Self-made religion, with its forced regulations and condemnation, is an enemy to the finished work of Christ. This concerns Paul for this congregation in Colossae and this should concern us. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians: Alive in Christ
TEXT: Colossians 2:16-23
TITLE:  Hold Fast to Christ
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Hold fast to Christ, for our life and growth in Him depend on Him alone.

POINTS:
1. Warning: Let no one judge you (vs. 16-17)
2. Warning: Let no one disqualify (vs. 18-19)

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Before [Paul] gets to those implications (a life in Christ), he warns the saints in vs. 8 (last week’s sermon) concerning this self-made “philosophy” that is “according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ” is creeping into the church - “See to it that no takes you captive by philosophy…”.  And today, Paul continues with two more warnings.”

“Until we step onto the golden shore of heaven, every generation of church will need to heed these warnings.”

“‘Let no one pass judgment on you…’ There were some who were ‘bringing them to task,’ challenging them in judgment, already condemning them… for their failure to follow certain Jewish dietary rules and celebration of certain sacred days. You should not be eating certain foods and drinks - the severe treatment of the body. You should be following the “festivals, new moon, and the Sabbath.” Originally, these things would have prepared the followers by making them clean and acceptable in tabernacle/temple/worship. They were passing judgment on the Christians based on their strict adherence to these regulations. Paul does not see each of these as THE threat but rather the requirement of these things.”

“Vs 17 ‘These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.’ He uses the word “shadow” in vs 16 and contrasts it with “substance.” The not-real with the real. For these things foreshadowed the “substantive body” that cast the shadow.”

“These OT regulations were shadows that pointed to something, to someONE. These things pointed the REALITY… the “substance” …the reality… was always Christ!”

“This draws out the great truth in redemptive history: the rules and regulations, sacred days, and celebrations all pointed to Jesus. They had a temporary purpose that has now been fulfilled in Christ. They were never the point!”

“The real and true Son of God came in the flesh

The real Lamb of God born to die impaled on a real Roman cross by real nails as his body poured forth his real and precious blood… He bore the full weight of God’s righteous wrath upon his broken body for the final punishment of our real sins. He dies a real death as he gasps his last breath. His heart stopped. He was wrapped in real death clothes and placed in a real tomb. Three real days passed, and the real stone was rolled away and our true and now resurrected Lord stepped away from the death wrap and exited into the early morning sun that he had created, appearing the disciples and hundreds more before they stood and watched Him ascend to real heaven and reign forevermore on THE throne as THE REALITIES OF REALITIES - THE LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH HIMSELF IN MAJESTY head over all rule and authority!”

“Paul’s warning in verse 16 is related to the judgment of those who take us to task and condemn us. He now delivers his next warning in verse 18: disqualification - disqualifying us from the award by self-appointed arbitrators or umpires who rob us of our prize. ‘Let no one disqualify you!’”

“BUT It is clear: all of these things in Verse 16 and 19 belong to the ‘philosophies’ ‘according to the elemental spirits of the world’ in mentioned again in the coming verse 20. THE RESULT is of a carnal nature ‘puffing themselves up’  and all of this being all in their ‘unspiritual minds’ ‘without reason by reason of a sensuous mind.’”

“If we submit to these things of the sensuous mind… to the philosophy and elementary spirits of this world… We let go of Christ. We let go of the very life stream for growth in God. We turn and submit ourselves to the rule and governance of this world…THIS is our ROOT PROBLEM and it is exposed in the text, and the matter could not be more dangerous.”

“Our root issue and dilemma is our failure to hold onto Christ as our Head. Something will always vie for the centrality of Christ in our faith. Verse 19 declares that we have dropped the very thing that feeds/nourishes, and holds us together - our life that “grows with a growth that is from God.” God does not grow us with the things of the flesh, no matter how impressive and insightful the principles of the world may sound. In our efforts to somehow hold onto Jesus and also hold onto the principles of the spirits of this world we have NOT gained… we have not grown… have not increased our insight into the struggle of the soul. The kingdom of this world does not add anything to the kingdom of God! In fact, it is an enemy of God’s kingdom. If we try to syncretize the two kingdoms by attempting to hold onto Christ and embracing these elemental spirits. Verse 19 says we drop Jesus, and we starve our souls!”

“Thank God for Head - Jesus… the head of the church, where, together with the church, we are now His body, and we are nourished by him alone and not by these things. Our growth and change come from Him.”

“Paul now brings his opening theology in chapters 1 and 2 to fruition. Paul has built his Christological framework: Through the preaching of the supremacy of Christ, declaring that we are now alive in Christ, he unfolded the mystery of Christ. He has warned us again and again and again. NOW in verses 20-23 Paul rounds the corner with his coming exhortation in chapter 3. In the coming chapters Paul moves from preaching the Glorious gospel - and he continues to hold fast to Christ - as he moves to the application… the implications of the gospel in our actions.”

QUOTES:
Peter O’Brien - “Christ has arrived.” “The substance has already come. The regulations belonged to a transitory order and have lost all binding force.”

David E. Garland - “Why play in the shadow world when you have experienced the real thing?”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 10

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Reformation Song
Death Arrested
Jesus Paid It All
My Life Is An Offering
Cling to Christ

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 3:1-4

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life

By Tripp, Paul David

Buy on Amazon

There is no other knowledge you must obtain, wisdom you must discover, or practices you must keep. Jesus is the supreme and sufficient Savior. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians: Alive in Christ
TEXT: Colossians 2:8-15
TITLE:  As Good As It Gets
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Don’t be fooled; knowing Christ is as good as it gets.

POINTS:
1. Live alert to spiritual dangers
2. Live out of your union with Christ
3. Live free in the gospel

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Today’s text warns us of another kind of mixology—a spiritual mixology. To this point in the letter, Paul has repeatedly emphasized the Colossian's completeness in Christ. To know Jesus by faith is to know all you need to know to belong to God. There is no other knowledge you must obtain, wisdom you must discover, or practices you must keep. Jesus is the supreme and sufficient Savior.”

“The claim of the gospel is that if you have faith in Jesus, then you are in union with Christ, and you lack absolutely nothing regarding your standing with God. So how do we live in the good of that?”

“Our text begins with a warning. Of course, the presence of a warning means the possibility of danger. In 8, Paul says—See to it that no one takes you captive. The word captive is vivid. The imagery is a kidnapping. A person being carried away over someone’s shoulder. Paul warns the Colossians to live alert so they are not carried away from their only hope, Christ. Paul explains what they are to be on the alert for.”

“As it does today, in the first century, philosophy covered a wide range of ideas and practices meant to give one a deeper understanding and fuller experience of life. Some of it helpful. Some of it useless. In this context, Paul is warning about systems of thought and methods of living, probably a mix of Jewish tradition (16-23) and pagan belief, that was being integrated with the gospel as gospel.”

“Paul says—Don’t be fooled; it’s just empty deceit. It’s vain, worthless, and void of true spiritual value. Like sinking sand, it has no firm basis. Here’s why:  (8) It’s according to human tradition. It’s man-made. It’s preference, not truth. Remember 6-7—Build your life on what you received—Christ Jesus the Lord.”

“[Paul] tells us is to live alert to being carried away by worldviews and perspectives that promise greater purpose and fullness of life. WHY? Look at the end of 8—they are not according to Christ. They are not rooted in the gospel you heard from Epaphras (1:7). They are not centered on the one who is supreme over all creation and sufficient for salvation (1:15-20). You may not believe in mythical gods or follow the stars. But Paul’s warning is equally if not more important to us today. How many people blend Christianity with worldly philosophies?”

