Complete in Christ - Bible Survey Part 11

Now what about the book of Colossians. Well, we first need to talk a little bit about the city of Colossae.

The city of Colossae was located in central Turkey. It was part of a semi circle of churches around the church of Ephesus, and these churches, many of them were mentioned in Revelation chapter 2 and three are often called the seven churches of the Revelation and yet Laodicea was mentioned which is right near Colossae but Colossae was now all of these churches, but particularly the church at Colossae was not started by the apostle Paul, it existed when Paul wrote to them in 62 A.D. from Roman jail, but he did not start this church. It was actually started by a gentleman named it Pappas look what Paul says Paul says what I want you to know. Colossians 21 that I greatly strive in prayer for you and for those that Laodicea and for all who have not personally seen my face point is the people at Colossae had never met Paul they never personally seen his face. He never been there. Colossians 16 all over the world. Paul says the gospel is bearing fruit just as it has been doing among you from the day you first heard it from a here's our friend the path for us, our dear brother, nephew, remember we said that when Paul was in Ephesus. He stayed there almost 3 years discipling the believers.

There preaching the gospel there and that he used the honeybee strategy when he was there and just to refresh your memory, the honeybee strategy says that Paul stayed in one place and his people pass through the town of Ephesus traders sailors merchants. He thought to bring them to Christ and to pollinate them if you will with the gospel so that when they went back to their home towns. They took the gospel with them and then they pollinated their hometown with the gospel and this is exactly what happened with the path for us.

He came to meet Paul in Ephesus and I bumped into him. He appalled leading the cries and then like a honeybee. He took the gospel back to Colossae back to Laodicea and shared it with people and began churches in both of those cities friends.

This is why here in Washington we are so passionate about reaching and impacting and and and really saturating the city with the gospel because this city is full of honeybees, foreign students, people at the World Bank people working at the embassies. People who are doing internships who are going to go back home at some point and we want to pollinate them with the gospel while they're here. We want to lead them to cries so that when they go back home.

They will take the gospel with them to their home cities just like a path for us. To the city of Colossae and Laodicea. Now let's move on and talk a little bit about the letter itself. The letter to the Colossians, along with three other letters are known as the prison epistles of the apostle Paul and let's name them in order. They are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon and why are they called the prison epistles because Paul wrote them from from prison in 62 A.D. while he was in prison in Rome awaiting trial before Nero. We also said if you remember that Paul's letters to the churches in the course Colossians is one of them tend to break down into two very neatly defined the sections section number one deals with theological issues in section number two deals with Christian living everyday practical issues. And nowhere is that more true than in the book of Colossians where that dividing line comes right at the end of chapter 2 in the beginning of chapter 3. So let's look at the first two chapters of the book of Colossians and talk about what was the theological issue that the apostle Paul was writing this church about Welling Colossians 412 we learned that a path for us had come to Rome to visit Paul in jail and he reported to Paul about false teaching that had crept into the church is at Colossae and it Laodicea. This false teaching. Concerned, the person of cries specifically the people there were teaching that Jesus was a created being and not God himself in the flesh now. Why is this a problem. Well, it's a problem because if Jesus is not the sinless incarnate second person of the Godhead in the flesh, then his death on the cross is worthless to purchase your the redemption and my redemption. It's worthless to purchase your forgiveness and your salvation and my forgiveness and my salvation. And so Paul writes the Colossians to address this very serious theological error and in doing so Paul gives us in Colossians chapter 1 into the single most comprehensive passage in all the Bible on the person of Jesus Christ. So we want to look and see what Paul says in these two chapters about the person of Christ. Five very important things. He tells us about Christ. There we go ready number one, Paul tells us that Jesus first of all and most importantly is God himself.

Wrap in human flesh. Colossians 115 says he Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Colossians 119 God was pleased her to have all his fullness dwell in him. Jesus Christ and Colossians 294 in cries all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form neck and you say it any simpler than that. All the fullness of deity dwells in Jesus in bodily form. This is why Hebrews chapter 1 says he Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the what's the next word the exact representation of God's who post office to go global. What know who post office in Greek means in essence, it means nature and mean someone's intrinsic being. This verse is telling us that Jesus is the exact representation of the nature of the essence and the being that is Almighty God himself now. A lot of us have heard of the Council of Nicaea Australia map. It was a little city on the northern shores of Turkey right on the black city and in 325 A.D. Emperor Constantine who did become a Christian couple decades before called a church council to meet here of all the bishops across the Christian world so that they could once and for all put on paper and codify the churches position on the deity of Christ. Now you heard Dan Brown in his book with him. His book, that's right, the da Vinci code you've read his book so see the all of their come on, you've read his book right.

