Colossians 2:11-15 | The Victory of the King

children in the service. So, your children are going to maybe be a little bit squeamish and wiggly and stuff like that. It's okay. We love having children in this service. Amen. Amen. >> It's the sign of a healthy and growing church. Uh cuz we we we want that wiggliness, right? And uh so I'm glad that you're here. I'm glad that your child's here. Um we do take time at the beginning of our service to prepare our hearts for worship. And so uh parents that have been uh busy doing different things for Easter, this is a time for you to quiet your heart and prepare your mind and focus on the Lord. So if you would bow your heads and close your eyes. Our gracious Lord, we do thank you for this day that you've given to us. We just thank you for the time that we get to have uh to celebrate the resurrection. Lord, in our church, we we talk often about uh the gospel. We talk often about the hope that people can have in Christ. And I thank you, Lord, that so many people uh are here to uh to remember what you've done uh when you came to this earth when you died on the cross for our sins. And more than that, you rose again on the third day. We glory in the cross of Jesus Christ. We thank you for the hope that we have of eternal life that's founded in the truth of your resurrection. Thank you that you didn't just uh come out as a symbol or that you didn't just come out um in a in a spiritual way, but that you physically rose again. And now as a result of that, you have all authority. And we just thank you, Jesus. As we uh worship you, as we praise you today, as we pay attention to the preaching of the word, may you be glorified in Jesus name. Amen. Our passage this morning just as a call to worship is just from the resurrection account found in Luke 24. It says, "But on the first day of the week at early

dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen. >> Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. And they remembered his words. And returning to the tomb, they told all the rest all these things to the 11 and to all the rest. Now, it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idol tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb, stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves, and he went home, marveling at what had happened. Let's all stand together and let's worship the Lord Jesus. I heard an old old story. How a savior came from glory. How he gave his life on Calvary to save a rich like me. I heard about his groaning of his precious blood atoning. Then I repented of my sins and won the victory. Oh, victory in Jesus my savior. And he bought me with his redeeing blood. He knew him and all my love is to him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flow. I heard about his healing of his cleansing power revealing how he made the lame to walk again and cause the blind to see. And then I cried, "Dear Jesus, come and

heal the broken spirit." And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory. Oh victory in Jesus my savior forever. He saw me and bought me with his redeeming blood. He loved me. I knew him and all my love is to him. He plunged me into victory beneath the cleansing blood. I heard about a mansion. He has built for me in glory. And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea about the angels singing and the old redemption story. And some sweet day I'll sing out there the song of victory. The victory in Jesus my savior forever. He sought me and bought me with his redeeing blood. He love me. I knew him and all my love is to him. He pushed me to victory. Beneath the cleansing victory is Jesus my savior forever. He saw me and body with his redeeing blood. I knew him and all is to him. He comes to victory. He Magnificent, marvelous, matchless love to rest and astounding to tell, forever existing in worlds above, now offered and given to all. Oh fountain of beauty eternal, the father, the spirit, the son, sufficient and endlessly generous, magnificent, marvelous, matchless love. Creation is brimming with thankfulness. The mountains exalt and they stand. The seasons rejoice in your faithfulness. All life is sustained by your hand.

You crown every meadow with color. You paint every shade in the sky. Each day the dawn wakes is an arm for all. Magnificent marvelous matchless love. All grace how sure his love endures forever more and mares. What grace that you entered our brokenness. You came in the fullness of time. How far we have fallen from righteousness, but not from the mercies of Christ. Your cross is our door to redemption. Your death is our fullness of life. That day how forgiveness flowed as above. Magnificent marvel of his fles love. How great how his love is forever and marvelous. United in your resurrection. You lift us to infinite heights. Could anything sever or take us from magnificent, marvelous, matchless love. How great, how sure his love endures forever more. That's love. Good morning church. You guys can be seated for just a moment. All right. So now is the time of our service where we continue to worship God through our giving. Um so I'm going to pray real quick. If you wouldn't would if you wouldn't mind bow your heads with me and uh let's pray. Father we just come to you Lord. Lord we thank you for this uh beautiful day to to just come and worship you. And Lord we we pray uh a special blessing over this offering that that we're about to take up for you, Father. And uh Lord, we just ask that you just compress it, Lord, and

