Jim Van Gelderen: Well thank you Josiah I appreciate the testimony Thank you guys for the message and song A great medley of songs about what Josiah testified of And that is total surrender We’re going to kind of inadvertently deal with that That’s going to certainly be implied in what we’re talking about here This afternoon I’ve got one more message. Brother Bosler will be preaching tonight. And I’m looking forward to what God wants to do in this final service.

But I do believe God wants to do something here. And I’m excited about it. And I hope you’re ready to do just whatever God touches your heart to do in these next few moments.

It’s been a great few days.

Maybe you know a little bit about Minutemen Ministries. Maybe you do not. But Brother Bosler, two-thirds of the year, travels and leads a team.

One team conducts the program called The War, Army vs. Navy. The other one, Pepsi versus Coke called Cola Clash.

Just curious, how many of you have ever attended one of those or traveled on one of those teams? Can I see your hands please? Okay, several of you.

Of course, many of you know that for school year from pretty much September through May, every other year particularly, then every fall, I conduct a program called War of Special Forces. How many of you either have traveled or have attended the War of Special Forces? Okay, a few of you.

That’s a Christian school rendition of the war. It’s three teams, so it’s multi-teamed. And I simply mention that you can certainly go online, www.MinuteMinistries.org and you can follow some of the schedules.

Maybe one of the teams will be close to where you are. And certainly you can come when you really travel the country. And I would assume most of you are within a couple of hours of one of those meetings sooner or later.

That will come your direction. And we are certainly excited about it. Who knows some of you may one day travel on one of our teams.

And I will tell you it is exciting to see God work on the lives of the young people we minister to. But I am telling you as a team leader I know Mr. Bosler can say the same.

It is a thrill to see God do a work in the heart of hearts of the young people traveling on the team. I’ve learned this. Ministry changes lives and the first person that changes is the person involved in ministry.

It’s the first person that gets changed. And hallelujah. When you get in the Lord’s work God does a great work in your own heart.

Certainly it’s a delight. But who knows some of you may be involved in those things in the future I just mentioned it. Well I’ve got another question for you here as I commence the message here and begin just to deal with this subject matter I’m burdened about.

But how many of you out here would say I I’ve asked this question I think almost every year. I think in almost every special forces I ask this question. I find it interesting.

But the question is simply this. How many of you at least once in your life, maybe more than once, for me it’s far more than once, ever made a decision for Jesus? You meant it.

You weren’t joking. You weren’t trying to get the heat off. You weren’t playing a game.

You definitely meant it. You made a decision for Jesus. You wanted the decision to last.

It really did. Maybe it did for a couple of days, maybe even a couple of weeks. But you’d have to admit long haul, nope, decision didn’t last.

Ended up going living like I was before I made the decision or maybe even worse. If that’s ever occurred in your life as it has in mine far more than I’d like to admit, would you with me raise your hand? Would you do that?

Just raise it high. Okay, you can put your hands down. Now, every single one of you raised a hand.

Do you know what the solution is? So the next time you make a decision that’s lasting, you know what the solution is? Okay, you know what we call in theology?

Sanctification. Sanctification. Now, I know you’re sitting here and saying, Preacher, that’s a big word, too big for me.

I’m checking out. Give me a pillow. It’s late afternoon.

I’m out of here. Okay, not so fast, friend, because sanctification is simply Bible truth that teaches you how decisions can be lasting, not through greeting your teeth, but through divine intervention. And I want to introduce to you some truth that God gives us.

The Bible tells us the truth is what sets you free. So you can be free indeed. Some of you made decisions that didn’t last, and I’m going to tell you why.

Because you tried to keep the decision with an unbiblical methodology. It didn’t work. It didn’t work.

If the truth sets free, pretty sure that error will bind you. And you can be well-meaning and error can mess you up, but the truth always sets you free. And I will tell you, if I’ve had any reading hobby in my life, it has been two things.

Number one, reading biographies of men and women who’ve been used of God. And number two, reading sanctification. I love to read sanctification.

You know why? I need it today. I need it every moment of every day.

And sanctification truth has certainly been something that has stirred me. And I want to preach to you a truth I’ve known for a while, but God, I believe, is bursting across the sky in a new way, just like a fireworks display. And I want to preach it to you this morning or this afternoon.

And I’m going to just maybe put it this way. Do you know who you are? Do you know who you are?

Some of you saved on your way to heaven, but you don’t know who you are. You bought into some lies, and as a result, you’re defeated. You’ve got to start with understanding who you are in Christ.

Now, there’s several things I could say, but maybe I’ll start with this. Ronald Reagan was a former president of the United States. Most of you know that.

And I hate to say this. I voted for Ronald Reagan. And I voted my first person.

I’m not saying because I don’t like Ronald Reagan. It just makes me look old. Okay, but the point is I voted for Ronald Reagan.

First president I voted for was Ronald Reagan. Voted for him twice. And I was certainly, I would say of all the presidents I’ve ever voted for, I’ve never voted with more enthusiasm for a president than I did for Ronald Reagan.

