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Sermons preached at the Hinckley Evangelical Free Church (Hinckley, MN)
Episodes
Wednesday Apr 05, 2017
Monday Mar 27, 2017
Monday Mar 27, 2017
Putting Christ First: New in Christ
Colossians 3:1-4
New Identity (v. 1)
- Paul encourages us to see ourselves for who we are in Christ
- Those who were dead who have been made alive
- And thus our desires need to change to align with our new identity
- Both of which come from above
New Thinking (v. 2)
- If our identity is found in Christ
- Then our thinking needs to be centered in Jesus as our basis for truth
- Which is part of the renewing of our minds that God promises us (Rom. 12:2)
- Thus, not only does our identity undergo a resurrection to a new life
- But so does our thinking
New Destiny (v. 3-4)
- If we have our identity in Christ
- Then we get a new destiny as well
- Defined by Jesus’ resurrection
- And resulting in us sharing in His future glory
- When we share physically in resurrection life
So What?
- Do we find our identity in Jesus?
- Do we center our thinking in His truth?
Meditation Verse: Colossians 3:2
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Putting Christ First: The Root of Righteousness
Colossians 2:16-23
Wrong Judgments (v. 16-17)
- Because of the spiritual fullness that we have in Christ alone
- Paul urges us not let anyone impose a means of spiritual growth that does not have Christ at its heart
- This false judgment is based in:
- What we eat/drink
- Or refrain from
- “A real Christian doesn’t…”
- This could be a reference to the dietary law
- But that does not prohibit the drinking of anything
- What we celebrate
- Or refrain from
- “Christians shouldn’t celebrate…”
- This included the OT holidays
- Sabbath & new moons
- “Shadows of things to come”: They were meant to point to Jesus
- But also pagan-based celebrations
- Or refrain from
- Or refrain from
- What we eat/drink
Wrong Priorities (v. 18-19)
- Paul warns against ‘false humility’
- Which can mean self-deprecation for the purpose of actually drawing attention to oneself
- Or, extreme asceticism
- Prolonged fasting, abject poverty, etc.
- To gain some sense of self-righteousness
- Paul warns against ‘the worship of angels’
- Which can mean worshipping angels
- Rather than God Himself
- Or worshipping with angels
- Claiming some sort of ‘greater’ worship experience
- Paul warns against those who claim special spiritual experiences
- Including visions
- All of these things lead to a false sense of spiritual importance
- This line of thinking is the result of not being rooted in Jesus
- We cannot add to the work of Jesus with anything expect more of Jesus’ work in us
- Which can mean worshipping angels
Wrong Logic (v. 20-23)
- Paul points out that this way of thinking is illogical
- Since we are no longer to find understanding from the ‘basic elements of this world’ (see v. 8)
- Then we should also not use those elements to gain righteousness
- These ascetic rules which some would put upon Christians:
- Are man-made
- Appear wise
- But have no spiritual value
- Because they cannot help us overcome our sinful desires
- Only Jesus can do that!
So What?
- What guides us?
- Human rules and regulations
- Or the Spirit of Jesus
- Are we known for what we avoid?
- Or the good we do
Meditation Verse: Colossians 2:16
Monday Mar 13, 2017
Monday Mar 13, 2017
Putting Christ First: Fullness in Christ
Colossians 2:9-15
Fullness in Christ (v. 9-10)
- Paul asserts that in Christ alone dwells the fullness of God (v. 9; see 1:19)
- Not in some temple
- Nor dispersed amongst various semi-divine beings (v. 10b)
- Thus, when we find our lives in Christ, we are filled too
- Paul is countering a claim of false teachers that we need more than just Jesus
- All that we can know or experience of God is therefore found in our relationship with Jesus
- We need no other experience from any other source
- For Jesus, as God, is over them all (v. 10b)
Inclusion in Christ (v. 11-12)
- Paul goes on to describe how we have been made full in Christ
- By circumcision: A symbol of inclusion into God’s people
- Not the physical rite
- But a spiritual circumcision of our hearts ( 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Rom 2:29)
- By baptism: A symbol of inclusion into Christ’s death
- Sharing in His burial
- In order to share in His resurrection
Alive in Christ (v. 13-14)
- Paul describes our need for death & rebirth
- Before Jesus, our sinfulness left us:
- Both its natural result: dead
- And its underlying root: rebellious (“uncircumcised flesh”)
- But through Christ, God has made us alive
- By forgiving our sins
- By legally fulfilling the punishment that our sins deserved on the Cross
- By forgiving our sins
Victory in Christ (v. 15)
- Through His death and resurrection, Jesus not only paid for our sins
- But claimed victory over all rebellious powers
- Both human and spiritual
- Thus, we have nothing to fear from them
So What?