just turn it into um a magnificent use for for your kingdom. And Lord, that give us the wisdom to to use it in a way that glorifies you. We pray this in your son's name. Amen. >> All right. So, uh we're going to have a little reading here out of 1 Corinthians 15:50 through 58. I tell you this, brothers, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be rised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must be put on the imperishable and this mortal body must be put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on the immortal. When the perishable did I read that twice? Okay, sorry. When the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on the mort on mortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song, this cornerstone. This solid ground firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are sealed, when striving cease. My comforter, my all in all. Here in the love of Christ I stand in Christ alone who took on flesh

fullness of God in helpless faith. This gift of love and righteousness scorned by the ones he came to save till on the cross as Jesus died. The wrath of God was satisfied for every sin on him was laid. Here in the death of Christ I live. There in the ground his body laid. Light of the world by darkness slain. mercy from the gra. He is mine. Oh, with the precious blood of Christ, no guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From my subscribe to final bre Jesus commands my no return here in the Christ. All power of ste here in the power of Christ stand. All I once held dear, built my life upon all this world reverses and wars to all. Oh, I once thought game I had counted loss, spent, and worthless. Thou come to this knowing you Jesus. Knowing you there is no gater. You're my all the best. You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love you, Lord. My heart's desire is to know you more to be found in you and known as yours. To possess by faith what I could not earn. All surpassing

gift of rightuousness knowing you Jesus knowing you there is no way. You're my all the best. You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love you, Lord. Oh, to know the power of your ris life and to know you in your sufferings to become like you in your death my Lord. go with you to them and never you my best. You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love you, Lord. Knowing you, Jesus. Knowing you, there is no greater thing. You're my all. You're the best. You're my joy, my rightousness. And I love you, Lord. Heavenly Father, we do love you because you first loved us. We praise you for the opportunity that we have to know you, not just as our God and creator, but personally. And we thank you for Jesus, whose sacrifice on the cross makes that possible, that we can live in a right relationship with you and no longer live under condemnation. And father, we thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit to live within us and all those who believe to guide us into truth into understanding your word and deeper relationship with you. Lord, we pray for our time of teaching now as the men come and share your word. May it draw us ever closer to you in

Jesus name. Amen. Is it on? It's on here. Okay. All the kids, come on up here. All right. Okay. Come on. Gather out. Oh, you're close. You're going to get it. I can tell. Come on. Oh, wait. There you are. I knew you were going to be here. Sammy. Sam, are you there? Sam. Sam, can I pick on you? Did he say no? You said okay. Okay. >> He said sure. That's unusual. All right, you parents, I want you to know that I was worried about teaching these kids, young kids, this is our future. I was worried that something I might say would offend or they wouldn't understand. But then something Thomas said this morning, the Holy Spirit's talking here. It's not me. We also sang my favorite song this morning. First thing when I was preparing the lesson, I was singing, "Oh, victory in Jesus." Because without Jesus, there is no victory. >> There's nothing. >> There's nothing. There you go. >> Say that again. >> There's absolutely nothing. >> All right. Did you hear him? Absolutely nothing. We're going to talk about stories. Okay. The Bible's full of stories. Every story, every parable, every teaching in that Bible is true. >> Okay, everyone. >> But we're going to talk about two types of stories. We're going to talk about true stories and we're going to talk about >> nonfiction stories. >> Well, pretty good. All right. Untrue stories. And I'm going to give you

