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Pastor Mark Mikels – September 6, 2009
“EVERY BELIEVER IS DEAD!”
(Galatians 2:20)

Intro … What a month we have enjoyed together – discovering and discussing four great little-known and seldom-discussed spiritual blessings that flow from the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Blessing #1 …
“When Jesus Died on the Cross, the Law died with Him.”

Blessing #2 …
”When Jesus Died on the Cross, the World died with Him.”

Blessing #3 …
”When Jesus Died on the Cross, the Flesh died with Him.”

Blessing #4 …
”When Jesus Died on the Cross, the Devil was disarmed by Him.”

What a blessing to be able to say as a follower of Jesus Christ:
“The law is dead; the world is dead; the flesh is dead;
and the Devil is as good as dead!”

They longer does the law have the final word concerning my eternal destiny; no longer does the world control my thinking or the flesh my behaving; no longer can the Devil undermine my life as a contented follower of Christ and a committed member of His Church.

To live free of all of that is a blessing indeed and the truth is … the Death of Jesus Christ has provided for all of that to happen.

However, there is one more piece that makes this spiritual jigsaw puzzle complete – one more great blessing that flows from Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross.

It’s the blessing that guarantees that you and I as born-again followers of Jesus Christ experience those first four blessings in the fullest way possible.
And here it is …

Blessing #5 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, (YOUR NAME) Died With Him.”
(Galatians 2:20)

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (KJV)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.” (NIV)

What a concept – what a reality … whole books have been written on the subject – certain Bible teachers have devoted their entire lives to the elaboration of this incredible truth. I myself have been powerfully impacted by one of those books and by the ministry of one of those teachers.

The incredible truth is that “When Jesus Christ died on the cross, every believer died with him.” And that truth enables all the other blessings of the cross to flow unhindered into our life experience!

This morning in this communion meditation I would ask you to consider with me briefly three of the implications of your being “crucified with Christ” …

Here they are:

Implication #1 …
* Dead Men Can’t SIN
“anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”
(Romans 6:7)

Just think about that for a moment … it’s so absolutely obvious and yet it’s so incredibly profound … “If I am dead, then I can’t sin!”

What an airtight alibi for one who has been accused …

“I’m sorry, officer, I couldn’t have committed that crime;
I was dead on the night in question.”
What a relief to the believer when confronted with the sins that waylay so many to be able to say … “Man, I’m glad I’m dead to that!”

Implication #2 …
* Dead Men Can’t YIELD To TEMPTATION

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful;
he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
(1 Corinthians 10:31)

Now this morning we are talking about a “way of escape” that works every time!

God allowed me to be “crucified with Christ” … And as a result of that death (as long as I remain dead), I can not be allured or enticed or constrained by the temptations of either the world or the flesh. I cannot be badgered into anything – not even by the devil himself.

How incredibly freeing, when temptations to say or do or even think sinful things arise, to be able to say …
Man, I’m glad I’m dead to that!

Implication #3 …
* Dead Men REST In PEACE

Actually nothing disturbs or perturbs those who are dead … their days of reacting and even resisting are over … for better or worse, they rest in the grave.

Here’s where we return to our key text of the morning …

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.”
(Galatians 2:20)

Like the dead of all the centuries past, I rest in my “grave” (spiritually speaking) completely unperturbed by the flow of stuff that comes my way. Jesus Christ is the one who has granted me new life and He is the one by whom I am living it.

Therefore I rest (live) in peace.

There is nothing I need to FEAR; there is nothing I need to SEEK;
there is nothing I need to SATISFY.”

What an incredible life … free from the directives of the world, free from the domination of the flesh, free from the discouragements of the Devil.

How incredibly wonderfully to be able to say …

“I’m dead to all of that!”

And it all comes of “being crucified” and “staying crucified.”

Here’s a fascinating verse found just a little further on in that sixth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans – verse 11 …

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin
but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The old King James Version says …
“Reckon” yourselves to be dead to sin …”

In other words, “remember that you are dead” and that these things no longer have the influence over you that they once had.

Rejoice regularly in your “crucifixion with Christ” – re-enact it often.

Communion provides a wonderful opportunity to do just that!

“Today I am crucified with Jesus Christ.”

Final Thot …
SPIRIT-ASSISTED SUICIDE Opens The Door
To Confident, Contented CHRISTIAN LIVING.

