This will be the last Scripture I talk about on this subject. After that, God willing, I’ll post a summary of what we’ve seen from his book. Some of you are just waiting for this long winded stuff to be over so you can read the summary. I know this, because as I re-read what I’ve written, I just want the quick summary too.
That said, that last verse is Colossians 3:8. In the ESV, God says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Yes, kids, no obscene talk! Question is this: what’s obscene talk?
Well, what’s the Greek mean? It’s a compound word. The second is that classic word ‘logos’ – which refers here not to a particular word you’d use, but to entire speech content – which is made up of individual words. The first part of the compound word means something like ‘ugly’ or ‘unacceptable.’ BDAG, the standard New Testament Greek lexicon, says that it’s speech that is ‘generally considered in poor taste.’ It goes on to talk about the idea that this may include two different things – story-telling involving ‘unseemly deeds’ like adultery; or derogatory remarks.
So BDAG says this verse means either don’t tell stories about shameful, sinful, ugly things – and don’t rip on people.
That sounds good enough, really. How about some context real quick? Colossians 3 is a series of commands where Paul’s just saying – look, Jesus rose from the dead. That means, you Christian, have a different kind of life. Act like Jesus is your King, how about.
And he says that our old person has died. That is to say, that when Jesus died, the part of us that lived in the old, rebellious world, died. So act like that rebellious person is dead.
The rebellious you died. Act like it.
Then, starting in verse 8, Paul tells us what to get rid of. Those things are ‘anger, wrath, malice, slander,’ and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another…”
Notice anything in common here? All of those things are against people. They’re not nice. Ever heard a parent say to a kid, ‘talk nice!’ Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.
Let’s go a little further in the text. God says we have a new life because we’re connected to Jesus – and Jesus rose from the dead. So Jesus’ new life gives us a new life. Here’s a few verses of what God says that we need to do:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony”(Colossians 3:12-14).
In other words, love people. Do it from the heart. The opposite of all those bad things, including ‘obscene speech,’ is love.
Well, where’s this leave us? Paul doesn’t give us a guide for determining what naughty words are in English. And he never says that certain words are ‘bad.’ What he says, is love people with your language. That love starts in the heart – and love doesn’t want to hurt people. Love wants to push them towards Jesus.
So is the S-word wrong? No! The question is – am I loving the person in saying it? It does grate, doesn’t it? The F-word definitely makes people flinch, doesn’t it? The question is, am I using that language to point people away from this rebellious world to Jesus. Am I pointing out how horrible the good things in this world are – compared to Jesus – or am I just mad?
If I’m on the road by myself, and people aren’t driving like I want them to, and I yell ‘shit!’ – do I sin? Yes. I’m not trusting the sovereign God who works everything as he wants it to be (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28, Amos 3:6, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Job 1:21). No one else is hurt by that exclamation if I’m by myself – except my holy God, whose Son died for me – who I apparently don’t trust enough to love me and to control the traffic for my good in knowing him!
Or maybe I’m just saying that knowing him isn’t good enough.
So I don’t love or trust God in those situations. The exclamation is merely the result – and the word is not sin. But my heart has blasphemed my Lord.
And are you more shocked and appalled by the word I just typed out - or by the fact that my anxious, controlling heart worships and serves itself and not its Creator, who is to be praised forever? Oh God, let our hearts be pained by how we fail you!
And this I say with full confidence – and with a good conscience – that everything on this earth is SHIT compared to knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Everything.
Does that grate on you? It should. And so should everything in this world that distracts you from his service.
Coming next time – a summary of the commands of our Lord in these three verses regarding our speech, if God permits.
Showing posts with label Colossians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colossians. Show all posts
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Jesus Recreates Our Relationships
This is my final talk from Colossians on summer project. Notes. Here ya go.
-Theme – The Gospel changes all our human relationships. (repeat)
-What’s the Gospel?
-So what we’re to see tonight is that Jesus as King and Savior recreates all our human relationships.
-3 Types of Relationships – Family, (quick side about prayer), non-Christians, Christians
-Pray
Jesus Recreates Our Family Relationships
-Read 3:18-4:1
-Some of this might rub the wrong way. Might bear some explanation, but this being God’s word doesn’t depend on us liking it.
-that said – a word about slaves…
-We have a problem with authority in our age. Maybe because of abuses of authority. But God has established it. (Bumper sticker example)
-Going to talk about wives, then husbands, then those in authority positions, then children and those under authority.