examples. I wore my my fishing shirt today. Everybody seen my fishing shirt? Sam, you haven't said anything smart I like about my fishing shirt. >> Okay, so we're going to talk about fishing a little bit, too. First thing, uh, first story, I was born in Kansas City, Missouri, February the 8th, 1951. Now, for you parents, I'm 75. You don't have to do all the math there, okay? And I lived in Kansas City for a long time. Okay. I I got into the army, okay? And I worked and I retired and I become a member of First Baptist Church, the best church in Camden. Okay? Now, that's a true story. Okay? Now, I'm going to tell you a fishing story, and you can tell me whether it's true or not. Okay? One day I was on my dock and I was fishing. Okay. Threw my fishing fish. line. Yeah. Thank you very much. Threw my line in the lake and was sitting there and I thought fishing line. >> Okay. It's called fishing line. Thank you very much. And I thought, well, there's no fish in this lake. I just not. And all of a sudden, a fish got a hold of my line. Oh man, did he pull. And he fought. He was so strong, he pulled me in the lake. And then we kept going. We kept going. And he was strong. He was so strong. Pretty soon I could ski behind this fish. >> Okay. And then all of a sudden after a while he got tired. I brought him back to the shore and I cranked him up with this little crank I've got. He was a huge fish. He was at least seven feet tall. >> No, there's no sharks in the lake OF THE OZARK. >> WELL, NAH, there's some big catfish, but this wasn't a catfish. Okay. Now, I was looking at this fish and he reminded me

of somebody in the church, my community group teacher, Brother Dale. Okay. Where are you at, Dale? There he is back over there. Okay. Now, Dale doesn't look like a fish, does he? Don't answer that. Okay, that's fine. But now I'm sitting there and I'm looking at this fish and I can't think of why I would be thinking of brother Dale. And then it dawned on me. That fish didn't have any hair either. >> Okay, now let me ask you a question. Is that a true story or was that an untrue story? >> Fake. Okay. You're right. You're right. Okay. So, let's talk about a story in the Bible. You're going to hear it today. We've already heard it. We already sang it in Victory in Jesus. We're going to talk about Jesus Christ and the price that he paid for us. Okay? And I'm going to give you a little special piece of candy here. I'll even show it to you. >> Okay? >> I got two big guys. Where are they at? There they are. >> They're going to give the candy out. >> Okay. But see this piece of candy? >> It's very special. And I'm going to talk to you about that. >> Jesus came to earth and he was here for 33 years. He taught for three. And he taught the same lesson every time. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That's a tremendous lesson. At one time, he was led to Calvary. You know where I'm going with this, right? >> What happened on Calvar's hill? Yes. >> He was crucified. >> He was crucified. Do you know what that means? He was hung on a cross and he died. He bled on that cross. Yes, Wayne. It means that he died on the cross.

>> That's right. Very good. >> Yes. >> And they also put a crown of thorns. >> They put a crown of thorns on his head. >> Uhoh. Yes. Yes. >> Very good. Died on the cross for our sins. Yes. >> Okay. Very good. I don't even need to teach, do I? Huh? >> Well, you guys are smart. >> I'll take over. Thomas, I'm losing it here. >> All right, here we go. Jesus died on the cross. He's on the cross. They put the crown of thorns on his head. A soldier came by and stuck a spear in his side. What would happen if somebody stuck a spear in your side? Would you bleed? >> Okay. Do you think God bled? Jesus bled. >> Okay. Yeah, he did. He shed his blood for us. >> And that's a true story. Now, the story doesn't end there. Okay. Did Jesus die on that cross? >> Yes, he did. We've already said that. >> Did he get buried? Oh, now think about it. >> What happened three days later? Jesus was buried that day in a tomb. What happened three days later? >> He rose again. >> He was >> He rose again. Same thing. Okay. Now, this is interesting because in this tomb, they put this big old rock over the top of his tomb. >> Yeah. Big boulder. But when when the ladies came >> the three Thomas I don't need to teach these kids. Goodness >> the stone was rolled away. >> Okay. Now did Jesus have to have the stone rolled away for him to come out of there? >> No. >> No. Because God had gave him all authority.

