You don't need to strive to get closer to God because you are already placed in Christ. Instead, rest in His finished work and let your life overflow with thankfulness. Start today by believing His grace is enough for you to live a holy life.
My name is David John Phillips. I have the joy and honor of getting to be the pastor here. There's no place I'd rather be. Nothing that I'd rather be doing than **getting to preach** the gospel. Man, I'm thankful I get to do it to you guys today.
Amen? Hey, we got 7 people being baptized today. Whoo. We had we had 7 people being baptized 2 weeks ago. Well, had 2, then people decided in service that they needed to be baptized.
So that's man, praise the Lord. It's awesome and wonderful, and I'm excited, to get to do that. And we're gonna dive right into the series today. I guess before I do, should probably say, Jerry and I are going to Pakistan tomorrow. We're excited about that.
Believe God's gonna do amazing stuff. If you're wondering what we're doing, don't have the time to share everything today but we will share everything that happened in 2 weeks. So, make sure to be here next Sunday and then the Sunday after so that we can update you guys and give you just just encourage you because I know and I'm excited about all that god's going to do. Alright. We are in the grace series.
We've went through really 3 messages in the grace series, god's grand plan, crossing the Jordan, and then the credit of righteousness. Has this helped you guys out? Has it encouraged you? Hopefully, it has. Amen.
Praise the Lord. Thank you. My father, and those of you that don't know, my father wrote these messages about 13 to 15 years ago. They've been preached all over the world, pastors conferences, all kinds of stuff. But then also to drug addicts and people who don't know Jesus.
I mean, so whether you're coming in and have never heard of Jesus before and just are here just because, or you've been far from God and you're returning and coming back, or you've been following Jesus for 70 years, you know, the these messages are going to encourage you and help you. And and, man, I believe we're all going to grow in our revelation, our understanding of who Christ is and who we are in him or who we could be in him. Amen? Amen. So today, the title of the message is "case dismissed".
Usually, we'd have everything on the screens. We were having a little tough technical difficulties today on that. So if you'll pick up your phone, go to realchurch.us. That's a website, www.realchurch.us. Click on that, like Kevin said in the beginning, the little hamburger at the top.
Know, the top looks like a bun. Bottom looks like a bun. The middle line, like meat in the middle. Click on that, those 3 lines, top right. Click live streams and then message notes.
And all of the notes for today, or at least the scriptures will be there. Or you can follow along, on on your bible, which is fun. Amen? Amen. Alright.
So before we dive in, we're just gonna do some bible study with David John today. That's what they call me in Louisiana, David John. But bible study with David John today, let's just pray. *Father*, I I could say all the words that I plan to say and they not change any hearts because there's no life on them unless you breathe your life on it. So we ask you to speak.
And I ask that everybody that's listening today, whether online in the future, online now, or in service, *Lord*, would receive the word that you have for them today. In Jesus' name. Amen. So we're gonna start in Colossians-2:6. And really, I'm gonna stop after each verse and we're gonna talk about it this time.
Okay? And then we're gonna do a skit at the end. Gonna need some volunteers later, and it's gonna be fun. We're get all involved, and it will really bring home and open up what we've been talking about the whole time. Okay?
Fair enough? You guys ready? Alright. Some of you are. *Colossians-2:6 says, so then just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord*, just as you received, **continue to live** your lives in him.
So just as you received, you continue. How did you receive? You received by grace through faith. Right? What is grace?
*Grace is God* using his power to empower you to be and do who you couldn't be on your own, and to do what you couldn't do on your own. That's grace. It's getting what you don't deserve. We don't deserve that. And so we're saved by grace through faith.
What is faith? Faith is hearing and obeying. Faith comes by hearing. Faith is completed by obeying. So it's His grace to speak to us.
It's His grace to challenge us. It's His grace that He died for us and rose again so that we could experience His life. And we heard Him. We responded saying, Yes, Lord. He put us and placed us in Christ.
