PLT

February 9, 2008

The Cross, the Power and the Wisdom of God

PART ONE (February 9, 2008)
Introduction:
These scriptures speak about impartation. God’s work is not done yet, so it must be passed down to
the next generation  leadership training to impart vision and gifts
• Exodus 33:9-11 (story of Moses and Joshua: He stayed in the presence of God (temple)
knowing that Moses prepared for ministry through God’s presence).
• Jesus also trained His disciples by living with them, showing them how He did ministry.
• Deuteronomy 34:9 (Joshua filled with the spirit by Moses laying hands on him).
• We want impartation because nothing can be done without the Holy Spirit.

Key Text:
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing
over them by the cross (Col. 2:15)”

Objectives:
1. The students will understand that our struggle is against the demonic powers in the heavenly
realm.
2. The students will have a deeper understanding about the power of the Cross.
3. The students will understand the importance of living a lifestyle of the Cross (a lifestyle
of self-denial).

Body:
I. Our struggle is against principalities and powers (Eph. 6:12).

1. Who are they?

1) They also were created for God’s eternal purpose (Col. 1:16).
2) But they rebelled against God, together with Satan, lost their position in heaven and
were hurled to the earth (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezk. 28:13-17; Rev. 12:7-9).
a. Satan was originally created to be the “guardian of cherubs” and was blameless
until he was found to be wicked against God.
b. In God’s judgment, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire.
c. In God’s wisdom, He is allowing Satan to rule now so that we could be
prepared to rule in eternity.
d. God is not struggling with the devil but we are struggling with the devil because of

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lack of faith  prepare us!

3) Presently, they rule over nations (Dan. 10:12-14, 20-21).
2. Man is God’s agent sent by God to conquer and rule the world. As long as demonic forces keep
mankind under their control, their kingdom is safe.
3. The issue is who rules over creation.
4. If the church does not understand this issue clearly, we can not fulfill God’s purpose for
mankind as conquerors and rulers.
a. If the church does not understand, it turns into religion (benefits to man).
b. The church must realize what is happening in the spiritual realm, who is in control
of this world and the purpose God has for mankind.

II. When did the struggle start and what happened in the beginning?

1. God’s eternal purpose for man (who was created according to God’s own image) is to
rule and subdue the world (Gen. 1:26-28).
2. Due to man’s disobedience, the world was given to the devil who is presently the god of this age
(Lk. 4:5-6).
a. What was Jesus lead by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted?
b. If we understand the power of the Cross, we can realize that Jesus is fully
yielding himself to God during temptation  devil’s power is broken!
c. Devil’s temptations: bread (worrying about the securities of life), glory,
riches, and power, and wrong religion (Psalm 90: throw yourself off and God
will rescue)  people today use Jesus as a servant to fulfill their needs
d. Devil’s temptation is completely broken through Jesus’ obedience
e. If you cannot keep faith, how can you keep your faith in the future? Need to
overcome the worries/temptations of today
3. The god of this age rules the entire world through the worldly system (Eph. 2:1-2).
a. To distinguish between true believers and the people of the world, look at
their lifestyles (following ways of world?)
b. way of world = worldly system (example: students in Korea)
c. Daniel 12:1-4 = the world will grow busier and busier as the end comes
** Purpose of worldly system: imprison you and prevent you from thinking
about eternity and God (your mentality is fixed on things of earth, now!)
Like days of Noah  Peter’s dream this week (great wave pause at highest
crest = judgment of God is coming but His mercy is pausing, Peter go around
and telling of judgment but nobody believe)

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4. The purpose of the worldly system is to keep mankind from finding the true God and the
eternal purpose of their lives so that they will be under the control of the evil one who is the
father of all lies.

PART TWO (February 16, 2008)

Introduction:
• John 14:12 – “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.
He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
 When we have the same passion of Jesus (to save and bring the KOG) than His
power is imparted to those who desire to do His work (all received by faith)
*** Through IMPARTATION (power of God upon us) we can do all things,
received by grace of God and faith in Him.
• Mark 3:13-15 – “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and
they came to him. He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with
him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”
 Those that God has called to be His disciples, those are the ones that are chosen.
Even then, it is up to them to choose
*** Apostle: those who are sent  you are chosen to be sent out into the
world. But first spend time so that IMPARTATION might happen, then sent
out to have the authority to drive out demons and preach.

** Recap of PART ONE…now, how can we defeat/enforce this defeated enemy/victory?

Body:
III. God’s redemptive work through Jesus and His crucifixion

1. Through the cross, Jesus not only redeemed us from the guilt of sins but He also disarmed
principalities and powers, so Satan and his armies lost their power through the Cross and the
redeemed ones are free from evil control.
o In Daniel 12, we saw that behind the Persian king, the spirit is working behind him 
really fighting against a spiritual being.
o By Jesus dying on the cross, not only does He cleanse us from our sins, He also
disarmed all of the spiritual beings in work/power throughout the world.
o Jesus showed the whole world that He destroyed the principalities and powers!
o Therefore, we have the power to trample upon Satan and his powers because they are
already disarmed! We are seated upon the right hand of God  that is our authority!

