Hinckley EFC

Putting Christ First: Christ our new Exodus. Colassians 1:13-14

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
  • 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)

 

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

Putting Christ First: Thanksgiving & Prayer Colossians 1:2b-8

Putting Christ First: Thanksgiving & Prayer

Colossians 1:2b-12

Paul Gives Thanks (v. 2b-8)

• Paul starts with a standard greeting (v. 2b)
  • Grace: Greek greeting
  • Peace: Hebrew greeting
• Paul thanks God for the Church’s:
  • Faith in Jesus (v. 4)
    • “Faith that has Jesus Christ as its ultimate reference point” –Douglas Moo
  • Love for God’s people (v. 4, 8)
    • Based in the hope we have in God’s work in eternity (v. 4)
    • And the Spirit at work in us now (v. 8)
  • This message of hope is presented in the Gospel
    • The truth about Jesus
    • Which was brought to the Colossians by Epaphras

 

Paul’s Prayer (v. 9-12)

• He prays for the Church to have:
  • Knowledge of God’s will
    • So that we may live in a way that pleases God
      • Doing good
      • Growing to know* Him better
        • About a relationship
      • Growing to rely on His strength more
        • So that we may endure hardships with patience
      • Being thankful
        • Because of our understanding of what God has done and is doing for us through Christ
          • We are now heirs with Christ
          • Part of God’s family!

 

So What?

• Is our life defined by the truth of the Gospel?
• Are we living in a way that pleases God?
  • Not through our strength
  • But through a growing relationship with Jesus

Meditation Verse: Colossians 1:10

Putting Christ First: Introductions. Colossians 1: 1-2a

Putting Christ First: Introductions

Colossians 1:1-2a

What is Colossians?

• It is one of Paul’s letters written to a struggling congregation
  • Written with Timothy (v. 1)
    • Who was from the nearby Derbe-Lystra area (Acts 16:1)
  • It was written around AD 60 to 62
  • It was written while Paul was in prison
    • Possibly in Rome
  • It was written to the church in Colossae

 

The City of Colossae

• In Paul’s day, was considered a “small town”
  • Overshadowed by nearby Laodicea (Col 4:15–16)
• But due to its history as a military outpost and its previous grandeur, it was home to a mixture of people groups
  • Phrygians, Greeks, Romans, Scythians and Jews (see Col. 3:11)
• The Church was probably founded by Epaphras (1:7; 4:12-13)
  • Between AD 53-55
    • About 7 to 10 years before the writing of the Epistle

 

The Issue at Colossae

• False teachers threatened to undermine what Epaphras had taught
  • Which threatened to undermine the church from its strong Christ-centered foundation
• Thus, Paul’s message throughout Colossians is:
  • Christ must be center to the life of the Church Body
  • Christ must be center to the life of the Church members

 

Christ the Center

• When Christ is not the center of life the church it fail to be the Church
  • The community which:
    • Is called out to be different from the world
      • Which is why Paul calls the Colossians ‘saints’
    • Reflects Christ’s kingship to the world
      • Which is why Paul calls them ‘faithful’
    • Is a new family in Christ
      • Which is why Paul calls them ‘brothers’*
    • The Church is called to offer the world an alternative
      • Which can only be found in Jesus
        • When we put Him first

 

So What?

• Are we living as faithful saints, putting Christ first?
• Are we ready to be challenged to keep Christ as the center of all we are and do both corporately and individually?

Meditation Verse: Colossians 1:2a

The Gift of Jesus: Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6; Various Texts

The Gift of Jesus: Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6; Various Texts

The Promised Prince

• This child is described as śhar šhālôm
  • Shar = the representative of the king
    • Not used of one who inherits a position
    • But rather used of one who earns it
  • Shalom = peace
    • Refers to an absence of war or conflict
  • This prince who is promised will bring about peace

 

The Gift of the Prince

• Yet, there is no promise that this peace will not come at a price
  • In fact, Isaiah himself says that it will be costly (Isa. 53:5 NIV)
• The peace that Jesus offers is not simply a lack of war or external conflict
  • But an inner peace that transcends our circumstances (Phil 4:7)
  • Because we are at peace with God Himself (Rom. 5:1)
• When we trust Him, and take Him at His word, we will have peace even when the world around us is in turmoil
  • Which helps us not be offended so easily (Ps. 119:165)
  • And frees us from worry (John 14:27)

 

The Gift We Can Give

• If we trust Jesus, we ought to have inner peace
  • Thus, we have Jesus’ peace to offer to the world
• And our world needs it now more than ever

 

So What?

