Jesus is Enough

"Jesus is Enough” Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 3 Colossians 1:1-8 September 8, 2019 THE BIG IDEA: God’s desire is that we see Christ as He is – preeminent in all things! When we acknowledge who Christ is, see that He is in us and we are in Him, we are ready to become spiritually growing followers of Jesus. The Background of the Letter • • • • • Their City Their Church & Pastor Paul’s Letter Offers the Answers to Common Heresies: o Affirmed Jesus’ Deity, but denied His humanity o Or, affirmed His humanity, but denied His Deity o Said Jesus was the highest of many gods o Salvation is found in “secret knowledge,” rather than in the atoning, completed work of Christ Paul, in chapters 3-4, addresses the way the Gospel changes our outward morals and behaviors. o Doctrinal error will ultimately result in moral failures. o Moral failures will lead to doctrinal errors. So, now you understand why it is so important for Paul to emphasize the absolute supremacy and preeminence of Christ in all things! TRUTH TO HOLD ON TO: Here is how to recognize false teaching – Do they present a formula that looks like this? CHRIST + X = SALVATION If so, it is false teaching – or to be more blunt, HERESY. A KEY VERSE is Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Colossians 1 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: What Does a Growing, Maturing Christian Look Like? 1. You See Christ Through the Eyes of Faith and live your life that way, as well. 2. You Love People – Even the Difficult Ones + 1 John 4:7-10 + Faith without love is rigid and judgmental orthodoxy and Love without faith is mere sentimentality. 3. Your Hope (Confidence) About the Future is Based on “Christ in You” + Colossians 1:27 (ESV) “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” 4. The Gospel is Working in You, From the Inside Out. + Your Outward Life Matches Up With the Jesus in You + Any desire to be a better man/woman comes from God, not you. + Any strength you have to work on that, comes from the power/strength of God, not you. + Ask Christ to work inside you and the ultimate result of that is a radically transformed exterior life! To approach it in the reverse order will always lead to spiritual frustration and disaster.