LEARNING TO WALK WITH JESUS
COLOSSIANS • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 16 viewsGod is calling us to walk with Jesus in order to grow, to find strength, and our ultimate identity.
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TEXT: Colossians 2:6-15
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 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.
INTRODUCTION
The title like learning to walk, I think it’s easy for a maturing Christian to be dismissive about this passage or even the sermon. And suppose perhaps that this is for the brand new believer.
Learning to walk in Christ seems so elementary and yet as we think of some significant examples of walking in the Bible, I think we would do well to take note.
Jesus walked everywhere. He invited his disciples to come and follow him, which meant they were walking together.
Some of the most famous steps taken by one of the disciples was when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and said Lord, if it’s you, bid me come to you. Then we all know how that plays out. He steps out of the boat, takes a few steps, takes his eyes off Jesus then begins to sink.
God wants you to do MORE than take a few steps.
God’s heart for you is that you would walk in Christ’s victory every single day of your life.
God’s heart for you is that you would know Christ intimately, powerfully… And the power of his resurrection life living in and through you.
God loves you and he wants you to walk well.
Keep this picture in your mind as we take a moment or two this afternoon to learn how to walk well with Jesus.
TRANSITION
Write out of the gate as we look at the passage, we noticed that we need to be rooted by faith in JESUS.
1. ROOTED IN JESUS
1. ROOTED IN JESUS
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Let’s take a look at some of the key descriptors in these 2 verses:
RECEIVED Christ Jesus the Lord
WALK
ROOTED IN HIM
BUILT UP IN HIM
ESTABLISHED in the Faith
TAUGHT
ABOUNDING IN THANKSGIVING
Now, Each one of these points could easily be a Sermon! But because of this room, I don’t think I need to labor long on them!
But there is a treasure trove here that we don’t need to miss.
If you ever get a ride, the SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN at Disney World in Florida.There is a part of the ride, takes you into the cave where they mine for jewels and they are everywhere.
You may even remember it from the classic cartoon.
That’s the image here… There is so much beauty in this text.
I don’t want to stay longer than we need to, but I don’t want to rush through it.
Let’s chisel just a bit at these gems!
What about this phrase as you received Christ Jesus the Lord?
First off, RECEIVING His MORE than just accepting Him as God.
more than just accepting His truth claims.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus would tell Nicodemus, “you must be born again”
“As you received Christ Jesus the LORD…”
Not just Jesus the nice man!
But Jesus the Messiah - the promised one, the anointed one from Heaven.
Not just Jesus - who’s very name means he shall save His people from their sins.
But Jesus the LORD!
The captain of your vessel. The one who sees all, knows all, and loves you SO MUCH that He longs to lead into a deeper relationship with Him, His bride - the church - and toward the life you were made to have. It’s in CHRIST - JESUS - THE LORD - that we live and move and have our being!
This is NOT intellectual ascent…this is a TRANSFORMATIONAL KNOWING JESUS!
So, how do we find our footing as believers?
For those who are new in the faith / for those who lose their footing from time to time.
GET ROOTED IN JESUS!
ROOTED - like the tree in Psalm 1 planted by the streams of living water…it both describes our POSITION in him and our need to stay PLANTED in Him!
He is the vine. We are the branches. Stay close to Jesus in prayer…in reading the very words of Christ - the Bible…in asking His Holy Spirit to WORK AFRESH IN YOU…
This will ground us in HIS LOVE FOR US AND THROUGH US
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
BUILT UP IN HIM - describes our progress in the LORD (our relationship with Him and His bride)
are you further along now than you were this time last year? 5 years ago?
“It’s not A CONSTANT…but it is a CONSISTENT growth and maturing in the LORD”
HOW DO WE GROW?
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
As we’re rooted in Him, built up in His Word - WE WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH MORE AND MORE!
not shifting from the HOPE of the GOSPEL
this kind of walking - step by step with Jesus -
day by day with people all around us - some who help us stay strong…some who TEST us
begins to remold us from the inside out so that WE KNOW HIM BY FAITH and WE ARE KNOWN AS A PEOPLE OF FAITH!