“The gospel is meant to be at the center of all our thinking and living.”

“Are you about to be kidnapped? Paul says—Beware of spiritual mixology. Be on the lookout for any ideas or teaching, no matter how plausible it may be, that promises greater blessing and spirituality apart from the gospel.”

“Paul spends the rest of the text showing the Colossians why all they need is Christ, emphasizing what God has done for them in Christ. In doing so, he shows any human and worldly philosophy to be ridiculous and empty, no matter how plausible they sound.”

“Paul counters the empty philosophies of the world to the fullness of God in Christ—read 9-10. The word dwelling should take us back to the OT, reminding us how God has revealed Himself throughout redemptive history. The God who once dwelled with His people on Mt. Zion, in the Tabernacle, then the Temple of Jerusalem, now dwells with His people in Jesus Christ. It’s the Christmas miracle of the Incarnation—Jesus was, is, and forever will be God in the flesh.”

“Jesus isn’t a shadow or virtual reality. Jesus is the wisdom, majesty, holiness, and glory of God made flesh who has been given all rule and authority. If Jesus is the fullness of God in every way—(10) you have been filled in him—then you have all the fullness of God you can ever possess in this life because in Christ God has given Himself to you. So, to have Christ is to lack absolutely nothing before God.”

“In this context, Paul uses circumcision to communicate the profound reality of their union with Christ. Look at 11 again—In him you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands (not physical but spiritual—a circumcision of the heart) by putting off the body of the flesh (that’s the spiritual circumcision—death of our old nature with its passions and desires according to Gal 5:24) by the circumcision of Christ. The circumcision of Christ being his death on the cross.”

“So the circumcision here is a graphic illustration of the death of Christ, in which we share through the miracle of regeneration where our old heart is stripped away (circumcised) in the spiritual death of the old man now made new by the Spirit. Notice the progression in 12—Having died in Christ, we were buried and raised with Christ, the spiritual reality demonstrated through baptism. Such is our union with Christ. We have spiritually died with Christ, were buried with Christ, and raised from the dead with Christ, so that, as it says in 13— we are made alive in Christ.”

“This is the glorious result of our union in Christ—full forgiveness. Notice Paul says we are forgiven of ALL our trespasses. The entire record of debt that stood against us was nailed to the cross with Christ.”

“Paul says the record of our debt was nailed to the cross with Christ. Picture a document that lists all the sins you ever committed. What a document that would be. What a lengthy document that would be. What a horrific document that would be. For every item on that document, you owe a debt to God. Impossible. But look at the precious words at the end of 14— This—that long horrific document of ALL your sin—he set aside, nailing it to the cross, effectively canceling it ALL.”

“The word canceling is a strong word. It means obliterate. The document with all your sins no longer exists. Your slate has been wiped clean before God. So that now, by faith, you are free to live life to the fullest. Free from the dominion of sin and free from the penalty of sin, you can seek a life of fullness that comes only by faith in Christ. Nothing else is needed, and no mixing is required because, through the death and resurrection of Jesus—read 15. Christ has won the battle. He has conquered sin, death, and evil. And because Christ has conquered, we have conquered and will conquer.”

QUOTES:
Kent Hughes - “Christ’s circumcision on the cross involved not the stripping away of a small piece of flesh, but the violent removal of his entire body in death.”

APPLICATION:
Where do you go to make sense out of life? As we turn the corner into the new year, some self-evaluation is good:

1. How much time do you spend on social media? Personal musings and sound bites aren’t a good place to find the purpose of life. 

2. How discerning are you about the resources you read? Do you have a system to discern them

3. How often do you submit your thoughts to others? It’s easy to live in a bubble.

4. BIG ONE: How much time do you spend in God’s word? 

See to it that in your honest desire to grow as a Christian, you aren’t taken captive by the things that diminish and distort Christ. You don’t need something new; you need something true, according to Jesus. Anything less will carry you away from God, and you lose.

Don’t be fooled; knowing Christ is as good as it gets.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Man Of Sorrows
It Was Finished Upon That Cross
We Receive
My Redeemers Love

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 2:16-17

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life

By Tripp, Paul David

Buy on Amazon

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. It is a stunningly bold statement that we are all too familiar with. As we close the books on 24 and start again in 25, I can't think of a better truth to root us in individually and collectively as a church. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Christmas Story
TEXT: Psalm 23:1
TITLE:  An Audacious New Year’s Reality
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Majesty of My Shepherd
2. The Intimacy of My Shepherd
3. The Sufficiency of My Shepherd

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Someone said about Psalm 23:1—Our familiarity with these words may rob us of their audacity. It is one thing to speak of God as Rock, King, Creator, Holy One, and Shelter, but Shepherd!? No image is so touching as the image of shepherd. As shepherd, the Lord must identify with His flock; as shepherd, the Lord must always be near His flock; as shepherd, the Lord must fight for His flock; as shepherd, the Lord must be willing to die for his flock. This image David uses of God is among the loveliest in the Bible to describe the tender and compassionate care that God gives to His people.”

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. It is a stunningly bold statement that we are all too familiar with. As we close the books on 24 and start again in 25, I can't think of a better truth to root us in individually and collectively as a church. My prayer on this last Sunday of the year is simple:  We will leave here looking back on 24, freshly aware and grateful for all the goodness of our Shepherd, and look forward to 25 with a fullness of hope, knowing our Shepherd will be with us every step of the way.”

“From the outset, David distinguishes his shepherd as no ordinary shepherd—The LORD is my shepherd. Notice the word LORD in all caps. David is using the covenant name of God—Yahweh. It's the name God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3 at the burning bush. It was a fire in the bush that did not consume the bush, showing that the fire needed no source. The bush was a vivid illustration of God's being. He is profoundly mysterious. He needs nothing. He is independent of everything. He is self-existent. He is the great I AM. All of that is captured and communicated in the all-caps LORD. This is David's shepherd, and this is your shepherd.”

“Your shepherd is the one Isaiah 40 describes as measuring the waters that cover the Earth in the hollow of His hands and the one who consults no one because He knows all things.”

“Your shepherd is the one Job 38 describes as commanding the elements of weather and creating the boundaries of the sea.”

“Your shepherd is the one Psalm 8 declares has set the stars into place. PERSPECTIVE: [There is a] report that says there are 1,000 stars for every grain of sand on the Earth. Every one of them, the LORD, sets and holds into place effortlessly.”

“Here's the point: Your shepherd is no ordinary shepherd! He is the LORD who shepherds you from the fullness of His infinite and undiminishing wisdom, love, and power.”

“Allow this to stop you in your tracks because it should. The opening words of Psalm 23 should arrest our attention immediately. But too often, it doesn't. We rush by WHO our shepherd is to get to WHAT he does for us.”

“Don't allow your view of LORD to be, in the words of Phillip Keller—too small, too cramped, too provincial, too human. As the sun sets on one year and dawns on another, take heart—The LORD has been your shepherd, and He will continue to be your shepherd!”

“In light of WHO the Psalm 23 shepherd is, what David says next is quite remarkable: he says—The LORD is my shepherd. David does not say the LORD is A shepherd, or Israel's shepherd, or even Our shepherd. He says The Lord is MY shepherd. The Infinite LORD is an Intimate Shepherd!”