The da Vinci code, yeah okay in his book, the da Vinci code Dan Brown tells us that the Council of Nicaea. The church invented made up the deity of Christ, they thought it up for the very first time, but that is so totally untrue, right here in the book of Colossians 20 250 years before the Council of Nicaea.

What is Paul writing about.

He's writing about the deity of Christ, use, understand the deity of Christ was not made up at the Council of Nicaea like Dan Brown says the deity of Christ was simply codified there in writing, but the church has always believed in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus himself said John 14 nine he who has seen me has seen God the father.

Jesus said that and John 1030 I and the father are one from the days Jesus walked on the earth the deity of Christ is what the church has always believed. As Paul says right here in Colossians and out of that counsel came the Nicaea and Creed and here's part of what it says it says we believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ the son of God, God of gods light of light, very God of very God, being of one substance with the father this word. One substance is the Greek word Homo Lucius Homo meaning the same and Lucius meaning essence and what the Nicene Creed intended to affirm is that God the son and God the father are the exact same substance, essence, nature and intrinsic being as one another God. It all right number two in Colossians 1 and two, Paul says that Jesus is also the creator of the universe. Colossians 116 for by him.

Jesus all things were created, both in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible pretty well covers it.

All things were created by him and for him. This goes along with John chapter 1 verse three where the Bible says that by him. Jesus all things were made, and without him nothing was made that has been made, and here we have another powerful affirmation of the deity of Christ, because Genesis chapter 1 verse one says in the beginning the God made the heaven and the earth and Colossians 2, 116 says for by Jesus. All things were created, so if God created the earth and Jesus created the earth, then, who could Jesus possibly be. But God number three in Colossians 1 into Paul says. Third, Jesus is the owner of the universe.

Colossians 116. All things were created by him and the for him, which goes along with Hebrews 1 verse two that says in these last days, God has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed heir, the owner of all things, not right now our world is in open rebellion against Jesus's ownership of the universe of his friends know more about that that is a temporary situation because one of these days soon the Lord Jesus is coming back and when he comes back, he's gonna lay claim to the universe that he owns and in that day there is not going to be one single person alive who argues with him, which is why Philippians 2 verse 10 says on that day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father pays close yeah a man number four. The fourth thing that Paul says in Colossians about the person of Christ is the Jesus is not just the creator of the world but is also the upholder of the universe that he created. Colossians 117 in him all things hold together. Paul says Hebrews 13 he, Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power, who holds all the protons and all the neutrons and all the electrons in all the mesons and all the gluons and all the quarks together in this world.

The Bible says Jesus, God, and he does it.

I love this by the word of his power, meaning that Jesus doesn't even have to lift a pinky to hold the world together. All he has to do is speak the word and it happens. Praise the Lord. Number five, and finally the Bible says that Jesus, last of all is the Redeemer of mankind. Colossians 114 in whom that is in Jesus we have years word redemption, the forgiveness of sins, but folks, it is so important that we understand the means that Jesus used up. To accomplish this redemption watch Colossians 120. He, Jesus made peace between us and God.

By the what the blood of his cross. Ephesians 17 in him we have redemption. There's our word, the forgiveness of our sins up through his what is blood that's right look. He was in Jesus's teachings. It wasn't.

Jesus is good example. It was in his moral principles.

It was in his philosophies.

It was in his miracles and it wasn't his healings that redeemed us back to God.

Peter says you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold, from your empty way of life, but by the precious blood of Christ. But remember, this is really important. Remember, Jesus is blood doesn't redeem every body. It only redeems those people who choose to place their full faith and trust in his blood to redeem your here today and you never trusted Christ as your real and personal Savior, may I say to you that Jesus is blood is capable of redeeming your life. Jesus is blood is capable of forgiving your sin but it is not activated in a person's life until we decide that were going to stop trusting everything else we've ever trusted to give us forgiveness of sin and redemption are good works are religious activity keep in the 10 Commandments. What ever and working to transfer that trust over to the blood of Jesus shed Ross on the cross. Plus nothing that's when we activate the blood of Christ and the redemption of Christ in our life. That's when we turn it from potential to kinetic in our life.

