Allen Jackson - Victory Over Darkness - Part 2

If we’re gonna be a prevailing church, and we are. If we’re gonna be a triumphant church, and we are, there’s no other choice in the scripture. There’s no defeated church, there’s no failed church. Jesus is the head of the church. I like this. You know, people say it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, then I hope you’re on the other team. «Well, Pastor, you know, I just enjoy playing the game». «Well, I’m happy for you. I like winning».

You know, Christians can be more righteous than God. Oh, come on. I mean we say some goofy things. There, for a few years we went to Bridgestone in Nashville. We would go down there and do events and it was a lift. I mean, we’d charter 28 or 30 buses and load up and go to Nashville and invite our friends from all over the mid-state and turn a hockey rink into a worship place and, I mean, we’d do our thing, a little country church. I remember after all it took us weeks and months and I don’t know how many meetings, I don’t know, all the stuff. And the weekend after somebody stopped me in the lobby and said, «You know, Pastor, it was a lovely night at Bridgestone. So thank you.

You know, it was worth it if just one person heard the gospel». And I know I should have smiled with a very pastorly attitude and said, «Thank you». But I didn’t. I said, «Are you kidding me? I could have driven down the streets of the McDonald’s and one person could have heard the gospel while I was waiting on a Big Mac». Sometimes we just get weird. We do. «Well, Pastor». Well, Church. Matthew 16:18, these were Jesus’s words: «I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it».

Jesus is building a triumphant church. Now I’ll tell you what I’ve discovered because my experiences with church as a young person were not great. I’ve discovered that a prevailing church is composed of prevailing people. It’s not about denominational affiliation or the buildings or the architecture or the musical style or the wardrobe of the presenter or all those things that factor into our decisions. A prevailing church is composed of prevailing people. We have been given authority in the name of the one we call Lord, spiritual authority, an authority greater than anything available in time.

So that our authority is positional, it’s linked directly to who we are in Christ. And it requires an awareness of that authority. It has to be understood in order to be exercised. When a police officer’s directing traffic and he holds up his hand, he don’t have the physical strength to stop an oncoming car. He has authority. And in a similar way, you and I are not engaged in a power struggle with evil. We’re not called to wrestle with Satan as he prowls around the earth. No, we’re told to resist him in the authority of the one we serve. Spiritual conflict is a truth encounter, not a power struggle.

You know this, John 8:32, it’s in your notes as well. Jesus said, «You’ll know the truth, and the truth will bring freedom». The church is in the freedom business. We have unfortunately settled for just being in the salvation business. We say to people, «You know, you should get saved so you can go to heaven». Well, I believe in that. That’s a good thing to do, but you should really find the truth of God so that you can live in the freedom that Jesus made available to us, and that’s an entirely different proposition. It involves engaging the spiritual forces that shape our lives. It involves a desire to please God, to walk uprightly before him, to know the authority that’s available to us, so that we can put to death those ungodly desires that percolate in every one of us, no matter how long you’ve been around church.

You know, I’ve discovered that tenure in the body of Christ doesn’t remove you from the need to continue to be transformed. Think of it in terms of athletic ability. You know, if you’ve been to a ballgame and watched 4- and 5-year-olds play, the only people there that know they’re playing ball are the parents and the coaches. The little kids think, you know, they get a costume and they’re gonna go stand on the field. But if it’s time, you know, if they’re at bat and they’re gonna run to the base, somebody has to point, «You go run there». And then when it’s their turn to play defense, and they go out in the field, they’re more likely to be doing this… or they’ll find something down on the ground.

You know, whatever athletic activity is very much secondary to what’s going on. But if they keep playing and they get better and better and the level of competition keeps going up, they keep improving, they keep practicing. And at every level where you do that, it takes greater focus and to make any gain takes a greater sacrifice. You know, when you’re 4 or 5, you can make some significant improvements by just knowing where first base is. But if you’re gonna do that on a professional level, it takes a complete focus of your life, your diet, your exercise, your habits, your thoughts, your friends. Well, the same is true as Christ followers. If we’re gonna grow up in the church, folks, it’s gonna take a different attitude. We want there to be a triumphant church and we wanna be the same. I do.

So I brought you some things, simple statements of fact from scripture. I just want to introduce them to you. They’d be wonderful to tuck into your memory. If you don’t memorize scripture, change. You need to have it. It will change you from the inside out. It’ll give you something to think about other than the favorite melody or the line somebody said to you that you can’t get out of your head. Replace it with a statement that God’s given you. Matthew 5:13, Jesus was speaking, he said, «You’re the salt of the earth». You’re the salt of the earth. Both a preservative and we add flavor. We bring a distinctiveness. God’s people are at the center of what he’s doing in the earth. You are the salt of the earth. Can you say that with me? On three: one, two, three. «You’re the salt of the earth».

