Gospel Orthodoxy - Victory

This reading comes from Colossians chapter 2 and Hebrews chapter 2.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

Please follow along on the screen, the bulletin, or your own Bible.

In Colossians 2 verse 13 we read,

Colossians 2:13

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

God made a life together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses

by cancelling the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands.

This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame

by triumphing over them in him.

Then in Hebrews 2 verse 14 we read,

Hebrews 2:14

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,

he himself likewise partook of the same things,

that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death,

that is the devil,

and deliver all those who through fear of death

were subject to lifelong slavery.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you so much, Annabelle.

It's so great to see you,

or not see you very much on Zoom,

but so great to just be with you together,

even if it's virtually.

We just,

just so value,

even during this COVID social distancing time,

the sense of being able to be together as a community,

and to really walk with one another through this time.

So let me,

let me just pray for us

as we get into God's word together.

Father,

Father,

just so aware that

your word can often stay in our heads,

but in our lives we often fail to live in the light of the incredible truths

that you have proclaimed to us.

But I pray, Lord,

this morning for wherever we are,

whatever situation we're going through,

Lord,

whether we are doing well or struggling,

Lord,

we pray that you would speak to us,

not just for information in our heads,

but you would show us in our hearts

what it means for us to walk in victory,

what it means for us to live in the light of who you are,

and the amazing work that you have done

through the cross and resurrection in our lives, Lord.

So we just pray that you would come and be with us now,

in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Great.

Great.

We've been going through,

as those of you who've been following along this series,

a series on gospel orthodoxy.

And what we've been talking about is how gospel doctrine,

which is not meant to just stay in our heads,

but is meant to fuse into our lives,

is to be the backbone of our lives.

It's to give us structure and strength

to be able to face and live in the light of all the other things

that are going on in our world

and all the other things that God calls us to as his people.

And so we need to continue to realign our lives

to gain good, healthy posture

in not just physically with our bones and our body,

but also with our souls and with our hearts.

And that's why we're looking at the gospel again

over this series.

And what we've seen is we've looked over these last few weeks

at justification.

We have seen how the gospel tapestry,

which has so many threads,

that through justification and guilt and condemnation

have been dealt with,

and we've been acquitted,

and we've been given a new status of righteous in Christ

if we are trusting in him and we're in him.

We've seen that instead of slavery,

he has brought us redemption and freedom from sin

and all those things that bind and hold us.

We've seen how in adoption and reconciliation,

he has taken us from being orphans and alone and rejected,

and he's brought us in to his family

as dearly loved sons and daughters

of the king of the whole universe.

We have a loving heavenly father.

Even though our earthly fathers may not be all we wish,

we have one who is everything we would long for,

and that is the God of all creation.

And today we're going to look at a final theme in this series,

which is instead of fear and walking in defeat,

we're going to see how Christ brings victory.

I don't know about you,

but have you ever gone into an exam

knowing that you haven't studied hard enough?

Knowing that it's too big, it's too hard,

there was too much to cover,

and before you even go into the examination room,

you feel like a sense of defeat.

You feel like, even before I've started,

like giving in.

Well, that's how many Christians live,

and many of us live in our lives.

You see, we want to follow Jesus,

but then it looks like,

and it feels like,

everything in Hong Kong

kind of pushes against us

trying to really follow him with all of our hearts,

whether it's our work culture,

whether it's politics,

whether it's education system,

and things with our kids,

or whether it's even just your own sense of sin in your life.

Doesn't it often feel

like we're just fighting against a relentless tide

that it seems just so difficult to overcome?

I don't know if any of you feel like that.

Well, Scripture,

and what we're going to look at today,

shows us there's a reason for that.

It says,

we shouldn't be surprised

that these things are hard,

because there is a war on.

Did you know that?

There's a fight.

And the Bible, Ephesians, tells us

there is a spiritual battle

that is taking place for every believer.

Here's what Ephesians 6 says.

