Pastor Mitch- Alive By the Cross to the Glory of God; Colossians 2:13-15

Introduction

My wife says that I am terrible “movie-picker-outer”. It’s not that the movies that I choose are full of violence or nudity or anything of that sort, it is just that some of my favorites movies tend to lack a few key elements; such as plot, direction, good actors, and so on and so forth. So I was greatly dismayed this week as I did some research on one of the films that I loved as a child.

 

In 1981 there was a remake of the 1952 classic The Legend of The Lone Ranger. This movie held a great place in my heart. I was 9 years old when I saw it for the first time and one particular scene stuck fast in my mind. But since it had been so long since I saw the film, I decided to go on line to get my facts straight. What I discovered was less than encouraging.

 

In 1981, the year in which The Legend of The Lone Ranger was released, the movie received two awards. First, it received Worst Actor, for the man who played The Lone Ranger and secondly, it received Worst Film of The Year. This is not the movie I remembered as a nine year old. To me the film was magnificent, one scene in particular.

 

At one point in the movie Tonto has been captured by the “bad guys” (on false charges I’m sure) and is slated to be hung on the gallows at noon. The day of his trial comes and his best friend, his sidekick, Kemosabe – is no where to be found. Tonto is taken in hand-cuffs to the gallows- still no Lone Ranger. The noose is put around his neck – still no Lone Ranger. And right before the lever is pulled to drop the floor out from under him one gunshot rings out loud as a cannon blast – the silver bullet snaps the rope above Tonto’s head- The William Tell Overture starts -The Lone Ranger and Silver come flying into town as fast as lightening – Tonto leaps from the gallows onto the back of Silver and the two heroes go blazing into the distance! And all the bad guys are standing there, jaws dropped open – saying “Who was that masked man?”

 

And this is exactly the picture the Apostle Paul paints for us in the book of Colossians. As he writes to the church at Colossae he explains that all of mankind is in the same hopeless situation, with death imminent, as they had been for thousands of years. Until one weekend in A.D 30, when the Son of God who has come from heaven dies on a cross one Friday afternoon and then early that Sunday morning – POW!- all of heaven and earth shake as sin and death are ripped from the clutches of a defeated and humiliated devil.

 

GOD: BRINGING LIFE OUT OF DEATH (13)

 

I)       Our Condition Apart From God: Dead

a)      “And you were dead“, tied back to verse 12; the spiritual described as physical

b)      “dead in your transgressions“

i)     Sin: actions, your choices

c)      “dead in the uncircumcision of your flesh“

i)     Sin: nature; bondage to it

ii)   “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34)

(1)   Application: How we view people who are apart from Christ

(a)    They are not just disinterested, or unaware- but spiritually dead

 

II)    Our Condition In Christ: Alive

a)      “He [God] made you alive” [now, spiritually]

b)      “made you alive together with Him [Christ]” [looks to the future, physically]

Ephesians 2:1-5

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ

 

·         Notice the importance of “together“: [attachment, dwelling - bus]

o       LORD’S SUPPER

·         (Colossians 3:3) “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

 

SIN AND SATAN: OUR TWO GREAT ENEMIES (13d-14)

 I)       Sin: Our Record Wiped Clean

a)      “having forgiven us all our transgressions” and “having cancelled out the certificate of debt“

i)     And noticed that our sins/ transgressions are described in these two ways:

(1)   “forgiven us“

(2)   “canceled out” or (KJV) “blotted out”, erased, removed

ii)   It is very important to recognize the word “all“

(1)   Application: The devil reminds you of certain sins; unwarranted guilt

 

·         Important: Our sins have not been simply swept under the rug, God would not be just if that was the case.

·         Notice the legal terms that are used.

b)      Transgressions are described as: “the certificate of debt”

i)     [record, or (KJV)"handwriting of ordinances"]

(a)    The picture is a written record of our sins [list]

(1)   “consisting of decrees against us” [every sin is due a penalty]

(2)   “which was hostile to us“

(a)    Looming over us as we await death, we live in fear

c)   “He has taken it away, having nailed it to the cross” [there is the justice]

i)     Our forgiveness came at the expense of the cross.

ii)   Our record of debt has been washed clean with the blood of Christ

 II)    Satan: Disarmed and Humiliated 

a)      Disarmed: “when He [God] had disarmed the rulers and authorities“

i)     Who are the rulers and authorities?

