At this very moment, those that have received Christ are “more alive” now than ever before! Our understanding of who Jesus is, our very Christology, is fused/combined together with our very ethics, our way, our standard, our tradition - submitted to Christ Jesus the Lord, we therefore live as submitted to Him… in obedience to him. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 2:6-7
TITLE: Walk In Him
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: A life that is made alive in Christ will live in Christ.

POINTS:
1. We have received Him -  (v 6a)
2. Live in Him - (v 6b-7)

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”…in Chapter 2, verses 6 and 7, [Paul] summarizes what he has written so far by way of GROUNDING them in Christ Jesus the Lord. In these 2 verses, you and I are given the footing against this erroneous and destructive teaching.”

“The series that we are in as we work our way through Paul’s letter to the Colossians is a resounding proclamation, a moving declaration - one that at times bends the mind - as it preaches to us that we are ALIVE IN CHRIST!”

“Paul succinctly summarizes in Vs 6 and 7, key parts of what he has been writing to this church, praying for this church, and declaring to this church.”

“At this very moment, those that have received Christ are “more alive’ now than ever before! Weary souls need to hear the Holy Spirit speak through Paul’s pen! If you are here this morning and are without Christ, you need to hear this First Century Evangelist’s, Apostle’s, Pastor’s, Preacher’s words. The slumbering and easily distracted heart needs to hear these words. Until we “have gone out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal,” we need to hear that we are Alive in Christ AND are called to live in Him.”

“Gospel Truth - We have received Him! Gospel Claim - So live in Him!”

“The first thing that Paul reminds us of is Christ Jesus the Lord. He takes us again and again to Jesus. He draws out the Christology of Jesus by referencing him as Christ Jesus the Lord. He is the Christ, Promised One of Israel. He is Jesus (Yeshua - the Lord of salvation). He is Lord - one commentator saying that Paul “gathers up” all that he has already said about Christ in this letter so far. The Creator and ruler of everything. The spender of His majesty. The authority of His throne. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together!  And in vs. 6, WE have received HIM!”

“This word “receive” bears the meaning of receiving that which had been delivered - there has been a guarded transmission of a tradition - and accepting of that which has been transmitted, handed down, handed on - and in this verse, what we have received is Christ Jesus the Lord!”

“Christ Jesus the Lord has been passed on to us! Christ Jesus the Lord is THE tradition, handed down generation after generation to us, and we have RECEIVED him!”

“The doctrine of “Christ Alone” was not the reformers idea, it is God’s doctrine of His son, Christ Jesus the Lord. Christ Jesus the Lord is the center of our faith. We have received Him!”

“Paul had received the Gospel from the Lord and he passed it on to pastors (like Epaphras) who passed it on to the churches. This great tradition… This great Gospel message… was the life, death and resurrection of Christ is that GOOD NEWS that we have received!”

“The indicative was ‘...as you received Christ Jesus the Lord…’ The imperative is ‘..so walk in him.’”

“Walking is living in this context. It is living in obedience to Christ. It is living consistent in who you are in Christ.”

“Our understanding of who Jesus is, our very Christology, is fused/combined together with our very ethics, our way, our standard, our tradition - submitted to Christ Jesus the Lord, we therefore live as submitted to Him… in obedience to him.”

“This is the time of year that traditions mean a lot to us. Yet to us our traditions are the practice and repetition of things that we “do.” Thanksgiving traditions, Christmas traditions… things that we “do” over these holidays. On a grander scale: the Christian is caught up in an uninterrupted TRADITION of CHRIST. We find here in Vs. 6 is that we have received what has been handed down to us, THE teaching… THE tradition that is Christ. - Live in this never ending ‘Christmas” tradition of Christ, the gospel of Christ and Him crucified.’”

“Live rooted in Him. ‘Rooted’ draws on the metaphor of a plant (vine) tree (like being planted/rooted deeply into the soil. The perfect tense of the original meaning of the word is: You WERE rooted in. TRUE LIFE IN CHRIST is a rooted!”

“Live built up in Him. ‘Built up’ draws on the metaphor of a building that is constructed in Him.The combination of the two is that of having been securely rooted deep in Christ and being continually being rooted ALIVE in Christ and immovable like a secured mega-structure rising up fixed forever in Christ… JESUS FOREVER OUR LIFE AND OUR SURE FOUNDATION! Not simply a life of right and wrong decisions but one that is deeply rooted and built up IN Jesus Christ!”

“Live established in the faith in Him. The word ‘established’ carries in its translation being continually established! Being rooted and built up are clearly a work that has first been done by God, and so walk in what he has done and now regarding our faith is continually being done. HE IS CONTINUALLY establishing us in the faith.”

“If we are not rooted in Christ, we will be open to almost anything for relief and help. We don’t want to hear this. But the Colossians needed to hear this. In jeopardy of being deceived, Paul, grounds them again in the Gospel. IF we are not rooted in Christ, believe or not we are rooted in something and we have a tap root that seeks out other life sources. Q. What are you rooted in?  Christ?”

“Be careful what you read and why you are reading it. Be careful who you listen to and why you are listening to it. Itching ears have their roots in something else and wandering eyes seek out other sources for life. The more we are rooted in HIM, CHRIST JESUS THE LORD,  the more we see His sufficiency! Our faith is rooted, built up and established in Christ and NOTHING else.”

“Now we…live abounding in thankgiving. for thanksgiving keeps up constantly linked to the fact that we have received Christ - We are thankful for that which has been given to us, Christ Jesus Our Lord. The Christian is to be marked by the abundance of thanksgiving, because we return again and again to the life-source of our salvation. THE REASON that our thinking and belief should be flooded with thankfulness is we are His”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Colossians 1:10
Romans 14:15
Ephesians 4:1
Galatians 5:16
Psalm 1:3
Jeremiah 17:8
Ephesians 4:14, 17, 18, 21

QUOTES:
D. L. Moody- “Some day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, … gone out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body like unto [Christ’s] own glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.”

Peter T. O’Brien - “The one whom the Colossians received as their tradition is the center of God’s mystery, and the Lord in both creation and reconcilliation. He is Lord absolutely, not just one among many.”

Peter T. O’Brien - “For Paul there is no hiatus between believing and behaving.”

Billy Graham - “No man can be said to be truly converted to Christ who has not bent his will to Christ.”

APPLICATION:
Q. Is not Jesus, Christ Jesus the Lord? And shouldn’t this have a life-altering effect on us?
Q. Shouldn’t our believing include our behaving?
Q. Shouldn’t our behavior be affected by our new life in the Lord and Savior?
Q. Shouldn’t our action be bent to this gospel tradition?
Q. What are you rooted in?  Christ?
Q. Are you able to abound in thanksgiving? This often is an indicator of where our hearts are truly living.
Q. What year were you born of the Spirit? What year did you receive Christ Jesus the Lord? In Him whom you have received, by the grace of God and in power the Spirit now live in Him.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Name Above All Names
Hope of the Ages
Jesus, There's No One Like You
Is He Worthy
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
We Receive

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Luke 1:26-38