Turn with me if you would to the book of Ephesians chapter 1. Would you Ephesians chapter 1 in the scripture? Ephesians chapter 1. And as you're turning there in Ephesians chapter 1 all the children can be dismissed. Four years old up through third grade all the children can follow Mr. Drew and Miss Amber out the back door for children's Bible time. Ephesians chapter 1 is where we're at. Ephesians chapter 1. Once you've found your place let's bow in prayer and ask the Lord to speak to our hearts this evening. Lord how thankful we are that we have a perfect copy of the Bible. We thank you that you've given us this word and I pray that you would let it go down deep deep into our hearts tonight. We ask as has already been prayed that you would bind Satan far from this place may he have no influence or sway or say so whatsoever in our thinking or our mind Lord bind him in his confusing tactics far far away and Lord surround us Lord fill us with your precious Holy Spirit I pray that you would fill us so that we have spirit-filled ears and spirit-filled hearts so that as the Word of God is preached we receive it readily and we make up our minds right now we're going to respond to it Lord I pray that if there's someone here yet that doesn't know Christ that has never made that choice to believe on Jesus, that tonight they would be born again and tonight they would be saved. Lord, we ask for this miracle working power and we trust you for it in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Several years ago we started to take a missions trip of a different kind down into the Caribbean to take a group of soccer players down and join up with a soccer team down there and play soccer with the whole purpose of training men in the gospel and reaching men with the gospel of Jesus Christ. and so we had our first trip. We've taken four of these kinds of trips down into the island of St. Kitts. It's just about 300 miles east of Puerto Rico and we were excited about it. We only had about six or eight guys going the first time and we were pretty fired up about playing soccer and preaching the gospel. Two things that I love very, very much and using soccer as a way to get people to come hear the gospel and so we made up our trip. We had guys coming from Minnesota and from Georgia and from South Carolina and from North Carolina and I happen to be flying out of Atlanta Georgia so I had a couple of folks along with me my son and and a couple others that were going and we got down to Atlanta we got there I don't know two hours 45 minutes ahead of schedule and we got into the got into the checkout counter and the lady behind the counter just couldn't seem to get us checked in and and they said well you know it's an international flight And I think you're supposed to be here three hours early. We, for some reason, can't check in. You'll have to go on next week's flight. I said, I can't go on next week's flight. The whole missions trip will be over. I said, I got to get on this flight. And they said, well, let me see. So she got a lady over there that was a little bit higher up and in the position and she started typing stuff into the computer and the lady said, well I guess we'll let you on this flight. I said, well I hope so. I said, I paid for the thing. She said, we'll let you on but we'll only check one bag. Well we had lots of bags and we had bags full of soccer balls that we were given down as gifts and cleats and Bibles and New Testaments and preaching CDs and gospel tracks and so we said, okay, okay. So now we had to take all of our bags, not just our carry-ons, but our check bags, and we had to move them through the scanner, and we had to run through the airport with all our bags, and we weren't really that far behind, but we were running through, it was good training, I guess, to get out on a soccer field, and we got to the checkout counter, we got to the desk right before you get on the plane, and the guy there wasn't too happy to see us with all our luggage, but he checked all our luggage on, and we got in there I was so nervous that somehow we weren't gonna make it and when I got on that plane I was sweating great big drops of sweat I was worried about getting on this plane and finally I got to my seat and I sat down and I said oh I am so glad to be in the plane. Now tonight for a few moments I want to preach to you on what I believe is transformative truth. It's the kind of thing what make all kinds of changes for your good and for God's glory in your life as a Christian, if you'll allow it. If you'll accept these words by faith and apply them to your life, it will transform your thinking, your actions, your perspective. And I want to preach to you tonight for a few moments on the subject, the power of in. Now I know you probably didn't come planning on a grammar lesson but we're going to take that little two letter preposition and we're going to use it tonight and see it from God's perspective in the New Testament. This little preposition in is found over and over again in the New Testament and particularly here in Ephesians. And we're starting in Ephesians. I draw your attention to Ephesians chapter 1. Notice please what the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse number 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are in Ephesus and to the faithful, here we go, in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Now this phrase, in Christ, has to do with being saved. It has to do with where you are the moment you got saved, where you went, where you were placed, supernaturally, miraculously, instantly, permanently, the moment you trusted Christ. He speaks of it in verse 1, and he speaks to the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus. That's those that are saved. Not everybody's in Christ. Are you in Christ tonight? Have you been born again? Has there been a point in time when you've realized you're a lost sinner headed to a devil's hell that you deserve because of your sin and you've cried out to the Lord Jesus and said, Lord Jesus save me. I'm not asking if you're a church member. I'm not asking if you're in good standing with this church or any church. I'm not asking. If you've been catechized or confirmed or you've been sprinkled or christened, I'm not asking if you've been baptized three times forward or baptized the right way. I'm asking, are you in Christ? That's the number one question that we're asking tonight. Are you in Christ? And this phrase, being placed in Christ, has the idea of salvation. And notice what he says in verse