My sermon notes for Sunday morning, April 4th. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week.
Colossians 2:8–15
INTRO:
- Christians should be people of Hope… Confidence in the now and the future…because of the past!!
- HOPE in the GOSPEL. Having HOPE because of who we can be IN CHRIST.
- I cannot think of a greater day (RESURRECTION SUNDAY) to celebrate that HOPE.
DO NOT LET THE WORLD FOOL YOU – vv. 9-10
(do not listen to the lies)
[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.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit – “stealing people”
Human tradition – Not divine revelation. Without God’s intervention… how man thinks.
Elemental Spirits of the World – Gal. 4:3 – elementary. Basic thinking from a human perspective, NOT DIVINE.
- Importance of divine revelation. (THEN – Prophets, Jesus, Apostles. NOW – The Spirit of God through the Word of God.)
Not according to Christ
- Who He is
- Who sent Him
- What He came to do
- How it impacts our life
Fullness of deity dwells
- The fullness of God dwells bodily IN Christ. HE IS GOD.
- Fully God and Fully man
Filled/Made Complete
You have been filled IN HIM.
- positionally – justified
- progressively – sanctified
We are COMPLETE. Jesus/The Gospel is enough.
Stop living incomplete
- Spiritually – out of fellowship with God
- Morally – the actions of our life outside the will of God.
- Mentally – not knowing ultimate truth.
Head of ALL RULE and AUTHORITY
We do not need anything else…All we need is Jesus (Savior and Lord)
THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB IS THE REIGNING KING!
WE ARE GIVEN NEW LIFE – vv. 11-14
[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.
Circumcision – v. 11
- Old life is gone (cut way, gone, discarded)
Baptism – v. 12
- New life. We have been raised up, newness of life
From Dead to Alive. – vv. 13-14
- Sick men need a doctor, but dead men need a Savior!!!
- Alive together with Him.
- Forgiving us ALL OUR TRESPASSES (crossing a boundary)
- canceling the debt – having wiped off…nailed to the cross
- We all owe God a debt for our sin (Rom. 3:23), only through Christ and His redemptive work is it TAKEN CARE OF…PAID IN FULL.
SO THAT WE MAY LIVE – v. 15
[15] He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (ESV)
Living with HOPE
- Living as people of HOPE with peace, purpose, and new perspective!
Disarmed –stripped of power
All the authority that took part in His arrest and crucifixion. JESUS HAS DISARMED
- Rome – Governmental power.
- Jews – Religious power.
- Satan – Deception and fear
Triumphant – walking in victory
- Jesus just a few days ago entered Jerusalem (Triumphant Entry). THIS IS MANIFESTED TO THE FULLEST.
- As a returning Roman army after conquest.
- 2 Cor. 2:14 – But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession…
- WE GOT THIS…NOT TODAY SATAN!
LIVING the LIFE OF HOPE (if you have been raised with Christ…. then here is the life you can now live!!!! You do not HAVE TO… YOU GET TO)
Colossians 3:1–17
[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
[5] Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] On account of these the wrath of God is coming. [7] In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. [8] But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
[12] Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (ESV)
CONCLUSION:
REMEMBER. THROUGH CHRIST… WE ARE PEOPLE OF HOPE
Colossians 1:15–23 – [15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] 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. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] 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. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
[21] And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [22] he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, [23] if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (ESV)