And if you've never done that folks don't think that because Jesus shed his blood that that's automatically going to redeem you. It's not until you make the choice to trust that shed blood of Christ as the one and only payment for your sin ever in eternity.

That's when it happens, and I hope you'll make that choice. Now let's summarize in the book of Colossians.

The apostle Paul gives us the most concise and powerful summary of the person of Christ anywhere in the Bible. And here's what he tells us number one that Jesus is God himself wrapped in human flesh. Number two that Jesus is the creator of the universe. Number three that Jesus is the owner of the universe. Number four that Jesus is the upholder of the universe and number five that Jesus is the root team are of those members of mankind, who will put their total trust in his shed blood to be the basis for their redemption. Now that's as far as were going to go in Colossians 1 into because we have our most important question to answer, so all you guys at Loudoun everybody Prince William all our friends in the edge community. Everybody at Bethesda. All our friends around the world on the Internet campus are you guys ready. Are we ready here ties sons yeah yeah all I come on out here we go nice and loud.

Why go through a yeah is a lot you know Hooper Stossel bosses or whatever. That was back there that worded home old Lucy Lucy or whatever that stuff I mean is all great.

I appreciate that.

But what do you present it is made to my life. Well, let's talk about it.

There's another amazing verse in Colossians chapters 1 and two that I want you to see and here it is. Colossians 210. It says as a follower of Christ in him in Jesus you who have been made. Say the next word you have been made complete and then Paul goes on to explain what he means friends is awesome. This is exciting. Listen to what Paul says all right we are complete in Christ as followers and here's why. Well number one were complete because Colossians 211 Jesus circumcised us with the circumcision, not made with hands.

Circumcision was God sign that a person had joined the family of God and what Paul is saying is that in Christ friends you are in the family of God you are is in the as is and can be now. Let's go on were also complete in Christ, because Colossians 120 says that Jesus reconciled us to God were complete in Christ, because Colossians 120 says that Jesus made peace between us and God through the blood of his cross were complete in Christ, because Colossians 213 says when we were dead in our sins. Christ made us spiritually alive were complete in Christ, because Colossians 213 he for gave us all our sins.

And Colossians 214. He canceled the debt that we owed a holy God by nailing it to the cross were complete in Jesus Christ. Colossians 212, because he raised us up to eternal life, and because Colossians 127 he put himself inside of us.

The hope of glory in the person of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Ephesians 430 adds that by the indwelling Holy Spirit we are see older for the day of redemption. This word seal is a Greek word that means the brand and animal and why would you brand an animal you brand an animal so that every body you ever saw that animal for the rest of time knew that animal belong to you and what the Bible says this would Christ but the Holy Spirit inside of you and me. He branded us spiritually for all of time and eternity so that every Angel, every Seraphim every cherubim, every demon, every devil and Satan himself for the rest of eternity looks at us and knows we belong to Christ, and nobody else that you understand the understand why the Bible says that in the him we as his followers have been made complete hey were in God's family we are reconciled with God we have peace between us and God.

We we are spiritually alive to God our sins are forgiven, the debt between us and God is been canceled.

We been given eternal life.

Christ himself lives inside of us and we have been branded as God's property for the rest of eternity when it comes to our redemption in Christ. When it comes to our salvation in Christ. There are no missing pieces.

There are no on answered questions. There is nothing you and I need to do to supplement our salvation. Colossians 210. We are complete in Christ. Hallelujah, how great is that you know if you years ago I was in New York, which is for Jesus. I was handing out tracks down in one of the subway station that my big Jews for Jesus T-shirt on and this the ultra-Orthodox Jewish man came over to me and he said are you Jewish and I said yes I am. He said I he said if you give me 10 minutes. He said I can talk you out of believing in Jesus. I said okay I say what I'll make you deal as a here's the deal. I will give you 10 minutes and I won't open my mouth to get 10 straight minutes, but when you get dawn I get 10 minutes with you house at the deal is that the deal I said all right go and man. He went he told me how I betrayed my people, and about the Holocaust and about what a trader was and how can Ila do let my grandparents down and he does went on and on and on and on and on with this and so I get on this working luncheon and when he had 10.

I said okay that's it. 10 minutes up is it not much or as it is there. I just have one question for you. My question is if you were to die tonight.