number three. He said, he's blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. You see, when you get saved, you have certain things that are instantly given to you and granted to you by your position. When a person gets saved, supernaturally, miraculously, instantaneously, permanently, they're placed in Christ on the cross. in Christ in the grave, in Christ resurrected from the grave, and in Christ ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father. That happens supernaturally. I can't necessarily explain it all. I don't know that I fully even understand it all, but I believe it by faith because the Bible says it. And the Bible speaks of this in Romans chapter 6 and Galatians chapter 2. It speaks about it all throughout the New Testament. We're beginning right here our study tonight in Ephesians chapter number 1. And he says, we're in Christ. And he says, we're blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Tonight, for a few moments, I want to divide our thoughts into three sections. And I want us to note first the possession of in. I wanna ask the question, what do we have in Christ? Now, again, I'm asking, are you in Christ? I didn't ask you if you were in church. I'm not asking you if you're in good standing with your family. I hope you are, but I'm not asking that. I'm not asking if you're in good standing as a citizen or in good standing at your job. I'm not asking if you're in good standing at your school. I'm asking, are you in Christ? Nothing else will matter when you breathe your last breath, but whether or not you're in Christ. A lot of people are in church, but they're headed straight to hell. A lot of people are in good standing with their community, but they've never been born again by the grace of God, and that's exactly what's needed. We need a revival of Christians across this land and an awakening of people to their own need and their desperate, dire need to be placed in Christ. Notice, he was placed in Christ, and the moment you're placed in Christ on the cross, in Christ in the grave, in Christ resurrected, in Christ heeded, At the right hand of the Father, you're blessed with all spiritual blessings. Wow. What do I have in Christ? Spiritual blessings. Spiritual blessings of forgiveness. Spiritual blessings of redemption. Spiritual blessings of sonship. I have spiritual blessings of access to the throne. Spiritual blessings of adoption. I'm a child of the King. He's my Father. Wow. A whole message could be just preached on all the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. Notice verse 4. According as He hath chosen us in Him. There's that phrase again, in Him, in Christ. Before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. Now watch, watch. He's talking here about what we have in Christ. We have spiritual blessings. Now I want you to notice we have purpose. You say He's just chosen us in Him. And what has He chosen us to be? He's chosen us to be holy and without blame before Him in love. Do you know, before you're saved, you're aimless. You're purposeless. You have no meaning. Life doesn't make sense. There's a missing piece of the puzzle, and no matter what you put in that missing piece, it doesn't fit unless it's Jesus Christ. And so before you're saved, you don't have any purpose. Life doesn't make sense. But when you get saved, all of a sudden, the lights go on. All of a sudden, the missing piece is placed in its proper place, and that missing piece is Jesus. You've got a God-shaped hole in your heart that only Jesus can fill. Religion cannot fill it. Relationships cannot fill it. Wealth cannot fill it. Popularity cannot fill it. Only Jesus can fill that missing piece in your life. And when you get saved, all of a sudden you have purpose. A person that's never been saved, they might have been successful, they might have accomplished a great deal, they might be wealthy, they might have good relationships, they might be popular, but without Jesus Christ, you're aimless, you're wandering. The Bible speaks of those lost as wandering stars. It speaks of them as wandering sheep. It speaks of them as a lost coin and a lost shekel and a lost son. It speaks of those that have never been born again. They're lost, aimless, without purpose, without meaning. I have a friend in the Washington, D.C. area. His name is Randy. Before he got saved, he would get in a little vehicle and drive around the beltway of Washington, D.C. And he wasn't saved. He started coming to a church down there just south of the city in Alexandria, Virginia. Lighthouse Baptist Church. And he'd go there Sunday after Sunday and he'd hear the preaching from the preacher. He was raised religious and a moral person but he was lost and he had no purpose. And one day the pastor would meet him at the back door like here. And the pastor met him and said, Randy are you saved? He said, oh pastor, I'm a good person. He said, I'll take care of that someday. And the pastor grabbed his hand and he said, look Randy. He said, you're in a very dangerous job driving around the beltway and picking up road debris. He said, all it would take is you to get out of your vehicle and get off on the highway and try to pick up some road debris and somebody be reaching for their drink or reaching for their phone or looking somewhere else and they'd hit you and you'd be in hell right then. He said, you better get saved. Wow, that's all this world needs is a gospel preacher. It's exactly what this world needs. And Randy couldn't get that off his mind so he got dressed in his fluorescent suit from his neck down to his ankles and he got in his little vehicle and he's driving around the beltway looking for tires or hubcaps or things that could really cause problems on the belt when he pulls off on the shoulder and he gets out. Here goes these cars by as fast as they can. He shuts the door. And he thinks, well, people aren't, they are kind of crazy here, especially Maryland drivers. He said, why? He said, I could get hit. He said, if I did die, he said, I'd go straight to hell. And right there on the side of the beltway in Washington, DC, Randy bowed his head and trusted Christ as his savior. Now, before he was saved, he couldn't even change a light bulb in his house. He'd have his neighbor come over to help him change a light bulb. You know what he became after he got saved? The church handyman. You know why? Because God gave him purpose. With Jesus comes purpose. And it's not just purpose to become a blessing in your local church, although that's a major part of it. It's purpose