Put on the whole armor of God

that you may be able to take your stand

against the schemes of the devil,

for we don't wrestle against flesh and blood,

against other human beings,

but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers

over this present darkness,

against spiritual forces of evil

in the heavenly places.

He's saying behind the darkness

and behind the struggle of this world,

there is a personal mastermind,

a spiritual being called Satan

or the devil,

who has a staff team,

and together they are rulers

and authorities.

And their mission

is to steal, kill, and destroy.

It's to stand utterly opposed

to God, his glory,

and our flourishing in him.

And if you are thinking,

well, you really believe in Satan,

like red tights and pitchfork,

that kind of thing,

well, that's not the biblical image of Satan.

You see, actually,

I just read recently

that the church of Satan,

which actually exists, apparently,

doesn't believe in Satan's existence.

And it's fascinating

because Satan doesn't care

if you believe in him or not.

In fact, he's perfectly fine if you don't

because what he wants

is he wants for you

just to trust in yourself,

to glorify yourself,

to live for yourself,

to rely on your own self-centered

pride and desires,

and be totally apathetic

towards God and his kingdom.

And that's perfect for him,

for enough to kill, steal, and destroy

our spiritual life,

our relationships,

and even the whole of society

in the world.

And lined up

on Satan's front lines

of his army

are three other enemies

together with him.

The Bible says

they call them this,

sin,

the world,

and death.

Sin,

the world,

and death.

Look in this passage

that we,

from Ephesians,

it says,

and you were dead

in the trespasses

and sins

in which you once walked,

following the course

of this world,

following the prince

of the power

of the air.

That's another way

of saying Satan.

the spirit

that is now

at work

in the sons

of disobedience.

Do you see,

he says all those things,

there is sin,

there is the world,

and there is the devil,

and there is death

all in there.

How do they work?

Well,

he baits us

with sin.

What do I mean by that?

It's like a fisherman

puts bait

on his hook

and throws it

in the water

and then a fish

comes along,

takes the bait

and then he pulls it up,

reels in the fish

and there the fish

is just wiggling,

dangling

and they are powerless

at that stage.

They are powerless.

They are under

that fisherman's control.

That's how Satan works.

He baits us with sin

but then the world

is like the tidal system

that pushes us

towards the bait.

It's the peer pressure

of the world around us.

It's the get for yourself,

live for yourself,

make yourself happy

and that social media

tells you.

It's the performance

oriented,

self-reliant,

jump into the rat race

and become a rat

or else you'll get

eaten alive

kind of mentality

that is everywhere

that we swim in

in Hong Kong.

And so what we do

is we follow the course,

we go with the flow

of this world

so often

and the result

when we take the bait

is then we live

like that fish

under the power

of Satan

and we end up

to the final enemy

which is death.

Spiritual death,

physical death.

That's where

the enemy wants

things to end up.

And you might want

to think

how does Satan

bait us

in this way?

What is his kind

of military tactics

that he uses?

Well, I think

there are a few

that scripture

describe,

but there are

two key areas

where there's

to operate.

One is in our mind

and the other

is in our heart

because you see

on that battlefield

your mind

is a battlefield.

You feel this

every day.

He,

Satan comes

and he lies

to us.

You remember

Adam and Eve

in the Garden

of Eden?

Satan comes

and says,

did God really

say don't eat

from that tree?

Oh,

if you eat

from,

you won't die.

You'll become

like God.

And what do they

do?

What's he doing?

He's twisting

God's word

so that you

stop believing

he's really good

that you can

actually trust

what he says.

And so then

as you begin

to doubt

that he's a father

who cares for you,

you start to look

elsewhere for

satisfaction

rather than to God.

And then from that

what happens

is once he's got

you to sin,

then he rubs

shame and guilt

in your face

with accusation.

Can't you do

anything right?

New year,

you said you're

going to read

the scripture

and you read it

for three days

and now you've

given up.

Hey,

you loser.

And as we start

living under the lies

and the accusations

of the enemy,

what happens is

we start beginning

to project those

onto others

and we start deceiving

and lying other people

and accusing other people,

blaming them

like Adam and Eve.

started doing

and tearing

our relationships

apart

and that's

Satan's work.

