Colossians: Rescue

Colossians 1:13-14

I want us to look at a word for today: Preeminent.

What does this word mean? It means superior in excellence, power, authority, or status.

There were people of Paul’s day and there are people in our day who will give Jesus a place a position or place among great men. But not everyone will say that Jesus is preeminent in all things.

There were and are people that give more attention to angels, men, or other things.

In this first chapter, Paul desires to make this as clear as possible. Jesus is preeminent. Jesus is superior in excellence, power, authority, and status. He does not stand among other great men, He alone is the Son of God, who is above all things.

Last Sunday evening we looked at 1-12. Today we will look at 13-14.

(Read the verses)

You Have been Rescued. God can, God will, or God has Rescued us.

It was 1945, 500 allied prisoners of war are held in a Japanese camp in the Philippines. These men were suffering, starving, diseased, and brutally treated. It was feared that they would executed soon. 121 Army Rangers and others launched a 30 mile mission behind enemy lines, under the cover of night and rescued more that 500 prisoners that night. One of the greatest rescue missions of all time.

It was 2018. A rescue mission assembles in Thailand where a group of young boys and their coach are trapped in a system of underground caves that are flooding. The cave system stretches 6 miles long. No one knows where they are or if they are alive. 13 lives in the deep and the dark, facing death, needing someone to come to them and save them. A team of skilled rescuers assembled and went into the deep darkness… to bring everyone of them to the light. There is a movie out now called “13 Lives.” Truly a great rescue mission.

What we have here in the text is the word “rescue.” For He (God) rescued us… from the domain of darkness… What is he talking about here?

The terms “light” and “darkness” are used throughout the whole bible. They serve as symbols and they represent spiritual realities.

Light is associated with God, truth, righteousness, and salvation. Darkness symbolizes the absence of God, the presence of evil and sin.

To live in darkness is to live a life without God, without the presence of God, without the guidance of God, without His truth and love. You are lost in deep darkness, blinded from the light.

Who is in this dark domain? Who lives in this spiritual darkness? All who are living apart from God. Those who do not have fellowship with God are living in a deep dark hole, unable to experience the life of God.

He rescued us… Paul is speaking to believers, to Christians here, and He is speaking in passed tense. He is telling them what has happened. This has happened to the believer.

So listen: This is where we were or this is where we are. Whether you have known this or not, the Bible teaches us that this is where everyone is until they are rescued and saved.

There is a domain of darkness that people in this world live it.

But the Good News is...

You Have been Rescued. God can, God will, or God has Rescued us.

God has rescued us... “From”… meaning out of the power, or out of the sphere in which this power is exercised. Ephesians 6:12 - There are rulers, authorities, powers, over this present darkness, spiritual forces of evil.

2 Cor. 4:4 - Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers. He robs them from the spiritual seeds that you plant in their lives, and they are prevented from seeing the glorious light of the Good News.

There is a holding power in this darkness...

Do you ever wonder sometimes: “Why isn’t this person believing? Why won’t they believe? I just explained the Gospel to them and gave them all of this compelling evidence? Why won’t they get saved and follow Jesus...?

They are in bondage to drugs and alcohol… Why won’t they just quit?

This is the spiritual reality: They can’t yet. They are in this domain of darkness and they cannot see these truths. The Spirit of God is not inside of them, so all of this spiritual stuff is foolishness to them.

And when you look at people’s lives… and you see the darkness manifesting in their lives… They may wear dark clothes all the time, they may live lifestyles of sin… What we are seeing is this reality. You are seeing darkness, the lostness, the blindness, the hatred, and misery… all that comes from this domain of darkness.

Satan owns or rules this domain. He is the god or the master over the darkness. All of the world that is not trusting, believing and living for Jesus is under the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19).

Get the picture:

They are in a prison camp. They are under the waters, in darkness. Their lifestyle reflects this darkness...

Maybe our initial command and response to such behavior, that we give is to tell them, “Just stop it!” When the reality is that they are in bondage to sin… and they cannot just stop it. We are not just dealing with flesh and blood here. We are not just dealing with the power of reasoning.

There are powers over them. They are powerless to get out of this domain. They are powerless to save ourselves from this. They are just among other men and women who are in the same prison camp and they don’t even know it… They are even blinded to this reality.

That is… or that was all of us.

What do we all need? We need someone above us and above all these other powers.

We need someone who is preeminent. We need someone who is above and beyond these forces of darkness. We need a Savior who is Supreme and who can open our eyes so that we may see the truth and be set free.

We need a power that is beyond all these other powers, a sovereign, all-powerful Lord to come into the camp, break into the enemy’s camp, to dive down into our darkness, and to bring us out alive… to transfer us out.

God has transferred us, or translated us (moved us out)… And has moved us into His kingdom.