(1)   Satan and his demons

(a)    John 12:31 – Jesus calls him “the ruler of this world”

(b)   2 Corinthians 4:4 – Paul refers to him as “the god of this age”

(c)    Ephesians 2:2 – Paul calls him “the prince of the power of the air”

·         Satan has power, but it is limited, for the Christian it is more limited because he has been disarmed!

 

ii)   How did God disarm them? 2 Ways

(1)   He took their power away!

Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

·         Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death“

 

(2)   He gave His people truth: God’s Word

(a)    Because Satan’s only power now is the lies he can tell.

(b)   Application: Keep God’s Word in front of you, or you will forget it

 

b)      Humiliation: “He [God] made a public display of them [rulers and authorities]“

i)     “having triumphed over them through Him [Christ]“

(1)   Qriambeusa” – thriambeusas; [Kings returning from war]

·         (Acts 1:3) He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

·         (1 Cor 15: 3-8) 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

  Conclusion

I)       For the believer, the devil has been disarmed and is left with lies as His only weapon. We need to constantly keep God’s Word before us, so that we do not fall away from the truth and believe a lie.

II)    We need to remember that those who are in Christ will enjoy Him together; that is, His church will always have the communion that it does today and one day we will share it with Christ.

III) Those apart from Christ are in the utmost of spiritual peril and our prayers for them need to be prayed with equal fervor.

Pastor Mitch- The Faithful Minister: A Call to Suffering, Colossians 1:24-29

I was raised in a Southern Baptist church about 45 minutes east of Atlanta, GA. At the age of 25 I came to faith in Jesus Christ and a year later, sensing a call into the ministry I left home to attend Florida Baptist Theological College in Graceville, FL. Upon my graduation from their my wife and I left to attend seminary at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Three years later we moved to Gainesville where I served as the Student Minister at Northwest Baptist Church. 

For the past 10 years I have felt deep within me a call to be a minister of the gospel; both through preaching and teaching. It is my greatest desire and I feel deeply that it is who I am and who I am to be.

 

But there is a strangeness to being a minister of the gospel. Because on one hand we have a picture of what The Bible portrays a minister to be and on the other hand we find ourselves in a completely different culture from biblical times.

 

Repeatedly throughout the New Testament the Christian is called to a life of suffering- a thing to which I know very little. In my own life the gospel of Jesus Christ has cost me a few things, but never to the point of physical suffering in my flesh.

 

Now there is a suffering that is not suffering for the gospel, of which we all know or will know at some point in time. But the bible paints a picture to give us a guide as to what a faithful minister should be like and how suffering can be, and may possibly be, a very real part of the minister’s life.

 3 Actions of a Faithful Minister I)       Suffers For The Expansion of Christ’s Church (24-25a)·         Connection between Christ’s suffering and ours

a)      Suffers in his own flesh

Acts 5:40-42: After Peter’s Second Arrest

and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

 

b)      Suffers on behalf of the church

i)        For any other reason would be pointless: Christ died for His church

c)      Suffers in order to extend Christ’s suffering

i)        “in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions“

ii)      Not that Christ’s left anything unfulfilled at the cross

iii)    What is lacking?

(1)   Philippians 2:25-30 : “complete what was deficient in your service to me“

(2)   John Piper: What is lacking is that the infinite value of Christ’s afflictions are not known to the world.

iv)    Story by Michael Card, “Wounded in the House of Friends,” Virtue, March/April 1991, pp-28-29, 69.

 One day Joseph, who was walking along one of these hot, dirty African roads, met someone who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with him. Then and there he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The power of the Spirit began transforming his life; he was filled with such excitement and joy that the first thing he wanted to do was return to his own village and share that same Good News with the members of his local tribe.  Joseph began going from door-to-door, telling everyone he met about the Cross [suffering!] of Jesus and the salvation it offered, expecting to see their faces light up the way his had. To his amazement the villagers not only didn’t care, they became violent. The men of the village seized him and held him to the ground while the women beat him with strands of barbed wire. He was dragged from the village and left to die alone in the bush.  Joseph somehow managed to crawl to a water hole, and there, after days of passing in and out of consciousness, found the strength to get up. He wondered about the hostile reception he had received from people he had known all his life. He decided he must have left something out or told the story of Jesus incorrectly. After rehearsing the message he had first heard, he decided to go back and share his faith once more.  Joseph limped into the circle of huts and began to proclaim Jesus. “He died for you, so that you might find forgiveness and come to know the living God” he pleaded. Again he was grabbed by the men of the village and held while the women beat him reopening wounds that had just begun to heal. Once more they dragged him unconscious from the village and left him to die.  To have survived the first beating was truly remarkable. To live through the second was a miracle. Again, days later, Joseph awoke in the wilderness, bruised, scarred—and determined to go back.  He returned to the small village and this time, they attacked him before he had a chance to open his mouth. As they flogged him for the third and probably the last time, he again spoke to them of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Before he passed out, the last thing he saw was that the women who were beating him began to weep. This time he awoke in his own bed. The ones who had so severely beaten him were now trying to save his life and nurse him back to health. The entire village had come to Christ.   II)    Preaches For The Revelation of God’s Mystery (25b-27)

