Grounded In Jesus

Introduction

Col 2:6-7 “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”

The Colossain letter was written to address “attractive but threatening teaching” that came to the brethren.

Paul sought to assure the brethren of who Christ was with the hopes that they grow in their appreciation of Him and hold on to Him.

Our text begins with phrase “therefore”

Col 2:2 “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,”

Col 2:3 “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Col 2:4 “I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.” [lit. deceived or tricked through words that sound nice]

Whatever the Colossians faced Paul didn’t want them to be deluded

He wants their attention on Jesus, and he wants their attention to stay there

He describes it in Col 2:5 “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline [fixed designation] and the stability [remain solid] of your faith in Christ.”

Our Text

Col 2:6 “Therefore as you have received [aorist] Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk [present] in Him,”

“Received” means to take along with you.

The REECEPTION:

Paul does not speak of their salvation, rather their teaching in Christ [the ‘after salvation’ stuff]

They have taken the teachings along with them

APPL: Some of us have received but its not in your walk.

This is why he needed to say [command] “walk”?

Paul teaches that the teachings received must trasnlate to walking in Him.

Whatever was received in the mind must find its way in the behaviour.

Because whatever is received in the mind. . .will find its way into behaviour. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”

Am I Grounded?!

APPL: We cannot walk in Jesus, if we are not grounded in Jesus.

To walk means to make your way in something; to live in

The word is also used in the imperative.

I won’t be able to love like Him, if we don’t know what His love looks like

I won’t be able to forgive like Him, if we don’t know what His forgiveness looks like

I won’t be able to have forbearance like Him, if we don’t know what His forbearance looks like

I won’t be able to faithful like Him, if we don’t know what His faithfulness looks like

The walk is described

Col 2:7 “having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”

Four (4) participles characterizes this walk. i.e. it shows us things that are involved in the walk. The teachings “received” provide the basis for the following:

“firmly rooted”[perfect] - This word describes the foot of a mountain or the root of a plant being firmly fixed in the ground.

OT understanding Jer 17:7-8 ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought or cease to yield fruit.”

Paul’s usage Col 1:23 [you can be presented holy, blameless, and beyond reproach] “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

Col 1:10 “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” - This complements well what is later said.

“being built up” [present] - with the roots secured, I can look forward to the growth. This phrase means “to build upon or to strenghten”

This means that in addition to what I “received” I need to build up on through the word

“firmly established (in your faith)” [present] - This word is actually a market phrase that indicates a guarantee of something. The meaning then is a guaranteed or confirmed faith; settled faith. A faith that is what it is.

A firmly fixed faith is a faith that can be counted on

It’s a faith that doesn’t move easily

It’s a faith that can stand up to difficulties, doubts and discouragements.

It’s faith that comes when my roots are sunk deep in to Christ and His teachings and my life [walk] is being built on it.

Together these phrases emphasize the significance of the initial growth and further growth.

APPL. The application is simple: What am I really grounded in? It is evident in my activity.

What am I doing to have a firm root in Jesus?

We have financial plans, career plans, educational plans, fitness plans. . .WHAT ARE MY SPIRITUAL PLANS?

Parents - Leaders - Members - Young Adults - Youth

The final description “overflowing with gratitude” is active.

The last three phrases were passive meaning the subject is being acted upon, but this one is active meaning the subject is doing the action.

For a God that blesses abundantly, this is the only wothy response

Something that abounds [more than what is required]

Why Thanksgiving?

The word of Jesus is doing something in us.