"WHO ARE YOU?"

Look Up:    Colossians 1:9-14

         Sermon preached by:   Dr. Wayne Poplin, Carmel Baptist Church    (Copyright 2007)       

INTRODUCTION:  While we were on our mission trip in Dominica two weeks ago, three of us went to the prison one afternoon.  We went up to speak to the prisoners, give out bibles, etc.  But we met a prisoner that we were not expecting to meet.  A guard. The guard who let us in the gate was also a prisoner.  As we talked, he told us that he was a Christian, told us about his favorite preachers from the states that he heard on radio or saw on television and revealed to us that he was well-versed in scripture.  After we talked for some time [there was a period of waiting before we met with the prisoners] he opened up his heart and started confessing.  He said that he had a problem with sex.  He told us how his sexual desire was taking him beyond the bounds of his marriage into infidelity and that he could not get victory over it.  As we talked with him about that sin in his life, if we mentioned a scripture, he already knew it.  If we talked about the power of God, he believed it.  When we talked about who he should be in Christ, he agreed.  Yet, here was a man, claiming to be a Christian, knowledgeable of the scripture, believing that God was a powerful God, knowing who he should be in Christ, stuck in a sin that he said he could not overcome.  There are a lot of those “guards” around aren’t there? 
        Why is that?  Why is the “more than conquerors” thing not being lived out?  Why is “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” not being experienced?  Why is it that so many Christians have something that they cannot conquer in their lives?  It may not be the issue that this man had—but it could be or be related [pornography, etc.].  It may be your selfishness.  It may worry.  It may be anger.  But the bottom line is this.  There is a stronghold in your life that is keeping you a prisoner and you are not making gains on it though you can quote all the right scriptures and talk about the power of God.  There are people who are believers, who though they say that God can change lives, never change.  They continue to be the same day after day, year after year.
            That passage in Colossians 1:9-14 is ringing in my ears. 

Colossians 1:9-14
In those verses Paul talks about “being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might” and being “rescued from the dominion of darkness.”  Yet, who are we?  We are guards who live as prisoners.  There is something that we have not overcome though we are overcomers.  There is something that we cannot conquer though we are conquerors.  Do we not understand our identity?  Do we not claim our true identity?  What is the problem?  We need to talk about this.   

The Need for Understanding
Let’s understand two things: {1} the nature of a Christ-follower and {2} the power of God.

{1} In Colossians 1 it says that “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” [Col. 1:14].  We have been redeemed.  Redemption results in a new nature—one that wants to and can obey God.  But we know that it is not impossible for us to sin.  We still have our old nature.  When Paul said,
            We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? [Rom. 6:2].   He did not mean that we could never sin, but that we no longer are condemned by sin nor slaves of sin.  I wish we were dead to sin—totally non responsive to it.  But that is not the case. 
            But we now can say “no” to sin.  We are no longer slaves to it.  We can overcome the old nature.  When we sin, we are choosing to sin.  

{2}  Secondly, Let’s understand that God is all powerful..  We don’t call Him Omnipotent for nothing.  His is a glorious might [Col. 1:11].  His power raised Christ from the dead and rescued us from the “dominion of darkness” [Col. 1:13].  So He has power over death and Satan.  That is a pretty big duo.  He Who has all power can strengthen us
            with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience….[Col. 1:11].
This verse literally says that we are empowered with all power, according to His might. 
        The “endurance” here is a steady determination—keeping going when everything inside of us wants to stop.  So, with His power, we can keep on going when everything inside of us wants to stop.  That does not sound like a formula for failure, does it?       

So where is the breakdown in our lives?  Why are redeemed people-- who have a new nature that can obey God and who can overcome the old nature and who have access to this incredible power-- unable to overcome sin in their lives? 
    What is the problem?   
        Illustration of a lamp.  Analysis as to why it isn’t burning.
What do we need to hear?  What are we not doing?   

First of all, I would say there is no problem on God’s side.  So the problem of what is happening or not happening lies with us?  If you have a besetting sin or do not continue to change [root out what needs to be rooted out] for His glory, then we need to ask why?  You think about it.  You have been told about it.  You have prayed about it.  You have felt shame over it.  You say you want to quit doing it.  So what is the problem?   

