Fulfilling Our Mission Though Spiritual Growth part 1

Big Ideas about Fulfilling Our Mission:

The mission is the spreading of the Gospel.

We must commit to prayer, submit to God’s authority and become functioning church members.

This morning we are going to begin looking at Colossians 2:6-15.

However, a funny thing happened while I was preparing this message...

There’s too much there...

It’s a great lead-in to our Easter series...

Therefore, I’m going to take it two parts.

Read Colossians 2:6-7

These two verses ought to be seen as Paul commending the church of Colossae for their growth, encouraging them to stay the course.

He does this because, as we will see next week, they were facing immense pressure to compromise their faith because of some sort of false teaching.

Colossians 2:4 ESV

I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

Thus, Paul is preparing them for this by grounding them in the truth, which is only found in Christ Jesus.

This is amazingly relevant to us as well, as we also face immense pressure everyday to compromise our faith through a multitude of different influences.

Paul’s answer to them is the same answer we need: be firm in your belief in who Jesus is, what He has done, and why that matters.

This is important for us to keep ever present in our minds, because once we set out to attempt to fulfill the mission God has given us, you can be sure that the devil will unleash a multitude of attacks on the church and Christ’s people.

Therefore, we need to be grounded in our faith in Jesus.

Big Idea: In order to fulfill the mission that God has for our lives we must walk in Christ Jesus.

Therefore…What’s it there for?

Throughout the first part of this letter, Paul presented a foundational understanding of the nature of Christ Jesus, culminating with Colossians 1:15-20:

He is the Lord of Creation and the Lord of the New Creation;

He is preeminent over all earthly and spiritual powers;

He is the one that the church must put their entire faith on.

So Paul is basically saying, “Because of who Jesus is and what he has done, here’s what you need to do:”

As you received Christ Jesus the Lord…

In the first part Paul reminds them of their original commitment to Christ Jesus, the Lord.

The best reading of the idea behind verse 6 would be “you received Christ Jesus, the one who is the Lord.”

Lord over all…

And they not only received the teaching about him, but received him personally.

The Greek word here is παραλαμβάνω (para lam bano).

It is a verb form that suggests an action that took place in the past.

Typically points to receiving of a tradition, like the receiving of the Jewish traditions. In this case, Paul is points to what they received about Jesus from him through Epaphras, the minister who started their church.

Thus, “take all you’ve learned from Epaphras about Jesus and live or walk in these things.”

So walk in him…

Because he is the very present Lord, they ought to walk in him. What does that mean, really?

Walking here means how we live our lives, each and every day.

We go through life and there are uphill climbs and deep valleys. We walk briskly and with purpose sometimes, and other times are slow and laboring.

Sometimes we know exactly where we heading and can get there easily, and other times we’re not even sure where we are, much less where we are going!

No matter what, we ought to walk as a follower of Jesus.

But how do we “walk in him”?

Rooted and built up in him…

These are two beautiful metaphors of the Christian life:

Roots – A metaphor from agriculture in which the roots are firmly in the ground and they carry nutrients to the tree.

Roots are firmly in the ground…

My trees in the back yard…

A root brings nutrients to the tree...

Without roots a tree dies of starvation…

Building – A metaphor from construction in which the foundation of the building is set firmly into the ground.

The foundation provides stability for the building…

Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? (The foundation wasn’t thick enough and the soil was unstable)

The foundation gives direction for the rest of the building…

The foundation for the building will correspond with the design of the building (or at least compensate for the structure)

Both of these words are in the perfect tense in Greek, which means it’s a present state that is the result of a past action.

So, Paul is saying, “you already have roots and a solid foundation in Christ Jesus.”

They didn’t need something new. They needed to trust the One they had already been grounded in and not move to something else.

Jesus must be:

The firm foundation;

The nutrient giver;

The stabilizing force;

The one who gives direction.

And established in the faith, just as you were taught…

This is the result of being rooted and built on the firm foundation of Christ Jesus. One will be established in the faith.

“The faith” here means more than just personal faith, though that should not be minimized. The focus here is really the system of Christian truth and its ramifications for life.

The church in Colossae was growing in Christian truth.

So should it be for our church!

One who is established in the faith knows what they believe and why they believe it, especially in reference to Jesus.

Abounding in thanksgiving…

One common denominator for the Christian experience ought to be thanksgiving…for who God is and for what He has done.

Max Anders: “A thankful believer is not easily led away from Christ. A discontented, grumbling, whiny believer, however, will be easy prey for false teachers who are more than willing to offer ‘just what you’ve been missing.’”

Thanksgiving is a visible response to the grace of God in our lives.

Notice that I said “visible”…

So What?

Received Christ Jesus?

If you haven’t received Jesus, then nothing else Paul says matters to you!

Don’t merely accept Jesus; receive him as your Lord!

Walking in Jesus?

If you received him, the only logical response is to walk in Jesus daily.

We don’t walk in Him in order to earn His favor.

The FTs would have emphasized the works they needed to do.

Paul’s point isn’t that we need to d different works to please God. Instead, we walk in Christ as a result of what He has done and because walking in Him daily puts our feet on the solid foundation, not on the shifting sand of false teaching.

If we are to walk in Christ, as Paul commands, we have to understand that walking in Christ is a conscience choice we make daily...

Max Anders: “Step by step, day by day, we are to conduct our affairs in conscious submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Life is a journey, and we are not expected to sprint through it. We are just to make steady progress.”

Will I walk with Christ today, or will I walk the way of the world today?

How are your roots and foundation?

If you are struggling in your walk, it’s because your roots are in the wrong soil and your foundation is out of wack!

How many Christian lives today look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

The key is to return to the firm foundation found only in Christ Jesus.

Confess, repent, recommit...

What is your response?

i. Are you coming to the Lord with visible thanksgiving?