Anchored Until He Comes
Notes
Transcript
Final Message in the Anchored in Truth Series
Main Text: Colossians 2:6–10
Supporting Texts: Hebrews 13:8; Hebrews 10:23
Communion: 1 Corinthians 11:23–29
Introduction
Introduction
As we come to the final message in Anchored in Truth, we return to the burden that has carried us through this entire series: believers must remain anchored in truth in an age of confusion.
We have considered the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. We have talked about spiritual maturity and discernment. We have seen how truth gets distorted and how false teaching works its way into the church. We have considered the importance of correcting error with grace, shepherding God's people faithfully, and building a church culture grounded in the truth.
But now we come to a question that brings all of those lessons home:
What do we do when the series is over?
The confusing voices will still be there tomorrow. False teaching will not disappear because we have finished a sermon series on discernment. The world will continue changing. New personalities will come along. New ideas will be promoted. Old errors will be given new names.
And beyond those things, life itself will continue to test our faith. There will be disappointment, suffering, unanswered questions, temptation, grief, and seasons when following Christ is difficult.
So we need more than information about discernment.
We need to know how to keep walking faithfully with Christ.
Paul gives us that direction in Colossians 2.
[Read Colossians 2:6–10.]
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
These verses bring together much of what we have been talking about throughout this series. Paul tells us to walk in Christ, to be rooted and established in the faith, to guard ourselves against deception, and to rest in the sufficiency of Christ.
That is where I want us to end this series.
Paul begins in verse 6:
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
Notice where Paul begins.
He begins with Christ.
Christianity does not begin with discernment. It does not begin with identifying false teachers. It does not begin with having all the right answers.
It begins with Jesus Christ.
Paul says, in effect, You received Christ as Lord. Now continue walking with Him.
1. Keep Walking in Christ
1. Keep Walking in Christ
There is a danger when we study a subject like discernment that we can become more interested in detecting what is wrong than in walking with the One who is right.
But biblical discernment should always bring us closer to Christ.
The purpose of knowing truth is not so that we can win arguments. The purpose is that we might know Christ, love Christ, obey Christ, and faithfully follow Christ.
So when this series is over, keep walking with Him.
Tomorrow morning, keep walking with Him.
When you face temptation, keep walking with Him.
When you hear teaching that confuses you, stay close to Christ and His Word.
When circumstances do not make sense, keep walking with Him.
When following Jesus becomes costly, keep walking with Him.
That word “walk” speaks of the direction and pattern of our lives. Christianity is not something we add to our lives occasionally. Christ becomes the One who directs our lives.
And notice what Paul calls Him:
“Christ Jesus the Lord.”
We do not simply admire Jesus. We follow Him as Lord.
His Word has authority over us.
His truth corrects us.
His commands direct us.
His gospel gives us hope.
His grace sustains us.
The sermon series may end, but our walk with Christ continues.
Paul continues in verse 7 by describing what that walk should look like. He says that we are to be “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught.”
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught,
2. Stay Rooted in the Truth
2. Stay Rooted in the Truth
There are three pictures here.
We are to be rooted like a tree.
We are to be built up like a building.
We are to be established in the faith.
Every picture speaks of stability.
That has been one of the great concerns of this entire series.
God does not want His people constantly shifting from one spiritual idea to another.
He does not want us chasing every new voice, every new movement, every new experience, or every new claim that comes along.
He wants His people established.
And notice again where that stability is found.
Paul says we are rooted and built up in Him.
Our anchor is not our intelligence.
Our anchor is not a pastor.
Our anchor is not a denomination.
Our anchor is not our ability to recognize every error.
Our anchor is Jesus Christ as He has revealed Himself through His Word.
Then Paul says that we are to be “established in the faith, as you have been taught.”
Truth must be taught.
Truth must be learned.
Truth must be remembered.
And truth must eventually become settled conviction.
There comes a time when every believer needs to be able to say, “This is what God's Word teaches, and this is where I stand.”
That does not mean we stop learning. It means our learning has a foundation.
A tree with deep roots can continue growing precisely because it is rooted.
The same is true spiritually.
The deeper we become rooted in Christ and His Word, the more prepared we are to grow in spiritual maturity.
That is what I desire for our church.
Not that we become suspicious of everybody.