- Do we find our lives in Christ?
- As Redeemer from sin
- As Conqueror over our rebellious hearts
- Are we living out of that truth?
Meditation Verse: Colossians 2:13
Monday Mar 06, 2017
Monday Mar 06, 2017
Putting Christ First: In Christ Alone
Colossians 2:8
A Warning (v. 8a)
- As Paul mentioned in v. 4, Paul warns the church against false teachers
- Whose words sound good
- But would capture and make plunder* of the hearers
- Συλαγωγέω (sulagogew): to gain control of by carrying off as booty
Philosophies (v. 8b)
- These false teachers do this through hollow and deceptive philosophy
- Paul is not speaking of all philosophies here
- The belief systems of Judaism were called philosophies by Josephus
- But rather, he is warning the church against the empty and deceitful beliefs of the false teachers
Human Traditions (v. 8c)
- These teachings were based on human traditions
- Teachings based in human-centered speculation
- The same language Jesus uses to describe the Pharisees and teachers of the Law (Mark 7:1–23)
Elements of the World (v. 8d)
- These teachings were based on basic ‘elements’ of the ‘world’
- Could have 3 different meanings:
- The fundamental components of the world (2 Pet. 3:10, 12)
- Earth, air, fire, water*
- Based on a natural view of the world alone
- Limiting spiritual truth to physical behaviors like circumcision, diet, and holy days (see v. 16, 20-23)
- Or basing our understanding of the world only on ‘science’
- The fundamental components of the world (2 Pet. 3:10, 12)
- The elementary principles of this world (see Heb. 5:12)
- Tied to their understanding of the Law in life of Christians
- Thus, to them righteousness would be tied to keeping the Law rather than faith in Christ (see v. 16. 20-23)
- Spiritual forces
- Giving too much attention to angels, demons, and other spiritual beings (see v. 10, 15, 18; 1:16, 20)
- And thus taking away the central place of Christ
In Christ Alone (v. 8e)
- Paul returns to what our lives and faith must be centered in
- CHRIST: Jesus as Lord!
- Nothing else and no one else helps us understand the world and our place in it
So What?
- What are we building our lives upon?
- Is Jesus the lens through which we see the world and ourselves?
Meditation Verse: Colossians 2:8
Monday Feb 27, 2017
Monday Feb 27, 2017
Putting Christ First: Rooted, Built, & Established
Colossians 2:4-7
Paul’s Concern (v. 4-5)
- Paul’s reason for laying out his love and ministry for the Church is to fight against:
- False teachings
- Pithanologia: “arguments that sound reasonable”
- But are not rooted in the truth of Christ
- False allegations
- Against Paul as a minister of the Gospel
- Pithanologia: “arguments that sound reasonable”
- False teachings
The Keep Walking (v. 6-7)
- Since we have received Jesus as:
- Christ: Savior
- Lord: King
- We need to live out that reality
- We live this out by being:
- Rooted in Christ
- A horticultural metaphor
- Like a tree needs to be rooted deeply in the soil
- We need to be rooted deeply in the person of Jesus in order to grow
- Built up in Christ
- A construction metaphor
- Adding to the firm foundation that has been laid
- Both the foundation and what is built upon it is centered in Jesus Himself (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
- Established in the faith
- A legal metaphor
- Like an argument with solid reasoning
- Unlike the false teaching which merely sounds reasonable
- All these metaphors are passive
- Meaning that it is God who is doing the work in us
- Our faith is built upon the person of Jesus
- And since this all comes as a gift
- It should lead us to thanksgiving
- Rooted in Christ
So What?
- Who we are is based in what and who we believe
- Our lives need to be found and defined in Jesus
- Are we rooted, built up, and established in Him?