It wasn't our effort, it was His. And we started this thing by grace through faith. How dare we think we continue any other way? Amen? Amen.
So just as you started, that's how we continue. Rooted and built up in him. Everybody say, in him. In him. Know, in him, talking about in Christ, that's used about 75, if not more times in the New Testament, in Christ.
So we gotta get used to hearing those words in Christ, understanding what in Christ means. If you've been born again, you have been placed in Christ Jesus, and Christ himself has been placed in you. There's no there's no more effort trying to get into him. You are in him. That is truth.
Just as much truth as it is that those of you that are here with us today, you are in the cafeteria of Oak Grove Middle School. Trying to get into Christ after you've already been born again and placed in him would be like you guys saying as you're sitting in the cafeteria in Oak Grove Middle School. It would be like you saying, oh man, I just, man, I gotta try hard in order to get into the cafeteria. I gotta try hard to get into Oak Grove Middle School. Man, hey, guys, let's all really try hard in order to to to get into the cafeteria.
It sounds ludicrous, doesn't it? Because you're sitting in here. If you would only realize where you are, all of the effort of trying to get where you already are would go away, and you would rest in the fact of where you are. Yes. And be able to enjoy all the benefits of being where you are, cause you actually believe that it's reality.
Picking up what I'm putting down? Religion tries to put on extra stuff and you miss out on the benefits of relationship. Strengthen in faith as you were taught and **overflowing with thankfulness**. Everybody just say overflowing with thankfulness. Overflowing with thankfulness.
If my life is ever not overflowing with thankfulness, my focus is on the wrong thing. Do you struggle with being discouraged and discontent? If that's the case, if I'm stepping on your toes right now, it's time to kick off that shoe and put on the thankful shoe. I I wanna be if if ever I'm discouraged and discontent, my focus is on what I'm not getting or what hasn't been done to me or what I didn't do instead of on what he's done. Anytime I'm discouraged or discontent, I want to put shift my focus from self to him.
He's already finished it all. He said to Telestai, "it is done". If I my focus is on who he is and what he's doing, then no matter what I'm going through, I can trust him because he works all things together for good for those that love him and call according to his purpose. So I can trust him and I can overflow with thankfulness in the midst of even sucky situations. Amen?
Amen. Come on. We're just real here. So, if you're not overflowing with thankfulness, if that is a position of your heart and you're like, oh my gosh. Guess what?
What the Holy Spirit is is what you're feeling right now is the Holy Spirit saying, hey. That's not who you are. What he's saying is who you are. It's time to repent. It's time to change your thinking and take a step in the opposite direction and begin to overflow with thankfulness.
People who struggle with overflowing with thankfulness, a lot of times, and they think they can only be thankful for what they feel good about. Right? A lot of times you think that you can only be thankful for if you got what you wanted. That's not true. I can be thankful for everything that he's given me because if it's a gift, maybe I don't see it as good, but if it's a gift from him, man, I'm gonna be thankful for the gift he gave me and overflow with it.
And as I think about what he's given me and who he is, then all of a sudden my feelings about what's going on shifts and my whole perception of life shifts. Because your feelings are the product of what you've been thinking about. So shift to overflow with thankfulness because it's biblical and just do it by faith. And guess what happens? Your whole perception of your life will change.
And all of a sudden, you'll have more joy when you were discontent and discouraged. You'll be encouraged. The you you never have a right to be discouraged in Christ. That's not biblical. He constantly says, be encouraged.
In Christ, we can always walk in courage. Amen? Amen. Amen. Alright.
Praise the lord. Just so you know, I preach this stuff at myself when I feel discontent and discouraged. Alright? I I I feel that way but it's an alarm system. Yeah.
When I feel that, that wait a second, my mind's been on what I haven't been getting instead of what he's given me. Amen? Alright. I gotta I gotta get on with the message. Y'all y'all got me going on bunny trails.