I absolutely love Ronald Reagan. But anyway, one of the reasons I like Ronald Reagan, this is going to shock you, he was humble. He was humble.

I don’t know many presidents are humble. I’m talking both sides of the aisle. The last one on my side of the aisle wasn’t real humble.

Okay, some of you know what I’m talking about. But you know, there was something about Ronald Reagan that was amazing. I read a book by one of his aides.

He was a lowly aide. He was not like one of these top name guys, a guy you’ve never heard of. I can’t even remember his name.

He was just some college kid that just was in the right place at the right time. And he began to work as kind of a go-for for the President of the United States. And he wrote a book and it’s an interesting book.

Of course in the book you could tell he had deep admiration for the President of the United States. And in that book he tells the story that early in the presidency of the United States President Ronald Reagan was on a Navy battleship. It was either an aircraft carrier or a battleship and he was on that and he needed to get a hold of somebody and of course they have communication equipment on the battleship to be able to communicate.

Literally can make a phone call anywhere from the world from that battleship. And he looked at the commanding officer and the people that were there and say, can I use that phone? The commanding officer looked the president of the United States right in the eye and said, Mr.

President, you are the president of the United States. You can use anything on this boat. You see, there was a man who was president of the United States, but he didn’t quite know what all that meant.

Do you know who you are? You know you’re a child of the king. Do you know what that means?

I’m submitting to some of you in this room, you don’t know what it means. If you’re a defeated Christian, you don’t totally understand that. If you deal with anxiety, if you deal with worry, panic attacks, you don’t understand it.

If you’re out here dealing with worthlessness, like, man, I’m such a bum, I can’t do anything right, you don’t understand it. Do you really know deep down who you really are? Because many don’t.

They’re like the President of the United States sitting on a battleship asking permission to use a telephone. When you have permission to use anything on that boat, you are the Commander-in-Chief. You run that boat.

See, many of you are that way, friends. You don’t know who you are. And as a result, you live in spiritual poverty well below the privileges that God has given you, and that’s the reason your Christian life is so anemic.

Now, I’ve got to say several things. We’ll tie them all together. Let me give you another thought.

We’re going to be tying these together. The other thought is this. Many times, young people don’t really recognize that your enemy is a master deceiver.

The Bible, of course, tells us about the wiles of the devil. That’s the deceitful schemes of the enemy. And one of the things the Bible tells us that Satan is really good at is he is an excellent illusionist.

You know what an illusionist is? It’s somebody who creates something that looks real, but it’s really not. Some of you have gone to see a magic show, and really what you’re seeing is not magic.

You are seeing illusion. Yeah, illusion. I think most of us, when you see somebody do a magic trick, you’re saying, how do you do that?

Because you know it wasn’t magic. it was an illusion. Satan is a master illusionist.

If I could prove that, I’ll try to prove it right now real quickly. How many out here have ever been discouraged? Can I see your hands please?

We talked a little bit about this a couple of days yesterday. Put your hands down and I’m going to tell you something friends. If you have ever been discouraged, you know what you did?

Fell prey to illusion. I want to ask you a question. At your most moment in your life when you’ve been the most discouraged, what did God think about you at that moment?

Was God up in heaven wringing his hands and thinking, this guy’s got us in so much trouble. I don’t think I can figure out how to solve his problem. You think God’s doing that?

No, we all know God’s up in heaven and says, okay, I got this over here, I got this here, I got this here, I got this here, I got this going. He’s already set stuff in motion, sometimes months in advance. God’s not discouraged about what you’re discouraged about.

Why are you discouraged? Because you bought into an illusion. You have bought into illusion.

And my friends, I’m telling you, that’s what we often do. we buy into illusion and Satan is the master illusionist. How many of you have ever felt, don’t raise your hand, but you’ve ever felt like, I just couldn’t help myself.

I just had to be disrespectful to my parents. I just had to blow up in anger. I was so upset I couldn’t help myself.

Or I just, it was too provocative. I just had to lust. I couldn’t help myself.

I just had to do that sin. You know what you bought into? An illusion.

Because the Bible says every time you’re tempted, if you’re born again, the Bible says that God makes a way of escape. And if you’re sitting here thinking, oh, I can’t help it, man. I just had to sin.

Years ago when I was a kid, there was a mantra going around. It certainly illustrates this. It was called, the devil made me do it.

I’m telling you, friends, the devil didn’t make you do anything. He may tempt you, but if you’re saved on your way to heaven, there’s a way out. There’s a way out.

And I will tell you, friend, the master illusionist, constantly tries to spin around your perimeter or around your experience. He tries to spin around you that which is not true. But sometimes because he’s such a master illusionist, it feels so real that we fall for it.

And I’m talking to young people in this room right now who are living in spiritual poverty when you are a child of the king. And you honestly buy into Satan’s illusions all the time. One of the things sanctification teaches us is you must understand who you are in Jesus Christ.