a)      The stewardship of preaching (25)

 2 Timothy 2:1515 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  

b)      The Mystery (2x)

i)        Equates mystery with God’s Word [the story builds and becomes more clear: NT]

ii)      Hidden in past generations

(1)   Glimpses throughout the OT

(2)   Ezekiel 36:22-27

iii)    Manifested to the saints

iv)    Extended to the Gentiles [The Book of Acts]

v)      Mystery: Christ in you

  III) Labors For The Salvation of Every Man (28-29)

a)      Labor in proclamation

b)      Labor in admonition: gentle correction, speaking the truth in love

(1)   And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. (Romans 15:14)

c)      Labor in teaching with all wisdom

d)     Labor in God’s strength, not ours

·         Purpose: “so that we may present every man complete in Christ“

 1 Timothy 4:11-16

11 Prescribe and teach these things.12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

 Concluding Thoughts

I)       We should never be surprised when suffering comes our way because of our relationship to Jesus Christ.

II)    God is glorified in the sufferings that His saints endure for the sake of the gospel.

III) We need to pray that when our times comes to suffer for the sake of the gospel, that we will be bold and ready to make a good testimony for the cause of Jesus Christ.

 

Pastor Mitch- Reconciliation: The Pleasure of God, Colossians 1:20-23

The Bible uses 5 terms to describe our salvation. Each one emphasizes one aspect or one part of  our salvation. The Bible says that we have been (1) justified, (2) Redeemed, (3) Forgiven, (4) Reconciled, and we have been (5) Adopted. Each one is unique, but all are true.

• Justification: we are accused and declared righteous
• Redemption: we are enslaved and have been granted freedom
• Forgiveness: we are debtors who have had our debt paid for us
• Reconciliation: we are enemies who have been made friends
• Adoption: we are aliens who have been brought in the family and share an inheritance.

 

Reconciliation is a term that is used in court. Two warring parties have been brought back to friendly terms. Wrongs that have been committed have been atoned for and there is now a new right standing and all grievances have been laid to rest. That is what this passage is speaking of.

 

No longer is their any hostility between God and man. Jesus Christ has put this to rest and settled all the accounts, He has made right all of the wrongs, and now we are free to share in a friendship with God.

 Christ: The Means of Our Reconciliation

         “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself”

                

                 “having made peace through the blood of His cross” (20)

·         Notice the wartime language that is used

·         Hostility between God and man is due to our sin. Our sin makes us enemies of God and there is no fellowship between us apart from Christ.

·         That is why the cross is so important. The cross is the means by which our sins are forgiven. Christ had to pay the penalty for all of the things we have done wrong. [rebellion, lies, adulteries, gossip, gluttony, etc]

                

                 “in his fleshly body through death” (22)

Hebrews 2:14-15

14Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

 

·         Christ had to come to earth in the likeness of man, because he needed to be both sinless (perfect) and able to bear the punishment due to us for our sins.

    All Things: The Extent of The Reconciliation

         “whether things on earth or things in heaven”

·         Notice how all of creation is under the curse because of Adam’s sin.

 Romans 8:19-22

19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope  21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

 

·         Creation does wait to be reconciled to God [beauty and disaster]

·         Revelation 21-22 New Heaven and New Earth

 Isaiah 65:25: New Heavens and New Earth

25″The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.

 

·         Creation was not meant to be like it is today, and one day God will bring it back right – like it was in the Garden of Eden.

