:15 God's word or what she saw, what she saw? 28:19 And I remind you again of what we discuss last night 28:21 friends then there was a great signs and miracles 28:23 and wonders that will be permitting and saturating 28:25 a land, many people will be walking by what they see 28:28 and not by what the word of God's says, Amen. 28:32 And they will be committing to same fall that was 28:34 committed there in Eden when Eve chose to stand 28:37 what her eyes told here, what her senses told her 28:40 and not on plan thus say at the Lord. Verse 7, 28:43 Than the eyes of both of them were opened, 28:45 and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed 28:46 fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 28:48 And they heard, this is the one of the most tragic 28:50 verses and all of the Bible certainly, verse 8, 28:52 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking 28:54 in the garden in the cool of the day, 28:55 and Adam and his wife hid themselves, 28:58 friends note those two words very carefully. 28:59 They hid themselves from the presence it says of the 29:03 Lord God, but let me insert a word here that will make 29:05 it even more penitent they hid themselves 29:07 from the presence of their father. Amen. 29:13 Now, I have a son, I have two sons as a matter 29:15 of fact and my oldest son three years old, 29:18 he is almost three I just love him very much 29:21 he is so dear to me, so close to my heart, 29:23 he is just as wild and energetic as I am. 29:26 And I tell you when I come walking into the 29:28 house right now I'm away with him, 29:29 away from him because he is in California while my 29:31 wife is watching her sister give birth. 29:32 And listen carefully when I get to see my boy 29:36 after being away for two weeks, when he sees me 29:38 I can tell you how he responds. 29:40 At the top of his lungs he says papa and he comes 29:43 running and he runs just like me you know my friends 29:45 joke that I run like a bear and he my son will come 29:47 papa and he'll run right up to me and he'll hug me 29:50 and I'll throw my arms around him, throw him in 29:52 the air we wrestle together you can just imagine 29:53 what is like between me and my son. 29:55 Let me tell you what would be devastating 29:58 for the heart of a father. If I come and I say Landon 30:01 and he turns the other direction and in fear 30:07 and trepidation and uncertainty he runs the 30:11 opposite direction. Not in joking, not in play and make 30:14 believe but he is running the other direction because 30:16 he is terrified of me. Do you think that would break 30:19 the heart of a father? Amen. 30:20 Friends what was happening there when 30:22 Adam and Eve ran from the presence they hid 30:24 from the presence of the Lord a relationship have 30:28 been fractured. They had effectively changed their 30:32 loyalty from the side of their Creator and Father 30:34 to the side of the enemy Satan it was as though before 30:39 they have their arms around the Lord. 30:41 They have their arms around their father but 30:43 now that they have transgressed, they have heard 30:45 the words of Satan over the words of God, 30:46 they have now effectively changed loyalties. Amen. 30:51 Are you understanding yes or no? Yes. 30:52 So, when God comes walking into the garden instead 30:54 of finding his children running to him to tell them 30:56 of the exploits and glories of the day, 30:58 He finds them running away in fear and trepidation, 31:02 the heart of God was broken friends. Amen. 31:08 Now, note with me. God then asks Adam three questions. 31:10 What are that? Who told you that you were naked 31:12 and have you eaten of that tree? He blames 31:15 it on the woman. The woman that thou gave wished to 31:16 be with me. She gave me of the tree and 31:18 I did eat and then he asks Eve just one question 31:20 women what is this that thou has done? 31:21 And then he turns and he preaches a serpent 31:24 or a sermon to the serpent. Adam gets three questions, 31:27 Eve gets one but the serpent gets no questions 31:30 because he knew better he had stood in the very 31:32 presence of the throne of God. Amen. 31:35 So, notice. Let's note that sermon in Verse 14 31:37 of Genesis 3: So the LORD God said to the serpent, 31:40 "Because you have done this, you are cursed more 31:41 than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; 31:43 On your belly you will go, And you shall eat dust 31:45 all the days of your life. Verse 15 and I'll put enmity 31:50 the word means hatred, what does the word mean 31:52 everyone? Hatred. 