WORD ALIVE 2006 - Skegness. Evening 1 - Richard Cunningham
What a way to get started! :-) First heard Richard speak at Forum 2004 and loved it!
We're informed that we'll be going through the book of Colossians. Woohoo!
Acts 19:8-10 - background.
Colossians 1:1-13
The glory of God's word is such that it speaks into our lives. But the content of the passage is much more than about me!
We need to get out of an egocentric approach to God's word. Authenticity is very attractive, inauthenticity just isn't. Have a hunger for authenticity.
All isn't well in Colossae. There are questions over the authenticity of the gospel, and these are coming from within the church, which is very dangerous.
Paul offers reassurances to Colossian church that they ARE Christians.
1. The nature of the gospel.
It IS true! And so it has the power to transform and spread. THE GOSPEL HAS LEGS!
There are false teachers. Effectively these guys are saying "Epaphras gave you a starter, come to us for the main course".
But there is nowehere to move onto beyond the gospel. The gospel is all we need. In Christ, the full might of God's glory, we have all the authority, all the power, all the fulness we could EVER need.
2:9 - You can get no fuller than the Godhead dwelling in Christ.
2. Fruit of the gospel (verses 4-5).
Faith, hope, love.
FAITH in Jesus. Mere Christianity.
LOVE - for all the saints. "A new commandement..." (CF- another post on this passage.) This is the distinctive badge of the Christian. Love has got to cost you - time, energy, emotion..."By this all men will know that you are my disciples."
AGAPE!
Love for ALL the saints...! Not just the ones you like!
HOPE - What's the relationship of faith and love to hope?
Faith and love speing from hope.
Authenitc Christianity doesn't say the hope of heaven is the icing on the cake, but that heaven IS the cake. The major experience.
It is sometimes said that Christians are "too heavenly minded to be of any earthly use" - but the biggest danger is that we become too earthly minded to be of any heavenly use.
3. Gospel knowledge (verses 9-13).
Paul's prayer.
WHAT should we be praying for each other?
a. knowledge (verse 9) - to be filled with it.
b. power (verse 11) - to be strengthened with it.
a. Knowledge.
When the Bible talks about God's will, almost invariably it's about moral will. When we think about God's will, we think about guidance. Ok, but we miss deeper things if we get preoccupied with ourselves.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO AS IF TO THE LORD.
Knowledge of God's will is always connected to following God's will.
But the primary focus - moral. HOW does He want us to live/speak/relate?
Live skilfully. Need true Solomon-like wisdom. And that will lead to knowledge of God's will.
DAILY READING OF GOD'S WORD IS CENTRAL
WHY do we pray this?
Because growing in knowledge of God isn't just a means, it's an end.
We're informed that we'll be going through the book of Colossians. Woohoo!
Acts 19:8-10 - background.
Colossians 1:1-13
The glory of God's word is such that it speaks into our lives. But the content of the passage is much more than about me!
We need to get out of an egocentric approach to God's word. Authenticity is very attractive, inauthenticity just isn't. Have a hunger for authenticity.
All isn't well in Colossae. There are questions over the authenticity of the gospel, and these are coming from within the church, which is very dangerous.
Paul offers reassurances to Colossian church that they ARE Christians.
1. The nature of the gospel.
It IS true! And so it has the power to transform and spread. THE GOSPEL HAS LEGS!
There are false teachers. Effectively these guys are saying "Epaphras gave you a starter, come to us for the main course".
But there is nowehere to move onto beyond the gospel. The gospel is all we need. In Christ, the full might of God's glory, we have all the authority, all the power, all the fulness we could EVER need.
2:9 - You can get no fuller than the Godhead dwelling in Christ.
2. Fruit of the gospel (verses 4-5).
Faith, hope, love.
FAITH in Jesus. Mere Christianity.
LOVE - for all the saints. "A new commandement..." (CF- another post on this passage.) This is the distinctive badge of the Christian. Love has got to cost you - time, energy, emotion..."By this all men will know that you are my disciples."
AGAPE!
Love for ALL the saints...! Not just the ones you like!
HOPE - What's the relationship of faith and love to hope?
Faith and love speing from hope.
Authenitc Christianity doesn't say the hope of heaven is the icing on the cake, but that heaven IS the cake. The major experience.
It is sometimes said that Christians are "too heavenly minded to be of any earthly use" - but the biggest danger is that we become too earthly minded to be of any heavenly use.
3. Gospel knowledge (verses 9-13).
Paul's prayer.
WHAT should we be praying for each other?
a. knowledge (verse 9) - to be filled with it.
b. power (verse 11) - to be strengthened with it.
a. Knowledge.
When the Bible talks about God's will, almost invariably it's about moral will. When we think about God's will, we think about guidance. Ok, but we miss deeper things if we get preoccupied with ourselves.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO AS IF TO THE LORD.
Knowledge of God's will is always connected to following God's will.
But the primary focus - moral. HOW does He want us to live/speak/relate?
Live skilfully. Need true Solomon-like wisdom. And that will lead to knowledge of God's will.
DAILY READING OF GOD'S WORD IS CENTRAL
WHY do we pray this?
Because growing in knowledge of God isn't just a means, it's an end.
b. power
verse 11- 'so that' = great endurance and patience. Lack of power is frustrating.
What will power look like?
- stay Christian!
- faith in Christ
- love for the saints
- knowledge of God's will
Joyfully giving thanks to the father in the process! The mark of people who are closest in the Lord.
What's the key to joy?
v12 - Christ has qualified us
v13- Christ has rescued us
v13 - what we've been saved FROM (darkness) and what we've been saved TO (kingdom of God).
We're not in the kingdom yet! We're in a battle. that's why we need to keep going. that's why we need wisdom, knowledge, strength, power.
THAT will glorify the Lord.
- stay Christian!
- faith in Christ
- love for the saints
- knowledge of God's will
Joyfully giving thanks to the father in the process! The mark of people who are closest in the Lord.
What's the key to joy?
v12 - Christ has qualified us
v13- Christ has rescued us
v13 - what we've been saved FROM (darkness) and what we've been saved TO (kingdom of God).
We're not in the kingdom yet! We're in a battle. that's why we need to keep going. that's why we need wisdom, knowledge, strength, power.
THAT will glorify the Lord.
posted by Welshie @ 12:22 pm
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