-Not all of you are wives/husbands – but you probably will be. Maybe rather than trying to find the perfect spouse, you should seek to be a God-honoring one.
-Wives
-explain command (live in submission – not just ‘the buck stops with…’; not just ‘spiritual leadership’; as to the Lord – eph 5)
-sins - usurping authority
- taking over: only submitting if he ‘leads well’ and really just taking things into your own hands – Eve;
-overt usurpation – being overbearing vs. quiet, gentle spirit (1 Peter 3); -covert usurpation – manipulation – Delilah)
-how the gospel answers our sin problem
-‘fitting in the Lord’ (explain)
-New Kingdom has begun! Old world typified by the curse, new world reverses it
-Husbands (3:19)
-explain command – love! (seeking her greatest happiness in God. Enjoying her. Liking her. Being attracted to her/standard for beauty)
-sins
-harshness/abuse – getting irritated and responding with anger
-thinking it’s mere commitment – Jesus commands our emotions
-believing that love means seeking her earthly happiness vs. happiness in God (budget example) – so passivity in loving her and taking her to Jesus as King – even if she doesn’t like it at the time
-Jesus’ solution in a minute…
-Those in authority (3:21, 4:1) – many of us will be parents – get ready
-Commands (rephrase) – boils down to this: treat those under you with justice and love.
-sins: issuing commands as a dictator.
-Believing that you are the ultimate master/standard of right/wrong – as opposed to Jesus.
-Not rewarding obedience. Not punishing disobedience.
-Command boils down to: model Jesus’ authority – both hard on sin and gentle/loving –both serving, and commanding
-Your household should be a model of how Jesus treats the world
-Stiff command? YES – but remember that (4:1b) (expound)
-Those under authority – all of us are (family, government, Church eldership)
-(3:20, 22-25)
-Summarize commands – (obey, serving the Lord)
-Sins: disobedience, people-pleasing, trying to see how much we can get away with
-How the gospel answers our sin problem: (3:20, 24, 25) (inheritance/loved, vs. getting what we deserve – so love God/please him)
(Repeat point)
Aside
-(4:2)
-Explain command
-What gets in your way of dedicated times of prayer? (unbelief that God uses it, lack of desire to honor God in it, seeking things here, whether fun or because you’re stressed)
-for me in college: probably combo of all of them –
-Gospel solution: ‘being watchful’ – Jesus is coming back to establish his Kingdom –
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates Our Relationships with Non-Christians
-4:3-6
-Two ways – missions and evangelism. Difference. (Rom. 15:18-21)
-Goal? Is. 43:6, 7
-Missions (3:3, 4)
-Prayer
-Going to announce the word to the unreached!
-why not you?
-Sin – don’t care enough to work for the goal…
-Answer – Jesus died and you’re life is with him – live for that!
-Evangelism (3:5, 6)
-define
-Commands
-wisdom in time use - organized around reaching the lost sheep
-manner of speaking should be… (explain the verse)
-note: knowing how to answer means you’ve said enough that they have questions
-Problems –
-evangelism -> event, not a lifestyle.
-Not loving people/treating them as individuals
-But it’s true – Jesus lives and so we will with him forever – live like it! Invite people with you!
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates our relationships with Christians
-4:7-18
-Let’s look at all that Jesus has given us – just exemplified here
-Easy to forget what we’ve been given
-be critical of the whole Church/judge
-think that Christianity is an individual thing
-Godly examples – people showing us Jesus in action (4:7-8, 18)
-Real loving relationships (4:10, 11, 14-15)
-Prayer (4:12, 18)
-Ministry to each other in various forms (comforting, preaching, hospitality…)
-The Scriptures (4:16)
-All because Jesus…
-So we’ve seen in this passage that the Gospel recreates our relationships.
-What’s the Gospel?
-And it recreates Our relationships with family, our relationships with non Christians, and our relationships with Christians.
-We’ve been looking at this concept of looking at the world through Jesus colored glasses…
-Jesus really is everything. And he is our everything.
-Pray
-Theme – The Gospel changes all our human relationships. (repeat)
-What’s the Gospel?
-So what we’re to see tonight is that Jesus as King and Savior recreates all our human relationships.
-3 Types of Relationships – Family, (quick side about prayer), non-Christians, Christians
-Pray
Jesus Recreates Our Family Relationships
-Read 3:18-4:1
-Some of this might rub the wrong way. Might bear some explanation, but this being God’s word doesn’t depend on us liking it.
