IN CHRIST, IN COLOSSAE (Colossians 1:1-2) INTRODUCTION I want to preach a few sermons from the book of Colossians this year. Colossians has only 4 chapters. You can read the entire book in about 20 minutes or less. I would suggest that you do this each week. While you are reading your Bible, add Hebrews and Acts to your reading schedule. These are the books that the church is currently studying. If we all read them together, we would be stronger spiritually. A little geographical information about Colossae will help us better appreciate what Paul does in writing this book. Colossae was located in what we would call today the Western part of Turkey. It was about 100 miles east of Ephesus which was on the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor. One interesting thing about this town was its proximity with two other towns, Laodicea and Hierapolis. Those three towns were in a triangle. Laodicea and Hierapolis were about 6 miles apart and were separated by a river. Colossae was to the north about 10 miles. Laodicea and Hierapolis were larger and much richer than Colossae. Colossae was a small town, according to the Greek geographer, historian Strabo, but it had a striving church there. We know about Laodicea from the book of Revelation. It was the church that was neither hot nor cold. Paul didn t start the church in Colossae. He tells us that he had notr seen them face to face. It was one of Paul s co-workers, Epaphras, who probably first took the Gospel there. It may have been during the two year stretch while Paul was in Ephesus teaching at the school of Tyrannus where it says that all Asia heard the Gospel that Epaphras went to all three of these towns and started churches there. It is interesting that Paul takes the time and interest in this little church to writes one of his most profound letters to it that he ever wrote. The book has had an impact on all churches down through history. It is not the SIZE of the church that makes it a have a great impact, but it is being in the place to be used by God for His purposes. Corntassel may not be a big church, but if God so chooses and if we are willing to be used by Him, our impact can go way beyond our geographical borders. Now for some insights from the first two verses: January 14. 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 1
WALK BY RULE OF THE WORD OF GOD He begins, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother, Verse 1 starts by giving us Paul s credentials. Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ. He is the authorized representative of Jesus and he has Jesus authorized message. An apostle is a sent one. He is sent by Christ to give this message to the churches. It is as if Christ Himself is speaking to us through this man Paul in this book. This is the way we should always look at the Scriptures. II Timothy 3:16 says, All Scripture has been given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. All Scripture is the Word of God and should be read as such. But we are to do more than just read the Word; we are to use it as our RULE for life. Rule here means a guide-book, a map for how to live. It is to guide us in what we believe and how we live. We are to use it passionately and purposefully as our rule. In reading Thomas Brooks book, Precious Remedies Against Satan s Devices, this week his first help against being ensnared by Satan is to walk by the rule of God s Word spoke to me. He writes, If you would not be taken by any of Satan s devices, then walk by rule of the Word of God. He who walks by rule, walks most safely; he who walks by rule, walks most honorable; he who walks by rule, walks most sweetly. When men throw off the Word, then God throws them off, and then Satan takes them by the hand, and leads them into snares at his pleasure. He who thinks himself too good to be ruled by the Word, will be found too bad to be owned by God; and if God does not, or will not own him Satan will by his stratagems overthrow him. (p. 184) Too many give lip service to the practical authority of the Word of God. We need to consistently use it as the actual rule of our lives. YOU ARE SAINTS AND YOU ARE BROTHERS In verse 2 Paul addresses the church as saints and brethren. This is the NKJV translation. To the saints and faithful brethren. The NIV translate it as God s holy people. God calls His people saints not because we live like saints, but because of what He has done for us in Christ. God has redeemed us and set us apart to belong to Him. We are holy unto the Lord. We have been bought with price, the price of the precious Blood of His Son and now we belong to God. We are God s holy people by calling and now our goal in life is to live holy lives. God is working in January 14. 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 2
all of us to live holy lives. All believers are SAINTS, but not all believers live saintly. Being a saint speaks of our relationship with God, that we are His and we belong to Him. We are also brethren. This speaks of our relationship with one another. We need to act like Christian brothers and sisters in our relationship to each other. We too often act like a dysfunctional family in the church, but we are to be faithful brothers and sisters. This is part of us living holy lives. YOU ARE IN CHRIST In verse 2 Paul uses a phrase that I want to spend most of our time on this morning. He identifies these Christians as in Christ who are in Colosse: This phrase in Christ is the heart of our understanding of salvation. It is the heart of our relationship with God. Paul uses the phrase in Christ or in him, over 160 times. James Stewarts, author of the book A Man In Christ says that this idea of in Christ is the heart of Paul s understanding of salvation and of the Christian faith. In one sentence alone in Ephesians 1 he uses it 12 times! Let me read a few of these from Ephesians 1:3-13. Ephesians 1:3-11 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (4) For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight..(7) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (8) that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, (9) he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,. (11) In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, You cannot understand Paul or the New Testament without coming to terms with what it means to be in Christ. Theologians call this relationship our Union with Christ. Our union with Christ is the basis for each of us receiving all the benefits of Christ It is the key to us being justified, sanctified, and glorified. It is the basis of Him sharing His life with us. January 14. 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 3
