Fully Alive
Fully Alive • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro:
o Zest: Jingles/Babababa/Live Mas/Mentos
“for the first time in your life, feel really clean.” “You’re not fully clean...”
Application: Spiritual lives—after church service, feeling dirty
o Why the resurrection matters
Central theme/1 Cor. 15:16-19
16For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
16For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; 17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
18Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
18Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.
· But that’s not our story.
truth I pray we really grab onto...
Christ is fully alive so that we might fully live.
Christ is fully alive so that we might fully live.
Colossians 2:8-15 (NASB 2020)
8See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.
8See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.
9For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority;
9For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority;
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings,
13And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings,
14having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
14having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
o Colossae: strong start, distracted, some confusing them with strange teachings
Paul not OK with "Jesus alts.” We have a SIN problem that can’t be philosophized.
the burden of sin. Here it is…
It’s Possible To Live Without Being Fully Alive.
It’s Possible To Live Without Being Fully Alive.
o Col. 2:13-14
Paul has to stir their hearts and remind them of their previous condition—spiritually dead
He tells them, “You were…”
1. Dead--Colossians 2:13a
1. Dead--Colossians 2:13a
13And when you were dead in your wrongdoings.
13And when you were dead in your wrongdoings.
no way to sugar-coat it. They were dead/ stepping outside of a boundary. Deaf to his voice, numb
Breathing but not alive. Numb
But also
2. Denied
2. Denied
“…and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings…”
“…and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings…”
Dead in uncircumcision of flesh means denied according to the Law of Moses. Have-nots
o Harrier: Denied access to that aspect of friendship.
· Paul walking down memory lane/showing them hard truth re:the Law, they’re denied entry.
So let’s go the next one, shall we?
3. Debt
3. Debt
starting to get heavy/Wrongdoing, denied and disqualified, and now indebted/Feel the weight
Sin is like a certificate of debt. “too much money at the end of the month,” we feel like “too much month at the end of the money.”
Here’s how Paul puts it…
Colossians 2:14a
Colossians 2:14a
14 “having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us…”
14 “having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us…”
Here’s what that means.
o Certificate of Debt: charges, debt. A promissory note.
Imprisoned due to no payment/Roman culture nailed cert. to prison door.: length, amount..
Application
o Dead-End JOB-- frustrating moments were working in a dead-end job that did little to nothing to provide for us.
trapped in a hopeless, helpless, vicious cycle: living, working, striving, joyless. Dark cell no way to pay
Romans 7:24 (NASB 2020) 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Romans 7:24 (NASB 2020) 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
· But sometimes those desperate measures reach for dead promises.
Life is full of dead promises.
Life is full of dead promises.
o ‘Quack patent medicines’
· 1800s--“patent medicines.”—elixirs, oils, dangerous ingredients/Empty promises
Dr. Pepper: Brain Tonic, Coca Cola: Health Drink/Pepsi: Antacid—Ingredients: cocaine, opium, alcohol, petroleum, arsenic
1906, President Teddy created the “Pure Food and Drug Act” targeting dangerous ingredients and went after deceptive advertising
Colossians. 2:8 (NASB 2020)
Colossians. 2:8 (NASB 2020)
8See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.
8See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.
o Kidnapped!
Greek “to be carried off, plundered, led captive, made a victim by fraud.”[4]try to lure a child with candy/Plunder riches of Christ
· The stumbling blocks of the Colossians are stumbling blocks to the Americans, as well.
o Work Makes Free[5]
Auschwitz, Dachau, and other Nazi concentration camps, “Arbeit Macht Frei.” (ar-bait makt fray)/“Work makes free.”
John 8:32—“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
- Another empty promise with devastating results.
Transition
·Lk 24:17/Jesus asked what they were talking about, verse 17 says, “…And they stood still, looking sad…/speak of Jesus of Nazareth, mighty prophet, and arrest, trial, & crucifixion./Verse 21--“…But we had hope that he was the one to redeem Israel.”. Now what?
Jesus taught on Moses all the way through the Prophets about Himself/recognized Him
· “Did not our hearts burn within us while talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”
life is full of dead promises, Jesus is our Living Hope!
Christ is fully alive so that we might fully live.
Christ is fully alive so that we might fully live.
I want to read vv. 9-13 in full in the Message translation, because I want us to understand the fullness of what Paul wants to convey.
THE MESSAGE: Col. 2:9-13 (The Message)—Card
Now look with me at vv. 14-15.
14having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
14having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
· He “canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us.”: “wiped out, erased, obliterated.”
“taken it out of the way.” “raised up,” and “lifted away!” CROSS/practice of canceling a debt by striking a nail through the writing.[6]
o Nail Certificate of Debt to the Cross
o Picture Yourself
o Victory Parade
Application
· What’s so great about Resurrection? Everything!
Stand.
o Wellington Defeated the Enemy[7]
June 18, 1815, Winchester Cathedral in England/lights./England edge of seat/Duke of Wellington, Napolean/Iron grip on all but England/Battle of Waterloo: French or free?
signal, fog/“Wellington defeated.”/signaled to other station/Wellington defeated/momentous reversal: the fog lifted,“Wellington defeated (pause) the enemy.”
After the cross, the message communicated was “Jesus Defeated...”
Altar
· “Jesus Defeated…the Enemy.”
· “Work Makes Free”
· The message was “Wellington defeated (pause) the enemy.”
Tried other things, but sin is sin