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Pastor Mark Mikels – August 30, 2009
“THE DEVIL HAS BEEN DISARMED!”
(Colossians 2:15)

Intro … There’s a reason that there have been so many hymns and gospel songs written about the Cross – the cross is where the price of our salvation was paid and where the promise of eternal life was given.

The Cross of Jesus Christ stands as the singularly most important symbol of the Christian Faith – it was a great moment when we hoisted our cross and placed in on the East Wall of this building … a cross that we stuffed with the words of affirmation of this congregation.

That cross all by itself communicates to all who pass by that this building houses a Community of Christians – that this place is where those who acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the Savior of the world can be found.

The song writer of the last century would write … “In the cross of Christ I
glory … The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Until we understand the cross we understand nothing … until we embrace the cross, we receive nothing. But once we do, we receive more than we would have ever imagined.

This month we have been examining the tremendous blessings that come to us directly (as it were) from the cross of Jesus Christ.

These are blessings that go beyond the “mere” forgiveness of sins; these are blessings that make possible the incredibly abundant life, the victorious life, the fruitful, God-pleasing life that all true followers of Christ desire to live.

The work of Jesus Christ paves the way for us to approach and embrace that kind of life – His death on the cross addressed the very issues and handled all the obstacles that would normally hinder the Child of God in the pursuit of that life. His death on the cross provided some incredible blessings for those who belong to Him.
So far we have identified three … Remember them?

Blessing #1 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, the LAW Died With Him.”
(Colossians 2:13-14)
Blessing #2 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, the WORLD Died With Him.”
(Romans 6:6)
Blessing #3 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, the FLESH Died With Him.”
(Galatians 6:14)

These are tremendous blessings and they open up some tremendous opportunities for us to live the life that Jesus has in fact called us to live … Copies of these messages are available on the counter in the foyer and at our Sonlife Community Church website.

Today we come to …

Blessing #4 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, He DISARMED The DEVIL.”
(Colossians 2:15)

”And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle
of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

“Disarmed” … now that’s an interesting approach … I would have preferred that on the cross Jesus destroyed the devil but that has not been the Father’s plan. His plan is that His Children stand up to the Devil and resist His every advance … just like Jesus did and Adam didn’t.

Now here’s the deal … though the Devil’s guns have been loaded with blanks, he still waves them around and seeks to intimidate as many of Christ’s followers as he can. It’s important that we stand our ground and stare him down.

Consider the Primary Weapons He has always used …

He has always used the weapon of …

* DECEPTION …
(Matthew 13:37; John 8:44; Acts 13:9; 2 Corinthians 11:14)

He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.
Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Deception is the Devil’s stock in trade … He seeks to twist the truths of God and confuse all those who would accept them. Consider the extent to which he would go and the manner in which he would wield this weapon of Deception …

He Would Deceive GOD About US – Revelation 12:10
(“They are not worthy.”)

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”

Now I don’t know if that has already happened or if that casting down is yet to happen … but imagine the audacity of one trying to deceive God himself … Imagine his ignorance of the Father’s own actions!

To the accusation “They are not worthy” the Father would thunder …
“In Christ, I have made them worthy”.

The devil gets nowhere with God – He doesn’t have a prayer!

He Would Deceive US About GOD – Genesis 3:3-5
(“He is not trust-worthy.”)

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and
you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

“You can’t trust God – He is not trust-worthy” …
You have to make the choices that seem right to you. He frequently holds out on you.”

Now that’s an accusation that the Cross of Jesus Christ forever squelches …
The kind of Love that would send Christ to the Cross is the kind of love that would never withhold anything of value from the objects of its love. We know the Father’s heart and we trust Him confidently and completely. The Devil is firing nothing but blanks!

He Would Deceive US About EACH OTHER – 2 Cor 2:10-11
(“They are not worthy.”)

“If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven–if there was anything to forgive–I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
(2 Corinthians 2:10-11)

In this passage we are coming in on the tail-end of a situation in the church at Corinth … Paul had written to the Corinthians about it and they had dealt with it. Now Paul says, “I stand by your judgment”.

“I will not fall prey to Satan’s Scheme of causing us to disparage one another and to see one another as unworthy of our continued forgiveness and love.”

“Our fellow believers are worthy of our continued support and affection
simply because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Here’s one last aspect of Satan’s Attempts at Deception –these Deceptions that take the form of “false accusation” …

He Would Deceive US About OURSELVES – 2 Cor. 2:7
(“You are not worthy.”)

