The Superiority Of Being In Christ

SERMON OUTLINE:

• The Traveller (vs 6)

• The Tree (vs 7a)

• The Building (vs 7b)

• The School (vs 7c)

• The River (vs 7d)

• The Prisoner (vs 8)

• The Gift (vs 9)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Where would you rather eat;

• In a fast-food takeaway or in a good, family run restaurant?

• What would you rather drive:

• A clapped-out old rusty car or a brand new one straight from the dealer’s showroom?

• If you had a £10,000 gift card where would you rather shop:

• In a Bargain Basement shop like Primark or in Harrods?

• Would you take a job in which you earnt the minimum wage;

• And were on zero-hour contract or a job that paid generously;

• With rest breaks, health care and holiday entitlements?

• TRANSITION: The answers to those questions are obvious,

• Most of us probably all of us know exactly what we would choose and why,

• Yet, when it comes to theology (the things of God),

• Too many people sell themselves short!

• They choose the wrong option;

• The poorer choice when a better option is offered to them.

• Non-Christians do that when they reject Christ;

• And they end up exchanging something that is inferior in his place.

• And sadly, some Christians also get side-tracked;

• And allow cheap substitutes to come into their lives and spoil their walk with Christ.

• In this letter the apostle Paul is telling these Christians at Colosse,

• Not to let people sell them short, to delude them with persuasive arguments,

• Because in time, those decisions;

• Will only turn out to be inferior replacements for the real thing!

Notice: Twice in the chapter the apostle Paul writes let no-one deceive you (vs 4&8).

Verse 4:

4”I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments”.

Verse 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”.

• These Christians were encountering false teachers and false doctrines,

• They were peddling them in the Church and people were being taken in by them.

• The teaching sounded so right, but in content it was so wrong.

Ill:

• The Greek term used here in verse 4:

• Describes the persuasive arguments of a lawyer.

• Who is doing his best to defend his client, even though he knows his client is guilty!

• In warning the Christians at Colossae against false teachers:

• The apostle Paul used several vivid word pictures;

• If we like the Christians at Colossae;

• Take note and grasp hold of this warning, then we too can overcome the enemy.

(1). The Traveller (vs 6):

ill:

• Late last century,

• An American tourist paid a visit to a renowned Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim.

• He was astonished to see that the rabbi's home;

• It was a simple room filled only with some books, a table and a bed.

• The tourist asked him, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?"

• Hofetz Chaim replied, "Where is yours?"

• The puzzled American asked, "Mine? But I'm only a visitor here. I'm only passing through."

• The rabbi replied, "So am I."

• We might not live as literal as the Rabbi, but don’t miss the point!

• All Christians should remember that we are citizens of another place,

• Quote: As the old hymn says; “This world is not my home; I am just a passing through”

• ill: Remember the title of John Bunyan’s classic book, ‘The Pilgrims Progress’

• We are pilgrims, visitors, tourists, aliens, travellers in this world.

Verse 6:

”So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, CONTINUE to live in him”.

“…so WALK ye in him” (KJB).

• The Christian life is compared to a pilgrimage,

• And believers must learn to walk.

• Paul had already encouraged his readers to “walk worthy of the Lord”

• (chapter 1 verse 10),

• And later in the letter he would twice use this image again,

• (chapter 3 verse 7 & chapter 4 verse 5).

Notice:

• We are to walk in Christ the same way we originally received Christ;

• i.e. By faith.

• The false teachers, the deceivers, the enemies of the Christians;

• The Gnostic’s:

• (an agnostic is a ‘don’t know’ a Gnostic is one who claims ‘to know’ special knowledge)

• They wanted to change the gospel by introducing some “new truths”.

• They taught that faith in Jesus Christ alone was not enough,

• We need a Jesus plus.

Ill:

• It happened 2,000 years ago and it is happening still today.