Now, so let me give you another thought here that might help us understand a little bit where we’re going. In the Bible, there are statements that sometimes seem absolutely too good to be true.

Can I just take a few moments and run through some verses of Scripture let’s just be honest that sometimes could I say it this way our defeated experience screams louder than clear statements of the word of God now I’m going to read you some clear statements of the word of God that I would be honest with you I wouldn’t doubt that most of you in this room deep down really don’t believe

now you’d say you believe it because you say I believe the Bible but you certainly don’t live like you believe these promises because they sound too good to be true. Okay, you’re in 2 Corinthians. I want you to go to chapter 2.

2 Corinthians chapter number 2. And we’re going to look at one of those verses. I want you to see a few of them here in 2 Corinthians.

Let’s look at verse number 14. 2 Corinthians chapter number 2. Look at verse number 14.

Now thanks be unto God, which, could you tell me that next word? I want you to say it a little bit louder. which always causes us to triumph in Christ.

Did you see what that verse says? It says, thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ. I want to ask you a question.

Do you always triumph? Is there anybody in here, from the day you got saved to now, you have always triumphed in every temptation and every time you’ve been tempted to doubt God. How many in this room have always triumphed on every single one of those events?

Would you raise your hand, please? I’m not raising mine. And if you did raise your hand, I would assume you got saved about five seconds ago.

You know what I’m talking about. See, you say, well, preacher, that’s what it says. It does say that we always triumph.

But you know, most of this room are defeated so often, we look at a verse like that and say, no way, it just can’t be true. But I want to ask you an honest question. Are you willing today to realize that your defeated experiences may be wrong and the Bible may be right when it says that there’s always triumph in Jesus Christ?

You willing to believe that this morning or this afternoon? I hope you are. It’s an amazing statement.

Absolutely amazing statement. Could I put it this way? If you’re in this room, I’m telling you right now, there is absolutely no excuse when we sin.

Because there’s a way out. The Bible says there’s a way out. Okay, so the Bible tells us there’s triumph.

And by the way, if you haven’t figured it out, the two key words are in Christ. And we’ll come back to those in a moment. Go to 1 Corinthians 5.

2 Corinthians chapter number 5. I want you to see another amazing verse. It’s a verse you’ve heard all your life, but I’m convinced some of you don’t believe it.

Here it is. Here’s what it says. Therefore, if any man be, there’s our two words again, in Christ.

He is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, could you tell me the next two words?

The next two words. Behold. You know, every time I’m asking you, you don’t seem too enthusiastic, really.

You kind of, I’m just teasing with you here. you don’t seem like you really believe it. So let’s try it.

Maybe you can see if you can try to see if you really believe it here. So therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away. Behold, all things.

It’s getting better. Or become what? All things.

So all things, does your mind become new? Your thought life? How about your attitude toward your parents?

Does that become new? How many of this room born again saved on your way to heaven? Raise your hand, just put it up right down.

I’m not trying to embarrass somebody, just up right down. Okay, so according to the Bible, how many things in you have become new? The answer is?

Oh, yeah. You say, preacher, I know it’s what it says, but my experiences kind of tell me otherwise. It doesn’t seem like everything’s become new.

I’ve read stories of men who said they got saved. You heard Pastor Matt Weber just yesterday talk about getting saved, completely, instantaneously delivered from drug abuse. Never had cold turkey, never had withdrawal, delivered.

From the day he got saved to now, he’s never touched drugs again, illegal drugs. I’m sure he takes aspirin, but that’s probably it. You see, friends, the point is, yeah, wow, all things become new.

But you can honestly tell by his honest testimony, you recognize there’s some other things he’s had to work through, right? I’ve had people say, you know, I was delivered from drugs, but man, have I battled the issue of lust from the day I got saved until now. Or I, man, God delivered me from this, but man, I’ve struggled over there.

We say, preacher, the Bible says all things have become new. Okay, that’s exactly right. Seems too good to be true, doesn’t it?

I’m telling you some of you out here thinking wow could it really be true well I’m going to submit something to you this is going to shock you the two verses we just kind of read together they are true so you say well preacher what’s the problem that’s where we’re going to come to we’re trying to lay this out but I want you to first of all comprehend the fact

that everything’s become new let’s go to another one let’s look at verse 21 look at verse 21 down at the bottom of the page it says for he hath made him to be it’s done by Jesus to be sin for us who knew no sin, here it is, that we might be made, hang on, what are those next four words? The righteousness of God in Him. If you’re saved, my friends, you know what has happened?

You have been made righteous. You say, well, preacher, of course, we’re justified. We’re righteous in the sight of God.

We’re legally righteous. When God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Jesus so that we die. We’ll go to heaven, not hell.

We are legally justified. May I say this? The is not just forensic.

It is not just legal. It is real. See, many of you in this room think your righteousness is legal, just like a courtroom.

That, okay, yeah, yeah, he won’t go to hell. Jesus take his place, his righteousness, his credit in his account. We think of it only in a legal sense, but I’m here to tell you that it’s practical.