This phrase speaks of a special, intimate relationship we have with Christ. Being in Christ means that our relationship with Christ is a (1) spiritual relationship. It is a relationship forged by the Holy Spirit. (2) It is an intimate relationship. It is as close as being inside someone. We are in Christ. (3) It is a vital relationship; Vital is in the sense of living relationship; Vital in the sense of being a necessary relationship for life. (4) It is a mystical relationship; Mystical in the sense of being a God-revealed mystery. Just as God being a Trinity, One God in Three Persons, is a mystery. Just as Christ having a Divine nature and a human nature, fully God and fully man, is a mystery, our being in Christ is a mystery. We believe it because God has revealed it to us. It is the basis of being a true Christian. Therefore, being in Christ refers to our UNION with Christ, a union where we have a spiritual, intimate, vital, mystical relationship with the Son of God through the Holy Spirit. Some illustrations may explain and point to the significance of this idea. Watchman Nee, in his book, The Normal Christian Life, illustrates in Christ is like when we put a piece of paper in a book. The paper goes anywhere the book goes. It experiences the same experiences as the book. We are in Christ, we have participated in all the experiences of Christ. This is why the Bible can say that we were crucified with Chris;, we were raised with Christ; we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. God sees us in Christ and the experiences He had and the righteousness He has, are accrued to us. Another illustration is that in Christ is our essential spiritual environment. Like for birds the air is essential for them to live and for fish it is water, for the Christians we must be in relationship with Christ as a daily, moment by moment experience to have spiritual life. And of course Jesus used the illustration of the branches and the Vine. He said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 NKJV) When the Bible says that you are in Christ it is saying that Christ is your necessary environment for spiritual life, Christ is your Source of life, Christ s experiences are your experiences. Christ is the key to your salvation. Without this relationship with Him there is no life, no salvation. He that has the Son has life, he that has not the Son, has not life. How do I get to be in Christ? God has to put you in Christ. When you repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation GOD places you in Christ. Paul writes: January 14. 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 4
1 Corinthians 1:30 NKJV (30) But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption And Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. YOU ALSO ARE IN THE WORLD Note that Paul also says that these Christians are in Colosse. Paul juxtaposes in Christ and in Colosse that gives us another important truth. A Christian is not only in Christ but he is in the WORLD. Not only are we in the world in general, but in a specific geographical location in the world. These Christians were in Colosse. We are in Corntassel. What is the implication here? All Christians have to live out their relationship in Christ and with one another before a specific group of people in this world. As Jesus said, We are not of the world, but we are in the world. We are to live our lives before the world as light and as salt. We are to bear witness to Christ to our day and in our location. Our union with Christ is to be lived out in this world in order to influence this world and in order to do good works, in order for God to be glorified. (Titus 2:14 NKJV) who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. We are in Christ and we are also in Colosse. Are you willing to let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven? This is what Jesus is asking of you. PASS ALONG THE PEACE Finally, at the end of verse 2 we hear Paul passing on the blessing of grace and peace. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is the Greek word to sum up God s undeserved goodness to us and peace is from the Hebrew word, Shalom. To know THE PEACE of God we must experience the grace of God. Both are a gift from God and we are to pass them along to one another. January 14. 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 5
In certain churches they have a ritual they call passing the peace. It is an old tradition of the church which goes back many hundreds of years. When you pass the peace in a service you just turn to someone and say, The peace of Christ be with you. Or The peace of God be with you and the person receiving it is to respond, And with you also. This ritual is to remind of that we are to pass God peace on to others. CONCLUSION There is a lot for us in the first two verses of Colossians. How can we make use of these Scriptures? How can we use them as a rule for our living? How can these verses be profitable to us? They will be profitable to us -- If you are are reminded that you are God s special possession bought by the Blood of Christ? You are a saint. Therefore live for Jesus. If you to EXPERIENCE Christ in a daily vital, intimate, sufficient, all-encompassing relationship. Not only as a Sunday relationship, but day by day, hour by hour. If you express this vital relationship with Christ before the world that God would be glorified and others come to know Christ If you pass on God s grace and peace to one another. We do this in word and deed. These are some ways God wants us to use this passage of Scriptures as a rule for our life. If we do, then we will be growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen! January 14. 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 6