See to it that no 1 takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition, and the elemental *spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ*. You realize that outside of Christ, there's still spiritual forces. There's spiritual forces of this world, Hollow and deceptive theology that depends on human tradition. There's a lot of human tradition that's not bad. But if it's not god, I'm gonna I'm not gonna stake my life on it.
K. Verse 9. For in Christ, there's that word. In Christ. This whole message, guys, is applicable for those that are in Christ.
K? Meaning you've been born again. And if not, this is this is a taste of what it could be if you give your life to Jesus and are born again. For in Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. All the fullness.
So so *Jesus*, *Hebrews-1* says, Jesus is the exact representation of the father in bodily form. So if you have a question about who the father is, don't relate to the heavenly father how your earthly father was or was not. You don't have to do that anymore. A lot of people have struggle in their relationship with god because they relate to him based on what happened to them, what their dad did and didn't do to them. You can let that go.
We relate to him based on who Jesus said it is because Jesus is the exact representation of the father in bodily form. So if if if it's if Jesus healed the sick, then we can say, wait a second. It's it's the father's will. If if Jesus cast out demons, well, wait a second. It's the father's will for for deliverance and from oppression.
If Jesus rebuked the religious, well, we can have the freedom to do the same. You know? If I see it in Christ, then it's in the father. If I don't see it in Christ, then it's not in the father. Because Jesus is the exact representation of the father in bodily form.
Amen? Amen. And in Christ, you have been brought to fullness. Verse 10. Everybody say have been.
Have Man, that's a beautiful thing. If you are in Christ, you have been brought to fullness. 2 Peter-1 says, all the promises are yours. In everybody say, in Christ. In Christ.
Not outside of him. In him, all the promises are yours. 2 Peter-1, 3, 4, 5. It's amazing. So that you can experience the divine nature day in and day out here.
Your fullness and your full potential, all that you were created, he's created you for purpose, and he's created you on purpose, and you can only experience the fullness of that purpose and the full life that you were created to live in him and in him alone. Outside of him, you will be left unfulfilled. Over and over until you find him and believe that he's in you and you're in him and walk in him. Then you live a fulfilled life overflowing with thankfulness. Man, it's just good.
Not only is are you full in Him, but if He's in you, then the fullness of Him is in you. Man, that's good too. The depth of that never ends. Alright. I'll keep going.
He is the head over every power and authority. That's earthly powers and spiritual powers. So, he's the head over presidents. He's the head over prime ministers and heads of state. *Jesus is but he's also the heads, the head over, you know, if there's a kingdom* of heaven and there's a kingdom of hell, there's always a a reflection, a a Satan tries to mimic what Jesus does and and just misses it.
I mean, you you see in Daniel, Daniel was praying and then the angel was sent to him and the angel said, I was held up by the the prince over Persia. Meaning, a demonic force over Persia held up the angel while Daniel was praying. Meaning, there's there's there was spiritual warfare going on but you don't have to worry and get all afraid of that. It's biblical. Well, you don't have to worry and get all afraid of that because Jesus is the head over that.
All authority in heaven on earth has been given to Christ and he's in us, right? So, we have the authority in his name. Make sense? You follow me? Praise the lord.
Okay. Awesome. Let's keep going. In him, you are also circumcised with a **"circumcision not performed"** by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ.
Okay. So this is pulling on some of the messages that we we've been through in this series already. Okay? What is it talking about? This circumcision.
Just real practically, 4 or 5, 6000 years ago when when *god* told Abraham to circumcise his child, the Israelites, they were the only ones that we have record of in history. They they began that whole circumcision of the male thing. Like that, it's almost brutal if you think about it back in the day. But they began that. God instituted it, you know?
And and people, even adults that came in wanting to be an Israelite, wanting to be a spiritual. They had to get circumcised. I mean, that's crazy. You know? Y'all y'all shouldn't have laughed.
