ROOTED IN HIM Colossians 2:4-8
When
the Son of Man comes, will he find Faith on the earth? Luke 18:8. Who asked
that question? None other than Jesus himself, who is the author and the
finisher of our Faith. It looked like He had already foreseen the affairs of
our world today. Many in the World live as though God doesn't exist. Because of
the increased wickedness, many Christians' love for God is growing cold. Many
Christians in the Church are losing their Faith in Jesus Christ.
How
could we navigate our Christian Faith in a world that is increasingly becoming
arrogant toward God and hostile toward God's people? How could we hold on to
the truth in a culture of alternative facts, or how do you know your version of
the truth is the actual truth? These faith challenges are not new; the
first-century Colossian believers also faced them. How did they hold on to
their Faith in Christ amid heresies, a hostile and often violent culture?
We
are continuing our 'In Him' series based on the letter of the Apostle Paul to
the Colossian believers. Today, we will examine the importance of holding fast
to our Faith and how we can navigate our culture without compromising our Faith,
as many Christians do today. I title this sermon, Rooted In Him, Colossians
2:4-8.
At the time of writing the letter to the Colossians,
Paul was in prison in Ephesus, awaiting trial for his preaching. Still, he was
glad to hear Ephaphras' report about the well-being and struggles of the
believers in Colossae. The purpose of the letter was not to rebuke any sin or
correct a doctrinal error but to encourage the believers in their faith
struggles. He was concerned about the influence of the false teachers and urged
the believers to remain strong in their Faith.
I. A
Disciplined Life Strengthens Our Faith In Christ
Colossians
2:4-5, "I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding
arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in Spirit
and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your Faith in Christ
is."
As
a pastor, Paul wanted to be personally present in the Church to speak to the
believers, but he couldn't be there in person, so he wrote to them instead. He
warned them so that no one would deceive them by fine-sounding arguments. Paul
noticed in other churches, such as Corinth, some believers were being deceived
and turning away from their Faith.
II
Cor 11:3-5, "But
I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your
minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to
you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you
receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different
gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough."
Paul did not want what happened to the Corinthian believers to occur to the
Colossian believers, or to any of Christ's followers at any time.
So, he appealed to their
strength, saying, "I delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm
your faith in Christ is." In the scriptures, discipline means training. It
is not physical but spiritual training. Writing to Timothy, his spiritual son,
he urges him, saying, "Train yourself to be godly." I Timothy 4:7.
Paul's assessment of the Colossian believers was that they were
well-disciplined, which led them to be strong in their Faith.
I thank God that at Hope
Church, I see several of you are well-disciplined and have a strong faith in
Jesus Christ. But
don't be slack in your spiritual disciplines, such as reading Scripture, Worship,
Prayer, and fellowshipping with other believers. Some of you may have to start
developing those spiritual habits. However, if we do not maintain those
disciplines, we too might be deceived. How can we remain steadfast in our
Faith?
Let's
follow Paul's advice in Colossians 2:6-7, "So, then, just as you have
received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted
and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and
overflowing with thanksgiving."
II
ROOTED IN HIM.
The
apostle Paul affirmed that the Colossian believers received Christ Jesus as
their Lord, an act that occurred at some point in their lives. But then he
urged them not to be stagnant in their Faith, but to continue living their
lives in Him by being rooted and built up in Him.
Similarly, those of us who have been born
again have received Jesus Christ as our Lord. However, that is not enough. As
we journey long, we must continue to live our lives in Him by being rooted in
Him. What does Rooted in Him mean, and how is it expressed in our lives?
Paul
uses a metaphor of a tree sending its roots deep down into the soil. In the
scriptures, we see the life of a believer as a tree planted in the ground. For
instance, Psalm 1:1-3, "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with
the wicked or
stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law
of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a
tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever
they do prospers."
In the parable of the
Vine and the Branches, Jesus explained the importance of being rooted in Him.
John 15:5-7, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you
remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you
can do nothing. If
you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers;
such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you
wish, and it will be done for you." Based on these illustrations, what
does it mean to be rooted in Him?
It means Christ is the soil in which believers
are rooted, and He enables them to produce the fruit of good deeds and words,
and to grow in their knowledge of God. That is the prayer of Paul for all
believers in Col 1:10. When we continue to live in Jesus, who is the good and
fertile soil from whom we receive the sustenance to lead a fulfilling and fruit
bearing life.
How can we be rooted in Christ? It
does not happen automatically, but instead intentionally being with Jesus and
getting to know Him through the reading of the Bible. The more time we spend
with Jesus, the more we will be like Him, and our Faith is also strengthened. I
emphasize that without reading and applying God's word, we cannot understand
what God is like, His purpose for our lives, and how to navigate life in this
highly conflicted.
Paul, writing to the Roman believers who lived in
a culture similar to ours, explained the importance of living by the teachings
taught in Scripture. Romans 15:4, "For everything that was written in the
past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the
Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." What
did we learn from the Bible?
Unfortunately, many Christians in the USA do not
read their Bible, let alone live by the teachings of the scriptures. Many let
the culture influence their understanding of life; instead, let the scriptures
inform them how to live their lives that are worthy of God. Because of their
lack of Biblical knowledge, resulting in their shallow relationship with Chris,
many Christians are easily persuaded by the empty promises of the politicians
and deceived by worldly philosophies.
On the contrary, a Christian who is deeply rooted
in Him is not easily deceived. Because Christ, who gives us wisdom, becomes our
wisdom. The Holy Spirit that He sent us becomes our guiding counselor and
ever-present help in times of need. When we are rooted in Him, we will be able
to test and discern the deceiving spirits. We will hold on to the truth and
avoid error.
A Christian who is deeply rooted in Him would
say, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by Faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20. A person deeply
rooted in Him will be a grateful person. They will be thankful for all things.
Let's examine our lives today. Are you living a shallow and weak Christian
life? Or is your life deeply Rooted In Him?