“I read a great book, While Shepherds Watch Their Flock, by Timothy Laniak, a missionary turned seminary professor who took a year-long sabbatical to the Middle East to study real shepherds. His book chronicles and makes biblical connections with the things he learned about the sheep, the shepherds, and the culture to the shepherd imagery in the Bible, particularly Psalm 23. Here are a few things he observed that have not changed much over time:
- A good shepherd takes great pride in ensuring the sheep are well-fed, protected, and flourishing under His care.
- A good shepherd is up early, carefully inspecting his sheep, looking for any injuries, illness, or parasites. Anything that needs special attention before the day starts.
- A good shepherd is strategic and goes to great lengths to ensure there are always green, rich pastures. He makes sure there is plenty of clean water, and he plans for enough feed to get them through winter.
- A good shepherd sleeps with one eye open, constantly alert for danger from predators. His eyes continually move over the flock so he knows when a sheep wanders off or gets too close to a cliff.”

“In other words, a shepherd knows his sheep intimately. The LORD, who is transcendent above His creation in every way, the one who holds the universe in his hands, relates to YOU as a shepherd relates to his sheep.”

“These five simple words—The LORD is my shepherd—represent a glorious condescension. As you turn the corner to 2025, the Lord wants to remind you of your profound relationship with Him. We have been reminded this Christmas that our Infinite Shepherd condescended to us by sending his son Jesus, the one John 10 calls the Good Shepherd to us for one reason—to lay down his life for the sheep so God could lovingly and eternally accept us.”

“That's what the gospel is about—The Lord, the Great Shepherd, doing all the work needed through Jesus, the good shepherd, to make you His beloved sheep.”

“Yet, as David considers his life, he concludes he is not lacking or deficient, whether temporal or spiritual; he believes he has all he needs. Why? Because he has all he wants? NO. Because the LORD is his shepherd, and the LORD is enough. David is a man marked by a profound contentment rooted in knowing who controls his physical and spiritual well-being—an infinitely good Shepherd who has an undying love for Him.”

“Contentment is elusive. One of the most true-to-life book titles ever is The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (Jeremiah Burrows). The words I shall not want challenge us because we are prone to wander and be dazzled by other things.”

“We all have some Miss Gadabout [the fence-crawling sheep] in us, don't we? Our hearts want for something more than what God has for us. We think the fields are greener on the other side of the metaphorical fence. Sometimes, it's the sin of greed that drives us. Other times it's the idol of personal dreams. At times, the weariness of suffering fuels discontentment with our shepherd.”

“Church, a new year lies ahead. It will hold personal triumph and tragedy. It will bring health and sickness. There will be excitement and disappointment. As a church, we will launch an exciting Church Plant Exploratory CG on the east side, experience evangelism growing pains, and keep gathering on Sundays and in CG right here in the NW. There will be green pastures and lean pastures. But our Good Shepherd will be with us every step of the way. Jesus is with us. And as our Shepherd, he is working on your behalf, working all things for his glory and your good, keeping you in his graces and providing rest, peace, and joy as your shelter in the storm and comforter of your soul so that we can say with David—read verse 6.”

APPLICATION:
- Here's one way to begin the new year: read Enjoying God by R.C. Sproul

- As you look back on 2024, ask yourself: What areas of fence crawling do I need to give to the Lord in 2025? Identify and repent of those areas with the assurance that your Great Shepherd won't put you down. Like the Father of the Prodigal Son, God never casts His sheep away. He shepherds us. He lovingly corrects us. He gently restores us. He faithfully tends to us by showing us how good and trustworthy He is and how lovely and satisfying His ways are if we would have the eyes to see.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
This Is Amazing Grace
We Have Been Healed
Grace and Peace
Jesus Thank You
King Of Love
O Lord My Rock And My Redeemer

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 2:8-15

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life

By Tripp, Paul David

Buy on Amazon

Sin has made us enemies of God. So, the peace we need is peace with God. This is our greatest need. That comes only one way—glory in a manger. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Christmas Story
TEXT: Luke 2:8-21
TITLE:  Glory and Peace In A Manger
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Christmas Story and God's Incarnational Glory
2. The Christmas Story and Our Highest Good

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”For many people, the Christmas narrative we just read is practically all they know of Christianity. Shepherds in their fields. A choir of angels. A baby born in a manger. But to quote the shepherd's words in 15—something happened which the Lord has made known to us. An event in real space and time occurred in a small town in the Middle East. The dates, people, and places that detail the coming event in 1-8 prove that Christmas is no fairytale. More than just another event, Christmas is the most significant turning point in world history—God revealed Himself like never before. This is The Christmas Story. And I know there's no colorful tree, warm fireplace, or hot cocoa, but settle in and listen carefully because whether it's for your salvation or sanctification, it can be a turning point in your history today.”

“Look at the opening phrase of this angelic song 14—Glory to God in the highest…At the heart of Christmas is God's glory. John Piper describes God's glory as—the public display of God's infinite beauty and worth.That is precisely what the angels are responding to on this first Christmas.”

“Angelology 101 is angels exist, above all things, to continually magnify and declare God's glory. For this, they have a front-row seat in heaven. Throughout Scripture, we find angels worshipping, magnifying, and glorifying God. But they have never seen God's glory displayed in this way—the public display of God's endless beauty and worth—IN A MANGER!”

“The Incarnate God was physically present with man, His grace, love, and power in the flesh. And the angels could not contain themselves.”

“Christmas powerfully reminds us that we have something in common with the angels. Like them, we were created to the praise and glory of God. Our highest motivation in all that we are is God's glory. Our greatest goal in life is God glorified in and through us. Like the angels, we exist to bring glory to God in the highest!”

“Peace is the deepest longing of the human spirit. Peace in the home. Peace in our marriages. Peace in our politics. Peace in the world. We long for peace because we were created to live in peace.”

“Of course, we think we can fulfill our innate desire for peace through strength, tolerance, pacifism, indifference, revolution—the list goes on and on. But the peace we were created for is not horizontal; it's vertical. The peace the angels proclaimed at the first Christmas was not an absence of hostility between Rome and the Jews. It's not found in 21st-century geo-political agreements. This peace is not an absence of conflict in my home, personal financial freedom, or emotional well-being. This peace proclaimed by the angels transcends time, human relationships, political hostilities, and life circumstances. This peace is the most basic human need—an inward and eternal peace with God.”

“To understand this, we must remind ourselves that there was a Garden where man lived in perfect peace with God before the manger. But something awful happened. The good news of great joy in 10 begins with bad news of great grief.  Adam fell into sin, destroying that peace. Adam exchanged the glory of God for the glory of self. Since then, we have been trying to rip glory from God's hands. We tend to forget God's glory. Instead of living upward, we live inward. It's why the world is the way it is. It's why true peace is elusive. We are the problem! Sin is the problem.” 

“Foretelling the birth of Christ, Isaiah 9 calls this baby the Prince of Peace. He is the one who fulfills our greatest longing by becoming our peace—peace with God, peace with ourselves, peace with one another. After centuries of waiting and silence, the only answer to our peace dilemma is this baby boy lying in a cold and stinky manger. He is our Savior.”

“God's glory revealed in the baby in the manger was ultimately shown by what he would accomplish on the cross. Jesus lived a perfect life, satisfying the demands of God's glory. Though he was perfect in righteousness from the manger, He would stand in our stead on the cross. His righteousness for our sin. His death for our life. His condemnation for our JUSTIFICATION.”

“JUSTIFICATION is the precious truth at the heart of the good news of great joy the angels sang about. It means God looks upon you just as if you had never sinned but perfectly obeyed. On account of Jesus' righteousness, God declares you righteous in His eyes. That means no sin to judge.”

