Healthy Roots

// INTRO

Turn in your Bible to Colossians 3.

We’ve been in the book of Colossians for a few weeks now looking at our identity.

Week 1 - we looked at the mystery of Christ in me.

we understand that the mystery that mankind had been researching for all of history was now revealed and it wasn’t a formula, religion, philosophy - it is a person…JESUS

Colossians 1:27 ESV

27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

We saw that our response to this mystery was several words of impact: receive, walk, root, build up, abounding

Colossians 2:6–7 ESV

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.

Week 2 - we see Paul give clear instructions to not become deceived

Colossians 2:8–10 ESV

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.

fullness gk. pleroma :: to be complete

We already have everything we need in Christ.

Deception will come along and tell you that you are incomplete and that you need Christ + (works, idols, religion, performance, etc.)

The devil knows how to read. He’s read the storyline. He knows what happens at the great judgment.

His greatest weapon is that he convince you not to believe the truth. To twist it just enough that your course is altered.

How he does it - with a question, “did God really say?”

How God restores it - with a question, “who told you that?”

Colossians Outline

Imagine someone trying to bake a cake without knowing the basic ingredients or the process, simply following a recipe they found online. They might mix flour, sugar, and eggs, but forget the baking powder, and end up with a flat, dense lump instead of a fluffy cake. Just like that baker, many people try to apply life advice without understanding the underlying principles of faith. Just as baking requires knowledge of how ingredients work together, spiritual growth needs a foundation of understanding Scripture and God's will.

The first two chapters of Colossians are theological and doctrinal in nature.

The last two chapters are focused more on the practicality of walking these foundations out.

As WESTERNERS, we like to lean towards the practical, just give me a checklist, type of teaching.

WARNING: if you do not understand the theological, you are going to end up a lumpy cake Christian.

Resembling what is right, but not everything that you could be.

Pray

PUT OFF

Colossians 2:20–3:4 ESV

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

You died with Christ

You are raised with Christ

You are hidden in Glory (secure) with Christ

In light of this…

Put To Death

Colossians 3:5–11 ESV

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

13 Earthy Behaviors That Must Be PUT TO DEATH in Saints

I want to be very clear here that Paul is speaking to the church - not the world.

We love to impose our beliefs on others that may not yet (or ever) share the same belief structure.

When strict rules and belief structures are imposed without consent and understanding, it breeds rebellion.

Tower of babel? Bred chaos and confusion.

So Paul gives a list of things that should be removed from the Christ follower’s life - the ones that carry the mystery in them.

Sexual Immorality*

these are actions that a non-religious, but moral person would deem morally objectionable

1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV

18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

All other sins are against God and others - this one is also against self.

Impurity - cloudy water

Passion - lustful (sexual)

Evil Desire - lustful (craving that replaces God)

Covetousness > which is Idolatry

Idolatry

Colossians 3:8 “8 But now you must put them all away:

put them away gk. apotithemi

:: to stop oneself from being in a state or condition

Anger - intense anger that does not subside

Wrath

Malice

Slander

Obscene Talk

Lying

Prejudice

Two Lists

The first list of characteristics is what we want from others. (Taking From Other)

The second list is how we treat others.

See how the first leads to the second?

You want someone else’s success, someone else’s story, so you start to treat them poorly.

How’s that working out? Did it get you what you want?

This is opposite of what Paul has been teaching.

We are not to remove from others - we are to remove from ourselves.

As we “PUT OFF” what doesn’t belong, what does will begin to shine.

The grass isn’t greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you tend to it. HELLO!

COMMUNITY FORMATION

Colossians 3:11 ESV

11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Paul complete tears down every social, cultural, relgious wall here.

In other words, Christ is for all.

When we see Christ in others and ourself properly, it becomes hard to say, “I want what he has” - you already have Him!

So maybe it’s not a lack of what you have, it’s a lack of understanding what you have.

This is why Paul referred to it as a mystery. This is why the enemy tries to deceive you.

Key Point

I mentioned it in passing with the PUT OFF list but I want to focus on it here: all these characteristics to PUT OFF and PUT ON are not worked out in a private setting.

All these things are directly related to how we interact with others.

These PUT OFF & ON lists are specifically directed at the Church!

Examples

When Paul says put off sexual immorality he’s talking to the church, not Las Vegas.

When he says put off passion, he’s talking to his bride, the church, not Hollywood.

When he says putt off covetousness, he’s talking to the body, the church, not Wall Street.

PUT ON

This brings us to our list of things to PUT ON

Colossians 3:12–17 ESV

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

15 Items to Put On

Compassionate Hearts*

this word means from your bowels or innermost being, the depths of who you are.

Kindness

Humility

Meekness

Patience

Bearing with One Another

Forgiving

complaint - blame, fault, quarrel

Love (binding)

Peace (ruling)

Thankful (x3)

Instruction for Attitude

Results in Worship

Results in All Conduct

Word of Christ (dwelling)

Teaching - training

Admonishing - correcting

Wisdom

Singing

Results

Just as the things the we are to PUT OFF can fracture a culture.

The things that we are to PUT ON can heal and build a culture.

Interacting with Community

These things that we PUT OFF & ON are for our relationships within the Body of Christ.

How then are we to act towards the world?

Colossians 4:5–6 ESV

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Salt Uses

seasoning

preserving

dormancy (land)

If your speech is not gracious, the salt that you may be spreading may be bringing anti-christ results.

CLOSING

Apply a list of rules and religious obligations is not attractive to anyone. It’s quite possibly the worst evangelism tool that we could use.

However, an invitation to a life of freedom, where someone can lay aside the weight they have been carrying, the competition, the performance, and be who they are at their core - that sounds like something worth being apart of.

As we INDIVIDUALLY PUT ON Christ, and PUT OFF the old man, we will become a place that is attractive and safe to a world that needs a safe place to PUT OFF their old man.