Scripture:
Colossians 2:6-14
6 So then, just as you
received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue
to live your lives in him,
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the
faith as you were taught, and
overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one
takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the
elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the
fullness of the Deity lives in
bodily form,
10 and in Christ you have
been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
11 In him
you were also circumcised with a
circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,
12 having
been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who
raised him from the dead.
13 When you
were dead in your sins and in
the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14 having
canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he
has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Let us talk this morning about awakening the life of each believer with the “aliveness” of Jesus Christ.
In the Methodist Church they sing a
Charles Wesley hymn titled “And Are We Yet Alive.” But what does it mean for the Christian to be alive? Or to be not alive?
There’s an old story by William White about a scholar who was traveling on his way to give an important lecture when heavy rains began to fall, so heavy that the river quickly rose above the bridge and the scholar couldn’t get across. He saw a man with a rowboat and hired him to take him to the other side. As the scholar got in the boat, he asked, “Living this out here in the country, do you have access to a quality newspaper?”
“I never read the newspaper,” replied the man.
There’s an old story by William White about a scholar who was traveling on his way to give an important lecture when heavy rains began to fall, so heavy that the river quickly rose above the bridge and the scholar couldn’t get across. He saw a man with a rowboat and hired him to take him to the other side. As the scholar got in the boat, he asked, “Living this out here in the country, do you have access to a quality newspaper?”
“I never read the newspaper,” replied the man.
“My dear man,” the scholar replied, “anyone who doesn’t
read a daily newspaper is missing out on life. Well, you must have a library
nearby," the scholar said.
As the man took the oars into his massive hands and began to row, he replied, “I haven’t read a book in years.”
“My dear man,” the scholar said, “anyone who does not read is missing out on life.”
There was a long pause in the conversation as they crossed the rising water until at last the scholar asked, “What about plays or symphonies, dramas or good music?”
With some irritation, the man answered, “As I’ve been trying to tell you, I wouldn’t mind going to plays and symphonies, but they are terribly expensive, and my carpentry business keeps me busy as I try to meet the needs of others…and to be honest, even though you might not agree…I do feel very much alive.”
Well, just then the boat hit a stump under water, and capsized sending both men flying into the raging water. The carpenter shouted to the scholar, “Sir, can you swim?”
“No!” came the trembling shout of the scholar as his arms flailed about.
“Well, then…” the carpenter said, as he grabbed an oar and pushed it in front of the scholar, “here, have my creation and learn how to truly be alive.” And with that, the man pulled the scholar back to safety.
Webster’s Dictionary says that to be alive is to “have a life ... to be active and living.”
And on the other hand, Webster says to be dead is to “have no life, lacking feeling and sensitivity, numb or unresponsive."
As the man took the oars into his massive hands and began to row, he replied, “I haven’t read a book in years.”
“My dear man,” the scholar said, “anyone who does not read is missing out on life.”
There was a long pause in the conversation as they crossed the rising water until at last the scholar asked, “What about plays or symphonies, dramas or good music?”
With some irritation, the man answered, “As I’ve been trying to tell you, I wouldn’t mind going to plays and symphonies, but they are terribly expensive, and my carpentry business keeps me busy as I try to meet the needs of others…and to be honest, even though you might not agree…I do feel very much alive.”
Well, just then the boat hit a stump under water, and capsized sending both men flying into the raging water. The carpenter shouted to the scholar, “Sir, can you swim?”
“No!” came the trembling shout of the scholar as his arms flailed about.
“Well, then…” the carpenter said, as he grabbed an oar and pushed it in front of the scholar, “here, have my creation and learn how to truly be alive.” And with that, the man pulled the scholar back to safety.
Webster’s Dictionary says that to be alive is to “have a life ... to be active and living.”
And on the other hand, Webster says to be dead is to “have no life, lacking feeling and sensitivity, numb or unresponsive."
Isn’t that really the message of
Paul to the Colossians?
“Be rooted and built up” says Paul. “Be strengthened in the faith” ... “ Overflow with kindness” ... be alive, says Paul!
“When you were dead in your sins and in your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.” he says in Col..2:14.
And the question I most want to is ”Are We Yet Alive?” And the response, I hope, is “We Are Alive.”
This may sound overly simplistic, but it’s a message that is reoccurring throughout Scripture.
Ephesians 2:4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
Romans 6:8 says, “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
My favorite of all verses, Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not, I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Are we yet alive…..the answer is…”we are alive.”
When our plans fall apart and we’re left with hopeless situations…are we yet alive…we are still alive.
Whenever it rains when it’s supposed to be dry, and its dry when it’s supposed to rain…are we yet alive….we are alive.