(One writer summarized these points: “We’re grounded; we’re growing; and we’re grateful!”)
ABOUNDING IN THANKSGIVING
20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
(If David could sing that running crazy in the enemy’s camp…YOU AND I - ON THIS SIDE OF THE RESURRECTED SAVIOR - ought to be able to ABOUND in Thanksgiving!
notice this helpful instruction HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR CIRCUMSTANCES…ONLY OUR LEARNING TO WALK WITH JESUS!
The Gospel is enough to keep your thankful tank full!
Want to walk with Jesus? Want to walk WELL with Jesus? Want to make great progress in your spiritual growth this week?
ABOUND IN THANKSGIVIING!
(A video circulating of a young boy - looks to be about 12-13, who is opening gifts at Christmas.
His back is to the door.
The camera shot frames him and the door.
He opens a package about 2ft wide of a remote control dirt bike (motorcycle).
He is all smiles! Beaming, he says, “this is my favorite bike! it’s just like the one we’ve all been looking at for so long! this is amazing! thank you so much!”
He has no idea that his dad has just rolled in behind him with his real dirt bike…quietly.
As the boy gets up to hug his mom, his dad kickstarts the bike. The boy turns in shock.
Overwhelmed he says, “you didn’t have to do that…this one was so cool! thank you thank you thank you! Wow!”
GRATEFUL.
In a world of entitled people, be the grateful one.
In a world crawling with complainers…walk tall with THANKFULNESS.
IF WE’RE GOING TO WALK WITH JESUS EVERY DAY, we’re going to have to stay ROOTED IN HIM!
We also need to:
2. RECOGNIZE THE TRAPS
2. RECOGNIZE THE TRAPS
(When our children were learning to walk, we knew where all the sharp edges were in the house. We knew where faceplants would hurt the most, where there could be actual damage done.)
So, as we’re on this journey…walking with Jesus in this broken and fallen world, WHAT ARE THE DANGERS THAT WE NEED TO STAY ALERT FOR?
(Look at the next 2 verses)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
We’ve all seen it haven’t we?
Someone gets a little too excited about something that isn’t actually helpful for them in their life/walk/relationships.
Before you know it, they’re “off the deep end”.
Paul is calling these beloved Colossians to be situationally aware! They will not be READY TO RESIST the things that exalt themselves against Christ unless they are on guard!
As parents We are attempting to train our young drivers and soon to be drivers in our home to constantly be on the lookout for the drivers around them. It is common to see people holding their phones all the time while they are driving now! Ashleigh said it best, “it’s not that they think that other people are less important… They are not aware that other people exist! It’s their world and we are just in the way!”
Chase, JT, and (soon AJ) may be excellent drivers, but if they are not aware of the dangers around them, they will wind up IN TROUBLE…POSSIBLY SERIOUSLY INJURED.
You and I may LOVE JESUS!
You may be growing in your daily time in the Word.
Your prayer time may be getting sweeter and sweeter.
But there is an enemy to resist! (NOT TO BE GRIPPED WITH CRIPPLING FEAR…BUT A HEALTHY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS!)
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
What are the things that can cause us to crash hard?
(look back at our text) PHILOSOPHY that ISN’T ACCORDING TO CHRIST is
empty
deceitful
exalts HUMANS higher than Jesus
is crafted by the spirits of the age that long to pull us AWAY from the SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST!
Humanism does this
Identity Politics does this
Critical Theory does this
Teachings outside of Orthodox Christianity do this
FALSE TEACHING distorts and denies the foundational truth of the Gospel - the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ!
FAITHFUL TEACHING (look at the text) exalts JESUS CHRIST and EDIFIES US TO totally TRUST HIM!
Learning to Walk is NO JOKE!
Learning to Walk with Jesus is a daily discipline…that we will do until we walk those streets paved with gold!
We can walk well if we stay ROOTED IN HIM - Grounded in Him!
We will walk well if we stay alert to RECOGNIZE THE TRAPS that will trip us up and cause us to stumble.
Finally, WE CAN WALK WELL IF WE
3. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST
3. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST
(All throughout Scripture, OT & NT, we hear that word word “remember”. “Remember”.