to live a pure and holy life. And to live a life that's fulfilled and honoring to Jesus. Watch verse number 5. It says, Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath made us accepted, here it is again, in the Beloved. You see this phrase is just popping up here and there. This preposition is just jutting out in our least expected moments. And what does he say here? He says now we're accepted in the Beloved. What does that mean? That means we have acceptance in Jesus Christ. What do we have in Jesus Christ? We have spiritual blessings in heavenly places. We have purpose. Now we have acceptance. You know, this world is looking for love in all the wrong places. And they can't seem to find it. And they're trying to find it in their human relationships and their family relationships. And sometimes they try to find it in perverted relationships. Sometimes they try to find it in doing some good deed and maybe helping in some relief effort. And that's all good and fine, but that's not what saves you. It will never satisfy. But when you get saved, you get accepted at the highest levels of the universe. Young people often will get into gangs because they're looking for acceptance. Sometimes a girl will get into a bad relationship because she's looking for acceptance. Sometimes people will get involved in in schemes because they're looking for acceptance. Sometimes people will do whatever they need to in schmoozing the boss so that they can get acceptance. But when you get saved, You get accepted at the highest level of the universe. I was preaching in North Dakota some years ago at a hunter's banquet and hunter's event and there were a group of guys there and they were just about to go out duck hunting the next day and they had a service. There's a man named Millard Erickson up there and he got all these guys together in his little hunting lodge just south of Canada and he started giving the gospel and they had a service. And this one young man got up and he said, you know, I was raised in a broken home. And he said, all the places I should have been loved, I wasn't loved. And all the ways I should have been loved, I wasn't. So he said, I started getting around the wrong crowd looking for acceptance. He said, I didn't have it and I couldn't find it there. He said, I got messed up in drugs and alcohol. He said, but when I found Jesus and I accepted Him as my Savior, I found an acceptance like I'd never known before. You're accepted in the Beloved. Look what the Bible says in verse number 7. In whom? There it is again. I mean, if it wasn't enough to find it in verse 1 and verse 3 and verse 4, it's popped up in verse 6 and now it is at the end of verse 6 and the beginning of verse 7. In whom? We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. Now what do we have in Christ? We're trying to figure out the possession of in. What do we have in Christ? We have redemption. We have forgiveness. Oh, what a blessing. Oh, what a privilege. Oh, what a joy to pillow our head on the pillow of forgiveness and to know that God's not jerking it out from underneath us. We're forever forgiven. We're finally forgiven. We're permanently forgiven. We're beautifully forgiven. We're forgiven undeserved. So thank God for His forgiveness that He's given to us. He's given us forgiveness on top of acceptance and spiritual blessings and on top of purpose. He's given us forgiveness in whom we have forgiveness and redemption according to the riches of His grace, forgiveness of sins, redemption through His blood. Now watch, watch, He tells us that we have forgiveness. Years ago I was preaching in New York and there was a young man there standing on the side of the streets and he had black on from his neck down to his feet and he had chains and he just had the old gothic look that was popular back a little while ago and on his shirt he had a sword stabbing a skull And in Gothic letters, one word, unforgiven. I thought, you know, that's what I used to have. Until Jesus took His precious blood and cancelled out that first prefix, un- and He put forgiven and circled it with His precious blood. You see, before you're saved, you are unforgiven. And what a burden, and what a misery, and what a heartbreak, and what a aimless existence it is. But watch now, verse number nine, having made known unto us, he says in verse eight, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him, there it is, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ." Watch now, watch what we have. We have a future. Do you see that? Verse number 10, He's going to gather us all, those which are in heaven, those which are on earth, those that are in Him. We have a future. We have a future together with the family of God, a future together with the groom, the Lord Jesus Himself. We have a future on streets of gold and mansions fair. We have a future with the Lord Jesus Christ. We're all going to be together someday and we won't have to worry about temperatures dropping to the lowest. I don't know what the temperature is going to be in heaven but it's got to be a balmy 68 or 70 don't you think? And I can't imagine it'd be like 7 degrees. Now some of you may be like that kind of thing. You just love a blanket and some coffee and I suppose there might be some of that I don't know but I'm kind of going for the 68, 70 degree. but it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. We'll be in the presence of Jesus. What a future to be in his presence and what a future to be able to see him face to face, no longer have to look through the eyes of faith and to hold his hands and to look at the nail prints and realize they were made for us and they were made by us. And he bears them forever to remind us of his amazing love. We have a future in heaven. We won't have to worry about whether the stock market is up or down or whether somebody is sensible is in or out of the office of the presidency. We won't have to worry about whether or not the Congress is keeping their word. Well, we never worry about that anyway. But we won't ever have to worry about any of that. We'll have all of our answers will be right in front of us and all of our questions will be resolved. Thank God we have a future. But watch, it says in verse number 11, we have an inheritance. We have an inheritance in Christ. You see, some of you came thinking you were poor tonight. Some of you came thinking, boy, I'm just a little low at this time of the month. Some of you are saying, boy, I only get a certain amount on my check every month, or my income on my Social Security