The Yes of Christ

I'm at the church. We've been looking at the book of Colossians recently. We've been working our way through the book of Colossians and recoup is serious strength and cross all the Ojeda full that I am now, like, the church, Alexa the pool right to the church, in a Playskool colosi. And I'm like a scene Sardis. Church was a very smooth and potentially insignificant Church could be used in that way who was writing to them. It's a reminder that actually that isn't the book. The Case for them, he wanted to remind them of who they were in Christ and his mint folding. I know he wanted them to continuously in courage to look to Jesus.

I know that he'd achieved through them and this is the main message of Colossians outside is actually for them to kind of distracted by everything going on around them to look to Jesus. And you may have kind of already, we've been in this series for a few weeks already. And it might feel like I do actually, you know, you're preaching the same sermon every Sunday and it anyway. Yes we are. We are preaching because who was at the same kind of theme in this book and that will still like say to pull the Corruptions to Jesus and that's what he wanted to do. We make no apologies for how to continue a not saying really It feels like just like the Colossians it's easy for us to take that same kind of view is what they say. It is very easy for us to feel a bit in significant maybe even more. So being in the end of the peninsula is the UK and come over here. And if we're honest we actually quite like it in a little bit. All right, text me sometime so we could be careful that doesn't make off thinking that too, smooth and waited all night and make me think I actually will with you so I can switch it to the tip of the UK. Even though it's a stalk, the UK like like it with weekends, if we're not careful, we can feel that actually, we don't really not so that we don't really count. So I'm sure actually you no matter where you live, it's very easy for us to feel quite insignificant with all the busyness and everything that goes on around this in the world as well. And actually it's easy for us to be distracted. It's easy. Easy for us to look to other things were under constant pressure. To look to other things to satisfy his stuff even when it comes to working out already faced tonight, I know Salvation, we often can look to all the things outside of Jesus. I want to encourage again this morning to look at Jesus. Perhaps, for some of you and maybe even to the suspect you may be thinking about you. I've never really considered Cheese's before. And then suddenly I find myself in this church and I really hope we can. I can bring something to Cheese's to you this morning. So many of his, it might be just time. But she is really important that we break Lee come back his net and realign ourselves with Jesus to save to recognize who he is and we recognize that strength is found is in Christ. Where us strength is found it going to be on the screen here as well. I know they're awesome. He's around many if you could on your phones as well as as well and we going to read from verse 20 in close to enter into the first few verses of chapter 3 as well.

Best rate that together Colossians 2 verse 26. If with Christ, she died to the elemental spirits of the world. Why is he, if he was still alive to the world? Do you submit to regulations? Do not handle. Do not taste, do not touch referring to the things that we perish, as they are used, according to human presets, and teaching, these having things and appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made, religion and asceticism and severity of to the potty. But they are of no value in stuff in the Indulgence of The Flash. If they knew we've been raised with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God set your minds on things that I've known things that run us. So you have three eyes and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory Let's just pray. She