You made me laugh. That's that's it's crazy but it everything in the Old Testament is a a picture, a physical reality of what we're spiritually experiencing today. Those who have been born again, *Christ* has *circumcised* your heart. What did he cut away? *Sin nature*.
What we talked about in the first couple of messages. He cut away your sin nature and gave you his nature. But pastor, I still struggle with sin and all this kind of stuff. Yeah. But that's not who you are anymore.
The problem is now between your ears. It's your mind. Your mind still has habits, the pathways because of old ways of thinking that have been made in your brain that need to be renewed. And that's why Romans-12:2 says, your life is transformed as your "mind is renewed". Like, a lot of the there's some similar thinking in the new age today.
You know, new age it says, you know, if I if I believe I'm a table, then I'm a table. You know, I mean, some crazy stuff out there, you know? But that that's not true because I'll no matter how much I believe on the table and try to act like a table and dress up like a table, I'm never going to be a table. Right? It's just not true.
But but if I believe truth, truth will become my reality. Well, his word is truth. Yeah. Right? So if I change my mindset to truth, my life will reflect the truth.
So whatever he says about me is truth. I change my mindset to truth and my life will 100% reflect it. Amen? Okay. Let's keep going.
Verse 12, having been buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised with him through your faith and the working of god who raised him from the dead. Do you guys see the importance of baptism? Like, it's a big deal. Every time the gospel is preached, baptism should be preached and will be from now on at this church. That because baptism rep rep represents transformation.
It's it's transform buried with him in baptism. Meaning, hey, when I I gave my life to Jesus, I confessed him as Lord. That means I'm really have died with him. Right? So the old David John Phillips is gone.
I'm no longer who I used to be, who I felt that I was, what I thought about myself, and I've been raised to new life in him, so therefore his life is my life, and what he says about me is true. Might have been born 1 way, but I'm born again and born in him. And so whatever he says is true and whatever I thought was not. When I'm being baptized, I'm declaring that to be the case. Died with him, buried, old David John's gone, raised to new life, and I want everybody to know.
Now let me put it this way. Can you die on your deathbed, not be baptized, and still go to heaven? Yes. Absolutely. But if you're born again and you have the opportunity to be baptized and reject it, is Jesus really your lord?
*Jesus* is a part of Jesus command. We're born again. You have a love for the for for the father and for him. Like, being that that's how serious baptism is. If you haven't been baptized and you've been born again, he's your lord.
Man, Don't make excuses. Submit to his Lordship and say, man, it's time for me to be baptized. And guess what? We're doing baptism today. We got 7 people being baptized.
And if you need to be baptized, guess what? You have no excuses because we got shorts, we got shirts, and we got a towel, and we'll make a space for you to go get changed before we do it. Commercial over. Amen. Okay.
Let's keep going. Verse 13. When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, we talked about it. God made you alive with Christ. I'm not going to spend too long on this 1.
Usually, I might spend a little longer but there's 2 types of people. There's the dead, the walking dead, and there's the alive. That's it. Those those that you might think that because your heart's beating, you're alive, that's not life according to the Bible. You could be a beating heart that's dead, walking dead.
Because life is defined by relationship with God. And Jesus said, only those who have been born again can experience his kingdom, meaning experience relationship with him. That's it. So there's a lot of people that are walking around trying to find life in all different kinds of things and never being fulfilled because they don't have relationship with God. But man, I can be made alive with him where I'm I'm I receive him, believe he died and rose again for me, and and he comes to live in me.
So now I have relationship with him. So now I'm alive and trying to rescue the walking dead from death. Amen? Alright. Next sentence.
He *forgave us* some of our sins. He forgave us only our past sins. Is that what it says? He forgave us the present sins that we asked for forgiveness of. And if we didn't ask for forgiveness, we're still going to hell.
Is that what it says? No. He forgave us all our sins. He forgave us past, present, and future sin. Okay.
