There are a lot of busy people who are spinning their wheels but not accomplishing much of real value. Yes, they’re doing lots of ‘stuff’ but at the end of the day, they have been wasting their time on things that don’t matter.  Most people fail in life because they major in minor things, and only minor in the major things.  Simply put: there are things that matter and things that honestly are trivial.  What is the important stuff that we should be doing? 

The Main Thing

It’s all about Jesus – 1:12-20

You are to become like Jesus – 1:21-24

Christ in you is your only hope – 1:25-29

Dangerous Distractions

Secularism (2:8-10)

Legalism (2:11-17)

Mysticism (2:18-19)

Asceticism (2:20-23)

The Church is All About Jesus 2-3

Why does the church exist? 

#1.  To encourage the hearts of those who come. 

#2 To bring friends together and to knit their hearts together in love. 

#3 To gain the richness of full assurance of faith. 

#4 To teach people the knowledge of the mystery of God –

The Danger is that We Might Neglect Jesus 4

Any attempt to get us to focus on something other than Jesus is deception. 

The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom.  1 Corinthians 1:20. 

The Main Thing is to Focus on Jesus 5-6

#1 Be steadfast in your faith in Christ. 

2.  Walk, or live by faith in Christ. 

3.  Build a good foundation of faith on Jesus Christ.    

If you don’t do anything else right in life, keep Jesus first in your life. 

If you keep Christ first in your life, he’ll take care of the rest. 

As a church, we don’t want to forget why we are here.  Every treasured truth of spiritual wisdom and knowledge is found in Christ.  Christ is the center.  He is the source of comfort, the friend that is closer than a brother, He is the full assurance of faith and the wisdom of God.  The church exists to point everyone to Jesus.  At our church, we need to do the important stuff, and that is living for Jesus.  Let’s keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

MESSAGE

Ask many people how they are doing and they’ll quickly tell you, “I’m Busy. Really busy.”

I mean, who isn’t right? Being busy has become synonymous with being of value. The busier you are, the more important you must be.

But the reality is that there are a lot of busy people who are spinning their wheels but not accomplishing much of real value. Yes, they’re doing lots of ‘stuff’ as they hastily make their way from one appointment to the next. But at the end of the day, when they have time to contemplate, if they are truly honest, they know that they have been wasting their time on things that don’t matter.

What is the important stuff that we should be doing?  What are the most important relationships, truths and activities in your life?

Most people fail in life because they major in minor things, and only minor in the major things.  Simply put: there are things that matter and things that honestly are trivial.  If you don’t differentiate where you spend your time and resources, you may just fail miserably at life.

In our age of hyper-distraction, one of the biggest challenges we face is staying focused on what matters most.  We must keep the first things first.  But what are those important things? 

Let me review what we’ve already learned from the book of Colossians to remind you what we said about the important things.  In chapter 1:1-11, we were told that God has a plan for your life!  What is it?  We find that out in chapter 1:12-20, “It’s all about Jesus.”  Jesus is the way to save your life, Jesus is the way to find God and Jesus is the way to fix your life.  In 1:21-24, we said that you were saved so that you could become like Jesus.  In 1:25-29 we were told that Christ in you is your only hope. 

So do you get the idea that life is all about finding Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and living for Jesus?  These are the important things.  For many years now, some churches have turned aside from the way of Jesus and thus have lost their way. 

Dr. David Jeremiah warns “Many U.S. churches today have ‘forgotten’ their purpose, becoming entertainment-driven social organizations eager to blend in with secular culture instead of focusing on biblical discipleship”[i]

At our church, we have a cross in front.  Why?  Because it reminds us that Jesus death for our sins is the main thing!  At our church, at least once a month we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  Why?  Because it reminds us that Jesus died for us, rose again and offers us forgiveness!  And that is the main thing!  At our church, we want to major on the important stuff.

We can be distracted away from the way of Jesus by several things.  One of those is secular philosophy.  Worldly ideology will lead you away from Jesus (2:8-10).  Another distraction is legalism, or the insistence that we obey the OT law rather than develop a relationship with Jesus (2:11-17).  A third distraction is the desire to have mystical spiritual experiences apart from Jesus.  It doesn’t matter how many candles you light or how much you meditate or pray, unless Jesus is the center (2:18-19).  And one other danger is a focus on Spiritually driven vegetarianism or other forms of religious self denial that don’t really draw you close to Jesus (2:20-23). 

Jesus’ mission was to seek and save the lost. Ours should be the same. 

And Paul, in verse one, let us know that he was willing to go to the wrestling mat for us in order to keep the main thing, the main thing.  Paul’s Struggle for them

For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.

When Paul says he had a great conflict, he means that he is fighting for us, on our side, struggling in great agony to make sure that the important stuff stays the important stuff.  There are some things that are worth standing for and defending with our life because they are that important!  Do you have anything that important in your life? 

Let me tell you, one of the main purposes of the church is to defend the faith, because it is that important! 

The Church is all about Jesus 2-3

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

This verse is all about the church.  Why does the church exist?  Why bother with the church?  It turns out that the church was Jesus idea.  If you want to get rid of the church, you need to get rid of Jesus.  And in these verses, there are four reasons why the church exists.

#1.  To encourage the hearts of those that come.  The word encourage is παρακαλέω parakaleo which is a word picture of someone at church with their comforting arm around the shoulders of a weeping friend.  The church is a place where encouragement is passed around.

#2 To bring friends together and to knit their hearts together in love.  The church is the best place in the world to make friends… because church friends have the same noble purpose of living for Jesus.

#3 To gain the richness of full assurance of faith.  One of the great reasons the church exists is to help people cast off their insecurities and find full assurance and confidence because of their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  Once you come to the realization that Jesus is your helper, and that he will never leave you nor forsake you, you begin to gain a boldness you’ve never had before.

#4 To teach people the knowledge of the mystery of God – which is Christ in you!  Once you place your faith in Christ, Jesus lives within. 

But notice that all of this Is summed up by one important point:  every treasured truth of spiritual wisdom and knowledge is found, hidden in Christ.  Christ is the center.  He is the source of comfort, the friend that is closer than a brother, He is the full assurance of faith and the wisdom of God.  The church exists to point everyone to Jesus.  It’s all about Jesus.  And…

The Danger is that we might neglect Jesus 4

4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

Any attempt to get us to focus on something other than Jesus is deception. 

Some people are very persuasive.  There are some atheists out there who are incredibly intelligent.  They could talk circles around me!  The good news is that you don’t have to worry about that.  In the grand scheme of things I don’t really count.  All you really have to do is listen to God.

And here’s what I know about God:  The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.  1 Corinthians 1:20. 

They may be smarter than I am, but their wisdom pales in comparison to God’s.  So no matter how smart they are, don’t listen to them.  Don’t let them draw you away from Jesus.  Jesus is the main thing.  It’s a danger to disregard Jesus.  But the safe thing,

The Main Thing is to Focus on Jesus 5-6

5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.  6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Here’s how you can Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.

#1 Be steadfast in your faith in Christ.  That means to hang in their through the storms of life.  Don’t let anything destroy your faith.

2.  Walk, or Live by faith in Christ.  Jesus isn’t just for beginners, He’s for everyone.  You were saved by faith in Christ, and you are to live your life by faith in Christ.  The main thing is to focus on Jesus!

3.  Build a good foundation of faith on Jesus Christ.  Be rooted in Jesus.  Build your life on the principles of Jesus.  Let Jesus establish his ways in your life.  Just as we are teaching you today, you must continue to grow by leaps and bounds with gratitude and thanksgiving in Jesus! 

This is the main thing.  If you don’t do anything else right in life, do this right:  keep Jesus first in your life.  And if you keep Christ first in your life, he’ll take care of the rest. 

Some years ago the London Transit Authority was receiving a lot of complaints because their buses were driving past customers who were standing at the bus stops. The Transit Authority put out this infamous explanation in the newspaper. The explanation said, “It is impossible for us to maintain our schedule if we are always having to stop and pick up passengers.” Clearly, that bus company had forgotten its purpose.[ii]

Of the five thousand new companies that are started each year, only one thousand remain two years later. After five years, only two hundred are left. Corporate consultants say that the common denominator among all those failed companies is that they have no clear purpose; they lack a specific goal and direction.

As a church, we don’t want to forget why we are here.  Or we could end up like the church of God grill in Atlanta Georgia.  A visiting preacher saw an advertisement of the Church of God Grill.  It had five stars.  Curious he called it and a cheery man answered, “Hello, Church of God Grill!” 

The preacher asked how the restaurant had been given such an unusual name, and the man said: “Well, we had a little mission down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people liked the chicken, and we did such a good business, and eventually we cut back on church, until after a while we just closed down the church altogether and kept on serving chicken dinners. We kept the name Church of God Grill.”

Jesus is the main thing.  If you don’t do anything else right in life, do this right:  keep Jesus first in your life.  And if you keep Christ first in your life, he’ll take care of the rest. 

Every treasured truth of spiritual wisdom and knowledge is found, hidden in Christ.  Christ is the center.  He is the source of comfort, the friend that is closer than a brother, He is the full assurance of faith and the wisdom of God.  The church exists to point everyone to Jesus.  It’s all about Jesus.

Most people fail in life because they major in minor things, and only minor in the major things.  At our church, we need to do the important stuff, and that is living for Jesus.  Let’s keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

---

[i] https://thepreachersword.com/2019/07/23/the-modern-church-has-lost-its-purpose/

[ii]https://www.uu.edu/centers/rglee/fellows/fall03/weekley.htm#:~:text=Some%20years%20ago%20the%20London,infamous%20with%20public%20relations%20departments.

Everybody needs hope.  Hope makes bad times bearable, and makes the future look bright.  Without hope we are listless, lacking motivation, depressed and unable to function.  Hope is a candle in the dark that lights the way to a better life.   Hope reduces feelings of helplessness, increases happiness, reduces stress, and improves life.  Hope is an incredible strength and a powerful shield of protection.  So let me ask you this; “what brings you hope?” 

Hope is not a feeling; it’s a belief and a way of thinking.

Real Hope is more than wishful thinking; it is grounded in realism.

It is vital that our hope is rightly placed and deeply ingrained in our soul. 

What Cause Would You Suffer For? 24

Would you suffer for freedom, family or your faith? 

Paul was willing to suffer for his Savior!

He rejoiced in the opportunity to suffer for Christ! 

Paul was willing to fill his life with suffering for Christ! 

Affliction for the cause of Christ results in effective ministry. 

What Cause Would You Give Your Life To? 25

What causes are important to you?

How do you know choose the causes you should invest in? 

All other causes pale in comparison to the Cause of Christ.

The cause of Christ is a stewardship or responsibility God gave to us!

If you become a minister you are fulfilling the Word of God.    

If you have truly given yourself to Jesus you will serve Him! 

Where Does Your Hope Spring From? 26-27

The genuine source of hope is mystery to most people. 

Most people do not understand that the real source of hope is Christ.

The only people who truly understand this mystery are the saints.

Where does hope spring from?  “Christ in you; the hope of glory!”

Hope is not just a cause.  Hope is a person. 

What Hope Do You Tell People About? 28

Hope is why we can’t keep our mouth shut. 

That’s why we preach, teach and warn people.