Yeah, I saw the same key feel presents with us this morning. So, thank you for your words. We just want to try to do this, we come and we look at it. Now, don't even know this was written. Thousands of years ago, we sank he loaded, it could be relevant to us today. No, thank you. That you still speak to us for your words and we will invite you. Holy Spirit to come this morning and Speak Lord. We want to be open to your words but we just give ourselves to you now. Lord & Taylor with you come and speak into a heart. So would you come and change our minds where they need changing? Laura priority, it help me to speak as well. I pray that the Lord Jesus help me to bring walk still that you giving me from this passage this morning, but I probably did it with changes and impact our Lord, I Thank you for the challenge. That brings to me, personally I prayed with it with Phil. Courtney together this morning and we've tried to focus on you. Let us know your strengths last night, your closeness with us as we look at it. Together this morning we always get For Your Glory Jesus man. I'll men. Sheet music, film out couch. Yes, Man. New. Somebody may have seen it. I admit I haven't seen it and actually in reading a bit more about it, I'm not sure, I'd recommend it. It kind of sucks as a little bit of an illustration for what I want to talk about this morning and he's rough time in his life. He's going for a relationship that is broken down and he's increasingly become cynical a negative about life in general. And he's encouraged by his friends, to go to the seminar where this guy is speaking and he he like at the end. So she could have asked people to make herself a bit of a response and to make a promise to say yes to everything. And ends. Like you can imagine like he can I didn't ring Hollywood soil. So this thing leads to kind of be making his promise and you can imagine it gets into interesting situations where he can resolve something. And his reaction is to say no if I actually read arsenal of my kinds of situations and things like that, ultimately, what happens to a negative. He suddenly becomes a positive person and like stay in True Hollywood style. He lives happily ever after. Everything works out in the end. He finds a new relationship and everything is great. But the thing is that I actually his perspective completely changes from the negative to the positive I don't want to this morning if you want to ask some of your school friends. If you were to ask some of your work colleagues, the people that you kind of hang out with, you don't know Jesus. Maybe what would that General Tso's synopsis of the Christian faith? It's usually a very negative thing, isn't it? I'm sure you probably had the conversations with people where they think. I actually, I could never be a Christian because I'd have to give up over this. I'd have to say no to all these different things. Actually people think that Christianity is about so you know it's about not being able to do all the fun things in life. That's what it means to be a Christian that actually is restrictive and boring.

And sadly actually often it seems that some Christians believe. This is well this is a restricted, just people outside of Christianity, speak to some of the Christians. It feels like actually, This Is How They Live their loins now is actually my life. Now is about saying, no, and I come through there, so I come through that. I see it's a very negative, kind of Outlook they have on life X particular on that Christian Life. I need seems like the Colossians maybe it's full into into a bit, if they strap that they fights was dictated by the negative rather than the positive that Jesus had time for them. Puto, for my help this morning is that all thinking at our house can be changed as we look to Jesus. As we see the old that he has done for us in him, we can be strong in him. We can say yes to Godliness and we can live a full life in him and we can no strength in that life when you see everything. So often is Christian's, you know that we can be those and a lucky in reference to the song even that we sing that like somehow we'll kind of make it through and actually prove maybe that's the best that we can hope for is a Christian is it will kind of make it through this life and then it will get to happen one time. I sure don't believe that's the way pool and particular. I don't believe that's the way Jordan. Jesus wants us to live our Christian Life. He wants us to live like Jesus said, he'd come to give us life and life to the full. But he wants us to live in the goodness of all that he's given us. Yes, we have wonderful and glorious to look forward to Apache in this life that we cannot strength. We can know what it is to have Victory. Answer to walk with guards, and I believe that's what I was wanting to get across in this letter. I'd like to explore the passages little bit more, and it feels like it's packaged food. Things are kind of two parts and they will see the end of chapter 2 chapter 3. It's important to remember, sometimes I see the chapters whenever recently that had, that has been put in for our convenience and it feels like I see to it that it could have gone in there. Probably never a good place to put, it feels like to eat these. The end of chapter 2. Is it kind of these blatant? Dennis call Us pools, all came and bought actually conveniently. Take them into those two sections, any way to the ferry to look at like 2:00 is Roy sitting like a state to the Colossians and he often uses like a rhetorical question, the kind of put it out there to the Colossians. He does this to come grab the attention. He tells place to make his point, a bit stronger and anything else that he says he starts off this package a 20, he says it with Christ. You do. I get to the elemental spirits of the world? Why is, if you were still alive to the world? Did you submit to? Its regulation is Christian's? First of all, if this is true then why do you live your life like this things? Like I wanted the truth here, should have an effect on how it worked out in our life.

Message, Rita, blue sectional game verse 26 with Christ. You don't like the elemental Spirits, the world war, as if he was still alive to the world. You submit to you regulations, do not handle. Do not taste, do not touch referring to the things that will perish as they are used. According to the priest, human precepts. And teaching these typing TV, appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made, religion in a sensitive soon and severity to the party. But they are of no value in stuff in the Indulgence of The Flash.

