Historical Posts
Colossians 02:06-10 – Complete in Christ – audio
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Text: Colossians 2:6-10
Introduction
A. Do you ever have an empty feeling? Does it seem as if something is missing in your life?
B. Well, that may be because you do not have Jesus Christ.
C. Paul expresses our dependency upon Him, and that we are “complete in Him (Colossians 2:10)…”
D. We are complete in Him because we can accomplish anything through Him:
1) He fulfills or fills all
2) He has fully come
3) He has completed His task
4) He satisfies our every need
5) He abounds in us
Body
I. We need Christ physically.
A. Paul acknowledges that “in Him we live and move and have our being…For we are also His offspring (Acts 17:28).”
B. It is God that made us, and not we ourselves (Psalm 100:3; 139:13-14).
C. Christ was in the beginning with God, creating us (John 1:1-3,14; Genesis 1:26-27; Ephesians 4:24).
D. God supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
E. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
II. We need Christ spiritually.
A. Christ completed His Father’s will (Hebrews 10:8-10):
1) Taking away the first covenant
2) Establishing the second
3) It is through that will we are sanctified!
B. Our belief in God and Christ will fill us with joy, peace, hope, goodness, and knowledge (Romans 15:13-14).
C. The love of Christ fills us with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19; 4:10).
D. Christ fills us with the fruits of righteousness (Philippians 1:11).
E. As individuals are filled with Christ, so is the church (Ephesians 1:17-23; Colossians 1:9-18).
III. Christ needs us!
A. We received the Lord’s ministry, and must fulfill it (Colossians 4:17).
B. Christ has created good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:10; Revelation 3:1-2).
Conclusion
A. Just as we are incomplete without Christ, He is incomplete without us!
B. As the church, we are His body.
C. He has called us to work for Him.
D. Are you a member of His church?
1) He did a lot for us
2) Won’t you be willing to do something for Him?
Content by Richard Dillon
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Colossians 1:3-6 – Hope Laid Up In Heaven – audio
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Text: Colossians 1:3-6
Introduction
A Christian has something to look forward to that anyone living as the world does not. If we remain faithful till death, we will receive a crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Paul commended the Colossians for their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for all saints (Colossians 1:4).
If there was no life after death, nothing would be lost. However, if there is life after death, then there is everything to gain. That is what we hope for!
Body
I. Christ has begotten us to a living hope.
Peter tells Christians exactly where that hope comes from: the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Because of what God’s only begotten Son did for us, we can inherit an eternal reservation in heaven by being His faithful children too.
II. Christ is getting our reservations ready in heaven.
Jesus had to go to heaven first (after his death, burial, and resurrection) so we can go after our death (unless the Lord returns first). Simon Peter did not understand this as Jesus explained that He was going somewhere we could not follow immediately (John 13:33,36; John 14:1-6).
Once there, Christ is getting ready for us.
III. We have the hope through the word of truth of the gospel.
Paul preached the gospel of Christ to give everyone the hope of salvation, for the power is in the gospel (Romans 1:13-16).
The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that gives us hope to live again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
That gospel will be preached throughout the entire world to give hope to every individual (Matthew 24:14; 28:19; Mark 16:15; Romans 10:18).
Thus, the gospel is bringing forth fruit (Colossians 1:6; John 15:16) as Christ intended.
IV. There is only one hope, and it comes from obeying one gospel.
Paul taught the Galatians about that one gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), and the Ephesians about the one hope (Ephesians 4:4-6).
Timothy learned about that one hope that comes through that one gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:8-10).
Conclusion
We should strive to realize that hope! We should live every day as faithful to the Lord as we can so that we can enter into heaven (2 Peter 1:10-11).
When people see how we live, they will ask us about it. We must always be ready to give them a reason of the hope that is within us with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).
Hopefully we can do that now.
Content by Richard Dillon
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Colossians 01:15-20 The Many Roles of Christ – audio
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Text: Colossians 1:15-20
Introduction
1. The book of Colossians was written by the apostle Paul to confront a series of errors that were being taught in the churches of Colossae.
2. Among other things, false teachers were evidently teaching that salvation was not through Christ alone but that it was also the work of angels and other spiritual beings.
3. In other words, they believed that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was not sufficient in and of itself.