>> Okay. So that all comes down to this. To believe your ABCs. Admit that you're a sinner. >> B. I'm sorry. Yes. >> Believe that Jesus said. >> That's good. I'm looking for some of the BBS kids because this really goes with them. Yes. Let's see. >> Very good. Say it again. Um, confess your face as Jesus Christ as your savior and lord. >> There you go. ABCs. And if you do that because of what Jesus did for us, where are we going to meet him in the air? What's it called? >> Who said that? >> Was somebody back over there? I know it wasn't Sam. So, heaven and Okay, we're going to meet him in the air if we're saved. Everybody believe that. Well, this is the quietest I've ever seen this group, especially you. Okay, I tell you what, let's bow our heads and pray because pastor needs all the time he can get for this message this morning. I know him. Okay, let's pray. >> Heavenly Father, we're thankful, Lord, for your sacrifice for us, what you paid the price on Calvar's Hill on that cross, the terrible surroundings that you suffered, you bled, you died for us, and you were buried. But that's not the end of the story. In three days, you arose again, the victorious God, giving salvation to all that believe, that come to him in Christ's name. Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice, what you've done for us. We'd ask, Lord, that you'd again bless the rest of this service. Bless all these kids, Lord. May they understand. May they grow in Christ. In Jesus name we'd ask. Amen.

>> Okay. Where's my boys? There they are. >> Huh? >> I forgot to tell you. >> I sure can. >> The white is how pure Jesus is >> and and we're always uh so thankful to see our children coming uh forward to um participate in this. Brother Larry, thank you so much. Why don't y'all give Larry a a clap of appreciation? Now, Larry, are you sure that you didn't see a fish that looked like Dale? I'm joking. I'm joking. Um, back at Christmas, we talked about Christ being the king who was promised and brought us peace and joy. We took a look at how Jesus is the king born in a manger and how he will return soon. Last week for Palm Sunday, we talked about Jesus arriving as the king in Jerusalem. And on Good Friday, we talked about how the king of the universe was betrayed and murdered. But today, we are looking at the victory of the king. Amen. >> It is true that the king, he has won. And he won through his sacrifice. He didn't stay dead in the grave, but he rose again on the third day. Now, our world has a long and rich and diverse history of all sorts of kings. Uh, one of the best kings in all of history is Alfred the Great. Does anybody know Alfred the Great? Yeah, maybe like one or two of you. Uh, he's called the Great Not because he had a gigantic kingdom. Uh, you know, you think of Alexander the Great or Cyrus the Great or Darius the Great. Uh, Alfred was called the great not because of military expansion but because of his pursuit of justice. and the benefit of his subjects. That's how he considered himself as the king. Not as the royal king that deserves everything, but as a servant to his people. He he changed the legal system. He actually founded it uh uh Britain's

government on the word of God. And he focused on things like fairness and and restraint and accountability even for judges. Uh he removed unlawful judges. uh or incompetent officials. He he even took it upon himself to make sure that people could read and write. He personally spent time creating a rudimentary education system uh because he believed that educated people were a benefit to society. He focused on the defense of his people and he created not just forts to protect armies but fortified towns and cities to protect the people. when uh the the Vikings came and they attacked, he leaned on the Lord for wisdom and direction. And he actually defeated those foes time and time again and stabilized Britain. But for all of his greatness, Alfred, he couldn't remove sin, couldn't change people's hearts, he couldn't defeat death. Uh you can actually still go to his his crypt today because that's where he is. And he was a good king. But Jesus is the king of kings. He is the true and the universal king, the greater king, the victorious king. And his kingdom was not established by a war in the physical realm, but is established by the empty tomb. So with that in mind, let's stand together in honor of God's word as we read Colossians chapter 2 verses 11- 15. God's word, it says this. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its delete with its

legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him. Let's pray. God, we do ask that today that you would grant us understanding. Uh help us to stay focused on the the the passage as it is presented to us. We ask Lord that you would move among us, that you would speak to our hearts this morning. Thank you for each person that's here. We glorify you today. And if there's anyone here that they do not know you, I pray that they would pay attention to the gospel as it's presented clearly in Jesus name. Amen. In the Old Testament, God he gave the nation of Israel uh a physical sign called circumcision that marked them as being a part of his chosen nation. And it was a an external sign that they were set apart as his people. In our passage today, it tells us that we are set apart in Christ because the king changes your heart. In the Old Testament, he gave this outward sign to signify that the nation of Israel was his. But Paul tells us that in Christ, something far greater has happened. Not an external change on the outside, but a transformation that's made on the inside. A change that is made without hands. You see, Jesus, he didn't die to make us more religious. He didn't die to just clean up our outward act or our appearance. He changes us from the inside out. This change, it's not brought about by human effort like it's something that we can accomplish on our own. We're not saved by our work. We are saved by Christ's work on the cross. And the evidence of this is what Paul calls the putting off of the body of the flesh. Now, let me explain what that means. As Christians, you and I, we do not put confidence in our flesh. In other words, we don't put confidence in what we do to be saved. It's not it's not about a prayer.

