Coney Hill Baptist Church

Demonstrating God’s Love Together

13th July 2008

Being A Jesus Church – Paul’s Purpose…

Colossians 2:1-10

Intro:

Paul had a plan. He knew exactly the sort of church he wanted Colossae to become. He knew it, not because he’d been on a course, or read a book, but because he knew Jesus. His mission was focussed on helping Jesus’ character be expressed in groups of people – places that came to be known as churches. His life’s purpose was to enthuse and inspire ordinary men and women, in everyday cities and towns, to live Jesus type lives together … that’s why we have our New Testament.

In this section of the letter, he shares his heart with them, as he lays bare his intention, his purpose…

A United Faith – Relationship (v’s 2-3)

He wants them to be ‘encouraged in heart and united in love’. His first concern, arising from his desire for them to know and understand Christ, is that they might be united together – bound in relationship.

He knows that only together can they possibly come close to demonstrating the fullness of Jesus in their community. (Hence our mission statement).

That’s true both practically, because only when we all play our part are those places that only each of us go to touched, and theologically, as we live out being the body of Christ together, in all our diversity.

A Thinking Faith – (v’s 4,5,8)

Paul’s purpose though was also to get them, and us, to think about their faith. Sometimes we are suspicious of thinking, as if it’s the enemy of spontaneous, spirit-filled faith (studying theology). But Paul knew that if our faith is going to last, and grow, and flourish, it cannot depend entirely on our most recent felt experience. Being ‘firm’ and ‘orderly’ doesn’t mean dry and uninspiring. We need an explanation, an argument, a defence against alternative views. If ‘basic philosophies’ and ‘fine-sounding arguments’ were threats that needed to be countered in the first century, how much more so in the 21^st. It’s not about academic knowledge but understanding the world we’re in, the questions people are asking. De-coding the culture, and being able to present Christ in it. A job not only for experts but for each of us

A Living Faith – Practice (v’s 6-7)

Finally, more than anything, the Jesus faith that he called on them to fully take on was a faith of action. Yes its about fellowship, and faith, prayer and worship – but essentially its about life … all of it. ‘Continue to live in him’ he says, allowing him to influence and effect everything else, and do it with gratitude.

Conc:

The genius of scripture is that it’s God’s living word. Paul’s passion for a Jesus church in Colossae then, comes to use as our recipe for being his people now. Not mere religion or Sunday ritual, nor only a set of doctrines and a moral code, but all of us, committed together, able to stand firm in every conversation, putting Jesus into practice at every opportunity.

Office Address:

Coney Hill Road

West Wickham

Kent

BR4 9BU