Sermon Tone Analysis

The Body of Christ

Read - Pray

INTRO

Who are you?

This is a question we are faced with everyday.

We ask it of ourselves, employers ask it of us, and even society asks us this question almost daily...

Are you a republican or democrat, where are you from, what college did you go to, what professional teams do you root for, what kind of music do you like, even in the church are you conservative, liberal, moderate, traditionalist, fundamentalist, reformed, arminian,

All of these questions and categories try to pin us down.

try to force us to neat categories of human existence.

All of these are attempts to answer the question “Who are you?”

NOBODY likes this.

I think proof of the fact that nobody wants to be defined by culture or man is the never ending options we have before us.

We’re all in search of a story big enough to live in...

it’s not Ska.

So who are you?

Who are we?

As “Christians” (That IS our a defining label and term for people who follow Jesus) - Little Christs - if that’s what we’re going to call our selves and let society call us.

It would be wise for us to look to Jesus, define who He is, and then look at our selves and see how being tied to, connected to, Jesus informs our answer to the question: Who are you?

Who is Jesus?

This is exactly what Paul is doing in Colossians 2:9-15

He starts with defining Jesus

Colossians 2:9

Dallas Willard: Jesus was a walking example of what a man, living filled with the Holy Spirit can accomplish.

Jesus is God ()

But Jesus was also a man ()

Jesus was and is at all times 100% God and as he walked this earth was 100% human: in theology we call this a hypostatic union.

Because if is true, (in him all things hold together), everything would have fallen apart if Jesus ceased being God.

At the same time, the miraculous things Jesus did while walk ing the earth (knowing the hearts of man - Judas, healing people, discerning intentions, wise questions and discussions) were accomplished through the power of the spirit

- Jesus lived and walked this earth filled with the Holy Spirit, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit was pleased to dwell in Jesus body...

And this gives us the basis for what we believe about the Holy Spirit filling believer when we confess faith in Jesus:

Jesus as the head:

- of the Church ()

thrones, dominions, rulers, & authorities (Col.

1:16)

of the Church (Col.

1:18)

Paul has said much to define who Jesus is in this letter, and now he turns to us:

Who are you?

Let’s continue to look at this “Body” imagery.

The Church is the body and Jesus is the head.

When we come to faith in Jesus for our salvation, we become a part of the Church.

We come a part of the body of Christ (Members)

Holy Spirit filled people (Col.

2:10)

This is God’s Mystery that was hidden for generations - Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

This is probably the most difficult truth for us to believe.

Paul spends the next 3 verses explaining this one verse.

What does “the circumcision of Christ” mean?

As believers we are part of the body of Christ

The body of Christ has been circumcised

Paul’s not talking about Jesus’ physical body here

The Circumcision Paul is talking about

All of this is talking about the body of Christ, yes Jesus’ physical body, yes the church.

This imagery all runs together… to bring us to the following conclusions

In Christ, as part of his body

We are circumcised people (Col.

2:11)

Not physically, but spiritually

Our sin (trespasses) have been cut off from who we are

Jesus’ circumcision (and ours as a part of his body) happened on the cross

Part of who we are has been cut off from us

That part was our sin, our shame, our unholiness, and unrighteousness, as this passage calls it, our trespasses.

It was a wound much deeper than the mere cutting of skin.

Jesus died, and with him our sin and and shame

Jesus dead body, was raised to life and we were raised with him as new creatures.

We are a risen people (Col.

2:12)

We are risen to walk in new life - now that sin and shame have been cut off from our account (debt), we’re free to walk

We are a free people ()

Cancelling the record of debt (past, present, and future)

This is who you are:

Spirit Filled (2:10)

Separated from Sin (2:11)

Risen (2:12)

Free (2:14)

Paul is not talking about the Jewish leaders of the day or even the Roman empire.

He’s talking about the spiritual rulers and principalities of the world.

()

The enemy had thought he had won.

From the time the promise of messiah had been given, using the rulers of the world.

Satan had been seeking to destroy God’s plan for redeeming mandkind

Genesis - killing of Hebrew children (Moses survived)

All the enemies of Israel tried to destroy the Kingdom and the linage of David (Babylon & Assyria)

Again killing the Hebrew children after Jesus’ birth

Finally the messiah had been identified, named, and even Crucified.

the enemy had thought he had won!

But what was mean for harm and evil, God used for his glory and purposes.

How does this help us on Monday

Who are you?

Do you believe what the Bible says about you?

Do you live like it?

Do you believe the fullness of God (Holy Spirit) is living in you?

Do you live like it?

Do you believe that you have been completely separated from your sin?

do you live like it?

Do you believe that you’re a new creation (the old has passed)?

do you live like it?

Do you believe you are free?

Or do you keep trying to enslave yourself to other stories too small to live in?

do you live like it.