Not that we spend our lives looking for something to criticize.
But that we become so grounded in Scripture and so deeply rooted in Christ that when error comes along, we recognize that something is wrong because we know what is true.
Then Paul gives the warning in verse 8:
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
3. Do Not Be Carried Away
3. Do Not Be Carried Away
Paul describes teaching that follows human tradition and the principles of this world “and not according to Christ.”
There is the test.
Is it according to Christ?
Paul understood that there would always be voices attempting to move believers away from the simplicity and sufficiency of Christ.
That is why discernment matters.
Something can sound spiritual and still be wrong.
A teacher can be sincere and still be wrong.
Something can be popular and still be wrong.
An experience can feel powerful and still lead us away from truth.
So Paul says, “Beware.”
Pay attention.
Test what you hear.
Do not surrender your thinking simply because someone sounds confident.
Do not assume that because a teaching uses Christian language it must be Christian truth.
Bring it back to Scripture.
Does it agree with what God has revealed?
Does it agree with the gospel?
Does it honor Jesus Christ as Lord?
Does it keep our confidence in Christ and His finished work?
Does it produce the godliness Scripture calls us to?
Those are the kinds of questions discernment asks.
But notice something important.
Paul does not tell them simply what to reject.
He has already told them where to remain.
Walk in Christ.
Be rooted in Christ.
Be established in the faith.
We need to know the truth. And the Word of God is Truth!
And when another voice attempts to move you away from what God has revealed, you will have something solid beneath your feet.
Paul brings us to the heart of the matter in verses 9 and 10.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
He tells us that in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and then he makes this remarkable statement:
“You are complete in Him.”
4. Rest in the Sufficiency of Christ
4. Rest in the Sufficiency of Christ
Christ is sufficient.
You do not need another Savior.
You do not need another gospel.
You do not need secret knowledge.
You do not need some new revelation that completes what God supposedly left unfinished.
You do not need a spiritual personality standing between you and Christ.
You do not need another sacrifice.
You are complete in Him.
That does not mean we have reached spiritual perfection. We are still growing. God is still sanctifying us. We still need His Word, His church, prayer, and obedience.
But everything necessary for our salvation is found in Christ.
His work is enough.
His grace is enough.
His righteousness is enough.
His sacrifice is enough.
His Word is enough.
So where does this series leave us?
Hebrews 10:23 says:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
That is how I want us to leave this series.
Hold fast.
Not because we are strong enough.
Not because we understand everything.
Not because we will never struggle.
Hold fast because He who promised is faithful.
Hold Fast Until He Comes
Hold Fast Until He Comes
I want us to be a church that knows the truth and lives the truth.
A people who love Christ.
A people who love His Word.
A people who test teaching by Scripture.
A people who recognize error without becoming cynical.
A people who correct with patience and grace.
A people who care for one another.
A people who hold tightly to the gospel.
And most importantly, a people who remain anchored in Jesus Christ.
We do not know everything that will happen between today and the day Christ returns.
There may be difficulties we cannot presently imagine.
There may be times when faithfulness becomes costly.
But we know the One who holds us.
And we know where this story is going.
Jesus Christ is coming again.
And that brings us naturally to the Lord's Table.
Because Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:26 that whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
The Lord's Table
The Lord's Table
Preparing Our Hearts
Preparing Our Hearts
As we come to the Lord's Table, we remember that this is not an empty ritual. The bread and the cup point us to what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us through His death.
Before we receive the elements, Scripture calls us to examine ourselves.
[State the church's established participation guidelines.]
[Read 1 Corinthians 11:27–29.]
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
Paul calls us to examine ourselves before we eat and drink.
In Corinth, the Lord's Supper had been dishonored by division, selfishness, and careless attitudes toward one another. Some were treating fellow believers with contempt while supposedly gathering to remember Christ.
Paul's warning reminds us that we must take seriously both the sacrifice these elements represent and the manner in which we come.
To partake in an unworthy manner does not mean that we must somehow make ourselves worthy before coming to Christ.
None of us is worthy in ourselves.
Every one of us comes needing grace.
But we must not approach this moment carelessly. We should not knowingly cling to sin that we refuse to confess. We should not harbor bitterness while celebrating the grace Christ has shown us.
So take a moment before the Lord.