This is the cause worth suffering for, dying for and living for.  It’s why Jesus told you to give up everything else and follow Him.  The more of Jesus you have, and the more of yourself that you give to Jesus, the more hope that will fill your heart.  So I have a simple recommendation; tell God that you are giving everything you have to him.  Tell Him that Jesus is now your life, your passion, and your all in all.  Stop holding back and start giving in to hope and to joy.  When you give it all to him, Jesus will radiate hope and joy from every pore in your body. 

MESSAGE

Everybody needs hope.  Hope makes bad times bearable, and makes the future look bright.  Without hope we are listless, lacking motivation, depressed and unable to function.  Without hope, we might as well stay in bed all day long.  Hopeless people drink their sorrows away, do drugs, isolate, withdraw, and ignore friends. To them, tomorrow looks pretty grim. 

Hope is a candle in the dark that lights the way to a better life.   Hope reduces feelings of helplessness, increases happiness, reduces stress, and improves life.  Hope is an incredible strength and a powerful shield of protection.

So let me ask you this; “what brings you hope?”  Where do you find the motivation to get dressed every morning?  What makes you jump for joy, smell the roses or smile your way through another day?  What makes your heart skip a beat or makes your feet want to dance a jig?  What brings you hope?

Hope is not a feeling, like optimism is.  Hope is specific and focused on something that will bring us a better life.  Hope is the belief that your future will be better than the present, and there is some real way to make that happen.  Hope is a way of thinking or a state of being.  Hope Helps Us Keep Going.

Hope is more than wishful thinking.  When grounded in realism, hope serves many positive functions. But when hope is placed in something untrue, it is a recipe for disappointment and disillusionment.

If hope is that important, and basing your hope on a solid reality is that important, it is vital that our hope is rightly placed and firmly ingrained in our soul, or we are in for trouble.  Where does real come from.  Where do you look for your hopes and dreams? 

According to verse 27, Christ in you is where genuine hope comes from.  It is not just a good hope, a solid hope or even a great hope:  it is a glorious hope.  That is the highest hope that can be reached.  Christ in you is the hope of glory! 

Let me tell you a few reasons why Christ in you is the greatest hope of all time.  #1 It helps you endure every kind of suffering imaginable to man. 

What Would You Suffer For?

Is there some cause somewhere that is worth upholding in the face of suffering, persecution, imprisonment or execution? 

How about freedom, liberty or country?  Some of you have actually pledged your life to the service of our country and hazarded your life in the cause of freedom.  It is a noble ideal. 

How about family?  Would you suffer or die protecting them?  I’ve heard some of you say that if anyone ever touches your daughter, you’ll take matters into your own hands in order to protect her.  Protecting family is a noble ideal.

How about your Faith?  Would you share a prison cell with me if the government tried to shut us down?  Or now that the pandemic has brought that possibility to light, do you have doubts; Differences of opinions.  Just remember this, even Paul had people question his zeal, and even Jesus had those who tried to warn him away from his destiny with death. 

But listen to Paul:  24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

Paul was not only willing to suffer, but he rejoiced in the opportunity to suffer for Christ!  The word rejoice is χαίρω chairo, meaning to be glad, to dance a jig, to smile with joy!  Now here is the difference between me and Paul; he’s happy about it, I’m not!  He looks forward to suffering as an evidence of his dedication to Christ, I look at it as a sign of bad things happening to me. 

I want to avoid it, Paul wanted to fill his life with suffering for Christ!  “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ!”  I want to minimize them, he wanted to maximize them!  I want a peaceful life and easy ministry; he wanted a life of affliction for effective ministry. 

There is nothing like someone doing something so sacrificial and over the top outrageous for you that makes an impact on others lives.  There is only one thing I know of worth that kind of affliction and suffering:  the Cause of Christ.  Has your faith brought you to that realization yet?  Real hop is worth suffering for.

Let me tell you a few reasons why Christ in you is the greatest hope of all time.  #1 It helps you endure every kind of suffering imaginable to man.  #2 It is the only cause worth giving your entire life to.  Every other cause falls short.

What Cause Would You Give Your Life To?

There are a lot of important things in life.  I looked up the world’s most important causes on the internet, and here are some of them that popped up:  (you’ll agree with some, you won’t agree with others)  Sports.  FFA. Band.  Politics.  Service Clubs.  The Environment.  Abortion.  Racial equality. Poverty.  Injustice.  Women’s rights.  Animal Welfare.  Beating Cancer.  Slavery.  Religious Persecution.  Disaster relief.  The list could go on indefinitely.

With so many options available, how do you know what you should do?  Should you give your life to changing the culture?  Should you protest against the injustices of the world around you?  Should you invest in character building causes?  As noble as these may be, they pale in comparison to the Cause of Christ.

25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

Paul wasn’t just willing to die for his faith, he was determined to invest his life in it.  Why do we try to get people to serve?  Why do we try to get people to witness?  Paul’s answer is because it is a “stewardship from God which was given to us!” 

God himself determined the cause that is great enough for you to give your whole life to:  Himself!  His ministry!  His message!  And if you become a minister like Paul in verse 25, you are fulfilling the Word of God.  You are obeying God’s commands. 

Do you have any questions about whether you should really teach a class, tell others about Jesus, or serve in the church?  Let me lay them to rest, yes you should.  Everyone should.  But don’t do it just because I said you should, do it because it is the only cause in this life worth giving everything to!  That’s why we present ourselves as living sacrifices!  That’s why we serve.  Because we have first given ourselves to Jesus! 

Let me tell you a few reasons why Christ in you is the greatest hope of all time.  #1 It helps you endure every kind of suffering imaginable to man.  #2 It is the only cause worth giving your entire life to.  Every other cause falls short.  #3 it is the wellspring of all hope! 

Where Does Your Hope Spring From?

What’s the secret sauce?  Where is hope found? 

26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Let’s work our way through this verse.  The genuine source of our hope is mystery to most people.  Paul said it’s a mystery hidden from all ages and from all generations.  Most people do not understand nor know that the real source of hope is Christ.  It is a mystery to them.  They may have heard it, they may even think it sounds right, but they do not understand it.

The only people who truly understand this mystery are the saints, true believers.  To them God opened our eyes and revealed it to us.  What is that hope?  Where does hope spring from?  “Christ in you; the hope of glory!”

Hope is not just a cause.  Hope is a person.  Hope is Jesus.  But it is not Just Jesus the historical figure, it is Christ IN YOU!  That is the glorious hope!  It is no wonder that only true believers truly get it.  Because when Jesus truly lives within, he truly invades our body!  And being in our heart, soul and mind, He radiates HOPE within us! 

When we relate to Christ, and recognize his presence, that’s when hope happens, glorious hope!  Do you want hope?  You need Jesus.  The more you give yourself to Him, the more hope blossoms inside you! 

This is our message.  This is why we endure suffering.  This is why we give our everything to Jesus.  This is why we keep telling people about Him.  Because the world needs hope and we have it! 

What Hope Do You Tell People About?

28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

That’s why we can’t keep our mouth shut.  That’s why we keep telling people about Jesus.  Because Jesus is our hope!  Hope matters because Jesus is the author of hope!  So, we keep telling people that Jesus came to save sinners.  We keep telling people that Jesus can change their lives.  We keep telling people that genuine hope comes from Jesus. 

That’s it.  That’s the cause worth suffering for, dying for and living for.  It’s why Jesus told you to give up everything else and follow Him.  The more of Jesus you have, and the more of yourself that you give to Jesus, the more hope that will fill your heart. 

So, as we close, I have a simple recommendation; bow your head and tell God that you are giving everything you have to him.  Tell Him that Jesus is now your life, your passion, your duty and your all in all.  Stop holding back and start giving in to hope and to joy.  When you give it all to him, Jesus will radiate hope and joy from every pore in your body.  Jesus is my hope. 

And one day I will see him in Glory, and then my hope will finally be completely fulfilled in his wondrous presence.  I can’t wait! 

Has your life turned out the way you hoped it would?  Are you everything you want to be?  Things often don’t go the way you wish they would.  When that happens, it hurts.  When you’ve been knocked down time and time again, when the circumstances of life conspire against you, it’s hard to hold onto your dreams.  But, you were born for more than this!  And today, we are going to learn how to be all you were meant to be, how to unleash your full potential, and how to take wings and fly!  The discovery of the “why” will change your life

The Best Day of My life was when I received Jesus 21-22

This is the good news of the Gospel. 

You were born into this life to be born again. 

#1 Once we were enemies. 

We were alienated. (ἀπαλλοτριόω) a stranger shut out from God. 

We were enemies, (ἐχθρός) someone who is hostile

We were wicked.  Wicked works are anything we did displeasing to God.

#2 Now we have been reconciled. 

We were reconciled by the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jesus made it possible for us to have our sins wiped out

That brought us into harmony with God!    

The Best Way to live my life is in holiness 22

You were not created just to be happy.

If you seek happiness, it will escape you. 

You were not created just to be a good person.

There is no one good but God.  Matthew 19:17

You were saved to be holy. 

Holiness is something achievable. 

holiness ἅγιος hagios, means separated to God.

Holiness means that we surrender our mind, body and emotions to God. 

Present yourselves to God.  Romans 6:12-14

The Best hope to reach your potential is to continue steadfastly in the faith 23

Your potential in this life isn’t a destination; it’s a journey of daily surrender. 

#1 continue in the faith. 

This is talking about perseverance. 

#2 Become grounded. 

This means you have a firm foundation of faith. 

#3 Be steadfast or firm in your faith. 

Don’t be easily moved. 

This is the hope of the Gospel.  This is our why.  This is why you were born again.  You were created to be holy!  Surrender yourself to Jesus!  He wants you to pursue him every day.  If you master the foundational principle of dedicating yourself to him, he will make you holy.  The greatest day of your life is the day you discover why you were born again.

MESSAGE

Has your life turned out the way you hoped it would?  When you were a starry eyed kid, making grand plans for your life, how’d that turn out for you?  Are you everything you want to be?  Is there some beautiful butterfly inside of you still waiting to break out of its homely cocoon? 

Or, has life dealt you a little bit of reality therapy?  Things often don’t go the way you wish they would.  When that happens sometimes we get smacked with the proverbial 2X4, and believe me, it hurts.  When you’ve been knocked down time and time again, when the circumstances of life conspire against you, it’s hard to hold onto your dreams. 

But, you were born for more than this!  You were born with wings.  You are not meant to live your life crawling in the dust.  You are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities in Christ. If you know that, you can change your life.  And today, we are going to learn how to be all you were meant to be, how to unleash your full potential, and how to take wings and fly! 

You may have heard the phrase, “you’re not living up to your full potential.” But what does that really mean?  Do you know what it takes to reach your full potential?  The question, “Am I reaching my potential?” is not the same as asking, “How do I rise to the top?” 

Today, I’m not going to tell you how to become a millionaire, or how to get that promotion that you want.  I’m not going to tell you about the magic of residual income, or how to be the best version of yourself.  I’m not going to show you how to be a rising star or how to have a winning personality.

What I am going to do is explain to you why you were born.  Some people say that there are two great days in a person’s life: the day you were born and the day you discover why you were born!  But even better than that, I say that the two greatest days of person’s life are the day you were born again, and the day you discover why you were born again. 

Because the discovery of the “why” will change your life!  Today we will tell you why you were chosen to be born again.

Let’s start with verse 21 & 22

The Best Day of My life was when I received Jesus as Savior 21-22

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death,

This is the good news of the Gospel.  This is the message of the Lord’s Supper.  This is the one truth that we must proclaim above all others.  You were born into this life to be born again. 