Just to help you, a lot of people are concerned about god Jesus forgiven your your future sin just to make it real logical for you. If he didn't forgive our future sin, then we'd all be doomed because he died 2000 years ago and shed his blood 2000 years ago. So he had to it was outside of time. He had to forgive all past, present, and future. When you receive it, it's applicable for all of yours.
Amen? Okay. Cool. I say amen because I'm like like, do you guys see that? Like, I need some help here.
Alright. Here we go. Here's where we're here's the the the meat of the message. Alright? We'll take about 15 minutes on this and then we'll do baptism and it's gonna be awesome.
And we'll do our skit in this. Verse 14, having cancelled the charge. So, first, he forgave us all our sins. That's that's what it says first and then it says, having cancelled the charge of our "legal indebtedness". Did he start working again?
No. Okay. Let me pull up the notes here because I have in New King James version for this verse on the notes which is very important. Having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness which stood against us and condemned us. Now, you've been coming to this series, what was it that stood against us?
What? The law. The law stood against us. Deuteronomy-21:36, it says it stood against us. And actually, Romans-5:12 says, the I mean, 5 20, sorry, said that the law was put in so that the trespass would increase so that you would sin more, not less.
And Romans-3:20 says that the law, the purpose of the law was to make you conscious of sin. So, it caused you to sin more than makes you conscious of it. Okay? It's against you because it's God's perfect will on 2 cold tablets of stone, but it doesn't enable you and empower you to keep it. It just points out the fact that you have a sin nature and are in able in and of yourself to keep God's law.
So, it beats you over the head and says, you're not good enough until you get the point and say, well, I can't try as hard as I can to clean myself up. I have to come to the end of end of myself and say, I'm the problem. You guys remember that from the last yeah. Amen. So, that's the purpose of the law.
What did Jesus do? *Colossians-2* says, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness. What was charging us? *God*'s law. Saying, you're not worthy in and of yourself.
You can't do it. What does the New King James version say? And it's a little closer to the original text, in this verse. It says, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us. What is the handwriting of requirements?
Think about it. God wrote with his finger on the stone, the law, and the old covenant. You guys see that? Okay. There it is.
*Colossians-2:14*. Having cancelled which stood against us and condemned us. You know, I I say like Jesus cancelled the law. A lot of times the first time I'll say that to pastors, they'll they'll want to take me out and stone me. I'm serious.
They were, well, wait a second. But but but *Jesus* himself said that that he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it And and, you know, not a jot or a tittle will will or not like any stroke of the pen will will move from the law until all things have been accomplished. That's a 100% right. And Jesus fulfilled all things. He said, it is finished.
It is done. It has been fulfilled. And then he abolished it in him, in his flesh. Outside of him, it's not abolished. Outside of him, people are still under the curse of the law, and doomed to death and hell because of what they do and what they don't do.
But when we receive what Jesus has done, it has been completely fulfilled in him, and what he has done has been credited to us. And Romans-10:4 says, Christ is the end of the law for those that believe. The end of the law for it's cancelled in him and in him alone. *Ephesians-2* says, actually, the word abolished. So what does that mean?
Why is that important? Verse 15 or verse 14. Sorry. Having canceled the charge of our legal indent indebtedness or the handwriting of requirements that stood against us and condemned us. Right?
God's law is awesome. It did what it was supposed to do. We were the problem. Okay. He has taken it away and nailed it to the cross.
What did Jesus nail to the cross? Most people say there's sin. Is that the first thing you thought? Well, it's true. Jesus did nail our sin to the cross.
He became our sin. He who knew no sin became our sin. Right? On the cross. But that's not what this verse is saying.
English majors, he has taken it away. It is referring to the the previous subject. What was it? The law. Oh my gosh.
This verse is saying he nailed the law to the cross, taking it away and nailing it to the cross in him. Wow. That's important. Why is it important? Let's read the next verse.
