Hyper-Victorious...Divinely Secured

Scripture says to the Colossians, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sin, he canceled out the certificate of debt, having nailed it to the cross that he disarmed the rulers same word in Romans I having triumphed over through the cross listed ladies and gentlemen, the cross work of Christ, eternally disabled any threat to your eternity of the RK the ruler of the demonic world ever be able to separate the believer from the love of his neighbor is that the things that have the potential to capture lots need to be removed from our life, but our salvation is not anchored in our own thoughts and anchor is only effective if it's clinging to something that cannot be moved. The great news is that our salvation is anchored in Christ, and is secure in him, our thoughts and lives should reflect that Stephen Bailey looks at this today. In the lesson he's calling, hyper, victorious, divinely secure Donald Ray Barnhouse told the story about an American Korean who was enlisted during the Korean War conflict which was now about 51, 52 years ago. He was a believer and was serving as a chaplain and because he was Korean. He was assigned to a particularly difficult place.

It was the place where they were holding North Korean soldiers having been captured by Allied forces.

There were constant disruptions and riots within these compounds.

These were hardened soldiers. The communistic propaganda and he was asked to go and serve among them. I didn't really know what to do and Barnhouse told story of how he went to the first holding pen were several hundred men were in God seem to impress upon is hard to just speak in their language and he didn't. They immediately were interested because he was a Korean American gathered around them in any was further impressed to simply roughly right there on the spot. Teach them a rough translation of that chorus into Korean Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so and that began to be his practice as he moved from holding pen to holding pen and then he would teach it and explain the words and the meaning of the gospel to these hardened so many hundreds of these soldiers came to faith in Jesus Christ, that at the end of the war when they were released.

They refused to go back to North Korea, choosing instead South Korea where they could practice their faith, and I believe it will probably take heaven to calculate the fruit that is now to this day exploding in that region, tracing back to these soldiers who come to know Christ through that little song Jesus loves me. You know it doesn't get any richer than that. That is the theme of this song Paul was as it were, pending, causing us to break into song of our security in our Lord Jesus Christ in this closing paragraph, this pinnacle of divine truth for the believer. Paul is begun by questioning the tenacity of Christ's love is it really gonna last.

And then what is done in this paragraph is just emphasize in_and accentuated illustrate not only the tenacity of the love of Jesus Christ. But the permanency of the love of Jesus Christ. You just can't stop it. Paul has anticipated his audience in effect asking, but Paul there are things that happen in our lives that might cause us to stop loving Christ with those things cause Christ to stop loving us. Certainly we would stop loving him.

Perhaps what kind of things he lists them. Verse 35 tribulation to stress, persecution, famine, nakedness peril, or sword any of those things that he goes on to say, as it were anticipating their five I mean Paul, you got realize it's even been written for gods sake we are being put to death all day long we are being considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

What kind of love is that Paul is quoting in this verse from Psalm 44 which gives a prophetic description to the martyrdom of believers during the tribulation.

Those believers who came to faith in Christ after the church was rapture who refused to follow the antichrist and the bloodbath will claim thousands and tens of thousands of these believers. They will die into such a number that they will be given and are given special commendation of the book of Revelation. But this bloodbath is occurring to some measure even today in the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ and in every generation, or even in this year some 6 to 700,000 people will be put to death.

We know little or nothing of that here. That is the world out there every single year nearly a million lose their lives. Giving the ultimate sacrifice for their faith in Christ and to the Roman believers who will have this assurance this letter as horrific persecution will soon begin, they will be crucified.

They will be beheaded. They will be burned. They will be drowned. They will be impaled on stakes and covered with pitch and then lit on fire as Nero celebrates yet another garden party with this mean the Christ to stop loving us. Paul answers by refocusing their perspective and ours on eternity.

Notice verse 37, but in all these thing that all this kind of activity we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. That's irony when you think of an animal that is victorious you don't think of a sheep, you don't think of a little. I am when you think of some powerful animal that is unstoppable.

You might think of a lion. You might think of an elephant.

You might think of the soaring Eagle.

Those are pictures of victorious animals is not sheep sheepdog stand a chance.

But would you notice verse 37 that the victory is not an end by the strength of the sheep.

It is in and through the strength of the shepherd. We conquer through him who loved us. It doesn't matter how weak you are, what matters is how strong your shepherd is who is your shepherd.