-that said – a word about slaves…
-We have a problem with authority in our age. Maybe because of abuses of authority. But God has established it. (Bumper sticker example)
-Going to talk about wives, then husbands, then those in authority positions, then children and those under authority.
-Not all of you are wives/husbands – but you probably will be. Maybe rather than trying to find the perfect spouse, you should seek to be a God-honoring one.
-Wives
-explain command (live in submission – not just ‘the buck stops with…’; not just ‘spiritual leadership’; as to the Lord – eph 5)
-sins - usurping authority
- taking over: only submitting if he ‘leads well’ and really just taking things into your own hands – Eve;
-overt usurpation – being overbearing vs. quiet, gentle spirit (1 Peter 3); -covert usurpation – manipulation – Delilah)
-how the gospel answers our sin problem
-‘fitting in the Lord’ (explain)
-New Kingdom has begun! Old world typified by the curse, new world reverses it
-Husbands (3:19)
-explain command – love! (seeking her greatest happiness in God. Enjoying her. Liking her. Being attracted to her/standard for beauty)
-sins
-harshness/abuse – getting irritated and responding with anger
-thinking it’s mere commitment – Jesus commands our emotions
-believing that love means seeking her earthly happiness vs. happiness in God (budget example) – so passivity in loving her and taking her to Jesus as King – even if she doesn’t like it at the time
-Jesus’ solution in a minute…
-Those in authority (3:21, 4:1) – many of us will be parents – get ready
-Commands (rephrase) – boils down to this: treat those under you with justice and love.
-sins: issuing commands as a dictator.
-Believing that you are the ultimate master/standard of right/wrong – as opposed to Jesus.
-Not rewarding obedience. Not punishing disobedience.
-Command boils down to: model Jesus’ authority – both hard on sin and gentle/loving –both serving, and commanding
-Your household should be a model of how Jesus treats the world
-Stiff command? YES – but remember that (4:1b) (expound)
-Those under authority – all of us are (family, government, Church eldership)
-(3:20, 22-25)
-Summarize commands – (obey, serving the Lord)
-Sins: disobedience, people-pleasing, trying to see how much we can get away with
-How the gospel answers our sin problem: (3:20, 24, 25) (inheritance/loved, vs. getting what we deserve – so love God/please him)
(Repeat point)
Aside
-(4:2)
-Explain command
-What gets in your way of dedicated times of prayer? (unbelief that God uses it, lack of desire to honor God in it, seeking things here, whether fun or because you’re stressed)
-for me in college: probably combo of all of them –
-Gospel solution: ‘being watchful’ – Jesus is coming back to establish his Kingdom –
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates Our Relationships with Non-Christians
-4:3-6
-Two ways – missions and evangelism. Difference. (Rom. 15:18-21)
-Goal? Is. 43:6, 7
-Missions (3:3, 4)
-Prayer
-Going to announce the word to the unreached!
-why not you?
-Sin – don’t care enough to work for the goal…
-Answer – Jesus died and you’re life is with him – live for that!
-Evangelism (3:5, 6)
-define
-Commands
-wisdom in time use - organized around reaching the lost sheep
-manner of speaking should be… (explain the verse)
-note: knowing how to answer means you’ve said enough that they have questions
-Problems –
-evangelism -> event, not a lifestyle.
-Not loving people/treating them as individuals
-But it’s true – Jesus lives and so we will with him forever – live like it! Invite people with you!
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates our relationships with Christians
-4:7-18
-Let’s look at all that Jesus has given us – just exemplified here
-Easy to forget what we’ve been given
-be critical of the whole Church/judge
-think that Christianity is an individual thing
-Godly examples – people showing us Jesus in action (4:7-8, 18)
-Real loving relationships (4:10, 11, 14-15)
-Prayer (4:12, 18)
-Ministry to each other in various forms (comforting, preaching, hospitality…)
-The Scriptures (4:16)
-All because Jesus…
-So we’ve seen in this passage that the Gospel recreates our relationships.
-What’s the Gospel?
-And it recreates Our relationships with family, our relationships with non Christians, and our relationships with Christians.
-We’ve been looking at this concept of looking at the world through Jesus colored glasses…
-Jesus really is everything. And he is our everything.
-Pray
Friday, July 25, 2008
Ethics through Jesus-Colored Glasses
These are the notes from the talk I gave during the fifth week of summer project in New Zealand. The text is Colossians 2:20-3:17
Intro – Misconception re: Christianity – lifestyle that is about rules.
-it’s not, it’s about how Jesus brings every believer in him to his Kingdom!