There are two simple, salient truths that the Apostle brings to our attention that we want to emphasize today.  #1 Once we were enemies.  #2Now we have been reconciled. 

Paul uses three horrific words to explain the way we were.  first we were alienated.  Second we were enemies, and third we were wicked, as demonstrated by our works.  To be alienated (ἀπαλλοτριόω apallotrioo) is to be a stranger who is shut out from God.  Before we were born again, we had no way to reach our full spiritual potential.  It was impossible.  An enemy (ἐχθρός echthros) is someone who is hostile and distrusted.  And the key is that we were covert enemies.  We were enemies in the mind according to the verse.  You can’t always identify an enemy by the way he dresses, or even by the way he acts.  You can always identify an enemy by the loyalties he maintains in his mind and heart.  Our loyalty was not to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Wicked works (πονηρός poneros) are the underhanded things we did covertly and overtly to undermine the kingdom of God. 

So there was no way we could ever reach our spiritual potential because we were not spiritual. 

But we were reconciled (ἀποκαταλλάσσω apokatallasso) to God by the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is, Jesus made it possible for us to have our past sins wiped out and to have us brought into harmony with God!  The day I trusted Jesus as Savior was the best day of my life! 

You were born for more than this!  You were born with wings.  You are not meant to live your life crawling in the dust.  You are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities in Christ. If you know that, you can change your life.  The two greatest days in your life are the day you were born again, and the day you discover why.  You can reach our full potential in Christ if you continue steadfastly in the faith! 

The Best Way to live my life is in holiness 22

So why were we born again?  Was it just to get fire insurance and keep my tender tush out of hell?  That’s pretty nice.  Or was there another reason.  Today I’m going to give you your why.  I’m going to tell you why you were born again and why you were created, and the reality of it will change your life if you let it. 

You were saved to be holy.  That’s right.  That’s why.  That is what should occupy you the rest of your life.  Read on in verse 22: 

And now He has reconciled you in the body of His flesh through His death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.

You were not created just to be happy; you were created to be holy.  If you seek happiness, like an elusive butterfly, happiness will escape you.  If you seek holiness, you will get both happiness and holiness. 

Nor were you created to be a good person; you were created to be a holy person.  You ask, what’s the difference?  There is a big difference.  As commendable as it is, you can try all you want at being good, and it will elude you.  Jesus told us in Matthew 19:17, there is no one good but God.  Try as you might you cannot make yourself good enough, honorable enough, or perfect enough to ever please yourself or God.  Being good is just a myth.  You will still struggle with vile passions and evil thoughts.  And you will one day come to the realization that you are still a sinner in need of a savior.

Holiness, however is something achievable.  The word holiness is ἅγιος hagios, means separated to God; it is something that is reserved or set apart for sacred use.  Holiness means that we give our mind, body and emotions to God to be used by him.  Holiness is a total devotedness to God.  Rather than try to make myself good enough for God, I give myself to God and he makes me good enough.  He takes my simple daily sacrifices and blesses me.  He presents me holy, blameless and above reproach. 

This is the gist of Romans 6:12-14

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

The two greatest days in your life are the day you were born again, and the day you discover why you were born again.  You were saved to be holy.  Holiness is your purpose.  You can’t reach our full potential in Christ unless you continue steadfastly in the faith!

The Best hope to reach your potential is to continue steadfastly in the faith

And this is really the whole point of why we preached this message.  To end with, you should know this:  Your potential in this life isn’t a destination; it’s a journey of daily surrender, and a whole lot of grit. 

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel

Now let me tell you what this is not saying.  It is not saying that if you grit your teeth and hang on with your fingernails, and in the end you keep yourself from slipping away from the faith that you will be saved.  That’s not it at all.

The hope of the gospel, that you heard, is that if you continue in the faith, you will succeed in living a holy life.  If you are grounded and steadfast in seeking the Lord as your why for living, you will live up to your fullest potential.  This is how you live a holy life.

#1 continue in the faith.  This is talking about perseverance.  Hang in there baby.  No matter how difficult life becomes, just put one foot in front of the other, and never give up on Jesus because He’ll never give up on you.  #2 Become grounded.  That means you have a firm foundation of faith.  That’s why we preach and teach.  To help you know what to believe and why we believe it.  #3 Be steadfast or firm in your faith.  Don’t be easily moved. 

This is the hope of the Gospel.  This is our why.  This is why you were born again.  You were created to be holy!  This is your life’s goal in one sentence, to daily surrender yourself to Jesus! 

There are three kinds of people when it comes to reaching your fullest potential:[i]

1) People who have no idea who they want to become, what they want to do, or where they want to go with their life; and drift as a result.

2) People who know exactly where they want to go and who they want to become but never do it. Why? Usually because they have fears that hold them back, they are not willing to pay the price, or they worry about other responsibilities that will go unfulfilled.

3) People who know exactly where they want to go and do it. They act every day with passion, focus, and determination.

That’s the kind of person God wants you to be.  God wants you to be holy.  That is why you were saved.  He saved you so he could sanctify you and set you apart to himself.  He wants you to pursue him every day.  If you master the foundational principle of dedicating yourself to him, he will make you holy.

You were born with wings.  You are not meant to live your life crawling in the dust.  You are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities in Christ. If you know that, you can change your life.  Unleash your full potential, and take wings and fly!  The greatest day of your life is the day you discover why you were born again.

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[i] https://www.businessknowledgestrategies.com/articles/growing-as-a-person-tips-to-reach-your-full-potential/

Last week I asked, “What is the meaning of life?”  I promised that God wants you to know why he put you on earth.  I told you that you are not an accident.  God makes everything with a purpose, and God has a purpose for your life.  Today I want to simplify the answers to all of life’s most pressing and deepest questions down to one word.  That’s right.  I am going to give you one word that will change your life, give you direction in your darkest times, and if you take it to heart, it will become your true north star! 

The one word answer to all of life’s question is – Jesus;

Savior of the Lost 12-14

This answers the question, “How am I going to fix my life?” 

14 Jesus redeemed and forgave us through the shedding of his blood. 

Redeem ἀπολύτρωσις is the payment of a ransom. 

forgivness ἄφεσις, is a release from bondage.  Jesus set us free.

13 Jesus delivered us from darkness and conveyed us into his kingdom. 

12.  Jesus bestowed upon us an eternal inheritance. 

Image of the Invisible God 15

This answers the question, “How do I get to God?”

An image is what you see when you look in the mirror. 

When Father looks in the mirror, He sees  Jesus looking back at Him. 

Jesus is the exact likeness of the Father.  Jesus is God.

He has the attributes of God.

He has the divine names of God.

He does works that only God can do. 

He has the top rank over all things.    

There is no salvation in any other but Jesus!  . 

Creator of all things 16-17

This answers the question, “Why am I here?”

Jesus is the creator of all things, not a created being. 

Heaven and earth is, up there, and down here. 

Visible and invisible are things you can see, and things you can’t see. 

Principalities and powers are angels, demons, and humans. 

Jesus is before ALL things. Jesus holds everything altogether.

I was created by him and for him.   

Head of the church 18-19

This answers the question, “How do I find direction in life?”

Jesus surpasses all others in position, power and preeminence.

His authority has to do with how he directs His body, the Church. (us)

If you want direction in life, you must follow Jesus.    

Redeemer of all things 20

This answers the question, “what will happen when I die?” 

Creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Rom 8:18-21

There will be a new heaven and a new earth. Rev 21:-1-5  

This world is not my home. 

Why does Jesus matter?  If you are here without Jesus, you are missing the single most important, one word answer to all of the problems in life.  Jesus.  Sweetest name I know.  It’s all about Jesus!  Get your life back.  Give your life to Jesus. Jesus is the answer to every difficult and ponderous question. 

MESSAGE

Last week I asked the question, “What is the meaning of life?”  And I promised you that God wants you to know why he put you on earth.  I told you that you are not an accident.  God makes everything with a purpose. And that God has a purpose for your life. 

Today I want to simplify the answers to all of life’s most pressing and deepest questions down to just one word.  That’s right.  I am going to give you one word that will change your life, give you direction in your darkest times, and if you take it to heart, it will become your true north star! 

The questions of life are incredibly complex, but the answers are simple.  One word… It’s all about Jesus!  There’s only one way to get your life back, and that’s through Jesus.  There’s only one way to get your life on track and that’s through Jesus! 

Is your life a mess?  Jesus is the one person that will save your life!  He will lead you out of darkness and into light!  Do you want to know God?  Jesus is the way to God!  Find Jesus and you’ll find God!  Do you wonder where you came from and why you are here?  It’s because of Jesus!  He created you and he is your reason for living.  Do you need direction and guidance in life?  Jesus is the plan.  You were meant to follow Jesus, and when you do, you will gain clarity.  Are you concerned about life after death?  Jesus is the answer.  One day you will stand before Jesus, so you should get to know him now! 

Have you found the answer?  If not, let me give it to you straight.  One word – Jesus; One Lord, Jesus.  One Savior, Jesus.  One hope… it’s Jesus.  In fact it’s all about Jesus.  And in case you haven’t noticed it yet, at Pine Grove, we’re all about Jesus. 

The answers to life are not found in secular psychology, it is found in Jesus.  Jesus not only understands your problems, he can save your life!  The answers to life are not found in our educational system, they are found in Jesus.  Jesus not only knows everything, he knows exactly what you need.  The answers to life are not found in politics, they are found in Jesus.  Jesus, not a political party, or a candidate can change the soul of our country.  If I didn’t make it clear; Jesus is the answer!  It’s all about Jesus.

Let me give you 5 reasons why Jesus matters;  #1.  Jesus is the Savior of the lost

Savior of the Lost 12-14

This answers the question, “How am I going to fix my life?”  And I’m not talking of just adding a little Jesus to your life, I’m talking about a radical and complete change of life.  That’s found in verse 12.

12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

I would like to approach these three verses backwards, because they are in a descending order. 

Verse 14 Jesus redeemed and forgave us through the shedding of his blood.  To Redeem ἀπολύτρωσις apolutrosis has to do with the payment of a ransom.  As humans, we are held captive by our sins.  There is no way we could ever pay enough to get God to forget and forgive our sin, but Jesus did!  The payment He made was in blood.  It was a blood ransom, the only kind that could save us.  By paying the ransom, it opened the door to forgivness ἄφεσις aphesis, which is a release from bondage.  Jesus set us free.

Verse 13, Jesus delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into his kingdom.  We once were in darkness, bondage, sadness and sorrow; everyone who Jesus saved, he releases from bondage!  We are now citizens of His kingdom.

Verse 12.  Jesus bestowed upon us an eternal inheritance.  We not only have heaven as our home, but we are saints!  We are rich!   We will reign with Christ!  Our future hope is set.  That’s what Jesus does.  It’s all about Jesus!

Let me give you 4 more reasons why Jesus matters;  #2.  Jesus is the way to God. 

Image of the Invisible God 15

In fact Jesus is God.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

What’s an image?  It’s what you see when you look in the mirror.  When God the Father looks in the mirror, guess who’s looking back at Him?  Jesus.  He’s the exact likeness of the Father.  In every respect, Jesus is God.  He has the attributes of God;  He’s all powerful, all knowing, and eternal.  He has been given the divine names of God; He is called “the mighty God, the Savior, The Lord, Jehovah.”  He does works that only God can do; creation, forgiveness of sins and raising people from the dead. 

He is the firstborn over all creation.  This simply means that Jesus has the top rank over all things.  He is the head and ruler over all things. 