isn't much. Some of you say, I just, I need a few more jobs and I need a little extra cash flow. How many of you could use a little extra cash flow? Right, I know. Some of you are waiting for your ship to come in, right? I know why you're, I know, you know how I know why you're waiting for your ship to come in? Because when the special comes around at McDonald's and they have the Monopoly game, you supersize it. That's how I know. My mom raised me right to supersize it when the Monopoly game was around. and she'd have her board game and I'd have my board game and if she got boardwalk and I got part place we promise we're gonna split the earnings right there right down the middle but you wanna know something if you're saved your ship is already come in You say, how so? You have an inheritance that's incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. The Bible says we're heirs. Are you ready? And joint heirs with Jesus Christ. What an inheritance! I'm an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ? That's right. If you've trusted Christ, you have all of this. Now, if you have not trusted Christ, you don't have any of this. It's all a pipe dream. It's all you're on the outside looking in. You've never accepted the Lord Jesus. But when you accept him in your heart, he accepts you in the beloved. And now you have an inheritance. Wow. It's incorruptible, right? It won't be canceled out. It won't be canceled because of weather. All those people, 200,000 people got canceled because of weather to go to the inauguration. Now they've got a commemorative ticket. It went from It went from useful to, well, it's not so useful now. Instantly, you don't have a reservation like that. This thing's been reserved in heaven, and cold weather can't stop it, and the grave can't prevent it, and hell can't hinder it. When you get saved, you're saved for good and for God and forever, and you're in the grip of greatness and the grip of God. You'll never, ever, ever be lost. Wow. This is all I have, but wait, wait, wait. If that were not enough, look what the Bible says in verse number 10, that we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted. After that, ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. So watch, we have purpose, we have acceptance, we have spiritual blessings in heavenly places, we have forgiveness, we have redemption, we have a future, we have an inheritance, and if that weren't enough, we have God Himself! The Bible says we're sealed with that Holy Spirit of God. We're sealed into the day of redemption. He's the earnest of our inheritance. Now when I bought my house years ago and had to purchase it I had to put down some earnest money I can't remember if it was 5% or 10% or 15% of the purchase price but I had to put some money down on that house to say we're serious about buying this house we're gonna make payments on a regular basis until we see it through to the end and the mortgage is completely ours we're going to do this and we're committed to it and do you know when God Almighty reached down and saved you and you reached out and called upon Him and you received that gift of eternal life. God's Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, came to live within you and stamped upon you that eternal redemption that can never be broken. And He gave you the earnest of His Spirit. He gave you Himself. You know how I know I'm going to have an inheritance someday? Because I already have the earnest money. It's the Holy Spirit. He's never left me these 46 years. He'll never leave me nor forsake me. Thank God for the privilege of all that I have in Jesus Christ. I wonder if you've even thought of what you have in Jesus today. I wonder if that dour face and sour countenance would have been changed today if you'd have begun to meditate upon what you have in Jesus. I wonder if all the bad things that you've been focusing on and the bad news here and the bad news there, I wonder if all that would have been changed if you'd just stopped to pause for a moment or two and meditate on all you have in Jesus Christ. They tell us that Pastor Charles Spurgeon preached for several years at the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle in London, England and he went to visit one of his members one day and she had been laid up and been sick for some time. He was concerned about her. So he went over and she was in the other room making tea and as she was making tea he was just kind of perusing her house. She lived in a little humble place. And he noticed that on the wall there was a framed document with fancy calligraphy and writing. And as she came out with the tea she noticed he was studying it. And she said, oh, pastor. She said, isn't that beautiful? She said, I thought that was so beautiful I had it framed because I wanted to hang it right there in my home. He said, ma'am, where did you get this? Oh, she said, I got that from one of my former employees, employers. I cleaned his house and I took care of his estate. And she said, she said, when he died, he made sure that I had that. And I thought it's such a beautiful thing. I wanted to remember him by it. Brother Spurgeon said, do you know what this says? Oh, she said, no, pastor. She said, I can't read. Charles Spurgeon said, this says that you are the sole inheritor of his entire estate. Now watch, she didn't know what it said, but she thought it was beautiful. She thought it was significant, so much so she wanted to remember her former employer and she had it framed and put on the wall. But it did her no good there. You know what I believe, Pastor? A lot of Christians are living below their means. They're living in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere, living in defeat in the squalor of pity and worry and fear. When they have been given the inheritance of the king and they ought to claim it. When they've been given victory and they ought to claim it, it's theirs for the claiming. You say, Pritchard, do you believe in name it and claim it? I do when it comes to victory. I do when it comes to all we have in Jesus Christ. I absolutely do. And it was invented a long time before any charismatic was. Wow. I want to ask you, are you living under a bridge somewhere in some cardboard box when you have all of Jesus and all of his victory and all of his peace and all of his goodness and all of his joy and all of his power over sin to claim as yours? What a pity. Number one is the possession of in. Would you say it with me? The possession of in. Would you say it again? The possession