Verse 15, and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a "public spectacle" of them triumphing over them by the cross. Now, first, have to understand in order to get all of this, we're gonna bring it home in this skit. Okay? But in order to get all this, you gotta understand what the powers and authorities are authorities are. Ephesians-6:12 says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and authorities, Spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.
I mean, this is Satan and is in demons and and the constant condemnation and guilt and shame you feel even after you come to Jesus. I mean, he's the "accuser of the brethren". Okay? So so this verse, Colossians-2:15 says, he disarmed them. What does that mean?
Well, in order to explain it, I need 4 volunteers. Back back there. Alright. Whoever you 2 are. Come on.
I can't see you back there. Mike and Angie and Gio. Alright. I need 1 more. Come on.
Perfect. Come on up here. Yes. Oh, you can give them a volunteer. I mean, they had the boldness.
Alright. Now, Mike, this is not a speaking part. I'm kidding. You guys are supposed to laugh louder than that. Okay.
Geo, this man right here, he's gonna represent god. Okay? So, Geo today in this skit, you get to be god. Alright, this is your throne. Yay.
Here we go. This is your desk, okay? We are now, we have now entered into the heavenly courtroom. This is, you've seen, you've seen the judgment seat. You're seeing the judge of heaven and earth sitting on his throne, and you see his his desk and this is his gavel.
You guys, you guys all see it, right? Alright. So, praise the lord. Every the Bible says that 1 day, we will all stand before the judgment seat. Alright.
This young man right here, he's gonna be the defendant. So he represents all mankind. When I say mankind, I'm talking about everybody. Right? Man and women.
Men and women. He, the Bible says, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So he's guilty because he is you. He's me. He's 100% guilty and, he knows it.
And so today is his trial date. And so he's probably handcuffed and shackled, right? He's got weights all over him and stuff. Can't hardly bear it, you know, but they got the the ball and chain around his legs and it's it's not a happy day. Well, to film a not happy face.
Yeah. See? Not not a happy day. He's pretty sad because here's the deal. He knows he's guilty.
He knows what he's done, and he knows the penalty for any sin is death, separation from God. See, God's a righteous judge. He doesn't just take your white lie and brush it under the rug as if it didn't happen. Say, oh, no. That's okay.
That wasn't that bad. See, the he's a holy and righteous judge. Every sin, the penalty for everyone is death and separation from God. It has to be. Without justice, there's no love.
So he's righteous and holy. Without justice, there's no holiness. If he didn't punish sin the way that it's supposed to be punished, then it would be he would be evil. Like, and I told you guys this before, imagine if you had a judge and somebody killed your kid, and the judge just told the murderer, you can go free. Would you say that's justice?
No. You'd cry justice. And you say that's a terrible judge. He's evil. He needs to be kicked off.
Well, God's a holy God, and the penalty for sin is death. And this man knows what he's done. K? So here, we have our prosecuting attorney. The prosecutor is the accuser, and she's got a cheesy grin on her face because she knows she's got a good case against this man.
Yeah. That's right. Will you hand me your backpack, sir? It's her briefcase. And it's heavy.
Right? Because she knows she's got record of this man's wrong. She's got every time he's ever messed up. She's got video. She's got audio recording of the things that he said.
She even knows she even knows some of the thoughts that he had and and has been accusing him of his thoughts and and holds it. She's called the accuser of the brethren. The prosecuting him night and day before the judge. And she's got a a jam up case. Who's the accuser of the brethren?
Satan. He's the prosecutor constantly accusing. And so when this man sees this briefcase and sees the accuser, he hangs his head a little lower and gets a little more set not happy. You're sad. And and his whole family I mean, the the when when the accuser walks in, the whole courtroom gets a little more gloomy because they know they've seen this play out before.