-but sometimes even for us that believe that, we express a bunch of lifestyle stuff as if that’s Christianity – sometimes in preaching, in Bible studies, even in conversations, in how we try to live like Jesus wants. And being saved is almost an afterthought.
-That is subChristian thinking. In God’s word, any lifestyle stuff that Christians are commanded to do is always in light of and caused by The HS, through what Jesus’ cross purchased for us.
Series:
Our problem – we see commands in the Scriptures and try really hard to obey. And we fail.
MBI – What God wants us to see tonight is this: if you have trusted Jesus, he’s bringing you into his Kingdom – and nothing will stop him. Our lifestyle should – and by his power, will, reflect that. In other words: Jesus’ saving us results in change in our behavior.
4 Commands we break, and how Jesus fixes our sin problem:
Pray
-Don’t use man-made ways of trying to reach God - 2:20-33
-What was going on in Colassae?
-Command – don’t try to grow in spirituality or holiness like non-Christians!
-Examples of ways the world pursues spirituality:
-nature. Music. Books which teach things other than Scripture. Psychology. Obeying laws created by our feelings, candles, art, reason (atheism), prayer ‘creativity’, humanitarianism
-how we do similar things!
-ex: me and logic, as opposed to trusting the Spirit and the word
-Certainly nothing listed is all bad; but must be seen thru lens of SCRIPTURE
in dependence on Scripture and prayer – and nothing else!
-Result if not: a new law. Certain experiences ID-ed as godliness. Practices mandated and others get judged. God and his word cease being our authority, and experience is God – not Jesus.
-Example: music fight against the old school music people. Now, attack on old school music!
-Solution: We died with Jesus to the elemental spirits
-elemental spirits?
-God will judge the world for its rebellion
-we’ve been judged in Christ and are forgiven
-and so the old ways that humanity tries – and fails – to connect with God (even if they ‘feel’ stuff) don’t apply
-Therefore, know that because of Jesus death, we are no longer governed by the world’s futile philosophies. So trust that Jesus has reconciled you and stop making up stuff he didn’t command! And don’t tolerate it when other people are making stuff up either! (Duet 12:32!)
-Ever try to make a dead person do something?
3:1-4 – Seek Jesus’ Kingdom.
-Command – Seek what’s above! (3:1)
-What’s above? Christ’s Kingdom! Where what he wants goes. Everything that’s of value (Christ is our life) (3:1)
-How we fail – Failing to treat Jesus like King, worthy of obedience and honor. Failing to treat him as valuable. Questions to think about on your own: areas of your life you don’t treat Jesus like King in. Things you value more than Jesus – where do you seek pleasure? Maybe good to go home pray and journal about.
-Ex: The other night, I valued a burger more than Jesus.
-4 Solutions:
-Believe in the resurrection! (3:1)
-Believe that we’re in the new world in Christ (3:1) (Neo)
-Believe that you’re dead in this world (3:3)
-Believe that in the future, the reality of this new world in you will be revealed (3:4) (1 John 3:2)
3:5-11 – Kill what’s dead.
-Kill the things in you that belong to the old world
-sin list 1 – (3:5) – a bunch of stuff that we’d seek for pleasure
-what do you seek for pleasure? - functional savior. What do you think about? Spend time on? Money on? (Me and food!) (Calvin and waking up and falling asleep)
-sin list 2 – (3:8, 9) – a bunch of ways that we use words to hurt each other
-We do these things because we either are hurting or because we want to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. Words! (Jas. 1:19)
-Ex: my cheating ex
-4 Solutions
-We belong to the next world (v. 5 – the therefore) and will be glorified with Jesus
-v. 6 – the wrath of God falls on such things
-no fear of wrath
-hate what God hates – then you’ll kill it
-vv. 7, 9, 10 – we have a new self which God is renewing in knowledge
-v. 11 – Jesus is our prize and our power and our highest value
3:12-17 – Act like who God’s remade you to be.
-4 Commands
1-Love! (12-15)
-seeking others’ happiness
-what prevents us? Trying to get happiness here (rather than above)
-Ex. Of helping dudes with stuff after their church service vs. me sleeping/getting groceries
2-Let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts
-contra anxiety
-comes from trust in his being King and loving us, through prayer
-Phil. 4:6, 7
3-Let Christ’s word dwell among us richly (explain)
-results in…
-what prevents us? Lack of attentiveness. Like entertaining teaching/books. Not believing that the word is powerful. Not wanting to do the work of paying attention or serious study. Not enjoying God as he’s revealed in it, but enjoying other things…
-ex: my 5 minutes a day in high school
4-Always act for Jesus’ glory (part of which is giving thanks)
-what prevents us from doing that?
