Sermons from February 2016
A New Status
What is the status of your relationship with God? This is the issue that Paul addresses in tonight’s passage. He wants to remind the Colossians of their old status, their new status, and just how their change of status had come about. His reminder to them is a reminder to us also. Because of Christ, we are now reconciled to God! What good news! Paul’s encouragement is that we would persevere in this reality.
Avoiding the Truth about Jesus
Justice is not a word that we normally associate with the crucifixion of Jesus. His treatment by the high priest, the Jewish ruling council (Sanhedrin), the Roman governor Pilate, and even the onlookers, is nothing less than shameful. Yet throughout His trial the dignity of Jesus shines through. He did not deny that He was a king, but He was a very different sort of king than His accusers imagined. His kingdom would be made up of people who submitted to His reign over their lives… a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly one… a kingdom based on truth which could only be found in Jesus Himself. A few hours later Jesus would die to establish this kingdom and publicly declare this truth. Have you found the truth that makes sense of your life? Then take a serious look at Jesus today.
Christ is Enough
Listen as Pastor Dave shares from Colossians 1 about why Jesus is all that we need as Christians.
The Rejected Jesus
You can’t understand the life of Jesus without facing the facts about his death. And these facts are recorded in considerable detail in the New Testament accounts. In today’s message we see the way Jesus was harshly interrogated by the high priest (Annas) and denied by his friend (Peter). His journey to the cross was a painful one. Yet, amazingly, it didn’t deter him. We can be critical of people like Annas and Peter today as we look back at these details, but who of us has never been guilty of rejecting or denying Jesus? Despite his treatment, Jesus actually died for people who reject and deny him, and Peter is the classic example of the forgiveness Jesus offers to the person who sincerely repents. What about you? What do you believe about Jesus? That’s a question which only you can answer.
A Prayer for Spiritual Growth
When you hear of a friend in trouble, and they’re hundreds of kilometres away, you can feel pretty helpless. But there’s one thing you can do, and that’s pray! Paul was in prison in Rome but he prayed for the people in the Colossian church. They were becoming confused because of the influence of false teachers. So Paul prayed for God to strengthen their faith in three ways: by transforming their minds, their way of life, and their hearts. He wanted them to know God’s will better (mind), to live more distinctively as Christians (life), and to be more joyful and thankful because of what Jesus has done (heart). This is a powerful combination in a Christian’s life, and a great testimony to the unique, saving and keeping power of Jesus Christ.
Jesus arrested: the full story
Headlines, though often clever, generally can’t tell the full story. This is certainly true when we think about the story of Jesus’ arrest. No headline could possibly capture the significance of the events that took place that night. As we read John’s account of Jesus’ arrest, we see his desire for us to know the full story of what happened that night. He wants us to understand the significance of these events, and especially how these events make a difference for us today.
A church needing reassurance
The Colossian church faced false teachers who were introducing new ideas into the church. These false teachers were not only challenging the truth of the gospel as it had been taught but they were also questioning the authenticity of the faith of some in the church. Paul begins his letter with an expression of thanksgiving which reassures the Colossians that they have, in fact, heard the true gospel and that they are true Christians.
Shirkers, workers and serving God
When you read the book of Proverbs it doesn’t take long to see that the topic of work receives a lot of attention. Lazy people (often called “sluggards” even in modern translations!) are described in detail as undisciplined, full of talk and excuses, procrastinating, party-going, frustrating to their friends, and eventually failing to succeed in life. It’s not a pretty picture. On the other hand, hard workers do succeed. But there is an even more important reason why we should take work seriously, and that’s because God has made us to work… for Him. He is the real boss we are serving, so our attitude to our work must ultimately reflect our relationship with Him. And one day we will stand before Him to give an account of what we have accomplished with our lives.