You know what’s happened here? I don’t want you to miss this. You right now, if you’re saved, you are righteous.

You are in union with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It’s not just forensic and legal. And I’m talking to some of you who live a very unrighteous life.

Your thought life is trash. Treat your parents like trash. You’re not disciplined.

You just always are behind on things. You can’t keep your life together. And the point is you live completely different than who God says you are.

You’re a child of the king, like I said, and you’re living in poverty. What I’m trying to tell you, friend, is when you get a hold of who you are in Jesus Christ, that is real. What Satan spins around you is illusion.

May I say this carefully? The flesh lusts against the spirit, spirit against the flesh. You’re in a battle.

But I’m telling you, when you got regenerated, something supernatural is going on. And the Bible says that part of you does not sin. You look at 1 John, it talks about that.

For time, we won’t go there. It literally talks about the seed of God has been implanted in us, and that part of us does not sin. Now, I have on my cell phone, I’m not going to show it to you because you’re too big of a crowd.

I was preaching at Glory Baptist Church just a couple of days ago, and I have several of them here, so they’ve heard some of this before. In fact, I think the first time I presented it, quite like this, I preached it there. But I had a cell phone picture of an evergreen tree.

It was in the spring. And right in the middle of the evergreen tree is a tree that is blooming. Now you look at that picture, it seems like evergreen trees don’t bloom.

So what’s going on is you’ve got an evergreen tree, but in the middle of that you’ve got another tree that grew up right in the middle of it. And right in the middle of that tree you’ve got these blooms coming out. You know how I know that?

Because the essence of an evergreen tree is not to bloom. And whatever that blooming tree is, it’s not an evergreen tree. Because evergreen trees don’t need to bloom.

You know why? Because they’re evergreen. Got that figured out?

Two totally different natures I’m witnessing in the horticultural world. There’s two different variants. How do you see it?

Because you can tell the difference. Here’s the thing I want you to understand, friend. When you got saved, I want you to understand, this is not, how do I say, just like I mentioned legal, old things are passed away.

Behold, all things have become new. So the question is simply this. Do you believe your defeated experiences or do you believe the word of God?

Are you in Christ? If you’re saved and raised your hand, you are in Jesus Christ, which means you’re in union with the one who makes all things new. You are in union with the one who makes you righteous in the sight of God.

You are in union with the one, friend. The Bible says in Colossians, you are complete, you are filled in him. You’re in union with the one who always causes you to triumph.

You’re in union with the victor. Here’s the point. We are so often, how do I say that, more powerfully impacted by our defeated experiences by the unclear statements of the Word of God.

And I will tell you this. The only way you’re going to change your living is to stop believing your defeated experiences, stop believing the junk that’s happened to you, and start believing what God says who you are, what He says is happening because you’re in union with Him. You’ve got to reject the previous experiences of defeat, recognize those don’t define me.

I am in Jesus Christ, and that now is who I am. I want to tell you, friends, learn this, that when you understand who you are, that is the very basis of many of the commands in the New Testament. I don’t want to get too technical.

I realize this is a little more thick than I’m used to giving teenagers, but I think some of you can get it. And for the some that can get it, I want you to, I’m going to spend a few moments here. So go to Ephesians chapter 5, and I’m going to just kind of show you just some things, and we’ll try to illustrate this and land the plane.

But Ephesians chapter 5, there’s something phenomenal here that helps us understand. Then I’ll show you something else. Ephesians chapter 5, and I want you to look at verse number 8.

It says, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Here’s what God says. Sometimes as the idea of you used to be.

You guys used to be darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Now tell me what the next phrase is. What is this phrase?

Speaker 3: Wow.

Jim Van Gelderen: So God says, don’t you get this? You used to be in darkness. Now you’re light.

You got saved. You went from the kingdom of darkness. You’re now in the kingdom of light.

And he says, live like it. Now don’t miss this. The emphasis of the New Testament is not do and you’ll be.

The emphasis of the New Testament is because you are due. See, many young people think, oh, I got to do. I got to do this to be a good Christian.

I got to do this. I’m not against doing. I’m just telling you that when you try to do and to be something, you are starting off with the wrong premise.

If you are saying, I got to do this, I got to do this, and I got to do this in order to be righteous, you know what God’s saying? You already are righteous. so you started with the foundation of unbelief.

And you know what happens when you have a foundation of unbelief? You always are defeated. It’s not do and you’ll be.

It’s because you are do. You get a hold of that young person, you will be free. And some of you, you’ve been trying to do, and I know how it is.

I was a preacher’s kid. I gotta do this, gotta do that. And I wanted to do it.

It wasn’t like I was a rebel. Yeah, I need to do this. But I could never be. you know why because i already was i was trying to be something i already was and i was starting with a foundation of not believing that i was already there it’s because you are due now some of you having a hard time getting a hold of this but i want you to now give you a couple illustrations to kind of help you this

when i was in theology class in systematic theology in seminary i had an absolutely phenomenal teacher and he taught me what he called paradoxology i won’t go into that but that the Bible is loaded with tension and paradoxes and you hold on to both and at the apex of theological tension that’s where the truth is. Isn’t that exciting? It actually is.