31:53 Hatred between you and the woman, 31:54 And between your seed and her seed; 31:55 He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise 31:58 his heel." Friends this Verse the meaning of this 32:01 Verse is not immediately apparent, we need to go back 32:05 through it see it again. Notice Verse 15 God 32:08 is speaking to the serpent, who is God speaking 32:10 to everyone? Serpent. 32:11 The serpent and he says I will put enmity, 32:14 hatred between you and the woman. 32:16 Why would he say something like that because 32:18 friends at that moment it appeared as though the women 32:21 had a new best bug and that was the serpent, 32:24 they were loyal to one and other they were attached 32:28 to one and other and they were committed to one 32:30 and other and so Jesus God comes into that garden 32:32 and says I'll put enmity, hatred between you two 32:36 where now there is friendship and amicability 32:39 I will make hatred and enmity. Now notice what it goes 32:44 on to say this enmity will bruise your head. 32:48 The word is actually crush, that enmity will crush 32:51 your head but you that enmity will bruise the heal. 32:57 What is being foretold here? Friends this is the very 33:00 first the earliest reference in the Bible to the Cross. 33:04 To the what word did I say? To the Cross. 33:07 God here foretells that the natural affinity that saint 33:11 pardon me that Adam and Eve now have for Satan 33:13 will one day be dissolved and crushed when the 33:16 enmity comes. Who is that enmity? It is Christ 33:20 on the Cross who alone can create in the carnal heart 33:23 of man and antipathy toward the things of Satan. 33:27 Amen. So, friends, number one that victory, 33:30 that victory was declared in Eden. 33:32 In a fact I like to put it this way when I'm trying 33:33 to teach these things to my boys, I'm trying to make 33:35 the Bible more simple and I can't use these words 33:38 that I sometimes use with you and so, 33:39 I say to my boy I say Landon what God here said 33:43 to the devil is effectively you'll get beat up by a girl. 33:50 Amen. Amen. That's what he said. 33:53 Amen. I'm gonna put enmity between you and the 33:54 woman and you're gonna beat up by her. 33:58 Friends here the victory was not yet achieved 34:01 the victory was not even began yet but 34:04 the victory was announced in Eden. 34:08 From the days of Eden it appeared as though Satan 34:10 had won the war, what God is saying you may have 34:12 won the day but the battle and the war will eventually 34:16 be mine. The victory was declared in Eden, the victory 34:19 number two of the stages was begun in the earthly 34:23 ministry of Jesus. Go with me to Luke, Chapter 11. 34:27 Luke, Chapter 11, the victory began in Eden her 34:30 Haptonomy declared in Eden was began and the 34:32 earthly ministry of Jesus. I'm in Luke Chapter 11 34:34 and I'm reading in Verse 14. What Verse are 34:35 we in everyone? 14. Luke 11:14 the Bible says 34:39 and as he was casting out demons, and he was 34:42 casting out a demon and it was mute. 34:44 So, it was when the demon had gone out that the mute 34:46 spoke in the multitudes marveled. 34:48 But some of them said, Ha! Ha! 'He casts out demons 34:50 by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.' 34:52 others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. 34:54 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: 34:56 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought 34:58 to desolation, and a house divided against a house 35:00 falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, 35:02 how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast 35:05 out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons 35:08 by Beelzebub above, by whom do your sons cast them out? 35:10 Therefore they will be your judges. 