Under Pressure (Colossians)- Week 1

INTRO

Christmas in the Chapel… country rap… under pressure… want to hear it?

Students under pressure— school, transferring to a new school, sports, friendships, family, balancing school and free time, cheer.

Here’s what’s good: we’re not alone and this is not new.

We’re not the first people to experience the tension of being followers of Jesus and living in the world. Following Jesus and going to school. Following Jesus and being an athlete. Following Jesus and having friends who don’t follow Jesus. Following Jesus and struggling with a family that is really broken.

This is why we’re doing this series— because there was actually another church experiencing pressure— The Colossian church.

We’re going to study this letter over the next 4 weeks and I’m going to challenge you do let it be the loudest voice for the next month.

Let the word of God be louder than social media, Netflix, TikTok, negativity— Read Colossians as much as you can over the next month. Takes about 15 mins to listen to or read. Read it all at once. Read a few verses at a time. We are doing a deep dive through this book— let it be LOUD.

B/c I believe there is wisdom in this book that can’t be found on TikTok, Netflix, or from your friends.

Get out your bibles or phones— have the Bible on your screen as we work through God’s Word tonight. I’m not making this stuff up.

Who wrote it? To who?

Colossians 1:1–2 NIV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Paul and Timothy (in prison in Ephesus—120 miles west of Colossae)

Local church in Colossae (super young church in Asia)

Colossians 1:7–8 NIV

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Planted by Epaphras— heard about Jesus in Ephesus from Paul’s preaching. He was sent out to plant and planted this church in Colossae.

This is a letter. Epaphras would go visit Paul in prison, talk to him and Timothy and give him updates about the church— then Paul would send him with a letter to read to the whole church.

This is a real church w/ real problems.

Why was it written?

Colossians were a church UNDER PRESSURE.

Pressure to conform— Jews and Gentiles wanted these followers of Jesus to conform to their beliefs and practices. “Yeah, Jesus is great, but you should also be doing _____ to really have a good life.”

Pressure to achieve more.

Pressure to be enough.

Pressure to fit in.

The idea was that Jesus wasn’t enough! They needed to add more to their life than the one that Jesus offers them.

And this has not changed in the almost 2,000 years that have passed. We are still under pressure to live a different life than the one Jesus offers— feeling extreme pressure to be more, do more, be enough, and do enough. Pressure to fit in, look the right way, do the right things, watch what everyone else is watching, and do what everyone else is doing.

“Yeah, Jesus is great, but you should really be doing _____ to have a good life.”

What is it for you?

But Paul wanted remind this church of one very important thing in this letter:

Key Series Idea: Everything we have in Jesus is everything we need.

That we are complete in Jesus Christ! Nothing else is needed for us to be whole, wise, intelligent, powerful, joyful, creative human beings. In times when we are under pressure, we need reminded that Christ is enough! Christ is everything!

So tonight we’re focusing on the first thing that you and I have in Jesus:

Colossians 1:13–14 NIV

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

This is one of those foundational verses in the letter— if you miss this, if you don’t believe this in the core of your being, if your identity is not wrapped up in this— then you can forget the rest.

Paul wants the foundation of the letter to focus on what’s been done for you. What’s been done for you?

God has moved you from darkness to light.

I think this has to be the saddest season for my family right now? (What’s going on with Brock?)— Nothing, everyone just took down their Christmas lights. And I have a 2 year old. I’ve never seen my son so happy as when we’re driving around at night looking at Christmas lights. Expand on this...

There is an aching inside every one of our souls for the light— for God to dwell with us— to have Jesus lighting up our hearts and minds with the truth.

Methistemi— remove and transfer

This was a word used when one kingdom would conquer another— they would take all their belongings, burn the place down, and take a number of people back with them.

And Paul is saying this is what God, through Jesus Christ, has done this for the world should they choose to believe it and live it. There is spiritual darkness in our world and God has transferred those in Christ into a new kingdom— a kingdom of light— where King Jesus rules. You have this if you are in Christ!

Augustine said it best— “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” We have been made by God and for God and we walk in darkness until we find our identities in God. And in the middle of our darkness— in the middle of our sin, guilt, and shame— God stepped in and spoke light into the darkness.

He’s done this from the very beginning:

Genesis 1:3–4 NIV

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

The darkness wants you back.

The darkness will lie to you, accuse you, hurt you, tempt you, distract you, and shame you.

Many of you are in here tonight and you feel like the darkness is winning.

Let me encourage you— when the darkness thinks its won, the light breaks in. How do I know?

Look at the cross… when darkness thought it won, the light broke in.

Paul is saying this to a church under pressure— to a people with their backs against the wall— and he reminds them that Jesus has done everything for them, that they’ve been moved from the darkness to light, that Jesus is enough, what he’s done is enough, who he is is enough, and that in Christ, we are enough.

And what does Paul say our response to this is?

Colossians 1:12 NIV

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Our response is always worship...

2 things as we close:

Some of us have an opportunity to make Jesus the King of our lives.

Invite you to read Colossians 1x through every week through this series.

PRAY.