“The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now … you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”

Satan doesn’t care if we get convicted by our sin for He knows how easily that conviction can turn into self-abasement and self-condemnation.

He knows how easy it is for a Christian who has fallen into sin to feel completely unworthy of any further blessing from God or further fellowship with God’s people. He knows how easy it is for the condemning voice of the law to once again be heard saying …
“You are not worthy.”

That’s why Paul instructs the church to take action – that once the believer has repented and shown proper remorse, the rest of the body should respond in love and support.

Deception … is one of the Devil’s primary weapons – distorting the truths of God in ways that create an atmosphere of accusation.

Here’s a second great weapon that he would seek to employ …

* DISSENSION …
(Ephesians 4:26-27; 2 Corinthians 2:10-11)

That is, creating disharmony in the body of Christ – Using the stresses of life and the inevitable inter-personal tensions they create to cause deep rifts between believers.

In recognition of the way the devil works, Paul wrote …

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you
are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

And again … that passage from 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 …

“If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven–if there was anything to forgive–I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
Paul says, “I am not going to keep this thing going – I am not going to fall prey to Satan’s trap. I know how he works and how he seeks to pit one believer against another.”

Dissension among believers whether in the home or in the church brings joy to Satan’s heart – it’s the exact opposite of the harmony that exists within the Godhead and the harmony that Christ died to create in His Church. Our commitment to Spirit-Based harmony will enable us to live free of it.

The Last Weapon in the Devil’s Arsenal we mention this morning is:

* DISCOURAGEMENT …
(1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 6:11)

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Peter says that the Devil is particularly active during times of struggle and suffering – especially trials and sufferings that come as a result of us standing firm in our faith.

He would seek to “devour” our Christian life with this single thot …
“What’s the use? … I’m standing for Christ and this is what I get?”

Caught off guard we can easily take the “discouragement plunge” and knowing that, the Apostle Paul wrote …
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil’s schemes.”

And here’s the deal … once we “take our stand” against him and his deceptions and his attempts at creating dissension and discouragement, He is seen for what he is … a disarmed, demoralized foe.

Here’s how James put it (James 4:7) …
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

That’s what we want to see … the devil, turned-tail and running!

Final Thot … A DISARMED Devil is still a FORMIDABLE foe.
Don’t FALL for his SCHEMES!

Pastor Mark Mikels – August 23, 2009
“THE FLESH IS DEAD!”
(Galatians 6:14)

Intro … This morning we continue our discussion of the “Blessings of Christ’s Death on Calvary” – four of them to be exact.

These are blessings that “go beyond” the mere forgiveness of our sins. These are blessings that enable us to live the free and abundant, “blessed” life that Jesus came to provide (John 10:10).

Keep in mind that these “blessings” can only be enjoyed by those who have been born-again through faith in Jesus Christ – Keep in mind also that not every born-again believer does in fact enjoy them. In fact, some Christians live as though these blessings don’t even exist.
Thus, the importance of this month’s “discussion”.

Two weeks ago we examined Blessing #1 …
“When Jesus died on the cross, the Law died with Him.”
(Colossians 2:13-14)

Oh, what a blessing that is – to be forever set free from the condemning judgment of the law! To never again have our eternal future determined by our past earthly actions. How important that we don’t ever allow that “lawyer mindset” to slip back into our lives. Through the death of Jesus the law has lost its power to condemn us and to control our relationships.

Last week we examined the second of these blessings …

Blessing #2 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, the WORLD Died With Him.”
(Galatians 6:14)

Now there is a blessing to rejoice in!

The world with its God-Opposing Values … The world that has shaped and molded us since the day we were born no longer has the power to dominate our thinking. We can live free of it … Though we still live in the world, we do not have to be of the world!

Today I would have you consider with me …

Blessing #3 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, the FLESH Died With Him.”
(Romans 6:6)

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin
might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin …”
(Romans 6:6)

Now that’s some incredibly good news because our “old self” – what the old King James version of the Bible calls “the flesh” is indeed a frightful enemy to those who would seek to follow Jesus Christ.

If the world would seek to control us from without, the flesh seeks to
control us from within. The flesh is that inborn set of fallen, sinful passions that would drive our behavior in ungodly ways. The “flesh” – the “old natural nature” is a fallen, sinful thing … The flesh was born in Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden and it has been passed along to every one of their natural descendants.