1. We do not appropriate the victory over the old nature. 

...count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Chris t Jesus.
Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires [Rom. 6:11 -12].
The “counting” is reckoning, regarding, considering ourselves dead to sin.  It is not make believe.  It is not pretending that our old nature has died, when we know full well that it hasn’t.  Instead, we know that our old self [preconversion self] did die with Christ and we no longer slaves of sin.  I do not have to sin.  It is like having a dream about being a student in school---sweating to take a test or get a paper in—and wake up and breathe a sigh of relief when you realize that you are no longer in school.  “Reckon” that you are not who you once were and walk in that freedom.  Take hold of your identity in Christ.    

2. We underestimate the enemy.  We do not take our opponent seriously enough.

We do not realize the battle that is being waged against us.  The Bible says:
                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….[1 Pet. 5:8-9]. 
Are you as alert and prepared in dealing with the devil as you would be maneuvering among lions on the open Serengeti?   If not, then you have underestimated the opponent.  He is there to devour us—destroy us—strip us of our flesh.  You are a target.  A war is being waged.  He is only an archangel.  His power does not compare with God’s.  But he is a formidable foe.  Don’t underestimate your enemy. 

3.  We do not really want to change.

There is a very interesting passage in John 5:1-6 where a man lame for 38 years is lying next to the pool of  Bethesda, awaiting a chance to be healed.  Jesus learned that he had been coming to that spot for a long time.  Jesus asks him, “Do you want to get well?” Interesting question for a man who gave every indication that he wanted to be healed, isn’t it?  But Jesus knew that just because healing is available does not mean that you really want to be healed.  Many people who need to be healed go to a place of healing but are never healed.  So many here today, have come to a place of healing, before a God of healing, but you know you will leave the way you came.  That is not His fault.  That is your fault.  The first step of being healed or freed is to really want it.  So the question is, do you want to get rid of whatever it is bad enough?  The first step of healing is a deep, honest desire for healing.
        I think that one the reasons we really do not want to be healed is that we believe that the sin we are holding to will deliver more pleasure than God can deliver.  And if that thinking doesn’t change, we will continue to opt for the sin.  I want you to see a text that says that overcoming involves overcoming the evil one.
        I write to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one [1 Jh. 2:14 ]. 
         John says that overcoming happens when the word of God lives in us.  So what does that mean?  Satan’s faith-destroying efforts can be summed up under two activities:  accusation and temptation.  We saw some of the former last Sunday.  He is a great accuser.  Here the matter is temptation.  How does he work in the area of temptation and how does the word of God help us to overcome this?  He tempts us by telling us that if we succumb to the temptation the pleasure we experience will be better than what God can give.  But the word of God is truth and tells us that what he says is not true [it is the opposite] and helps us to overcome his lies—he is a liar. If you believe the liar, you sin.  If you believe the word, you overcome.  So, our failure to overcome is in our failure to believe the truth over a lie.     

4. We do not do our part.

Sanctification involves us.  We are thwarting the process, because we are failing in our effort.  Colossians 3 says set your mind on things above [vs. 1], put to death those things in your earthly nature that are causing you to stumble [vs. 5], rid yourselves of sin in your life [vs. 8].  Spray the weeds.  Chop them.  Pull them up.  Disconnect the IV giving it sustenance.  Work at it.  We still have an old nature that we need to starve. 
        These are things we are not doing.  Any of them apply to you? 
So what do you need to do?

1. Be honest.  Have you not understood your identity in Christ?  Have you been believing a lie? Do you really want to be healed? Are you doing your part?

If you really want to be healed, then take a step.

2. Take a step.  Concentrate on one area of weakness or failure.  Repent.  Stop using the word “defeated” and start using the word “disobey.”  We may be defeated but it is because we are disobedient.  Admit that you are going in the wrong direction.  Understand that every time you repeat the sin, you entrench the habit.  Start working on holy habits.  Take away the nourishment of the sin. 
3. Share you struggle with someone you can trust.  In the Book of James there is a verse that says:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for teach other so that you may be healed [Jm. 5:16 ].
When another lame man wanted to come to Jesus to be healed but couldn’t do it on his own, four friends brought him on his mat.  When you find yourself immobilized, you need friends to come alongside. 

4. Exercise faith.  Tell God you want to experience His power in your life.  Bring your experience up to the level of scripture by faith.  If your faith is faltering, tell Him to help your unbelief. 

It is time to recognize and live out our identity in Christ.