It’s phenomenal. Okay but anyway so he was teaching on sanctification and he used a couple of illustrations. I want to use one of them here.

This is his illustration. He said let’s just imagine that you were in poverty. Now when I use the word in we’re going to talk about that’s positionally.

That’s real. a man who’s in poverty let’s imagine he has no income he lives on the street he dumpster dives to get food he picks up rags for clothes he builds a little shack out in the woods and he has a newspaper for wallpaper you know what i’m talking about this is the guy who’s in poverty a man who’s living in poverty can he

if he wants to live after the ways notice the preposition different live after the ways of a rich man and the answer is well no it’s impossible he he can’t go to a fine restaurant he can’t have a 250 000 home he can’t he’s in poverty can if he wants to live after the ways of a poor man and the answer is that’s his only option say there’s two options but he can only do one

because he’s in poverty so one day a well-dressed lawyer comes up to his check, knocks on his door and says, are you so-and-so? He said, yes. And he said, okay, your long lost uncle just died.

He left you $10 million. Hands him a checkbook. Okay.

We’re maybe a little dated here in the illustration, but I went to seminary back in the 1980s. Okay. But anyway, and he hands him a checkbook and he says to him, $10 million are in this bank account.

Now at that moment, don’t miss this. That man is no longer in poverty. He is in riches.

That’s who he is. Now can he, if he wants to, live after the ways of a poor man? And the answer is, sure he could.

He could put the checkbook up on a shelf, let it gather dust. He could do that. Yeah, he could still dumpster dive for food.

And he could go down and still live in a shack with newspaper for wallpaper. Yeah, he could do that. He could still have rags for clothes.

but could he if he wanted to live after the ways of a rich man and the answer is well yeah he should he sure could now he’s in riches but he has two options what does he need to do to lift her after the ways of rich man he needs to take his checkbook and he needs to start writing checks so he goes down buys himself a nice quarter million dollar home with a nice swimming pool

and he writes himself check gets that home goes down gets a new car and writes himself a check Goes down to the grocery store and goes to Whole Foods. You know what I’m talking about? Instead of going to pick and save, he goes Whole Foods.

You know, he gets the expensive stuff, you know. And he writes a check for it. Wow, yeah.

He starts voting for the Republicans instead of the handout Democrats. You know what I’m talking about? He starts to live like a rich man, yeah.

Yeah, see, the point is, he’s in riches. When he’s in riches, he’s got two positions. Now, friends, don’t miss this.

When you were lost, you were in the flesh. you had only one option, to live after the ways of flesh. That was it.

You could not live after the ways of the Spirit. It was impossible. You were in the flesh.

But when you got saved, friends, you may not have recognized it, but you moved from being in flesh to in Christ or in the Spirit. And when that happened, you have two options. You can live after the ways of the flesh, and unfortunately, many Christians do.

Live well below their privilege. Live, could we say, in spiritual poverty. So one day the Holy Spirit comes, knocks on your door, you trust Jesus Christ, and he hands you a checkbook.

He hands you a checkbook. You’ve got two options, don’t you? You can stick the checkbook, gather dust up on the shelf, you can still live after the ways of the flesh, still live defeated, still live way below your privilege, still, you know, dumpster dive, whatever.

I mean, you can still live in spiritual poverty, But can you, if you want to, begin to live after the ways of the Spirit? And the answer is, sure you can. So how do you do that?

You take the checkbook and start writing checks. Now I know it’s not a perfect illustration, but it gets us going. Because I’m telling you, friends, many of you, when you get defeated and you get discouraged, you buy into the fact, I’m worthless, I’m no good, I can’t do anything right.

And you fall into the trap of letting your defeated experience define who you are. But I am telling you right now, when you got saved, all things became new. And when you got saved, you are made the righteousness of God in him.

And when you got saved, he always causes us to triumph in Christ. But you’re living below your privilege. You know why?

Because you don’t believe it. You know what some of you need to do today? Get down in your knees and say, God, I’m in Jesus.

Jesus is in me. I believe right now. In Jesus, I am righteous.

In Jesus, all things are become new. In Jesus, you always call me to triumph. You see, friends, you’ve got to remember this.

It’s not do and you’ll be. It’s because you are do. Now, this is often reflected in the Pauline epistles.

Several epistles are written this way. Paul, in the first couple of chapters, or first half of the book, uses heavily the indicative mood, which is the mood of reality in the Greek language.

