DON’T GIVE THE ENEMY A SEAT AT YOUR TABLE: VICTORY

We cannot help but be horrified by the war that is happening in Ukraine. We continue to lift them up in prayer. We also pray that Russia will find a way to end the destruction and violence. This should be a stark example of how easy it is for Satan to get a seat at the table! If he can put nations into conflict and put thousands of lives at risk, then what chance do we have to withstand his onslaught? In our study, Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table, we begin to recognize that the Devil enjoys despair, destruction, and death, but we also realize that God’s power in us is greater than the power at work in the world! This week is the turning point in our study because the sermon is Victory. All of us admire the bravery and tenacity of the Ukrainian people, regardless of the outcome, they have stood their ground with great courage! In the Christian life, what is the source of our courage, hope, and our ultimate victory? We turn to 1 Corinthians 15:53-58. The Corinthians thought they already had won the victory and the battle was over. This shows how the evil one can deceive us as believers. Instead of having the victory through the power of God, they were allowing the power of sin to rule in their bodies and minds! Paul reminds them that the battle is far from over but the victory has been won through the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The resurrection’s power is the beachhead of hope for all of our lives, because the power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us! These words also help us to fight the good fight with God’s power and assurance of complete victory because we share with the Good Shepherd at his table. We pray that you will sense the power of redemption, the power of hope, and the power of our living God as you read I Corinthians 15:53-58: For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  (NIV)