Don't Be Deceived // Col. 2

Intro: Who do you know who acts and speaks differently in front of larger groups than they do one-on-one?

This is perhaps the most personal portion of the book of Colossians. In the first chapter, Paul goes from speaking pretty generally about what Christians believe to now expressing his care and concern for the Colossian church specifically.

>And while he is speaking to a very specific people wrestling with a specific issue during a specific time in history, there is a universal truth that we can see in this portion of the letter and it’s this:

Main Idea: The gospel causes us to be concerned for the faith of others and leads us to struggle with joy in order to testify about Jesus.

Read Col. 2

*PRAY*

1. Struggling for Jesus testifies to His gospel (v. 1-3).

a. Our Struggle encourages:

Our Church

Our Neighbors

Those we don’t know

Illus: Jim Elliot and Karen Watson

2. Salvation from Jesus creates concern for the faith of others (v. 4-8)

3. Salvation from Jesus comes through faith alone in His death and resurrection (v. 9-15)

Illus: Paul’s parallels to baptism - picture of our salvation

Matthew 3:13–17 CSB

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized. When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”

4. Salvation from Jesus frees us from the obligations of man’s religion (v. 16-23)

a. The things we eat (v. 16)

b. The things we drink (v. 16)

c. Festivals/Celebrations (v. 16)

d. The Sabbath (v. 16)

e. The rules we follow (v. 21)