So why is Jesus the only way to God?  Because he is God.  And why do you need to go through Jesus to get to God, because Jesus is the Lord of all creation and we are mere creatures.  How can I come to know God?  Through Jesus.  There is no salvation in any other but Jesus!  It’s all about Jesus. 

Let me give you 3 more reasons why Jesus matters;  #3.  Jesus is the Creator. 

Creator of all things

16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Verse 16-17 are a clear and profound statement, telling us that Jesus is the creator of all things, and not a created being:  Let me review:  In heaven and on earth is up there in outer space, and down here on planet earth.  Visible and invisible are things you can see, and things you can’t see.  Principalities and powers are angels, demons, humans, and all other living things.  Is there anything left that He didn’t create?  No.  In fact Jesus is before ALL things.  Before created things existed, Jesus was already here. And if that isn’t enough, even today, Jesus holds it altogether – through him all things consist or are held together.

So why am I here on this earth?  Because I was created by him and for him.  I was created for His pleasure.  I was born to worship Jesus?  I was born to live for Jesus.  It’s all about Jesus.

Let me give you 2 more reasons why Jesus matters;  #4.  Jesus is the Head of the church. 

Head of the church 18-19

This one answers the question, “how do I find direction in life?”

18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,

There are a few words that stand out in these sentences; the word Head – meaning chief.  The word beginning – meaning your search for direction begins and ends with Jesus.  The word preeminence, meaning that his honor surpasses all others. 

And notice that these three descriptive all have to do with the church, the body of Christ.  The body of Christ was made to follow the head.   Why do we follow Jesus?  Because Jesus is our Lord; because Jesus has the answer; because if you want direction in life, you must follow Jesus.  It’s all about Jesus.

Let me give you 1 more reason why Jesus matters;  #5.  Jesus is the Redeemer of all things. 

Redeemer of all things 20

This answers the question, “what will happen when I die?” 

20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Romans 8 expands on this concept

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Revelation 21 shares these powerful words

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

This is the wonderful future of every believer in Christ.  That’s why this world is not my home.  When you get that homesick feeling of dislocation, and the strange sentiment overwhelms you that you don’t belong here, let me tell you where you do belong.  You belong with Jesus.  Because Jesus is the sum and substance and hope of all the world! 

Jesus is the answer to every difficult and ponderous question.  Jesus answers the question, “How am I going to fix my life!”  Jesus wants to transform you.  Jesus answers the question, “How can I come to know God?”  Jesus is the way to the Father.  Jesus answers the question, “why am I here?”  You were created for Jesus!  Jesus answers the question, “How can I find direction in life?”  The answer is “follow Jesus.”  And Jesus answers the question, “what will happen to me when I die?”  If you know Jesus, you’ll go to the new heaven and new earth to live with Him forever.

Why does Jesus matter?  If you are here without Jesus, you are missing the single most important, one word answer to all of the problems in life.  Jesus.  Sweetest name I know.  It’s all about Jesus!  Get your life back.  Give your life to Jesus.

SUMMARY

What drives your life?  What do you have to live for?  Everyone who has ever lived has asked themselves three questions:  Existence: Why am I alive?  Why was I born? Significance: Does my life matter? Purpose: What on earth am I here for?  Unless you know why you are here you will struggle with life.

If you are alive it means that God has a purpose for your life.

 “All my days were recorded in your Book.”  Ps. 139:16

God determined the times and places for everyone. Acts 17:26

Knowing your purpose defines what you do and what you don’t do. 

Knowing your purpose motivates your life. 

God wants You to Know His Plan for Your Life 9

God’s plan is useless to you unless you know it! 

God wants to fill you with His will, but you need to pray for it.

#1 The Knowledge of His will. 

He wants you to know what His plan is. 

He wants to FILL you with it! 

95% of God’s will is revealed in the Bible. 

#2 the Wisdom of His will. 

God’s way is always best

God wants you to see the wisdom of His will.

#3  The Spiritual Understanding that comes with His will. 

God only reveals His purposes to those who seek Him.  Prov 9:10

As many as seek God, find him. 

God wants You to Walk Worthy 10

God wants you to live a worthwhile life. 

What could be more worthwhile life than pleasing Him? 

• Existence: I was created to please God and enjoy him forever.
• Significance: What I do for Jesus is of eternal significance.
• Purpose: I am here to serve God and follow Jesus.    

#1 Be fully pleasing to God. 

You should always ask the question, “Will this please God?” 

Is this something God wants me to say or do? 

#2.  Be Fruitful in every Good Work. 

Do all the good you can, to all the people you can. 

This is talking about generosity, charity, and doing for others. 

God wants you to be Strong 11

Many people are ready to give up. 

It is God’s Will that you should grow stronger. 

You can do it, not because you are so strong, but because He is so strong!

“Be strong and of good courage, for the Lord is with you.”  Josh 1:9

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Jesus.  Heb 13:6

They that wait on the Lord Shall gain new strength. Isaiah 40:31

You are not an accident.  God makes everything with a purpose.  God has a purpose for your life.  There are three powerful purposes in Colossians 1 – Knowing His will, walking worthy of His calling, and finding your strength in Jesus.  Live for Jesus, that’s what matters!  Do leave here today feeling useless.  Listen to God and begin living the life you were meant to lead!

MESSAGE

What makes your life worth living?  What is the prime mover behind you?  What drives your life? 

These are important questions, especially in light of the recent spate of suicides in Roseburg.  A young man just took his own life.  He wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last.  He appeared to be happy.  He had a good career ahead of him.  And yet he couldn’t find a reason to stay alive.

What do you have to live for?  Why bother to go on at all?  There are three important questions every person must answer in order to make their life worth living.

The Question of Existence: Why am I alive?  Why was I born, here, now, and to this family and to this life.

The Question of Significance: Does my life matter?

The Question of Purpose: What on earth am I here for?

Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University, once wrote to 250 of the best-known philosophers, scientists, writers, and intellectuals in the world, asking them, “What is the meaning of life?” He then published their responses in a book. Some offered their best guesses. Some admitted that they just made up a purpose for life, and others were honest enough to say they were clueless. In fact, a number of famous intellectuals asked Professor Moorhead to write back and tell them if he discovered the purpose of life! [i]

This is the most fundamental question you can ask yourself: “Why am I here?”

Let me just say, you are not an accident.  God makes everything with a purpose. Every plant has a purpose, every animal has a purpose, and if you are alive that means that God has a purpose for your life. 

Scripture is clear that God has a plan for the whole world and for each person. He is God. What He purposes and plans He will do. He knew us before we came to be; before the beginning of time He had a plan for us (Romans 8:29).

Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. Your race and nationality are no accident. God left no detail to chance. He planned it all for his purpose.

The Bible says, “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book”  (Ps. 139:16)

The book of Acts 17:26 says, “From one man God made every nation,. . . and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” Nothing in your life is arbitrary. It’s all for a purpose.

So, what drives your life?  Everyone’s life is driven by something.  Some people are driven by guilt.  Some are driven by resentment and anger.  Some are driven by fear.  Many are driven by materialism.  Others are driven by the need for approval.  These drives are not worthy of you.  These drives are trivial, meaningless and ultimately useless.  You were born for something more. 

Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.  It defines what you do and what you don’t do.  Knowing your purpose focuses your life.  It concentrates your efforts on what’s important.  Knowing your purpose motivates your life.  Purpose always produces passion.  Knowing your purpose prepares you for this life and for eternity.  It gives you a lasting legacy. 

And God is searching for a select group of people to make a significant impact at this pivotal moment in history. Could that be you? Those who answer the call and understand their “why” have a drive called holy ambition.  What’s your holy ambition?

Today we are going to uncover the plan that God has for you.  And if you leave here today feeling purposeless and useless, it can only mean one thing:  You’re not listening to God.  You have got to do what God has for you.  Let’s look at the three powerful purposes God has for you in Colossians 1.

God wants You to Know His Plan for Your Life

That’s what verse 9 is all about.  If there is a plan for your life, and if God has your life planned, that plan is useless to you unless you can know it!  So the question is, “can you know God’s Will?” 

If only God were to speak to me from a burning bush like He did to Moses; or if only I could hear His heavenly voice like the Apostle Paul did on the Damascus road.  In fact, I’d settle for the still small voice that spoke to Elijah!  Anything, so that I could know God’s will.  Even Paul prayed for that: 

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

God wants to fill you with the knowledge of His will, but you need to pray for it, unceasingly, regularly, day after day.  Is it too much to ask, that you would ask God for guidance and direction?  Is it that simple!  Yeah it is.  And this is where we start.  God wants to reveal three things to you.

#1 The Knowledge of His will.  In other words, He wants you to know what His plan is.  And he just doesn’t want you to know it, He wants to FILL you with it!  What does it mean to be filled with the knowledge of his will?  God doesn’t give you a wiff, or a taste, or a touch or a tad of his will.  If you are filled, it is from top to bottom.  The Word πληρόω pleroo means to lavish or furnish liberally.  It is the full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.  It is His will without a doubt.

Just quick helpful hint:  95% of God’s will is revealed in the Bible.  All you’ve got to do is read the book to discover why you are here.  It is as simple as that.  The second thing God wants to reveal to you is.

#2 the Wisdom of His will.  “He wants to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom.”  Let me say it this way, God’s way is always best.  It is always the wisest way.  I’ve held many things in my hands and messed them all up, but the things I placed in God’s hand, and done according to his plan, those stand the test of time.  God wants you to see the wisdom of His will.  In an age when the Bible is scorned, you are going to have to learn to treasure it.  That is wisdom.  There is a way that seems right to a man, but the ends of it is destruction.

#3  The Spiritual Understanding that comes with His will.  God reveals His purposes and His will, only to those who seek Him.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov 9:10).  Because the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  (1 Cor 2:14). 

So if you want to know His will; if you want the wisdom of it, if you want the spiritual understanding of it, you must ask God to fill you with it, and he will.  For as many as seek God, find him, if you seek him with all your heart. 

Now, let’s get into the specifics of God’s plan for your life, and I pray that you will see the wisdom of it. 

God wants You to Walk Worthy

Let me put it another way;  God wants you to live a worthwhile life.  And what could be more worthwhile life than pleasing the one who made you?  There is no better purpose in life than to live for Jesus.  It should be your number one goal.  Here is how verse 10 puts it:

10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

This is the answer to the Question of Existence: Why am I alive?  I was created to bring pleasure to God and enjoy him forever.

This is the answer to the Question of Significance: Does my life matter?  Only one life, will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.  No matter what else you do, significance boils down to this:  Did I please Jesus.

This is the answer to the Question of Purpose: What on earth am I here for?  I am here to serve God and follow Jesus.  That’s my purpose!  And it is the greatest of all goals ever given. 

There are three things that you need to focus on in order to have purpose:

#1 Be fully pleasing to God.  Just as he fully gives the knowledge of His will to you, He wants you to be fully pleasing to him… in every area of your life.  You should always ask the question about everything you do, “Will this please God?”  “Is this something God wants me to say or do?”  “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all to the Glory of God.”  While this purpose relates to God, the next relates to our fellow man.

#2.  Be Fruitful in every Good Work.  In other words do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.  There are several kinds of fruit mentioned in the New Testament:  The Fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self control.  The Fruit of Righteousness, which is living a godly and holy life.  Mt 3:10.  The Fruit of Faith, which is trusting in Jesus for eternal life.  Mt 13:23.  There is the fruit of evangelism, which is leading people to Christ Ro 1:13.  But the Fruit of Good Works is talking about generosity, charity, and doing for others.  This is your purpose:  To do good things for others, because God so loved that He have, and so do we.