But in the second half of many of those books, he relies heavily on the imperative and the horatory subjunctive which are commands and exhortations and it’s very clear what paul’s doing exactly what he did in one verse in ephesians chapter five he says don’t you know you used to be darkness now you’re like walk like it why because that is who you are and i’m talking to some of you need to wake up smell the coffee

and realize i’m believing what god said i’m sick and tired of buying into the devil’s illusions i’m sticking and tired of falling for his lies i’m sick and tired of living a defeated life and i’m going to recognize by the grace of god i’m in jesus i’m in his righteousness and my friend it’s like this you don’t fight in the christian life for victory you fight from victory and when you get a hold of

that friends you’re now in line with truth you say well preacher what am i going to do if i get defeated again here’s what you do you go back and said somewhere along the line got my mentality off. And I began to try to do to be instead of because I am doing. I’m just trying to encourage every young person in this room to believe it.

Because I’ve only touched on a few promises of God. Let me show you another one. Look, it’s Colossians chapter number one.

Would you go to Colossians chapter number two? A lot we could do, but I want to land the plane here quickly because my burden is really to set us up. I want you to have some good meetings here in just a moment.

Colossians chapter 2. And I want you to look, if you would please, at verse number 9. Talking about the Lord Jesus.

Colossians 2, it says, For in Him, Jesus, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Now if we went to heaven and walked into the throne room, you would see at the right hand a body. God is a spirit.

Bible says no man has seen God at any time. But you would see a body at the right hand. It’s a glorified body.

Jesus’ body is a glorified body. May I say this? For the rest of eternity, Jesus is forever identified with the human race.

That’s unbelievable. That God would literally forever be identified with the human race. But I got a question for you.

I could preach a different direction, but I’ve got to get back to the point here in verse number nine. I got a question for you. Do you believe that right now, seated at the right hand is Jesus Christ, and that as He sits there as a human being and is fully God, the Bible says He is completely filled with all the fullness of the Godhead in that body.

You believe that? That’s a remarkable thing. God is completely filled, I mean, Jesus is completely filled with God because that’s who He is.

He’s filled with the fullness of the Godhead bodily. You want to look at the next verse? And we, that’s us.

are complete in him. That word complete is the same word used in Ephesians 5.18, be filled with the Spirit. It’s the idea we are filled in him.

So here’s what it’s saying. Jesus is seated in a body, filled with all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and we are filled in him. Now, if I say this carefully, I’m not filled in and of myself.

I’m only filled because I’m in union with the filled one. now this truth is if you can get a hold of this thing is unbelievable it helps you in ephesians chapter one when the bible says we’re chosen in him because sometimes people get that all messed up you know why i’m chosen i’m going to tell you why i’m chosen because i am in union with jesus who is chosen i’m in union with the chosen one my chosenness comes

because i’m in using union with the chosen one see i’m chosen in him but i’m also filled in him right now friend i want you to understand you say well preacher how do i get in him get saved now i want to show you one other thing and then we’ll wind this together and i’m not trying to get over your heads

but i think some of you’re ready to get this look at romans 13 where we were last night and i’ll be done turning i don’t usually like teenagers have to turn as much as you are because they usually don’t but you i see here that you are so look at the last verse of romans chapter number 13 look what it says in verse number 14. We talked about those major issues, selfishness and deception and all those problems that we have. Look at verse 14.

It says, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, may I tell you something? Do you know when you put on the Lord Jesus Christ?

Galatians 3 tells us this, for as many as are baptized into Jesus Christ have put on Christ. And I’m telling you right now, if you’re saved and on your way to heaven, you were immersed or baptized into Jesus, which means you’ve already put on Christ. You say, well, preacher, why is Paul telling us to put on Christ if we already have?

Again, if you have to understand theology, this is one of those tension issues. You have to understand theology. God is often commands us to do what we are.

He’s saying, once you understand, when you got saved, you were put into Christ. Live like it. Live in the reality that you’re in union with Jesus Christ.

You’re dead to sin, Romans 6 in Christ. You’re alive unto God in Christ. You are righteous in Christ.

Old things have passed away. All things have become new in Christ. You are filled in Christ.

You triumph in Christ. Are you getting it? Maybe this illustration will help because I really recognize that sometimes, well let me give you a couple of illustrations back to theology class.

I remember in theology class he drew on the chalkboard a tunnel like a sea a tunnel of the sea and it had an opening at one end and the other end it was and it was and it was a dead end and and he uh he said imagine that you’re in that dead end and you’re shackled there and you’ve been captured and you’re told that there are two soldiers right around the corner you can’t see them

but there’s two soldiers right on the corner who the moment they see you are commanded to kill you no questions asked if you escape and then at the front of the cave there are two more soldiers and they are commanded to kill you on sight no questions asked and then there’s some other soldiers that are commanding you know

and he puts up the sight looks impossible there’s no way you can escape imagine one day somebody comes in you know that’s got the means maybe seal team six you know what i’m talking about and they come in they kill off you know they knock off the guards they knock off the people in the tunnel and one of the seal team six comes in comes and hacks your chains off the chain to the cave wall and says to you, you’re free. And then he runs out.

Now at that moment, friends, in position, in reality, you are free. But you’re not going to live in freedom until you do what? Believe it.