of in. Now I want you to consider with me the position of in. The position of in. And I want us to consider a couple of things when we consider the position of in. You say, preacher, what are we considering? Well, first and foremost, we're considering We're considering where we are. First, we're asking the question, what do I have in Jesus? Now, we're asking the question, where am I in Jesus? Well, you say, preacher, what do you mean? Well, I'm asking the question, where am I in Jesus? Because I need to know. And I want us to consider this. Look at Ephesians chapter one, over and over and over it says, look at it. In Ephesians chapter one, it says we're in Christ in verse one, in Christ in verse three, We're in Him and in Christ in verses 4, 5, and 6. We're in the Beloved. Verse 7, in whom? Verse 9, He's purposed in Himself. Verse 10, in whom? Verse 11. In Him, verse 10. And so we're in Christ. But look what the Bible says in verse number 19. It says, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things, to the church which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." Again, I used to preach victory truth that we were placed in Christ on the cross, in Christ in the grave, in Christ resurrected from the grave, and that was all. I'd stop there. But Jesus didn't stop there. He didn't stop there. After the resurrection there was an ascension and he ascended and he sat down at the right hand of the father I preached this in Sunday school that the tabernacle was the only thing that didn't have a chair in it and The temple the most beautiful building ever built didn't have a chair in it. Why because the priest's work was never done and But when Jesus got done with His work, He said, It is finished. Then He was buried and rose again. And then He ascended and sat down at the right hand of the Father. Why? His work was done. His work was finished. And now watch. That's where we are. I don't fully understand it. I can't comprehend it with my puny little finite mind. But when I got saved, as a four-year-old boy, I was placed in Christ, on the cross, in the grave, up from the grave, ascended, seated at the right hand of the Father, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named. That's why you shouldn't shudder in fear when you hear about demonic activity. Why? Because the Spirit of God lives within you and you are in Christ far above all principality and power. That's why you should never put yourself under their authority or yield to their temptation or yield to their bidding. That's why you should never yield to the world of the flesh. Because in Christ you are far above all principality and power and might and dominion. You have authority over these things, not in your own name, no, no, but in the name above every name, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I want you to take your Bible and turn with me a few chapters to the right to the book of Colossians, would you? Colossians chapter 1, verse number 27. Now Ephesians 1 places clearly the emphasis upon being in Christ. But Colossians 1 clearly places the emphasis upon Christ being in you. Look at Colossians 1 and verse 27. Verse number 25, he says, Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God, even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ in you. Now wait, Ephesians 1 says it's you in Christ. And by the way, that's how you defeat the world in the flesh. That's how you defeat the devil, is through the power that you have in Christ. You defeat Satan because you're far above all principality and power. Watch, this is how you defeat Satan and the world in the flesh, Christ in you. That's how you can answer the devil's temptations placed by his proxies, the world and the flesh. He uses the world and the flesh to set a trap and the desire from without and the desire from within. You say, Lord, I wasn't planning on this, this impatient situation, but I rest in your patience that dwells within me through the indwelling Christ. And I wasn't planning on this lustful circumstance, but Lord, I can be victorious over it, and I claim that victory because of the pure Christ that lives within me. And Lord, I wasn't planning on this covetous moment, but Lord, I can overcome Christ because in Christ I'm completely satisfied. And so Lord, Christ in me, I'm trusting in that. Now watch here. Watch. We're in Christ in Ephesians 1 where Christ is in us in Colossians 1. How is that even possible? You know there are a lot of mysteries in the Bible, aren't there? Things that are hard to be understood but we claim them by faith. How is it that Christ can be in me and I can be in Christ? How is that even possible? By the way, some people would criticize the idea of asking Jesus in your heart. Well, I don't. They would say it's unbiblical. I don't. I'd say Colossians 1.27 is about as biblical as it gets. I'm going to go with the Bible on this one. Yes, where is he living if he's not living in your heart? Of course you ask him into your heart. Don't try to confuse a matter that's settled. Of course you ask him into your heart. It's Christ in you. that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. That's what the Bible says. But how is that even possible? Well someone says it's kind of like a blacksmith, he puts the iron in the fire. Just this last weekend we had a big bonfire at our house and we're burning some of the trash from the holidays and the week before. And so we had a big bonfire and my son Andrew got the bright idea. He's going to build a knife. He's going to make a knife. So he takes a spike and he puts it in the fire down deep in the fire and he gets it all molten hot and he comes and makes all kinds of racket starts pounding down on the workbench out in the sunroom and he takes and sticks it back in the fire and it gets all glowing hot and he's pounding it back and then he sticks it in the fire. All right. When he sticks that iron in the fire watch not only is the iron in the fire but after a while the fire is in the iron. Maybe that's a good illustration. Maybe there's even a better illustration. Look at John chapter 10. Would you turn back to John chapter 10 quickly? I want us to see this all throughout the scripture. John chapter 10. To your left you'll find the book of John. John chapter 10. Notice what the Bible says in John chapter 10. In verse number 27, he says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave to me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Now watch. If I were to take the pen capsule out of this pen that I have in my hand, it would