Elements for Life in Christ
Notes
Transcript
Good Morning
Good Morning
Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.
If you are new with us this morning would you please take the time fill out that little flap on the side of your bulletin. If you put it in the black boxes by the back door we will make a donation in your name to a local charity and send you cookies. Church can we show our guests some love this morning.
Steak Team
Steak Team
Baptisms at 2 PM
Baptisms at 2 PM
Traveling through Colossians
Traveling through Colossians
This is our fourth week in this journey through Colossians.
There are two things that the Roman Empire did that made it easy for the Gospel message to spread.
The created a complex road system that connected civilizations like never before.
They connected civilizations like never before.
This system allowed for rapid growth of the first century church, however it also meant that you had a mix of belief systems and this often times lead to false teachings and heresies to enter these young churches.
One of these false belief systems which was taking root in the Church of Colosse was Gnosticism.
Gnosticism emphasized the mind and taught that salvation could be obtained through knowledge (gnosis) instead of faith.
This “knowledge” could only be acquired by those who had been initiated into the mysteries of the Gnostic system, not by study or the normal process of learning.
This appealed to human pride (who wouldn’t want to be on the “inside,” the recipient and owner of secrets and mysteries?), Gnosticism distorted Christian theology and twisted biblical truths in order to support its concepts. Perhaps the most foundational of these false teachings was that matter is inherently evil and only the spiritual or nonmaterial is good.
This led to denying the doctrines of Creation and the Incarnation (“How could God take on an ‘evil’ body?”), elevating the role of angels, and reducing Christianity to just one of many religions (Gnostism sought to combine the “best” of all religions).
A kind of proto-Gnosticism was gaining popularity in Colosse; it was a combination of Gnostic concepts and Judaism. Full-fledged Gnosticism did not appear until the second century.
Paul is writing this letter to refute the error and to get the believers back on track.
To do so, Paul highlighted the preeminence of Christ and the importance of godly living.
This week we are going to be taking on a new section of this letter. A letter that is still speaking to us today. The reason it is still speaking is because we believe God breathed life into it.
Turn with me to Colossians 2:6-15
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
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.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
As we dive into this section Paul uses the words Received Christ Jesus the Lord.
What Paul is saying is that they did not receive a message, they did not receive a doctrine, they recieved a Person.
You Received Christ
You Received Christ
This is not simply about saying a simple prayer and receiving Jesus into your heart.
This is so much more. Most likely Paul is using the idea taken from Judaism that describes the imparting, safeguarding the traditions and teachings from one generation to the next.
What he is saying is Hey Guys , your now part of this family act like it, respect it, live in the newness of Christ.
He then tells them
7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Walk
Walk
Take Root
Take Root
Be transplanted into His Soil.
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Built Up In Him
Built Up In Him
We should be growing.
Strengthened in Faith
Strengthened in Faith
You see I start out transplanted into Him, then I let my roots go deep into The Soil that comes from relationship of this new living environment, then I begin to grow or be built up in Him, While drawing my nutrients and be strengthened by Him.
Paul is taking these believers from the idea of I need something else to you just need Jesus.Just live like you have been taught Walk, Root, Build, and be Strengthened. The results will be an overflowing heart of Thankfulness.
An Overflow of Thankfulness
An Overflow of Thankfulness
The first act of the Christian life is to receive Christ, and every moment afterward we must continue receiving him. The act must become an attitude. Breathe in the love and power of Jesus. Take deep breaths. Then we shall be rooted in him in secret, and built up in him in our outward walk and behavior. If we have Christ, we have all God’s fullness …. What need have we for celestial beings, like those invented by the Gnostics, or for the rite of circumcision, as insisted on by the Jews? We have everything in Jesus. F. B. Meyer
So Paul has now outlined how to cultivate the Heart next he is going to share how to protect it.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Philosophy and Empty Deceit
Philosophy and Empty Deceit
You know what leads to a weak root system in a tree? A shallow water source.
Philosophy, empty deceit are sources of shallow water.
Big Trees Fall Easy when the Roots Don’t go Very Deep.
Big Trees Fall Easy when the Roots Don’t go Very Deep.
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.
Jesus is............
Jesus is............
Fully God
Fully God
Head of All Both Rule and Authority
Head of All Both Rule and Authority
Mormonism
Progressivism
Jehovah Witnesses
Now Paul addresses the Jewish Believers Who are trying to enforce Jewish Customs
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.
This is why Baptism is so important. You need to be baptised.
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.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
True Life in Christ Comes Out of Cutting Off the Flesh!
True Life in Christ Comes Out of Cutting Off the Flesh!
In the Cutting you become more alive.
Your Sin has already been nailed to the Cross.
We need to quit worrying about the rulers and authorities and realize that God has triumphed over them.
As We Close. Here is this week homework.
Go back and Reread Colossians 2:6-15
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you:
What am I Rooted in that is not of God?
What am I Rooted in that is not of God?
How have I been taken Captive by the World?
How have I been taken Captive by the World?
What Areas of My Fresh need more Trimming?
What Areas of My Fresh need more Trimming?
Please Stand with Me.
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