WEBVTT 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:09.919 Thank you for joining us for a sermon from Sojourn North. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:21.679 Well, one thing I noticed over the years is that whatever is biggest at the moment in life seems the biggest to everything. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:28.800 It affects the way I see life, it affects the way I'm tempted to move and act. 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:36.320 And it's when work feels biggest that can just cramp my ability to see the rest of life. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:40.399 When anxiety feels biggest, it affects everything. 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:49.119 When conflict feels biggest, it can just cripple my mind, and it affects even me being present with someone else. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:55.600 When money feels biggest, like our giving platform shuts down, that's it's like, oh, that takes our attention. 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:58.399 When suffering feels biggest, all these things are big. 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:01.600 And I thought about it like this, and I've used this analogy before. 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:08.400 It's like this sheet of paper, it's not the biggest thing in this sanctuary, is it? 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:12.799 But when I put it in front of my face, it affects how I see. 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:16.319 It affects how I walk, because I'd have to be ducking down. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:18.640 And these are the things that happen in our lives. 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:24.879 There are a lot of things that come in and affect how we see and do life. 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:33.840 And this week we're beginning our final series in our called into a bigger story, going through the book of Colossians. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:40.400 And Colossians is going to ask this question: What if Christ became the biggest reality in your life? 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:44.560 What if Christ became the biggest reality in your life? 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:58.640 And truthfully, we all have room to grow in this because the eternality, the hugeness of Jesus, of his eternal sacrifice, of all that he's done, we can grow in our vision of him. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:06.159 And we talked through, as we went through this series, we started with Galatians and we saw that Christ frees us from a smaller story. 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:13.039 We saw that we're going to have a tendency to drift and we're called to come back on to the path that God has for us. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:24.319 We looked at Philippians and said, Christ forms us into a people that live together, that have joy together, and we have sorrow together, and we do this together. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:35.759 And we spent three weeks created for community series just talking about that we are created to be in relationship with God and with each other now and forevermore. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:44.000 And here as we go through Colossians over the next 12 weeks, I want us to say, how can we get a bigger vision of Jesus? 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:56.319 It's even like what we saw in Philippians 2, when we saw that have the same mindset as this, that Christ, he came, humbled himself, poured out all that he had. 00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:04.159 And so we want to look to Jesus over and over again throughout the series and see that it affects every aspect of our lives. 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:12.560 So as we come into this series, as I've done with the other letters that we've looked at, we're going to do an overview of the book of Colossians. 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:24.639 We're going to do an airplane view, just look at some major themes and just kind of wet our appetites to say that these are the things we'll be looking for as we come next week and over the next 11 weeks that follow that. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:32.000 That we are looking at all of Christ and how it affects every aspect. 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:35.120 And so how big is your Jesus is what we're going to ask. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:47.439 So you're outline today, it's in your in your notes, we're going to look at a bigger Christ changes our vision, a bigger Christ changes our story, and a bigger Christ changes our lives. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:57.520 So as we look into the book of Colossians, let's get a little groundwork about who Paul is writing to, what time period, and I have a map that will jump up. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:05.120 This is Colossae, and you can see it over there, middle right side. 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:09.199 And I want to give you some information about it. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:18.160 Paul's writing at the same time that he writes Philippians, between 60 and 62 A.D., he's in prison in Rome under house arrest. 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:21.600 So keep in mind that it's an older apostle Paul. 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:24.639 He's probably four or five years from his death. 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:33.839 And Colossae is, I'll probably say Colossae and Colossae synonymously because I didn't live there back in the day, but I've heard it both ways. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.120 I've heard it both ways. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:40.160 And so in fact, it's become kind of a forgotten town. 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:46.160 So you see it's between Laodicea and Hierarpolis, and those are wealthy cities. 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:50.800 And Laodicea was wealthy, prosperous, politically important. 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:55.600 Hierapolis was famous for its hot springs and religious activity. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:02.879 And Colasse had been on an important trade route in the past, but it had ceased being important anymore. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.920 So it was just a normal, multicultural city. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:15.680 It was very diverse, had Greeks, Romans, native Phrygians, a significant Jewish population. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:24.240 And what that means is in this place where so many people had come, that tons of worldviews. 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:26.720 Tons of different worldviews. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:32.560 And so when people are talking about Jesus, there's so many different opinions, so many different thoughts. 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.040 Does that sound like our culture today? 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:37.920 So many different thoughts about Jesus. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:46.480 And so it was a young church, and one of my favorite observations is that Paul never visited the church at Colossae, as far as we know. 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:54.639 We know he hadn't up until this time, but it was planted through Epaphras, who was a convert as Paul planted Ephesus. 00:05:54.879 --> 00:06:03.519 And so it's just a local church, local group of churches in Colossae that are doing local things, ordinary things. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:06.560 And it reminded me of Goshen. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:09.040 It's like, that's us, Sojourn North. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:17.360 Ordinary church, we're not the most massive, we're not the church of Laodicea, we're not the wealthiest church, we have a generous church. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:26.800 But it's the gospel is needed, the vision for Christ is needed to live our lives in the ordinary, and that's what we're called to do. 00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:30.720 So the challenge, false teaching had begun creeping into the church. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:45.600 It wasn't people rejecting Jesus, and we see this theme all throughout different letters, and uh we see it all throughout the last 2,000 years, is that it's the temptation for humanity to always add something or to have some secret special knowledge. 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:50.000 So it's like Jesus is good, but this is what you need to do. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:52.399 And so they'd add different things. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:59.040 So they wanted to add different false teachers, came in, Jewish regulations, special religious experiences. 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:12.319 Have you been part of a church where it says it's cool what you've got, but you need this, where your left toe tingles when you sing this song, and then you know God really loves you. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:14.160 I just made that example up. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:17.279 But it's like we don't believe in the second filling of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:27.519 God can do amazing things in us, and maybe we have periods of growth and different things, but once you receive the Holy Spirit, you receive it, and you are sealed in Christ. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:35.759 So people keep on adding mysticism, ascetic practices, human philosophy. 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:37.920 All of these things are added. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:44.000 So they're not saying forget Jesus, they're saying add something to it. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:47.439 And now here's what I want to I want to hit really big here. 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:50.800 Uh I'm humored as you are, if you just experience that. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:55.040 Uh very, very humorous. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:08:02.319 Uh I've told the story before when I was been at Sojourn close preaching for 20 years or so. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:07.680 I had a homeless man in at Sojourn Midtown raise his hand during a sermon. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:12.480 He was just waving me, and I just was like, I'm gonna ignore it, I'm gonna ignore it. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:13.920 And it just kept going. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:16.959 And I was like, Yes, sir, what do you have to say? 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:21.600 And he went, I just want to say everything that man's saying's true. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:25.279 And I was like, that's a good that that worked out well. 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:29.439 He wasn't even a plant, I didn't even pay him. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:32.639 I was like, man, all right. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:41.679 But this is a huge main point is that when all of these things were happening, what does Paul do? 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:46.879 He doesn't come and just attack the false teachers, he doesn't come dismantle them with logic. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:54.399 He does that, and he can do that, does it in other places, but what he does is he does the most amazing thing. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:57.200 He says, let's look to Jesus. 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:00.399 Be reminded who Jesus is. 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:15.840 And so Paul's response is beautiful, and he spends four chapters here magnifying Christ, and he's saying, if you see Jesus, then everything will change. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:22.240 The best antidote for a small view of Jesus is a bigger view of Jesus. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.639 And so that's the heartbeat of the whole letter. 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:29.919 So let's look quickly through our outline. 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.799 A bigger Christ changes our vision. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:37.039 Just a sample of Colossians 1 that we'll go more detail in a few weeks. 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:39.120 Paul writes this about Jesus. 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:48.639 He says, He, Jesus, is the visible, I'm sorry, he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:58.000 For everything was created by him in heaven and earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers or authorities. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.919 All things have been created through him and for him. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:14.159 Let's just take some of these phrases from what Paul writes here about looking at Jesus. 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:19.120 One of the first things he says is that he is the image of the invisible God. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:31.759 And we say if you see Jesus, you see his heart, you see the character of God, you see how he responds to those who are hurting with mercy and invitation and love and just invitation. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:41.840 And there's just so many invitations, and there's challenges all along the way, but this is God's heart because Jesus is part of our triune God. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:46.960 And so he is the visible image of the invisible God. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:50.080 So you see him, you see God's heart. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:51.840 And then Paul speaks this. 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:56.000 He says he's the firstborn over all creation, and you might think, well, that's an interesting phrase. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:58.320 Does that mean that Jesus was created? 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:00.320 And it's like, no, Jesus is eternal. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:12.399 The firstborn that Paul's speaking about here is that he's in a position of authority, of supremacy, of inheritance, because the firstborn would get the supreme inheritance. 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:15.039 He's in the place of highest honor. 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:19.679 So he's saying Jesus reigns and he rules. 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:22.320 And why is he supreme? 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:27.600 Well, he goes on to tell us because all things, everything was created through him. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:30.000 Sounds like John chapter 1, doesn't it? 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:34.960 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:39.840 And so nothing is created without Jesus. 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:50.559 And so it's interesting, we have to take in consideration, just a theological note, looking through the whole of Scripture, is that it's our triune God that's present at creation. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:56.799 And I heard it explained like this this week as we as we look at the Trinity. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:05.919 It's one what, it's it's God, three whose, it's God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.399 Three and one in fellowship. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:16.480 And just as we are complex as humans, think about the complexity of God, and that kind of blows our mind, like what that is. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:22.639 But we we trust it as it is three distinct persons, one God. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:29.120 And so creation is work of the one triune God, the Father creating through the Son by the Holy Spirit. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.240 Even in Genesis 1, the Spirit hovers over the waters. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.440 And so let us create man in our own image. 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:41.840 And so we see this fellowship even before things are created. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.879 So all things, remember, this is Jesus. 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:52.000 And so other teachers might come in and say, Jesus was a good teacher, he was a prophet, he's this, he's this. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:57.840 And Paul's saying, he is a good teacher, he's the greatest teacher ever, but he's God. 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:05.360 All things were created through him, but also all things were created for him. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:08.720 It's fascinating. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.919 He is before all things because he's eternal. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:14.320 He holds all things together. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:15.759 Jesus. 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:17.679 Think of the cosmos. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:24.480 As we see another passage, he holds all things together by the power of his word. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:29.360 That all things have order because of Jesus. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:33.679 So as Paul comes out swinging, I want you to do this for me this week. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:35.679 Here's a point of application. 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:40.559 For that Jesus is bigger than we can dream or imagine. 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:41.840 He's more amazing. 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:48.879 Think about this: the eternal Son of God, creator, Almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:50.080 This is Jesus. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:54.480 And as an agent of creation, all things created through him and for him. 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:57.279 Do this for me this week. 00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:59.039 Look at a flower. 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:01.679 Look at the intricacies of a petal. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:04.320 Pick up a leaf that's fallen from the ground. 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:07.759 See the veins where water travels to its extremities. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.240 Look at a blade of grass. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:14.159 Our God created that. 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:17.440 Thought about it this week. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:19.919 Look at the movements of your hand. 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:24.960 I thought I just, I just, as I was preparing the sermon, I just thought about my hand. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:34.480 And thought about the skin, how it has to be as it is so that it can stretch open and close. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:38.000 Think about the lines on the palm of my hand. 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:43.679 Thinking about my fingerprints, your fingerprints, all of our fingerprints are unique. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:45.519 How does that happen? 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:46.960 Creator God. 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:53.039 Look at the complexity of the human eye, look at a diagram, look in the mirror at your eye. 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:54.639 How does that work? 