Dakota Community Church
December 25, 2011
Incarnation
So far we have looked at the hope (past, present, and future) that Christmas offers to every man; then in week two, Tyson spoke on the peace of knowing God, in week 3 we looked at the joy that is not of human origin and last week we rounded out the waiting period with a sermon on the love of God as seen in the birth of Jesus.
And now: MERRY CHRISTMAS! The waiting is over; Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Is there anyone here who doesn’t really enjoy the Christmas season, anyone who finds themselves with Elvis having a perpetually “Blue Christmas”? What about afterward - Do you ever find the days following the holiday to be a little depressing? Ever experience a kind of Christmas hangover – and you haven’t been drinking to excess; is anyone willing to admit to finding these next few days a lot depressing?
Have your unbridled expectations come slamming into cold hard reality again this year?
You watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” and felt all warm and fuzzy; but you can’t help but wonder if your life is having anywhere near the same impact as George Bailey’s.
You picked out the perfect gift and let everyone know what you wanted but you didn’t get it – or worse – you did get it and it just wasn’t what you hoped.
You spent a fortune on the kid’s gifts but they seem so unappreciative.
The wonderful family dinner looked just like the ones in the movies only the family didn’t come together in love instead there was yelling, fighting, drunken groping and angry door slamming.
Reality can be such a slap in the face!
This morning I want to take a stab at uncovering why that happens to so many of us – and what can be done to prevent those January blues and the Christmas hangover.
Colossians 2:6-17
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 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.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
1. There is no “filler” in the Word of God.
Colossians 2:6-7
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
We do not skip over certain parts, like the gospel references, to get to the good stuff supposing we already know the basics.
The gospel is repeated over and over for good reason – we need to be reminded of it!
In this morning’s passage the gospel preceded and is interwoven throughout an important lesson on life as a Christian.
You received Him… Continue to live in Him… rooted in, built up in, strengthened in… FAITH
This will result in an OVERFLOWING THANKFULNESS
Paul is about to launch into a teaching on Christian living, how we are to act, how we are to handle religious ceremony, tradition, and issues regarding the law – He begins with the gospel!
He throws in a warning:
Colossians 2:8
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.
You – Christian – You need to watch out that you are not taken captive by deceptive philosophy, ideologies of this world that oppose Christ.
He goes back to the Gospel:
Colossians 2:10-16
…you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 Therefore…
Therefore… concerning these holiday issues… therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you do or do not do in these areas of life:
2. Enjoy the shadow.
Colossians 2:16
… do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come:
These feasts, these festivals, these holiday celebrations and Sabbath days are gifts from God that are good for us to enjoy as we see fit – but they are only the shadow.
The shadow only exists because of the substance.
The shadow contains no life of its own – it exists to illustrate the reality.
Example:
Marriage
Paul uses marriage as an illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Church. It is a shadow, a type; it is a covenant and it points to relationship with God.
You can and should enjoy your marriage. You will grow by it, you will find the most wonderful and intimate aspects of human relationship in it – it cannot satisfy your longing for life.
Only the substance can do that, only the reality has life to offer.
3. The reality is found in Christ.
Colossians 2:17
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Marriage can only be fully enjoyed by two people who are drawing their life from God.
If one or both partners are looking to the other for ultimate satisfaction it will be disastrous.
Enjoy the festivities – let them point you to Christ
Enjoy the gifts – Christ is the real gift
Enjoy the food and drink – Jesus is the bread of life and the living water
Enjoy the family – remember you were created for relationship with God in Christ!
Merry Christmas and God bless
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
Follow Dan Cormie on twitter: @DanCormie