• Do you know Jesus, and thus have peace?
  • And are we living out of that peace?
• Are we offering the world the inner peace and peace with God that Jesus alone offers?

Meditation Verse: Luke 2:14

The Gift of Jesus: Everlasting Father, Isaiah 9:6; various texts

The Gift of Jesus: Everlasting Father

Isaiah 9:6; Various Texts

The Child’s Father

• This child who comes to rule is named ʾăbîʿad: “My father is Eternal”
  • It is not necessarily a claim that this child is the Eternal Father
  • But rather that he is Son of God
• The only human ever to be called God’s eternal son is the promised Messiah (2 Sam. 7:16; see Ps. 2; 89)
  • The Eternal Davidic King = The Christ

 

The Gift of the King

• This Eternal King comes to give access to His Eternal Father (John 14:6; Eph. 2:18-19)
  • A relationship with the Eternal God of the Universe
• And to have this relationship is to have Eternal Life (John 17:3)
• The gift that Jesus gives us is God Himself
  • And with Him, Eternal Life

 

The Gift We Can Give

• If we have this relationship with the Eternal Father through Jesus
  • We have Eternal Life to offer the world

 

So What?

• This Christmas, have you received the gift of Jesus?
• And if so, are you sharing Him with the world?

Meditation Verse: Luke 1:32

The Gift of Jesus: Might God Isaiah 9:6; various texts

The Gift of Jesus: Mighty God

Isaiah 9:6; Various Texts

The Child who is God

• Isaiah describes this coming king with a unique name:
  • “Mighty God” (ʾēl gibbôr)
  • Mighty: Strength of the king to overcome his enemies
• Isaiah often uses names symbolically
  • ) In Isa. 7:14, Immanuel is not the actual name of the child, but rather what his presence represents, “God with us”
  • When one looks at how Isaiah uses this name in 10:21, “A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.”
    • It is obvious that the prophet understood this child is to be identified as God Himself
  • And yet, Isaiah describes this Mighty God as:
    • A child who will be born
  • To a monotheistic Jewish prophet:
    • How can the eternal God be born some time in the future?!
    • How can God became a man?!
      • And not just appear as human
      • But be born as a child?!

 

Who is this Mighty God?

• The answer came 700 years after Isaiah wrote it
• Not in a castle, where you would expect a king to be born
  • But in a stable
• Not to the rejoicing of the nations
  • But to sounds of animals
  • And the praise of angels
• When this king was born, who is Mighty God
  • He came into the world like every other human being (Phil. 2:6-8)
  • Because this Mighty God came to carry the name Jesus (Matt. 1:21)

 

The Gift of the Mighty God

• Jesus came to show us who God is (John 14:7-9; see also 10:30; Matt. 11:27)
• But, because Jesus is Mighty God, He came to give us what God in His might provides in Isaiah (Isa 63:1; see also 1:24; Isa 49:26; Isa 60:16)
  • He comes to provide us with salvation
    • And not just from our earthly foes
    • But from sin and death itself

 

The Gift We Can Share

• If we have received Jesus as Mighty God, the Giver of Salvation
  • Then we have a gift to give to the world (Luke 2:10-11)

 

 

 

So What?

• Have we received the Gift of Jesus, Mighty God, Giver of Salvation?
• Are we giving that gift to others?

Meditation Verse: Luke 2:10-11

Refocus: Community, Acts

Refocus: Community

Acts 2:42-47 & Various Texts

 

Community as Central to the Church

• As the Church, we are, by definition, to be in community with one another
  • Sharing life together
• The commands to Christians in the NT are overwhelmingly communal in nature
  • There are 56 verses that center on how the church is be in community by using the expression ‘each other’ or ‘one another’
    • Love (21), encourage (8), be patient (6), be at peace (5), build up (2), be kind (2), serve (2), be concerned (1), accept (1), carry burdens (1), forgive (1), don’t lie (1), confess (1), pray (1), be devoted (1), don’t judge (1), instruct (1)

 

The Early Church as an Example (Acts 2:42-47)

• They learned together
• They prayed together
• They ate together
• They worshipped together
• They did life together!
• And they shared everything they had with one another
  • Not out of compulsion
  • But out of genuine love
• And because of the work of the Holy Spirit through that community, they grew constantly!
• There is nothing that the early Church had that we lack
  • In fact, we have greater opportunities and less hardships than they did

 

The Need for Community

• We are not created to live life alone (Gen. 2:18)
  • We do not only have a God-shaped hole, but also a people-shaped hole in us
• We only reach our potential as individuals when we share life together (Rom. 12:4-5)
• Community keeps us humble and grounded in the truth
  • And it allows us to be alone without falling into despair or pride
  • Because it keeps us accountable to one another

 

The Enemy of Community

• The number one thing that keeps us from doing life together: Busyness!
  • We let other things get in the way
• The irony is busyness leads to emptiness
  • Community leads to fullness
• The solution is intentionality!

