“Continue to Follow"

Charles Spurgeon once said, “There is no joy in this world like union with Christ. The more we can feel it, the happier we are.”

We need to let that really sink in. Union with Christ is the center of our salvation and our sanctification and central to all of our deepest joys in this life. Dozens of New Testament texts prove the dominance of this theme.

John Piper writes, “I would define union with Christ like this: It is the reality of all the ways that the Bible pictures our human connectedness to Christ, in which he is indispensable for every good that we enjoy. No saving good, no eternal good, no God-exalting good, no soul-satisfying good comes to us except as we are connected to Christ.”

We need to let that sink in a bit. Connections, in my opinion, is the secret to life in this world. Networking is how you get things done and how you get to where you need to be. Ever heard the saying, “Its not about what you know... it is about who you know.” My whole life I found this to be true. For me and many others we were able to gain, progress, overcome, get promoted or get hired more because of who we know more than what we knew. And in our continued burning bridges kind of society this will become a problem.

The problem posed today come from the biblical truth that Christianity is kind of the same way. Its not about what we know, it is more about who we know. Especially in the music business, when problems arise, when we need things to get done a certain way, when we need a solid, we would bust out what was known as the rolodex. I actually read an article this week about how the rolodex is still a hot item and is still being sold all over the world. Our Christian rolodex and we need to call the one very very very important card. And we we call this very important connection for life, he will give us the Colossian Platter. What is that you ask? Well I got an answer for you. Let’s take a look.

Colossians 2:6–7 NLT

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

The grass withers the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

Our Lord

The Colossian Platter

Our Savior

The first thing we will will look at today is the clear description of our reception as Christ as Lord when we all became Christians. The second thing to explore is what the scriptures tell us about four characteristic of what it means to live in Christ. Finally we will rejoice in the beautiful thing of what it means for Christ to be our Savior as well as our Lord.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to fall into losing sight of the most beautiful thing we have as Christians, it is the power of the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to see the beauty of union Christ and the wonder of walking in Him.

I. The Lord

- The acceptance of Christ as Lord.

A. We did not come to Christ believing that he was our new accountant, our new business manager, our new image consultant, our new guidance counselor, or our new butler. We came to Christ who is the Lord. And as Lord it means all or nothing.

B. Paralambano - in the greek carries a bit more than acceptance. Even though acceptance is still a good translation, but it is important to see what it entails. Paralambano is not just acceptance but a receiving. A taking. Not just him as a person but all that comes with him. Not just who he is but what he has taught as well. This is how we understand Jesus as our Lord. When you came to him you came to him as Lord and Lord period. No I accepted him as savior, but not Lord of my life. There is none of this.

C. Remember my brother and sister Colossians you received him as “Lord.” “Lord” is comprehensive. It entails all that Paul had previously said about Christ in Colossians. It is a dynamic, comprehensive title. When the Colossians received him, they received/accepted him in full knowledge of this teaching, and they bowed in humility and submission before him as their Lord who is sovereign over all. We have got to hold on to the fact that Christ is the Lord.

Dr. Hendrickson writes, “as the all-sufficient One, as the Lord whose commandments should be obeyed and whose word should be trusted. The meaning is, “Colossians, do not be misled. Let your life (your “walk” or conduct) continue to be in harmony with the fact that you have accepted Christ Jesus the Lord as your tradition. You embraced him with a living faith, just as you were taught to do.”

Spurgeon writes, “It is interesting to notice that the Apostles preached the Lordship of Christ. The word Savior occurs only twice in the Acts of the Apostles. On the other hand it is amazing to notice the title “Lord” is mentioned 92 times; “Lord Jesus” 13 times; and “The Lord Jesus Christ” 6 times in the same book. The Gospel is: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

D. Here is the huge thing it is almost as if he is saying you recieved Christ as Lord and in actuality, you would remain safe from spiritual seduction if they continued to walk in submission to him. Obey the commands and trust His word.

E. This is super helpful in our own struggle against the worldly influences of our current culture as we walk in the reality of Christ as our Lord. I feel like one of the major reasons why we have cults today is because they has a distorted view of Christ and in many cases Christ is not really seen as Lord.

Dr. Kent Hugues writes, “The Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, etc., say, like the Gnostics, that they believe in Christ—but what kind of Christ? Certainly not the Christ of the Scriptures. This is also true of virulent forms of legalism and some of the extreme forms of the “prosperity gospel” which eat away at the fringes of evangelicalism. The safeguard against this is a perpetual bowing before Christ Jesus, the Lord, in line with our initial awareness that we are Christ’s and our sins are forgiven.”

F. Christ is Lord. Let that sink in. Remember how we lived submitted to His word? Remember how we were submitted to His will not ours? Remember how we simply trusted His words? Remember how we just wanted to be obedient no questions asked? Remember when it made us happy to walk in obedience? Remember how we used to sing humble thyself in the sight of the Lord. Remember how we were so so grateful for all that he did that we weren’t fazed at all by what he did not give us.

G. So since you do… walk in him!! Follow Christ. United with Christ you must walk. Continue my friends to live in Him. Ok so how do we do this?

II. The Colossian Platter

- Four samplers on the sampler platter.

A. Remember the Colossian flower? Bearing fruit, increase in knowledge of God, strengthened to endure suffering in patience, and giving thanks in all things.