Who's becoming a follower of Jesus is a radical decision and this a radical transformation in our lives. It's not trying to be a nice person. It's not taking on the news says thinking or a new philosophy on life. And this is the very point. The pool is making here. It's so radical that description of what it means to be a Christian. Maybe not very popular one is it means to die, so you can tell your friends.

And that's actually what pool is saying here that actually is Christian's. Looks like window. I didn't something on to what we've already got. We're actually trying to do that with dying. So what we were

When we become photos of Jesus, we die with Christ, we die to sin, we die to the ways, and the spirits of this world, and the rules and regulations of this. Well as it says, In this passage,

This is the assumption that pool makes the actually when when you when we choose to follow, Jesus actually ways with dying. So our old way of life, It's not only here in the scripture that he says they speak English. And when he was writing to the church in kalesia, he says, in Galatians, 2:20 is how we pull describes himself. As I have been crucified with Christ is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life and I'll live in the flesh shall live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. What wonderful Passage

we recognize that the only way to deal with the sin, Are there any way to deal with saying is to die to? It is to put it to death. We come patch it up. We can try and do it by our own efforts. We can just try a bit harder, so it makes them go away.

I posted like in this seem to be one of the Colossians with you and I were getting themselves into the sense of actually will, if we follow this room, if we bring to this thing, we've done to that. And then maybe we can achieve something, we can be more pleasing to God. who says in verse 23, these having the appearance of wisdom

but they always no value in stuff in the Indulgence of the flesh. Who thinks we are on it. They may seem like, if you'd like that, they may even. So if you don't have some kind of benefits in some kind of way to actually, they have no value in stuff in the Indulgence of the flesh.

It's interesting, isn't it? When Jesus was woke, they say, you may think Ashley who were the people that he would have to kind of the harshest words to speak to the people who didn't know, who Jesus the sentence, the tax collectors. The prostitutes at the day actually, Jesus love. Those people. They just spend time with in the harshest words that Jesus has with, for the relief people today, for the people who kind of like even the teachers of the law.

And sometimes it is fantastic to read the gospels. But actually it's quite hard at some of the things that Jesus says, this is what Jesus says, say, Matthew 23 verse 27, to consider to the scribes and Pharisees, he says, woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. For you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful but within a full of that people phones and old on cleanliness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Jesus, doesn't make sense. What is Jesus says? It has. It is today's goddess and I CDs with the religious people with the day. The ones he did put on, on the show, the ones who make sure they kept the Lord who did who did all the three dots in the end like that. And the two.

They live for that. But this is how Jesus solder, cuz I see Jesus sees through the outward appearance. Jesus isn't interested in the outward appearance. Jesus sees the hall and this is where the problem lies for the end and maybe even so many of us, this is where the problem lies. But the great news is, this is why Jesus came Jesus, came to this earth, Jesus lived a sinless life. Yet he took all sin and the punishment we deserve. When he died on the cross. When he died on the cross heated, V defeat sin and death and in him we could no forgiveness and freezing in him. We can say yes to righteousness and we can say no to send.

This is available for us who this morning. if you are tired of struggling with sin and trying to be a better Christian, I want to encourage you to come to Jesus this morning, to look to Jesus, to die to yourself.

To die to your efforts. I look to Jesus is that foot so know that he's achieved for you.

Let's look at the second part of this passage as well.

As we know. And as we set up, right, we believe. Jesus story didn't end with his death and thankfully new dissolves. Jesus rose again and sits in front in heaven. Today, this is poo this with a pull off his next rhetorical question, and makes his next point. He says, he just want to chat free if they knew has been raised with Christ. Easton. You have been raised with Christ. Basically that's just like we've died with Christ and then we've been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth. So you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears that you do? So will it be with him in glory?