 

Opportunities for Community

• Sunday mornings
  • Not just about worship, but also about fellowship
• Bible Studies/Small Groups
  • Men’s group, Women’s Bible Study, Adult Bible Study (Th)
• Events
  • Thanksgiving Event
  • Monthly events to be planned
• Serving
• New ideas:
  • Small groups based on the sermons
  • Celebrate Recovery
  • Others?
    • Always open to suggestions
  • It doesn’t have to always be events
    • Eat meals together
    • Go visit those you haven’t seen in awhile
      • Visitation ministry?!

 

So What?

• Let’s do life together!
• Let’s be intentional about it!
• Make a point to connect with someone from the Church this week that you haven’t before
  • Let’s share some of those stories next Sunday night!

 

Meditation Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Refocus: Vision various texts

Refocus: Vision

Various Texts

 

•      As Jesus’ Church we are called to be something more than simply a collection of believers

•      We are called to be and build God’s kingdom in this world

•      And stand as a witness for Christ in the world

o   The light in the dark (Matt. 5:14-16)

•      God gives us vision to keep us on task (Pro. 29:18)

 

The Need to Refocus

•      We know who we are called to be

•      Every time God calls His people to something

o   He needs to remind them of that calling

o   Because we are forgetful

•      The Israelites needed this reminding constantly

o   Thus, God gave them feasts, symbols, and instructions

•      Feasts: Annual reminders of God’s promises and actions

•      Ex.) Passover (Ex. 12:14ff), Tabernacles, Pentecost (Duet. 16), The Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27-32), etc.

•      Symbols: Stones of Remembrance (Josh. 4:6-7), Phylacteries (Deut. 6:8; Matt. 23:5), the Temple, etc.

•      Instructions: The Law as central to life (Deut. 6)

•      When the Israelites struggled most was when the Law was least central in their lives

•      The Church needs reminders too

o   Feasts: The Lord’s Supper (1Co 10:16)

•      Easter, Christmas, etc.

o   Symbols: The Cross, Baptism, etc.

o   Instructions: The centrality of Scripture to the life of the Church

•      When the Church struggles most is when the Word is least central in our lives

 

What We’ve Been Lacking

•      But these things alone are not enough

o   We must make a point to be intentional about living out God’s calling on our lives

•      Last week we looked at how we are unfocused

o   This is not necessarily due to a lack of knowledge in these areas

•      Though it may be for some of us

o   But rather, a lack of intentionality to practice these areas of our life together

 

Our Vision

We seek to be a community of loving, praying disciples of Jesus Christ where:

•      The Lost are reached through relationships (Evangelism)

•      The Word is faithfully proclaimed and Christ is glorified (Worship)

•      The Body is edified through intentional training (Discipleship)

•      Our lives, hurts, struggles, and victories are shared with one another (Fellowship)

•      Christ is shown to our community through our intentional acts of love (Service)

 

So What?

•      Let’s get refocused on what we are called to be

o   Keeping His vision for His Church before us at all times

•      This is God’s work in and through us

 

Meditation Verse: Matthew 5:14-16

Letters to the Church: Hinckley

Letters to the Church: Hinckley

Various Texts

Recap

·         As we have examined Jesus’ letters to the 7 churches of Asia Minor in Rev. 2-3

·         We have been seeking the Lord to see what He wants to say to us

o   This is a process that the Elders have been going through

·         From this process, God has shown us some areas that we are doing well in

o   And others that we need to focus or refocus on

 

A Vision of Jesus

·         Each letter opens with a vision of Jesus

o   A reminder of who is leading the Church

·         Jesus is:

o   Present with the church (Rev. 2:1b)

o   The eternal & victorious One (Rev. 2:8b)

o   The Conqueror (Rev. 2:12b)

o   The all-knowing, Ancient of Days (Rev. 2:18b)

o   The Possessor of the Holy Spirit and the churches (Rev. 3:1b)

o   The holy One who gives us unlimited access to God (Rev. 3:7b)

o   The faithful Ruler of all creation (Rev. 3:14b)

 

Jesus would commend us for:

·         Our commitment to the Word, which includes:

o   Sound Biblical teaching & doctrine

§  Like Ephesus (Rev. 2:2)

§  “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)

o   Staying focused on the ‘majors’

§  Not being divided by ‘minor’ theological differences (Rom. 14:1)

§  “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.”

