Teaching Text

Matthew 18:21-35

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

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, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Sermon Recap

This Sunday, Pastor Sam Gibson concluded our FREED series with a teaching on freedom from spiritual oppression.

He began by naming two common errors. Some become fascinated with the demonic. Others dismiss the spiritual realm altogether. Drawing from C.S. Lewis, Pastor Sam noted that both miss the mark.

Teaching from Colossians 1 and 2, he argued that how we understand spiritual warfare depends on how we understand the Gospel. The Gospel is not only the message that our sins can be forgiven. It is also the announcement that Jesus is King. The powers of darkness have been defeated, His kingdom has arrived, and believers now live under His authority.

From there, Pastor Sam offered practical guidance for moments when we find ourselves under spiritual attack, along with a set of practices that help us remain rooted in Christ over the long haul: seek, submit, stand, and sing.

He spent the longest on that final posture. Singing, in Scripture, is rarely about circumstances. It is about allegiance. Throughout history, God's people have sung in prisons, in exile, and in the face of suffering. Not because life was easy, but because they belonged to a different Kingdom.

One of the enemy's great aims, Pastor Sam suggested, is to steal that song—our wonder, our confidence, our worship. The invitation of the Christian life is not to become preoccupied with darkness, but to remain attentive to Jesus. As Pastor Sam put it, your life is not one of oppression. It is a procession. We are following a victorious King.