35:12 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, 35:14 surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 35:18 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, 35:20 his goods are in peace. Notice Verse 22 35:21 "But when a stronger than he comes upon him and 35:24 overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he 35:27 trusted, and divides his spoils.'' What's Jesus saying 35:31 here Jesus is saying what Satan has claimed as his, 35:34 I am reclaiming as mine. 35:37 Amen. Amen. Satan has had this earth under lock 35:40 and key and I am coming back and I am plucking back 35:44 what I claim as my own. In the earthly ministry 35:47 of Jesus he was healing the blood. Amen. 35:50 Raising the dead, he was causing the paralytic to 35:52 standup. He was taking back what Satan had claimed 35:56 as his own. The victory was beginning in the earthly 35:59 ministry of Jesus. Amen. 36:02 In fact we find this no more clearly that in Luke Chapter 36:04 13, note that with me very quickly. In Luke Chapter 36:07 13 we find a remarkable story beginning 36:08 in Verse 10, Luke 13 and Verse 10. Now he was 36:11 teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 36:13 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit 36:14 of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over 36:16 and can no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw 36:18 her, He called her and he said "Woman, 36:20 you are loosed from your infirmity." 36:22 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately 36:24 she was made straight, and glorified God. 36:26 Friends let me make a quick note here, 36:27 it is just like the devil to make you crook and bend 36:29 you over and just like God that straighten you up. 36:32 Amen. Amen. Verse 14: But the ruler of the synagogue 36:36 answered with indignation, because Jesus had 36:38 healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, 36:39 "There are six days on which men ought to work; 36:42 therefore come and be healed on them, 36:43 and not on the Sabbath day." And notice Verse 15: 36:45 The Lord then answered and said to them, 36:46 "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath 36:49 loose his ox or donkey from the stall, 36:50 and lead it away to water it? All of those verses 36:52 were read to set the context for Verse 16. 36:57 Notice with me Verse 16: "So ought not this woman, 37:00 being a daughter of Abraham, a daughter of who 37:02 everyone? Abraham. Whom Satan has bond 37:08 That's the one. Who had bound her? Satan 37:10 Satan has bound think of it for eighteen years, 37:14 be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" 37:16 Jesus doest not accept any responsibility or capability 37:21 with the women's infirmity and sickness. 37:23 He says that devil bond her over and I straight her up. 37:25 Amen. Amen. Amen. Friends the picture here is 37:29 one of Jesus and I have this picture in my fertile 37:31 imagination and Jesus is just going like this and he 37:34 is walking and reclaiming the very territory, 37:37 the very people, the very cities, the very villages, 37:39 the very landscape that Satan had claimed as his own. 37:42 This victory was beginning in the earthly ministry 37:45 of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Yeah. 37:47 Are you with me on that? And notice this number 37:50 one victory begins it was declared in Eden, 37:54 the victory was begun in the earthly ministry of Jesus 37:57 and Halleluiah number 3 the victory of Christ 38:00 over Satan was achieved on the Cross. Amen. 38:04 Let me show just one Verse to that effect and we're going 38:05 to talk more about this on Sunday but notice 38:07 with me John Chapter 12. John what chapter are 38:10 we going to? 12. John Chapter 12 and notice with me 38:13 Verse 32 actually we'll begin in Verse 31 38:18 and then we will move to Verse 32. John 12:31 Jesus 38:22 says now, what word does he say everyone? 38:25 Now. What is now mean? Right now. 38:27 Means now that's easy right I should write 38:29 a dictionary now means now. It doesn't mean Past 38:33 Tense and it doesn't mean Future Tense now 38:34 is right now. Notice what he says now is the judgment 38:38 of this world, notice the word again, now. 38:41 The ruler of this world will be cast out. Who 38:45 is the ruler of this world? To whom is he referring? 