-not seeing Jesus’ glory (from Scripture)!
-not loving him; rather, loving our lives here
-ex: faith healers
-other ex: doing ministry stuff to impress opposite sex
-just apathy towards Jesus(!) - maybe humanitarianism?
-4 Ways God solves our problems
1 -v. 12 – ‘then’
-conclusion – we’re totally new because of Jesus – being renewed(!)
-stop beating the crap out of yourself! You are new and God is working if you have believed! Rather, trust and obey!
2 -v. 12 – ‘chosen, holy, and loved’
-You’re in Christ and guaranteed heaven because God loved you, not because of what you did. God started bringing you to heaven, he’s working in you – believe!
-Certain future = freedom to love because nothing here to gain!
3 -v. 13 – forgiven!
-forgiveness guarantees your eternity – free to forgive!
-Remember Christ’s Kingdom is guaranteed for you!
-persecutions, etc. – mean nothing!
-ex: Stephen
4 -v. 16 – the word of Christ given to us!
-2 Cor. 3:18
-seeing his glory is through the word!!!
-transforms us to glorify Christ!
-letters from a loved one (if Lace and I didn’t have phone calls – and even with them – those letters are a little bit of who she is – shows me her. Makes me enjoy and love her.)
So we’ve seen 4 commands…
And we as Christians obey them as a result of the gospel, through faith! (The POINT!)
The gospel is…
As we believe in the gospel, God works in us and causes us to obey for the sake of his glory.
Pray
Intro – Misconception re: Christianity – lifestyle that is about rules.
-it’s not, it’s about how Jesus brings every believer in him to his Kingdom!
-but sometimes even for us that believe that, we express a bunch of lifestyle stuff as if that’s Christianity – sometimes in preaching, in Bible studies, even in conversations, in how we try to live like Jesus wants. And being saved is almost an afterthought.
-That is subChristian thinking. In God’s word, any lifestyle stuff that Christians are commanded to do is always in light of and caused by The HS, through what Jesus’ cross purchased for us.
Series:
Our problem – we see commands in the Scriptures and try really hard to obey. And we fail.
MBI – What God wants us to see tonight is this: if you have trusted Jesus, he’s bringing you into his Kingdom – and nothing will stop him. Our lifestyle should – and by his power, will, reflect that. In other words: Jesus’ saving us results in change in our behavior.
4 Commands we break, and how Jesus fixes our sin problem:
Pray
-Don’t use man-made ways of trying to reach God - 2:20-33
-What was going on in Colassae?
-Command – don’t try to grow in spirituality or holiness like non-Christians!
-Examples of ways the world pursues spirituality:
-nature. Music. Books which teach things other than Scripture. Psychology. Obeying laws created by our feelings, candles, art, reason (atheism), prayer ‘creativity’, humanitarianism
-how we do similar things!
-ex: me and logic, as opposed to trusting the Spirit and the word
-Certainly nothing listed is all bad; but must be seen thru lens of SCRIPTURE
in dependence on Scripture and prayer – and nothing else!
-Result if not: a new law. Certain experiences ID-ed as godliness. Practices mandated and others get judged. God and his word cease being our authority, and experience is God – not Jesus.
-Example: music fight against the old school music people. Now, attack on old school music!
-Solution: We died with Jesus to the elemental spirits
-elemental spirits?
-God will judge the world for its rebellion
-we’ve been judged in Christ and are forgiven
-and so the old ways that humanity tries – and fails – to connect with God (even if they ‘feel’ stuff) don’t apply
-Therefore, know that because of Jesus death, we are no longer governed by the world’s futile philosophies. So trust that Jesus has reconciled you and stop making up stuff he didn’t command! And don’t tolerate it when other people are making stuff up either! (Duet 12:32!)
-Ever try to make a dead person do something?
3:1-4 – Seek Jesus’ Kingdom.
-Command – Seek what’s above! (3:1)
-What’s above? Christ’s Kingdom! Where what he wants goes. Everything that’s of value (Christ is our life) (3:1)
-How we fail – Failing to treat Jesus like King, worthy of obedience and honor. Failing to treat him as valuable. Questions to think about on your own: areas of your life you don’t treat Jesus like King in. Things you value more than Jesus – where do you seek pleasure? Maybe good to go home pray and journal about.