Consider with me this morning …

TWO KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FLESH

* A SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE – “I’ll Do It MY WAY”
(Romans 8:5-8)

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Biblical Example: KING SAUL
(1 Samuel 15:1-23)

Samuel said to Saul, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: `I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”

Then Saul attacked the Amalekites … He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs–everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”

Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, `Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?”

“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”

The flesh is driven by a spirit of independence – the flesh frequently has “a better idea” – the flesh does not willingly “knuckle under” – not even to God.

The flesh can appear to “obey God” and will at times lead us to do some apparently “good things” but that’s only because those are the times when doing things “God’s Way” just happens to match up with what the flesh planned to do anyway. This is not true “obedience.”

Independence is actually the most basic of all sin … is it any wonder that God calls it rebellion and equates it to witchcraft (KJV).

Know that the flesh is involved when we find ourselves explaining our actions with words like …

“Well, it seemed to me” or “I know what the Bible says but
in this situation I felt that I had to …” or (like Saul)
“I did obey, I merely obeyed in my own way.”

And know as well, that all those “fleshly alterations” to the Plans of God lead eventually to disappointment and discipline.

A Spirit of Independence has characterized the flesh since Adam first gave birth to it … Here’s the second key characteristic of the Flesh I would mention this morning …

* A SPIRIT OF INDULGENCE – “I’ll SATISFY Myself.”
(Galatians 5:19-21)

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Is there anything more fleshly than the slogan that made the rounds a few years ago … “If it feels good, do it.”?

To the young and inexperienced, it might take the form …
“If you think it might feel good, try it.”

The flesh delights in physical sensation … after all, it’s the flesh. Sensual experiences are right at the top of the list. “Satisfy yourself” is at the heart of most fleshly suggestions. Our world today worships at the shrine of the
flesh – our world today encourages expression of all kinds … Satisfy yourself!
Biblical Example: KING DAVID
(2 Samuel 11:1-4)

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
and David sent someone to find out about her.

The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and
the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers
to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.

The flesh gives permission to every “craving” that we feel. The flesh does not recognize any limitations – any boundaries. The flesh seeks only to satisfy itself and when it is in control, it moves us in most destructive ways.

King David could be the poster boy for our modern world … Fleshly Sexual Expression is so commonplace that it hardly shocks us anymore. Standards of Biblical Morality are considered laughable and hardly defendable … and I suspect in many cases even unknown.

The flesh has always expressed itself in what we could call “Non-Sanctioned Sex” … so many varieties.

There’s of course “Casual Sex” – the one night stand – sex with no sense of commitment whatsoever … the Bible calls that Fornication.

There’s Adulterous Sex – sex where at least one of the partners is married and demonstrating unfaithfulness to their marriage vow. That’s what David was engaged in – Bible calls that Adultery.

There’s Same-Gender Sex – sex involving two men or two women … The Bible calls that a Perversion and an Abomination in God’s eyes.

There’s Purchased Sex – that’s prostitution and the Bible expressly forbids it.

Then there’s the category that probably catches more Christians than any
other …

It’s what’s called Pre-Marital Sex – that is sex between two people who are planning to get married – maybe even engaged.

This category of sexual involvement is often expanded to include those who think that they might someday be married – and those who think that they someday would like to be married – and those who are seeking to communicate to their partner that they feel seriously enough about the relationship that they could well someday agree to be married and includes those as well who for whatever reason feel that they can’t get married right now but feel as strongly about each other as they would if they in fact were married.

Like I said, this is the category in which most unmarried, sexually active Christians find themselves … And you know what? The Bible would also consider that category of sex to be sin … it’s really a just another form of fornication – it is as much “non-sanctioned” as any other form of extra-marital sex.

The truth is in reality there is no way of knowing that any sexual activity is
“pre-marital” for it’s not until you are married that you can say that your
“pre-marital sex” with your spouse was in fact “pre-marital”.

There are plenty of Christian young women who have let their guard down because “we are going to get married anyway” who never got married. Calling it “pre-marital” is simply a way of making it look less “sinful” … It’s simply a term that makes our “fleshly impulses” more acceptable.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The flesh would destroy us as Christians if it could – the flesh forever seeks to get us to declare our personal independence from God and to indulge ourselves in every passion or urge that we feel. We must recognize it for what it is!

Thank God the flesh was put to death on the Cross of Jesus Christ – it no longer is in control of our lives – it can be resisted and overcome. It can be faced down and defeated.

In Christ our mind has been renewed and that renewed mind can be used to squelch the suggestions of the flesh.

