Rooted, Built Up and Established in Christ

I would like to encourage us to apply Colossians 2:6-8 that says:

Col 2:6-8 “Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and being built up in Him, and having been established in your faith—just as you were instructed—and abounding with thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Historically, God has used people who are deeply rooted in their faith to make a difference in the world.

Like Abraham of old, the church is, WE are, blessed to BE a blessing to the world.

We are able to do that best when we are devoted to the truth of God’s Word and dedicated to living it out.

Can those things be said of our lives?

Are we a blessing to the world?

Are we devoted to the Word of God?

How often to we read it?

How often do we study it (very different)?

Why?

Do we live it out?

On Thursday, October 19th from 1-3 pm you have an opportunity to live out Christ.

Not only have we been invited to come volunteer to help seniors get from one activity to another safely, we have been given an opportunity to share Jesus with the residents.

Openly, boldly, lovingly.

I really hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.

PLEASE do so!

And yet the FRUIT of our lives can be directly correlated to the ROOTS of our lives.

On what do we build our lives?

Jesus said in Luke 6:44–45 (LSB) “… each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a bramble bush. 45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil. For his mouth speaks from the abundance of his heart.

What comes out of our mouth every day?

What does it reveal about the abundance of our heart?

An abundance that reveals the roots of our life.

The more our lives are built on the Word of God, the more our lives reflect the Christ of the Word.

A life built on Jesus overflows with purpose and meaning.

The Bible compares this kind of connection to a vine with many branches.

The vine provides the nourishment and power for the branches to produce wonderful things.

The same is true with us.

When we are connected to the vine (Christ), we experience the full life offered in the Gospel.

We must walk as says:

Col 2:7 “having been firmly rooted and being built up in Him, and having been established in your faith—just as you were instructed—and abounding with thanksgiving.”

Are we firmly rooted in Jesus?

Firmly rooted in His Love, His Grace, in the Holy Spirit, in holiness?

Do crises, circumstances, pressures, stresses of life easily shake our roots? Our foundation in Jesus?

If so, may the same zeal for getting rooted in Christ that we had in receiving Christ.

Herein may the problem.

How did you accept Jesus?

Was it a mere repetition of a prayer the altar worker or preacher or friend told you to say?

Words without meaning? Without significance? Without impact on our lives?

Then you probably get shaken every time some adversity comes into your life.

But if your salvation experience shook you to your core AND you continue to follow Jesus with a passion, then you are growing in Jesus.

You are most likely coming to the place that you say:

Let the winds blow, the rains beat against us, the lightning strike, the earth quake, the fires burn — none of this matters … I am holding FIRMLY to Jesus, I am firmly anchored IN Him.

So then, let us be built up in Him.

Certainly not living like we did BEFORE repentance and surrender.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, not living like we did when we were first born again.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, constantly putting our roots down deeper in Jesus.

Having our foundation on Him and not shifting sand of this world.

Walking every day in the way we received Jesus:

In joy and thanksgiving.

Thankful for the Atoning Blood of Jesus

Especially being thankful for the Blood of Jesus that purchased our salvation in the first place.

In a few minutes, at 11:35 am, Yom Kippur will begin in Israel.

It is the holiest day of the year for Israel.

Leviticus 16:29–30 (LSB) “And this shall be a perpetual statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native or the sojourner who sojourns among you; 30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before Yahweh.

Better than the High Priest going into the Holy of holies in the Tabernacle or the Temple ,

2000 years ago, Jesus went into the TRUE Holy of holies and made atonement for any who will believe on Him.

A few week ago I received a newsletter from one of our missionaries to Israel, Jack

He included in his newsletter some information on Yom Kippur (pronounce as you see fit).

The article was entitled:

Yom Kippur - Mystery on Mount Moriah

By the way, how many went to see Route 60 this past Monday or Tuesday?

I’d love to hear your comments on the movie.

But, back to Jack and his article.

He starts out by quoting:

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. ebrew 9:12

This is the essence of the TRUE Yom Kippur which literally means “Day of Atonement”

Jack tells us:

Jewish history records several mysterious events on Yom Kippur before the Holy Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

On this day, the High priest would reach both hands into a special box containing two lots - one inscribed "For the LORD," the other, "For Azazel," the scapegoat. (Lev.16:8-10)

He then placed those lots upon the two goats on his right and left.

Regarding this, the Talmud records a mystery:

"During the tenure of Shimon HaTzaddik, the lot for God always arose in the High Priest's right hand (a good sign); after his death, it occurred only occasionally; but during the forty years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple, the lot for God did not arise in the High Priest's right hand at all." Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 38B

A second mystery involves the crimson cord placed on the scapegoat.

It would miraculously turn white, signifying God's acceptance of the sin offering.

However, during the forty years before the Temple's destruction, it NEVER turned white! "During the forty years prior…the strip of crimson wool that was tied to the head of the goat that was sent to Azazel did not turn white...." Yoma 39B What dramatic event happened forty years before 70 AD that affected the acceptance of the Yom Kippur Sacrifice?

I believe the New Testament provides the answer.

These mysterious signs began the very year Yeshua was crucified - 30 AD.

At His crucifixion, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom, a dramatic sign that His death was accepted.

Yeshua, our great High Priest, was crucified outside the "camp" (Jerusalem) forty years before the destruction of the Temple.

Israel waited in the courtyard each Yom Kippur, anticipating the High Priest to emerge through the veil, having completed all to bring atonement.

In like manner, we await on this side of eternity's curtain the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds, confident that His blood cleanses us from all our sins!

The Lord’s Supper

As I said a few minutes ago, we need to be thankful that Jesus shed His Blood to wash away our sin.

Is that what you experienced when you “received Christ” Col 2:6

I pray that when you repented of your sins and surrendered control of your life, that you felt overwhelming thankfulness.

And still do!

Jesus gave His body to be beaten.

He sacrificed Himself on the cross.

He poured out of His powerful, precious blood.

If you have not asked Jesus to forgive your sins...

If you have not surrendered your life.

I encourage you to do so now.

Just pray...

Father, I come to You in Jesus’ Name.

I ask that you forgive me of all my sins and enable me to walk a different way — a HOLY way.

I surrender control of my life to You.

Amen.

If you really meant that when you prayed, then you have been born again.

You are worthy to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Before any of us partake, we need to make sure we do so in a worthy manner.

1 Corinthians 11:27–28 (NLT) … anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

I’m not trying to exclude anyone.

I’m trying to get us all to repent of our sins BEFORE you partake.

Ephesians 5:25–27 (NASB95) … Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

John 15:3 (NASB95) “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Prayer

If you have made yourself worthy to partake, I invite you to do so.

You don’t have to be a member.

Beginning with the Worship Team ...

Come:

1. Break the bread

2. Get a cup

3. Hold elements

4. Stand (or sit) across the front.

5. We will all partake together.

Bread

1. 1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (NLT) For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

2. Prayer (Rick)

3. End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

4. Partake

Cup

1 Corinthians 11:25 (NLT) In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”

Prayer (Michelle)

1. End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Partake

Jesus is coming soon!

1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT) For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

He IS coming again!

G. Dismiss with Hymn