-Ex: The other night, I valued a burger more than Jesus.
-4 Solutions:
-Believe in the resurrection! (3:1)
-Believe that we’re in the new world in Christ (3:1) (Neo)
-Believe that you’re dead in this world (3:3)
-Believe that in the future, the reality of this new world in you will be revealed (3:4) (1 John 3:2)
3:5-11 – Kill what’s dead.
-Kill the things in you that belong to the old world
-sin list 1 – (3:5) – a bunch of stuff that we’d seek for pleasure
-what do you seek for pleasure? - functional savior. What do you think about? Spend time on? Money on? (Me and food!) (Calvin and waking up and falling asleep)
-sin list 2 – (3:8, 9) – a bunch of ways that we use words to hurt each other
-We do these things because we either are hurting or because we want to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. Words! (Jas. 1:19)
-Ex: my cheating ex
-4 Solutions
-We belong to the next world (v. 5 – the therefore) and will be glorified with Jesus
-v. 6 – the wrath of God falls on such things
-no fear of wrath
-hate what God hates – then you’ll kill it
-vv. 7, 9, 10 – we have a new self which God is renewing in knowledge
-v. 11 – Jesus is our prize and our power and our highest value
3:12-17 – Act like who God’s remade you to be.
-4 Commands
1-Love! (12-15)
-seeking others’ happiness
-what prevents us? Trying to get happiness here (rather than above)
-Ex. Of helping dudes with stuff after their church service vs. me sleeping/getting groceries
2-Let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts
-contra anxiety
-comes from trust in his being King and loving us, through prayer
-Phil. 4:6, 7
3-Let Christ’s word dwell among us richly (explain)
-results in…
-what prevents us? Lack of attentiveness. Like entertaining teaching/books. Not believing that the word is powerful. Not wanting to do the work of paying attention or serious study. Not enjoying God as he’s revealed in it, but enjoying other things…
-ex: my 5 minutes a day in high school
4-Always act for Jesus’ glory (part of which is giving thanks)
-what prevents us from doing that?
-not seeing Jesus’ glory (from Scripture)!
-not loving him; rather, loving our lives here
-ex: faith healers
-other ex: doing ministry stuff to impress opposite sex
-just apathy towards Jesus(!) - maybe humanitarianism?
-4 Ways God solves our problems
1 -v. 12 – ‘then’
-conclusion – we’re totally new because of Jesus – being renewed(!)
-stop beating the crap out of yourself! You are new and God is working if you have believed! Rather, trust and obey!
2 -v. 12 – ‘chosen, holy, and loved’
-You’re in Christ and guaranteed heaven because God loved you, not because of what you did. God started bringing you to heaven, he’s working in you – believe!
-Certain future = freedom to love because nothing here to gain!
3 -v. 13 – forgiven!
-forgiveness guarantees your eternity – free to forgive!
-Remember Christ’s Kingdom is guaranteed for you!
-persecutions, etc. – mean nothing!
-ex: Stephen
4 -v. 16 – the word of Christ given to us!
-2 Cor. 3:18
-seeing his glory is through the word!!!
-transforms us to glorify Christ!
-letters from a loved one (if Lace and I didn’t have phone calls – and even with them – those letters are a little bit of who she is – shows me her. Makes me enjoy and love her.)
So we’ve seen 4 commands…
And we as Christians obey them as a result of the gospel, through faith! (The POINT!)
The gospel is…
As we believe in the gospel, God works in us and causes us to obey for the sake of his glory.
Pray
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Talk Notes - Colossians 1:24-2:19
-What we believes -> what we do. What we do has consequences
-ex. Jumping off a building cuz I think I can fly
-The same affects our spiritual lives – but much more insidiously –
-our experiences
-our feelings
-our preferences
-the seemingly wise thoughts of Christian teachers/authors
-Series
-MBI – Jesus must be Lord over all we think.
-To do – Cling to the Scriptures as true, and be skeptical of spiritual ‘truths’ not defended by Scripture.
-3 points
-Pray
-Knowing about Paul’s suffering shows us what to think (1:24, 2:1)
-examples of suffering – 2 Cor. 11:23-28
-weird! What’d you think if someone was telling you about how much they -suffered for you. Like your mom talking about labor?
-2 Purposes:
1) to show off Jesus’ suffering
-filling up what is lacking (1:24)
-redemption not lacking. (see 1:13, 14)
-actual physical presence lacking (Phil. 2:30)
-we lack Paul, but have his writing!