I have moments of pause when my wife starts a question with, “did you remember…?”)
The world will try to define you if you give it an inch…it will take a mile!
But these final few verses in our text this morning, not only encourage us to move forward in our walk… They thrust us forward as we think on the fullness of who Jesus Christ is and the reality of who we are in him!
Lots of big Bible words in here, let’s read this passage, then I will point out a few things and try to stay out of the way as much as possible.
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 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.
Look at those key words:
Circumcised : He circumcised our hearts.
In the OT - this was a physical sign of the covenant. In the NT - this is a spiritual thing that God has done IN US and FOR US…He has done a type of spiritual HEART SURGERY that forever marks us as HIS
WE ANNOUNCE AND CELEBRATE THIS OUTWARDLY BY BAPTISM
WE DEMONSTRATE THIS BY LIVING THE NEW LIFE THAT WE CAN ONLY LIVE BY CHRIST LIVING IN AND THROUGH US
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
YOU ARE MARKED BY GOD! (11-12) / CUT OFF FROM DEATH & THE BONDAGE OF SIN
YOU ARE ALIVE NOW - MADE ALIVE BY GOD! (13) / You were dead…you’ve just begun to live!
YOU ARE FORGIVEN - YOUR DEBT HAS BEEN PAID BY CHRIST HIMSELF (13)
He paid our debt that we did NOT owe on Calvary’s cross
When Jesus came to this earth as a man, he was perfect - Perfectly fulfilling the law of God, a task we were incapable of as sinners.
He died in our place on Calvary cross – absorbing the wrath of God on our behalf.
He rose to life on the third day to fully display his power, and might over sin, death, hell, and the grave!
He is seated at the right hand of the father on high in heaven, and one day he will return to this earth where every eye shall see him, and behold that he is the king of kings and Lord of Lords, that will Vanquish evil and death and lies forever… And of his earthly and eternal kingdom, their shall be no end!
But before he comes back, he has opened a window of grace because his father so loved the world that he gave Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, while we were yet sinners, that whoever would repent and believe the gospel, whoever would call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!
You don’t have to go to hell!
You don’t have to live in bondage!
You don’t have to carry around that weight of guilt!
Your sins can be forgiven, your debt has been paid, your load can be lightened…
Come to Jesus, run to Jesus if you haven’t!
Cry out to Him right now - LORD, SAVE ME - I’M A SINNER, YOU ALONE CAN SAVE! I WANT TO LIVE FOR YOU! He’ll do it!
And dear brother or sister, if you have done that…
Remember this, bask in this, soak in this, rejoice in this:
YOU! ARE! FORGIVEN!
(YOU ARE MARKED! YOU ARE ALIVE! YOU ARE FORGIVEN! AND…)
YOU ARE ON THE WINNING SIDE! (15)
You are on the right side of history and the triumphant side of the ages.
Victory was won at Calvary - there is an empty grave to prove the battle has been won!
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
CONCLUSION:
CONCLUSION:
It is so tempting to try to define ourselves by what we know, what we can do, or what we have.
BUT GOD HAS CALLED US TO THIS TEXT THIS MORNING TO REMIND US THAT CHRIST HAS ADOPTED US INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD, THROUGH HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION.
HE HAS PURCHASED OUR SALVATION.
HE HAS MARKED US. HE HAS MADE US ALIVE. HE HAS FORGIVEN US OF OUR SINS AND DEBTS.
And he has called us to walk in the victory that he has secured! REMEMBER WHO WE ARE AND WHOSE WE ARE!
Be on guard – stay situationally aware – for the things that would trip you up.
RECOGNIZE THE TRAPS - The sins and the temptations that could so easily cause you to stumble.
And ground yourself in the Lord Jesus Christ! STAY ROOTED IN HIM!
Get in the Word and get the Word get into you. Let God remake your minds from the inside out!
Every day, surrender yourself to the control of the Holy Spirit and allow him to work in you and through you!
Let’s walk with Jesus, together!
Let’s know Him. Let’s LOVE Him. Let’s OBEY Him. Together!
Let’s make disciple-making disciples for His glory. Together!
He leads; we follow.
Let’s GO!
