The Day Jesus Lied Series

Sunrise Sermons

Sunrise Presbyterian Church

18400 NW 68th Ave

Miami FL 33028

Telephone: 305 821 5841

Email: SunPCUSA@aol.com

“The Day Jesus Lied”

September 9, 2001

The Rev. Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh

Senior Pastor

The Introduction To The Scripture Lesson…

We are continuing our study of the book of Colossians. We started this series last week. As you may recall, Paul is in prison, and he is visited by a fellow minister, Epephras, who was the organizing pastor of the Colossian Church. Now Paul has never met the Colossians. He’s never been to the city of Colosse. But when Epephras comes to him and tells the Apostle about the the Colossian Church, Paul sits down and writes a letter – a letter we today call the Book of Colossians.

Now there were a lot of good things happening in that church, but there were some bad things as well. Among the most unfortunate things were the heresies. The secular world was telling the Colossian Church what it should believe and teach. And the Colossian Church was listening to the voice of the world, rather than to the Word of God.

Now, we are not completely clear about what all of these heresies were, because all we have is the Colossian letter. It’s Paul’s response, but we don’t really have a clear statement from the other side. It’s like listening to a debate between two candidates – Republican and Democatic, but when one candidate speaks, the sound system fails and we only heat the voice of the other candidate.

All we have is the voice of Paul addressing the heretics. But even without the voice of the other side, we still get a fairly good picture of what these heresies were.

Apparently, one of the heresies had to do with the uniqueness of Christ, because Paul takes the time to make very clear his views of Jesus Christ.

In fact, it has been said that Colossians is the most Christ centered book of the New Testament.

If you have your Bibles, you can turn to Colossians 2:8 and read what Paul said to the Colossians: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

Now that statement is clearly meaningful to the world today.

Our church today is struggling with what to believe and teach. I don’t mean Sunrise. Nor do I mean the Presbyterian Church. I mean all of Christianity.

The world is telling us what to believe and teach. And we are listening to voice of the world, rather than the Word of God. Let us hear now the Word of God found in Colossians…

Colossian 1:15-23

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--

23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

(NIV)

John 14:1-6

1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

4 You know the way to the place where I am going."

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.