·         But the reconciliation is also personal

          You: (3x: 21,22,22)                 We Are Described Like This

1.      “alienated”

2.      “hostile in mind” or “engaged in evil deeds”

·         Again the language of separation is used

·         Notice how we are active in keeping ourselves separated from God

                       

                        Romans 8:6-8

6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God [there is the evil deeds], for it is not even able to do so,8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.[there is the alienation]

 

·         We cannot please God, because we cannot keep the law

 The Purpose of Our Reconciliation

                   “to present you before Him” [God The Father]

1.      “holy”

2.      “blameless”

3.      “above reproach”

·         That is, as faithful sons: like Christ. [purpose, goal]

   

Remember: The Evidence of Our Reconciliation (23)

         “if indeed you continue in the faith”

·         “if” is the key word, then it must be possible for someone to give evidence of a genuine conversion and then to fall away.

Continuing In the Faith

1.      “firmly established” [solid foundation: Christ]

2.      “steadfast”

3.      “not moved away from the hope of the gospel”

 

The evidence of genuine faith is that we continue to have faith. Remember, the Bible says that the seed was scattered, but only some of the seed produced fruit. Some even grew, but only the one that produced fruit remained.

 

This is what is important for us to know today as we take the Lord’s Supper. Jesus asked that when we take this bread and this fruit of the vine, that we remember Him.

 

1 Corinthians 11:23 -26

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 

Just as God instructed Israel through Moses in Deuteronomy 6:10-15

 

10″Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build,11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied,12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.[that you do not forget your salvation]13″You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.14″You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,15for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

 

This is why we take the Lord’s Supper; to remember Christ crucified for the sins of the world.

 

In our remembering we are “proclaim[ing] the Lord’s death until He comes”, that is we are having the good news preached to us every time we take it and “faith comes by hearing”.

As we take The Lord’s Supper this morning, let’s remember Christ.

Pastor Mitch- Jesus Christ: Both Lord and God, Colossians 1:15-19

Introduction 

The Deity of Christ is important for this reason: Until we are able to stand in awe of who Jesus really is, as the Bible describes Him, we will not be willing to allow Him to have complete control of our lives.

• Until we are assured of His Sovereignty, we will never entrust our lives to Him.
• Until we are overwhelmed by His majesty, we will never be repulsed by our sinfulness.
• Until we are caught up in the extent of His grace, we will never worship him as we ought.

 

Whether this passage is new to you, or you have read it a hundred times- I pray for me and for you that we will see it with fresh eyes and a fresh heart.

 I)      Jesus Christ: God In Human Flesh

a)      The Deity of Christ

i)        “the image of the invisible God“

(1)   Jesus made manifest what had never before been seen

John 1:18

“No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

John 1:14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(2)   Main point: In Christ the invisible God became visible, sharing the same substance (essence) as the Heavenly Father.

 

ii)      “all the fullness to dwell in Him“

Hebrews 1:33And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

(1)   Everything that is true of God the Father is true of God the Son

(2)   Jesus lost nothing in His incarnation, but only added a fleshly body

iii)    Conclusion

·         Because Jesus is God, His sovereignty and control extends to all things

 II)  Jesus Christ: Lord Over All Things

a)      Jesus Is Lord Over Creation (15-16)

      Three Phrases Explain This

i)        “the first born of all creation“

(1)   DENY: That Jesus is created (Jehovah’s Witnesses)

(a)    b/c of next verse “for by him all things were created”

(b)   b/c of how first born is used in v18, “first born from the dead”

(2)   AFFIRM:

(a)    Christ has the rights and privileges of the first born (authority, leadership, control, rule, etc)

 

ii)      “by Him all things were created” and “all things have been created through Him“

·         Notice the bilateral bracket

(1)   Jesus is the agent of creation (Genesis 1)

(2)   The extension of his creation

(a)    Heavens and the earth

(b)   Visible and invisible (thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities)

·         Nothing catches God off guard (nations, armies, wars, disasters, etc)

·         We can find some rest in the fact that Christ is the one who is ultimately in control of all the affairs of the world- and if He will them to end, or begin, they will.

 

iii)    “all things have been created for Him“   

(1)   Jesus is the purpose for all things

(a)    The sun shines bright for Him, the oceans roar for Him, the moon keeps its orbit for Him, the planets keep their course for Him, the stars light the sky at night for him – every flake of snow that falls from the sky is falling for the glory of Jesus Christ!