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:58.320 Well, you can read about it and it's I can't remember. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:05.679 Because it's got a lot of things, cones and nerves and flipped images, and I'll stop. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:08.320 You plumb the depth of my knowledge on it right there. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:14.320 If you're an adult, watch a flame. 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:16.080 Light a candle. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:17.919 Fire. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:19.840 Amazing. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:21.440 Creator God. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:25.039 Pause and listen to a child's laughter. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:29.600 That humor exists in our world when there's so much sadness and different things. 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:31.200 What a gift. 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:34.080 Our Creator God, Jesus. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:35.679 Through Him, for Him. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:37.200 Look at the night sky. 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:44.799 One of my favorite things to do is periodically look at new discoveries in the universe, different galaxies, the massiveness. 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:53.759 Not only are there hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy, they say there's over a hundred billion galaxies, and they don't even know. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:16:00.080 I mean, I think newer numbers are way higher than that, but we don't know the extent of the galaxy. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:02.879 It's just mind-boggling. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:06.080 Psalm 19.1, the heavens are declaring the glory of God. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:07.279 Yes, they are. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:09.519 Yes, they are. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.279 And this is Jesus. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:15.440 Is this how you see Jesus? 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.279 Is this how I see Jesus? 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:21.840 Not every moment of the day. 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:24.320 I have to be reminded. 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.519 And I want to continue to grow in that. 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:31.519 I see him bigger than I did 20 years ago, 30, 40 years ago. 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:37.440 But I want to continue to see more and more because it affects every aspect of our lives. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:44.080 We all have a tendency to shrink Jesus into our helper, our example. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:45.279 Is he our helper? 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:46.399 Definitely. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.480 But he's much more than that. 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:51.600 Does he show us how to live life in a fallen world? 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:52.480 Yeah. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:56.639 But it's much more than that. 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:00.559 Colossians says it's infinitely more. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:09.440 Second point, as we look at the book of Colossians over the next several weeks, I want us to remember that a bigger Christ changes our story. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.640 It changes how we see our story. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:18.640 This past week I got a text from an old friend I hadn't talked to in 18 years. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:21.839 But he used to be one of my dearest friends. 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:23.599 His name was Pete Stone. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:28.559 We played basketball together, worked at Lake Forest Ranch at different times. 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:34.480 But dear, dear friend, and he's an Army chaplain, been doing it for 18 years. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.240 And he texted me, he said, Hey, Chad, is this? 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:41.920 He'd sent a picture of me on my web on the website, and he said, Is this you? 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:50.480 And I said, Yeah, that's me when I was a little heavier and a little sicker, and but yeah, and he's like, Can we get together halfway between Fort Knox? 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:51.200 And I was like, Yeah. 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:56.400 So we met at a Heine Brothers, miraculously 35 minutes from each of us. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:58.640 Maybe it wasn't miraculously. 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:00.640 Google Maps got us there. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:13.680 But we sat together, and he's one of those special guys, it's very rare in life, where you sit with someone you haven't talked to in so many years, and you just pick up where you left off. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:20.160 And it was kind of surreal because we filled each other in on the last 18 years of our lives. 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:26.559 And he had many tears in his eyes, and it was just so beautiful. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:45.200 But we saw the importance of our stories, and we're reminded again that God's been at work through our whole lives, through the ups and through the downs, through our sickness and trials and through victories and through so many different things. 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:57.759 And what Paul is saying is that a bigger Christ changes our story, and we talked about how the good news of the gospel is that God invites us into this eternal redemption story. 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:00.480 And it affects everything about our lives. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:08.960 If you think your story is just boring and it's too ordinary, it's a miraculous story. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:15.440 For years at Sojourn Midtown, we'd have amazing stories at baptism because it's a rougher area. 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.079 It was in Germantown and then Shelby Park area. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:27.200 And we'd have people that had been drug addicted, drug dealers, just uh parts of gangs, just amazing testimonies. 