In fact, here are three potent FLESH-SQUELCHING THOUGHTS …

* My BODY Belongs To JESUS.
“I will only USE it for things that would have His APPROVAL.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought
at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
Now that’s a potent thought … A teenager who borrows the car and who wants to borrow it again is not going to enter it in some back-alley street race. He (or she) is only going to use the car for things that would meet the parent’s approval.

My body no longer belongs to me if I have given my life to Christ, I’m borrowing it every time I use it – therefore, it is not my call to make.

* The PURPOSE Of My Life Is To GLORIFY God.
“I will only do things that make Him LOOK GOOD.”
(1 Corinthians 10:31)

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God.”

There’s another potent thought … Christ’s reputation rides on my behavior … He died for me … Can I not live for Him and limit my actions to those that actually honor Him?

* I Can PUT The Flesh To DEATH.
“I will NAIL It To The CROSS Myself.”
(Galatians 5:24)

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature
with its passions and desires.”

Now that’s pretty potent as well – that thought contains a pretty powerful
image …
“Me heading to the cross with a hammer in my hand”.

These God-Inspired Thoughts will stop the flesh dead in its tracks –Use them regularly!

Final Thot … Life goes so much BETTER when the FLESH is DEAD!
So keep it on the CROSS!

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Pastor Mark Mikels – August 16, 2009
“THE WORLD IS DEAD!”
(Galatians 6:14)

Intro … This morning we continue our discussion of the “Blessings of Christ’s Death on Calvary” – four of them to be exact.

These are blessings that “go beyond” the mere forgiveness of our sins. These are blessings that enable us to live the free and abundant, “blessed” life that Jesus came to provide (John 10:10).

Keep in mind that these “blessings” can only be enjoyed by those who have been born-again through faith in Jesus Christ – Keep in mind also that not every born-again believer does in fact enjoy them. In fact, some Christians live as though these blessings don’t even exist.

Thus, the importance of this “discussion”.

Last week we examined Blessing #1 …
“When Jesus died on the cross, the Law died with Him.”
(Colossians 2:13-14)

Oh, what a blessing that is – to be forever set free from the condemning judgment of the law! To never again have our eternal future determined by our past earthly actions. How important that we don’t ever allow that “lawyer mindset” to slip back into our lives. Through the death of Jesus the law has lost its power to condemn us and to control our relationships.

Today I would have you consider with me …

Blessing #2 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, the WORLD Died With Him.”
(Galatians 6:14)

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

The Bible speaks a lot about the “world” … it presents the “world” as a most dangerous obstacle in the path of one who would “follow Christ”.
Consider this …

* “The World Would POLLUTE The Believer If It Could.”
(James 1:27)

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

God would have his children “Go Green” … that is, eliminate all pollutants from their lives, spiritually speaking. The world is a prime source of spiritual pollution and would pollute every believer if it could.

* “The World Would CONFORM The Believer If It Could.”
(Romans 12:2a)
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world …”

That’s easier said than done … every human being is born in the “shape of the world” … in our mother’s womb we take on its form. It’s the only shape we have ever known.

But here’s the deal … the death of Christ has freed us to take on a new shape – the death of Jesus Christ has “broken the mold” and freed us to become something other than what we were.

Here’s how Jesus put it in his High Priestly Prayer … John 17:14-18

“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”

So there it is … though the world would spiritually pollute us and shape us in its own image, the death of Jesus Christ has freed us from it. Truly we can say that for us the world is “dead with respect to its ability to control us”.

Time for a definition, wouldn’t you say? What is this thing called “the world” that would seek to shape us and pollute us?

Here’s the definition that we’re working with today …

Key Definition: The WORLD – A God-Defying PATTERN
of THINKING that characterizes the UNSAVED.

Biblically speaking … the word “world” refers to a particular way of looking at
life – a counter-productive, non-Christian way. The writer of the book of Proverbs would call it the “fool’s way” of looking at life.

The word “world” does not so much refer to specific sinful practices as it refers to sinful perspectives. And wouldn’t we all agree that “the way we look at life, directly affects the way we live life”?

This definition leads then to a key observation …

Key Observation:
The BATTLE With The World Is Primarily Fought
BETWEEN The EARS! (Romans 12:2b)

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Make no mistake … it’s a battle – a battle that we might fight every day of the week – a battle that Christ’s death has positioned us to win but a battle that must be fought none the less.

