Last Sunday we looked at Colossians 1: 15-20, the start of these hymns describing the Gospel. We saw that Jesus was the Lord of Creation and Lord of the New Creation. This Sunday we go from redeeming creation through Jesus, to reconciling individuals. From big picture to personal picture.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Colossians 1: 21-23

Complementary Passage: Romans 5: 1-11

SERMON AUDIO

SERMON NOTES

• Introduction
  • Paul shifts gears from talking big picture redemption to personal picture of reconciliation
  • Text can be broken down into three chunks: Reminding us of our former alienation from God (verse 21), the great price which Christ paid to reconcile us to God (verse 22), and our response to  continue in faith and hold firm to the true Gospel (verse 23).
  • Reminded, Reconciled, Response
• Reminded (verse 21)
  • Paul starts by reminding them of their former life before being reconciled
  • Alienated: outside the presence of God
    • Because God is Holy and we are sinners
  • Hostile in Mind leads to doing evil deeds (Mark 7: 20-23)
  • Dealing with sin is not a matter of cleaning up my behavior, but a changing of heart (Romans 8: 7-8)
• Reconciled (verse 22)
  • Romans 5: 1-11
  • God took the effort to reconcile us not us
  • Luke 15: 11-32
  • To be reconciled means we first need to see ourselves as hostile and in need of a savior.
  • We are reconciled so God can see us blameless, above reproach, holy (Old Testament language of sacrifices)
  • Jude 24
• Response (verse 23)
  • Grounded and Growing in the Gospel (Philippians 1: 6)
    • Is our foundation, our cornerstone the Gospel or is it something else?
  • Grabbing hold of the Gospel (Matthew 13: 1-23; Matthew 24: 11-12)
    • the Bible clearly talks about false teachers
  • Going out for the Gospel (Romans 1: 6; Matthew 5: 16)
    • Be a lighthouse
    • Doesn’t matter the method only matters the message