“Like a Judge saying—There is no crime to prosecute! The death of Jesus has removed the sin that put you in conflict with God, and his righteousness is credited to you, and the result is—Peace with God! Peace with God means God is pleased with you. This makes sense of how this angelic proclamation ends—read 14b.”

“You and I could never do good enough or be good enough for God to save us. On our own, we stand condemned before God. But God is pleased with His Son, Jesus, his perfect life and atoning death. In the Christian faith, sinners come to God in Jesus' name, that is, in his person and work. So when you come to God in Christ through faith (Rom 5:1), God is pleased with you, so you have peace with Him!”

“Shepherds were dirty, sweaty, grimy people. They would stay with the sheep to protect the flock, sleeping in the fields. They smelled like livestock. They were the bottom rung of society—the last to be included in anything. Yet, it was to them the angels announced the birth of the Savior. They are the first on the scene. They told Mary and Joseph the angel's proclamation.”

“Spiritually speaking, we are all dirty shepherds. But the Christmas manger that led to the Good Friday cross, the empty Easter tomb, and all its promises of eternal peace and joy are yours through repentance and faith. Whatever gift is under your tree this year will pale compared to the gift of true, eternal life in Jesus.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
John 1:14
Colossians 1:19
Hebrews 1:3
Romans 1:22-23
Romans 5:1

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “God is glorified in every dewdrop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every flower that blossoms. God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him? From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not the stars exalt him? Do not the lightnings adore him when they flash his brightness in arrows of light piercing the midnight darkness? Do not thunders extol him when they roll like drums in the march of God's armies? Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? But sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself, thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation.”

Ray Ortlund Jr. - “Why is the world in such a mess? You and I are the problem. Our good intentions are not strong enough to control our evil impulses. We need a Savior to rescue us from ourselves.”

Paul Tripp - “If you would for a moment, reflect on your last couple weeks, you will recognize, brothers and sisters, that you and I still have a glory problem. We don't always get glory right. Recognize that we have a peace problem; we don't always care about peace with God. We don't always have peace within. We surely don't always experience peace with one another. And so the work of that grace is as needed by us this morning as it's ever been. The angels announce your hope. The angels announce your redemption. The angels announce to you grace; grace of a life lived, grace of a death offered so that you may live for His glory, and you may experience in all the ways possible, His peace.”

APPLICATION:
If you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, notice how the shepherds responded to the angel's proclamation of the Savior—read 8-9, 15-16, 20

If you are a believer this morning, notice Mary's response—read 19

What are you treasuring in your heart this Christmas season? Are you not at peace with yourself but filled with guilt about sin or anxiety about the future? Are you discouraged about life? Are you not at peace with others, holding bitter grudges and withholding forgiveness? Are you not at peace with God, angry at Him about circumstances? 

In their own way, each one is an expression of trying to wrestle God's glory for yourself. It doesn't have to be this way. God has something different for you. He calls each one of us this morning to be like Mary. Treasure the eternal wonder of Christmas. Turn your heart back to the Lord in repentance and ponder the mind-blowing truth that peace condescended to you so glory could ascend to God in your life. As you do, here's the promise for you: You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you—Isaiah 26:3

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
O Come All You Unfaithful
Hope of the Ages
Angels We Have Heard On High
O Come All Ye Faithful
God Made Low

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 23:1

God’s sovereignty is displayed in the people and the events surrounding Bethlehem. This Sunday, Pastor Tim gave us three ways we can see how the Christmas story displays the sovereignty of God. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Christmas Story
TEXT: Luke 2:1-7
TITLE: The Christmas Story Displays God’s Sovereignty
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: Christmas displays God’s sovereignty to strengthen our faith.

POINTS:
1. God is sovereign over political leaders
2. God is sovereign in His people
3. God is sovereign through the birth of His Son

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”A decree going out in this time period was not for proper representation in their Congress but a means to gather as much tax as possible.”

“[These were] tough times for Israel. Dark times. They haven’t heard from God in 4-500 years. A census is another reminder that although they live in the promised land they are definitely under someone else’s rule. A decree for a census is Ceasar flexing his political muscle to not only to get more taxes but to also communicate that Israel is under Rome’s thumb.”

“Although Ceasar Augustus is 1,000 miles away Luke communicates he is simply a tool in God’s grand redemptive plan. Ceasar has no idea that God is bringing about a 700-year-old prophesy through his decree.”

“Although the Incarnation of the Son of God is a monumental point in God’s redemptive plan, all through the Bible, Scripture clearly states that God is sovereign over nations and leaders.”  

“Notice V. 2 Quirinius – another secular leader mentioned because census’ were done regionally. People were required to register in person and that was typically done in the place of your ancestors. Notice in v. 2, Luke also records that this census was the first for the governor of Syria,  Quirinius. Acts 1:5 Luke mentions Herod, king of Judea. Look ahead to Acts 3:1-2.  Why does Luke record all these government leaders? Why is this important? How  does this draw our attention to the character of God?”

“The Christmas story is not mythical. The Christmas story and all of God’s revelation of  Himself are rooted in world history. The Christmas story doesn’t begin in a place  called Middle-earth. Luke’s narrative doesn’t open with ‘in a galaxy far, far way.’ The baby that we will read about being born in a few minutes is the Historical LORD.  He is the God who reigns over the universe and thus reigns over political leaders. Does this strengthen your faith?”

“God is bigger than the mighty Roman empire. 300 years of domination. Yet in the  middle of that reign, the One who reigns the universe is directing historical nations  and leaders to accomplish His purposes.”

“Luke carefully writes about Joseph and Mary and historically significant geographical locations. REREAD V. 4. It is obvious Mary is in her 9th month of pregnancy. The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is somewhere between 80-90  miles. Most historians say they probably needed a week to travel there. It was dangerous to travel. Back then women died during childbirth. There were health risks that could terminate the pregnancy. This would be a difficult trip for Mary. Joseph probably waited for the weather to be the warmest. They may have possibly got a donkey for Mary to sit on. There would need to be bathroom breaks. They would surely go slower than most people. We know from Micah 5:2 that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem. But God is  working IN and THROUGH His people for His redemptive purposes.”

“God is working out His plan in the lives of Joseph and Mary. The sovereignty of  God working through and in His people is a truth we see threaded all throughout  Scripture.”

“Have you heard of the butterfly effect/theory? The butterfly effect is the theory that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil may cause a tornado in  Oklahoma because of a thousand unknown links working in a causal chain. The Incarnation of the Son of God is God’s sovereignty working in/through His people – Joseph and Mary in this case - it’s like the butterfly effect in reverse. Their family line was from Bethlehem, where the Messiah must be born. To fulfill the prophecy Mary needed to get to Bethlehem at the time of her birth. So God puts it in  the mind of Caesar Augustus — the most powerful person in the world, living over a  thousand miles away — to call for empire-wide registration, involving millions of people, at exactly the moment when God would relocate this one obscure,  pregnant, Jewish girl from Nazareth to Bethlehem.”

“All throughout Scripture, over and over again, we see God working His sovereign, redemptive plan through His people. It’s a mystery to us on how it all works out.  The point is for us to trust Him. The point is for us to revisit the Christmas story and be in awe that our God works His sovereign plan for His people. God is showcasing His sovereignty. His display of His character in the Christmas story is meant to build our faith. The culture out there will trivialize these Mt.  Everest truths about God, but it’s meant for us to strengthen our faith.” 

“What a story! Who would have ever created a storyline like this? Geography like  Nazareth, Judea, Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary betrothed and traveling. God is not worried that His plan might not work out. Year after year we are freshly in awe of His  Sovereign hand at work.”

“Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem and it’s time for Mary to give birth. There’s nothing in Luke’s account that would tell us the innkeeper was some mean guy who wouldn’t give a room to the young couple. No, Bethlehem is a hub of activity as it is  swarmed with travelers returning to their hometown.”

“Luke modestly states that Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. Lest we sanitize and romanticize this let’s be very clear. There’s nothing sanitary about being born [and put] in a feeding trough. This isn’t ‘away in a manger’ it’s ‘away in a stinky feeding trough.’ There’s  nothing romantic about the pre-incarnate Son of God being born into an animal space that stinks like manure.”

“What is happening in Bethlehem has no humble comparison. Let’s remember from our study of Colossians who Jesus is.” 

“Luke’s description of the humble birth could easily be overlooked if not the divine celebration that Luke records in V. 8-14.”

“Let’s walk through the Christmas season careful not to exchange sentimentality for a serious and sobering truth. The Christmas story and the Incarnation of the Son of God display the sovereignty of God at work. But God is not done at the birth of Jesus. If you ready Acts 2 & Acts 4  you’ll see God’s sovereignty at work in the death and resurrection of our Savior.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Micah 5:2
Psalm 22:28
Job 12:23
Acts 17:26
Genesis 50:20
Exodus 2:5-8
Colossians 1:15-17

QUOTES:
WBC- “The supreme power figure of the Roman world, unbeknownst to himself, is instrumental in the fulfillment of messianic prophecy.”

John Piper - “The events of history are not about nations and industries. God governs the world for  the sake of his children.”

J.I. Packer - “The Christmas message rests on the staggering fact that the child in the manger was - God … this is only half the story.”

APPLICATION:
We heard last week that December can be a dangerous month for Christians. The busyness, the distractions, and a culture that wants to sanitize and romanticize the birth of Jesus. As Christians, we want to freshly see God showcasing His Sovereignty to increase our faith and trust in Him.  

Does the Christmas story increase your trust in God? - If God directs these events of the Christmas story – can you trust Him as He directs your life? As He brings challenges into your life? As you trust Him while waiting for answers to your prayers? 

Does the Christmas story help you increasingly live more aware? – More aware of people in your life? Might God be sovereignly directing the paths of people in your life to bring them to a place of putting their trust in Jesus this Christmas season? 

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Prepare Him Room
God Made Low
Who Would Have Dreamed
Joy To The World

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Luke 2:8-21

Today, we begin an Advent series. Advent simply means coming or arriving. That's what we are dedicating the next three Sundays and Christmas Eve to—celebrating the coming of Jesus into our world. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Christmas Story
TEXT: Luke 1:26-38
TITLE: The True Christmas Story
PREACHER: Derek OVerstreet

POINTS:
1. An Unlikely Christmas Cast
2. An Extraordinary Christmas Plan

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”For Christians, Christmas presents spiritual dangers: We are vulnerable to allowing the trappings of Christmas—decorations, spending, and busyness to trump the true purpose of Advent. Even more dangerous, we are vulnerable to trivializing Jesus, diminishing his person, distorting the reason he came, and dismissing his eternal significance at the hands of shallow sentimentality.”

“As Christians, we enjoy the Christmas season, but always through the lens of the gospel. For this, Advent is meant to guard us and keep our focus on the person and purpose of The Christmas Story.”

“We begin The Christmas Story in Luke's gospel, where we find a group of unlikely people with front-row seats to God's extraordinary plan.” 

“First, there was Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth. In 5-7, they're described as a godly elderly couple with no children. But everything was about to change for them. In 11, an angel named Gabriel appeared to him—read 8-17. Soon after, the miracle happened: Elizabeth, old and barren, became pregnant with the one the OT prophets foretold would make way for the long-promised Messiah—John the Baptist.”

“Six months later, that same angel would appear to another unlikely person in God's plan of redemption.”

“Imagine with me for a moment. It's just another day. People are going about their ordinary business. If you are a young teenage girl like Mary, perhaps you're finishing chores, daydreaming about your future, or socializing with friends. Out of nowhere, an angel appears and says you will give birth to God's Son. Luke says Mary was troubled. She was scared. She was confused, beginning with the obvious—(34) How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

“Like Zechariah and Elizabeth, there was nothing special about Mary. There was nothing special about Joseph. Just ordinary people trying to live for God just like us. This was an unlikely cast to lay the groundwork for God Incarnate. But God works in mysterious ways. He uses fools instead of wise men. He uses paupers instead of kings. He uses the weak instead of the mighty. When He decided how to introduce the Savior of the world to the world, He used barren senior citizens and virgin teenagers.”  

“This should encourage us. You were created for good works. God wants to use you in your church and community. You might be young. You might be old. You may feel unequipped or even disqualified. You probably feel weak in spirit. You should feel unworthy and unable in and of yourself. But, as it says in 37—Nothing will be impossible with God.”

“Think about how many promises you have broken over the years because you were unable to fulfill them. The unlikely cast of Christmas reminds us of the power and wisdom of God to accomplish what only He can accomplish. How do you need to believe and rest in the power and promises of God this Advent season?”

“Now, as unlikely as this Christmas cast is, infinitely more is the extraordinary nature of God's Christmas plan.”

“Mary knows her boy will not be an ordinary boy. As poor and despised as Jesus will be, he will be great because he is the eternal Son of God, equal to his Father in all things. If you wonder why Jesus had to be born of a virgin, you can start here—being fully man, Jesus was fully God. He would come into this world to establish David's throne and reign over God's people as their sovereign king in His eternal kingdom, which will be fully and finally established when he returns.”

“Mary's Son will do all this as Jesus, the name above all other names that means deliverer. He will deliver salvation to sinners. As young as Mary is, we know she understands this because of her response—read 38.”

“Mary is wholly surrendered to the Lord's will for her. She has no idea how her situation will turn out. She is unmarried and about to be pregnant. That sounds like serious trouble. Yet, her fear and confusion give way to faith and humble submission.”

“An angel named Gabriel isn't going to show up in your living room and shock you into faith and humble submission. But even better, Jesus has shown up in your heart, which is precisely why he came into this world. We see this in Mary’s ensuing celebration. In 39-45, Mary goes to see Elizabeth. Mary could have been overwhelmed with panic about the optics of a young, unwed, pregnant teenage girl. She could have been distracted by thinking through a PR plan as the gossip and accusations were about to fly. Instead, she is undone in worship.”

“The interchangeable terms soul and spirit create a repetition to communicate one thing—Mary is worshipping God with her entire being—her will, thoughts, affections, words, and body. Mary holds nothing back from God in her worship of God. And while Mary is not worthy of our worship, her worship is worthy of our emulation.”

“Mary understood her socioeconomic status. She understood she was a nobody from the nasty town of Nazareth. There was nothing special about Mary. Mary is the essence of ordinary. None of this escapes Mary. She's not beating her chest; she knows she’s a servant. So she sings God's praises—He who is mighty has done great things for me. God has chosen me to bear the Messiah. God has looked upon me and said, You will bear my Son who will save people from their sins.”

“Have you ever had a game-changer in your life? This is the ultimate game-changer! Mary and Elizabeth are living in the worst of times. Four hundred years have gone by since the last prophet spoke. God's people are living under Roman oppression as they await their long-promised Messiah. This baby changes everything, and Mary knows it—(48) from now on  all generations will call me blessed. Nothing will ever be the same for Mary. And nothing will ever be the same for the rest of the world either. Translation: God has acted in history, and an extraordinary reversal is underway!”