There is your confidence. That's why David boasted in Psalm 23 as if he said that everybody like that who my shepherd is. It is Jehovah and the rest of that Psalm is simply proof that God Almighty is his shepherd everything that he receives is because of him green grass Stillwater protection from enemies correction comfort eternal safety through death. It is a direct result of the divine power and strength in character and comfort of love and dedication of the shepherd, not the sheep we ultimately conquer through him now just how victorious are we through him.

I love this verse, verse 37 and all these things we overwhelmingly conquer 80, Robertson translated it.

We gain a surpassing victory. The King James renders it, we are more than conquerors. The new American Standard. We overwhelmingly conquer all of these translations and all other words are simply attempting to translate one Greek word just one. What a word hyper can open this is the only time it ever appears in the Bible. The first part of the word is prefixed with this word Cooper or hyper when we think of the word hyper. We tend to think of three-year-olds driving everybody crazy with noise and nonstop activity it as somewhat of a negative connotation right at kids hyper.

However, the Latin translates it's super super.

It simply means a bio greater then the norm. You could say super terrific victory are super fantastic car. Super wonderful or hyper, glorious, or whatever else you mother things I want her hyperactive job was finally asleep and it's super quiet hyper Nick Tolman second half of the word is the verb in the, oh, means victory, victory McKay, we we pronounce it.

19. It means victory is probably the most universally known symbol and title of the sports world is on jackets and rackets in clubs and balls and a million other things Nike it means victory last night I was in my study are at 731 my 10-year-old daughter called me. She was on her way home with her mother coming back from the one Olympic Games held in Greensboro. Our church is a big want to ministry with many of you are probably involved in, and they have the state competitions, and so at 730 in my study. The phone rang and little girl so excited. She said we won second place.

I said that's great sweetheart. She said, and I got the beanbag. I said wow that's fantastic. She said you gonna put this in your sermon. The third question she asked is it I am not going to put it in my sermon.

She said well the whole day. We talked about and we think you will said not not to do that even though Dean wants me to. We hung up, and that's why decided not to say anything about it. In my sermon wouldn't believe the pressure the truth is there is nothing more exciting than winning.

We want to tell everybody right. That's what Paul is doing here.

He wants us all to know uses Nakao in first trillion 1554, when he speaks of Christ's victory over death.

The apostle John uses the verb when he writes for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory the Nakao which is overcome the world.

This is how we are waiting. What is our faith. He who has overcome the world is the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God is the foundation of our victory in one author suggested that when Paul got to Romans eight and he's writing a victory that is securing the believer for eternity through the loving work of Christ. It's almost as if the carload McKay just isn't enough.

It it strong enough and so for the first and only time we read it. He adds the word hyper in front of super we are super victorious. Through Jesus Christ, you mean Paul, even those things were didn't seem like really all that victorious. Yes, he's going to add 10 more the list.

He announces first and is list the great separator called death, neither death, he says, I'm convinced that neither death, you tie all these words back to the latter part of this paragraph will ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. But isn't death. The grand separator is, isn't that which tears us apart isn't it the most feared of all Francis Bacon said men fear death like kids or children fear the darkness. Even Woody Allen comedian said tongue-in-cheek is that I'm not afraid of death. I just don't want to be there when it happened. That's typical average fear of death pulses. I am convinced that as I am absolutely persuaded the death cannot separate us from the love of God. In fact, it isn't the grand separator is the grand uniter unites us for eternity and death at the moment of death unites the believer with his Lord forever. Alexander McLaren put it this way death runs us apart from the world that it may unite us together with God. Are you sure about that Paul will him absolutely persuaded him absolutely convinced for God's spirit who is inspiring the text that I'm writing focus on the other side of the coin in these pairs of contrasting issues. Neither death nor life can separate us from Christ, love, death is frightening but listen, life is dangerous, is fraught with peril and danger. You mean there isn't anything that can happen in life to separate you from the love of Jesus Christ. Paul would say, I'm convinced of it. Jesus Christ himself said Allawi and I'm with you, even to the end of the age, the end of the world, literally, even to the end of the now on the neon word that describes our eternal God, so long it is. It is as long as God lives and that is forever. I am with you, even to the ends of eternity. What a promise from this God man the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 2820. By the way was the lifers of David Livingston, the great explorer missionary to Africa again and again at crisis point in his life.