Ask Him to search your heart.
Are you trusting Christ alone for salvation?
Is there sin you need to confess?
Is there bitterness you need to surrender?
Is there someone with whom you need to seek reconciliation?
Is there an area in which you know God's truth but have refused to obey it?
Bring those things honestly before Him.
Self-examination is not intended to drive the believer away from Christ.
It is intended to drive us to Christ in repentance, dependence, and faith.
And if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, receiving this bread and cup cannot save you.
Your need is not the elements.
Your need is the Savior they proclaim.
Jesus Christ died for sinners. He bore the judgment our sin deserved. He rose from the dead. And He calls you to turn from sin and trust Him.
[Music to be played...Allow a quiet pause for prayer and self-examination.]
Father, search our hearts. Show us anything we need to confess before You. Forgive our careless attitudes toward Your Word, toward sin, and toward one another. Bring us to honest repentance. Help us receive this remembrance with gratitude and reverence, resting completely in the grace You have given us through Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.
(Music to STOP)
Having taken this time to examine our hearts before the Lord, we now turn our attention to the table. We come with humble hearts, grateful for the grace of our Savior, remembering His body given and His blood shed for us. I invite our deacons to come now and prepare the table for the distribution of the bread and the cup. As they come, let us continue in a spirit of prayer and thanksgiving, keeping our hearts fixed on Jesus and what He has done for us.
As we begin to pass out the bread please hold on to it until everyone is served.
The Bread
The Bread
((AFTER ALL ARE SERVED Read 1 Corinthians 11:23–24.))
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Paul tells us that on the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and told His disciples to eat in remembrance of Him.
This bread reminds us of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ given for us.
The eternal Son of God truly became man.
He entered our world.
He lived without sin.
And He willingly gave Himself for us at the cross.
The bread does not become the body of Christ, nor are we repeating His sacrifice.
His sacrifice was sufficient once for all.
We eat in remembrance of Him.
And as we hold this bread, remember what we have said throughout this message:
Christ is sufficient.
We could not save ourselves.
We could not make ourselves righteous before God.
But Jesus gave Himself for sinners.
Let us give thanks.
Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for us. We could not rescue ourselves, but You came to save us. Thank You for the body given for us and for the sacrifice You willingly made in our place. Help us remember Your grace with thankful hearts and respond with lives of faithful obedience. Amen.
Let us eat together in remembrance of Him.
[Partake together.]
The Cup
The Cup
((AFTER ALL ARE SERVED - Read 1 Corinthians 11:25–26.))
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Jesus said that the cup represented the new covenant in His blood and that His people were to drink it in remembrance of Him.
The cup reminds us that forgiveness came at a great cost.
Our sins could not simply be ignored.
Our guilt could not simply disappear.
Jesus Christ bore the judgment we deserved.
His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
Our confidence before God does not rest in our religious works.
It does not rest in our goodness.
It does not rest in our ability to keep ourselves saved.
Our confidence rests in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
And Paul adds something especially important for us today.
He says:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.”
Communion looks backward.
We remember the cross.
But Communion also looks forward.
He is coming again.
The One who died is risen.
The One who is risen is reigning.
And the One who is reigning will return.
Until that day, we hold fast.
Until that day, we walk in Him.
Until that day, we remain rooted in Him.
Until that day, we remain anchored in truth.
Father, thank You for the forgiveness we have through the blood of Your Son. Thank You that His sacrifice is sufficient and that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Thank You that Jesus rose from the dead and that our hope in Him is secure. Keep us faithful as we wait for His return. In Jesus' name, amen.
Let us drink together in remembrance of Him.
[Partake together.]
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for the truth of Your Word and for the grace You have given us through Your Son.
Thank You for everything You have taught us through this series. Do not allow these truths to remain only in our notes or in our memories. Carry them into the way we live.
Help us walk in Christ.
Keep us rooted and built up in Him.
Establish us in the faith.
Give us discernment so that we are not carried away by deception.
Keep our church faithful to Your Word, watchful against error, gracious toward those who struggle, and tender toward one another.
Above all, keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus.
Thank You that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Thank You that His sacrifice is sufficient, His grace is enough, His promises are sure, and His return is certain.
Until that day, help us hold fast because You who promised are faithful.
Keep us anchored in Christ until He comes.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