B. Flowers are pleasing to smell. But to live in Him… to live we gotta eat. He wants to tell us how are we to live in Christ. So first up on the Colossian platter…

C. Rooted - The picture is pretty clear as to how it is to be living in Christ. Rooted in Christ like a tree is rooted in the earth. I think maybe what is pictured here is Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1:3 NLT

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

D. Not only are we to be fed by Christ so that we grow stronger, but we as roots are supposed to grow deeper. So that we will not be tossed around and uprooted by the winds of suffering.

Matthew 13:21 NLT

But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

E. Which clearly pictures Pauls concern with the Colossians falling away into the apostacy of false teachers at the time. Christ is Lord Walk in Him.

F. But it is not just being rooted, it is also being built up. The second part of the platter. This is a picture of a house. The image of us being like a house built on the foundation of Christ.

Ephesians 3:17 NLT

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

G. Living in Christ is to hear and apply the words of Christ and our lives being built upon the right foundation.

Matthew 7:24–27 NLT

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

H. To live in Christ is to be rooted and built up… and now to be strengthened in the faith. To be strengthened or more established in what we have been taught. To live in Christ is not to walk away from old truth to go to newer truth. The minute you hear a “let me show you something new that no one has seen before.” No No No. Newer hidden truth. No No No. We do not live in Christ being strengthened by receiving and learning new truths, but the truth, the faith once and for all delivered to the saints

Jude 3 NLT

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.

I. Do we chase after newer truths today. Totally. You know how I know… I am always accused of preaching new things. I have never heard that before. This is some new stuff. Nope all I am preaching is the Bible and the interpretation that has been handed down from all church history. We know we are in trouble when truths that have been preached for centuries, sound completely new to us. The faith has been given. We are to be suspicious of things that are foreign to what has been considered orthodox thought all history.

RC Lucas writes, “This has something uncomfortably trenchant to say to Christian leaders. Did not many owe their first knowledge of Christ to evangelical truth? Yet how many now say that they have “grown out” of such simplicities. But to grow beyond the saving truths as we were faithfully taught them is not to grow up in a way that can please God or profit the church. Such fancied superiority in knowledge calls for honest self-examination to see if true loyalty to Christ remains.”

J. Why is that Shane? Because to say that we have outgrown the basic truth of Christianity is to become post-Christian and pagan, despite objections to the contrary. Moreover, the vast doctrines of God (the Incarnation, reconciliation, adoption) would defy exhaustive exposition if we studied them for a thousand years. In no way could we ever say that we have it all so figured out that we even need something new.

K. The last thing on the platter is overflowing with thanksgiving. To live in Christ is to be rooted (Unshakeable) built up (Maturity)strengthen in the faith and overflowing with thankfulness. And may we never ever ever become ungrateful to Christ while we walk in Him. It is said that Just as green healthy leaves are a sign of a healthy plant so is thanksgiving the unfailing mark of a healthy christian.

L. If we are honest with ourselves today. We will see that a thankless spirit displays a life that is no longer focused on the greatness of Christ. When we are truly thankful for all, we are not easily deceived and drawn away, because we have no need or no desire to to look for any fulfillment anywhere else. There will be no need to follow and trust in false promises made by deceivers.

Alexander McLaren writes, The life which is all influenced by thanksgiving will be pure, strong, happy, in its continual counting of its gifts, and in its thought of the Giver, and not least happy and beautiful in its glad surrender of itself to Him who has given Himself for and to it. The noblest offering that we can bring, the only recompense which Christ asks, is that our hearts and our lives should say, We thank thee, O Lord. “By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.” And the continual thanksgiving will ensure continuous growth in our Christian character, and a constant increase in the strength and depth of our faith.

III. Our Savior

- Salvation belongs to the Lord.

A. The first three participles are in the passive voice. This is the true color of the Greek language. The passive voice means that the subject of the verb is being acted upon. What this means is that it is God who does this. We have not rooted ourselves, we have not built ourselves, we have not strengthened ourselves…God has done this. And God is the one who must do this.

B. And that is why we pursue God in our lives. We want to be more rooted, more mature, more strengthened in the faith we must seek God. And it is funny, that all the means that we have been given to us by God to receive from Him are the things we neglect. Faith is our funnel. It is the instrument by which we receive grace, but it is the means of grace that is the fountain. We receive it from baptisms, from the lords supper, prayer, and meditating on the word of God. Many of which do not happening many of our churches in America today. This is why I want all of this to happen constantly.

C. But it is sin that causes us to to neglect the things by which we are to receive. We want so much from God, but don’t want to go to church, we don’t want to read and study the Bible, we don’t want to pray, we don’t want to take the Lord’s supper… this is what God has given to give to us, to serve us, to bless us. But sin cause us to lose sight of this. Sin that thing that easily besets us.

D. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. This is a reality for us all. But here is the faith once and for all delivered.

E. The Gospel… Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost.

F. The promises are glorious … If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This is the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus.

G. And this is the gift that the Lord wants to give us. Salvation belongs to the Lord. He will let us in. In union with Christ. He will root us in Christ, He will build us up in Christ, He will strengthen us in the faith in Christ so today and everyday, let us give Him thanks.