Colossians 2:16-3:4 - Be Who You Are

INTRODUCTION

IN CHRIST – Put on Christ, not declared righteous “over there”

Died with him, raised with him

In THAT Jesus of 1:15-22, what more could there be?

We also said that we have hit the transition point in this letter, Paul always writes this way, he starts with what is TRUE and then brings us to the THEREFORE, here is how you are to behave.

We also said last time that Paul was dealing with a particular problem, others were coming in and telling this young church that they needed more than just Jesus, you can see from verses 16-23 some of the things this group was telling them, Jesus was fine and all, but if they wanted real FULLNESS, they needed to not eat certain foods, or needed to celebrate certain festivals or Sabbaths, or need to deny themselves pleasures like marriage and sex, they needed to worship the spiritual world, look for visions, etc.

2:23– These things have the appearance of wisdom (how common), but are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh

We get a glimpse into why they are doing these things these guys are saying, which leads us into the next section of the letter, they think it will help in the battle against the flesh. They are new Christians, they love the Lord, and they thought as soon as they became Christians their sinful desires would die along with their old man. . .

And they know how important it is that they battle sin. They certainly don’t have the modern Christian view espoused by the bachelorette a few years ago, “Jesus loves me no matter what I do.”

1 Thess 4:3 – For this is the will of God _____________________

WOAH, HERE IT IS, WE FOUND THE VERSE . . .

Your sanctification - holyfication, made more like Jesus - that’s how I am going to start answering all the questions

Well Rene is it God’s will that I be an electrician or a preacher, this is the will of God . . .

Is it God’s will that I marry this one or that one, this is the will of God . . .

This is massive and profound, as for the particular little things in each of our lives and God’s will, which is hidden for a reason by the way, those things aren’t as crucial as this – this is God’s will for you.

I’ve never heard God speak audibly to me, but the clearest I’ve ever felt God may be saying something to me was 4 months ago . . . my life is going to be a little more difficult with a baby, but I will look more like Jesus because of this baby.

Nowhere does the Bible say, this is the will of God for you, an easy life. In many ways, this says the opposite. . .

Ariel – “Well stop praying for that”

John 17– Jesus’s prayer for us – 17:17 – Sanctify them in Truth, your Word is Truth

This is what Jesus prayed for for you, for God to sanctify You. And then he tells you the primary way that is going to happen, through the Word.

If theres any drum I want to beat here at Ohatchee until it is impressed onto your soul, it is . . .

It is the reason I preach and teach the way I do, it is the reason that most of my hours weekly are spent in the Word preparing to preach and teach the Word, its because this is where all the power is.

Isaiah 55:10-11 . . .1 Pet 1:23, 25

The Word is the way God acts in the universe– SAID Let there be Light, and it’s the primary way it works in You – sanctify them in Truth, your Word is Truth

I’m a Minister, I don’t know if yall knew that, so I take particular notice of the verses in the Bible that are for ministers – there isn’t a ton of course, but can you guess what command is by far the most common, 14 times in those few passages, preach the Word, teach the Word.

We gather here Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, to intentionally set ourselves underneath the Word, to be fed, to be sanctified.

You’re all here obviously, so I am preaching to the choir, but if I can beg anything of you as your minister, it is to prioritize the Word over all other things – it is more powerful than you think it is for your soul, for your joy, for your strength.

2:23– These things have the appearance of wisdom, but are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh

So what does Paul prescribe for battle against the flesh – Word – let’s push further, what does he prescribe IN the Word

Bad News – That was the Introduction . . . Good News – 1 Point Sermon

This is the phrase I want you to leave with in your mind today, and this is one of Paul’s main methods to your Holiness

Be What You Are

By this I emphatically do not mean, just be you, or follow your heart., do you, theres not many less Christian pieces of advice…

REALIZE WHAT IS TRUEST OF YOU, REALIZE YOU ARE NO LONGER SLAVE TO SIN

2:20– If you DIED, why are you acting as if you are still alive in the world

3:1– If you have been RAISED with Christ, seek the things that are above

This is what we spent our full time on last week, the TRUTH that you are so united to Christ, so much IN Christ, that it can be said that you died with Him.

YOU HAVE PUT ON JESUS, YOU ARE NOW IN JESUS, JESUS IS NOW IN YOU, don’t you think that should affect things?

Sometimes taking it down a level makes it more tangible - - ->

You are a Zeringue, act like it.

Alanus School – What are you most proud of (I know, its great, we get this family, church, God)

I have two sons that didn’t use to be Zeringues (Bowers, Brown etc), but who are now, and who were old enough to remember the change. They’ve learned that this family will do anything for you, they’ll support you in whatever you do, they’ll hold you accountable, they’ll watch over and protect you, they’ll be there when you fall, when you hurt we will hurt, when you rejoice we will rejoice, they will fight for you and with you, every one of us would die for you, because you are a son. Would becoming part of a family like that change the way you live? Even before the “You’re a Zeringue, act like it,” just being part of a family like that changes you.

When you go out into the world, you represent us, you are an ambassador of the entire family, when people see you they think of us, when people interact with you they think of us, when people watch you compete, they think of us. Be what you are.

That illustration is but a shadow of what it means that you are in Christ. The Zeringues Bowers Browns are a great family, but remember the Jesus Paul just talked about? FAR BETTER… YOU ARE IN HIM, YOU ARE HIS AND HE IS YOURS!

Col 1:15ff – THAT Jesus, that’s what is truest about you! Does becoming a part of HIM, being adopted into HIS family not change the way you want to live? Not change your desires? Not change your very heart? Not change how you live? Not change why you will wake up tomorrow?

You are IN CHRIST even MORE than I am a Zeringue or Alanus is a Zeringue. In Christ, not only are you representing him, an ambassador for Him, a window to Him, you are empowered by Him to do and be all of those things, He has become so united to you that it can rightfully be said that your life is Christ living through you.

AND you think the Zeringue/Bowers/Browns are a great family, YOU SHOULD SEE THIS FAMILY, FROM ALL TRIBES AND TONGUES AND NATIONS . . .

You are IN THAT JESUS, you have PUT ON that Jesus, that Jesus is now IN YOU, you now have a seat at the Family Table just for you, you are now connected to this GREAT MULTITUDE of the best humans that have ever lived in a way even moreso than your physical family, act like it.

Turn to Romans 6, which is in many ways a parallel passage to our Colossians passage – CONSIDER YOURSELVES DEAD - REALIZE

6:3-7, 11-15

Sin has no dominion over you anymore

When I go to walk my dog Rose, I put her on the leash, she knows shes on the leash and so just stays beside me. Every once in a while I’ll drop the leash and let her go, but often, she doesn’t know I dropped it . . .

You once were chained to sin, being drug around by it . . . REALIZE YOU ARE FREE, IN CHRIST, DEAD TO SIN

Why, if you died to sin, do you act as if you are still alive to it.

You are inside of the Righteous One, and the Righteous One is inside of you – that is how you can and will be holy.

Be What you Are. You are in Christ.