Consider this morning these Three Key Skirmishes between what the World says and what the Christian Knows …

The World Says: “YOU are most IMPORTANT”;
The Christian Knows: “GOD’S WILL being done is most important.”
(Matthew 6:9-10)

“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (I value you above everything else) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven …”

The Call of the world is a call to Self-Fulfillment and Self-Attainment.
Long before the Army picked up the slogan, the world was urging men and women to “be all that you can be”.

How different is the Call that Christ issues …

“If any one would come after me, he must deny himself,
take up his cross and follow me.”
(Mark 8:34)

Christ’s slogan is “Be all that I want you to be” … His Will determines everything.

Here’s another Key Skirmish – can happen every day …

The World Says: “THINGS will make you HAPPY”;
The Christian Knows: “CONTENTMENT is found in CHRIST.”
(Luke 12:15; Philippians 4:12-13)

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;
a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Every day we are bombarded with this worldly perspective – every TV program we watch, every magazine, every newspaper we read advances this worldly
agenda –
“The more you have the happier you will be –
so determine that you will seek to have it all.”

Meanwhile Paul, speaking for all Christians everywhere, says,

“If I have Christ then I have all that I actually need –
I am content with and in Him.”

And now the third and final Key Skirmish that I would mention this morning …

The World Says: “This MOMENT is all that matters”;
The Christian Knows: “The HARVEST is yet to come.”
(Philippians 3:13-14)

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

This is the very perspective that Jesus Himself demonstrated on the Cross (Hebrews 12:2) …

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The world urges us to consider only the moment – if it’s painful, flee from it; if it’s pleasurable, embrace it. The world does not encourage us to look long-range or to consider consequences.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“Live for yourself … Live to accumulate things … Live for the moment.”

That’s the message of the world – it’s always been well-received and
it has a familiar ring even to those who have been “born-again”.

There’s no question that the world could be a formidable opponent in our life of faith … apart from the work of Christ, it would completely define our lives and determine our behavior and we wouldn’t even recognize it – it would seem so normal.

However, Christ has died and through His Dead the world has itself been put to death. That’s the incredible truth that we are declaring this morning!

Through the renewing of our minds we can begin to think in “Non-Worldly
Ways” … We can choose to have our behavior determined by a Godly perspective rather than a worldly one.

We can discover the joy and satisfaction that comes of being “in the world, but not of the world” – all because of Christ’s Death through which the world has indeed been crucified to us!

Final Thot …
He who THINKS Christianly will never be WORLDLY!

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Pastor Mark Mikels – August 9, 2009
“THE LAW IS DEAD!”
(Colossians 2:13-14)

Intro … Last week, in conjunction with our Firstfruits Service, we focused our attention upon this Scripture taken from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthian Church …

“Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup
You proclaim the Lord’s death …”
(1 Corinthians 11:26)

Last week, in an introductory way, we “proclaimed” not only the fact of the Lord’s Death but also the fuller scope of blessings that His Death provides for those who are His. For the rest of this month, we will be examining those blessings in greater detail.

Keep in mind that these “blessings” can only be enjoyed by those who have been born-again through faith in Jesus Christ – Keep in mind also that not every born-again believer does in fact enjoy them. In fact, some Christians live as though these blessings don’t even exist. Thus, the importance of the “proclamation”.

Blessing #1 …
“When Jesus Died On The Cross, The LAW Died With Him.”
(Colossians 2:13-14)

Here’s how the Apostle Paul expressed it:

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

In other words … “The Law Is Dead!”

Now that’s a big deal but in order to know just how big a deal it is, we need to know a few things about the Law.

Consider these four things …

* The Law ESTABLISHED The STANDARD
(Exodus 24:12; Joshua 1:8; Romans 10:5; Romans 2:14-15)

“The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here,
and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands
I have written for their instruction.” (Exodus 24:12)

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
(Joshua 1:8)

“Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law:
“The man who does these things will live by them.”
(Romans 10:5)

“When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required
by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have
the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written
on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and
their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.”
(Romans 2:14-15)

The Law established the standard by which mankind would be judged …
Its basic precepts are known and acknowledged by all men everywhere.

* The Law IDENTIFIED Us As SINNERS
(Deuteronomy 31:26; Romans 3:19-20, Romans 3:23)

“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.”
(Deuteronomy 31:26)

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law,
so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

“… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23)

There is no one (other than Jesus) who has ever met the standard … there is no one who is actually ignorant of that fact … all men fail to live up to their understanding of the standard – they all fall short and they know it.