-Harry Potter knew of his mom’s suffering for him by word and by the suffering of others for him
-The example of Paul shows us reality of Jesus
-it supplements Paul’s service of the church, which is preaching the word (1:24- 27)
-Service always has the word in it!
-word is about this thing humanity has waited for – Jesus bringing us to glory (1:26, 27)
-example? None – there is nothing as great as this news – Jesus bringing us to God to enjoy him forever
2) to cause them to not be deceived by other worldviews (2:1-5)
-His struggle’s goal is their knowing Jesus, and perseverance of the saints (2:2, 3, 5; 1:23)
-He says he struggles for this so that other arguments lose force (2:4).
-Struggle is proclamation (1:28) and resulting suffering he’d endure
-You only suffer for something you believe.
-Suicide bombers
-Paul’s saying that his suffering indicates his sincerity – he was commissioned by God as an apostle!
-Thus, his message, vs. other reasonings/thoughts/feelings/traditions, is authoritative.
-(repeat point)
-To persevere in faith, Jesus must govern our thinking
-In treating Jesus like Lord in how we live (2:6, 7)
-You accepted the gospel (received) (v. 6)
-You need to continue living with Jesus as Lord
-passives – him causing the growth (incl. doctrine) (2:7)
-active – giving thanks (vs. being grateful) (2:7)
-Ex: Getting married because of love. Keep loving your spouse.
-In not being taken captive by worldly philosophy
-which is from human tradition (2:8) (define)
-(examples from books (virgin birth, God as a risk taker))
-demonic(!) (2:8)
4 reasons to not be taken by worldly philosophy – (repeat point throughout)
-1) Christ is God (2:9) (all of God! Treat him like it! Source of truth!)
-2) Christians have been filled ‘in him’ – the head of all things
-2:10
-i.e. – we don’t lack. Salvation is ours!
-we try to get happiness because we believe we lack
-sex, money, showing off, ministry, thru worship
-we forget that Jesus is giving us all happiness in him
-belief often comes from desire. We’ve been filled in Christ. Don’t desire other things
-3) Christians have been forgiven through him (2:11-14) – explain
-we’ve been cut out of the old world (v. 11)
-this is by dying and rising with Christ through faith (v. 12)
-not baptism (but a picture and confirmation it is)
-without hands
-not main verb – made alive thru faith is
-justification is thru faith alone (rom. 4, etc.)
-that life is by Jesus’ dying in our place (vv. 13, 14)
-4) This forgiveness thru the cross is God’s triumph over philosophy
-human philosophies are demonic (rulers, authorities – table of demons – Satan being a liar)
-God glorified himself in the shame of philosophies –
-salvation was always around
-Satan’s goal – destroying God’s glory by killing his image
-but now salvation is sealed by the cross!
-the cross and resurrection
-answers the problem of evil
-shows infinite love
-shows infinite justice
-gives meaning (forgiveness, death to this world, glory)
-is a historical event – not mere philosophy
-repeat point
-Jesus must be Lord over our spiritual lives
-What were the false teachers teaching?
-v. 16, 17 – explain
-v. 18 – explain
-Sounds foreign a bit – but why did they teach these things?
-experience
-growth (v. 19)
-Big mistake - advocating things Scripture doesn’t command to experience God/grow
-2nd Commandment (explain)
-doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy God’s creation (1 tim 4:1-5 - explain)
-does mean we seek to experience God and grow by what he’s commanded alone
-Scriptures (God communicates savingly)
-Prayer – we respond verbally
-Fellowship – we talk about what he’s revealed
-The Lord’s supper/Baptism
-So Jesus must be Lord over how we seek him. As we cling to him, he will cause us, corporately, to grow. (v. 19)
-To conclude, we’ve seen that Jesus must be Lord over all we think and do.
-3 points…
-Our response must be to cling to the Scriptures as true – and be skeptical of any spiritual ‘truth’ not taught in Scripture.
-Remember 1:21-23. (explain) (Christ’s cross work renews our minds, so we’ll be presented before God as blameless – if we persevere in the faith.)
-Pray
-ex. Jumping off a building cuz I think I can fly
-The same affects our spiritual lives – but much more insidiously –
-our experiences
-our feelings
-our preferences
-the seemingly wise thoughts of Christian teachers/authors
-Series
-MBI – Jesus must be Lord over all we think.
-To do – Cling to the Scriptures as true, and be skeptical of spiritual ‘truths’ not defended by Scripture.