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o By believing in this, we can overcome demonic power. Jesus defeated the enemy, so
we can trample upon demonic power…we have the higher authority!
o Matthew 12  Jesus’ enemies’ charge Him of driving out demons with Satan’s power
 Matthew 12:25-29 “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom
divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself
will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can
his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people
drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit
of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone
enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up
the strong man? Then he can rob his house.”
• Verse 29 is the key: Jesus (stronger man) defeat Satan (strong man)
• Satan’s power is already disarmed…YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE
STRONG MAN!
o Story of Peter’s Mom!
o By knowing who we are  we can exercise that power!
2. The main focus of God’s redemption is not about the benefit for mankind but on God’s glory of
fulfilling His eternal purpose through man (God rules the world through man).
3. Again, the issue is who rules over creation.
1) The devil rules with lust, violence, corruption, fear, self-love, self-interest, pride, and all
kinds of evil, bringing glory to himself, resulting in conflict, destruction, and death
to creation.
2) Jesus rules with love, mercy, justice, self-denial, humility, and goodness, bringing
glory to the Father, resulting in peace, joy, and life to creation.

IV. The Cross is not only the power of God but also the wisdom of God.

1. The wisdom of God was hidden to the rulers of this age (1Cor. 2:6-8).
o We think that the Roman rulers and the Jewish people crucified Jesus, but there was a
demonic spirit working behind them.
*** So then what is the wisdom of God/power of the cross?
2. God’s wisdom is to destroy the devil’s work through what seems weak and foolish in the
eyes of the world.
1) Jesus, the Son of God, came to the world as a human baby, and the devil in his arrogant mind,
was so confused and frustrated because he was not able to understanding God’s wisdom.
2) The devil tried to kill the Son of God because his kingdom was shaken by His ministry.

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3) When the devil and the principalities/powers, who were the real rulers of this age, worked
behind the Roman government and the Jewish religious system to crucify Jesus, they thought
that they had finally defeated the Son of God.
4) Even on the cross, Jesus asked for the forgiveness of the people! Again, Satan was
dumbfounded  broke Satan’s power. However, the reality was that they were defeated by
the Cross, the wisdom of God.

V. What actually happened on the Cross?

1. Jesus’ death was the eternal atonement (sacrifice) for all men through which the sins of all men
can be forgiven.
2. By rising from the dead, Jesus totally defeated the devil who holds power over death (Heb. 2:14-
15).
o Hebrew 2:14-15 – “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—
that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear
of death.”
 This works because Jesus could not die (Jesus cannot die because there
is no sin in Him…according to God’s principle, Jesus should not be able to
die  but He died for us…therefore His death could be an atonement for
others [Satan did not realize that])
 Now, we have power over the devil (we died with Jesus and we are
raised with Jesus  we have Jesus’ power in overcoming
death/devil)
3. Moreover, Father God exalted Jesus because He denied Himself but obeyed His Father’s will to
the point of death. He is at the right hand of God, having the name above all names with all
creation under His feet, making Jesus the Lord of all things.
4. The devil never understood the wisdom of God, that God’s power would be fully manifested
through one’s death and self-denial in fulfilling God’s eternal purpose.
5. The life style of the Cross is the only way to overcome the power of the devil.
o Through a life of self-denial (life of cross  life of self-denial) God’s power can be
manifested in us thoroughly to the point of death (like Jesus)
o If we seek only our own interest, putting aside God’s will, the devil still has power over
us! Even though we believe Jesus died for us, as long as we are still seeking our own
selfish interests  we are again slave to the enemy
o ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF ENEMY IS TO WALK WITH JESUS

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(deny self, take up cross daily, walk with Jesus)

o When we follow Jesus Christ DAILY and every time bring that truth into our lives, then
we have power of the devil (devil tries to catch us through the concerns/desires of
world)
6. By understanding the wisdom of God, we have greater insight about what the Lord and Paul said
(Mk.8:34-35; 1Cor. 2:2).
o Mark 8:34-35 – “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If
anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow
me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and
for the gospel will save it.”
 Unless you walk with Jesus you cannot enter the Kingdom of God
 But when you repent of your sin, give life to Jesus, baptize us into His life
 From Him, we can practice self-denial  walk with Jesus Christ
 This must happen every day in faith! Only by His power can I do what God
says.
 By faith must die with Jesus every single day!
 Every day pray, “God I want to know the power of the cross, the wisdom of
God on the cross.” The more I realize this, the more I grow in Him.
 The problem is that we do not trust in God!! Illustration of Sarah going
to bank and not finding money.  Must speak to Father God and ask Him
why His promises are not happening in life…keep trusting Him.
7. By understanding the wisdom of God, Paul joyfully embraced persecution and suffering
(2Cor. 12:9-10).

Conclusion and application:

1. The lifestyle of the Cross is what we must pursue as leaders.
2. We must welcome all of the situations that God has allowed into our lives as a way to mold and
make us into the image of Jesus Christ.
3. As the generation of Elijah, we must adopt the life style of prayer and fasting as a means of
denying ourselves, trusting God alone which will also keep us from the control of the worldly
system.
4. Freedom from the control of the worldly system is freedom from the fear of our security
(finances, acceptance, recognition, worldly success, and even our own lives).
5. Without death, we will not experience the resurrection power of Jesus. Therefore, we will not be
able to overcome the rulers of this age and will not be able to fulfill our eternal purpose, which is to
save souls from all nations.

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