* The Law PREPARED Us For The SAVIOR
(Galatians 3:23-24)

“Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up
until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us
to Christ that we might be justified by faith..”

Like some kind of celestial sheriff, the law arrests and holds in bondage all who violate its precepts … it’s not a comfortable jail. It’s a place full of disappointment and regret. Each human being is assigned his own unique cell – held prisoner by standards that no man can keep. And there they wait some kind of rescue – a rescue that Jesus Christ came to provide.

* The Law CEASED With Christ’s SACRIFICE
(Galatians 3:25; Colossians 2:13-14)

“Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.”
(Galatians 3:25)

God’s goal all along was to bring man to a place where the Law would be no longer needed – to a place where internal principles for living have replaced the external precepts.

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time,” declares the LORD.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
(Jeremiah 31:33)

Just as an aside … that’s actually the goal of every person in authority … particularly Christians. Rules and regulations are only needed until the principles behind the rules have been internalized. The longer a person or an institution “lives by and relies upon rules” to achieve its purposes the less likely that that person or institution will ever reach responsible maturity. God’s goal is that His born-again children reach maturity so it was imperative that the life of external law come to an end.
And so once again the Scripture passage with which we began …

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed
to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

On the Cross of Jesus Christ, the Law that stood against us – the law that routinely condemned us – was itself put to death for us once and for all.

Thus Paul’s triumphant words in Romans chapter eight …

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life
set me free from the law of sin and death.

The Law in its Standards and its Practices pictured the Person and the Work of Jesus Christ … With His Coming its purpose was fulfilled and those who receive Him have no more need of it in their lives. In fact, if it remains, it can actually become a detriment to their growth in grace!

Here are two examples of what I mean:

* The Law Will Undermine The Believer’s LIFE Of LOVE
(Mark 12:30-31; John 13:34-35)

“The most important Commandment,” answered Jesus, “is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
(Mark 12:30-31)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
(John 13:34-35)

Key Questions For A Child Of God …

How well am I expressing my love for my God and for my fellow man?
Am I developing more and more of a “heart relationship” with them?
Am I acting freely on the impulses of my heart as I respond to them?

The Law would undermine and de-rail that kind of thinking …

You see, the Law would seek to focus my attention upon the “things” that I am doing/or trying to “get done” …

And that attention upon “production” can cause me to see people as “tools to use”
to accomplish my tasks and “using” and “loving” are not the same thing.

A resurgent law can in fact lead to “legalism” … a form of Christianity that leads one more often toward rebellion than towards maturity.

There’s no question that the “Law” if allowed to direct my life, will undermine the “Life of Sincere Love” that Christ would have me lead.

Now there’s a second thing that follows closely behind the first …

* The Law Will Undermine The Believer’s SENSE Of WELL-BEING
(Colossians 2:16-23; Romans 8:15-17)

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility
and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in
restraining sensual indulgence. (Colossians 2:16-23)

Living according to a performance-based law and living under the critical eye of those who monitor it create incredible insecurity.

It’s like being the quarterback of an NFL football team – the only thing that matters to the fans is … “What have you done for me lately?”

The law with its unending judgment makes impossible any permanent sense of well-being …

I wake up every day having to “prove myself” all over again. There is little rest and even less satisfaction.

This is not what God intends for His Born-Again Children … for them the law has done its job … the insecurity that the law naturally creates has been most useful in bringing them to Christ but once they have found Christ the law’s work is done.

Here’s what God wants His Sons and Daughters to understand …

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ …”
(Romans 8:15-17)

Now it doesn’t get any better than that emotionally … to know that God has “declared us” to be His Children …

He includes us with Christ in the family embrace …
We are saved/We are secure/We are Forever HIS.

The Law can never provide that sense of well-being – The law is in fact designed to do just the opposite.

Is it any wonder that God “nailed the law to the cross” and allowed it to die right along with His Son!

Final Thot … God intends the LAW To STAY DEAD –
Don’t let it come BACK To LIFE!

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Pastor Mark Mikels – August 2, 2009
“PROCLAIMING HIS DEATH”
(1 Corinthians 11:26)

Intro … This morning as we prepare ourselves for Communion, I would draw
your attention to Today’s Key Scripture – it’s found in the Apostle’s Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian Church – 1 Cor. 11:26

Today’s Key Scripture…
“Whenever you eat this BREAD and drink this CUP
You PROCLAIM the Lord’s DEATH.”
(1 Corinthians 11:26)

This morning we will “Proclaim the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ” as we share this communion together … It’s the most important proclamation that has ever and will ever be made. It’s the central truth of our Christian Faith … it’s the truth that makes all other truths irrelevant until it is understood and embraced.