4. Paul sets out to prove this teaching false.
5. He points out that it is through Christ that we all can receive forgiveness – Colossians 1:13-14
6. He then goes on to firmly establish the superiority of Christ.
7. Today, let us note some of the phrases he uses to describe Jesus.
Body
I. THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD – Colossians 1:15
A. On the one hand, we know that no man has seen God at any time.
1. Exodus 13:18-23
2. 1 Timothy 6:16 – Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
3. John 1:18 – No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
B. Yet, Jesus is described as the image (Icon) of the invisible God.
1. An interesting play on words.
2. God, the Father, has appeared to us in the Person of His Son, Jesus.
3. Hence, He is called, “The Word.” – John 1:1-2
4. John 14:8-11
5. Hebrews 1:1-3
6. The Devil does all that he can to blind the world to this fact – 2 Corinthians 4:4-5
7. If we desire to know about the Father, we simply must look to Christ – John 1:18
II. THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION – Colossians 1:15-16
A. Many false doctrines have arisen from the phrase “Firstborn over all creation…”
1. This has led some to (Incorrectly) believe that Jesus was the first thing that God created.
2. Colossians 1:16 shows us that Jesus is the Creator of all things.
3. Everything that was created, was created by Him.
4. John 1:3 – All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
5. He could not have created Himself!
6. Therefore, Jesus is not a created Being.
7. John 8:58 – Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
B. The difficulty is resolved when we realize that the word “firstborn” is not always talking about chronological order of birth.
1. A more common uses was to emphasize someone’s supremacy.
2. We see this usage in regard to David in Psalm 89:27
3. So, calling Jesus the firstborn over all creation is referring to His supremacy over all creation.
4. Additionally, this is also the meaning of the word…
a) “Beginning” in Colossians 1:18. Arche – chief.
b) “Preeminence” in Colossians 1:18. Proteuo – first in rank.
5. His supremacy over all creation is established by the fact that He is the Creator – Colossians 1: 16
6. Hebrews 3:3-4 – For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.
C. His authority and supremacy extends to both heaven and earth.
1. Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
2. Hebrews 1:3-4 – Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
III. THE SUSTAINER – Colossians 1:17
A. Not only is Jesus the Creator of all things, He is also the Sustainer of all things.
1. Literally, Colossians 1:17 says that “all things stand together.”
2. Creation continues to exist because Jesus upholds it.
B. Hebrews 1:3 – Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
C. He will continue to uphold all things until He returns – 2 Peter 3:7
IV. THE HEAD OF THE BODY – Colossians 1:18
A. The body is the church – Colossians 1:24
B. Not only is He supreme over all physical creation; Hebrews also is head over His spiritual kingdom.
1. John 18:36 – Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
2. Daniel 7:13-14 – “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
C. There is only one…
1. Body – Ephesians 4:4 – There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
2. Head – Ephesians 4:5 – One Lord, one faith, one baptism;
3. Standard by which we are judged – Ephesians 4:5 – One Lord, one faith, one baptism;
V. THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD – Colossians 1:18
A. Here, the term “firstborn” is used in both of the ways discussed earlier.
1. He was chronologically the first to be raised never to die again.
2. His resurrection was also the first in order of importance as well.
B. Why is Jesus’ resurrection so important?
1. By it He was declared to be the Son of God – Romans 1:4 – And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
2. 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 – And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
a) If Jesus is not raised, then we are still in our sins.
b) If Jesus is not raised, then all those who have already died, are lost for all eternity.
c) We are indeed in a pitiable state.
3. His resurrection foreshadows our own – 1 Corinthians 15:51-54
Conclusion
1. He is the Image of the invisible God.
2. He is the Firstborn over all creation.
3. He is the Sustainer of all creation.
4. He is the Head of the Body.
5. He is the Firstborn from the dead.
6. He is our Savior!
7. Obey Him!
Delivered on: November 25, 2012. Streetsboro.
Content by Ralph Price
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Colossians 03:01-17 Conforming Your Life to Christ
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Text: Colossians 3:1-17 – Scripture Reading: Romans 6:4-14
Introduction
- Conform – “to fashion, shape, outline, and contour, change one thing to bring into harmony or accordance to another.”
- If you’re a true Christian, you’re setting your eyes, mind, body, and soul on the things that are above (Spiritual, eternal) where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God – Colossians 3:1-4.
- Christians must conform to Christ, and put off their sins. Sin makes them look like and sound like, conform to, the devil instead of Jesus Christ. To conform your life to Christ, you must cut off and destroy the works of the devil which is sin – Colossians 3:5-10. When you’re in Christ, the old man of sin is dead, and a new man is raised to life with Christ – Romans 6:4-7.
Conform Your Life to Christ, the Holy Spirit Must Capture Your Mind
- You will not conform your life to Christ unless the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, convicts your mind of sin to the point where you desire to surrender all to Jesus Christ – 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Why not allow the power of the Word of God to convict you and your sin that you might change and be conformed to Christ – Hebrews 4:12.
- To conform your life to Christ, you must not disregard the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 simply says, “Quench not the Spirit”. In 2 Samuel Chapter 11 David King of Israel, a man after God’s own heart, was guilty of quenching the Spirit when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and murder her husband Uriah.
- To be conformed, shaped, or changed to Christ, you must have the mind of Jesus Christ, which is the mind to humble yourself and to serve God instead of your own ambitions – Philippians 2:5-8. Your mind needs to be renewed by Jesus Christ and not be conformed to the world. To conform to Christ, your love for yourself and the world must be diminished and eliminated – 1 John 2:15-17.