Look at you. Matthew 5:14. Jesus again: «You’re the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden». You see, stop raging against the darkness. Let’s turn up the light. You know, some people will say to me, you know, «Pastor, pray for me. I work in a place and there’s no Christians,» and that’s why God sent you. «Yeah, but if they know I’m a Christian, it’ll be…» Yeah, I know, when you turn on the light, everybody’s gonna squint. It’s awkward, you know, and if the light’s really dim, we all look good. Turn down the house lights, for real. There’s somebody back there, turn down the house lights.

See, y’all look better. Turn them back up. Oh. We spend all our time being mad at the darkness. We’re the light of the world. It’s bound to bring some awkwardness. It does, but it’s okay, it really is, it’s okay. Can we say that together? «I’m the light of the world». The third one, John 1: Jesus said, «To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or of a husband’s will, but born of God».

God’s children, God’s children. I like to think about this one. You know, it changes everything to imagine you belong to the family of God. All of our families, you know, every family has a few fruits and nuts. Depending where you are, you know it’s not you, but you know one who fits the definition. But to imagine that we belong to the family of God, that God knows our name. You know, watch the joy that parents have in their kids or the ability to recognize their child’s voice across a crowded lobby of people or how proud they are if their child does well in school or athletics or whatever they may be engaged in. God’s kids.

The Bible says not a sparrow falls to the ground unless God attends a funeral for the bird. God’s kids. He knows how many hairs you have. He made you. He knew you when you were being designed in your mother’s womb. He’s written a narrative for you. He’s written a story for you. Jesus, the Bible says, is the author and the completer of our story. You may have come from a family that brought you great pain or disappointment or suffering. But when Jesus becomes Lord of your life, you become a part of God’s family, God’s kids. You may have been widely rejected multiple times through your life. There may be a whole train of brokenness, that defines your story, but if you’re a child of God, you belong to the best family in the universe.

We looked at that recently where the Bible says we’re accepted in the beloved. Highly favored is what the word means. You matter to God. You matter to God. I’ll tell you what, I’ve kind of worked this out on the inside of me, you know, if there are people that don’t like me, but God says I’m good, I’m gonna roll with that. And I don’t mean that in a haughty way or an ungodly way. So it’s extraordinary significance that you understand to whom you belong. Because you’re under the authority of one of those two lions. Hard stop. There’s no third option. So just as a declaration of faith based on that simple verse from John 1:12, let’s read that sentence together. It’s in bold in your notes. Can we do that? «I receive Jesus as Lord, I’m a child of God. He has chosen me».

Romans 8:17: «If we’re children, then we’re heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory». Heirs with Christ. We are joint heirs with Jesus. The inheritance that he deserved has been shared with us. We’ve talked about this a lot. We use some fancier language around it, but we talk about a divine exchange where, on the cross, Jesus exhausted the curse of sin. He took all of the judgment, the punishment that was due by divine justice, my ungodliness and yours, so that in return you and I might receive all of the blessings that were due his perfect obedience.

And we read passages like Philippians chapter 2 where it talks about what Jesus, it says your attitude should be the same as Jesus, even though he was equal with God, didn’t consider equality to be something to be grasped, so he made himself nothing. Found himself in human likeness, became a servant. Became obedient, even to death on a cross. But then there’s a turn and it says, «Therefore God exalted him, gave him the name, it’s the highest name that’s above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow in heaven, earth, and under the earth». Didn’t we read a passage like this that says we’re joint heirs with Christ? We’ve been given an exalted place in God’s unfolding purposes.

In the book of Ephesians, it says we’ve been seated in the heavenly places in Christ. Yeah, we’re still in this present realm. We’re aliens and strangers here. I’ve lived in other places, but my passport was still stamped USA, and I’m making a journey through time, but my purpose, my goal, my future is anchored beyond this present age. And so is yours. You see, it enables me to deal with some things that I have to deal with, some things within me, things around me to overcome and say, «No, I don’t think I will stop. I think I will persevere. I think I will bring my best effort». Can we make that statement together? «I’m a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him».

2 Corinthians 5:17 said, «If anyone is in Christ,» not if he’s in church or in the denomination or in the building. If you’re in Christ. If you’ve decided that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, and you’ve asked him to be Lord of your life, that’s how you get in Christ. You believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth. «If anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation; the old has gone, the new’s come! And this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us,» gave us, you better circle that little word «us». Gave us. What did he give us? «The ministry of reconciliation». We have an assignment in this world. We’ve got a job to do other than sit in church and wait for a trumpet to blow. You didn’t get saved so you could avoid hell and then lead life on your terms, folks.

Jesus said, «I will build my church». What an honor we have to be a part of that. Can we make that statement together? «I’m a new creation, reconciled to God». Ephesians 2:10: «We’re God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do». We’re God’s workmanship. I know other people may not like us, but we’re God’s workmanship. Don’t let the devil criticize you. I won’t ask for a show of hands, but how many of you know there’s something about yourself you’d like to change? I said, «Don’t raise your hands,» you did it anyway. You really are determined, aren’t you?

