Growing in New Life

Remembering

Some times it is good for us individually and collectively to remember who we are. Some times its even good to remember who we were. It is through remembering we see the work of God’s amazing grace in our lives. It is through remembering that we overflow with thankfulness for what God has done, and give thanks for what he will do.

Remembering also serves to remind us as a church why we are here, what we are doing, and where we are going. For us as the church, Christ is the root that has produced the growth that makes us who we are, that defines why we are here, and leads us to where we are going. We were once dead because of our sin, but God made us alive in Christ and forgave all our sins. We have New life in Christ.

Paul in his letter to the Colossians is helping them to remember who they are in Christ. That God isn’t done working in and through them yet . The colossians grow by continuing to follow Christ. By letting their roots grow deep, and building their lives on him. The same is true for us today.

Through the work of God in Christ we were raised to new life. This new life defines who we are and continues to shape us as we follow continue to follow Christ. In light of this new life, lets remember who we are in Christ, why Christ has us here, and where Christ is leading us.

New Life in Christ

The Colossian church was not much different than our church today. The church had outside distractions that tried to pull it off its focus. Col 2:8

Colossians 2:8 NLT

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

Paul to encourage their spiritual growth in Christ helps them remember who they were, and now who they are in Christ.

-In Christ lives all the fullness of God in bodily form. The word became flesh.

-So you also are complete being joined with Christ.

-We are made complete in Christ lacking nothing

Philippians 1:6 NLT

6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

When you came to Christ:

You were circumcised

Sinful nature was cut away

2. You were dead

because of your sins, not living like Christ. Failing to follow Christ.

3. because of sin

we were dead

not living like Christ

But God

Raised you to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Romans 8:9–11 NLT

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Dead because of our sins and sinful nature, then God made you alive with Christ.

1 Forgave all your sins

2 Canceled the record of charges against us

3 by nailing it to the cross

Colossians 2:20 reminds us we have died with Christ and he has set us free from the spiritual powers of this world!

Brothers and sisters this is the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ. This is the amazing grace of God that saved a wretch like you and me. This is what defines us. Jesus Christ is who defines, who we follow and leads us until the day that he returns.

Our expression of the American evangelical church isn’t much different much different than the church in Colossians. We cannot allow our selves to be pulled by the distractions of our world that pull us from following Christ. Too often in our american culture we feel the pull of politics. We feel the pull of making sure others know what or who we stand against, that the main point of who we stand for and with can be hard to find for those seeking Christ and his amazing grace.

Brothers and sisters may Leicester church of the Nazarene be a church that continues to follow Christ, grows in him so that others who are dead in sin, like we were, may they discover new life in Christ.

Colossians 2:12 NLT

12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Continuing to Follow Christ

Paul urges the Colossians to continue to follow Christ. What does it mean to follow Christ? To an imperfect illustration of a kids game, its a lot like Simon says or follow the leader. We follow where he leads and do what he does. Christ in his earthly ministry and now through the church always ministered to those on the margins of society. He called tax collectors to follow him, healed leapers by touching them, dined with sinners, dared to be seen speaking with the woman at the well, people the religious elite of Jesus day didn’t want in their building. Yet these are the people Jesus did his ministry. Reaching the people on the margins of society is continuing to follow Christ, and doing what he does. How can we do this today? How can we let our roots grow down into him, and let our shared lives together be built on him?

As we remember the new life we live in Christ, may the work of the Holy spirit continue in us, and may Christ continue to define who we are. That others will hear the good news of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Colossians 2:20 NLT

20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,

Colossians 1:13–14 NLT

13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

and experience new life in the kingdom.