38:46 Satan. He is referring to Satan he uses that term 38:49 three times by the way to refer a Satan. 38:51 The prince of this world, the prince of this world, 38:54 the prince of this world and notice what Jesus says 38:55 He says now the prince of this world is cast out. 38:59 Now for those of you who are thinking, 39:01 you would notice that we have already come across 39:03 this very same language in Revelation Chapter 12 39:05 in Verse 9 he was cast out, he was cast out, 39:07 he was cast out, and that's what the entire sermon 39:09 on Sunday is about. But notice with me just one thing 39:12 Jesus says two times now is the judgment 39:15 of this world, now is the ruler of this world cast out 39:17 and we might reasonably ask the question when is now? 39:22 And you read Verse 32. Jesus and I, if I am lifted up 39:26 from the earth I will draw all peoples to myself. 39:30 What is he referring to when he says if I lifted up 39:32 from the earth I will draw all peoples to myself. 39:34 To what is he referring? Cross. 39:36 The Cross, so notice what Jesus says in the immediate 39:39 context of the Cross Satan was cast out and defeated. Say 39:45 context of the Cross Satan say amen if that 39:46 makes sense. Amen. Now friends note that carefully, 39:49 in fact I just cannot resist. You are right there 39:50 in John Chapter 12, notice with me John Chapter 14, 39:53 very quickly John Chapter 14 I'm counting on your 39:55 dexterous fingers to get there quickly. 39:57 John 14 in Verse 30 Jesus says I will no longer talk 40:00 with you for the ruler of this world is coming 40:02 and he has nothing in me. Amen. 40:06 He's cast out, he is judge what can you do? 40:09 Notice John Chapter 16 the same Verse 11, 40:12 John 16 in Verse 11 of judgment because the ruler 40:15 of this world is judged. Three times Jesus this almost 40:19 cryptic phrase here, the ruler of this world is judged, 40:22 he is judged, he is judged, he is cast out. Amen. 40:26 Now in each instance the casting out of Satan 40:30 is in the context, the immediate context 40:33 of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Amen. 40:35 Now, let me read to you a powerful passage 40:37 of scripture taking from the writings of the 40:39 Apostle Paul, Colossians 2:15 notice this Verse 40:42 of scripture very carefully. It says and the hostile 40:45 princes and rulers He shook off from Himself, 40:48 and boldly displayed them as His conquests, 40:50 the word is trophies when by the Cross He triumphed 40:53 over them. Amen, Amen. 40:55 Friends the picture here I wish I have time to go into 40:57 the etymology of the word here that he displayed 41:01 the message conquest, the word there in the 41:03 Greek if you look it up in a lexicon is the same 41:06 word that would be used when army would defeat 41:07 another army and they would take that king 41:10 and they would strip him naked and sometimes 41:12 they poke his eyes out and they would lead him 41:14 humiliated, defeated and make it through the streets. 41:16 That's the word that is here employed, 41:19 it says that on the Cross, where everyone? 41:22 By the cross, he triumphed over who? 41:24 Over these princes and principalities powers namely 41:28 Satan himself, friends Satan was humiliated on the Cross. 41:31 Amen. Amen. He thought he gained the victory, 41:35 but just as he thought he had Jesus where he wanted 41:37 him. He bore his chest only to receive the stroke of 41:42 death. Friends the victory was announced in Eden, 41:47 the victory was began in the earthly ministry of Jesus 41:50 and according to Jesus himself the victory was achieved 41:53 on the Cross. Halleluiah the number four the victory 41:57 was proclaimed in the resurrection. Amen. Amen. 42:02 Let's go to Acts Chapter 2, Acts Chapter 2 and the 42:05 Apostle Peter is preaching. Who is preaching? Peter. 