How you start, continue

This series is about the gospel and whether you’ve got it.

Last week, we looked at how glorious the gospel is. Did you get it?

The week before, we saw how desperately all people need the gospel to be saved. Did you get it?

The temptation, though, is to think that the gospel is only for people who are not saved yet.

And that the gospel for people who are saved is only a message to be told to people who are not saved yet.

It is that. But is it only that?

This morning I want to show you that the gospel is not only something we need at the start of our Christian lives (or only something we use at the start of someone else’s Christian life) … the gospel is something we need throughout our Christian lives.

(Pray)

Colossians 2: 6 – 10

Colossians is about:

• The supremacy of Christ. He is the Lord of everything (literally everything).
• The sufficiency of Christ. He is all people need for salvation and life.
• Trusting exclusively in Christ for life and salvation.

Jesus + nothing else = everything you need

And Paul emphasizes this not only because it is true but because there were people influencing the Colossians to think less of Christ than the truth of His supremacy and sufficiency.

So, having spoken (before our passage) about the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ and the trust the Colossians had in Him … but knowing there were people undermining this … Paul says they must continue to trust exclusively in Christ.

But he says it like this (I call it the Colossian principle) – the way you became a Christian is the way you grow as a Christian (6).

How did the Colossians become Christians? They received Christ Jesus as Lord. From chapter 1 that means that is they trusted in the supreme Christ only for salvation.

How should they grow as Christians? By continuing to live with Christ Jesus as Lord. Continuing to trust in the supreme Christ only for salvation and everything else.

Another way to put that is like this. How we respond to the gospel not only makes us a Christian but grows us as a Christian.

And really 7 is saying the same thing (unpack).

Now stick with that says Paul!

Some people say, you respond to the gospel (are saved) and then you move on from the gospel to deeper things.

Paul is saying there is nothing deeper to move onto than the gospel.

There is maturity and growth in the gospel (deeper if you like) but it is all about the same gospel and trust in the same Jesus.

And whenever people start talking about deeper stuff, some special formula, secret knowledge and the like … it is not a deeper relationship with Christ but deeper bondage. And so, Paul warns the Colossians:

• 2: 8 – 10 (No fullness there – fullness in trusting in Christ [pleroma])
• 2: 16 – 17 (Nothing deeper in what you eat of don’t eat. Nothing deeper in observing Jewish OT regulations – what matters is Christ, trusting in Him)

Paul gives more examples (more warnings).

Now let me take that Colossian principle, show it to you another way and then look at what that might mean in our lives…

Two ways to live

• The way I became a Christian? Choosing to go God’s way not my own way.
• The way that I live as a Christian? Choosing to go God’s way not my own way… “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1: 10

How do we know what God’s way is in any given situation?

At the heart of it, God’s way is not what I prefer. It is not what I think is wise. It is not what I think is my right to think or do … it is what God says in the Bible.

And so, in all the decisions we make we must be able to justify what we do from the Bible.

So, what this would look like practically?

How often should I attend Sunday services?

God’s Word tells us that the reason we get together in services like this is to (amongst other things) be encouraged by one another, equipped by teachers, have the Word teach, rebuke, correct and train us in righteousness together in community.

Yes, but how often?

No not just “yes” – these things can only happen when the church is gathered, in community (look again).

Ok, then how often?

Let’s look at the way this is modelled for us in the Bible.

Firstly, by Jesus our ultimate example. I mean “what would Jesus do?” right? In Luke 4: 16 it says of Jesus that, “He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.”

 

 

It was Jesus’ regular practice (there are other passages too), His custom, to go to the equivalent of church at least weekly. It was the rhythm that God set up for His people and Jesus followed that rhythm. If Jesus our Lord thought that weekly attendance was necessary, so should we.

Perhaps that is why (here is a second example) when the church was formed at Pentecost by the Holy Spirit, they were described like this in Acts 2: 42 – 47, “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

And from the early church onwards that was what Christians have done, they have met at least weekly if not more … until this generation (comments).

It seems to me that if I am going to live life God’s way and not my own way, then I would make it my custom to be at church weekly. The benefits cannot be gained by a lesser commitment. Catching the service online doesn’t confer all the benefits of physically gathering together.

Apart from illness, making it a habit to only be at church once or twice a month or only when I have some or other duty at church is doing things my way not God’s way – no matter what the reason.

And that is not legalism, but a lifestyle and decision made as a gospel person to trust in the Lord’s way.

I can show you from the Scripture that someone who is saved should not marry someone who is not. How does a gospel person respond? They choose to live life God’s way not their own way (trusting in their Lord’s way as they did for salvation) even if their own way seems to them to be the way of happiness.

By the way the happiness argument never wins over the truth of the Bible. Some people say that if something makes them happy, they will go with it because surely God would not want them unhappy.

I believe I can make an argument from the Scriptures that there is sinful happiness and godly happiness. And that the way to tell the difference is to see whether what makes you happy is unbiblical or biblical. The gospel person goes with godly happiness (trusting in their Lord’s way as they did for salvation) because they do things God’s way not their own way.

I believe I can motivate from Scripture that someone who is saved should give financially to the church. How does a gospel person react? They choose to live God’s way not their own way (trusting in their Lord’s way as they did for salvation) even if they can make a case why they shouldn’t from logic and circumstances.

I could motivate from Scripture that embracing a homosexual lifestyle is unnatural and sinful. How does a gospel person react? By choosing to live God’s way not their own (trusting in their Lord’s way as they did for salvation) even if the consensus of the world has turned to say that it is natural and as right as any heterosexual lifestyle and in some cases seemingly better.

I could make a case from the Scripture that pursuing wealth is sinful and damaging to your soul. How does a gospel person respond to that? By choosing to live God’s way not their own way (trusting in their Lord’s way as they did for salvation) even if it is not obvious to them how it could be sinful and damaging to pursue wealth.

And it is possible to become wealthy without pursuing it. The issue is not being wealthy but pursuing wealth.

And that is true about all the Bible teaches us (Men’s breakfast).

If Jesus is our Lord … we submit to His will for salvation … and we continue to submit to His will as saved people.

That is how we live for the Lord who suffered, died and rose again for our salvation from sin and judgement.

The trust we put in the gospel of our Lord for salvation is the trust we keep in the gospel of our Lord for living the saved life.

And it is that same gospel we go to for assurance, when Satan tempts us to despair.

Have you got it?

Questions:

Read Colossians 2: 6 – 10

1. What is the “Colossian principle” (verse 6 – 7)?
2. How does Paul give practical examples of (and warnings about not doing) this in the verses following on from verse 6 – 7?
3. How was the “Colossian principle” explained using the gospel “Two way to live”? (“Choosing to do things God’s way not your own way”)
4. How would we know what God’s way is for anything in your life?
5. Discuss any issue (or decision to be made) in your life using the “Colossian principle”.