Then in walks the defense attorney. The defense attorney, when he walks in the room, things begin to shift. As a matter of fact, he catches this man's eye and looks at him with such love in his heart that this man, a little hope begins to rise in. And then he begins to remember, he hired the defense attorney a long time ago. If only he would have read the contract and known all the benefits that came with having his offense defense attorney.
But he forgot. Anyway, hope begins to arise in this man's heart. As he walks in, the mama in the back who was weeping looks up and begins to remember and begins to pray. Hope begins to rise. The whole atmosphere and temperature of the room begins to shift.
This man looks a little closer at the defense attorney and realizes, wait a second. When the defense attorney walked in, he he he caught a glimpse of the judge and he winked at him, and he winked back. So this man is wait wait a second. There's a connection between my defense attorney and the judge? And the defense attorney looks a little bit back, and he looks close at both of them.
He's like, wait a second. The defense attorney is the exact spinning image of the judge. They look just alike. So as a matter of fact, the defense attorney is the son of the judge. Wait a second.
He begins to remember and feels a whole lot better. So now it's time for the trial to start. And the judge says to the prosecuting attorney, present your case against this man. The prosecuting attorney comes forward and opens the case and throws it on the table, but only to everybody's surprise. And she's the prosecuting attorney turns ghost white because when she opens the case, there's nothing there.
It's all gone. Not only was the record of all of his wrongs gone, all of the videos gone, all of the the things that that she held against him, all of the audio, but also the very thing that she used to accuse the man, the law. See, she was armed not only with his sin, but she was armed with the law. She was armed every time that he broke the law. It showed that he needed death, hell, and the grave.
So in her briefcase armed against this man was god's law against him showing that he deserved hell. But she opened the case and the law was gone too. And she's not understanding. Wait a second. I thought I had it won.
Shock and awe hits her face. He smiles. And then everybody begins to realize, wait a second. The judge taps his gavel 3 times because where there is no sin and where there is no law, there is no case against this man. So the judge has to say, case dismissed.
Case dismissed. What happened? Stay here. I'll tell you what happened. When this man hired *Jesus* as his defense attorney, Jesus came and said, Jesus is the *mediator* between god and man.
So Jesus stood in between Jesus stood in between man and god. And Jesus took all of the sin, all of the shame, all of the stuff that this man did that this accuser had in her case. Jesus took it on himself and became his sin. And then Jesus was charged with the full penalty of his sin, 100%, such that Jesus died. And the full wrath of the of the judge fell on the defense attorney way before this trial.
And so because the full wrath of the judge fell on this this the defense attorney and and Jesus didn't deserve it, therefore, instead of the wrath of God in the Old Testament when the wrath of God fell on people, it consumed everything. But when Jesus died on the cross and the wrath of God fell on him, he cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The first time Jesus said that, every time before it was Abba, it was father. It was so close and personal. But in that moment, he was becoming the sin of this man and the wrath of god was falling on him.
He was separated from god but because he had never sinned himself, the wrath of god, the defense attorney, Jesus consumed the wrath for him. So there's no wrath left for him. But not only that, Jesus lived the perfect life fulfilling every requirement of the law completely and totally. So because the law was completely fulfilled, Jesus took the law and nailed it to the cross with himself. So that now, not only is there no sin against this man because it's been completely covered by him, now there's no law against this man either in him because he's fulfilled it.
Where there's no sin and where there's no law, there's no guilt or condemnation because he hired the right defense attorney. So that's why it says he disarmed the principalities and powers because he was armed with the law and with the sin, But Jesus took it all the way, and therefore, the only thing he has now is lies. And so often, we hired the defense attorney way back in the day. But because of human tradition and wrong teaching, we've been constantly struggling with guilt, shame, and condemnation because we didn't read the contract and understand the contract. His word.
That wait a second. Where there's a new Hebrews says, where there's a new high priest, there's a new law. And the new law is he wrote his law on his heart. And not only did he write it on his heart and say, go do it, but he put his spirit, his grace, his power inside of him, enabling him to do it and fulfilled it all inside of him. So when this man understands the full benefit of the defense attorney, he can't help but live it out and walk it out.