be an empty pen. It would be a meaningless pen. It would have no purpose. It would have no sense. And you know that's what it was before I was saved. I had no purpose. I had no meaning. Life didn't make sense. I would maybe push the down button and there'd be no movement. There'd be no action. This pen without the capsule is meaningless. And your life without Jesus is meaningless. It's not ever going to make sense until He comes to live within you. That's Christ in you. But then the Bible says in verse number 28, I give unto them eternal life. We know that this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. So when Jesus Christ came to live within me, I received Him and all of His life. Life eternal, life abundant, life to live in victory, not in defeat. Notice verse number 28. He said, Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Now not only do I have Jesus in me, and all of a sudden life makes sense. Now I can write with this pen. Now I can make meaningful purpose with this pen. But watch now, watch now. Not only is Christ in me, but I'm in Christ. and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. That means I'm in the grip of God. That means I'm in the grip of greatness, in the grip of goodness. I'm in the grip of God's gentleness. I'm in the grip of God, and nothing's gonna get me out of God's hand, and nothing is gonna get Jesus out of me, nothing. I have four-fold security from verses 27 down to verse number 30. I have four-fold security. I'm in the grip of God. I'm in the grip of God's gentleness. And now listen closely. That's the position of him. Christ is in me. And I'm in him. Wow. So preacher, this is getting better all the time. I have the possession of spiritual blessings in heavenly places and purpose and acceptance. I have forgiveness and redemption. I have a future. I have I have an inheritance and I have God himself. Yes. And I have Christ in me and I'm You don't have to worry if you're saved. If you've trusted Christ, you don't have to worry or put your head on your pillow and wonder, am I gonna go to heaven? Am I not going to heaven? That was settled the moment you got saved and it was settled in time long before that. The moment you got saved, Jesus came to live within as a permanent resident via the Holy Spirit and you came to live within Him as a permanent resident, never to be ousted. Wow. But now wait, wait, wait. I want us to move finally to our final point, the power of in. How does this apply to me? What difference does it make? Well, you might be surprised. Your Bibles are open to John 10, turn to John 15. Just a few chapters to your right. John chapter 15, I want you to see it. He says, I am the true vine. And my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, there's that little prepositional phrase again, that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you're clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me. And I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me, ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned if ye abide in me. and my words abide in you. Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. You said, preacher, what difference does it make whether I am in Christ or not? Well, it makes a difference as far as eternity goes, because if you're in Christ, you go to heaven, and if you're not in Christ on judgment day, you go to hell. And the only way you can get in Christ is through the cross, and believing that Jesus died and rose again, and accepting his gift of eternal life as your only hope for salvation. But watch. It makes a difference right now. You see, Jesus didn't just die and rise again to give me eternal life. He died and rose again to give me abundant life. That means He wants to give me a life full, a life filled with victory, a life filled with joy, a life filled with peace, a life filled with meaning, and a life filled with fruit. So watch. First of all, there's the power of in when you are in Christ, and then you not only realize what you are and where you are and what you have, but you abide in Him. That means you're leaning on Him hard. and He's dwelling and abiding in you. You know what happens? There's power to reproduce. A healthy body reproduces. A Christian that's not reproducing is not healthy. Period. There's power to reproduce. Power to reproduce. Everything that God made that's alive, He made to reproduce. The birds after their kind, the trees after their kind, the fish and the animals after their kind, and Christians after their kind. He made us to reproduce. That means He made us to win souls. And when you trust in Christ as your Savior, and you are abiding in him, guess what there is? Fruit. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. You can't claim to be a disciple of Christ if you're not bearing fruit. I want to ask, are you bearing the fruit of righteousness? Are you bearing the fruit of the Spirit? Are you bearing the fruit of souls? You say, how long have you been saved? Well, I've been saved 10 years. Wonderful. When was the last time you won someone to Christ? When was the last time you won someone to Christ? You gave them the gospel and won them to Christ. Well, you say, I don't know how to talk. Talk, talk, talk. That's irrelevant. He said, Richard, I've never been through a 72-step course on how to do it. Well, I would encourage you to read a book or go through a class. Certainly that's helpful. But that's not what brings souls to Jesus. What brings souls to Jesus is when God's people come to the Holy Spirit and say, Holy Spirit, I'm fruitless. I mean, wouldn't it bother a lady if she couldn't bear children? And she's barren. I'm fruitless. I wanna bear fruit. I wanna bear souls for you. Well, how do you do that? When you abide in Christ. You're already in Him. He's already in you. Now you just need to lean on Him and rest in Him and abide in Him and make sure your heart's clean and pure according to verse 3. Alright, look at 2 Corinthians 5 quickly. This is all throughout. I'm barely touching on it tonight. Look at 2 Corinthians 5 quickly. We touched on this the other night, but we only hit one verse. Look at 2 Corinthians 5 and verse number 17. It says, Therefore, if any man be in Christ... Oh, in Christ. There's that phrase again. It just keeps popping up everywhere we look tonight. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation to wit. The idea is to think, to ponder, to consider, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we're ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ and Be a reconciled to God, for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. What's he saying? He's saying if you recognize and rest in this power of in, the indwelling Christ, the indwelling Holy Ghost, and you are in Christ, watch, there's power to reconcile. In other words, you can reconcile men to God. You can point them to Jesus. You can point them to the cross. You can plead with them to come to the Lord. You can do so with pathos, and you can do so with compassion, and you can do so with empathy, and you can do so with power. Power to reconcile. I've been saved for 46 years now, and I don't understand. I don't understand. I've been preaching now for 30, almost 29 years in evangelism, and for over 30 years preaching. I don't understand, I don't understand how in a Baptist church like this one, on an appointed night, Tuesday night, Thursday night, Saturday morning, Sunday afternoon, whatever time is set to go out and win souls, two people show up. The pastor and the deacon. In a church like this. Okay, say five people show up. I was just recently with a friend of mine and he said 90 people were showing up to go soul hunting. I said, are you kidding me? That's beautiful, that's wonderful, that's way above the average. Well, why is that? Why is it that people can go week after week and month after month and year after year and never bring a soul to Jesus? Never. Is that normal? That's not normal. That's abnormal. Vance Havner said, we're so abnormal that if we ever saw it was normal, we think it was subnormal. We're so far off of the charts. Why? Because I don't think we realize the power that's within us. to reproduce and to reconcile. No, we ought to be reproducing souls, we ought to be reproducing righteousness, we ought to be bearing the fruit of the Spirit, but we ought to be reconciling men to God. Do you know, if every Christian, every born-again Christian in this world brought 29 people to Jesus, the whole world would be one. Well, how about if we just work on one? Our impotence, our barrenness, our powerlessness ought to bother us! It ought to burden us! But watch, the solution is not that complicated. I come to Jesus, I get right with God, I confess all my sin that I know of. And then Lord, if there's anything else, show it to me. I let him cleanse me through his blood and through his word. And then I say, Holy Spirit, you've given me power. Little children can bring folks to Jesus. Teenagers can bring folks to Jesus. Men can bring folks to Jesus. Women can bring folks to Jesus. People that have been saved for five minutes can bring folks to Jesus. People that have been saved for five years or five decades can bring folks to Jesus. But we better start at it quick because when we're dead, we can't bring folks to Jesus anymore. And watch, there's power to do it. The power to reconcile. Take your Bible and turn to Galatians 2. Look at it. I'm telling you, it's all through the New Testament. Galatians 2 in verse 20. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now liveth in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Watch, there's power to revive. Christ in me, the life which I now, not I, but Christ liveth in me. That means he can live and I can have and experience revival on a regular basis. I can live the sanctified, sold out Christian life on a regular basis. It doesn't have to be high highs and low lows. and I'm walking with God for a month and then you can't find me for three months. No, no, I can be climbing, climbing, climbing. I'm pressing on the upward way. New heights I'm gaining every day. I can be walking and marching forward for the Lord. With his power, there's power to revive, power to reconcile, power to reproduce. Look what the Bible says in the book of Colossians chapter one, Ephesians chapter six. I'm telling you it's all throughout. Look at Ephesians six. Ephesians 6 look what the Bible says in verse number 10 finally my brethren be strong in the Lord There's that phrase again and in the power of his might put on the whole armor of God that she may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places This is power to resist Power to resist! Why is it that a man who's saved struggles with pornography? Because he either doesn't understand the power of in, he doesn't understand his possession in Christ, he doesn't understand his position in Christ, he doesn't understand the power in Christ, or he's not applying it. How is it that a lady can struggle with some addiction and some depression on a regular basis and she doesn't know where it comes from and she doesn't know how to, how is it? Because she doesn't understand the power that God's given her. Be strong in the Lord, not in your own strength, not in your own power, not in your own might, not in your own wisdom, but in the Lord. There's power to resist. And 1 John 4, 4 highlights this. It says, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Look what the Bible says in Colossians. Look at it, Colossians chapter one. I'm telling you, it's all throughout. Look at what it says in Philippians 4 in verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. You know how you can live a victorious, joyful life? Rejoice in the Lord. through the power of in. There's power to rejoice. You think about what you have in Jesus and where you are in Jesus and the power that's within you, the living Christ is within you via the person of the Holy Spirit. You can rejoice and you can rejoice all day long and you can be happy in Jesus and you don't have to make Half that pastor have to come knock on your door and 50 church members come knock on your door and come give you some plate of cookies and some glass of sweet tea or jug of sweet tea or come give you all kinds of incentives to really be happy and joyful and get out of the slew of despondency. No, you can rejoice in the Lord when you think about who He is and the fact that He's in you and you're in Him. Why, He has power to rejoice. Look at Colossians 1. It's so beautiful. Colossians 2. Look at Colossians 2. Look what the Bible says in Colossians 2 in verse 10. It says, He and ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. In other words, there's power to rest. Look at it. You're complete in Him. I know a lot of people that are saved and they're filled with worry and anxiety and fear. You know why? Because they don't realize what they have in Jesus. They don't realize where they are in Jesus and that Jesus is in them. And they're not resting in Him. Rest in Him. When you fall into the arms of omnipotence, what greater place of