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:32.559 And sometimes I'd be sitting with someone who would feel just kind of heartbroken. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:36.319 It's like, Chad, I don't have an amazing testimony to share from my baptism. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:38.160 I've lived a normal life. 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:41.759 And I said, Well, let's talk about how amazing your testimony is. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:48.559 And I would say, any of those people you talk to, they wish they had your testimony that they hadn't lived through all that. 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:50.319 But let's look at it. 00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:53.200 You were dead in your sins and transgressions. 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:57.599 You've been made alive in Christ. 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:01.119 You were part of the domain of darkness. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:03.839 Now you're part of the kingdom of light. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:07.440 But that is your testimony. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:09.119 That's just a little bit of it. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:12.799 Because you're part of God's eternal redemption story. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:17.359 Let's look at Colossians 2, 6 and 7. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:34.319 Paul writes, so then, just as you've received Christ, Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, being rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught and overflowing with gratitude. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:38.319 So just a little bit about phrase by phrase here. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:40.400 So we've received Christ. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:43.039 That's something we'll celebrate for all eternity. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:47.599 But he's saying that's just the beginning of your new life with Jesus. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.880 Continue to walk with him. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.799 It's a daily walk, it's daily participation. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:57.200 That's why we say we need each other in this. 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.079 It's not get saved and then wait till you pass away. 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:04.720 It's like, no, this is the life we're called to live with Christ, is today. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:11.039 And he says, being rooted and built up, established in faith. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:16.319 So we're being built up, and this is part of our participation with God. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:23.759 So we receive Christ, we walk in Christ, we root ourselves in Christ, and it changes all of our lives. 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:29.839 So everything changes because your life is now found in Him. 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:39.920 Colossians isn't asking us just to admire Christ, it's saying Jesus is inviting you to build your entire life on Him. 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.240 And so here's some application for you. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:48.000 Throughout this entire series, be reminded of the good news of the gospel. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:49.519 Be reminded, hear this. 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:55.279 This letter reminds us that I no longer have to make myself the center of the story. 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:57.200 Christ already is. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:59.279 You can take the pressure off. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.480 To be the center, you're not the center of your story. 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:04.240 It's it's Christ. 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:11.279 I can trust him with my past, with my present, with my future. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:13.359 Because look at who he is. 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:17.680 Through him and for him, all things have been created. 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:20.240 He's our sovereign God, he's in control. 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.079 I can trust him with my mistakes in the past, my regrets. 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:27.680 I don't have to live in guilt because those things are covered and paid for. 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:29.680 I can't change them anyway. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:40.480 But here in the moment, I can try to seek his face and trust that he is for me and know that he holds my future, even when it feels so uncertain and shaky. 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:45.200 And maybe that's where you are today, where you don't know what the future holds. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:49.119 None of us know what the future holds, but maybe you're just very anxious about it. 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:52.640 It's okay. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:54.880 It's not comfortable. 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:57.039 Not comfortable. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:01.759 But that's a reality. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:06.240 I'm anxious throughout most days at different times. 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:13.920 And it can be small or it can rage very large, and it can be about this or this or family or work or whatever else. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:24.079 I found myself in the last couple weeks, I had this inner motor just revving up, and I had to come back to a realization of like, whoo, I'm living life like it's up to me. 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:26.079 And I need to slow down. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.440 I need to slow down in my heart and my soul. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:35.039 And I'm still gonna work hard, but God, I can't live like I'm in charge. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:44.160 As we hear Colossians, we say we can receive our identity as God's beloved because we don't earn it. 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:46.079 It's given to us freely. 