R1651 Introduction to Colossians

God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based preaching Dr. Don Wilton as we begin a series on cost will head the book of Colossians chapter 1 verse one in just a moment with Dr. Wilton wants me to remind you this is not just a presentation of the conversation every single day were taking many calls at 86689.the number down, start yourself here to pray to connect with great resources and more at 866-899-9673 but also online at tewonline.org having drop by lightly grease. Dr. Wilton has right now.

Message: is this the end.

Are we living in times discover more on our website, TE, W online.org today series as we began studying the book of Colossians with Dr. Don Wilton. Please open your Bibles to Colossians chapter 1 we got to hear what God has to say. So let's just I want to put on before us all today something very important and I want to share something very important with you. It's just read the first two verses, Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother to the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ and the church colossi grace and peace to you from God our father that a beautiful way to begin something so critical.

God told him that he gone had something eternal, nonnegotiable to say to these people to to the church, designed to strengthen them. This was the anchor that would hold them despite the storms so this church colossi they were facing serious challenges. They were coming to church on Sunday morning and Wednesday and whenever it might be, and the people were bringing with them the ranging wildfires that were going on into the will. They came and sat. They prayed together study God's word together and they were dealing at the same time with pain with agony with unbelievable ugliness with bad behavior and and most of all with a world that was increasing the sign are you kidding me, Jesus. The church colossi was being squeezed and I hadn't yet succumbed and we living in a world today where we've set up a monument to our own glory and the world. Once the church to mirror the world instead of the church wanting the world to mirror the Lord Jesus and an essentially colossi in their world. Now I'm going into their world. You have this collision between multiple anti-Christian philosophies became known as the colossi heresy.

That's what it was known as an end, the church faced the danger, but I hadn't yet fallen into it. They face the danger of being pooled into it. If a fire starts in your house don't gun walked around it, put it if your children are dabbling in stock that if you part of the 1 foot club yet. 1 foot in the world and 1 foot in God's kingdom. Take your foot out of the world. That's what Paul is about site. Chapter 1 verse 23 verse 23 we will read will get there.

If you continue in your faith established and firm. You will not be moved from the hope held out in the gospel that you hear what he said it. You continue your you will not be moved from all the joy and the promise the blessing that comes from knowing the Lord Jesus Christ because he's old sufficient. So what about the cholos and Colossian heresy. So just to try and help us understand that briefly there were really two worlds that were colliding in this in this town. Watch me now okay I'll try and explain it very simply, on the one hand, there was Creek philosophy rank paganism would result based on knowledge and philosophy. They Greek philosophers believed that the gospel of Jesus.

Just far too simplistic. I'm in get a life. Give your heart to Jesus and you'll be forgiven and go to heaven half stupidly simplistic. The Greeks, they will overthink as they were philosophers. I had superior knowledge so you can go and read about that for example in first Corinthians is replete with the challenges presented by this brand of paganism like is there anything more ridiculous than being a Christian and they found any reason to brand Christian to associate Christians. I just looked around the filmmaker Michael Moore. Just this week said you know he equated the behavior of the tallow band to conservative Christians in America give me a break. It's like groping at something to bring down Christian. That's what the Greeks did they they belittled when when they kids went to school it was like house amino UW lost your mind. Are you in church on Sunday, you realize you could be at the beach right now worship God's man so you can summarize Greek philosophy and three denials and I'm just giving this to first of all, they denied the humanity.

They denied the humanity of Christ, you know, how could a perfect God take up human matter, which was overtly evil can't happen. So they denied the humanity of Christ.

In other words, Jesus could never have taken on flesh, and that whole thing about becoming sin for us, even though he knew no sin. That's just godly gobbling nonsense. Secondly, they denied the deity of Christ. One thing to deny the humanity of Christ. But secondly they denied the deity of Christ, and to deny the deity of Christ literally made. There is no way that God ever could become man member. They had plenty of guards made statues of temples erected to them everywhere they brand of worship was a Mardi Gras brand of worship is live today because tomorrow you die. And thirdly, they denied the sufficiency of Christ.

