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Intro:
Tonight we will conclude our study in Colossians entitled [Let’s Talk About Jesus].
The subject of tonight’s message is, [Jesus Leads the Way].
We live in a day where there is a high premium on leadership.
Books fill shelves in stores, libraries, or offices on leadership.
I have a book titled, Leadership: Theories and Practices.
The author describes over twelve types of ways people lead an organization.
It seems that everybody wants to be a leader:
Every four years we vote who will lead the nation
Congress fights over whose policies and platforms will lead the way
Parties want control so they can lead committees
But if one party is out of power, they are called minority leaders.
The idea of wanting to lead begins at school.
I remember hoping my teacher would select me to have the great honor of being the “line leader.”
In the fifth grade, the two who scored highest on their history test got to be president and vice-president of the class for two weeks.
I only made vice-president once.
I remember playing church with my friends when we were seven or eight years old.
There was always a little bit of an argument on who would get to “lead the church” as pastor.
Thankfully I always got voted in as pastor!
Thankfully I always got voted in as pastor!
From the outside looking in, leadership positions can seem lucrative.
However, from the inside looking out, there are responsibilities to leading.
Many people have buckled under the pressures of leadership.
However, in the body of Christ, we serve in leadership positions, but the pressure lightens knowing though we lead, we actually follow.
I know God called me to lead our church.
However, I do not lead alone.
I look to Him, and try my hardest to follow His lead.
When I do it that way, life is a lot easier.
Problems arise when Christians stop following the Lord and start leading on their lives on their own, with their perceived wisdom, knowledge, or power.
In our text we have a wonderful picture of God, as leaders we are to treat those we lead with respect, knowing that we have a leader in heaven!
Isn’t it a freeing feeling to know that God is in charge of everything, He is the one running the show?
He selects us to do His will, but we succeed as we follow His leadership!
When Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, he dealt with people who were genuine in their faith, but were threatened with the winds of false doctrine.
False teachers perpetuated the myth that Jesus did come to earth, but not as a human.
They taught He was a spirit, whose life and death, while honorable, were not literal.
If they believed these lies, the would demote Jesus to a story that promoted good principles.
Believing this changes everything, for Paul taught in Athens:
Therefore, Paul established Jesus is Lord.
He was 100% God and 100% Man.
He was the only one capable of destroying the yoke of sin and providing everlasting life.
As Lord, He changes our lives in every way.
Our old life is gone, we have new life in Him.
To close out the book, Paul shows us that Jesus leads the way!
Therefore, we lead by following Him.
Let’s look at three areas of Jesus’ leadership.
[He Leads the Way in Warfare], [He Leads the Way in Wisdom], and [He Leads the Way in Works].
Let’s begin
1.
He Leads the Way in Warfare
On vacation in September, God stirred my heart to pray like never before.
On Tuesday night, we went to the Brooklyn Tabernacle for their Tuesday night prayer service.
There were nearly 5,000 people praying and interceding.
Through prayer, we have a direct line to God.
Paul understood this, therefore, he prompted the Colossians to pray.
But he did not want them to pray casually, he called on them to pray earnestly.
Casual prayer rarely produces supernatural results.
Casual prayer occurs either in times of crisis or conveniences.
There are many people who call on God when something terrible happens.
Likewise, people will pray when their schedule allows them and when it is convenient.
However, this is not the type of prayer God desires.
Should we pray in times of crisis?
Yes.
Should we pray when our schedule allows?
Yes
But this should ALWAYS occur after we consistently pray.
Something happens when we make time to communicate with God on a daily basis.
Therefore, we must pray earnestly, and vigilantly.
Vigilantly is defined, keenly watchful to detect danger; wary: a vigilant sentry.
ever awake and alert; sleeplessly watchful.
When I think of the word vigilantly I think of war.
Soldiers who sleep on the battlefield are normally on the losing side.
Therefore, in the spiritual battles that rage, we do not have time to get lazy or sleepy in our prayer life.
Jesus wants to help us in our spiritual battles, however, we must follow Him in prayer.
Notice Paul’s desire, he asked the Colossians to pray for him, that God would open doors for him.
At the time of his request, Paul was under house arrest in Rome.
Paul did not use this time as an excuse to rest, he wanted God to help him push back the kingdom of darkness.
Maybe Paul thought of the days when he worked overtime to stop the church by imprisoning Christians.
Now, he is the Christian that is incarcerated, and he wants God to use Him.
Remember what he wrote in:
Satan is very powerful, but, his power cannot overtake or overcome the power Jesus provides!
Therefore, we follow Him and He will lead the way in spiritual warfare.
How do we follow Him in battle?
We develop a pray life.
One that is built on convenience, not crisis or comfort.
2.
He Leads the Way in Wisdom
When we think of wisdom, we must move past the notion of what makes “normal” sense.
With God there is supernatural wisdom.
Jesus embodies God’s wisdom.
When we allow Jesus to lead the way, He will give us insight in what we should do and what we should not do.
Notice, Paul does not say, give wisdom a try and if it does not work, you are exempt.
He plainly speaks, walk in wisdom toward those who are outside.
As followers of Christ, we are to live in a way that is counterculture.
I read an article that was in the Pentecostal Evangel in 1973 this week:
There are things we do as followers of Christ that does not always make sense:
Prayer, church attendance, worship, reading our bible, tithing and giving, are just a few examples.
But when we commit to these spiritual disciplines, people will begin to notice a difference in our lives.
The difference?
We have supernatural wisdom because Jesus leads the way.
When we have this wisdom, we will do as Paul said, REDEEMING THE TIME!
We may look back and think, I have not been wise in every decision I have made.
The Colossians understood this as they nearly believed false truths about the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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