“The world is about to be turned upside down, and it begins here with a pregnant senior citizen and a pregnant teenager—(51) Jesus will humble the pride of intellect. This baby will humble the pride of status (52). Joseph and Mary's child will humble the pride of wealth (53). Everything that makes sense to the world, everything the world treasures and trusts, everything the world thinks matters most, everything the world respects and esteems, Christmas turns on its head and renders meaningless.”

“This is not the Christmas story found on the Hallmark Channel. This is not the Christmas story the world wants to hear. But it is the Christmas story the world needs to hear because it is the true Christmas Story.”

“Jesus, the image of the invisible God who is supreme over all creation, condescended to create a new humanity of righteousness and glory. Jesus, the firstborn from the dead in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell, was born into our world to reconcile all things, making peace by the blood of his cross. He was born to give spiritual life to the spiritually dead. He was born to liberate sinners from the oppression of their sin so they might live eternally for his praise and glory. There's no room for sentimentalizing this Jesus. We dare not distort, diminish, or dismiss his significance with our Christmas trappings. Christmas is about the coming of our only Savior and eternal King! This is the true Christmas story—who needs to hear it from you?”

“I don't know if you caught it, but Mary's song contains the phrase He has six times. Mary hasn't seen this great reversal with her eyes yet, but she sings about the future in the past tense because she knows her God is faithful. But for us on this side of the cross, we have seen and experienced this great reversal Jesus' birth has inaugurated. We know where Christmas is going. This cradle leads to a cross where God held nothing back as He judged Jesus for our sins.”

“If you are a Christian, you have experienced your own great reversal in Christ: from sinner to saint, from enemy to child, from wrath to grace, from lost to found. Not because there was anything special about you. You are just as ordinary and hopeless as a barren old woman and young virgin girl. But in mercy, God acted in an extraordinary way to cause a great reversal in your life. You believed in Jesus, and like Mary, everything changed. Christmas happened to you, and Mary's song is your song.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 5:21

QUOTES:
Paul Tripp- “So much of our fear, discouragement, anxiety, and worry is the result of underestimating what God is willing and able to do.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones. -”Everything that man boasts in, his intellect, his understanding, his power, his social status, his influence, his righteousness, his morality, his ethics, his code—every one of them is utterly demolished by this Son of God.”

Martin Luther - “Mary's song is about God's great works and deeds, for the strengthening of our faith, for the comforting of all those of low degree, and for the terrifying of all the mighty ones on earth. We are to let the hymn serve this threefold purpose; for she sang it not for herself alone but for us all, to sing it after her.”

APPLICATION:
Q. What do faith and humble submission to God look like this Christmas? What seems impossible to you? What has you troubled, scared, and confused?

Q. Is your faith weak this morning? Is your spirit low this morning? Do you enter the Christmas season spiritually cynical or indifferent?  It doesn't have to be that way. Jesus—Immanuel, God with us, came to change everything. He wants your attention. He is worthy of your white-hot affections. Jesus knows your sin and weakness, and he wants to open your eyes to his love for you either for the first time or like no other time before. He went from the cradle to the cross to the grave to the right hand of your heavenly Father for you! Marveling at the wonder and living in the good of his love is what Christmas is about.

Q. How does the Spirit want to adjust your song as you enter the Christmas season this year? God made much of you when He condescended into this world to live and die for one reason—so you could make much of Him with everything you have and everything you are. That's a Christmas song worth singing. That's a Christmas promise worth living! That's a Christmas story worth telling.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery
Who Would Have Dreamed
He Who Is Mighty
O Come All You Unfaithful
Heaven Has Come To Us

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Luke 2:1-7

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

So many voices clamor for our attention. We have so much information at our fingertips. We have itchy ears. We want immediate results in our lives. We are prone to sacrifice truth for experience. So we must believe with Paul that Christ alone makes us who we are and resolve to keep him at the center of our existence.  Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 2:1-5
TITLE: Grounded and Guarded
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: A church centered on Christ is a church guarded from wandering away from Christ.

POINTS:
1. A Beautiful Portrait of the Church
2. An Effective Safeguard for the Church

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”So many voices clamor for our attention. We have so much information at our fingertips. We have itchy ears. We want immediate results in our lives. We are prone to sacrifice truth for experience. So we must believe with Paul that Christ alone makes us who we are and resolve to keep him at the center of our existence.” 

“Paul begins in 1—I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you. Paul is not bragging. He is not complaining. He is expressing his deepest longing for them. The word translated struggle was used to describe the intense competitions of the Greek games. Just as the athlete fought with every ounce of energy to win, Paul cared for churches like the Colossians with the fierce desire of someone who was—in it to win it.”

“He communicates his desire for them in a way that paints a beautiful portrait of the church—read 2-3. In 2, their hearts may be encouraged—That is, they would know the comfort and possess the spiritual strength and courage that comes from knowing who they are in Christ. Paul goes on to say that they would be knit together in love.”

“Paul’s passion here is that the love of Christ would pour out into their relationships with one another, not only bound to God in Christ but bound to one another by the same divine love. It’s a humble love. It’s a sacrificial love. It’s a long-suffering love. It’s a love that gently rebukes and quickly forgives. It’s a love that always grounds them in what knits them together—the divine love of Christ!”

“We are so different—knitted together, divinely intertwined by the love of Christ.”

“In the face of false teaching that is challenging the sufficiency of Christ, Paul says the more you fix your head and heart on Christ, the deeper your understanding of God’s redemptive purposes that center on and climax in Christ, the greater your conviction and confidence that in Jesus you have everything and lack nothing—Stay close the guide!”

“OT books like Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes are packed with wisdom and knowledge. But the secret is out. The mystery has been revealed. The true fount and storehouse of all wisdom and knowledge is Jesus Christ!”

“To know Jesus is to have genuine knowledge of who God is and what he is like. To know Jesus is to know how to—(1:10) walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. To know Christ is to (Pro 2:3) Understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God so you can confidently live, in the words of RC Sproul, Coram Deo—in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.”

“It's an astonishing assertion that paints a beautiful portrait of the church. Sinners saved by grace, knitted together in love, encouraging one another as they grow in their understanding and conviction that Christ is their all-in-all.”

“Don’t miss the connection—I say this (2-3) in order that no one may delude you (deceive you) with plausible arguments.  The Beautiful Portrait of the Church also acts as An Effective Safeguard for the Church.”

“In 8, Paul will begin to deal directly with the deceptive teachings the Colossians were up against. To be clear, Jesus wasn’t being canceled; he was being added to.”

“These false teachers were good at their presentation. We could translate the word plausible in 4 as persuasive. Their arguments for Jesus Plus were persuasive and enticing. Paul says You don’t have to be deluded. Christ has been revealed to your head and heart. You experience genuine gospel encouragement and love through one another. Truth and your experience of truth tell you Jesus alone is sufficient. No matter how plausible the arguments are. No matter how persuasive the position is. No matter how polished the delivery is? It may SOUND right. It may SOUND godly. It may SOUND spiritual. It may be popular. But if it doesn’t lead you to Christ as your only identity, strength, and hope, it’s not good—it’s dangerous.”

“Where are you prone to be deluded by plausible and persuasive arguments that diminish and distract you from Christ? It may be time to change course for your spiritual well-being. Paul gives you the course in these verses: The more we experience genuine Christ-centered encouragement and love from one another, the more we grow in our (3) assurance of the sufficiency of Christ. Knowing the real thing is the best way to avoid being misled by counterfeits.”