#3.  Increasing in the Knowledge of God.  This is pretty self explanatory.  There will never come a time in your life where you know God well enough, or know enough about God that you can stop.  Your life is all about a deeper relationship with Jesus.  This is your purpose, let it become your passion! 

And that leads me to the last purpose for your life.

God wants you to be Strong

11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

There are so many people who are losing hope.  There are so many who are ready to give up.  There are so many times when life threatens to overwhelm us, and we feel like we are drowning… it is God’s Will that you should grow stronger.  This strength is not born of human determination; it comes from dependence on God’s divine power!  It’s not human power, it’s God’s power!  You can do it, not because you are so strong, but because He is so strong!

This is the kind of strength that helps you patiently endure trials and troubles with the joy of the Lord.  This is the kind of strength that gives you purpose, makes you realize you can go on, that life is worth living and that ultimately you want to go on, because you have a higher purpose to live for. 

God told Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Josh 1:9

Jesus said, said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.What can man do to me?” Heb 13:6

And the classic verse in Isaiah 40 reminds us:  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

What drives you?  What makes your life worth living?  What on earth are you here for?  You are not an accident.  God makes everything with a purpose.  God has a purpose for your life.  There are three powerful purposes in Colossians 1 – Knowing His will, walking worthy of His calling, and finding your strength in Jesus.  Live for Jesus, that’s what matters! 

Do leave here today feeling purposeless or useless.  Listen to God and begin living the life you were meant to lead!

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[i] https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Driven-Life-What-Earth-ebook/dp/B008EGV4BQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&asin=B008EGV4BQ&revisionId=c283a2c3&format=1&depth=1

SUMMARY

Have you ever let your past defeat you or define you?  Someone once said that we crucify ourselves between two thieves; regret over the past and fear of the future.  Regret is a terrible taskmaster.  If you spend too much time dwelling on your failures, regret will twist your soul and leave you broken and depressed.  Today’s message is about helping you get your life back.  Thank God for how far you’ve come! 

Three Milestones 3-5

Paul is addressing the “faithful brethren in Christ.”  2

The faithful brethren may not live flashy lives but they grow. 

What kind of life do you want to live?  Faithfulness will get you there. 

Faithfulness produces three milestones.  1 Corinthians 13:13

These are the important characteristics we need to have in our life. 

#1 Your Faith Has Grown

Faith is the confidence that God will keep his promises.

Faith is trusting that God will always take care of you.  Proverbs 3:5-6

If you have the faith of a mustard seed… Matt 17:20-21 

Are you trusting the Lord more now than you used to? 

#3 Your Love Has Grown

This love is the love we have for fellow believers in Christ. 

Christians are supposed to create a community of believers.  

Don’t just talk about love, do it! 1 John 3:17-18

Are you more willing to help a brother or sister out than you used to be? 

#3 Your Hope has grown

The hope we are talking about is the hope of heaven! 

True hope comes from God. 

Our hope rests in heaven, not on earth!  Titus 2:13

Do you hope for heaven more than you used to? 

Only One Way 5-8

If you can’t say that you’ve grown, it is time to learn from your Mistakes.

Determine today to find the right path and stay on it.

There is one and only way to get on the path to spiritual growth. 

The Message

Before you can grow, you must believe the Gospel. 

Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 10:9-11

Maturity

It is that message that allows you to grow to maturity. 

The Gospel is the root that grows deep into the ground.

Faith, Hope and Love are like the fruit that grow once the Gospel is planted. 

The Messenger

Today it is my privilege to tell you if you want a better life, you need Jesus.  Don’t let your past defeat you or define you.  Spend no more time in regret over the past or fear of the future.  Only look back with the redeeming hope of the Gospel that Jesus forgives and heals.  Looking back now you can move forward. 

STORY

Have you ever let your past defeat you or define you?  Someone once said that we crucify ourselves between two thieves; regret over the past and fear of the future.  Regret is a terrible taskmaster.  If you spend too much time dwelling on your failures, regret will twist your soul and leave you broken and depressed. 

Because of that, some people think that you shouldn’t look back because that is not where you are going.  But remembering the past has its benefits.  Looking back can help you move forward. 

The other day I spent some time looking through photos from years gone by and I realized how different things were back then.  There were struggles that I’ve come through.  There were good things that I’ve accomplished.  And there were attitudes that I have navigated. 

A lot of people give up, because it just looks like nothing is happening.  In any given moment it may look like you haven’t made any progress but when you trace back your steps you see a completely different story.  Only when you see how far you’ve really come will you have hope to move forward.  Unlike the many people who tell us not to look back, we say: Visit often; just don’t take up residence in the past.

Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go.  You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be.  You’ve come a long way my friend!

Today’s message is about helping you get your life back.  And we are going to do that by helping you think about the distance you’ve come so that you can recharge and set out to change your future.  Thank God for how far you’ve come! 

And we are going to set up three important milestone markers that you can pound into the ground as a reminder of the progress you’ve made. 

Three Milestones 3-5

Paul begins this letter in a way he does many of his other letters:  Verse 1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s a nice greeting, and a nice way to start a letter.  Paul is addressing the people in the church at Colosse who he calls “faithful brethren in Christ.” 

These are the people who show up week after week at church.  These are the people who serve Jesus year after year without fail.  The faithful brethren may not live flashy lives, but there is something to be said for faithfulness.  Faithfulness shapes our lives.  Faithfulness is something you can count on.  Faithfulness is the raw material that God uses to change us into the people we want to be.  What kind of life do you want to live?  Faithfulness will get you there. 

And faithfulness produces three milestones. 

3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven

Paul had been reviewing the progress that the church had made, and it made him thankful.  It also made him prayerful.  He was thankful and prayerful for three reasons.  #1.  Because of their faith in Christ Jesus.  #2 Because of their love for the saints.  #3 because of the hope they had of heaven. 

These three are the same three that Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:13; These three things remain, faith, hope and love!  These three are a trilogy or a trinity of the important characteristics we Christians need to have in our life. 

These three milestones explained how far the Christians in the church at Collosse had come!  And I want to use them as a way to examine just how far you have come.  Let’s start with faith.

#1 Your Faith Has Grown

Has your faith grown?  In this case, faith is the confidence that God will keep his promises; it is trust that God will take care of you always. 

Looking back, are you trusting the Lord more now than you used to?  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths!”

Are you trusting God for your finances more than you used to?  Are you trusting God to handle your relationship problems more than you used to?  Are you trusting God to take care of you through your difficult situations, more than you used it?

Jesus said, “If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain move, and it will move!” 

If you have grown in your faith, you have reason to be glad!  More growth is coming!

#3 Your Love Has Grown

Has your love grown?  In this case, this is talking about the love we have for fellow believers in Christ.  There are lots of loves:  Love for our acquaintances or neighbors, Love for family, Love for a spouse or lover, Love for God, and then there is the love we are supposed to have for our fellow believers. 

This is a special kind of love.  Christians are supposed to come together in a group we call the church, and create a community where we care about one another.  1 John 3:18 tells us, “Let us not just proclaim our love in words, but in our actions!”  And the verse just before that, (17) explains what this means:  If you have earthly possessions and you see your brother in need, and yet you withhold it from him, the love of God is not in you!” 

Looking back, are you more willing to help a brother or sister out than you used to be?  Are you more generous with your funds and more sensitive to the needs of others than you used to be?  

If you have grown in your love, you have reason to be glad!  Because the more you love, the more you are able to experience love!

#3 Your Hope has grown

In this case the hope we are talking about is the hope of heaven! 

They say that a man can live 40 days without food, 4 days without water, 4 minutes without air, but not one second without hope. 

Where does your hope come from?  Are you holding out hope that your life will get better?  That your finances will improve?  That your relationships will be better?  That your heart will be happier?  If you are putting your hopes in money, circumstances, people or even yourself, you are putting it in the wrong place. 

True hope come from God.  True hope comes from trusting God even when times are difficult.  True hope comes from reminding yourself that this world is not all there is!  In fact our hope rests in heaven, not on earth! 

In fact Titus 2:13 says, that we should be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!”  Are you hoping more for heavenly things than you used to?  My mom used to always tell me, “Dennis I’m ready to go home to be with the Lord!” 

If you have grown in your hope, you have reason to be glad!  Because there is no regret in the hope of the Lord!  We will never be ashamed that we placed our hope in Him!  Jesus always keeps his promises. 

Looking back, If you grown in faith, hope or love, you’ve made progress.  You are on your way to a good life!  Look how far you’ve come!  Remind yourself, “That’s where I used to be”! “This is how I used to be”!  But I’m different now!  I’ve grown.

If you can’t say that you’ve grown, then let me to remind you to learn from your Mistakes, and start growing today.  Determine today to find the right path and stay on it so that you can celebrate your successes.

So just how do we get on the path to life change?  I’ll give you the one and only way to get on the path to spiritual growth. 

Only One Way 5-8

of which you heard in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

The Message

Here is the message that makes a difference:  Verse 5 calls it the “Word of truth of the Gospel!”  Before you can experience true Faith, Genuine Hope and authentic Love, you must believe the Gospel.  This is the Gospel

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10

Maturity

It is that message that allows you to grow to maturity.  As verse 6 says, it is that message that brings forth fruit.  The word fruit is an agricultural illustration.  The Gospel is the root that grows deep into the ground, and Faith, Hope and Love are like the fruit that only grow once the Gospel is planted.  You can’t have fruit without a root!  You must believe the Gospel to grow!

The Messenger

And that leads us to the messenger.  I want to say a few words about the messenger.  In vers 7, Epaphrus was the messenger who taught them the Gospel.  Every message has a humble messenger, and that is my place today. 

I am the messenger.  And I am telling you if you want a better life, you need Jesus.  Don’t let your past defeat you or define you.  Spend no more time in regret over the past or fear of the future.  Only look back with the redeeming hope of the Gospel that Jesus forgives and heals.  Looking back now you can move forward. 

I hope you can see how far you’ve really come.  Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go.  You are not where you want to be, but thank God you are not where you used to be.  You’ve come a long way my friend!

Look how far you’ve come! 

SUMMARY

Don’t you wish you could change the world, but feel you’re too small to make an impact?  Does it seem like the rising tide of secularism and paganism is threatening to overwhelm the faith?  But Christianity has already faced this onslaught before; and won!  Resoundingly!  The book of Colossians outlines a simple, yet pungent strategy for defeating secularism.  it has been done before, and we can do it again.  You can change the world!

“I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” 

Never bet against God! 

The Colossians were in a situation a lot like our own. 

They were in danger of being swallowed up by the culture around them.    

State of the Church 1:1-12

They were grounded in faith, hope and love (4-5). 

They were a good church in a bad, bad world.

Basis of Victory1:13-20

If we follow Jesus we will be victorious. 

#1 Jesus is the Redeemer of the lost.  (13) 

#2  Jesus is the Invisible God, and ruler over all things.  (15)

#3  Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. 

#4 Jesus is the Head of the church.  (18-20).    

Jesus is the basis for victory. 

Danger of Regression 1:22-2:7

How easy it is to slip into the old ways.

Our plan for world domination: (23)

#1 Continue in the faith

#2 do not be moved away from the Gospel.