What is the sufficiency of Christ. It's the sufficiency of Christ for salvation. Look at chapter 1 verse 28. This is what Paul says in verse 28 in the first chapter, we proclaim him, admonishing and everyone teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

That's the old sufficiency of Christ for salvation. You do not add anything or anyone to Jesus.

He is the one he is God's son, the only begotten of the father, we are complete in Christ will Greek philosophical paganism denied Christ's humanity denied the deity of Christ, denied the old sufficiency of Christ and it was all around them. They were people out there saying listen man excuse me guys you don't mean that God is going to limit I mean he just loves everyone you know as long as you sincere ever heard anybody say that as long as you do good guy can't stand these Christian religions that say Jesus is the only one who said you can have a corner on the market. Are you telling me that my way to worship you know God made the trees and the flowers and the birds and bees. If I want to worship in our all and I believe that that's the way to get the God who are you to tell me I go to add Jesus into this so you got the Greeks, but on the other hand you have the Jews. I'm just presenting to you to please forgive the eruption will be back with the rest of Dr. Wilson's message today in just a moment to remind you were connecting both online at TW online and on the phone 866899 word and right now there is such an intense curiosity about this message. Is this the end. Here's Liz with all the details varies around the world are asking questions world. Join Dr. welding questions straight from God's word as a bonus, you will receive it for Kenya's coming early and now both of these ministry resources will greatly encourage you to our Lord's return. Sure everything under control.

He is our living complex at 866899 word that's 86699973 and request in the bonus book, Kenya's coming for yourself your friend today. Thank you for supporting The Encouraging Word now time I get more details on our website@twonline.org and while you are there@twonline.org, please sign up for the daily Encouraging Word devotion from Dr. Wilton is our most popular resource when you get an email frantically again. You can sign up@twonline.org or why your signing up you can also request a physical copy of our quarterly copies all available for free on our website@twonline.org that oxidize great teaching Dr. Don Wilton but on the other hand you have the Jews. I'm just presenting to your two groups will many Jews and Judaism Edison heartbeat insisted on a number of things you take for example ceremonial is or how about ritualism, particularly circumcision of young males that was written in two the religious framework of the Jewish people. It was part of the old covenant, but it was in the now of the new covenant God in times Paul spoke through the prophets, but now in these last days he has spoken to us through his son that didn't matter. So when you have ceremonial nihilism and ritualism and sink to schism you don't know what else to schism is its varying brands of self-denial dietary lords. You cannot eat this and you cannot eat that it even can be boiled down to laws and regulations related to Sabbath worship that associate not walking not talking, not touching, not reading, and all the rituals were that is the means by which you gain access to a righteous God, not through Jesus and these worlds collided. Colossi and I haven't even begun to preach my message so the result clause that these people were becoming increasingly mixed up and confused.

Can you understand that I can understand that being mixed up in confused is not criminal. It happens I don't find anywhere in Colossians way pull was scolding the people you you are not sinning against God because you're dealing with all of these things everybody is and what God wants to do is he wants to give to you his truth. He wants to show you how to be strong in him. And that's what the book of Colossians. It's about being strong in the Lord, you mean versus my Christian faith.

This is what it means to be a Christian if you gave me an overriding theme about Colossians. It would be only old sufficiency of Christ love that chorus that we would sing, turn your eyes upon Jesus looks fool in his wonderful face and the things over will gross range lead in the light of his glory and grace. Paul was wanting these people to look into the face of Jesus to trust him. Don't say your trust him and then policing don't cite you trust God and then spend half your waking hour questioning him, which is very easy to do and there is nothing simple about the questions I'm I'm smiling because if you could see me you'd say I'm getting to these studies and I start asking myself more questions say why, why, what, when, how, then explain this many times as I Lord okay him and him I could do the arms going to skip over that sorrowing talk about the you know I don't talk about that because I know if I talk about that somebody out there is going to be mad with me because you not supposed to talk about it. Lana might tell you something folks of God's is an ongoing talk about. That's what I mean. That's not that's not alike. What's the word I'm looking for like well you know me big chief you just listen.