See, we’re so aware of that. Too much of this, too little of that, too tall, too wide, don’t like my accent, want something different, whatever. We’re far more aware because we have an accusing voice that is an adversary. There’s a lion prowling around the earth, and one of the titles he’s given is the accuser of the brethren. I want to give you a response. The next time you’re tempted to say you’re not something, would you say, «I’m God’s workmanship, created by God for His purposes». Can we say it together? «I’m God’s workmanship, created by God for His purposes». 2 Corinthians 5:20: «We’re therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God».

You know, my friend Mike Huckabee got tagged to be the ambassador from the United States of America to the nation of Israel. Sounds really fun, doesn’t it? But you know, to accept that assignment, he had to resign his job. And he moved his family. He had a beautiful home in Destin, Florida, but he’d moved his family from Destin back to Little Rock, Arkansas. That would give you pause. But he had a reason: his daughter had been elected governor of Arkansas. And he wanted to play in the governor’s mansion with his grandkids where he’d had the privilege of living with his own kids. I mean, life was good. And then he got a phone call that said, «I need you to go to Jerusalem».

Now, I know it sounds like it’s fun, but he took an enormous pay cut. And he moved 8000 miles away from his grandkids, which I’m sure his wife was thrilled to hear about. In fact, he happened to tell me that he got the phone call, and his only request was, would you give me an hour to tell my wife? And of course, the person who called him, didn’t, so she heard about it on the news. Yeah, that was the groans of married people right there in the room. You heard that. No, but it’s an assignment to be an ambassador and get a foreign posting and all the things that went with it and to get posted in a country where rockets have been dropping ever since you got there.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors. God’s making his appeal through us. And we happen to live in a place where there’s a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, and the boss who called us to be an ambassador said, «I need you to resist it. To put on the full armor of God. And having done everything you know to do, you stand there». God’s making his appeal through us. We’re the light of the world, we’re the salt of the world. Remember all those things you’ve been saying? Can we make that statement together? «I’m an ambassador for Jesus of Nazareth, my Lord and King».

I’m really done, but I wanna submit that we can’t really receive fully the forgiveness and the mercy and the power of God unless we’re willing to participate in his purposes. I don’t believe you can garner all the benefits and then say to the Lord, «You know, I’m not really interested. I just don’t wanna go to hell». I don’t really understand that that’s how it works. Imagine you volunteered to join the army, that you can do whatever you want to. You said, «Great, I’d like to drive a tank. They look really cool. I wanna be a tank driver».

I can imagine you get to boot camp, you get a drill sergeant, they put those back in, you know. They’ve had therapists. Now they have drill sergeants again. We better pray for the new recruits. But I can imagine, you know, you’re there your first week, you’ve met your drill sergeant and you say to him, «Listen, I’m a tank driver, but I need you to understand something about me. I don’t really intend to go to battle. And you know, all this stuff about getting up at reveille, I’m not really into that. I’m much better, I’m just a much better person if I can sleep till noon.

So I’m just telling you, I enlisted, but I’ll be getting up about noon and I’d like my breakfast then. And then I’d like to drive the tank around for a little while. But then at the, you know, at the end of the afternoon, I’d really like my time in the hot tub to get the kinks out after the tank». How many of you think that recruit might have some adjustments coming into their worldview? Well, my sense of the body of Christ is that we’ve kind of raised our hands and said, «Yeah, I think I’d like to enlist. Maybe even drive a tank. And I’d like a wake-up call about 11:50. And my eggs poached».

I had breakfast with a friend. I’m not sure I knew what a poached egg was. I had breakfast with a friend not too long ago and he ordered poached eggs and they delivered them, he said, «You just can’t get a good poached egg in this town». And I hated to be as country as I am, so I just said, «Yeah, I know it’s a problem. Wise as a servant and harmless as a dove». So people say things to me like, you know, «It’s not our job to build the church». I’m gonna ask you a question, whose is it?

This is the place where God deployed us. This is the time in the span of human history when he called our names, where he sent us in as ambassadors to be voices of reconciliation to Almighty God, to be salt and light. He calls us his children. Are we gonna deny the family? We’ve had a really backwards approach. We’ve kind of imagined that there was no business, there was nothing, there was no real significance. It didn’t require any effort. Folks, it’s a false gospel. But it isn’t something we do, we don’t earn it. It’s about understanding who we are in Christ, the authority we have in him, what he’s done for us and because of when receiving that, then what it means, we have the authority to accomplish with our lives.

I think our best conclusion for this session is to take those seven statements and to say them together again. I think I put them at the end of your notes, didn’t I? Look at me. Why don’t you stand with me? We’re gonna say these together. This is our declaration of intent. I wanna be a part of what God’s doing in the earth, don’t you? I haven’t been tagged to be an ambassador in Jerusalem, but I’ve been tagged to be one in Murfreesboro, hot dog. I mean you can’t get a good poached egg, but you get some good country ham, huh? You ready?

I’m the salt of the earth. I’m the light of the world. I receive Jesus as Lord, I’m a child of God. He’s chosen me. I’m a joint heir with Christ, sharing his inheritance with him. I’m a new creation, reconciled to God. I am God’s workmanship, created by God for His purposes. I’m an ambassador for Jesus of Nazareth, my Lord and King, amen.