Paid Up In Order to Go Up

ME:

Interest on your home mortgage?

Average Indebtedness Per Person ($90,640)

Breakdown be age groups

Gen Z (18-23) $9,500

Mill. (24-39) $78,000

Gen X (40-55) $135,000

Baby Boomers (56-74) $97,000

Silent Gen. (75 - older) $41,000

The sense of owing someone is in the top 10 reasons for people to take their own lives.

The Idea of not being able to pay off someone you are indebted too is very heavy.

I know some may be saying .... “I don’t care about owing someone!”

Most people do!

My Papaw Kincaid Story!

Transition Statement: How do you feel about being in debt to someone or for something?

WE:

Being in debt to someone was a form of “punishment” for my kids as they became teenagers.

“You Owe Me One”

I would collect!

But sometimes I would extend grace.

You know what they say about grace ....... “It’s free to the receiver but it is costly to the giver.”

Do you remember being indebted to someone?

Maybe you are right now.

Do you remember how it feels?

Are you like me ..... (Most of the time when you closed your eyes you would see that mountain of debt)

You thought about it often!

Reminded of it every time you would see that person/bank (whatever)

You would go out of the way to avoid them

As it got closer to the monthly payment you would start to feel butterflies in your stomach. (Nervous)

But if you were able to pay that debt off sooner or when you made that last payment .....

Rejoicing, giving praise, so thankful for it to be PAID OFF!

Such a sense of freedom / liberty

You felt like you could breath a little easier / you start to dream a little more.

WHY?

You were PAID UP ..... now you felt like you could GET UP!

The title of todays message is PAID UP IN ORDER TO GO UP

Transition Statement: Paul was writing to a church that understood the concept/significance/peace found of being Paid UP in order to Go Up.

GOD:

Turn to Colossians 2:9–14 (ESV)

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Paul rejoices in their faith in Christ (2:5)

“In Him .... Live” (2:6)

Paul Understood “Who Christ was!”

(9) The Father, Son and Holy Spirit was in Christ!

(10) In the people (the church) Christ lived in them!

They were filled with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Paul explains to them “Filled in Him” ..... What that means: 1. Circumcision 2. Baptism

(11) Physical Circumcision

Distinguishing God’s people (Jews) from the rest of the world (Greek and Romans)

(11) Spiritual Circumcision

Holy Spirit dwelling within (Tells us apart from the rest of the world today)

(12-13) Baptism

Dead in Christ / Raised from the dead

Made alive in Christ / Forgiven of all trespasses (sins)

Christ PAID IT ALL!

(14) He was the Payment for our debts ( .... cancelling the record of debt against us)

Nailed it to the cross!

We are PAID UP in order to go up.

Spend eternity in the presence of the GODHEAD!

This is Grace! (it’s free to us .....)

All you have to do is receive it!

( .... but it is costly to the giver!) God’s Son on the cross!

Transition Statement: For a lot of us It’s hard to imagine something done that was so costly but yet given so freely!

YOU:

We have all heard the statement (even used it ourselves) “If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.”

Paul is telling us “ITS TRUE”

Your debt is PAID IN FULL

You are PAID UP in order to GO UP

All your sins have been “Nailed to the Cross”

Your sins have been forgiven

Your Debt has been PAID IN FULL

You are set free from Sin / Death

You are PAID UP so that you can GO UP

Transition Statement: Sound too good to be true?

WE:

Not for those who whose SINS have been Nailed to the Cross and they have received this free gift of Grace.

Rejoicing / Praising Him / Thanking Him ...... (THEIR DEBT IS PAID OFF)

For those who may have given back this free gift (Enemy has lied to you) .....

The offer is still there.

You can receive it again!

Rejoicing / Praising Him / Thanking Him ...... (YOUR DEBT IS PAID OFF)

PAUSE:

I want us all do something this morning .....

Close your eyes / Picture all of your debt (Car, house, Credit Cards, College bills ....)

What would it look and feel like if someone would come and PAY IT ALL OFF?

Would you be able to breath a little easier / dream a little more?

I want you to keep your eyes closed .....

Picture every sin you have committed.

What would it look and feel like if someone would come and wipe it clean? (PAY IF ALL OFF)

Would you be able to breath again? Live in freedom? Dream More / Bigger?

This offer, that may seem too good to be true, (But yet it is true) is being offered to those who long to breath again, live in freedom again, and have their DEBT be PAID in FULL.

Let’s be honest .... In the end of this life we are all going to either PAY UP (for our sins) or GO UP (spend eternity with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) Because we accepted this free gift of Grace.

Today, the Holy Spirit is offering you this free gift!

The gift from Christ who Nailed all of our sins to the Cross.

He PAID IT IN FULL!

Today, you are invited to receive this free gift.

Be PAID UP so you can GO UP!