These are the notes from yesterday's sermon. For the entire message, go to the church website (click on "sermons" in the menu across the top) and download the sermon.
• What captivates you?
The world would have you captivated by things.
The Bottom Line: - you’re either relying on philosophy, which is empty deceit, human tradition (things we come up with on our own), which all lines up with the basic principles of this world (which are going to lead us to spiritual immaturity), or you’re relying on Christ. Two sides of the coin: one or the other
• The goal every time we meet is to exalt Christ in corporate worship and, as a result of the power of His Word (as presented in Scripture), to learn to more fully rely on Him (in whom we move and live and have our being)
Why? Because in Him - in Christ - the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily - and you have been filled in Him.
His deity is complete - it is completeness - and we will only be complete when we are trusting fully in Him.
I don’t want you to end up being dragged off, taken captive....
1. The Remedy is Christ
• The complete deity, the glorious majesty of Christ and His complete sufficiency are the foundation that we build everything on. It’s the starting point and the central focus of Christianity.
Two Keys: In Him and with Him
In Him - verse 9, 10, 11, & 15
With Him - Verses 12 & 13
• In
A position. In proximity to. A place that you come to. More a state. In the lake. In the house. Written In pencil. Bound in leather.
• with
a participant alongside. I’m with you. We’re here together. I’m in the car with you. We’re going there together.
• Deity
The whole fullness of deity. fullness - the emphasis is completeness - totality. All of who God is - Jesus is.
• Old Testament - Temple
In the Old Testament, the presence of God dwelled in the Temple. When Christ died - the curtain was torn in two
• New Testament - Christ
In the New Testament the presence of God is Christ in you, the hope of glory. If God manifested Himself in Christ - we should pay attention to that, right? He should hold the central focus of our attention.
• It’s all about Christ’s unshared supremacy.
Only one can hold the top spot.
• “The whole glorious total of what God is, the supreme Nature in its infinite entirety” is in Christ
verse 10 - and you have been filled in him
• Completeness
We are complete in Christ. We are justified - we have been declared “not guilty” The word for “filled” in this verse is the same verb as “fullness” in verse 9.
If you’re not satisfied in Christ alone
1. You desire something better than & more excellent than God
2. You are ungrateful because you’re seeking something you already have
The results of our being filled are eternal.
The Fall makes us incomplete because:
• Spiritually - we are out of fellowship with God totally
• Morally - we live outside of Gods will
• Mentally - we don’t know the truth (the divine truth)
At salvation we are made complete because:
• Spiritually - we now have fellowship with God
We have been reconciled - Christ died 1 Peter 3:18 – to bring us to God
• Morally - we recognize the authority of God’s will
1 John 5 - love God... obey His commandments
• Mentally - we know the truth about ultimate reality
1 Corinthians 1:18 - the power of God.
The idea that a believer lacks anything is crazy talk. (2 Peter 1:3)
• If you’re a believer - you have all you need
You have Christ. You don’t need anything else.
• Is your life truly focused on Christ?
How do you do that practically?
Well - how do you do that with another person? (Texting, notes, learn about them, ID Bracelets, etc.) The point is this - you know how to focus on Christ, you probably just haven’t thought it through.
2. How it Works:
The healings that Jesus did made people completely healthy
So then, the spiritual work He does in us makes us completely saved, not just mostly saved.
The more I study the Bible, the more convinced I become that I had nothing to do with my own salvation.
• It’s not a wide bridge that goes most of the way across
There are those who think about salvation like a wide bridge. What Jesus did gets you most of the way across. That’s what the false teachers at Colosse were teaching.
• It’s a narrow bridge that goes all the way across
Jesus didn’t die to come and make it possible for us to get there.
• Jesus accomplished the redemption of His children.
Jesus came and did all of the work for His children. His work on the cross was complete and total. And He did accomplish something on the cross - He accomplished the redemption and sanctification of His children. (remember, He said “it is finished” (meaning: accomplished)
He died on the cross that He might bring us to God.
• Matthew 7:13-14
So how does it work? What did Jesus do?
• Spiritual, not Physical
Verse 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,
It appears that the false teachers, like the Judiaizers, taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. But Paul pointed out that that was never the case.
Jew, not outwardly.... It was a matter of the heart, and it’s always been about the heart.
Jew, not outwardly.... It was a matter of the heart, and it’s always been about the heart.
Romans 2:25, Deuteronomy 10:16, Jeremiah 4:4 & 9:26
• Circumcision was never meant to save - it was always about the necessity of the cleansing of the heart.
Circumcise here is a metaphor for the transition from the old life to the new.
• It’s the “putting off” of the “sinful nature”
Greek for putting off - double compound - stripping off and casting away
The idea is getting rid of a piece of filthy clothing.
The idea here is a radical change.
You were a slave to sin. But now - you have been made a slave to righteousness.
This is the circumcision of Christ: Romans 6:2-11 –
Here’s where it becomes “with Him” (verse 12)
• Buried
• Raised
• Baptism is the declaration of the putting away of the old nature.
Our life with Christ demonstrates that our sin nature has been stripped off.
• If you’re saved, you have literally been brought back from the dead.
That power energizes you and maintains life within you.
Reflection Questions
• Are you truly focused on the Remedy?
Do you really understand that there is a contrast to Christ and everything everyone else would offer you? The wide path is easy to be on. It’s right there. Where so many people are. But that bridge doesn’t go all the way across. It won’t get you there.
• How’s your Spiritual Growth Plan coming?
Do you have a plan in place to better understand all of this? Need help? Ask me - I’ll be happy to walk you through it.
• How are you focusing on Christ in practical ways?
Like you did when you were dating?
• Do you have a passion to see others know Him?
Evangelism is not an option. It’s not part of the “advanced course”
The more you think about Christ, the more you’ll do this.
• Do you really understand that sin is not the default?
If you’re a believer, your body of flesh has been removed. You no longer have to sin.
You have been given everything you need to live a godly life and grow spiritually in Christ.
• How Does your life point to Christ?
The day in day out details of your life should demonstrate that you are walking with Christ.
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