CHRIST LIVES IN US (Outline)
August 2, 2009 --
PENTECOST 9 --
Colossians 1:21-28
INTRO: Everyone loves a mystery. The more that we hear, read, and study God’s word the more we begin to understand the mystery of Scripture revealed. Scripture holds many mysteries that are not always easily, completely humanly understood. It is only by faith that we believe God’s mysteries as revealed in God’s holy word. Who fully knows the mind of God? In Colossians we are told Christ lives in us. In Romans Paul presents another truth. "As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out"(ROMANS 7:17,18). This is a mystery that sin is alive and well in us. But now Christ is also alive and lives in us. We consider God’s mystery.
CHRIST LIVES IN US.
I. A divine mystery.
II. Our glorious hope.
I. CHRIST LIVES IN US = A DIVINE MYSTERY
A. Paul’s audience is a new generation and nation of believers, Gentiles. They had been strangers to God.
1. Verse 21. They had been enemies of God. Their evil thoughts separated them from the truth.
2. As unbelievers these Gentiles lived opposed to God’s ways and opposed to God’s word.
B. Verse 22. “BUT NOW” God changed everything for these Gentiles. They were forgiven.
1. There were no charges to be held against them. They were holy and blameless in God’s sight.
2. Verse 23b. This was the gospel message that these Gentiles had heard and now believed.
C. Verse 25. Paul was a servant of Christ to preach this gospel message in all of its truth and purity.
1. Verse 26. This gospel was unknown to the Gentiles for generations. Now they heard, believed.
2. Verse 27. The mystery: Christ lived in them. These Gentiles belonged to the Lord.
D. We are all born estranged from God. We are all born as the very enemies of God. This called the “total depravity” of mankind. Since the first sin of Adam and Eve our lives are tainted with the same in-fection of evil. Why are we saved? Who would really want to reach out and save their enemy? This is the marvelous, miraculous mystery Scripture declares to us with God’s gospel. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved" (EPHESIANS 2:4,5). We were dead in sin. But now by grace through faith we are made alive in Christ who lives in us. It is a divine mystery.
E. There is even more to our faith that just having Christ alive in us. Each of us has been redeemed and made alive for Christ. The Holy Spirit has called us to be his own. The Holy Spirit has commissioned us to be living members of the holy Christian church. "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 PETER 2:5). Christ lives in us. Each one of us has been called by the gospel to be proclaimers (priests) of God’s gospel. The Jews prided themselves in being the children of Abraham. Jesus re-minded them that he could create stones to declare his praises. Today you and I are those living stones declaring the praises of our heavenly Father. By birth we are Gentiles. But now by faith we are Israel.
F. Christ lives in us. This is the marvelous, miraculous mystery explained in God’s gospel. Christ lives in us that we would have eternal life. Christ lives in us to remind us just how much our loving Lord cares for every believer. By faith our lives are changed. By faith we live changed lives because of God’s great, great love for us. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body " (1 CORINTHIANS 6:19,20). Christ lives in us that we might honor him with our lives.
CHRIST LIVES IN US.
This is a divine mystery that we believe and confess by grace through faith.
II. CHRIST LIVES IN US = OUR GLORIOUS HOPE
A. Notice the great joy that the apostle Paul had in being a servant of the Lord, verses 23b, and 25a.
1. Verse 24. Even in intense suffering Paul found great joy in freely proclaiming God’s gospel.
2. Once, stoned and left for dead Paul continued on to encourage the churches of Asia Minor.
B. Verse 27. Paul was excited to proclaim that profound, powerful mystery -- “Christ lives in you!”
1. This was the message of God’s saving gospel that all people needed to hear to be saved.
2. Verse 28. Paul used God’s word to teach and encourage all in God’s wisdom, not mans.
C. These Gentiles heard the Gospel. The Holy Spirit worked faith in their hearts. They believed.
1. There was only one condition for these believers to enjoy eternity. Verse 23a.
2. These new Gentile converts were to hold fast to God’s word and stand firm in their faith.
D. Over the generations nothing has changed. As believers saved by God’s grace we will always want to hold to fast to God’s word. We always want to stand firm in the Christian faith revealed in the Scriptures. Today there seem to be so many competing voices concerning the teachings of what God’s word really says. Our modern era tries to corrupt the true meaning of Scripture. Sin is often defined as a sickness or a disease. All kinds of immorality are excused because “everyone is doing it”. God’s gospel is trampled under the feet of modern day deniers and rejecters of Christ. These are the end times that the Lord warns us about. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 TIMOTHY 4:3). God’s word is still God’s word. Man cannot destroy the truth of Gods’ gospel.
E. At times, we may find ourselves trapped by discouragement, despair, or even depression. After all, day after day the news only seems to get worse and worse and worse. Everything seems to be collapsing all at once all around us. The experts tell us one thing only to have the opposite results take place. Our moments of doom come about because we have put all too much hope and confidence in this life and/or the things of this life. Our thinking, actually our hearts are simply in the wrong place. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"(MATTHEW 6:20,21). Rejoice – Christ lives in us. This marvelous, miraculous mystery is truly our glorious hope in a hopeless world.
F. God’s word and promises never ever fail. Everything else around us will fail but not God’s word. God’s word is the solid foundation upon which we base our glorious hope. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf" (HEBREWS 6:19, 20a). God’s gospel hope is our glorious hope: “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”! We can constantly come confidently and boldly before God’s throne of grace. Christ, our perfect High Priest has paid for our sins and the sins of the whole world. We know the glorious riches of the mystery and the hope of glory -- heaven is our home, now and forever.
CONC.: Who can truly, fully understand the mind of God? Sin is alive and well in each of us. But now Christ is even more alive and well in each of us. Christ is far, far greater and more powerful than anything else in all of creation. It is a divine mystery that Christ would dwell with us and in us. But now this marvelous, miraculous mystery is also our glorious hope. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (GALATIANS. 2:20). CHRIST LIVES IN US. I. A divine mystery. II. Our glorious hope. This is the simple, yet powerful saving truth of God’s gospel for us and for all of creation. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min. (Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF / 10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
PENTECOST 9 readings:
JEREMIAH 23:1-6;
EPHESIANS 2:13-22;
MARK 6:30-34;
(PSALM 23)