Are you 100% certain that you would go right to heaven to be with God that your sins would be forgiven for ever that you would have eternal life for the rest of time and eternity that there would be peace between you and a holy God. That should be alive spiritually to him and that he would claim you as his for the rest of eternity and he said no he said I cannot certain that I said I when I got just one more question for you said how in Judaism would you get certain and he said I don't know. I guess I be a good Jew go to synagogue keep the fees go to Yom Kippur, keep kosher, and he just modeling all over everywhere and I said to him, sir.

Now just say your problem is that you have a Swiss cheese plan of salvation is cut holes all in it and you're supposed to plug up all these holes and you don't even know what the problem with much less how to do it. I said sir, there are missing pieces to your plan of salvation. Can't you see that it is the plan of salvation. Your following is incomplete. Can't you see that in friends, this is not just true Judaism.

Every-ism and every apology on the face of this earth is a Swiss cheese plan of salvation where you got to do something you got to supply something you've got to plug it up somehow to make it work. Biblical Christianity offers us and that's what I told this man has its the plan of salvation I got to Jesus the Messiah. I don't have any holes in it. It's a solid block of cheese sir and everything is done for me. I don't have to add up paying her. I said I think I can help you will walk away.

Sadly, but I could help I could help it wonderful to know folks that we have a plan of salvation that you don't have to supply anything you have to do is say and it's complete and this is why Hebrews 8 verse six says Jesus is the mediator look at this of a better covenant that has been founded on better promises than any other plan of salvation in the universe. We are complete in him, and there is nothing we do that will ever make us more complete in him, so as Christians we don't have to try to do anything that'll make us more complete in Christ all we have to try to do is fall more and more in love with Jesus every day for doing this for us.

A man a man so let me close with a question in my question is, how about this issue were being passionately in love with Jesus. Remember the Christian life is not about religious activity. Please don't think that it's about being passionately in love with Jesus and it's about everything we do.

Flowing out of that passionate love for Jesus, while I work hard at my job well because I do it to please Jesus, because he said do all things hardly is on the Lord.

What will I be my boss. I do it to please Jesus, because he said, respect the authorities that are over you, and while I work hard to share the gospel with people because I do it to please Jesus who said you will be my witnesses go in the world and preach the gospel and why why why my faithful to my family and my children because that's what Jesus told me to do and I'm trying to please him. Folks everything in our life should flow out of one simple motivation and that is as a follower of Christ. I am passionately in love with Jesus and everything I do is to please this is what it's all about. And so we need to ask ourselves a question and that is are we passionately love Jesus. I had asked myself this question this week as I was working on this message, you know, have I lost my first love is revelation to forces you know was hot when I first came to Christ, and passionate in my love for the Lord and and have cooled off your mind like an Easter egg you know I'm all painted with great stuff on outside and hollow on the inside of my love for Christ and you know I had to honestly get on my knees in repentance.

They Lord I'm not as hot as I used to be in my love for you. Forgive me. I gotta get back to that.

So you people need to ask the same question. If you're really a follower of Christ, and if the answer is, we've faded Jesus has a simple solution revelation chapter 2 verse five he said repent and get back the things that you did at first. So I'm here to call you Dr. religious activity.

It's great that we serve the Lord. That's wonderful.

I want you to serve the Lord. I like serving the Lord. But we've got to do it for the right reason, not because were trying to supply something that's missing to our salvation is nothing missing that they were trying to earn our way into heaven does not we do it because we love Jesus and I hope I hope that'll be why did we as this church do what we do. So let's pray together with our heads bowed in her eyes close. I like to give you just a moment to talk to the Lord and to just asking that one question. Lord, my passionately in love with you like I used to be like out of, or have I gotten so busy and so preoccupied, maybe even with good things like serving and if you need to repent. This is a good moment to do prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love Lord, here's my heart.

Please take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. What a great prayer that everyone of us who knows you Lord needs to pray every day because we have wandering hearts and before were so quick to condemn the Israelites for wandering from you so easily and quickly help us remember were just like they are so Lord may the spirit of God help us. May the spirit of God guard our hearts and help us Lord Jesus, in light of all that you've done for us to have only one response. That's the basis for everything we do in life and that is what we passionately love you for those of us who need to repent. Help us Lord and made this church be empowered by one single factor that is, the people here love Jesus change our hearts because we were here, father speak to us deeply and we pray these things in Jesus name God's people said Amen