42:08 Peter is preaching, notice with me in Acts Chapter 2, 42:12 we could read all of Acts 2 if time allowed but 42:15 we're just going to read a few Verses here in Acts 42:17 Chapter 2. It's the day of Pentecost Peter 42:19 is preaching his heart out and we'll pick it up in Verse 42:21 22 Acts 2 and Verse 22. "Men of Israel, hear these 42:27 words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God 42:31 to you by miracles wonders and signs that God 42:33 did through him in your midst, as you yourselves 42:36 also know him being delivered by the determinant 42:40 purpose and for knowledge of God you have taken 42:42 by lawless hands and have crucified and put to the 42:44 death. What's he saying in Verse 23, 42:45 what he is saying in Verse 23 is you did it but God 42:49 ordained it. Verse 24 whom God raised up, 42:54 can you say Amen? Amen. 42:56 Whom God raised up having loosed to pains of death, 42:58 because it was not possible that he should 43:00 be held by it. Amen. Verse 25: For David says 43:03 concerning him, and Peter does something 43:05 remarkable here. Peter begins to quote from the 43:07 Psalms and in the Psalms the traditional interpretation 43:11 of the rabies, their binnacle interpretation of the day 43:14 was that when David resided these words when David 43:17 wrote these words, he was talking about himself. 43:19 But Peter here does something remarkable 43:21 he interprets these Psalms against the backdrop 43:24 of the messianic identity in resurrection of Jesus 43:27 and he says he was not talking about himself, 43:30 he has talking about Jesus. Amen. 43:32 Notice it here beginning in Verse 25. 43:33 I foresaw the Lord always before my face, 43:35 for he is on my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 43:37 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue 43:40 was glad; moreover also my flesh will rest in hope. 43:43 For you will not leave my soul in Hades, 43:45 nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption, 43:48 the word means decay. Verse 28 for you have made 43:51 known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy 43:54 in Your presence. And then he says in Verse 29 43:57 men and brethren let me freely speak to you of the 44:00 patriot David. I like that. Friends let me just tell you 44:04 about David, that's what he is saying that he 44:06 is both dead and what? Buried. 44:10 And his tomb is with us today. Amen. 44:13 Do you say what he is saying? Amen. 44:14 He go to the tomb of David, 44:15 go in there and exhume his body and you will find. 44:19 He is still in there. He wasn't writing about himself 44:22 when the spirit of God inspired him to write these 44:25 words in Psalms he was writing about Jesus. 44:27 Notice Verse 30 therefore being a prophet and 44:29 knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him 44:31 that of the fruit of his body according to the flesh 44:34 he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne. 44:37 Who would he raise up everyone? Christ. 44:39 The Christ. He, foreseeing this spoke concerning 44:42 the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul 44:46 was not left in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption. 44:50 And friends we can read the whole thing Verse 44:51 32 This Jesus God has raised up of whom 44:54 we are witnesses. What is Peter preaching on the day 44:57 of Pentecost, what's the whole point of this sermon. 45:00 The resurrection, he is preaching resurrection over 45:04 and over again, he just keeps revisiting that theme 45:07 and reinvesting that theme, he says you crucified him, 45:09 you put him in the tomb but god raised him up, 45:11 he raised him up, he raised him up why because 45:14 through the resurrection friends the victory of Christ 45:17 over death and sin and Satan was proclaimed. 45:21 Amen. And friends as we discussed the other 45:23 evening if Jesus can go into the Cross or into the tomb 45:27 and then walk back out then you and I can follow him 45:29 into the tomb if the Lord allows and wills 45:31 and you and I can follow him right back out. 45:33 Amen? Amen. Praise the Lord death 45:36 will not have the last laugh. Amen. 45:39 And friends let me speak to you. Let me speak to you 45:41 very quickly and very candidly. The other day Jason 45:45 and I went visited a dear friend of ours, a dear friend 45:47 who at this very moment is in a bed in his house 45:50 who is dying of metastasis bone cancer. 