You see,

that's the battlefield

of the mind.

But there's also

the battlefield

of the heart

which works together.

You see,

he tempts us

like with Adam and Eve

but also he can

intimidate

and discourage us.

Do you remember

that story of

David and Goliath?

a very famous story

where Goliath

is this monster

of a man,

this huge giant

who represents

the very enemies

of God's people

and he challenges

them to a fight,

anyone to fight

with him.

And the Israelite

warriors,

they take one look

at this huge guy

and they go,

what's the point

in fighting him?

They cower away

and it says

they were greatly

afraid and discouraged

because they go,

he's too big,

it's too difficult,

we can't beat him.

And he starts

mocking and taunting

them

and without lifting

a finger

he has them

under his control.

Discouraged,

fearful.

And then do you

remember in the story

this little shepherd boy,

David comes along

and everyone else

is now projecting

that same fear

onto him.

They're going,

you're just a kid,

have you got a death wish?

Like,

are you crazy

going out to fight him?

Voices of fear

coming in all the time

before he then

takes out one stone

and he silences

all those voices

with one slingshot,

knocks Goliath

to the ground,

walks up to him,

cuts off his head

and fear

suddenly

disappears

and turns

into victory.

You see,

friends,

I don't know

what Goliath

feels like

in your life

at the moment.

Whether it's COVID,

whether it's

cancer,

whether it's

just people

are just

not changing

in your family,

loved ones,

so you want to

respond to the gospel.

Nothing seems to be

happening

and you feel

discouraged,

you feel powerless.

sometimes you may

want to stay

faithful to God

and not date

a non-believer,

but it looks like

you look out

at the options

that are there

and you go,

there's nothing there

and despair

begins to set in

and your Goliath

starts to taunt you.

Maybe look elsewhere

or every time

you look on social

media,

that voice

whispers,

look at their

life,

chase what

they have.

Look,

where's trusting God

actually got you?

You're going to

miss out if you

stay trusting him

and you see

the lies

and the fear

and the discouragement

it all works together

and you see

that's the battlefield,

that's the place

of the fight.

You see,

every single day

we're in a battle

for truth versus lies,

we're a battle

for fear versus courage,

it's a battle

for your heart

and a battle

for your mind

and by the way

that's why

we want to do

this series

on getting right

gospel doctrine

because there's

so much false

teaching out there

that Satan wants

to deceive us

so that we don't

hold on to the

truth that we

have in him

and as Kevin

said last week,

in this battle

there is no

neutral territory,

there is no

Switzerland here,

you're either

baited on the

hook of Satan

and under his

control

or you are

living under

the freedom

of Jesus'

control,

there's no

middle ground

but the

Bible also

says that

every single

human being

is naturally

under,

like that fish

wiggling away

to death,

Satan's control

and there's only

one way to get

free,

so here's the

second thing

we want to

look at,

we've looked

at the war,

now we want

to look at

Jesus who's

the wounded

conqueror,

you see,

just when we

were powerless,

onto the

battlefield comes

God's champion,

here's what

1 John 3

says,

it says,

the reason

Jesus,

the son of

God appeared

was to destroy

the works of

the devil,

you see,

the reason he

came was to

destroy Satan,

sin,

the world

and death,

those lies

in his life,

he comes

against the

lies and

the accusations

by preaching

the truth,

by resisting

Satan's temptations

and calling

people to

repentance and

faith and

trust in him

and he breaks

the grip of

fear and

bondage that

people are,

healing the

sick,

delivering people

from demons

and the

accusations,

in his death

he came to

do away with

the very

grounds of

accusation that

Satan could

hold us

with,

see,

here's the

passage that

we looked

at earlier,

Colossians 2

says,

and you

were dead

in your

trespasses

and the

uncircumcision

of your

flesh,

God made,

you who

were dead,

God made

alive together

with him,

having forgiven

us,

justified

us,

cleansed us,

redeemed us,

forgiven us

all our

trespasses by

cancelling the

record of

debt that

I owe you,

that stood

against us

with its

legal demands,

that accused

us,

that left us

in Satan's

grip,

this he set

aside,

nailing it

to the

cross.