You can stay there thinking, man, I’m told, man, and those guards, if they see me, they’re going to kill me. And stay back there and stay in bondage, couldn’t you? Even though you’re actually in freedom.

or you could say I believe it and begin to walk out of that cave begin to see the dead bodies of your former captors and realize I’m free so can I say this reality can be real and not realized in sanctification theology you have to understand who you are in Christ is real it’s not potential it’s real but if you don’t believe it it will not be realized in order to believe it. I mean, to be realized, you’ve got to believe it.

And upon that, act based on that truth. Say, okay, I’m going to believe I’m righteous in Jesus Christ. Therefore, I’m going to take righteous steps.

I’m going to believe old things are passed away. All things have become new. So all this old stuff, I’m pitching it.

I’m telling you, I loved it before the download generation. I’ve seen all kinds of stuff on Friday night thrown into the fire. And many times, you know what it was?

Kids getting saved and say, I don’t need this music anymore. I don’t need this garbage anymore. You know what they’re saying?

I believe the Bible. Old things are gone. All things are going to be new.

And so I’m going to act like that’s true because it is. I remember one guy scared me to death one night, came up to one of the campfires this back in the 90s. And I mean, don’t take this thing too far, but he comes up at the campfire.

I don’t even know why the team captain let him come up to give a testimony. He took an earring out of one ear, threw it in the fire. He took another earring, put it in the fire.

I thought to myself, what in the world is this guy going to say? He said, would somebody tell me how I need to get saved? I need to get saved.

Now, throwing earrings in the fire doesn’t save you, but I think he got a hold of the fact that when you get saved, things change. Old things go, new things come. I remember one kid on this in the year 2000.

I remember a kid came with a Marilyn Manson t-shirt, and that night he heard the testimonies, was so moved by the testimonies, he walked up to one of the team captains and said, I don’t know what those kids have, but man, whatever they have, I need it. He got saved. You know what the next thing he did?

Burned his Marilyn Manson t-shirt. Got a war shirt. Burned his Marilyn Manson t-shirt.

You know, my friends, he probably didn’t even know 2 Corinthians 5.17, but that’s what we’re talking about. You see, that’s the truth of 2 Corinthians 5.17. Here’s the point.

Believe it. And if you believe it, guess what you’ll do? Old things start going.

You say, I’m done with old, man. This is who I am. This is who I am in Jesus.

Old things are going. New things are coming. Do you see it, friends?

because you are. Do. Just because it’s real doesn’t mean it will be realized.

You can have 10 million bucks. It can be real 10 million bucks. But if you put the checkbook up on the shelf and living in poverty, it’s not realized.

I’m just begging young people to start living like who you are. Living like a child of the king. Living one who has an inheritance.

Here’s what the Bible says in the book of Romans chapter 8 and verse 32. For he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? The moment you got saved, you got absolutely everything you need to live the Christian life when you got Jesus.

He is the Christian life. You don’t need a second blessing. All you got to do is access the first blessing.

Because when you got Jesus, you got everything you needed. That’s what it says. And if you’re looking for something you don’t have, You are operating on the wrong basis.

It’s unbelief. Because you need to start with a premise, knowing I got saved, I got everything I needed, because Jesus said I did. He’s given me everything I need to live the Christian life, everything, all things.

See, some of you don’t believe it. You guys looking at junk on the internet? You don’t believe it.

You guys with dirty brains? Don’t believe it. You girls treat your mom like trash?

Don’t believe it. You just don’t believe it. Because if you believed it, you’d say, no, I’m different now.

I’m righteous. It’s real. And I’m going to step out and believe it and start taking steps toward righteousness because that’s who I am.

Man, I’m telling you, it lifts your spirit. I’m not trying to be righteous. In Jesus, I am righteous.

Therefore, I can be righteous. I’m telling you, it changes everything, friends. You don’t have to be irritable with your young brothers and sisters.

You don’t have to be an idiot. You don’t have to get angry. You don’t have to blow up.

You don’t have to worry. You don’t have to doubt God. You don’t have to do any of that because you’re not fighting for victory.

you’re fighting from victory i just want do you know who you are some of you don’t know who you are you need to get a hold of who you are can you get a hold of your life gets exciting wow god gave me everything i need what i got saved this is who i am i need to start living like it walk as children of life maybe this last illustration will help will be done the bible says we’re filled in him. Man, that’s our privilege.

I’m in union with the one who is filled with all the fullness of God. Wow. In a body.

And I’m filled in him. That’s what it says. To be honest with you, it’s too good to be true.

It’s one of those verses like the ones I’ve been saying like, is that really true? Well, that’s what it says. So let me give you an illustration.

Many times, you know how we live? Like we’re empty. You know what happens?

You ever said to yourself, I’m sick of it, man. I’m empty. The truth is, your experience tells you you’re empty.

But who you are in Christ, you’re full. You’ve got everything you need. And you need to start believing it and operating based on that.

Believing that God says it’s true. Well, several years ago I offered to take a couple to the airport here in Milwaukee. They were going to go down.