His biographer tells us that David Livingston would ride into his diary. Matthew 28 verse 20 and then he would add these words. These are the words of Christ, who is a gentleman of the highest and most sacred honor. So that's the end of it he will keep his word.

This my friend is living under the conviction Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells so.

Third, Paul informs us that even angels will not separate us from Christ that you might think this goes without saying, right deed, Paul is referring to good angels since the opposite issue in this contrasting pairs in the next word principality, which refers to the demonic underworld is Paul suggesting that some good angel can change his status as confirmed in holiness and somehow somehow manipulate things some way that we will be separated from the love of Christ. No, what I do believe Paul is doing here in this list is simply bringing up issues that are mysterious, they are mysterious because they are beyond our dimension, our realm of understanding other than what God's Word gives us. They are surrounded with superstition.

These things in this… Latter Tanner all like that death, angels, demons, the future in the world of Paul was filled with superstition.

They had apparently developed extensive beliefs and angels that had nothing to do with the word of God, but everything to do their own fertile imaginations rabbis during the days of Paul were teaching that everything had an angel. They were teaching that there were Angels of the wind of the clouds of the snarl of the hail of the thunder of the lightning of cold and heat, in fact, they were leading the people believe that there wasn't anything in the world that even one blade of grass.

The didn't have an angel associated. Furthermore, the common belief was that even a good angels were a little put out when God created man. They were little put out in jealousy that God would create this being so, Paul is addressing. Perhaps there superstition in his world. Is there anything an angel could ever do that harm the opinion of Christ for you.

The answer is no. Next forth, Paul moves on to refer to the demonic world of fallen Angels RK is the word perhaps Paul is anticipating somebody say well couldn't somehow the devil himself couldn't a demon empowered by his demonic power to somehow work his will into the life of a believer certainly couldn't a separate us from the love of Christ mean even a word devil the loss means separator it means to separate from to set in opposition. Is there some way that the underworld could be successful in separating the believer from Christ who loves them. Paul writes, I'm convinced they cannot. The record of Scripture says, as Paul wrote to the Colossians, God made you alive with Christ.

He forgave us all our sins. He canceled out the certificate of debt, having nailed it to the cross. Penny disarmed the rulers same word in Romans eight, he disarmed the rulers, having triumphed over them through the cross. Listen, ladies and gentlemen, the cross work of Christ, eternally disabled any threat to your eternity of the RK the principality, the ruler of the demonic world ever be able to separate the believer from the love of his Redeemer.

It'll never happen. The Bible tells me so.

Pullets do more things that will not separate us, he says, nor things present, or things to come. In other words, there isn't anything in your present and there is an anything in your future that will somehow change the mind of God that will somehow cause you to lose your secure position as God's beloved child. I want to move on quickly because I want to spend some time on these next three words Paul adds a singular thought of the universe, 38, nor powers due to miss you can render this word a number of ways in acts chapter 8 verse 10. This is the word attributed to Simon the unbelieving, crafty, greedy magician.

He was referred to as somebody landed due to miss of God, the power of God. People were flocking to his satanically empowered skill. Not only does the demonic world not have the power to separate the believer from Christ, then demonically motivated and energized men and women as well as doctrines of demons cannot somehow curse the believer somehow cast a spell on the Christian. They cannot somehow cast the evil eyes suffer some believer some which meant some sorcery that somehow they will fall from the love of God in Christ, and that superstition is current today as current as it was in the days of Paul were surrounded by superstitions that only give the devil and his demons great glee as we forget that God is sovereign over all. There isn't any need to fear a black cat that walks in front of your path, there isn't any reason to fear having broken a mirror or walking under a ladder to painters, a mouse recently that a ladder set up in the quickest way was through it and I walked on the guide of how your walking under a ladder, praise God. You can spill salt at the table at will just agreement this cataract this past week's issue of world magazine included a brief article from the China daily country which is exporting its superstition to America like never before its people are in bondage to superstitious beliefs. They have just recently stopped issuing license plates with the number four on them.