-3 points
-Pray
-Knowing about Paul’s suffering shows us what to think (1:24, 2:1)
-examples of suffering – 2 Cor. 11:23-28
-weird! What’d you think if someone was telling you about how much they -suffered for you. Like your mom talking about labor?
-2 Purposes:
1) to show off Jesus’ suffering
-filling up what is lacking (1:24)
-redemption not lacking. (see 1:13, 14)
-actual physical presence lacking (Phil. 2:30)
-we lack Paul, but have his writing!
-Harry Potter knew of his mom’s suffering for him by word and by the suffering of others for him
-The example of Paul shows us reality of Jesus
-it supplements Paul’s service of the church, which is preaching the word (1:24- 27)
-Service always has the word in it!
-word is about this thing humanity has waited for – Jesus bringing us to glory (1:26, 27)
-example? None – there is nothing as great as this news – Jesus bringing us to God to enjoy him forever
2) to cause them to not be deceived by other worldviews (2:1-5)
-His struggle’s goal is their knowing Jesus, and perseverance of the saints (2:2, 3, 5; 1:23)
-He says he struggles for this so that other arguments lose force (2:4).
-Struggle is proclamation (1:28) and resulting suffering he’d endure
-You only suffer for something you believe.
-Suicide bombers
-Paul’s saying that his suffering indicates his sincerity – he was commissioned by God as an apostle!
-Thus, his message, vs. other reasonings/thoughts/feelings/traditions, is authoritative.
-(repeat point)
-To persevere in faith, Jesus must govern our thinking
-In treating Jesus like Lord in how we live (2:6, 7)
-You accepted the gospel (received) (v. 6)
-You need to continue living with Jesus as Lord
-passives – him causing the growth (incl. doctrine) (2:7)
-active – giving thanks (vs. being grateful) (2:7)
-Ex: Getting married because of love. Keep loving your spouse.
-In not being taken captive by worldly philosophy
-which is from human tradition (2:8) (define)
-(examples from books (virgin birth, God as a risk taker))
-demonic(!) (2:8)
4 reasons to not be taken by worldly philosophy – (repeat point throughout)
-1) Christ is God (2:9) (all of God! Treat him like it! Source of truth!)
-2) Christians have been filled ‘in him’ – the head of all things
-2:10
-i.e. – we don’t lack. Salvation is ours!
-we try to get happiness because we believe we lack
-sex, money, showing off, ministry, thru worship
-we forget that Jesus is giving us all happiness in him
-belief often comes from desire. We’ve been filled in Christ. Don’t desire other things
-3) Christians have been forgiven through him (2:11-14) – explain
-we’ve been cut out of the old world (v. 11)
-this is by dying and rising with Christ through faith (v. 12)
-not baptism (but a picture and confirmation it is)
-without hands
-not main verb – made alive thru faith is
-justification is thru faith alone (rom. 4, etc.)
-that life is by Jesus’ dying in our place (vv. 13, 14)
-4) This forgiveness thru the cross is God’s triumph over philosophy
-human philosophies are demonic (rulers, authorities – table of demons – Satan being a liar)
-God glorified himself in the shame of philosophies –
-salvation was always around
-Satan’s goal – destroying God’s glory by killing his image
-but now salvation is sealed by the cross!
-the cross and resurrection
-answers the problem of evil
-shows infinite love
-shows infinite justice
-gives meaning (forgiveness, death to this world, glory)
-is a historical event – not mere philosophy
-repeat point
-Jesus must be Lord over our spiritual lives
-What were the false teachers teaching?
-v. 16, 17 – explain
-v. 18 – explain
-Sounds foreign a bit – but why did they teach these things?
-experience
-growth (v. 19)
-Big mistake - advocating things Scripture doesn’t command to experience God/grow
-2nd Commandment (explain)
-doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy God’s creation (1 tim 4:1-5 - explain)
-does mean we seek to experience God and grow by what he’s commanded alone
-Scriptures (God communicates savingly)
-Prayer – we respond verbally
-Fellowship – we talk about what he’s revealed
-The Lord’s supper/Baptism
-So Jesus must be Lord over how we seek him. As we cling to him, he will cause us, corporately, to grow. (v. 19)
-To conclude, we’ve seen that Jesus must be Lord over all we think and do.
-3 points…
-Our response must be to cling to the Scriptures as true – and be skeptical of any spiritual ‘truth’ not taught in Scripture.
-Remember 1:21-23. (explain) (Christ’s cross work renews our minds, so we’ll be presented before God as blameless – if we persevere in the faith.)
-Pray
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