Four Grave Warnings 2:8-23

#1 The first danger is Secularism.  (2:8-10)

Human philosophies will deceive you.

#2 The second danger is Religious Legalism.  (2:11-17)

We are followers of the New Covenant.  The old is just a shadow. 

#3 The third danger is New Age Mysticism.  (2:18-19). 

Paganism worships the creation, not the creator. 

#4 The fourth danger is Asceticism, or religious self denial.  (2:20-23)

The Battle Plan 3:1-4:6

#1 It starts in the Mind.  (3:1)

We must have right thinking to win this battle.

#2 It is about Christian Character and Christian behavior.

Christians behave differently. 

Your behavior has a powerful effect on a watching world.

#3.  It is about putting your relationships in order. 

#4 It is about your personal relationship with God. 

This is our battle plan.  The Christ of the Cross is the sign under which we conquer.  This is the winning formula: Be grounded in the all sufficiency of Christ.  Put Jesus first in all things, be rooted and grounded in Him.  This is how Christianity won the world, and it is how we will take down the goliath of paganism.  Join the resistance and live your life for Christ!  The battle for world dominance begins in your heart and your soul!

MESSAGE

Don’t you wish you could change the world, but feel you’re too small to make an impact? 

Does it seem like the rising tide of secularism and paganism is threatening to overwhelm the faith?  Just in case you didn’t know it, the Christian cloister is under severe attack.  Some of us fear that the dam will break, and the pagans will flood in, overwhelming the faith and destroying our little Christian world. 

Over the past century Western Civilization has experienced profound social, religious, cultural, and sexual changes; Changes that run counter to deeply-held Christian teaching. 

But Christianity has already faced this onslaught before; and won!  Resoundingly!  The book of Colossians outlines a simple, yet pungent strategy for defeating secularism.  It’s so simple, some of us may have passed it off as undoable.  But it has been done before, and we can do it again.  You can change the world!

Jesus summed up the winning formula with these words:  “I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.”  Never bet against God.  Christ always triumphs; Jesus always wins!  The solution to the modern problem of Paganism is to get back to the ancient Colossian playbook, which grounds us in the all encompassing, ever relevant, inescapable, all sufficiency of Christ.  When raise the cry “Jesus is Lord,” paganism implodes.

Today we begin a new series of messages titled, “Colossians:  Reclaiming lost ground.”

Because of the rising tide of human philosophies confronting us today, no New Testament book speaks with more relevancy than does the epistle to the Colossians.

The Colossians were in a situation a lot like our own.  Trade flourished there.  The ancient city of Colossae was built on a major trade route through the Lycus River Valley in the Roman province of Asia Minor.  The Roman Empire was a melting pot for every economic, ethnic and religious group.  They were immersed in an environment of pluralism and syncretism where most people simply borrowed from the religious and philosophical ideas of the day and added it to their own.

The Colossian church was in danger of being swallowed up by the culture around them.  There as a culture war brewing which threatened to draw the church away from Jesus.  That’s why Paul wrote the book.  And today we are going to do a quick survey of Colossians to get a bird’s eye view of the plan of god for combating paganism. 

State of the Church 1:1-12

The Colossians Church was in relatively good shape.  They understood the essentials well.  They were grounded in faith, hope and love (4-5).  Paul had heard good reports from Epaphras, the pastor of the church (7).  Like us, they were a good church in a bad, bad world, and Paul had some serious concerns for them.  The first concern was that they might become complacent and quit growing.  So Paul left this prayer for them:

We ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord. Colossians 1:9-10

We must ever guard against the danger of complacency.  We can’t afford to sit back on our Blessed Assurance while the rest of the world is under the influence of the evil one.  We must prepare ourselves to do battle with the forces of darkness.  But how do we combat Paganism?  Do we picket the world?  Do we protest at their abortion clinics and shout down their parades? 

That’s not the New Testament way.  The answer is found in verse 23:

Basis of Victory1:13-20

Continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and do not be moved away from the hope of the gospel.  Colossians 1:23

Did you hear that?  Our plan for world domination is this:  #1 Continue in the faith, and #2 do not be moved away from the Gospel!  It may seem like that’s not enough, but it is more than we need, and it is based on the assurance that Christ reigns Supreme.  Our triumph is based on His triumph.

The book of Colossians lays out four things about the absolute supremacy of Christ that makes it clear, that if we follow Jesus we too will be victorious. 

#1 Jesus is the Redeemer of the lost.  “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of His dear Son,”  (13)  God’s power is demonstrated in salvation!  If Jesus can save us, he can change the world. 

#2  Jesus is the Invisible God.  That’s what verse 15 says.  And because He is the exact image of the Father, he is ruler over all things. 

#3  Jesus is the creator of all things.  Listen, Jesus made everything according to verses 16-17.  And he holds all things together.  Nothing is too hard for God.

#4 Jesus is the Head of the church.  (18-20).  Redeemer, All Mighty, Creator and Lord; and because he is all these things, he has the power to change the world and He will. 

The reason we have the victory is because of the person and work of Jesus.  He is the basis for victory.  He is our supreme commander.  As long as you trust in Jesus, and follow him loyally, you too can change the world.  But there is danger in the church, and danger in the world. 

Danger of Regression

How easy it is to slip into the old ways, where we think that politics is the answer, or education is the answer, or science is the answer.  There is but one answer, and it is Jesus.

Continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and do not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. Colossians 1:23

Paul is worried that the world and its competing philosophies may deceive us.  So after warning us about regression, Paul details four clear and present dangers, that threaten to defeat and deceive and demoralize us. 

Four Grave Warnings 2:8-23

#1 The first is Secularism. 

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Beware of the Philosophies of men.  (2:8-10) You will find these philosophies in our schools, in our politics, in our news media, in our science and in our entertainment.  We listen to experts who claim to be objective, but they are pagans.  They have denied the all sufficiency and pre-eminence of Christ.  We must beware lest their opinions deceive us.

#2 The second is Religious Legalism.  (2:11-17) These are religious leaders who are attempting to get us to obey the Sabbath, and follow Old Testament rules and regulations.  They will try to convince you that if you don’t obey the Law, God will judge you.  But we are distinctly New Testament Christians.  We are followers of the New Covenant.  The old is just a shadow of what we have in Christ. 

#3 The third is New Age Mysticism.  (2:18-19).  Today there is a revival of Paganism in our world.  A new spirituality is taking over America.  Ancient nature religions, long thought dead by many, are reemerging across Western nations.  They worship angels, gods, plants and above all, they worship themselves. 

#4 The fourth is Asceticism, or religious denial.  (2:20-23) This is the do not taste, do not touch, do not handle religion.  It is the religion of vegetarians, vegans and other purists. 

These are four of the attacks that threaten to capsize the Christian battleship, but we’ve beat them back before, and we can use the Colossian plan to do it again. 

The Battle Plan 3:1-4:6

There are four steps to this battle plan.  When implemented it has the power to change our world.

#1 It starts in the Mind. 

If you were raised with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  Colossians 3:1

We have to have right thinking to win this battle.

#2 It is about Christian Character and Christian behavior.

Christians behave differently.  We have put off the old man, or the old life, and we have put on the new man or the new life.  This is about what we do and what we don’t do.  Your behavior has a powerful effect on a watching world.

#3.  It is about putting your relationships in order. 

In a world that is rife with divorce, broken relationships, bad behavior at work, at school, and at play, Christian behavior stands out as a healing light that mends the people around us.  It is surprising how Christian families can have such an impact on the world around them, but that is where the rubber meets the road.

#4 It is about our personal relationship with God. 

4:2 tells us, Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving, and the book ends on this note in 4:5-6:  Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

That’s the Christian call to action.  This is our battle plan.  The Cross is the sign under which we conquer.  This is the wining formula.  Be grounded in the all sufficiency of Christ.  Put Christ over all things in you, delight in Jesus, be rooted and grounded in Him.  This is how Christianity won the world, and it is how we will take down the goliath of paganism.  Join the resistance and live your life for Christ!  The battle for world dominance begins in your heart and your soul!

MESSAGE

How are you doing at facing your personal demons?  Are your inner demons difficult to defeat?  Some of us have inner demons that plague us, drag us down and defeat us regularly.  We have lived an uncomfortable existence with our personal demons for as long as we can remember.  And one of the reasons we struggle so mightily with our problems is because of excessive pride.  We are afraid to let our guard down.  We are afraid to be vulnerable.  But Jesus Christ wants to be Lord of our lives.  And the Bible says that the solution to our problems is not pride and defensiveness, but humility and brokenness over our sin. 

Creeping Secularism 15-22

The Sabbath was given to the Jews as a sign of the Covenant.  Eze 20:12

Sabbath breakers were to be stoned to death. Exodus 31:12-17

The Sabbath as a shadow of Christ is no longer binding.  Col 2:16-17

The early church fathers taught that Sunday is the day of worship. 

Creeping secularism found its way into religious life. 

Instead of pausing to worship, the people worked on the Sabbath. 

The secular Jew looked no different than the pagans! 

Nehemiah was relentless in his quest to drive secularism out! 

What should we do to stop compromise in the church? 

Nehemiah started with the leaders of Judah. 

Next h He shut the gates!    

In our world we celebrate people who are living in sin! 

Churches are going woke because they don’t want to appear unloving.

Compromise never leads to God; it always leads away from Him. 

Mixed Marriages 23-30

We must beware of the compromise of misplaced love. 

There is no happily ever after for bad relationships. 

The Bible has no prohibition against interracial marriage.

There is only race, and that is the human race. 

This is talking about is separating from Mixed Marriages. 

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  2 Cor 6:14-15. 

Christians they may only marry, “in the Lord.” 1 Cor 7:39

Nehemiah used the power of his office to penalize law breakers. 

Nehemiah’s reforms cleansed them of everything pagan.

Mixed marriage is one of the ultimate results of creeping compromise. 

You shall love the Lord your God more than anything else! 

The only way to overcome compromise in your faith and compromise in your relationships is to humbly bow before God and put Jesus first.  As long as you are putting your safety, or your desires, or your wants ahead of God, you are opening yourself to the twin demons of creeping compromise and failed relationships.  These two demons will shred your life, your family and your church.  We need the same determination to be obedient that Nehemiah had if we are to please Jesus.

SERMON

How are you doing at facing your personal demons?  Are your inner demons difficult to defeat?

There is nothing more troubling than the sin, confess, sin, confess, sin, confess cycle.  Some of us have inner demons that plague us, drag us down and defeat us regularly.  We have lived an uncomfortable existence with our personal demons for as long as we can remember.

And one of the reasons we struggle so mightily with our problems is because of excessive pride.  We are afraid to let our guard down.  We are afraid to be vulnerable.  We are afraid to let anyone see our faults.  When someone does challenge us, we bite back.  We justify ourselves.  We convince ourselves that we are right.  We have constructed a high castle wall to keep anyone from assailing our faults. 

And honestly, one of the reasons we defend our excessive pride is because change is so difficult and painful.  We have tried to change and we just couldn’t kick those old habits.  So we try to hide them, shift the blame, and defend ourselves.  Our internal demons poison us with worry and fear, stunting our growth and vitality.   Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended.  Every day we have opportunities to stray and go to the dark side. 

But Jesus Christ wants to be Lord of our lives.  And the Bible says that the solution to our problems is not pride and defensiveness, but humility and brokenness over our sin.  “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble!  Humble yourselves therefore before the mighty hand of God, and in due time he will exalt you.” 