Nanami, if we survive with Christ, we've been raised with him too. This is this is Illustrated in baptism, you know. We like if you know if you know what fat is Emmaus, we actually had a practice and we had a couple of people and we took him down to the Sea and basically we don't come in under the sea and we pulled them out. Again, one of the joys of living by to say, hey we can be like two full and baptize people down there. You have the time you a time of year, do you want to get baptized more people when I get back to us in the summer than the winter? Some reason, for any way, that's exactly what is happening, there is that someone is sad that I got dying. As we've been looking at. It is this that you carried into the grave with going to this thing like how long do the water? But yeah. Thankfully we bring them back off again and they are rising to a new life in Jesus and I see that's what that's what it's so symbolized. Baptism.

The good news this morning, that is falling. Jesus isn't just about time. Step out. Living is what it means to be, truly alive to know. Christ is shortly to be more alive than anyone else. Is to believe in him as we do to ourselves and it's, we live in Christ. And again this is my challenge. Do we really believe that? Do we believe actually to live is Christ?

That's me. This is this is the best life that we can have is in Jesus.

We believe there is a future and eternal hope to this and pull makes reference to this in 1:4. He says, when Christ, who is your life up, is the new day, will it be with him in glory? But there's a sense of Trudy living in him in the here-and-now is, well that we have this Future Hope. But we also have this hope for is now We've been raised with Christ and it should change of you and I'll have to choose to all things.

Matt brantner from Desiring. God tells the story. He says this accomplished leader. I would regularly off the student leaders are there any girls that you are interested in dating or is nothing compared to what? I heard, one Summer Afternoon in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to be honest, to me, it seems like marriage is all about saying, no to stop. Notice spontaneous decisions with the guys at midnight, runs to Waffle House. No to the No Shave November or dressing. However, I want no to this note to that. I just don't think it's for me. Off the pools in for a second. So he would know, I told him I calmly brought replied, you office Lee. Haven't met you yet. Over the next couple of years, I had the privilege of walking alongside is Christian Slater as he fell in love with an amazing woman. I'll never forget the day. He told me, he was ready to propose possibly put on a serious face and sit in a Samba to wait. Are you sure about this? Think about what you're saying, no to midnight, runs to The Waffle House. No Shave November on tops and I'm washed t-shirts. Are you sure you want to do this? We both erupted in laughter, the know that once felt so guilty. Now, seems so insignificant in the light of his, yes. Again, when we become followers of Jesus, we enter into a relationship with him. The more we see, and understand who Jesus is and release time for us the movie food in, love with him.

It's no hardship to turn away from the things of this world, in the light of our new Love and our new relationship. We may still have to say no to things but this isn't the way we get relationship. It's the choice of cause we're in that relationship. Titus 2 verse 11 says, this for the grace of God is a pig that offer salvation to all people. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness of worldly, passions and sleep self-control up, right? And godly lives in this present age.

Pulling? Jesus, does Jose mean that? We do need to say. No sometimes but actually we do it out of love. For Jesus. Not to try win his approval. We do it. Because we know what we want to, please him. We want to be like him. If you're struggling with saying this morning, if you're facing issues you don't understand or you can't see the end of you and do. I want to encourage you along with pool as he encouraged the clothes shoes to stink the things that are above. To set our minds on things that are about to look to Jesus to consider him to remember or his time for us. We weren't even talking about missing all this morning that she in the busyness. It's so easy to get cool off. Isn't it was the the pressing issues and sometimes it's good just to take some time but I can just remember all the good things that go to sleep. Just to remember him. Who is very quickly, it can change a whole perspective. The Colossians to do here is actually Easter to fix that Minds on things above to look to Jesus.

I want to finish this morning but I just read in one last piece of scripture, which I hope sums up all the Weeping talking about this morning and it's against another letter of pulse rate into the Romans. This time at Romans 6, get it should come up on the screen posted this world, shall we say then are we to continue in sin that Grace May abound, by no means how can we do like to stay in still live in it? Do you not know that all of us were being baptized into Christ? Jesus with that? So I think to his death, we were very careful with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised. From the dead for the glory of the father. We two might walk in newness newness of life. For everything, you know, I sit with him and just like his, we should certainly be United with him. In a resurrection, like, his, we know that our old self self was crucified with him, in order, the body of sin, Mart people to nothing. So we will no longer be a slave to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now, if we were to Ivory Christ we believe that we will say will live with him. We know that Christ and bracelet that will never do it again. That's no longer has dominion over him for the deaths, he thought he thought to send once for all but the life he lives he lives to God. So you must, you also must consider yourself dead to sin and the live to God in Jesus Christ.