I you know I'm going on turning you on, and it didn't. That's not what he's talking about saying turn your eyes upon Jesus trust him. He's old sufficient God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, it's about Jesus. So what am I encouraging you to do beginning right now beginning right now number one I'm asking you please give your heart to Jesus.

Just that's the starting point trust Jesus by faith we are saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, not of works, because if it wasn't works. You and I would have a serious competition going on now I've had 15 years of seminary studies so I deserve to have the front row seat in heaven right seagoing cities were saved by grace through faith is not even governed by whether or not we were in church on Sunday. Now how is that a how do you do am I telling you not to, that's what I said but coming to church doesn't save you. Jesus does, asking you to give your heart to dreamed. Secondly, I'm inviting you to trust him.

I'm inviting us guys. Let's trust God. Thirdly, let's really study him. Let's keep this up. We've done are jolly good job for many years getting to that life group is Jordan so will save earlier on the part of a group we got so many wonderful teachers getting a group where you can study and also a lot more questions. Keep on asking those questions that are scrim of God.

I want you to have confidence want you to be strong.

I'm asking God to make us all like pole we living in a day and age. Keep your eyes open.

Beware of this. Parents look at me.

Not a good idea. If you've got children and you don't keep your eyes on you are a teenager right now and come any day you say listen man go play in the traffic is let me know whenever you get back you are asking for trouble that I say that getting into trouble say that you trust your child. Keep your eyes on them be engaged church be engaged. This is God's church and we are church strong because Christ makes us the U-value heads with me this morning.

Every head bowed and every eye closed. What is God saying to you today.

You know Kerry looked at this church and he said I want to speak to the holy and faithful brothers and sisters who are part of the church and then he said this grace and peace to you from God our father mixed week will find out more about that.

I tell you I wish I could preach on that every week you know that God's grace and his peace is yours now. Now that's what he gives to you when you repent of your sin and by faith.

You just trust when you commit your life to him. When you surrender to him. Grace and peace, all while I want that and when I get that.

I just want more and more and because Christ is the onset would you give your life to Jesus you make a commitment to him today I'm going to invite you, even to join this church. This is one church.

We got hundreds of wonderful Bible believing churches I could stand you and recommend 100 to you wonderful pastas. People everywhere but this is where God is pointed me. I want to bloom where God is.

This is where God has placed me.

How about you, would you join me in church strong. We can have confidence folks. Our children can have a foundation that so solid. How about you look at me today. I want to pray for you, Lord Jesus, I'm praying for people right now as we go into this invitation that people everywhere would respond would come down the coal numbers on the screen text connect. This is your Lord Jesus, you make strong when you send us out into the world make a difference for Christ, Lord, look what you've done in this one place holdings. He is one hell and they said it cannot be right now, Lord Jesus, I don't know of a single area in this incredible church where there is smoke, not one, but by your grace, Lord Jesus, as long as I stand here, please give to me and all of us the ability to make certain no smoke ever does notify ever known devil ever gets a foothold Lord. These are my people drove people and there is only one life to live and will soon be parsed only what's done for the Lord Jesus Christ lost and I pray this prayer.

Yes, in the strong wonderful name of Jesus. Amen.

Perhaps you can spread along with Dr. Wilton. Moments ago giving your life to Christ saying yes to Jesus or coming home. Return either way, you know, we're here with you. Stand together to pray for you and give free resources that help you grow. The next steps. Dr. Wilton has something prepared specifically for you just gave your life to Christ or just rededicated your life. Call us right now at 866899 word jot the number down, store yourself taking your calls 24 hours a day at 866-899-9673 to find that number and other ways to connect on the website as well@tewonline.org that's tewonline.org you before you get away closing thoughts from our pastor and chief encourager Dr. Don Wilton. What a wonderful time of worship to get you know I want you every day to experience this Encouraging Word it's about Jesus. That's why I want you to get your own copy daily Encouraging Word Bible God. This wonderful devotion has been prepared, and I want to give it to you free of charge. Send us an email.

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