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:53.680 We can say, I can live in authentic community because Christ is forming a people, not just individuals. 00:23:55.119 --> 00:24:02.319 And I can walk faithfully in ordinary days, knowing that Jesus Christ is Lord over every part of my life. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:06.000 And we're called to live in ordinary days. 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:11.920 That's the norm for the Christian life, an ordinary day. 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:18.720 And all of this is true for the final point, because a bigger Christ changes our lives. 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:21.759 So let's close by looking at Colossians 3. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:24.400 I love this passage. 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:29.039 Let's just look at the first few verses here, 12 through 14. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:50.480 Therefore, as God's chosen ones, Paul writes, holy and dearly love, put on, this idea of getting dressed, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against you. 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:55.920 Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you are to forgive. 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:02.960 Above all of that, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:08.559 So we see in the book of Colossians the massiveness of Christ. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:21.759 We see that it affects everything about our story and that it affects everything about our lives, because we see our identity, even in these few verses, as God's chosen ones, holy and dearly loved. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:30.319 Before he says, put on all this stuff, he's reminding them who they are because what we do flows from who we are. 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:37.680 As God's chosen ones, holy ones, dearly loved. 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:41.440 So it changes, our identity has been changed. 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:43.519 It produces in us Christ-like character. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:47.279 Sounds, he's he's stating some of the fruit of the Spirit right here, right? 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:48.880 And he's saying, get dressed with this. 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:55.200 And this is this action of our lives daily coming and saying, today I want to put on compassion. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:57.680 I want to put on humility. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:01.039 I say it quite often, at least think it quite often. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:06.319 It's like, man, our world would be so different if everyone was a humble person. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:13.119 Man, humility is very scarce in our world. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:18.640 And maybe it's not as scarce as we think because the humble people aren't building up themselves. 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:22.559 But it's sometimes scarce in the church. 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:25.279 It's scarce in church leaders. 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:29.599 But put on humility. 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:32.559 And we look back to Philippians 2 to do that, right? 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:34.559 Compassion, kindness. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:37.920 We want to be a people of kindness, people of gentleness and patience. 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:39.359 It affects every relationship. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:41.920 It says, bear with one another, forgive one another. 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:42.319 Why? 00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:45.680 Because you will have grievances against each other. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:47.119 It's going to happen. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:50.240 It's messy people, messy lives. 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:52.640 We do it together. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:59.680 This is not for you to turn in, but this is the other handout in your bulletin. 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:05.359 Just a summary of some of the action steps for next week. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:13.359 And our desire as leaders in the church is not for you to check every box. 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:20.079 Really, our desire, the reason it has an other right there, is like we want you to be an intentional Christian community. 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:26.000 We want you to be in the world and loving on people, sharing Christ, but we know you need intentional Christian community. 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:28.319 So we're asking, what's your next step? 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:30.079 Next intentional step. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:32.480 Is it joining this church? 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:38.799 If you want to join the church, just come talk to me and I'll set up a time to meet with you. 00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:48.160 I'll give you information about the church, our bylaws, membership covenant, and I'll come to your house, we can sit in my office, anything. 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:51.599 It's one of my greatest joys is meeting new people and hearing their stories. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:54.720 And my interview with you is just to hear your faith story. 00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:59.119 And I only have like 72 systematic theology questions that I ask. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:00.720 Just kidding. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:04.799 I just want to hear your story and talk through like what God's leading you to. 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:08.240 And if it's to this family, we'd love it. 00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:13.279 And if it's not, we'd love to help you see another church that might be a better fit. 00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:16.480 But we know you need to be rooted in a local church. 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:19.759 Maybe it's to join or host a community group. 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:22.960 Maybe it's women's ministry, men's ministry. 00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:26.400 The Rockin' Adult Sunday morning Bible study. 