safety? Vance Hafner said it like this, we're shipwrecked on God and stranded on omnipotence. And you know God sometimes puts us there. I'm simply saying to you, there's power to rest. Do your children watch you? Do they see somebody that's free of fear? Or bound by fear? Free of worry? Free of anxiety? Or just one? awful, horrible, calamity after another and your face is all furrowed. You've got to stop that. I'm telling you, no Botox or makeup is going to fix that to a certain point. You've got to stop that. If you keep worrying and worrying, your face and forehead all furrowed and your brow, it's going to freeze like that one day. Stop it. You need to rest in Him. You see, there's such power. Power in Jesus. Power in the indwelling Savior. You know, the flight from Atlanta, Georgia to St. Kitts was only, it was really only about four and a half hours. And I told you, I sat on the plane and I was wiping sweat from my brow because I was so glad that we made it, that we made it. But you know what was even better? When those tires screeched on that runway and we were in St. Kitts. I want to say something to you. According to Ephesians chapter 2, You're already in the heavenlies. You're already in the glory. It's just a little short journey between here and there. Why make that journey all burdened down with defeat and worry and fear and anxiety and barrenness and fruitlessness when we have the power of Jesus Christ in us. and we have been supernaturally placed in Him. Would you bow with me in prayer? Oh, I'm so burdened tonight to help my brothers and sisters, believers. I don't want you to leave burdened if you came burdened. I don't want you to leave and defeat if you came defeated. I don't want you to leave bound by anxiety and fear and worry and all kinds of trouble and depression. You can leave in victory tonight. If you'll come to the cross and say, Jesus, I didn't know it. If I did, I forgot it. All that I have in you and where I am in you, I'm in the safest place in the universe. Nothing can touch me that God doesn't allow. And Lord, forgive me for being a Christian and a poor testimony of it. Worried, barren, powerless, defeated. Help me to claim the power of the end tonight. I wonder if there are some Christians here that would say, Brother Dwight, I know that I'm saved, I know that I'm going to heaven, but I've been living like that, in defeat, in barrenness, in powerlessness, and tonight I'm claiming the power of the indwelling Christ, that He's in me and I'm in Him, to begin to live in victory. If that's you, would you slip up your hand right now, slip it up high. God bless you. Is there another? Slip up your hands. A preacher, I know that I'm saved, but I've been living in some way or another, outside of my inheritance in a cardboard box under a bridge with a framed document that gives me all that I have in Jesus hung up on the wall but not applied to my life I'm moving from defeat to victory tonight anybody else slip up your hand put it right back down anyone else question number two I wanna ask how many of you would say brother Dwight would you pray for me I have not won someone to Jesus in months and maybe years and I don't want to go to heaven in this condition. Would you pray that God would use me to genuinely lead someone in my community, in my sphere of influence to Jesus Christ this year? If that's you, would you slip up your hand right now? God bless you. Good. Who else along with these? Preacher, I have not led someone to Jesus in months and maybe years and I don't want to go to heaven barren with no crowns to place at Jesus' feet. Would you pray for me? I want to lead someone to Jesus this year. Pray that God would help me to do that. Anyone else along with these? God bless you. Good. Thank God for this. Good. Anyone else? Two more questions. How many of you without doubt can say, Preacher, I know I'm saved. I'm not thinking or trying or working on getting to heaven. I know I'm going because Jesus did the work and I'm trusting in His work alone. If you don't know that, don't raise your hand. But if you do, would you slip your hand up high. Preacher, I know that I'm saved. I've been born again and I'm trusting only in Christ. Thank you. Now put your hands down. I wonder if there's someone here tonight that said, Preacher, I don't know that. I've not settled that, but I need to and I want to. Would you pray for me? I don't want to leave tonight uncertain. I want to get it settled and settled tonight. Anyone at all, slip up your hand, put it right back down. Preacher, pray for me. Pray that I get it settled tonight. I need to be saved and I don't want to leave lost. Would you pray for me? Let's stand with our heads bowed and our eyes closed. Father, work in our invitation. Help us not to wait for the second or the third verse, but help us humbly and immediately and tenderly to respond to you. Lord, I believe there are lost folks here tonight that have never been saved. I pray that tonight they'd come and be born again. And I pray for those that said they'd been barren and fruitless for months, maybe years. Help them to come and lay this burden before you. And Lord, use my brothers and sisters to win someone to Jesus this year and to go after it and to be bold in their witness and to be persistent and unrelenting. And Lord, I pray that you'd help them to endure with faithful, faithful hearts. Well, thank you in Jesus' name. Heads are bowed. Eyes are closed. The altar is open. The pianist is playing. Would you come? Would you come right now? Several of you raised your hand and said, Preacher, I want to move from barrenness to fruitfulness. Would you pray for me? I did my part. You do your part. Come right now, would you? Come from wherever you're at, all over the building. Come on. This church will have nothing hindering it when each member of it realizes and appropriates the power of in. That Christ is in me and that I'm in him. If you're here tonight and you're not saved, you don't know that you're in Christ. You come. I'll meet you and help you to Jesus. There are others here that can meet you and help you to Jesus. Please don't leave uncertain. Please don't leave lost. You can be saved tonight. You can be saved forever. You don't need to have another day of wonder or worry. You can have it settled tonight. I'd like us to sing one verse. The pastor can decide if we'll sing more, but at least one verse. You need to come. You come right now as we sing, just as I am without one plea. Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come. Amen. Thank you.