“Be rooted and built up” says Paul. “Be strengthened in the faith” ... “ Overflow with kindness” ... be alive, says Paul!
“When you were dead in your sins and in your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.” he says in Col..2:14.
And the question I most want to is ”Are We Yet Alive?” And the response, I hope, is “We Are Alive.”
This may sound overly simplistic, but it’s a message that is reoccurring throughout Scripture.
Ephesians 2:4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
Romans 6:8 says, “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”
My favorite of all verses, Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not, I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Are we yet alive…..the answer is…”we are alive.”
When our plans fall apart and we’re left with hopeless situations…are we yet alive…we are still alive.
Whenever it rains when it’s supposed to be dry, and its dry when it’s supposed to rain…are we yet alive….we are alive.
Facing challenges beyond our imagination ….are we yet alive…we
are alive.
When we disappoint, discourage, and disobey, and we search for God’s forgiveness…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When the economy falters and our investments begin to fall…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When we’ve lost loved ones, feeling the pain of grief…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When the checkbook balance does not equal the bill balance…are we yet alive…we are live.
When they break into our church and steal our microphone and sound system, our golden candle holders and break our stained glass windows… are we yet alive….we are alive.
What's going on in your life? Too many bills, gas too high, the price of groceries and children's clothes going up? Whatever it is, when it gives you pause…are we yet alive…we are alive.
Ray Stedman is pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in California, and he puts it like this… “During each crisis, each opportunity, we need to remind ourselves that we are in the battle…a battle that is more than possible to win…
“We are alive in Christ. We may not be what we ought to be, but thank God, we are not the same people we once were. We are alive in Christ! We are raised with Him. We have a new power at our disposal…the power of His life within us!
When we disappoint, discourage, and disobey, and we search for God’s forgiveness…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When the economy falters and our investments begin to fall…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When we’ve lost loved ones, feeling the pain of grief…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When the checkbook balance does not equal the bill balance…are we yet alive…we are live.
When they break into our church and steal our microphone and sound system, our golden candle holders and break our stained glass windows… are we yet alive….we are alive.
What's going on in your life? Too many bills, gas too high, the price of groceries and children's clothes going up? Whatever it is, when it gives you pause…are we yet alive…we are alive.
Ray Stedman is pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in California, and he puts it like this… “During each crisis, each opportunity, we need to remind ourselves that we are in the battle…a battle that is more than possible to win…
“We are alive in Christ. We may not be what we ought to be, but thank God, we are not the same people we once were. We are alive in Christ! We are raised with Him. We have a new power at our disposal…the power of His life within us!
“Therefore we can rest. We can step out and say and do the right
thing, and expect Him to accomplish the results.” (From “Alive to Live”, Discovery Publishing, www.pbc.org)
We don't have to worry about winning the victory; the victory is His. We can relax. We can leave the problem of solving the difficult problems in His hands, and wait upon Him for results.
We are alive because of our new birth in Christ.
We are alive because of our new life in Christ.
We are alive because we have a friend in Christ.
We are alive because we have a new home, a new family in Christ.
This is the way God works.
Listen again to verses 13 and 14: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Are we yet alive? We are alive. And because of that, the church, this church, the church that is you ….can say AMEN!
We don't have to worry about winning the victory; the victory is His. We can relax. We can leave the problem of solving the difficult problems in His hands, and wait upon Him for results.
We are alive because of our new birth in Christ.
We are alive because of our new life in Christ.
We are alive because we have a friend in Christ.
We are alive because we have a new home, a new family in Christ.
This is the way God works.
Listen again to verses 13 and 14: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Are we yet alive? We are alive. And because of that, the church, this church, the church that is you ….can say AMEN!
Week of Worship
June 17, 2012
Invocation: Our Lord Jesus, Who turned water
into wine as a sign of the new Kingdom, in You the old has passed away. Behold!
You make all things new. Give us
today a superabundance of the bread and drink You provide that all our noble
desires may be satisfied. Through Your
strong name. Amen.. Amen.
Read: Psalm 84
Daily Scripture Readings
Monday
Matthew 3:1-10
Tuesday
Matthew 18:21-35
Wednesday
Matthew 20:1-16
Thursday Matthew 20:20-28
Thursday Matthew 20:20-28
Friday
Luke 9:46-62
Saturday
Acts 7:54-8:8
Sunday
2nd Samuel 1:1, 17-27; 2nd Corinthians 5:6-10,
14-17; Psalm 46;
Mark 4:26-34
Reflection: (silent and written)
Prayers for the church, for others, for
yourself.
Hymn: "O Church of God, United"
Benediction: O Lord, as at Cana's wedding You
filled empty jars with new wine, so I ask that You fill me. O glorious provision. Amen.
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