Satan had

us under

his control

because we'd

taken his

bait,

but Jesus

through the

cross and

resurrection has

liberated us,

taken sin on

himself,

brought us off

the hook,

brought us into

the freedom of

his waters,

we now have a

heavenly father

who loves us,

and here's what

he says,

in doing this,

what has he

done?

He disarmed

the rulers and

authorities and

put them to

open shame by

triumphing over

them in the

cross,

in him.

You see,

the image

here is of

a victorious

Roman general

who is riding

on his

chariot,

and he's

just come

back from

the battle,

and he's

riding through

the streets

with the

defeated enemy,

the slaves,

the prisoners

of war,

in chains

behind him.

The Goliath,

who seemed so

strong before,

had such a

big mouth,

is now

disarmed,

stripped of

all his

power,

humiliated in

the chains,

dragged behind

him on his

way to

execution.

Satan,

he's saying,

and all of

his army is

defeated.

He no longer

can claim any

power over a

believer in

Jesus.

Why?

Because he

says by

liberating us

from our

sins on the

cross, he

has liberated

us from

Satan's claim

on us.

He's liberated

us from

sin's claim

on us,

from the

world's claim

on us,

from death's

claim on

us.

His victory

is our

victory.

He has

lifted us

from Satan's

defeated domain

onto his

chariot of

victory.

That's what

Colossians says.

Colossians 1

says it like

this.

He has

delivered us

from the

domain of

darkness and

transferred us

into the

kingdom of

his beloved

son, in

whom we have

redemption,

the forgiveness

of sins.

Jesus, our

victorious

general, he's

plundered Satan's

prison, opened

the gates, removed

all right to

condemn you, shame

you, and hold

you prisoner to

fear and

discouragement.

And he's

brought us into

his kingdom of

truth and love.

And the fear

has no place

where there is

perfect love.

This is what

Jesus has done

for us.

He has given

us victory over

those great

enemies that we

feel powerless

in for.

But just think

about it.

how does

Jesus conquer?

Because his

victory is the

way that we

will be

victorious.

His victory

wasn't a

feel-good

victory.

You know,

victory doesn't

always feel

like really

great in the

moment.

You see, at

the cross, it

looked like the

powerful, the

proud, the

pushy, the

self-reliant had

won.

You know, just

like for us.

It seems like

the more

stronger you are,

the more

successful you

are, the more

fun you are,

that's the

way of victory.

But that was

Good Friday, and

Easter Sunday was

coming.

The world tells

you to beat

your Goliaths by

yourself trying to

be stronger, trying

to be more

successful, trying

to be more

attractive, trying

to get what you

can for yourself.

But the gospel

says you don't

need to make

yourself Goliath,

you don't need to

have a bigger

Goliath.

To beat Goliath,

you need a better

David.

And we have

one, that is

Jesus Christ, who

with the slingshot of

his cross and his

resurrection has

nailed that giant

right in the face.

Whatever giant that

we face in our

lives, which holds

us back from

Christ, he says,

by death I have

defeated it, and I

am the wounded

conqueror who rises

to victory.

And so that means

for you and I,

if we are trusting

in Jesus, he has

taken us out of

Satan's grip and

placed us on his

victory chariot,

headed to

resurrection glory.

This is the victory

that Jesus has won.

But now, if you

think about it and

you go, well, if

Jesus has won, why

do I still have to

fight?

Why does it still

feel like sometimes

Satan's winning?

Well, the thing is

that a wounded, dying

tiger, which has

had a death blow,

doesn't go down

without a fight.

It still has claws

to scratch and a

roar to try and

intimidate us, even

though his final

breath is near.

Satan, sin, the

world and the devil

and death itself are

still realities until

Jesus comes again

and will execute,

will wipe them away

forever.