“This is why the life of the local church is so important. It’s God’s chosen arena to grow our understanding of the gospel in the head and the heart in a way that establishes and protects our faith.”

“How encouraging is this? Paul can’t physically be with the Colossians to shepherd them through what they are facing. But he carries them in his heart, bound to them through their shared union in Christ. So he carries their burden, rejoicing over them, knowing they have all they need in Jesus. And now they have his teachings that point them to affirm the gospel and refute the deceivers. Paul is confident that as they center themselves on Christ according to his letter, their lives will be in order, that is, in keeping with the gospel, and their faith strong as they stand together in the encouragement and love of Christ, even in the face of opposition.”

“If you believe in Jesus Christ, that he is eternal, without beginning and without end, that he always was continuing; if you believe that he is Creator of everything, every cosmic speck across trillions of light-years of trackless space, the Creator of the textures and shapes and colors that daily dazzle your eyes; if you believe that he is the sustainer of all creation, the force that is presently holding the atoms of your body, your town, this universe together, and that without him all would dissolve; if you believe that he is the mystery, the incarnate reconciler who will one day reconcile the universe and redeem humanity to himself; if you believe that he is the lover of your soul, who loves you with a love bounded only by his infinitude; then, despite the fact that life will be full of trouble, nothing much will go wrong. Your vision of Christ will quicken and shape your life. What you believe about Christ makes all the difference in the world now and in eternity.” 

QUOTES:
D.A. Carson - “Paul cannot long talk about Christian joy, or Christian ethics, or Christian fellowship, or the Christian doctrine of God, or anything else, without finally tying it to the cross. Paul is gospel-centered; he is cross-centered. From his first epistle to his final letter to Timothy, Paul kept the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus at  the center of his teaching. He resolved to know nothing...except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

John Woodhouse - “You can be perfectly sure that Paul never taught the Old Testament without proclaiming Christ! Paul never taught about the Christian life without the centrality of Christ. Paul never taught an understanding of anything without Christ. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and understanding are hidden in him!”

G.K. Beale - “At least parts of this false teaching is that believers still need to identify not only with Christ but also with the identification signs of the old law and must give some allegiance also to worship of angels together with Christ.”

Kent Hughes - “This is an important message for an alive Christianity. No intellectual process will lead to a full grasp of the mystery of Christ unless it is accompanied by a love for him and for Christians that knits us, the Church, together in love. We cannot pursue knowledge of God in willful, unloving isolation, rejecting fellowship with others. Historically, some have tried and have suffered incomplete or even distorted understanding. A complete understanding of the mystery comes in loving community.”

APPLICATION:
- Do you wonder what the purpose of life is? Do you wonder what the keys to a fulfilling life are? Do you wonder how one can suffer with joy? 
As a Christian, you can genuinely know God’s purposes in redemptive history because they have been revealed to you in the treasuries of wisdom—Jesus Christ.

- Where am I prone to be deluded by plausible and persuasive arguments that diminish and distract me from Christ?

Here's our application today:

1. Study the Scriptures with an eye to Christ (Catechism)

2. Knit yourself to the people in this room (priority of CG)

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93)
I Have A Shelter
All Things
There is One Gospel
All I Have Is Christ

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 2:6-7

There is a force at work in the world today that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world—the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our hope of glory. So, we gladly suffer affliction and boldly proclaim Him as he advances His kingdom. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:24-49
TITLE: HIM!
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: God builds His Kingdom as we experience affliction for Christ and we proclaim the gospel of Christ.

POINTS:
1. The Place of Affliction in God’s Purposes
2. The Priority of Proclamation in God’s Purposes

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”If read to the Colossians, these words [from John Woodhouse, quoted below] may have been a—Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief moment. They were small and unimpressive. Men more eloquent and philosophically astute than pastor Epaphras were trying to persuade them the key to life was bigger than the gospel.”

“What was true for them is true for us. The gospel doesn’t always look like the most powerful and significant force in the history of the world. Our best evangelistic efforts seem fruitless. Affliction and suffering produce discouragement. It’s tempting to doubt the power and sufficiency of the gospel when your marriage is on life support, society increasingly despises your faith, and you’re your atheist neighbor is living the dream. In these experiences and so many others, it’s tempting to doubt and diminish the gospel as the most powerful and significant force in the history of the world—Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief.”

“For this reason, we must understand how God is advancing His kingdom. Paul tells us in these verses: God builds His Kingdom as we experience affliction for Christ and we proclaim the gospel of Christ.”

“God doesn’t advance His kingdom through mass marketing and media. He is not bringing about His purposes through Christian Nationalism. The kingdom of God does not rely on impressive buildings and flashy preachers. God advances His kingdom and brings us to maturity, through affliction for and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.”

“Paul begins with an upside-down statement—read 24a. What? Who rejoices in their suffering?! Paul does. And for good reasons. As a minister (servant) of the gospel, Paul belongs to God. Jesus died for his sins. He belongs to Jesus. Once a ruthless persecutor of Christ’s church, now a servant of Christ’s church. But there was something else that produced transcending joy amid his suffering—Paul believed God was advancing His gospel kingdom, saving others just as he saved him through his afflictions.”

“Christ’s death is sufficient for our salvation in every way, lacking nothing in anyway. So what does Paul mean when he says— I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? To answer that, let’s take a step back.”

“Paul was used to advance the kingdom of God uniquely—taking the gospel to the Gentiles. In Acts 9, according to God’s plan, Christ appeared to Paul (Saul) on the way to Damascus, saying—Why are you persecuting me? To persecute Christ’s church was to persecute Christ himself. Such is the union of Christ and his people. A few verses later the Lord said, He chose Paul to take the gospel to the Gentiles and in doing so would suffer for Christ’s name.”

“God chose Paul to make known the fullness of God’s Word, that is the mystery, the OT promise now revealed in the gospel, that the once alienated and hopeless Gentiles were included in God’s plan of salvation. Now, by grace through faith, they are in Christ and Christ is in them. Because God lives in their hearts, they possess the hope of glory, a life of divine blessing today, and infinitely more in heaven with Jesus. This is something they had no hope of before. The afflictions Jesus bore on the cross were for the Gentiles too! This is the—(25) the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. For this, bringing the gospel to the Gentiles, Paul suffered greatly.”

“Paul suffered with joy, for the sake of advancing God’s kingdom, including the Colossians—(24) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake—the church in Colossae which he didn’t plant and never visited, and two millennia later, our sake. So when Paul says his afflictions fill up what is lacking in Christ’s, he means his afflictions are advancing the intended effect of Christ’s afflictions on the cross, which is bringing the gospel and all its spiritual blessings to the Gentile.”

“We are engaged in the same conflict Paul was. The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints is still being revealed through us as we suffer and endure affliction for the sake of our gospel mission.”

“God is advancing His kingdom through the affliction of His people and the proclamation of His Son. Not the proclamation of our:

• Theological distinctives

• Parenting methodologies

• Anecdotal stories

• Spiritual gifts

• Community Groups and other ministries

• Personal prayer and Bible study

• God won’t advance the gospel on the east side through the proclamation of our ecclesiastical distinctives

God is advancing His kingdom through our proclamation of HIM—Jesus Christ and HIM crucified! Paul summarizes his ministry in 25-27 in one word—HIM!”

“We proclaim HIM! We don’t need anything else to proclaim but HIM because in HIM, we lack nothing; apart from HIM, we have nothing to proclaim. That’s not to say we have nothing else to talk about, but that in all we talk about, at the center of it is always HIM! From theology to practical Christian living, it all flows from, points to, and finds its purpose in HIM!”

