Colossians (Program #23) – Christ-Our Life

We live in an age when Christians and faith in God and belief in His Word are under much outward attack. Things that were once accepted as firmly part of our heritage and foundation as a nation are now ridiculed, publicly criticized. Many believers see this as a time to rise up and be heard, be seen. Many high profile ministries, Christian workers vie for exposure in the media to make a name for themselves to counter this attack of God’s enemy against His people. But, what does the Bible say about our outward visibility? Yes, we are to be lights in the world shining forth with the Word of light, but we need to consider Paul’s word to the Church in Colossians 3. “If therefore you were raised together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things which are above, not on the things which are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.”

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Colossians (Program #22) – The Experience of Christ’s Death Versus Asceticism

Ask yourself this question “what is the center of the universe?”  Well, we many not know the answer as a point in space.  But the Bible shows us that in reality, the center, the focus of the universe is the unique , preeminent and all-inclusive person, Christ.  God’s government which administrates the universe also has a center and focus; and this is the cross of Christ.  These two items which are also the focus of the whole Bible, Christ and the cross.  One Person and one way.

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Colossians (Program #21) – Christ the Body of All Shadows and Christ versus Mysticism

Paul the Apostle is marvelous in his writing in the book of Colossians. He begins with a universal presentation of Christ, and not just Christ, but Christ in us the hope of glory. But then he turns and becomes very practical in leading us into the genuine experience of such a Christ. Listen to verses 16 and 17 in Chapter 2, “Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of the Sabbath, which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ”. Here, he begins to remove things like the law and angels and anything else that represents God to us in an indirect way. For God’s desire is that nothing stands between us and Him no matter how good or how religious it may seem.

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Colossians (Program #20) – The Economy Of God’s Salvation

As the Church in Colossae continued after its promising beginning, several factors became important to the believers there. Among these were the practice of keeping various ordinances and aspects of the Old Testament law as well as the influence of those who promoted the worship of angels to serve as intermediaries between sinful and fallen man and the righteous and holy God. Though these things may not seem harmful or dangerous, Paul the Apostle went to great lengths to completely eradicate these factors from the sphere or the realm of the salvation of the saints.

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Colossians (Program #19) – Made Full And Circumcised in Christ

In the second chapter of Colossians, the Apostle Paul was struggling to remove all barriers that stood between genuine believers and their full and proper enjoyment of Christ. Two major items that he labored to deliver them from were the worship of angels and the practice of asceticism. Why were these things so damaging to the Church in Colossae? We’ll look at these today.

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Colossians (Program #18) – Not To Be Deluded And Carried Off From Christ

Nearly every believer in Christ loves to hear an eloquent speaker with a solid knowledge of the Bible deliver an inspiring and uplifting message. Christians often elevate this aspect of the ministry to the highest degree as they measure the usefulness of a servant of the Lord. Yet, Colossians contains the following warning in chapter 2, verse 4 says, “This I say that no one may delude you with persuasive speech.”, and verse 8, “Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.”  What is it to be deluded with persuasive speech and be carried off according to the tradition of man?

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Colossians (Program #17) – To Walk In Christ-The Mystery Of God

The book of Colossians is a book to give us the highest vision of Christ. It’s a book unveiling Christ. In chapter 1, Christ is shown as item after item until finally He’s revealed as the very mystery of God. But there’s also a practical side to this book, a practicality that is expressed in chapter 2 in verse 6, “As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him.” This is a popular verse to many Christians, but also a perplexing one. For though it sounds simple enough, just how is it that we can walk in the One whom we received?   Well, if our eyes can be enlightened, the Bible in several key portions gives us the key, provided our hearts are open and clear, and that we have full assurance of understanding.

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Colossians (Program #16) – The Experience Of Christ As The Mystery Of God

Here is a question for you to ponder.  What is the mystery of God?  Well, how many endless philosophical discussions, how many thousands of pages of mystical speculations had been prompted by such a thought. Yet the Bible answers this question with a single word, the mystery of God is “Christ”. Colossians 2:2 says “That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ.” As we consider not only this mystery but how we can experience Christ as the mystery of God

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Colossians (Program #15) – Christ-The Mystery Of God

All believers love the Lord to some extend even if we were backsliden and fallen far from God if we are honest still we sense a degree of love for Him, even if it is a small degree.  But the key in the matter of loving the Lord has everything to do with our realization of Him; the more we know Him, the greater our love will be.  This explains the struggle of Paul, the apostle that he expressed in chapter 2 of Colossians verses 1 and 2 “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you… that your hearts may be comforted…being knit together in love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ.”

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Colossians (Program #14) – Struggling According To The Operation Of Christ

Listen to Paul the apostle as he speaks of his great struggle in Colossians 2:1-2 “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those in Laodicea, even all who have not seen my face in the flesh, That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ.” After unveiling Christ as the great mystery of God hidden from ages, he confesses that his great struggle for the believers was that their hearts could be comforted and knitted together. From something so high and spiritual to something so seemingly shallow and human as a care for the comfort of the believers. This was the Apostle Paul. Today we will consider these two bookends and how they related one to another.

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