It takes guts to face off against your demons.  But dancing with those demons is the only way to overcome them.  If you keep trying to bury or ignore your problems you will never overcome them.  You must confront your problems.  You must take life by the throat!  …and that takes courage.  Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will set you free.

And may I say that the only hope of real change is God’s Word!  In order to lift people out of spiritual bondage we must give them God’s Word so the truth sets them free!  You have to confront your problems head on.  If you do, you will transform your darkness into a gateway into joy. 

We find Nehemiah facing some of the most thorny issues of his life.  So let’s get right into it and look at a few of the demons that Nehemiah and his people faced, so that we can avoid those nasty problems. 

Last week cast out three of those demons:  Compromising Companions, Ungodly Influences, and God Forsaking Priorities.  This week we will cast out two more of them.  The first one I will call creeping secularism.

Creeping Secularism 15-22

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

In the Old Testament the Sabbath was given to the Jewish people as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel that He was their God and they were His people.  Exodus 31:12-17

12   And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 13  Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Truly my Sabbaths YOU shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the LORD that sanctifies you. 14  You shall keep the Sabbath; for it is holy unto you: every one that defiles it shall surely be put to death:

Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave Israel my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them. 

Colossians 2:16-17, Paul explicitly refers to the Sabbath as a shadow of Christ, which is no longer binding.  The New Testament never commands Christians to observe the Sabbath.  The early church fathers, from Ignatius to Augustine, taught that the Old Testament Sabbath had been abolished and that the first day of the week (Sunday) was the day when Christians should meet for worship. 

But for the Jews, the Sabbath was a big issue.  Stoning was the penalty for breaking the Sabbath.  But according to verse 6, Nehemiah had returned to his post as cupbearer for the king for a period of time, and then came back to Jerusalem.  And while he was gone, creeping secularism had slowly found its way into the religious life of the Jew. 

The people of Judah were working on the Sabbath, which was expressly forbidden.  There were businessmen among them who saw an opportunity to make an extra buck, so they brought their wares to market on the Sabbath, which was expressly forbidden.  Instead of pausing to worship God on the Sabbath, and thus being a witness to the nations around them, the foreigners among them jumped right in and got in on the action themselves!  The secular Jew looked no different than the pagans!  How could they ever be a light to the nations?  How can we ever be a light to the people around us if we adopt their behaviors.

And I’ve got to tell you, Nehemiah was relentless in his quest to drive it out! 

17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers do this, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

What are you going to do to stop compromise in the church?  What are we going to do to keep from going woke, weak kneed and inclusive of all things evil?  How are we going to keep ourselves from creeping paganism? 

The first stop Nehemiah made was with the leaders of Judah.  Purity and separation from sin must start at the top.  “Judgment must begin in the house of God.”  But he didn’t stop there. 

19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

Nehemiah took life by the throat.  He shut the gates!  He locked them out!  He warned them that he was going to take action if they didn’t cease and desist!  He drew a line in the sand and said, you may come this far and no further. 

This kind of behavior is looked down upon today as bigoted, close minded and intolerant.  In our world, the powers that be, now impose penalties on people who speak the truth, and celebrate those who are living in sin!  Churches and pastors around the nation are going woke and inclusive at an alarming rate because they don’t want to appear unloving.

Brothers and sisters, we must guard ourselves against the demons of creeping compromise.  Creeping compromise never leads to God, it always leads away from him. 

Nehemiah ended this segment on compromise with these words from verse 22:  Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

There is one more great big ugly demon in the house that must cast out.  It is misplaced love.  It is infatuation that is mistaken for true love.  It is the lust for strange flesh and the mistaken notion that falling head over heels in love is all you need for a happily ever after.  And some, having sought relationships with those of different faiths or no faith at all have shipwrecked their future.  This is the mess of mixed marriages.

Mixed Marriages

23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

This is not talking about interracial marriage.  The Bible has no such prohibition against that.  We Christians believe that there is only race, and that is the human race.  Therefore it is quite acceptable to marry people of different ethnicities, should God lead. 

What this is talking about is separating from Mixed Marriages.  The Bible clearly states that we should not marry people of different faiths.  2 Corinthians 6:14-15 warn. 

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Satan? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

And 1 Cor 7:39 tells Christians they may marry, “but only in the Lord.”

Nehemiah took this very seriously.  It was of such utmost importance, that he used the power of his office to penalize and punish the law breakers.  It is almost inconceivable when you listen to it:

25 So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. 27 Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

On particular case stood out.  A priest:

28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

30 Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, 31 and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.

Mixed marriage may be one of the ultimate results of creeping compromise.  If you have fallen in love with someone more than you love the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s a problem.  And if you don’t love the Lord more than anything else, that indeed is a problem. 

You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and all your soul and all your strength.  And you shall seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 

The only way to overcome compromise in your faith, and compromise in your relationships is to humbly bow before God, and put Jesus first.  As long as you are putting your safety, or your desires, or your wants ahead of God, you are opening yourself to the twin demons of creeping compromise and failed relationships.  These two demons will shred your life, your family and your church.  We need the same determination to be obedient that Nehemiah had if we are to please Jesus.

Nehemiah ends this book with these words from verse 29 and 30:

29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites… 30 Remember me, O my God, for good!

Our destiny is decided by how well we know our demons, how well we defend against them each day.  Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness.  If something in your life is the cause of your struggles, attend to it.  Transform Your Demons Into A Gateway Towards Joy.  Allow Your Light To Shine On Your Demons. Light Overpowers The Darkness.

SUMMARY

How are you doing at facing your personal demons?  Our internal demons poison us with worry and fear, stunting our growth and vitality.   Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended.  Every day we have opportunities to stray and go to the dark side.  Facing your demons is part of everyday life.  Dealing with dark and difficult Problems is something every one of us must do.  The only hope of real change is God’s Word!  In order to lift people out of spiritual bondage we must give them God’s Word so the truth sets them free!

Compromising Companions 1-3

Be careful about the company that you keep. 

Some people are toxic. 

You may need to separate yourself from bad company! 

Ezekiel 44:9 commands, that No foreigner shall enter My sanctuary. 

Deut 23:3-4 forbade Ammonites and Moabites from entering the temple. 

#1 they tried to curse Israel

#2 their women infiltrated Israel and tempted them to immorality

 #3 their pagan cultures and values were incompatible with Judaism. 

“Bad company corrupts good character.”  1 Cor 15:33,

Ungodly Influences 4-9

This has to do with the influencers and preachers you follow. 

Many pastors are not faithful to the Word of God. 

You need to separate yourself from false teachers. 

This priest allied himself with the enemy; Tobiah. 

His grandson was married to Sanballat, the mortal enemy of the Jews! 

He was compromised. 

Some have crept in unnoticed, who deny our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4

God Forsaking Priorities 10-14

When Compromise occurs, the people neglect God’s house. 

“Why is the house of God forsaken?” 

“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.”  Hebrews 10:25

If we forsake the church we are leaving the world to the enemy. 

Are you struggling against your personal demons?  Maybe it’s because of your friends.  Maybe it’s because of the influencers you listen to.  And maybe it’s because you have forsaken God’s house.  These are three huge threats to your well being, your personal peace and happiness.   If you have fallen prey in any of these areas, confront those personal demons now and get your life back on track! 

MESSAGE

How are you doing at facing your personal demons? 

Have you been ill? Divorced? Felt abandoned? Been an alcoholic or addict? Moved to a place where you knew no one? Weathered a financial storm? Been estranged from family? Lost a loved one?  If so, you have faced some disturbing demons that have threatened to drag you down into the black hole of sadness and depression. 

Our internal demons poison us with worry and fear, stunting our growth and vitality.   Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended.  Every day we have opportunities to stray and go to the dark side. 

Facing your demons is part of everyday life.  Dealing with dark and difficult Problems is something every one of us must do.  No one is exempt. 

It takes guts to face off against your demons.  But dancing with those demons is the only way to overcome them.  If you keep trying to bury or ignore your problems you will never overcome them.  You must confront your problems.  You must take life by the throat!  …and that takes courage.  Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will set you free.

And may I say that the only hope of real change is God’s Word!  In order to lift people out of spiritual bondage we must give them God’s Word so the truth sets them free!

We find Nehemiah facing some of the most thorny issues of his life.  Just last chapter they celebrated an incredible triumph.  They finally finished the wall and were now protected.  They finally reached an incredible milestone in their lives and they celebrated!

But isn’t it interesting how, sometimes when you overcome one great problem, three more of those nasty demons rear their ugly head.  One problem down, a dozen left to go.  And that is just the way life is. 

Maybe you were so preoccupied with an addiction, that we failed to notice that your attitude was terrible.  Or maybe you were so busy juggling two jobs that you weren’t aware that your parenting was pathetic.  Or maybe you were so overwhelmed that you just didn’t see that we were developing toxic relationship. 

But now that you’ve finished building the wall, and now that you can take a breather and look around, you notice that there are some things that are not so rosy.  There are some dastardly demons that are rearing their ugly head.  What are you going to do? 

You have to confront your problems head on.  If you do, you will transform your darkness into a gateway into joy.  So let’s get right into it and look at a few of the demons that Nehemiah and his people faced, so that we can avoid those nasty problems. 

Compromising Companions

The first one has to do with the company that you keep.  It’s great to have friends, but some friendships are toxic.  Some people will drag you down into the pit of criticism, negativity and godlessness.  I hate to say it, but you don’t need friends like that.  You may need to separate yourself from bad company! 

1 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

It seems from verse 1 that the same day of their celebration in the temple of the dedication of the walls, that they read from Deuteronomy 23:3-4 which forbade the Jews from allowing The Ammonites and Moabites from ever entering into the temple.  Perhaps they looked around and said, “oh, oh!  We are not following this rule!”  So right during their worship service, they took immediate action.

They may have also read Ezekiel 44:9 which commands, that “No foreigner… shall enter My sanctuary.  Because of that, eventually the Jews put up signs around the temple that read, “No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.”

In Judaism, worship in the temple is reserved for Jews only.  They especially were not to allow pagans like the Ammonites and Moabites to worship with them because of their history, #1 they tried to curse Israel, #2 their women infiltrated Israel and tempted them to immorality, and #3 their pagan cultures and values were incompatible with Judaism.  Unless they gave those up, they could not convert.

The principle we should take away from this is from 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character.” 

If you hang around with the turkeys, don’t be surprised that you can’t soar with the eagles.   .  I hate to say it, but you don’t need friends like that.  You may need to separate yourself from bad company! 

Ungodly Influences

You may think this is the same, but it is not.  This has to do with the influencers you listen to and the preachers you follow.  Just because someone is a pastor of a church, does not mean that he is faithful to the Word of God.  There are many today who are woke, and many others who simply don’t believe God’s Word is God’s Word!  You need to separate yourself from false teachers and illegitimate Christian leaders. 

4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. 5 And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests. 6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. 9 Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

But that is not all, because later on, in verse 28-29 we read, “And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.  29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.”

This was a priest who had allied himself with the enemy.  Remember Tobiah, the guy who declared war against the Jews and threatened to attack and kill them!  Same guy.  And Eliashib’s grandson was married to none other than Sanballat, the mortal enemy of the Jews! 

He was compromised.  He was a priest in name only.  He didn’t have the things of God as his utmost priority.  He was mingling with the enemy for his own political gain!  And it backfired.  Nehemiah kicked them out of the priesthood! 

