Message: “Reimagining Spiritual Maturity” from Matt Nelson

COLOSSIANS Reimagining Spiritual Maturity 7.31.22 In a city dominated by the Roman empire, false teachers, and a blending of beliefs, Paul writes a subversive letter to the church at Colossae calling them to a different way of life. In this letter, Paul invites the church to reshape their imagination around a world saturated with Christ, to stand faithful against the bombardment of false gospels, and to set their hearts, minds, and lives on the reality of the resurrection of Christ. Paul & Timothy  Epaphras  Tychicus Two main cultural factors to understand in Colossae: Roman Empire Syncretism Paul is writing a letter inviting the Colossians to reimagine all of life through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Colossians 3:1-5 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel6 that has come to you. What does a good spiritual father/mother do? Spiritual fathers/mothers connect. The counterfeit to connection is manipulation. Spiritual fathers/mothers affirm. The counterfeit to affirmation is flattery. Spiritual fathers/mothers guide. The counterfeit to guiding is controlling. Spiritual fathers/mothers provide. The counterfeit to providing is spoiling. Colossians 1:6-8 In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. Colossians 1:9-14 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. What does it look like for us to GROW UP into Christ? What does spiritual maturity look like? To be filled with the knowledge of God and his will Paul prays that they will attain a deep, abiding revelation of Christ and his divine plan to redeem all of creation. To gain a life that reflects Christ As you grow in your knowledge and understanding of God, your conduct will change and you will produce the fruit of the Spirit. To gain the power and strength to persevere The hope of heavenly glory in the future requires patience and endurance in the present. To gain joy through the work of the gospel Your joy is not rooted in circumstances or pleasures or the things of this world but in the reality of Christ’s saving work in your life that moved you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

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From Series: "Colossians"

In a city dominated by the Roman empire, false teachers, and a blending of beliefs, Paul writes a subversive letter to the church at Colossae calling them to a different way of life. In this letter, Paul invites the church to reshape their imagination around a world saturated with Christ, to stand faithful against the bombardment of false gospels, and to set their hearts, minds, and lives on the reality of the resurrection of Christ.