One the Holy Spirit has Engage Your Mind, You Must Take Action
- The action that you must take to conform your life to Christ involves getting ride of sins out of your life – Matthew 5:29-30. For example, if you’re accustomed to spending $40 a week playing the numbers you will need to take action to eliminate the sin of covetousness out of your life – Colossians 3:5-10. Therefore, repentance is necessary to conform your life to Christ – Luke 13:3.
- To conform your life to Christ you must separate from evil associations that will lead you away from God – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. This is why God told Israel to not marry into foreign nations whom are idolatrous, because they will be lead away from following God (Deuteronomy 7). We can learn from Solomon because his wives lead him away from following God – 1 Kings 11:1-10.
- To conform your life to Christ there are some things that you must learn to put off, and some things to put on you so that your life can be conformed to Christ. You must put off the old man and sinful practices and put on the new man of truth and holiness – Ephesians 4:21-32.
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Harry (Andy) Anderson Jr.Return to the Home Page
Colossians 04:12 Seeking God’s Providential Will – audio
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Text: Colossians 4:12
Introduction
1. “What is God’s will for my life?”
a. What devout person has not asked a question like this?
b. Often asked pertaining to things like one’s career, where to live, etc.
c. How can we live in harmony with the will of God?
2. Paul mentioned his desire to live in harmony with God’s will… – Romans 1:9-10
a. As he made plans to visit his brethren in Rome
b. As he prayed regarding such plans
c. He sought to “find a way in the will of God” to come to them
Body
I. FACETS OF GOD’S WILL
A. THERE IS GOD’S PROCLAIMED WILL
1. God has made His will known in many respects -1 Thessalonians 5:18; 1 Peter 2:15
2. This He has done through revelation
a. By sending inspired prophets in the past – Hebrews 1:1
b. By sending His own Son – Hebrews 1:2
c. By having the Spirit guide the apostles – John 16:12-13
3. It is this proclaimed will of God that we must do to be saved – Matthew 7:21
4. That which is essential to know, God has revealed through Scripture – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
B. THERE IS GOD’S PERMISSIVE WILL
1. God allows things to happen that are not necessarily according to His desired will
2. He permits people to sin and even hurt other people
a. He is not pleased, and will one day render judgment – Acts 17:30-31
b. He is able to fulfill His own will, despite such rebellion – Isaiah 10:5-7
3. God permits people to do things that are indifferent to Him
a. There are some matters of indifference to God – Romans 14:5-6
b. Likewise, some decisions we make might not really matter to God
4. Thus not all choices please God, nor are they necessarily required by God
C. THERE IS GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL WILL
1. God acts providentially in our lives, as implied in our text – Romans 1:10; Romans 15:32
2. If we seek to align our plans with His will, He will bless us – Proverbs 3:5-6
3. For such reasons we should pray regarding our plans – James 4:13-15
4. Our requests are answered if they suit God’s will – 1 John 5:14
5. It is God’s providential will that is of primary interest to us in this lesson
II. SEEKING GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL WILL
A. BEGIN WITH THE PROCLAIMED WILL OF GOD
1. Study diligently to learn what God has revealed
a. If you don’t embrace and practice the revealed will of God…
b. …what difference does it make to seek other areas of God’s will unknown to you?
2. The value of focusing on the proclaimed will of God
a. We will not be ignorant of what is essential for us to know and do
b. We can avoid choices that are clearly contrary to God’s will
B. SEEK ADVICE FROM OTHERS
1. Discuss your alternatives with older, mature Christians – Proverbs 11:14; Proverbs 12:15
2. Consult the wisdom found in the Bible (especially in books like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)
C. ASK GOD FOR WISDOM
1. Pray diligently for the ability to discern wisely – James 1:5-8
2. Wisdom is that spiritual insight that enables you to evaluate situations clearly, and helps utilize what options and abilities you have
3. Use such wisdom to eliminate what appears less acceptable
D. COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD
1. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord’s sake – Psalm 37:5-6, Psalm 37:23-26
2. Make your plans subject to God’s will, both proclaimed and providential – James 4:15
3. Give God permission to close the door on your choice if that is His will – Matthew 26:39
4. If He closes the door on your choice, look for alternatives
E. SOME OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
1. God is not like a train, He is able to run on more than one track
2. A choice may not be between good and bad, but between good and better
3. God can use us in many different ways
4. If you need not choose right away, wait; that will give you time to grow and gain wisdom
5. Whatever your hands finds to do in your existing circumstances, do it with all your might
Conclusion
1. Our goal should be to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” – Colossians 4:12
a. Especially as it pertains to the proclaimed will of God
b. As much as possible in the providential and permissive will of God
2. Epaphras’ desire for his brethren serves as a good example; as does that of our Lord
a. Who taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it in heaven” – Matthew 6:10
b. Who Himself prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will…” – Matthew 26:39-42
3. Are you seeking to “find a way in the will of God” as it pertains to your plans in life? You will if you are really committed to obeying God’s will for you”…!
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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