The war is won,

but we have still

got to walk out our

victory and those

battles in our

day-to-day life.

So let's think,

from the war and the

conquering that Jesus

has done, how do we

now live in victory?

This is the third

thing I want to talk

about.

You see, some

people think living

in victory is

marching around

buildings kind of

just rebuking Satan.

Get out of here,

Satan.

And I know plenty

of people who do

that, and I see

actually Satan's

walking all over

their personal lives.

Others will say

things like,

2021, it's the

year of your

victory, it's the

year of breakthrough.

breakthrough.

And what they

mean is, it's the

year of health,

wealth, prosperity,

everything going

great for you.

Actually, Scripture

doesn't say either of

those things.

Here's what Scripture

says.

Victory means

staying close to

Jesus, trusting and

living for him,

living for his glory.

You know, that's it.

Because if he's

riding on the

victory chariot and

you're with him,

guess who's going to

be at the winner's

party?

And Satan will try

and do anything just

to get you to jump

off the chariot.

He's going, it's so

much more fun being

dragged down here in

the dirt.

You know, just try it

once.

Everyone else is

doing it.

You'll miss out if

you don't.

You'll never know

what it was like.

FOMO.

But Ephesians

tells us, put on

the armor of God

that you may be

able to withstand

an evil day.

And having done it,

he says, oh, march

around victorious.

No, he says, just

stand firm.

Stand.

Why do you have to

stand?

Because you've already

got victory.

You just need to

stay there in it.

Jesus has won it

for us.

We don't need to

fight wildly, launch

an anti-Satan

campaign.

Just stay on the

chariot, stay firm

with Jesus in

relationship with

him.

A victory is

yours because

it's his victory.

Now, how does

that work?

I want to show

us a few ways

that victory

works that

scripture tells

us about.

You see, it

works in two

ways.

Jesus gives

us victory

from things

and he gives

us victory

through things.

From is when

he removes it

completely.

Through is when

he takes you

through and does

something in the

midst of that.

in your lives.

And remember

our enemies

of sin,

the world,

and death

itself?

Well, that's

exactly where

God wants to

give you victory

from and

through.

So let me

explain what I

mean by that.

You know, for

myself, I lived

under Satan's

lies for a long

time when I was

younger.

I really tried

hard to be a

good Christian

Christian and I

realized I was

just really crap

at being a good

Christian.

And I felt I was

totally selfish and

this live stream of

accusations just

kind of kept playing

in my head saying

you're worthless,

you're a failed

Christian and I

became discouraged,

I became despairing

and depressed and

finally I became

really sick.

And I was actually

at one point bent

almost double because

I couldn't just hold

myself up with the

weight of everything

that's going on.

And someone said

to me, you know,

your posture is an

indication of your

soul.

So he said, just

stand up straight

and your soul will

begin to kind of

feel more confident.

So I tried, but I

couldn't because I

was powerless.

I felt God was

distant, harsh.

I was never good

enough.

I stopped reading

scripture.

I stopped praying.

I stopped really

wanting to live for

God in any

different way.

I just kind of

did my own thing.

And then a regret

live stream started

in my mind saying

because I looked at

everybody else around

me and I had to

take some time out

of university and

people were graduating.

Everyone was ahead

of me and it kind of

said to me, oh,

where are you?

You're just behind.

And Satan just tried

to get his hooks all

over me.

And then God's word

came to me.

Do you know,

Ephesians tells us

that we have a sword?

It's the sword of the

spirit, the word of

God.

And it's a sword that

we're meant to fight

with.

Do you realize that God

has given us the truth

of his word and he's

given us community and

he's given us prayer?

That's what Ephesians

there says.

You've got to pray at all

times.

He gives us these three

things.

There's others as well,

but the three things that

enable us to fight and

they're so powerful.

Because you see,

at one point,

out of the blue,

a person just said,

hey, they started

praying for me and

then they just said,

hey, I've just got a

couple of verses,

one from Psalm 107

and one from Psalm

118.