They were going to be on staff at a church in Florida. I was going to take them to the airport. I volunteered to take them to the airport.

They were going down to the staff meeting. They were going to be on staff, etc. Anyway, I knew they were excited about it.

I didn’t want them to be late. So you know how it is. It was road construction.

This had to be 10 plus years ago. You say road construction. I thought there was still road construction.

Well, there’s always going to be road construction in Milwaukee, if you know what I’m talking about. Okay, it’s one of those shovel-ready projects that President Obama had back in the 2000s. Okay, but anyway, so it’s just kind of Milwaukee.

Okay, so anyway, I said, man, we got construction, so let’s put an extra half hour in so we don’t get you late, so you’re not late. So I picked them up. We were right on time, got out there, lost a half an hour in traffic right off the bat.

Construction, we just lost it. Now we’re exactly on time, but we don’t really don’t have any buffer. And so I’m the driver.

I feel responsibility. Even though I’m not flying out, I know they want to be on time. And so I’m a little nervous.

You know how it is. And driving down 894, and you guys, particularly from McGowanago, know that famous intersection there. You’ve got 43 that goes down this way toward McGowanago.

And then 894 turns the elbow and goes straight east. Now, it’s in the morning.

sun is just coming up and I’m just heading up on a little bit of that rise is 894 elbows how many know what I’m talking about how many know what I wear okay okay most of the rest of you sleeping okay but anyway coming here and I’m going to make this elbow and all of a sudden the sun catches my eyes well you know how it is all you the drive I put the visor down

when I put the visor down the the garage door opener fell off the visor and it turned my car off just hit the ignition key just right, just turned it like that, but I didn’t know that.

All I knew is the garage door opener is underneath my feet, and I’m worried about it, you know, because it can slide, you know, the accelerator, I really am nervous about it, and so you know how it is, I’m like this, you know, and I’m saying, you’re trying to reach down there, you know how that goes, trying to find the thing.

Now, I didn’t realize that, you know, I’m accelerating the car, but it didn’t take me long to realize it’s not it’s not working there’s no power here and uh cars were coming around you know it’s a it’s in the morning you know and cars are running around me and so i thought wow that’s funny i don’t have any power so i i looked and and

when i looked at the dashboard you know what i saw you know what happens your car goes off your gas gauge goes like this and you know what i saw the gas gauge was on e and I thought I’m out of gas I have run out of gas now I’m telling you I am not a multitasker some men I think can be multitaskers

but I’m not one of them just give me one thing at a time that’s all I can handle and but I will tell you in the next moment my brain operated like a female brain you say what i mean i thought of a million things in one second one second i mean a million things now my wife can do that i usually can’t but i did

that moment i’m telling you i’m thinking of a million things i’m thinking where’s the next gas station i’m thinking who didn’t put gas in the car you know all these kind of things and i’m thinking i’m thinking all this kind of stuff and i’m thinking okay uh you know whatever i’m just going i’m just i’m thinking i’m apologizing to them thinking okay who can i call all these things are going through my mind there’s probably can i say this, 60 seconds of total anxiety.

I was very anxious. And my car’s slowing, you know, all the while I’m trying to pull over the shoulder, which is not much of a shoulder when you’re on an overpass and all that stuff’s going on. People are honking still.

And of course, the car is kind of, and all of a sudden, I remembered something. The brain is a fascinating organ because all of a sudden, I remembered something that had occurred three decades earlier, maybe four. It was, I was with a youth pastor in the Indianapolis area, or actually south of Indianapolis, and we’re out in the country, and he had a Jeep, and he ran out of gas.

And I remember, as he ran out of gas, he took that thing and goes, fush, fush, fush, and there would be little bits of gas, you know, that you’re going to putter, and he just kept moving the gas tank, and gas would kind of putter, and we just puttered into a gas station. I thought, whoa, that was pretty cool. Of course, we’re on a road, nobody’s on the road.

So I remembered that event. I’m thinking, well, I’m not going to go whoosh, whoosh on an interstate highway. You know what I’m talking about.

But I’ve already kind of changed levels and things like that. I thought to myself, maybe some gas has trickled into the gas tank. And so I just took the ignition, hit the ignition, roared to life.

Gas gauge went like this. I had at least three quarters of gas in that car. I had enough gas to make that trip who knows how many times.

but you know my friend for 60 seconds the reality was my tank was almost full but for 60 seconds I lived like it was empty I find that most Christians today live all the time like it’s empty because they don’t believe it’s full because they buy into the illusion Satan swims it spins around them I’m defeated I can’t live the Christian life I’ll never be able to live a Christian life. I don’t have what it takes. I’m worthless.

This, whatever. And you just go through all your reasons and all your commiserating. And I’m telling some of you what you need to do this morning, this afternoon, in just a moment, is to kick those defeated experiences in the teeth and say, I’m not going to define who I am by my past experience.

I’m going to define who I am by the Word of God and who the Bible says I am in Christ.