And he renews and believes in his mind, his life is transformed. Case, your case, if you're in Christ, has been dismissed. Amen. You guys are done. Give them a hand.
They did good. Good job, guys. Later, after after baptism. So yeah. Awesome.
Okay. So now, after seeing and hearing and understanding that, now you can understand why it says, "no weapon formed" against you shall prosper. It's already been fulfilled. Now you can understand why it says, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah.
Because it's all been taken away in Christ. Does that make sense? Amen. So, father, we thank you. I wanna ask the worship team to come back up.
We praise you, and we thank you for who you are. We thank you for your goodness. We thank you for your love. *Lord*, you're awesome, and you're wonderful. Lord god, thank you that we are free in you.
*Lord god*, that this freedom doesn't make us wanna go sin but it makes us wanna follow you with all our hearts and live *righteous* and holy before you. As it says in Romans-6:14, sin shall no longer be our master because we're not under law but under grace. "Praise the Lord". It's because we're in you. We see ourselves in you.
We rest in you. And Lord God, we wanna always believe that and not believe the lies of the enemy anymore. In Jesus' name. As you guys keep your head bowed and eyes closed just for a moment. As I'm talking about the judgment seat and everything, maybe there's some of you that have never given your life to Christ.
You know beyond a shadow of doubt when I'm talking about being in *Christ* that that's not you. Maybe you've been to church a lot. You went with your mama, your daddy, your grandmommy, your grandpappy. Maybe, you know, maybe you're you're an old like, you're 70, 80, 90 years old. Sorry.
You know? Anyway, maybe you're older and you you've done that your whole life, but you've never really saw yourself in him because you know you've never been born again. Bible says you can't see the kingdom of God unless you've been born again. John-3. What does it mean to be born again?
It means "born from above". You believe Jesus died for your sin. You believe he rose again to give you his life, but then it doesn't stop there. You confess him as Lord. You say, I'm a stop living for me, and I'm a live for you as my master, as my savior.
And as soon as you do that, from the heart, *Jesus* himself comes to live inside of you. And everything that I talked about today is applicable for you in that spontaneous moment. Is there anybody in here as I'm talking, you'd say, man, I know beyond a "shadow of a doubt", I need to be born again. I need to give my life to Jesus right now. If that's you, would you raise your hand real real quick?
**raise your hand high** if that's you. I know it might feel uncomfortable, but, man, there's beauty and obedience to to Jesus. If you feel it in your heart and that's you, raise your hand. I see your hand. Anybody else?
Alright. I just want you to say this with me. And if you guys will all repeat this just to for beauty's sake. Say it from your heart out loud. Say, Jesus Jesus.
I believe you died for me I believe you died. And I believe you rose again. I believe rose again. I ask you to forgive me of my To come into my heart. And make make me new.
Receive that. That. I now. Right now. From From this day day forward.
I receive are my Lord. My Lord. Teach me what it means to follow you. Amen. Amen.
Now I'm gonna ask you another question. If you have never been baptized and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that today you need to be baptized, would you raise your hand high? I'm ready. It's time to be baptized. I see you.
Praise the Lord. Good. Somebody else. If you just gave your life to g 2. There's 2.
Well, you're already signed up. Praise the Lord. Anybody else that knows that they need to be *baptized* today? Or if you just gave your life to Jesus, it's time to be baptized. So if that's you, I would encourage you to be baptized today too.
Thank you for tuning in today to the Real Church podcast. I pray that you "walk away" from today encouraged with a deeper understanding of how much "God loves you". If you'd like to connect with us, we can't wait to reach out to you and pray for you. You can go to www.realchurch.usconnect. Then also, if you would like to give 100 to what God is doing in and through our ministry, you can
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the link that comes up. Search for Real Church Clearwater. **God bless**