Rescue Me.
Colossians 1:13-14AMP
Our identity is meant to be entirely focused in Christ Jesus, and Christ Jesus alone. Any identity outside of the Lord Jesus Christ promotes shipwreck.
Our identity is not determined by our intelligence. It is not determined by our heritage, or ancestry. It is not determined by our present location, nor by how much or how little we have in the bank. It’s not in our retirement accounts, or in our real estate assets. It is not even determined by our gender or our race. (Below spells out your ID).
Colossians 1:13-14AMP For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].
In ‘whom’ we have redemption... In, Jesus.
Think about this, God rescues us, He draws us out of darkness. He brought us to Himself. Light expelled darkness. While all along, God transfers us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, (Jesus). Presently, We have redemption. Our sins forgiven, sins penalty canceled.
Think for a moment, For God to rescue us implies that we cannot rescue ourselves. “The powerful enemy over the realm of darkness, and our spiritual blindness combine to render us spiritually helpless to pull off our own rescue.”
In fact, until the Lord opens our eyes, we don’t even know that we need rescuing. P.H
2 Corinthians 4:3-4KJV But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Millions bow to some little god. Millions bow to inferior. The god of this world blinds the minds of those who believe not.
Verse 4, Paul states, for if they believed, the glorious gospel shall shine upon them.
Again, Colossians 1:13-14TM God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.
Let me set this up- Saul of Tarsus was sent to persecute Christians, and persecute he did. While on one of these expeditions Saul experienced conversion. He was stricken by God, fell off his horse while Jesus cries,"Saul. Saul, why persecute Me?” Saul replied, "Who are you Lord?”
His name would soon change to Paul. Paul would rehearse this experience everywhere he went.
Time and time again, Paul would tell his story. Guess what? You have a story.
Act 26:1, Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
Acts 26:17-18NLT And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in Me.’
“God’s looking to open minds and eyes. He’s wanting people to turn. (Do an about face.)” P.H
The modern terrorist movement has given us a graphic picture of what it means to be under the authority of darkness. When terrorists kidnap a victim, they usually take their victim blindfolded to a location where he or she is totally lost, so that if they escaped, they wouldn’t know which way to run. These terrorist sometimes keep their victim blindfolded for days, chained to a wall in some bare room.
This can trigger a weird psychological condition known as the ‘Stockholm syndrome,' is coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation. People develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time. This condition applies to situations including child abuse, coach-athlete abuse, relationship abuse and sex trafficking.
For many of us, we seem to have a spiritual Stockholm syndrome. It’s almost as if we begin to defend the terrorist with our thoughts and words. We should be fed-up with rage.
Isaiah 64:6NLT We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
Jesus shows no mercy to this low-life-lier-loser.
Illustration- Show some filthy rags.
Once more, Colossians 1:13-14TPT He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son.14 For in the Son all our sins are canceled and we have the release of redemption through His very blood.
We can’t rescue ourselves; Only God can rescue. There’s a picture of this in, Exodus 6:6-8, where the Lord tells Moses, "I will rescue.”
Exodus 6:6-8NLT “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”
7 times in two verses, God proclaims, I will! * I will free you.
* I will rescue you.
* I will redeem you.
* I will claim you as My own people.
* I will be your God.
* I will bring you into the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
* I will give you your own possession.
For most people today, the word hope means something along these lines. It is, “to wish for, to expect, but always being void of certainty.”
Again, For most, Hope is desiring an outcome but having no real assurance that anything good is going to happen. It is a wish, but in the end that is all that it is an optimistic wish.
The Biblical view of hope is different: When we look at the context in which “hope” is used in scripture there is an overwhelming note of certainty.
‘Hope’, in Scripture means,”a strong and confident expectation.”
“Hope wasn’t seen as something wishy washy. It wasn’t seen as a maybe. It wasn’t seen as something that might happen.’ ‘One could have real hope because one knew in their heart at the center of hope was the Lord.” P.H
Ephesians 2:1-3NLT Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
Once we were dead in your sins. We lived in sin, obeying the devil. The devil is at work within the unbelievers mind and eyes. Once we all lived by our sinful nature.
But then there is, Ephesians 2:4-6NLT But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
3 things every believer must flourish in:
Salvation- Just believe.
God’s salvation will keep you, it will teach you and carry you into the depths of eternity.
In John 11, Jesus’ friend Lazarus was sick unto death.
In, John 11:25, Jesus proclaims that He is the resurrection and Life.
Jesus asked Martha one simple question in Verse 26, “Martha, ‘Do you believe this?”
Remember Jesus hadn't called Lazarus out of the tomb quite yet, so Martha was still in the depths of despair. -Hope was four days dead. Yet Martha responds with her simple profession of faith:
Martha answers, “Yes, Lord.”
“One little yes, can change your life. One little yes, can change your eternity.’
‘Jesus became Lazarus’ grave robber. He called Lazarus name, And Lazarus got up!” P.H
Jesus prays in, John 17:10TLB And all of them, since they are Mine, belong to You; and You have given them back to Me with everything else of Yours, and so they are My glory!
As people of salvation, we are Jesus’ glory!
The second thing every believer must flourish in is, God’s Word.
God’s word is your GPS. Your road map. God’s word tells you exactly what is yours!
We have a rich inheritance: 1 Peter 1:3-4NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:23NKJV having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
“God’s word in eternal, it’s rich; It is spiritual knowledge that leads its reader/believer into eternity!" P.H
3. The third thing every believer must flourish in is the, Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit/ His Resurrection.
These two seem to always go hand-n-hand. Where you read about one, you’ll read about the other.
Romans 8:11TPT Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, He will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!
“The Holy Spirit raises up, He quickens, He blows new life.” P.H
John 16:7-11TPT But here’s the truth: It’s to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away the Divine Encourager will not be released to you. But after I depart, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will expose sin and prove that the world is wrong about God’s righteousness and his judgments.
9“ ‘Sin,’ because they refuse to believe in who I am.
10“God’s ‘righteousness,’ because I’m going back to join the Father and you’ll see me no longer.
11“And ‘judgment’ because the ruler of this dark world has already received his sentence.
The Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin, and of your righteousness. He wants to speak, and He lives to promote Jesus. The Holy Spirit resurrects, He builds up, He’s powerful!
The greatest news you’ll ever hear is, You’ve been rescued!
Tell Him today, “Rescue Me.”
Benediction.