Nine chapters earlier in that same letter to the Corinthians Paul had written these words concerning his initial ministry among them …

“I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.”
(1 Corinthians 2:2)

There’s a sense in which the most important question we could ever ask another human being is simply this …
“Do you know that Jesus Christ died for you?”

Christ’s death on Calvary accomplished some awesome things – this morning in this brief meditation I want to touch on several of them – four to be exact.

In the next few weeks we will look at them more exhaustively.

Through His Death …
The LAW has been crucified FOR me
(Colossians 2:13-14)

Now the law is what tells us how we should live – the rules and regulations of life; the Ten Commandments and all the other directives found in the Word of God.

And if your experience is like every other human being who has ever lived (except Jesus Himself), the law is something that we fall short of – way short. No one (except Jesus) has ever kept the Law of God perfectly.

The bottom line is as long as the Law lives and stands, we stand condemned and the Scripture says …
“The soul that sinneth; it shall die.”
Ezekiel 18:4

It’s in light of that long-standing truth that we read Paul’s great announcement made to the believers in Colosse (Colossians 2:13-14) …

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

If you think the People of Munchkin Land were excited to announce that the ‘Wicked Witch” had been removed from their lives permanently, how much more all of us who live under the tyranny of an unkeepable law!

God has stepped in and crucified the Law for us – never again will it have the final say in our lives. Through the death of Jesus Christ, the law has been crucified for us. More of that next week.

Through His Death …
The WORLD has been crucified TO me
(Galatians 6:14)

In his wondrous letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes …

“Do not allow the world to squeeze you into its mold.” (Romans 12:2)

The honest answer of many new believers is …

“Are you kidding – the mold of the world is the only mold I know.
I was born ‘molded’ to the world. I don’t even recognize when I am living
‘worldly’ … it feels so completely normal.”

Here’s the wondrous answer contained in the Gospel’s Good News …
Paul declared it in his letter to the Galatian believers:

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

The “World” was nailed to the cross as surely as the Law was – it no longer has a death grip upon me. I can distinguish myself from it and live contrary to it.
More of that in two weeks.

Third thing …Through His Death …
The FLESH has been crucified IN me
(Romans 6:6)

The flesh is that “enemy within” … the one that Alan identified several weeks ago as the main combatant in the “Gospel War”.

The flesh (like the world) feels completely normal to us – if the world is the ‘mold’ we are in, then the flesh is the wardrobe that we wear.

We have worn the “clothing of the flesh” ever since we were born – we almost unthinkingly respond to its urges – we’ve felt them our entire lives. The flesh would seem to have the ‘upper hand’ as we seek to ‘follow Christ’ – it wins many skirmishes in the day to day warfare.

But here too the Gospel contains some incredible information –
Paul shared it with the believers in Rome …

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin …”
(Romans 6:6)
Bottom line … our own flesh was nailed to the cross as well … it is dead with respect to its former ability to control us. The fleshly part of me has been crucified in conjunction with the Death of Christ.

There will be lots more to say about that in three weeks.

Now one last thing as we Proclaim the Lord’s Death and the Benefits of it in our communion this morning …

Through His Death …
The DEVIL has been disarmed BEFORE me
(Colossians 2:15)

Now the Devil can be a major annoyance in the life of one who would seek to follow Jesus …

The Apostle Peter wrote these words of warning in his day …

“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

The Devil is always ‘out for blood’ … He would seek to see us destroyed; he would seek to see the Work of God completely derailed; He would seek to intimidate God’s People into complete paralysis. He would seem to be a most scary adversary.

Here though is the reality of the situation … He has been disarmed!
Hear these words from Paul’s letter to the Colossian Church …

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

Through the Death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the devil and all those associated with him have been disarmed so that they can inflict no “permanent damage” to those who belong to Christ. The stronger armaments are now in our hands – can’t wait to talk more about that in four weeks!

Final Thot …
On the cross Christ defeated every FOE that I face …
As I LINK myself to him I participate in the VICTORIES He has won!

In this series Pastor Mark unpacks the fuller scope of blessings that Christ’s death provides for those who are His.