·         Our unity (1 Pet. 3:8a)

o   We are not easily divided

o   But tend to focus on the One who brought us together

·         Our welcoming and gracious spirit

o   “Come as you are” mentality (Rom. 15:7, NIV)

o   Allowing people to fail and still feel loved

 

Areas to Grow

·         Like Ephesus (Rev. 2:3) & Laodicea (3:15) we have lost focus in some areas

·         Community

o   Being the church beyond Sunday mornings (Acts 2:46)

o   Something that used to come naturally

§  But has faded as we have grown

·         Service & Giving

o   Ministering to one another and our neighbors

o   Through our time, talents, and tithes (1 Pet. 4:10)

·         Prayer

o   Both individually and corporately coming before the Lord (Jas 5:16)

o   Not just to talk, but to listen

o   And moving beyond our comfort zones to before the throne of God

·         In a word, what we have lost focus of is our Vision (Pro. 29:18)

o   We need to return to the vision that God has for us as a church

 

The Good News

·         Just like the churches in Revelation, Jesus is not done with us

o   This is a wake-up call!

o   There is hope and healing for us in all these things

·         We need to return to that which we know God has called us

o   While not abandoning that which we are doing well

·         We will spend the next few weeks with this as our aim

 

So What?

·         Are we ready to let God refocus us on His vision for His church?

·         Are we willing to be challenged and changed by His word and His Spirit?

·         We don’t do this alone!

 

Meditation Verse: Revelation 2:1b

Letters to the Church Laodicea Rev 3:14-22

Letters to the Church: Laodicea

Revelation 3:14-22

Laodicea (v. 14a)

·        Very wealthy city

o   Where travelers would exchange their money for higher quality currency

·        Suffered a major earthquake on AD 60

o   So wealthy that they refused aide from Rome to rebuild

·        Despite their wealth, the city had no good water source

 

A Vision of Jesus (v. 7b)

·        Jesus describes Himself as:

o   The ‘Amen’: The affirmation of God

o   Thus, He is the faithful and true witness to who God is

o   The beginning of God’s creation: Referring to him being the source & ruler of all of creation

§  Arche: beginning, source, or ruler (see John 1:1)

 

“I know…” (v. 15-17)

·        Jesus’ knowledge of the Laodiceans work leads to His rejection of it

·        The city piped in water from the Colossae & Hierapolis

o   Colossae had a cold spring of water that issued forth from the side of the nearby mountain which was the most refreshing water in the region

o   Hierapolis had hot mineral springs, which were used for healing purposes

o   By the time it got to Laodicea, it would be lukewarm, and mineral laden

§  Thus, nauseating

·        Like their water supply, the Laodicean church’s works were nauseating to Jesus

o   Thus, His declaration that He is about to spit them out

o   This is a declaration of the worthlessness of their work

§  Not that Jesus desires that His people be on fire for Him, or be apathetic toward Him!

·        And they think that they are rich spiritually

o   When they are really the poorest of the poor

·        Like their city’s self-sufficiency

o   The church had become prideful, boastful, and complacent

 

Jesus’ Offer (v. 18-20)

·        He counsels the church to invest in Him

o   To exchange their worthless works for something of real value

§  Like travelers would exchange their inferior currency for the better Laodicean kind

·        This call to exchange is to trade their self-sufficiency for reliance on Jesus’ own righteousness

o   Which will heal their shame and spiritual blindness

·        He reminds them that His discipline is an act of love

o   And calls them to repent and rekindle a zeal for God

·        This is not a call of first belief

o   But rather a call back to intimate fellowship with Jesus (Song 5:2)

 

The Call to Conquer (v. 21-22)

·        Jesus promises those who persevere in their faith:

o   That they can sit on His throne with Him

§  Sharing in His rule

§  For their work will be done

 

So What?

·        Are we lukewarm; complacent in our relationship with Jesus?

o   Or are we growing and investing in that relationship?

·        Are we relying on ourselves or on Jesus?

 

Meditation Verse: Revelation 3:18