This is where we were, but this is not where we are. This is where we were held, enslaved and chained. But He has come in to set us free, breaking our chains of bondage, liberating us with Him, giving us His light and life.

The soldiers in Japan needed special forces to be set free. The soccer team needed a special forces team to go down into the deep. They needed to be moved out of this and moved into that.

And we need and we have a Special Forces Commander who is above and beyond all forces who has come to us… And He has moved us out of the darkness and into life… From death to life.

For all who have been in darkness and for all who are in darkness today:

Let me tell you about my Jesus, the Preeminent One. Let me tell you about the excellent One, the superior One, the One with all authority, and the One who is the highest of the highest, and the best of the best.

He is the One who came. He is the One who kick down the door of death and hell and became the door to heaven and life. He is the One who came into the dark and called out my name. He is the One who carried me out. He is the One who destroyed the works of the evil one and set me free to follow Him.

Let me tell you about my Jesus… No matter where you are, He will find you. No matter what has you, He can take you away from that. No matter what deep hole you are in… He will descend into your hell and raise you up to heaven.

Let me tell you about my Jesus, this Jesus will change your life.

There are people who put Jesus and Satan side by side, as if they are equals playing tug of war.

I hear people speak as if Satan has more authority than God...

Jesus’ power and authority is over Satan and all principalities. Satan cannot hold on to that which Jesus takes. Satan cannot take what belongs to Jesus. Satan cannot rob you of that which Jesus has given… eternal life, the hope laid up for you in heaven.

When you pray in Jesus Name… You are praying to One is above all powers and things. When you call out for Him to help you, you are calling out to the One who can save, will save, and has saved...

God can, God will, or God has Rescued us.

So our faith says… “I will pray. I will pray more… I will call out… I will seek Him”

Faith says, He has all the power… so I will follow Him… and walk with Him… He will get me home…

Our faith keeps us close to the Rescuer and Savior...

The rescuers in Japan and in Thailand saved those people. The rescued had to obey their voices, follow their commands, and trust as they made their way home.

They were weak, still in need, needing guidance...

They didn’t stay in the dark, in death, or bondage. But, they stayed close to the rescuers all the way out.

In desperation, knowing how in need they were… they stayed close and obeyed… and they lived, got healthy, and then they were able to serve others later on...

In the previous verses 9-12 - There is this prayer for Christians to pray for one another, and it has to do with spiritual needs.

Jesus, the Light of the World has delivered us… but are we walking by His light in this dark world. We are in need of being filled with His knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

We are commanded to walk with Jesus and to live in His light… live in His Word, practicing His commands...

This is going to lead us to life and good spiritual health...

So that… we may then help others who are in the darkness...

Two Things:

You have been Rescued. God has rescued you. God can Rescue you today.

a. This truth draws us to to worship, to praise, to thanksgiving, a grateful life

b. This action leads us to follow our rescuer and to honor our Rescuer all the days of our lives

c. Jesus is more powerful than your enemy, than your sin, than your past, your addictions and failures. Jesus is Supreme… Jesus is Preeminent.

2. You can now help Rescue others. WE can now be a part of Rescue Missions

a. There are others in the dark

b. There are others in captivity

c. There are others who need the light of the Gospel

The firefighter and police officer is clothed and prepared to go in and help others. They have oxygen on and their weapons are close. They are alive, healthy, ready and prepared to help those who are in the flames, or in harms way. The living and the spiritual healthy can go in and help others.

Jude verse 23 - Snatch them from the fire and protect yourself from defilement...

Today, you have been saved. You have been rescued.

But there are others in that dark place...

And you are a light to lead them to the Rescuer...

God is going to use you to go into dark places and to have bring out more captives.

For those who are living in sin, in lifestyles of sin, living in the dark… You now know the spiritual reality of your loved ones.

Don’t just get mad and angry with your loved ones… Use your anger to pray and to use the Word of Life to bring your loved ones into life...

This is a spiritual battle and we can only use spiritual weapons… and they are mighty for bringing down strongholds...

The spiritual weapons that we have is the Word of God and Prayer, and they are mighty to work in your family and friend’s life… God will use these to set people free… So, do not stop until Jesus rescues...

Do you need a Savior today? Do you have sins, addictions, lifestyles that you cannot break but you have a desire to break them...?

For those who have heard this message today, and you can see the sin that you are living in, and you can see the Supreme Savior that has come to set you free… You are free to come to the Savior and follow him today.

Is there someone on your mind and heart today that you want to enter into a Rescue Mission with Jesus… To pray for them and to go to them with the light that you have?

There is a Chain Breaking, Special Forces Savior, who can come in today.

Will you pray? Will you pray for them?

Pray

Close.