Let's not be those who live in the negativity of sin or the struggle of trying to please go by our own efforts. But let's be those who live in the. Yes of all that Jesus has done. In that relationship that hates my possible for us. Let's take him and the things that are above, let's believe that his Spirit can change. Our outstanding strengthen us as we seek an as we look to him. I'd love to respond this morning by breaking bread, together. Just like baptism really? You know, Jesus has given us the Bread and Wine as a symbolic. White to symbolize who that Jesus has done for us his body broken.

As we take this where identifying with his death and his resurrection, you know, that we've just been thinking about this morning, where was I recognized in the United Staffing? Resurrection he's dealt with off Sid. That we've died with Jesus. As we take this again, we were with identifying with Jesus with his dad, but we also recognize free. He says, we also have life. Patsy will we recognize his resurrection? Actually, we have life and just as, you know, we need bread. And we need something to drink to stay alive. As we do this week, coming and saying, Jesus, I Need You for Life. I need you to be out a live, this life, that you've given me. I need I need this to to deal with my sins. Do I to send for? I need this for life as well.

I love is to do that together. If you don't consider yourself a follower of Jesus that maybe in the life everything I've said this isn't for you this morning. Having said stop, if you think I ought to know I want to be a follower of Jesus. This would be a brilliant thing for you to do this morning cuz I see you could say, I actually I want to come and I want to know that forgiveness. I want to be, I want to talk to my old way of life, and I want to know life in Jesus. And you can do that this morning

If so many of his which I'm sure is true in the room that you've been a Christian for a long time and it's so good for us to come back. Isn't it regularly? Again, we were talking about this and I agree that we need to come daily back to God. Like maybe even more than daily. Realign ourselves with God to Ospreys forgiveness, to say, I can't go. I'm saying no to this, but I'm saying, yes to you and your life and that's something that we can come and do this morning. I'm just going to pry. And then we can have some music that we will sing to Ashley. And as we saying that, I'm going to encourage you just to come off in like tight some Breads and take some of the juice. That's the way we tend to do it here as well as the actually if you want to come and take some bread and some juice and if you feel actually, I just want to have some time with me and called this morning. Then just do that. That's fine. If you think, actually, I'd love to come and share this with a friend or with my family and equally do that if you come up and take the bread and then just take it back to a table or to go and find somebody and they just have a moment where we recognize and acknowledge, all that Jesus is dumb. Yes, Father, we just come before you this morning. Thank you for your amazing provision for us. Thank you that you so loved us that you were willing to give your only son. Thank you. Jesus, that you were willing to come to humble yourself. Go to become, come to this stuff, a Bijon to death. Even death on a cross. Well, thank you that you were the only one. You are the only one able to deal with our sin. The thank you that you took us out on the cross when he died for us. No, thank you that you invite us to die with you. Go to my Stylo 3, want to die, to all those, that his ways and all Life clothes. Lord. I thank you for that wonderful promise of life. Thank you, Jesus. He didn't stay dead but you Rose again. Lawrence. Thank you that we can be raised with you so that we can no life in you. Largest private. You would remind as if that is we take this bread in this juice this morning. Thank you. This is symbolic, but I think you know that it's an opportunity to meet with you and I pray the Holy Spirit as we do that that we will encounter you that we've not refreshed empowering a few Lord. We pray. Would you give us strength to live the Christian Life to know? This relationship is a relationship with you little to take this wonderful. Good news that you're giving us to this world around us. The weight, we all still help in that builds, what's I load a trailer that you would come and minister to us now, mate with us coming. We can all live. Chloe price, thank you, Jesus, for all you've done for us, all men,