45:53 A Christian man, a godly man who has given his life 45:56 for the preaching of the Gospel man named Dan Collins 45:59 a powerful of Evangelist not powerful in his own 46:02 right he would detest me even suggesting that but 46:05 powerful through the spirit of God speaking through 46:07 him, he was converted from the life of departuary 46:10 and depravity, he had gone all the way that way 46:13 and he has come all the way back and if you ever 46:15 want to meet somebody that's wild for the Lord Jesus 46:17 then Collins is the man. You know pastor Asscherick 46:20 is well friends are nothing compared to this man. 46:22 Amen. We went and we visited with him. 46:25 And a man who is used to be so strong and robust, 46:27 his muscles practically burst out of this shirt 46:29 he is in his hospital bed and he is frail and he withering 46:33 away and his emaciated condition but 46:35 I tell you the devil has not touched his face. Amen. 46:39 He is still close and as we sat down Jason 46:41 and I went over to encourage him, 46:43 we are gonna go give the old man some encouragement. 46:46 He had love me saying that by the way, the old man. 46:48 We gonna go give him some encouragement, 46:50 giving some inspiration friends we went to encourage 46:52 and we came away encouraged. Amen. 46:54 We went to inspire and we came away inspired. 46:57 Why because he is a man on his death bed staring 47:00 death right in the face, looking the devil right 47:02 in the eye and he has no fear because Jesus 47:05 has already been there. Amen. Amen. 47:07 Friends that's the beauty of the resurrection 47:10 is that if Jesus went in came out then you 47:12 and I if God wills go in and he'll take us out. 47:15 Amen. Friends that's the glory of the resurrection, 47:18 death has no more power. Sin has no more grip. 47:24 And yet we spend our lives. Oh I am gonna say this, 47:27 and yet we spend time looking and enjoying the beauties 47:33 the so called beauties and the sweetness of sin. 47:36 Friends sin brings about death, 47:38 sin is the very that put Jesus on the Cross. 47:41 Sin is not funny, Amen. Amen. 47:44 And you turn on a sit calm and you laughed 47:46 at it and if its sin it's not funny. 47:47 The Bible says in Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock 47:51 at sin. Amen. Friends listen to me very carefully 47:54 I urge upon you, if you want to have confidence 47:56 as you face death, if you want to be like brother 47:59 Dan Collins staring Satan and death right in the face 48:01 with confidence knowing that you will go in 48:04 and come out. You must, what word did I say? 48:07 Must. Must to the power of the Spirit begin 48:09 to develop a detestation that is a hate for sin. 48:13 Amen. Amen. Sin cannot be enjoyably you know 48:16 when you think you're gonna come following Jesus 48:17 out of the tomb, no. Friends sin must be that thing 48:22 which we hate. What did Jesus say there? 48:24 What did Jesus say in Genesis Chapter 3 in Verse 15 48:26 and I will put an affinity between thee and 48:29 the women? No. No, no, no, he said I'll put enmity 48:31 between thee and the woman. 48:32 You will hate the things you used to love 48:34 and love the things you used to hate. Amen. Amen. 48:38 Amen. Jason and I today just read an article 48:40 as we were traveling up to Lancing and I was thinking 48:42 about that article and it's a story from a Ephesians 48:44 or a story from Acts when the Ephesians powered 48:47 and then he preached the Gospel they had their 48:49 worship of Diana and oh they love to worship Diana but 48:53 when Paul preached the Gospel they saw that their worship 48:54 of Diana was nothing more than adultery and magic 48:58 and sorcery and the Bible says that they took those 49:00 books and they burned them. Amen. 49:02 What did they do friends? They burned the books. 49:05 Now what do you have in your life that needs 49:06 to burned? Amen. What are you holding on to? 49:09 Friends you got some videos in your house that need 49:11 to be burn, go burn them. Amen. Amen. 49:14 You got some things in your house that need 49:16 to be burnt go burn. Amen, yes. 49:18 Friends we need to come all the way out. Amen. 49:21 And here is the glory not in your strength. 49:23 You have no strength. But the strength of Christ 49:26 has made perfect in pathetic weakness. 49:28 Friends as you claim to the victory already gained 49:30 on your behalf Jesus has already defeated Satan. 