Christmas in Colossians (2)

ALIVE IN CHRIST

Last Night Recap:

Last Night we looked at the first Gift, and it was that:

“Jesus Christ is Superior over ALL!”

Jesus holds the IMAGE of GOD

Jesus is the only one who can present you HOLY & BLAMELESS before GOD

The Second gift that I have for you is that, “We can Only be ALIVE IN JESUS CHRIST”

Colossians 2:13-15 says,

“13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him”.

POINT #1) We ALL were once DEAD…

DEAD = characterized by lack of spiritual life or vigor; being completely indifferent toward the things of God…

And notice this word Dead is being used an adjective, meaning it is being used to describe something… and that something it is describing is YOU..

Look at verse 13), “13) And YOU, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh…”

Once upon a time, I once worked at a Funeral Home. I was in college and I needed a flexible job that paid a decent amount… My good friend was like, “Hey”… your a nice a guy, you should work at the Funeral Home with me…

I was completely broke at the time and the job paid $12.00 an hour… And $12.00 an hour for a part-time, flexible gig back and they day was a steal so I took the job…

I had a couple of roles, I was a greeter, cleaner, escort, and even an assistant to the embalmer… And the role that stood out to me the most was the role of the embalmer… You see the embalmer was someone who prepared the dead corpse for the funeral…

And there are two primary reasons an embalmer would prepare the dead corpse…

Reason #1) So that on the day of the funeral and visitation, the family and friends would be able to look upon their lost loved one and have a moment of reflection, remembrance, and an opportunity to say goodbye to their loved one…

Reason #2) To disinfect (to clean and remove bacteria from the body), preserve (maintain the body’s current state - delay the process of decay and decomposition), and restore the body to reflect and eased appearance and stature…

But the number one thing that I learned from my time as an assistant embalmer… is that the body is lifeless, dead, an empty shell, and without being… The dead bodies were cold, lifeless, stiff, without color, and without character… I can remember, I was asked to move the hands of a dead corpse to the proper position… meaning that one hand would rest on-top of the other… and I can remember the hands being so cold and stiff that I had to use most of my strength just to get the hand to move in the proper position…

Friends, we may not be physical dead… but spiritually we are no different… our hearts are cold, calloused, made of concrete - rough, not smooth, without a pulse, without a beat, unable to move… our hearts are without love, without joy, without peace, and without a desire for the one true God… we are spiritually and utterly dead in our trespasses and sins… ours sins have polluted our heart with poison …unable to see our savior and left to spiritually decay and rot… I am no different spiritually than the people I saw who were dead on a table at the funeral home… and neither are you…

Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you were DEAD in your trespasses and sins...”

Question: Have you truly realized that you are spiritually dead and lifeless apart of Jesus Christ?

Remember… the Word Dead in Colossians 2:13-15 is described as being characterized by a lack of spiritual life or vigor; being completely indifferent towards the things of God…

Are you someone who lacks spiritual life? Are you indifferent to the things of God? Do you get excited about God and the life that he given you through Jesus Christ? Or are you unmoved, unshaken, without excitement, and indifferent to the things of God? If so, you are dead…

POINT #2) Only God can make you ALIVE through JESUS CHRIST

Colossians 2:13

“13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made ALIVE together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

This word ALIVE is being used as a verb and it means = “to make someone alive supernaturally along with another or others”

We do not get the credit for our salvation… please understand that there was nothing about you that was good, pleasant, or pleasing to God when he saved you…

Romans 5:8 says, “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In other words, God sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for you while you were at your worst, when there was nothing good about you, while you were rebelling against him in your sin, while you thought about sin instead of your savior, while you followed sin instead of the great shepherd, while you were at your worst… God sent his Son to die on a cross to save you…

God receives the praise, God receives the glory, God is the only one who can boast about what he does best - which is saving sinners like you and me, making us alive through Christ Jesus…

Question: When you talk about your Salvation, is it all about you… or is it all about God and his Son Jesus Christ? When you talk about your Salvation that you received from God the Father… how do you describe it…

Example: I was saved at this age… I was saved at this church… I prayed this prayer… I go to this church… my testimony is about me and all that I do and how I realized that I needed God…

Example #2: God saved me at this age… God showed me that I needed His Grace and Jesus Christ… God in his mercy saved a sinner like me… God gave me his Grace that I did not deserve… God showed me a love that I had never experienced before…

Is it about God & Jesus Christ or about you? Because only God can save and make us alive through Jesus Christ…

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “8)For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast”.

BOAST = to show off verbally…

If you have been made alive through faith in Jesus Christ… you are simply an example of Gods Grace… Only God can supernaturally make you alive in Christ…

Point #3) God made us ALIVE through the CROSS

having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him”.

Paul is emphasizing and drawing our attention to the significance of the crucifixion… because it is at the crucifixion that we see Jesus embodying and taking on the debt of all of humanities sins… and as Jesus hung on the cross he bore our shame and our iniquity and our sin… and yes Jesus was nailed to the cross but so where our sins… And God the Father poured out his wrath upon Jesus and Jesus took it all, he drank the cup of the wrath of God that was meant for sinners like you and me dry… therefore paying for all sins, the ones committed in the past, the ones committed in present, and the ones committed in the future… paid in full… taken care of… no longer holding any power or weight over us…

John 19:30 says, “30) 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

praise God and his Son Jesus Christ!

The sin debt has been paid - finished…

Question: Do you realize what Jesus has done for you? When you think about and see Jesus hanging on the cross, do you realize he had you in mind? That he took on your sins? That he took on the wrath of God so that you wouldn't have to? Is the cross and crucifixion personal to you?

Please come to Jesus Christ today… put your faith and hope in the finished work of the cross today… and if you have done that already… keep looking to the cross… keep putting your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ…

I was leading the high school group with Kade a couple of weeks ago and he brought up a fantastic analogy… Today, in this moment… God is holding back his wrath against all of those who have not turned to Jesus… the other hand however is extended and reaching out towards you and this world… Today Gods grace, mercy, love, compassion, and Son Jesus christ is still available to you… and he is saying come to me today…

But there will be a day… when God does not hold back his wrath on those who have not turned to his Son Jesus Christ for salvation…

Today his hand is stretched out towards you… come to Christ today…