Listen, not all preachers who claim to proclaim the Word of God are genuine.  Some of them are false teachers.  The book of Jude warns:

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be careful who you listen to!  One man asked me my opinion about a certain preacher from Shepherd’s Chapel, and I told him, “Well he doesn’t believe that Jesus is God the Son, and he doesn’t believe in Salvation by grace alone, by faith alone.  That’s just a few of his problems.  He is a false teacher.” He didn’t like my answer, because it was his favorite preacher! 

Be discerning!  We must separate from false teachers and Ungodly Influences.  If we don’t we will be creating more problems for ourselves, and more personal demons to battle.

The third serious problem we need to battle is

God Forsaking Priorities

If you hang around with the wrong crowd and listen to ungodly influencers, pretty soon you’ll be forsaking God’s people and God’s house!  When you walk away from Christ and from His church, it will be because you have succumbed to pride instead of humility, and error instead of truth.

10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. 11 So I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.

Do you see what happened here?  Compromise crept in and the people began to follow illegitimate leaders and false teachers.  “Hey, let’s move Tobiah into the spacious store rooms of the Temple.  And lets follow pagan practices.”  When that occurs, the people lose the priority of giving and neglect God’s house. 

Nehemiah was not a happy camper!  He decided that he had to take these problems by the throat!  If he didn’t battle these demons, they would drift into paganism again!  So he gathered the leaders of the people and sat them down and contended with them and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken!” 

This statement gives new meaning to the passage from the book of Hebrews 10:25 which commands us Christians, “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.” 

In today’s lingo, we’d say, “don’t forsake the church!”  Are we doing the important things for the kingdom of God?  Then you be here every week!  You support the Body of Christ sacrificially!  You serve faithfully!  You seek the prosperity of Pine Grove Community Church and its building and grounds and its ministries! 

If you don’t do a Nehemiah on the church, there will come a day when there will be no church, there will be no ministries, there will be no building and grounds.  It will be a weed infested, broken down, paint chipped, empty shell.  And you won’t need to ask, “Why is the house of God forsaken?”  But we will not let that happen here!  We will defeat that demon!

Are you struggling against your personal demons?  Maybe it’s because of your friends.  Maybe it’s because of the influencers you listen to.  And maybe it’s because you have forsaken God’s house.  These are three huge threats to your well being and personal peace and happiness.   

If you have fallen prey in any of these areas, confront those personal demons now and get your life back on track!  Nehemiah ends this section with a  prayer:  14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!”  That is my prayer as well. 

SUMMARY

Are you making progress in your Christian life?  Are you growing?  Are you living better, feeling better, getting stronger, experiencing more joy, experiencing peace in the midst of trials, or gaining emotional stability?  Every one of us has milestone moments.  Milestone moments matter.  Milestones and successes should be celebrated.  Celebration is an act of expressing reverence or appreciation.  Celebration is giving attention to the transcendent meaning of your actions. 

The Cast of the Celebration 1-26

Nehemiah lists the guests of honor invited to his celebration. 

There were over 50 Priests, Levites and gatekeepers mentioned. 

They were experts at leading thanksgiving Psalms.   

When throwing a celebration, it doesn’t hurt to invite guests of honor. 

The Invitation 27-29

This was a personal invitation.

They were looking for any who could sing or play instruments. 

The Celebration 30-43

Stage 1 – Preparation 30

Before they celebrated God’s goodness, they purified themselves. 

Water was used in ritual cleansing (Lev 15:5; Ezek 36:25).    

This was a special cleansing for a special event. 

Ritual cleansing is a picture of spiritual cleansing. 

If we confess our sins, he will cleanse us.” 1 John 1:7 & 9

Cleansing is the preparation for celebrating God’s goodness.

Stage Two – Parade 31-39

One parade went right, the other went left. 

This was a festival with trumpets blowing and people rejoicing.

Stage Three – Performance – Concert in the Temple 40-43

The two thanksgiving choirs gave a resounding concert. 

The Priests offered great sacrifices & the people rejoiced with great joy.

The celebration could be heard for miles away.

We could use a little bit more celebration and joy in our churches.  Sure we are being plotted against by the Sanballats of our world, but Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!”  (Matthew 16:18)  Needed:  Smiling, singing, Celebrating Saints!  We should take every opportunity to celebrate the successes and milestones of the people in our church.  The more we celebrate God’s goodness, the more successful our church will be.  Let us be known as rejoicing, redeemed, Christians who are growing daily and celebrating it! 

MESSAGE

Are you making progress in your Christian life? 

Are you growing?  Are you living better, feeling better, getting stronger, experiencing more joy, experiencing peace in the midst of trials, or gaining emotional stability?  Sometimes it’s difficult to know if we are growing until we look back, one year, five years or ten years and evaluate our progress.

With that in mind, let me ask you a few questions, and I want you to reflect back a year or two and ask yourself if you have grown in these key areas of the Christian life:

1.  Are you praying more or more passionately and effectively? (Yes or No)

2.  Are you learning and studying the bible more deeply or spending more time doing so?

3.  Are you more committed to corporate worship than you were a year ago?  Have you expanded your commitments to Christ beyond just Sunday morning church?

4.  Are you more successfully serving Christ and impacting people while doing so?

5.  Are you witnessing regularly and more effectively?

6.  Have you overcome a bad habit, or addiction and are you resisting sin steadfastly as never before?

7.  Are you spending more time with fellow believers, developing deeper relationships in the church and fellowshipping more intimately? 

8.  Are you more grateful, hopeful, joyful, or more at peace deep in your spirit?  Are you kinder to others, gentler, or more patient than you were a year ago? 

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you’ve got some work to do if you want to grow spiritually.  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then I give you permission to pat yourself on the back and celebrate your progress!  These are critically important milestones!

Every one of us has milestone moments.  There are spiritual milestones (those are the best).  There are financial milestones, like getting out of debt or purchasing a home.  There are physical milestones, like eating better, losing some excess weight, or beating smoking.  There are family milestones for better relationships with spouse, children or grandchildren.  And personal milestones like getting a degree or a better job.   

Milestone moments matter.  Milestones and successes should be celebrated.  Celebration is an act of expressing reverence or appreciation.  Celebration is giving attention to the transcendent meaning of your actions. 

Celebrating shouldn’t just be reserved for birthdays, weddings, and graduations, we should regularly take the time to step back and recognize the effort that went into achieving that big success or even a modest win.  By celebrating our successes, we are reinforcing the motivation that will carry us through the next achievement.  Nothing locks in learning like a party.

So, I give you permission to throw a party and reward yourself for making progress!  When you reach one of your goals, plan to indulge in a piece of your favorite chocolate, order lunch from your favorite restaurant, throw a celebration with family, take a short vacation, or reward yourself with a special gift. 

Acknowledging milestones gives us the opportunity to reflect on where we have been, where we are now and how far we have come.  More importantly, celebrating milestones reminds us to give thanks to God for his graciousness.

Nehemiah is going to model what a grand celebration should look like.  Oh that we would learn to party like Nehemiah!  They just reached a powerful milestone.  All this time they’ve been sweating, working and just trying to survive, now that the wall is finished it’s time to celebrate.

There comes a time in every life, in every church, where should break out in celebration and joy.  This is that time.  And Nehemiah did it up good.  He invited everybody!  He held a grand parade an incredible concert, and capped it off with some wonderful worship.  Let’s get in on the celebration.

The Cast of the Celebration 1-26

In verses 1- 26 Nehemiah lists the guests of honor invited to his celebration.  They were were the Priests, Levites and gatekeepers.  There were over 50 worship leaders mentioned.  According to verse 8, they were experts at leading thanksgiving Psalms.   

When throwing a celebration, it doesn’t hurt to invite a few guests of honor.  It make the moment even more memorable and exciting. 

The Invitation 27-29

In verses 27-29 we find the invitation to this celebration.  It was a personal invitation, face to face.  Verse 27 says, “They sought out the Levites to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with rejoicing.”  They were specifically looking for any of them who could sing, play cymbals, stringed instruments or harps. 

The Celebration 30-43

In verses 30-43, we have the celebration recorded for posterity.  We know how they did it.  And they did it in three stages.  Here is the order of service for the celebration.  Stage 1 – Preparation of the people.  Stage 2 is the Parade, and Stage 3 was a grand performance with pomp and ceremony at the Temple itself. 

Stage 1 – Preparation

30 Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Before they celebrated God’s goodness in worship, they prepared themselves by the process of ritual purification.  Water was used in this ritual in the same way that an unclean person could be purified (Lev 15:5; Ezek 36:25).  They also purified the gates and walls; this may have been a mere sprinkling of water, or it could have been a washing of the filth. 

The people were to wash their clothes and bathe before they joined the parade.  It is nice to have clean bodies, especially in a dusty world where water was scarce and bathing was something of a special event.  They did not bathe themselves daily like we do.  They daily washed the hands and the feet, but not the whole body.  So this ritual cleansing was a special event.  

This was a picture of spiritual cleansing.  The Jews were, of all ancient peoples, the most aware of how sinful, how unclean they were before God and how much they needed to be cleansed from their sins: [i]

“Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you.” Isaiah 59:2

We should also purify ourselves before God:  1 John 1:7 & 9, the blood of Jesus, purifies us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

That is the preparation for celebrating God’s goodness.

Stage Two – Parade

31 So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand on the wall toward the Refuse Gate.

38 The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall

What a parade this was.  One went right, the other went left.  Half the people went one way and half went the other.  As they marched, the priests Blew the trumpets (35) and the Levites played musical Instruments (36).  It was a marching band.  Ezra the priest led the parade that went to the right and Nehemiah followed the parade that marched to the Left. 

This was not a parade for onlookers, everyone was invited to march!  It was not a solemn moment, it was a festival!  There were trumpets blowing, cymbals clashing, Singers crooning, people clapping, children laughing, women dancing, men shouting and everyone rejoicing.  And it didn’t stop there. 

Stage Three – Performance – Concert in the Temple

40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, 43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

When they finally got off the wall, the two competing thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God and gave a resounding concert.  The choirs sang loudly.  There were likely speeches from notable men.  The Priests offered great sacrifices, and the people rejoiced with great joy.

And listen to what verse 43 says.  The Priest, the Levites, the band, the choir, the great crowd of men, women and children rejoiced so loud that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

Somewhere outside the gates, the news reached their enemies ears and was passed on by messenger to Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem; “there is a great celebration going on in Jerusalem, we could hear them miles away.  They shouted and sang for hours.  And those three enemies shook their heads in disgust and defeat. 

Meanwhile there was joy in Jerusalem and the celebration continued! 

You know, we could use a little bit more celebration and joy in our churches.  Sure we are being plotted against by the Sanballats and Tobiahs of our world, but Jesus himself said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!”  Matthew 16:18

Needed:  Smiling, singing, Celebrating Saints!  We should take every opportunity and excuse to celebrate the successes and milestones of the people in our church.  From Larry’s Birthday party, to the 150^th anniversary of Pine Grove Community Church;  from the salvation of a soul to the baptism of a believer, let’s celebrate!  Let the party begin! 

The more we celebrate God’s goodness, the more successful our church will be.  Let us be known as rejoicing, redeemed, Christians who are growing daily and celebrating it with great rejoicing! 

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[i] https://earlychurchhistory.org/medicine/ancient-jews-cleanliness/  Purification was required of all Jews before they could enter the Temple or participate in major festivals.  One hundred mikvehs (ceremonial baths) have been found by Hebrew University’s Benjamin Mazar around the wall adjacent to Herod’s Temple.