49:33 He is a defeated for he is ripped dog. Amen. Amen. 49:37 You can't beat the Satan on your own you just trust 49:39 in the victory already gained for you and you go 49:41 through your clauses and through your refrigerator 49:44 and through your entertainment you go through 49:46 your house and you take out all the magic books 49:48 and throw them away. Amen. Amen. 49:50 Are you with me now? Amen. Friends the victory 49:54 was declared, declared in the resurrection and if you want 49:58 to have confidence going into that tomb. 49:59 Friends you need to be living like that today. 50:04 Are you with me? Amen. Friends the victory 50:07 was proclaimed in the resurrection and the victory 50:11 is continued in the, what is that word? 50:15 The victory is continued in the church. 50:17 Go with me in your Bible to Acts chapter 26. 50:19 Acts, what chapter are we going to? Chapter 26, 50:22 the Apostle Paul is retelling his testimony. And 50:24 as he tells his testimony, he tells us the story, 50:28 when he was riding on his high horse to Damascus. 50:31 And the Lord came and interrupted him. 50:35 And in Acts chapter 26 and I'm reading now in verse 14. 50:37 And when had fell onto the ground and 50:39 I heard a voice speaking to me and saying 50:41 in the Hebrew language, "Saul, Saul, 50:42 why are you persecuting me?" It is hard for you 50:45 to kick against the pricks. Verse 16, so I said, 50:48 who are you Lord? Verse 15, continues I'm Jesus, 50:54 whom you're prosecuting. And verse 16, 50:56 but rise and stand on your feet for I have appeared 51:00 to you for this purpose, ]to make you a minister 51:03 and the witness. Let me stop on those two words 51:06 to make him, what everyone? A minister and the witness. 51:09 So, let me tell you something, the Apostle Paul 51:11 was not some super saint. In fact, he was a super 51:13 prosecute. And Christ called him to be a minister 51:17 and a witness and every single person that becomes 51:19 to devoted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ 51:21 also was called to be a minister and the witness. 51:25 Amen. There is no such thing is a Christian 51:28 who doesn't share. I like the way my good friend, 51:30 Doctor Samuel Pippen puts it, 51:32 if you're not a missionary your mission failed, amen. 51:36 Amen. Friends, if you're not out sharing, 51:38 if you're not out being a minister and the witness 51:41 and somebody needs to minister and witness to you, 51:44 amen. He says, I have appeared to you for this purpose 51:46 to make you a minister and the witness both 51:49 of the things, which you've seen end of the things, 51:51 which I will yet revealed you. Verse 17, 51:52 he says it right here. I will deliver you from 51:55 the Jewish people as well as from the gentiles 51:57 to whom I now send you, why, 51:58 why are you sending me to the gentiles Jesus? 52:00 Let me tell you in verse 18, to open their eyes. 52:03 In order to turn them from darkness to light 52:05 and from the power of, what everyone? 52:07 Satan, Satan to God's. That they may receive 52:09 forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those 52:12 who were sanctified by faith in me. 52:13 Notice that the transition from darkness to light 52:15 and from Satan to God that Paul would be 52:17 instrumental helping people to make that transition, 52:21 amen. Amen. Friends Jesus doesn't save us, 52:23 so that we can sit on our lazy boy and be saved. 52:27 He saves us, so we can be ministers and witness 52:29 and so forth the praises of him, who is called 52:31 that's out of darkness into his marvelous light. 52:33 Amen, amen. Why would it be the God would involve 52:36 the church? Friends because the victory that 52:39 was gained by Christ on the cross proclaimed 52:41 on the resurrection must now be continued 52:44 in the church and that's why you have these 52:45 great hymns, a legacy of great hymns 52:47 like on word Christian, what. 52:51 Soldiers. Soldiers marching as toward. 52:54 You ever have seen people march toward. 