They apparently believe that that number which sounds a lot like their word for death is associated now with arise in traffic accident. Many buildings in the region no longer now have 1/4 floor and new cell phone users can obtain compensation for having a number that ends with four number four has some kind of power it is some kind of due to miss it has some kind of negative energy that causes bad things that happen I could know but think of it, the ending of my own home phone number. It ends with 444. Triple trouble here before you think others superstitious Chinese when the last time you went to the 13th floor of a building in this country. When's the last wedding you been to schedule on Friday the 13th is unlucky. I think it's interesting you can translate this word Dumas with the word the English word energy again.

The superstitions of Paul's world and our world believes has his world did in the sort of supernatural mystical power of energy.

The apostle Paul says for the believer who wants to know the Bible says there isn't any power there is in any energy that can somehow be directed to influence the believer. God is the creator and sustainer, and director of anything that is pullets two more things he writes in verse 39 nor height nor depth, at first glance, this may seem to say that if you imagine a vertical line or how far down you go or how high you go, you'll never find anything along that continuum that supposedly goes on forever. Anything that whatever separate you from the love of Christ. Nothing wrong with that but I don't think that's what Paul is saying soma height bathos depth were used in Paul's day, as astrological term height. Soma was a word that referred to the time when the star was added.

Zenith supposedly having the greatest influence over humanity. Certainly no one born under that star or that signs of this depth was a word that referred the time when the star was at its lowest.

Just below the horizon waiting to rise as a word cast its influence over the ones born under that side, casting a horoscope Zenith or height of a star in the depth of a person.*Whatever the configuration of planets and stars were they were born. Somehow has the ability to cast over the person power or influence, and so they should decide and what they encounter should be marked clearly how they live by these signs. Solomon wrote it this way. Trust in the Lord with all your what with all your heart, don't lean on your own understanding and we can add to that your own mystical superstition in all your ways acknowledge him to Ferndale surrender to him and he he will direct your path. The world live in the shadow of astrology.

When Jesus Christ came to earth and would Paul wrote the book of Romans. Make no mistake, the world of the 21st century is as devoted to the stars is the world the first century for the 12 million Americans this year determine or activity change their behavior change their plans on the basis of astrology report that they read former presidents and heads of state of determine their travel schedules and political maneuvers by the star. Having rejected the creator they become bound to creation.

And Paul writes in Romans 121 they become futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts are darkened, and let me say this to those who claim to know Jesus Christ. It is in some dabbling that is somehow innocent stop, don't read it. Stay away from Paul says, in effect to any believer who might be haunted by their pastor, even present doubts the stars cannot hurt you. They do not influence you. They do not have power over you.

They do not govern your live.

They do not determine your destiny.

The power of the only living true God directs everything he rules as sovereign in the universe and for those who reject him as their source of wisdom. Proverbs quotes God in a rather horrifying morning because I called and you refused. I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention and you neglected all my counsel did not want my reproof I will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your dread comes then they will call on me but I will not answer, they will seek me with they will not find me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord they would not accept my counsel. Therefore, they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices quickly. Here Paul adds one more to his list tends nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate you know that is that's that's Paul saying in case I missed anything. You know why I try the less we have 17 things there, but in case I missed anything.

Will everything that been created by God and what is that that's ever since God created everything there is.

There isn't anything that exists that could possibly separate you from the love of God.

This last one simply covers it all.

And he ends the song of assurance with this wonderful phrase the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Christ, in Christ in Christ. That's a theme of Paul's in Christ. Ladies and gentlemen, the love of God. I want to listen to the love of God is not just some principal it is a person, it is not some Mr. call a theory all fours.

Some energies, some feeling yet is a fact, God loves you, through Jesus Christ, your Lord, you are eternally secure because God the creator of everything, stooped to die for everything about you, so that now he can say nothing will ever separate you from me. My love is eternal. It is comprehensive and you are absolutely eternally secure Charles Spurgeon on his deathbed said to his final visitors. These words as time is passed on, my theology has grown more and more simple. It is simply this, Jesus loves that Jesus loves me this for the Bible tells me so little ones to him belong there. Week strong over the last four broadcast we've been looking at the eternal security of the believer, in a series Stevens called Blessed assurance. If you'd like information on how you can own this series as a set of CDs give us a call or if you missed any of the messages I would like to go back and listen right now, we've posted all of it on our website.

Wisdom online.I also want you to know that Stephen has a short easy-to-read booklet called blessed assurance. Collison, 86 648 Bible 86 648 Bible, then join us next time. For more wisdom for the heart