00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:34.640 It's it's in there in the fellowship hall from 9 to 10 every week, and it's the coolest group of people you would see. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:36.240 Just so great. 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:38.640 Maybe it's to serve with a ministry team. 00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:42.319 Maybe it's like spiritual friendship. 00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:49.119 It's just you saying, I want to invite someone to have conversations about our spiritual lives for coffee every other week. 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:51.839 Maybe it's inviting someone to pray with you. 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:53.359 And so you can go through that. 00:28:53.440 --> 00:29:02.480 And I put a ver uh, I mean a prayer and then a reminder that gardens grow slowly and you're just taking your next step and trusting God. 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:15.599 So next week I'll have some cards that you can check so we can, as leaders, gather them and pray for your next step and help you with whatever your next step may be as well. 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:25.440 But we're called to do this in relationship, and we want to say, hey, this is a church where we value community and relationships. 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:29.119 We already do, but we're taking more intentional steps towards them. 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:34.880 So Colossians 3, those verses also talk about living in unity. 00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:41.440 It affects our worship, it affects our outlook on life because it says with gratitude, with thankfulness. 00:29:42.640 --> 00:29:46.319 And so we want to remember what we are to be grateful for. 00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:48.960 I'll just stop and do it right now. 00:29:49.119 --> 00:29:50.640 I'm grateful for you. 00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:54.240 I'm grateful that the red carpet's gone. 00:29:55.200 --> 00:30:01.359 I'm grateful that uh Brian Schrock was led here to lead worship. 00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:02.640 He's doing an amazing job. 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:05.599 Talk about humility right there. 00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:14.000 Um I'm thankful for my beautiful wife and how she supported me all these years. 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:16.240 Can't imagine doing. 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:20.079 I I wouldn't have made it apart from that. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:24.160 Thankful for Jason Jones, how much of an encouragement it is he is to me. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:26.240 Hugging a tall man is a good thing. 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:28.319 I don't mind hugging shorter people. 00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:34.079 But this dude, he's like a Pied Piper teaching sojourn kids. 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:38.240 He can just relate to anybody, like it's like a gift. 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:40.960 Thankful for Phil back in the back. 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:44.480 Elder at Christchurch at Goshen, Rita in the back. 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:46.240 Melissa, I could go on and on. 00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:48.480 The Berkeleys, I'll stop. 00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:52.720 That makes me thankful. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:54.480 The Driscolls, I'm gonna stop. 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:56.000 Jalobinkos are in the house. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:30:56.960 I'll stop. 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:02.720 Gratitude in our hearts. 00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:06.240 Jesus did that. 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:08.480 Let us together. 00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:12.880 And this is our sentence to carry for the week. 00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:15.920 And I'd invite you to jump into Colossians. 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:19.279 There's so much to mine in the depths of beauty. 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:25.279 The more clearly we see Christ, the more everything else begins to find its proper place. 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:34.720 The more clearly we see Christ, the more everything else begins to find its proper place. 00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:38.400 We'll leave it up just for a moment here. 00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:44.799 Thinking about the solar system we have is that the sun has the gravitational pole. 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:46.240 It's massive. 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:50.400 Gravitational pole, it's the center of our little solar system. 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:52.160 Everything revolves around that. 00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:57.359 Can you imagine if the tiny Earth tried to be the gravitational center? 00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:04.720 Nothing would, everything would spin off its axis into the universe, freeze, or go into a black hole or into a star. 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:06.640 Like it wouldn't work. 00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:10.799 Christ is the son of our solar system. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:13.039 We revolve around that. 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:16.319 And when he's in the center, everything finds its proper place. 00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:19.920 When he's not, it just doesn't work. 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:22.640 But it wasn't created to work like that. 00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:27.839 So let's remember the question: how big is your Jesus? 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:29.039 How big is my Jesus? 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:38.240 And say, as we come to take communion today, I would like the prayer on our lips to be, Jesus, help me see you more clearly. 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:45.119 Because the truth is, if you see him more clearly, you'll see him bigger than you do right now. 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:51.279 And this is our sacred symbol we celebrate every week that we come up. 00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:57.920