52:55 They don't do it in a slatternly manner or some 52:57 going this way, some going that way, 52:59 they marched with synchronicity, 53:01 they marched with power, they marched with conviction, 53:05 amen. Amen. Not a rag tag bunch a motley crew. 53:08 Each one going in their own way, no, no, no friends, 53:10 we're unified in Christ. Black man, white man, male, 53:13 female, you name and unified in Jesus, amen, why? 53:17 To show forth the praises of him, 53:19 who called us out of darkness of darkness in the 53:20 marvelous light to go tell, the victory is achieve, 53:22 the victory is proclaimed, amen. Amen. 53:26 In the church, amen, friends God calls you to be 53:29 a witness of what Jesus has done on the cross, 53:31 amen. Your neighbors know what Jesus did on 53:33 the cross. Somebody better tell him friends, amen. 53:37 Amen. And if you don't do it the stones will cry out. 53:42 And let us continue as we go to our last point. 53:44 The victory was continued in the church and it will be 53:46 concluded after the 1000 years. You know, 53:49 friends the devils is gonna take a long vacation 53:51 and eternal one. And I'm in Revelation chapter 20. 53:54 Last verse, Revelation chapter 20 and I'm reading 53:58 in verse 7. We began in Genesis and we have 54:01 trace this Great War, this great conflict all the way 54:04 through the pages of scripture, 54:06 and it concludes in Revelation chapter 20, 54:07 beginning in verse 7. Now, when the 1000 years 54:09 of expired, Satan will be released from his 54:11 prison and will go out to deceive the nations, 54:13 which were in the four corners of the earth Gog 54:15 and Magog together them for battle. 54:17 To the battle, the number of whom is as the sand 54:19 of the sea. And they went up on the breadth 54:20 of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints 54:22 and the beloved city: and fire came down from God 54:24 out of heaven, and did what everyone, 54:26 devoured them. The devil who deceived them, 54:28 was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, 54:31 where the beast and the false prophet are, 54:32 and would be tormented day and night forever 54:34 and ever. The devil will be destroyed, 54:37 can you say amen? Amen. 54:38 The instigator of the rebellion will finally be 54:41 destroyed and you can be destroyed with him, 54:44 if you don't repent. Amen. Amen. Amen. 54:48 Trust in Jesus and what he has done for you. 54:50 So, notice it here friends, the sixth stages of victory, 54:52 it was declared in Eden, it was be gone in the 54:54 earthly ministry of Jesus. It was achieved on the cross, 54:57 it's a victory already gained for you, are you need 54:58 to do is live in the victory, amen. Amen. 55:01 You don't need to go out and flex your muscles 55:02 to the devil. He love for you to think 55:04 it's your power to get through the victory. 55:06 You just trust in the victory that he is already gained. 55:09 Proclaimed in resurrection, continued in the church, 55:11 as ministers and witnesses and concluded 55:13 after the 1000 years. Friends, in Revelation chapter 19, 55:16 Jesus is depicted his rising, riding into battle, 55:19 victorious on a white stallion. 55:21 I put to you today this question; 55:23 it is time to decide friends. And my question for you 55:26 is who side are you walk? Amen. 55:31 We have traced this cosmic conflict, 55:32 this cosmic battle, not only through Revelation 12, 55:35 which is the distillation of a conflict. 55:37 It is the chapter more than any other chapter 55:39 that just stills that conflict down, 55:40 but we have trace it through the whole Bible 55:42 and we have seen the six phases, the six stages. 55:45 And I have got a news for you, you already know 55:47 the outcome, you know, who wins. So, 55:50 why a lying yourself by side yourself was Satan. 55:53 He is going to be defeated, amen. Amen. 55:56 Friends, lying yourself with Jesus, amen, 55:58 stand behind the cross, nothing in my hand 56:00 I bring simply to the cross I claimed. 56:04 Now, I want you to stand to your feet, 56:05 if you want to claim to that cross stand up with me, 56:06 won't you? Say, I'm on that, 56:08 I want to be on Jesus team. Amen. 56:11 I want to be on the winning team. 56:12 Everybody should be standing friends. 56:14 Nobody wants to be a loser, amen. Amen. 56:17 You want to be winners, amen. You want to be winners 56:20 for Jesus, amen. Friends you can win with Jesus. |
Revised 2014-12-17