(b)   Psalm 19:1 “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the works of His hands“

(2)   All things exist for the glory of Jesus Christ [and so do you]

 

b)      Jesus Is Lord Over Time

i)        “He is before all things” [beginning]

ii)      “In Him all things hold together” [end]

(1)   Revelation 5:1-10

(a)    The end of all things is about to take place, but in order for that time to begin – one must be found that is worthy to open the book and break its seals

 

c)      Jesus Is Lord Over The Church

i)        “He is also head of the body, the church;”

(1)   The church is described as a body and Christ is its head

(a)    The Head Makes Decisions:

(i)     Jesus Christ decides how church should be done [His Word]

1.      Who should be in leadership

2.      How worship services should be organized

3.      The purposes of the church

(b)   There is no life apart from the head

(c)    There is only one head

 

d)     Jesus Is Lord Over Salvation

i)        “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead“

(1)   By “beginning” I believe Paul means the age to come

(2)   By “first born from the dead”, I understand that not only

Mitch- Christ: The Salvation of God, Colossians 1:13-14

Introduction

Last week we talked about the gospel, specifically how the gospel had taken its effect on the church at Colossae and we talked about how radical the change is in our lives when the gospel has taken affect. During our time last week I said that the gospel, or the good news, is that we who were once distanced, separated, alienated, from God have been brought back to Him. That is the gospel- that our relationship with God can be restored and that we can have fellowship with Him once again.

 

Today’s message deals with the “how”. How will God save mankind and how will God bring a lost and dying people back to Him? In this passage today we will see that it is God’s Son, Jesus Christ that makes this salvation, this good news possible.

 

But before we can appreciate the good news of the gospel, we must clearly see the bad news. As Adrian Rogers once said, “Before someone can be saved, they must be convinced that they are lost.”

 

Our Perilous Situation

            “the domain of darkness”

·         Satan’s power/rule/authority, is a kingdom of “darkness”

·         Built on lies: Jesus refers to him as the father of lies (John 8:44-47)

·         Death as its goal

·         Powered by fear (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through the fear of death were subject to slavery all of their lives.

            “He rescued us”

·         Notice how our helplessness is emphasized

·         “rescue“: we did not escape the domain of darkness [POW]

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6)

·         Point: We are powerless to save ourselves and are in need of being rescued.

 

God’s Powerful Salvation

            4 Phrases That Describe Our Salvation

            “He rescued us”

·         Notice the power of God in contrast to our weakness

·         God invaded Satan’s territory

Matthew 12:29 – When Jesus is accused of being in league with Satan

“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.”

 

            “and transferred us”

·         KJV “he translated us“ or as the NIV “he brought us into“

·         We need to notice the full scope of our salvation and the security that comes with it.

            “in whom we have redemption”

·         Or you could say “freedom from the slavery of sin”

- “everyone who sins is a slave to sin” John 8:34

- “the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23

·         Conclusion: We enter the Kingdom of Christ by our redemption. That is, we are no longer slaves to the old kingdom – we are free to enter into the new.

·         Our price for freedom from slavery has been paid. But how did Christ pay the price for our freedom if our sins have enslaved us to it?

            “the forgiveness of sins”

1.      Answer is this: Our sins have been removed from us and have been paid by Jesus Christ.

2.      [The wrath of God on sin]

 

Christ’s Permanent Kingdom

            “the kingdom of His beloved Son” or “the kingdom of the Son of His love”

2 Samuel 7:12-29 and 1 Kings 2:1-4

·         God makes a promise to David

·         David tells Solomon to be obedient to God, so that all the promises would come to fulfillment.

·         Matthew opens his gospel to announce to everyone that God’s Son, The son of David, had finally been born.

 Matthew 3:16-17: Jesus’ Baptism

16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

 Matthew 17:5: Jesus’ Transfiguration

5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!“

 Psalm 89:34-37: God’s Covenant To David

 34″My covenant I will not violate,
         Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.
    35″Once I have sworn by My holiness;
         I will not lie to David.
    36″His descendants shall endure forever
         And his throne as the sun before Me.
    37″It shall be established forever like the moon,
         And the witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah.

 

·         Point: If we are in Christ we are part of his eternal kingdom, so that the words of Christ in John 10:28 might be fulfilled when he says, “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

  Conclusion

1. We need to realize that every man, woman, and child born into this world is separated from God and is enslaved to a kingdom of darkness, because unless we see the situation for as bad as it is, we will never speak the gospel to those whom we love.
2. We need to constantly remember that our salvation is by faith alone and in Christ alone. Working to get into heaven leads to misery and damages the gospel.
3. Our salvation in Jesus Christ, once we have accepted it by faith, is secure for all eternity, because it has been both provided for, accomplished, and kept by Jesus Christ and not us.