It's not about going to a church. It's not about being a member. It's not even about being baptized or anything like that or knowing the Christian lingo. It's not about the external things. It's about the condition of your heart. Just as Paul said in Philippians chapter 3, for we are the circumcision who worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put all our confidence in the flesh. No. no confidence in the flesh. It's not about what you have done. It is about what Christ has done. It's not about external religion. It's about a change of our being. It's about a transformation. And it's the King Jesus that marks his people. Not with an external sign, but with a change that is wrought in our hearts. And it is the work of God, not by us. Ephesians chapter 2:es 8 and N it says, "For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith." This is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast. But how does God do this? How was Christ able to change our hearts? It's not done through magic. It's not just done by him acquitting us just based on a whim. It was through his perfect obedience. It was through his sacrificial death and his bodily resurrection. And it was at that time that sin was atoned for. But when you look to Christ and you see the great cost of your redemption and you trust fully in his atonement for you on the cross, that's when your heart gets changed and transformed. Ephesians chapter 2, it says, "Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, we all lived that way, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses,

even when we didn't deserve it, he made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved. You know, we talk about baptism sometimes, and this is how baptism works as a symbol of what has happened in our souls. We were once living according to the flesh, according to our own desires and leaning on our own thoughts and our own understanding. And then we meet Jesus and he radically changes us. He gives us a new mind and a new heart and new priorities and and new goals. And he changes us. I'm a result of that change. I was not raised in a Christian home. I didn't know that Jesus at Easter and Jesus at Christmas were even the same guy. I was in to the culture of death. I was obsessed with darkness. But God reached down and he changed my entire being, my entire heart. He brought life and stability and hope and purpose. And beyond that, he gave me eternal life and salvation, abundant life. And it was at that moment that that flesh, that sinful part of me was cut and he made me alive in Christ. You see, that's what happens is that the king, he he buries us and he raised us. Paul he puts these events squarely in the spiritual realm by saying that this happens without hands. This this baptism is what happens when we come to Jesus and we are born again to a living hope. He brings us into the kingdom of God which gives us life and purpose and identity. It's symbolized through water baptism which is a being marked in and identifying with Christ's death and his resurrection. Baptism is that picture of our union with Jesus. When we go under the water, it shows that we are dead to our sins, that we are dead to ourselves, that we are

buried in Christ, and that we're raised to walk in newness of life. It's not the water that saves. It's the powerful working of God. But baptism, it shows what Christ has already done in our soul. When Christ brings us to life, this is the automatic response of a life of repentance and obedience. Not perfect repentance because none of us are there. Not perfect obedience because we're not there. But repentance is a is a change of mind, isn't it? It means that you're going one way and that by God's working, you start going in another way. And the mark of it is godly sorrow that leads to repentance. But obedience is a process. And I've yet to meet a Christian that's been perfect. I've met many who think they are. But Christ is working on us. And it's a process. Some days we do great, others we fail. But Christ is the king. and he rules over us, but he doesn't do it in a doineering way. He leads us to life in victory. And he's able to do this in this way. He says, "You were dead in your trespasses. The uncircumcision of your flesh God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses." How did he do that? How did he set aside that record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands? He set this aside by nailing it to the cross. It's by that way that the king was able to cancel your debt. If you are a Christian, it means that God has made you alive. How did he do that? By cancelelling that record of debt. Now the king, he doesn't just forgive debt and you owe it and it's there because of sin. Think of it like this. Imagine for a moment that and you owe it and it's there because of sin. Think of it like this. Imagine for a moment that you got a car with a lot of giddy up

and um you were you were driving I don't know somewhere in downtown St. And there's