I was like,

where is that?

I have no idea what

they are.

And they just gave me

these verses.

I can still remember

them today.

And then about three

weeks later,

a friend of my mom's

from Ethiopia,

a missionary in Ethiopia

who I'd only ever met

once,

she said,

oh, I just thought

God was telling me

to pray for you.

And I felt there was

just a couple of

verses I wanted to

give you.

Do you know what

verses they were?

Exact same verses.

And this is not like

John 3, 16.

Psalm 107.

Anyone know that?

Right.

It's just totally

random.

Except it wasn't

random.

Because God,

through his word,

spoke to me.

And as he did,

his word,

through that prayer

that I've been praying

together,

lifted my soul.

It straightened

my back.

It gave me hope

to rise,

that my God

knew me.

My God saw me.

I'm not an orphan.

I'm a son of his.

That he would

deliver me

through this.

And he began

to just walk me

out of self-pity,

out of regret,

and to actually

start to live

for Jesus

rather than

pretending I was

and feeling

like a fraud.

And you know

what?

Since that day,

I've not lived

under regret

for a single day.

When regret

comes knocking

on my door,

I swing my sword

of Isaiah 43,

which says,

fear not,

I have redeemed you,

Chris.

I have called you

by name.

You are mine.

You see,

and it's gone.

That's victory

from sin.

And each one of us,

God wants to bring

us victory

from sin.

But do you know

what, guys?

We need to realize

where is the battle

with sin and

discouragement and

fear in your life

right now?

Some of us,

during COVID time

or even before,

we've been taking

Satan's bait,

jumping off the

chariot,

because we are not

getting in God's

word and starting

his word,

starting every day

getting in scripture.

And man,

let me tell you,

if you put down

all your weapons,

you're a sitting duck.

And some of you

feel defeated

because you tried

to start reading

scripture and it

didn't last very long.

And now you're just

going, hey,

I can't do it.

But actually,

God wants to say

to you,

don't walk this

alone.

God has given us

his word.

He's given us

community.

Get people around

us.

Say, hey, listen,

I need you to help

me read together.

I need you to pray

for each other.

Listen, in COVID

times, if you're just

by yourself,

you are like one

of those deers,

you know,

which lions just,

you know,

when they're chasing

the pack and they

just look after the

one deer that's by

themselves and then

they pounce.

That's what you're

like.

He says,

sit in prowls like

a roaring lion,

but actually in

community with his

word and in prayer

and in worship to

God.

These are our

weapons.

And so don't fight

alone.

Listen, in Lent time,

we're going to have

time where every day

during Lent,

we're going to have a

Bible reading time

on Zoom for just a

few minutes in the

morning.

If you know you

struggle with getting

scripture, listen,

you need to clear your

calendar.

Like, it doesn't

matter if you have to

answer that email.

Scrap it.

That time is more

important for you to

live in freedom than

for you to just get

stuff done.

Let's fight this

together because God

is going to give us

victory through these

things.

You know, some of us,

the battle is actually

not just from sin.

It's also through sin.

It's the battle to just

keep getting back up and

fighting and persevering.

Do you know, I've been

liberated from some sins in

my life, but there are

still sins that I'm sure

like you that I just

wrestle with every day.

And sometimes it feels

like you're just knocked

down again and again.

It feels like that Goliath's

got you.

But do you know what,

Jesus, I've discovered

this, Jesus has this

amazing ability.

That when I come back in

confession and repentance

and reminding myself of

his grace, I get his

grace so much more.

I'm like, you could even

love me.

And as I realise that,

do you know what, it

doesn't leave me crushed,

it leaves me more

grateful.

And what it does, it

changes my heart to be

less judgmental to be

towards others, more

compassionate, more

persevering.

And we begin to look a

little bit more like

Jesus and his love.

So brothers and

sisters, if you are

wrestling with these

things, whatever your

sin struggle is, stand

up, straighten up,

because God is going to

give you victory from

and he's going to give

you victory through your

sin.