“It’s HIM, we proclaim! Notice what Paul says—HIM we (all of us) proclaim, warning everyone. What are we warning everyone about? Your only hope of glory is HIM! Turn to HIM in faith and repentance. If you belong to HIM, you must live for HIM. Don’t add to HIM. You have all you need in HIM. Don’t drift back to your old ways because you are a new creation in HIM.”

“Don’t miss Paul’s threepeat of the word, everyone. No one is in a situation that requires something more than HIM.”

“I hear people say it—I need more than Jesus. That’s what the Colossians are being told. Paul will have none of it. HIM we proclaim because He is enough. Christ is sufficient for all our needs. He is your wisdom and hope in every matter and circumstance. We proclaim HIM, warning or teaching, Whatever the topic, the need, the danger—to everyone.” 

“Here’s the goal—(28) that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Maturity in Christ is HIM at the center of life. It’s the ability to rejoice in our sufferings because we know we belong to HIM, and he will finish the work He began in us. Spiritual maturity is to say—Lord, I belong to HIM, so use me as you will, whatever the cost. To mature in Christ is to find your all in HIM and HIM alone. That’s the goal.”

“There is a force at work in the world today that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world—the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our hope of glory. So, we gladly suffer affliction and boldly proclaim Him as he advances His kingdom.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 11:23-33 
Philippians 1:29-30

QUOTES:
 John Woodhouse - “There is a force at work in the world today that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world. It is not the spread of democracy, nor is it any of the anti-democratic movements that are currently active and threatening. It is not capitalism, nor socialism. It is not civil rights, gay rightsor feminism. It is certainly not atheistic secularism. The force that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

John Piper - “What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ is not that they are deficient in worth or merit, as though they could not sufficiently cover the sins of all who believe. What is lacking is that the infinite value of Christ’s afflictions are not known in the world. They are still a mystery—hidden—to most peoples. And God’s intention is that the mystery be revealed, extended to all the Gentiles. So the afflictions are lacking in the sense that they are not seen and known among the nations. They must be carried by ministers of the word. And those ministers of the word fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ by extending them to others.”

APPLICATION:
Notice Paul’s final words—read verse 29.

To see the Colossians center their lives on Christ was his driving passion. Fully reliant on the Holy Spirit, Paul tirelessly labored to see Christ-centered churches. Is that true of you?

1. Develop the conviction from passages like Col 1 that Christ is enough. 

2. Evaluate where you seek help. Do the books, programs, and people you pursue for help unmistakenly, undeniably,  and unapologetically lead you directly to Christ, or do you have to work Christ in yourself? If they don’t lead you to Christ, run from them, because they lead you to someone and if that someone is not HIM then at best you are adding to HIM at worst you running from HIM. 

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Great You Are
Only A Holy God
Help Us See Christ
When We See Your Face
In Christ Alone

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 2:1-5

Who we were then was entirely our doing. Who we are now is entirely His doing. JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:21-23
TITLE: Jesus Changes Everything
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Jesus changes everything!

POINTS:
1.  Who We Once Were
2. Who We Are Now

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”In verse 21, we find the 3-fold GRIM REALITY that describes who we were.”

“‘And you who once were…’ Alienated - We were alienated from God. And our alienation is not simply describing the state of the brokenness and separation in our relationship with God. Instead, what is being described here is the active, purposeful persistence in our slavery to sin and willing idolatry. We were not passively floating around in the darkness of space in a thrusterless space capsule, being pulled by various forces here and there as we drifted further and further away from God. Rather, our alienation here is better described as having a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel of our 1966 Shelby with our foot buried on the throttle, racing hard and fast and further into our alienation from God.”

“‘And you who once were…’ Hostile in mind - Paul does not want us to misunderstand who we were as he now adds to our alienation and describes we were also ‘hostile in mind.’ If our alienation wasn’t bad enough, our hearts had turned on him in hostility, as active His enemy. In our hatred of him (a passive description of our enmity with God), foot still buried on the gas, we yanked on the wheel and headed straight at Him.”

“The GRIM reality is that in our minds, from the very wellspring of our hearts, we were at war with Him! We believe and teach that we ran away from God, but here we find that we ran at Him.”

“‘And you who once were…’  Doing evil deeds - Adding to our alienation from God and to our hostility toward God, we were doing evil deeds. Paul, making sure that we understand what he is saying, adds to our estrangement from God and our hearts and minds fixed full-on hate to now doing evil deeds. We embodied our sin.”

“The GRIM reality is that this IS who we once were! We were alienated from God, hostile toward God, and doing evil deeds against God and others! BUT, THE GOOD NEWS is Jesus changes everything!”

“While still exulting in the majesty and supremacy of Jesus, Paul speaks to our hostile alienation in sin that is aimed at God and others… BUT, HE DOES NOT LEAVE US THERE.”

“Vs 21 should have a profound effect on us as we behold the majesty and supremacy of Christ. This is both terrifying and beautiful! By the cry of His command, Jesus created us and holds us together! We hated him and sought to undermine him, having tried to take His place on the throne, with our backs turned against him pursuing the filthiness of evil deeds. HE HAS NOW RECONCILED US!”

“We are now Reconciled by the blood of His cross! We are now Reconciled by His death! Jesus and His crucifixion change everything! It is here that we see the CROSS of Jesus as the overarching TURNING POINT for us - the CROSS of Jesus changes everything for us. The OLD now passes away, and now the NEW has come through the body of our Savior as He bears our sins on his perfect body and as Jesus pours out his holy blood in that inexplicable sacrifice.”

“Before God, our Judge, the records of who we were have not been lost (though we want them to be)! THE historical RECORDS PROVE WHO WE WERE - no fire could destroy them, and no effort on our part could rid us of our past hatred and transgression against God. But the good news is that at the CROSS OF JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING. HIS BLOOD COVERS OUR RECORDS, AND HIS DEATH RECONCILES US BEFORE GOD!” 

“The reason Jesus has done this is to present you and me before the judgment seat of God - His 2nd Coming - as righteous. Without Jesus, we will not escape the righteous wrath of God. But, with Jesus, we are righteous in God’s eyes and this is who we are now!”

“Who are we now in Christ? Jesus ‘presents you above reproach’, meaning we are presented without the stain of sin. Jesus ‘presents you holy’, separated unto God in righteousness. Jesus ‘presents you blameless’ - without stain, we bear no blame anymore. We are now forgiven and reconciled.”

“We, who were once alienated… separated from God, have now been brought near in Christ! We, who were once hostile in mind… enemies of God, are now loving worshippers of God in Christ! We, who were once doing evil deeds…unrighteous before God,  are now made righteous in Christ! JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 6:5
 2 Corinthians 5:21
Ephesians 2:13
Luke 7:47
Romans 5:17

APPLICATION:
3-fold Application

• Continue in your Gospel faith. Remembering how you got here will be fuel for continuing on in your gospel faith

• Be rooted in your Gospel hope. Peter O’Brian - “...continuance is the test of reality. If it is true that the saints will persevere to the end, then it is equally true that the saints must  persevere to the end.”

• Become what you already are NOW in Christ. We were once embodying sin… now embody holiness and righteousness! Now we are reconciled by the Cross of Jesus, holy, blameless, and above reproach. Live in your innocence - live in your new reality!

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery
Jesus, There's No One Like You
Glorious
Behold Our God
How Vast The Love

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:21-23