Meditation Verse: Colossians 2:6-7
Monday Feb 20, 2017
Monday Feb 06, 2017
Monday Feb 06, 2017
Putting Christ First: Christ, The New Age
Colossians 1:21-23
Out with the Old (v. 21)
- Paul describes our state before Jesus
- Alienate from God: Our standing
- With our minds against God: Our thinking
- Practicing evil: Our actions
- Paul connects evil actions with a hubris on our thinking
- Presuming that we know better than God
Enter the New (v. 22-23)
- Through His sacrifice, Jesus ushered in a new age
- Marked by reconciliation
- In which we are declared:
- Holy: Set apart for God’s use
- Blameless: Like the Old Testament sacrifices
- Above reproach: Legally innocent
- Not by our own merits, but by Christ’s work
- This declaration has a future-focused undertone
- It is something started on the Cross
- And something that Christ is working out in us even now
- Thus, the call to continue in the truth of the Gospel
- So that, when we stand before His Father, we will have in it fullness (Phil. 1:6)
- The work of Jesus has ushered in the Messianic era
- Marked by holiness, righteousness, and truth
- But, we await the full culmination of this new age
- Which will take place when Christ returns
Putting the Pieces Together
- Because Jesus is lord of all (v. 15-20)
- We can have confidence that God’s rescue mission (v. 13-14) will be successful
- Ushering us into the Messianic Age (v. 21-23)
So What?
- Have you trusted in Jesus’ work of reconciliation?
- Having peace with God
- Are we letting Him transform us now?
- Preparing us for eternity with Him
Meditation Verse: Colossians 1:22
Monday Jan 30, 2017
Monday Jan 30, 2017
Putting Christ First: Christ, Our New Creation
Colossians 1:15-20
The Lord of All Creation (1:15–18)
- Paul defines the person and work of Jesus in terms of the Creation
- He is the image of the invisible God
- He has made the invisible visible
- Much like God’s desire for humanity (Gen. 1:26)
- He is the firstborn of all Creation
- Not that He was created or born
- But it represents the ancient concept of birthright
- Which gave the firstborn a privileged status and responsibility within the family
- It is an ancient way of saying that Christ is preeminent
- And thus, He is the means by which the Father created all things (v. 16; see also John 1:1-3; Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26)
- And since Jesus is the means by which all is created
- He is Lord of it all
- Including both physical and spiritual things
- Thus, He is in control of every aspect of our lives
- There is no compartmentalizing
- And He is the Lord of the Church
- Dictating and empowering her mission
- And in His resurrection, He has become Lord of even death
- He is Lord of it all
The Lord of the New Creation (1:19-20)
- As God’s people, we must find our life in Jesus
- Who is fully God (v. 19a)
- The Author of Creation
- In Christ, we are able to become part of His new Creation
- Which comes as a result of His reconciling everything to Himself
- Bringing us back to a state of peace with God
- This New Creation is not purely a future event
- He offers it to us now (2 Cor. 5:17)
- Started at the Cross
- Enacted through His blood
- Which comes as a result of His reconciling everything to Himself
So What?
- Do you need to be made new?
- Jesus is in the business of creating something new
- And He wants to begin that in us today
Meditation Verse: Colossians 1:19-20
Monday Jan 23, 2017
Monday Jan 23, 2017
Putting Christ First: Christ, Our New Exodus
Colossians 1:13-14
Teaching Tools
- Throughout history, people of faith have used various tools to teach and remember valuable truths
- Songs
- Creeds
- Stories
- Paul utilizes some of these tools when speaking to the Colossians
- Especially important because they did not personally know each other
- Paul describes God’s work in Christ in 3 ways which would have been familiar to his audience:
- A New Exodus (v. 13-14)
- A New Creation (v. 15-20)
- A New Age (v. 21-23a)
- Based upon prophetic promises
The New Exodus (v. 13-14)
- Paul describes the work of God in Christ as deliverance
- God has delivered us from the ‘domain of darkness’
- Exousia: Authority, power
- Not understood as a physical territory, but rather as a spiritual bondage
- Like God delivered the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt
- Exousia: Authority, power
- God not only frees us from bondage, but also transfers us to a new type of authority
- “He transferred [us] to His Son’s kingdom of love.” (v. 13b)
- One ruled by love
- One ruled by His Son
- God’s rescue agent
- Again, not understood as a physical territory, but rather as a spiritual reality
- Just like Israel was not called to just leave Egypt, but was called to the Promised Land as an inheritance (see v. 12)
- God has delivered us from the ‘domain of darkness’
So What?
- In Christ, we have been rescued from our slavery to sin
- And grants us entrance into a new kingdom
- Where Jesus reigns in love
- Have you accepted this rescue mission?
- And are we living in the reality of Jesus as king?
Meditation Verse: Colossians 1:13-14