Jesus is amazing.

But it's not just

victory over sin.

Jesus also wants to give

us victory over the

world.

You know, in John's

gospel, Jesus says this.

He says, I've said these

things to you, that in me

you may have peace.

In the world you'll have

tribulation.

But take heart, literally,

take courage.

courage.

I have overcome

the world.

You know,

some of you,

victory from the world

this year is going to

look like this.

Family members that have

just been resistant to

the gospel, resistant to

you in so many different

ways, God is just going to

break through into their

hearts.

He's just going to melt

that resistance.

And he's going to draw

people to Christ.

People that you never

thought it was possible.

God is going to do that

this year.

I really believe that in

some of our lives.

For some of us, it's that

those voices of, why are

you single?

Why do you want to, like,

trust Jesus?

Why do you want to give

that much?

Like, think about your

financial security.

Don't trust Jesus in this

area.

Those voices that just

kind of come at you all

the time.

And you're just going to

go, they're not going to

bother you so much.

Because Jesus is going to

give you victory from the

world in some of these

areas.

And you can just trust him

and it will give you this

peace to just walk through

your day with him.

But for many of us, it's not

just victory from the world.

Jesus doesn't promise that

2021 is going to be a bed of

roses.

There's still COVID around.

There's still trials.

trials.

But he promises victory

through the world.

Which means courage and

peace in the midst of our

trials.

You see, that's how he

conquered, didn't he?

Through the cross.

You know, some of us have

rarely shared the gospel.

Because we live under this

fear of rejection, of

inadequacy.

This fear that we're just

not going to get it right.

Maybe we've had bad

experiences before and we

just don't know how to do

it.

And this year, that's

going to change.

Fear, you may still feel

afraid.

Jesus doesn't promise

removal of feelings.

But fear is not going to

rule you.

That you're actually going

to have a new confidence

to share with your

colleagues, with your

family, with your

friends.

And you're going to just

walk, and regardless of

what people's responses

are, even when it feels

negative to you, that you

come back in community and

we encourage each other and

we get back up.

With newfound courage and

confidence.

And that's the place of

peace with Jesus.

Because victory through the

world looks like courage in

spite of what others say.

And that's the place of

experiencing Christ's peace

in the midst of trials.

Victory from and through sin,

victory from and through the

world.

Let me give you one more.

One that I think has become

closer to some of us during

COVID times.

Victory from death and through

death.

There's this amazing passage in

Hebrews 2 which says this.

since therefore the children share in

flesh and blood, he, Jesus

himself, likewise partook of the

same things.

He became human.

That through death he might

destroy the one who has the power

of death, that is the devil, and

deliver all those who through fear

of death were subject to lifelong

slavery.

He's saying, like, Hong Kong is just

filled with a fear of death, right?

Like, it's no number four anywhere.

You know, and COVID has brought

death closer to some of us.

Some of us don't just have a

healthy caution.

We live paralyzed by fear.

For others it's not COVID, it's

cancer.

And cancer just kind of looms like

this Goliath in your family with

loved ones.

It's in your genetics.

It's wherever it is.

And Jesus says, with all of these

Goliaths of death, if we're in

Christ, he will give us victory.

You know, Jesus raised Lazarus from

the dead.

But Lazarus died again.

Jesus himself went through death and

came out alive victorious.

Victory from death.

Let me give you an example.

Eight years ago, I was in Hong Kong.

I got a call at 2 a.m.

My dad rang me to say, your mom's

just had a massive asthma attack.

The doctors said she's not going to

get through the night.

She's almost flatlining.

All the vitals are just down.

Listen, pray.

Pray.

Nothing else I could do.

I prayed and then I just went back

to sleep.

He said, I'll call you in the

morning.

He calls me back in the morning.

I'm expecting to get out and have

to get on a flight.

He rings me and says, you never

guess what.

The doctors have said it's just a

miracle.

They can't explain it.

You know, the moment you and other

friends started praying, her vital

signs went from almost flatlining

right back to normal.