The Great Exchange of the Gospel Colossians 1:3-9

Introduction

There is a wisdom belonging to this world that is in direct contrast to the wisdom of God. The wisdom of this world revolves around self and flesh and meeting the desires and the demands of the flesh. But this is in stark opposition to God. For as it says in Luke 16:15:“…for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”

 

Godly wisdom is this…

 

·         It is a wisdom that demands us to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44)

·         It is a wisdom that confronts a self promoting culture with the words of Christ exclaiming “for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.” (Luke. 9:48)

·         It is a wisdom that declares, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exhalted.” (Luke 14:11)

·         It is a wisdom that runs contrary to self pleasure as Jesus instructed “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” (Luke. 14:13-14)

·         It is a wisdom that summons such great love and devotion from its followers that Jesus would demand that “If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

 

It is a wisdom that asks for self to be put away with and that our eyes be firmly fixed on Jesus Christ the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). With our hands firmly grasping the plow we dare not look back to the world of sin and wretchedness that we have left behind.

 

So it is with this transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Paul writes to the church at Colossae and greets them with prayers of thanksgiving for what God has done in them. And not only in them, but in the whole world – that He is changing our life’s desires and goals, and ambitions. That God is exchanging an old life with the new life that is grounded in Christ Jesus: The wisdom of God.

 5 Exchanges Brought On By The Gospel of Jesus Christ 

The Great Exchange Of Prayer (3-4)

            Exchanging self-centered prayers for prayers of thanksgiving to God

            Ephesians 1:15-16

·         For this reason too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, I do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers.

           

 

            Philippians 1:3-4

·         I thank my God in all my remembrances of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,

Main Point: Over time, the prayer life of a believer should shift from a focus on self to a focus on the kingdom of God.

[Children’s Prayers and Deacon's Prayer]

 

The Great Exchange of Hope (5)

            Exchanging the hope of earth for the hope of heaven

The connection between heaven and the gospel: “the hope laid up for you in heaven“

    Heaven is not our hope, but heaven contains our hope

·         “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,” (1 Timothy 1:1)

    The gospel is about bringing us back to God: God Is The Gospel

·         Everyone wants to go to heaven [good weather, relatives, happiness]

·         The Christian desires to live in the presence of the God who saved them. To behold in sight what they have followed by faith.

·         [Suffering: faithfulness in suffering proves this]

 

The Great Exchange of Home (6)

            Exchanging the comfort of home for a heart for the nations

            “just as in all the world also“

 

            Main point: When our mind begins to think like God’s mind, and our heart begins to feel             what God’s heart feels, and our desires become God’s desires – then we will want the    salvation of the nations more than we want the comforts of our own homes.

       After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from   every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before           the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; (Rev 7:9) 

            This is the goal, because this is what brings the most glory to God, a multitude of believers           from every corner of the globe.

 

The Great Exchange of Self (7-8)

            Exchanging the self-centered life for a life of slavery

* ties in closely with the last exchange

The Life of Epaphras/ Epaphroditus

1. Teacher:  “just as you learned it from Epaphras”
2. Slave
   1. “fellow bond-servant” [sundoulou] – a slave along with you
   2. “faithful servant of Christ on our behalf” [diakonos]
3. Encourager: “and he also informed us of your love” (8)

  

The Great Exchange of Wisdom (9)

            Exchanging the wisdom of the world for the wisdom of God

The important thing here is the will of God. And to know what God’s will is and have that knowledge extend to every area of your life. (repeat)

 

You cannot know God’s will apart from God’s Word.

            Two Ways

            1) Directly

            2) Spirit controlled conscience

 

The world has one way of thinking. It seeks to serve self and to fulfill the desires of the flesh.

You hear people say…

·         “looking out for number one”

·         “if it feels good do it”

·         “you deserve it”

 

But God’s Word teaches just the opposite. It teaches us to put away the desires of the flesh (gluttony, gossip, lust, etc) and bring to life the things of the Spirit. But if we neglect God’s Word and constantly pour worldly wisdom into our minds then we will act on that wisdom and that road will carry us further and further away from God!

 

Concluding Thoughts

1. The gospel of Jesus Christ, when genuinely received, radically changes every aspect of our actions and our lives.
2. The Christian life is a life of increasing maturity in the knowledge of God and His will.
3. It is God’s will that each of us would turn away from sin and self and cling to the gospel of Jesus Christ that he provided for us on the cross at Calvary.