Like, not even stable.

Just like, totally back to normal.

In an instant.

God can bring victory from death.

He has power to do that.

God can take us, the things that we feel

powerless and he has a slingshot that can do

what nobody else can do.

But my mom, like Lazarus, will die one day.

So will all of us.

Even if you're 21, you will.

Let me tell you it's 100% success rate there.

But Dylan Carson, who is a theologian, he

tells this story where he was at a prayer

time where everyone was praying for a

friend who had cancer.

And it looked like this was it.

And people were naming and claiming her

healing, binding the cancer and saying,

and in the midst of it, kind of casting out.

And then in the midst of all of that, I think

it was Carson's wife just really felt she had

to pray something different.

And his wife started praying this.

God, help her to die well.

Help her to die in a way that glorifies you.

Everyone looked around completely stunned.

Because they thought that actually victory is

only death, victory from death.

They didn't realize that victory can also be

victory through death.

You see, I want to die well.

I want to die close to Jesus, looking at Jesus,

seeing with a confidence that I'm going to see him.

I want to die like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the

German pastor who, on the last words before he

was executed by the Nazis, he said this.

He said, this is the end for me.

The beginning of life.

That's victory through death.

That resurrection hope that Jesus has gone through

the grave and so will we and we will see him face

to face.

And my hope for every watermarker is not that we all

become world shapers, although some of us may.

It's not that we all get our dream jobs, that we all

become famous, we all get the amount of money we want,

although some of us may.

My hope and prayer is that we are a people who learn together

as a community, learn to walk and fight together and walk in

victory over Satan, sin, the world and death.

That every one of us will stay so close to Jesus in his word,

prayer and worship, that we will, in community, have this gospel

courage to keep sharing, in spite of difficulties, the gospel.

We have this peace and we live in the light that we are

justified, redeemed, we are adopted, we are reconciled.

We're not orphans.

We have a father who loves us and we go into our world and we

go into our lives in that confidence.

As sons and daughters of the kings, as those who are more than

conquerors through him who loved us.

And when we die,

we will say the same as Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

This is the end for us.

This is the beginning of life with our wounded conqueror, Jesus, forever.

Victory from forever.

Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin.

The power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Let's pray together.

I think some of us,

we actually haven't recognised that we're really in a battle.

And there are things that you've been living under.

Where you haven't realised behind that, Satan has wanted to take you off the chariot.

And I believe today, God really wants to speak to you.

And he wants to tell you, don't walk through this alone.

Don't walk through thinking I'm always going to be defeated.

Some of you have just kind of given up,

whether it's in scripture reading,

whether it's really in just resisting temptation,

a whole load of areas.

And God wants to lift and straighten you up to say,

look to me.

Look to me in your difficult circumstances.

Look to me where there's things which you just think are just not changing

and you don't know where hope is going to come.

Look to me, I've overcome.

Look to me.

Some of us, we just need to get the sword of the spirit out.

And not just read scripture, but wield scripture against those lies.

Recognise where the battle is.

I just want to give you a second, just to allow God to just speak to you.

What's he saying to you right now?

Where is it that he wants you to walk in victory?

Where is it that he wants you to walk in victory?

Where is it that he wants you to walk in victory?

Father, we just thank you.

Lord, we are weak.

Lord, we are weak.

That we are more than conquerors, not through our own strength.

Lord, we are weak.

Jesus looked defeated, but actually his very defeat was the moment of his greatest triumph.

Lord, I pray for us that you would encourage us, that you would lift up our heads to see you today.

I pray that you would let the gospel go from not just our heads, but into our hearts.

Lord, I pray that we would be a community that's not just thinking about ourselves, but it's looking out for each other to fight together.

Lord, I pray that we would be those who get to our death day and have a glorious glimpse that Jesus is our great hope.

And that we would be the Lord.

Lord, I pray.

Lord, I pray that we stay close to you.

Lord, I pray.

Draw near to us now.

And may we draw near to you.

thank you for your victory that we have in you

in Jesus name, Amen