One of the topics that is flying around some of the blogs I read is the idea of “our identity in Christ.” I personally believe it is a good topic that needs discussed. Blogs like Kary Oberbrunner’s Kary Oberbrunner: Recovering Pharisee realize its importance because we are often given wrong names and therefore live by them. Others like Julie Busby’s JourneytoBeloved see its importance because until we know who we are in Christ we can never know the freedom we have been given through grace. There are others. Those are just two that I read. Julie’s especially strikes a chord within me because of her struggle with coming out of legalism and putting God in a box and living by a list of rules and regulations that says, “Do this and you are a Christian” or “Do this and you are not.” (Then the religious teachers of that movement presume i.e. push their preconceived ideas upon unsuspecting folk). Oops sorry, I digress. 🙂
It is important to me as a pastor/leader that I lay the groundwork for living a life that is pleasing to God, not based on what I think but on what God’s Word says. I realize that some may take the view that I am presenting it according to my bias and I reckon I can’t argue with that. But I do think one of the best ways to show that is not to preach my opinions but to allow the Bible to speak where it speaks. With that in mind I made a commitment (notice the absence of the word “resolve?”) to preach mostly expository sermons this year. I am beginning 2011 by preaching a series through Colossians. As you can see by the banner, I have given the series the title Above All. The book of Colossians is a great book that shows us who we are in Christ but never loses sight that we are who we are because of Whose we are. I hope you caught that statement. If not, run it through your mind again…slowly. The apostle Paul spends a whole lot of time showing the excellency of Christ, or if I may borrow a word…the preeminence of Christ. He is Above All. The Colossians were being pressured by a horrible heresy that valued mysticism and legalism and “knowledge” above knowing who they were in Christ. I have been truly amazed how relevant (oooh don’t you like that word?) this ancient book is. This first sermon in the series is going to be an overview of the book:
- The Colossian History
- The Colossian Heresy
- The Colossian Hope
I am excited about preaching this series to the folks at OVCF. I feel it is so necessary. I tend to be one who shies away from tooting my horn but if you care to listen, you can find the link on the church’s website. I think Ryan says he gets it there around Tuesday. I would certainly appreciate your prayers for me, and the folks at OVCF, as I preach this message.
Special thanks to new papa, Dan Drewes, for the banner. Do you know how hard it is to come up with something that pictures the series with such a vague theme as Above All? Some may think it is cheesy but I think it tells exactly what I want it to say. Thanks Dan, as always, for a professional job.
Identity and where we find it is such a huge thing. Blessings to you as you teach and lead the congregation in this, Bill. I pray it’s a powerful, life-transforming time.
As a pastor you know how important identity is Jason. Thanks for your prayers and taking the time to come by.
Bill,
Colossians is easily one of my Top 3 Books o’ The Bible. It is rich with admonition, encouragement and power.
I mean, come on now.
The Incomparable Christ
13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Paul wasn’t speakig like some sissy here. He was proclaiming the Sovereignty of God. Love. It.
Look forward to your messages out of this awesome Book.
Donald: you got the picture! Incomparable for sure!! Thanks for the Scripture.
Oh love that you are preaching expository sermons rooted and grounded in God’s word. I am praying for you Bill and excited for what this year holds for your church.
I finally got around to talking about Randall Arthur on my latest post. His stuff has really resonated deeply with me. Thank you again for the book and for the friendship-you are appreciated greatly.
Julie: I recognized it! 🙂 I would love for everyone to read his books this year. What a life-transforming experience it would be. I know how much they meant to you. Hmmm I may have to re-read them this month (January). Thanks for your friendship and encouragement. Looking forward to the new site.
Bill, I’ve enjoyed reading you and I have prayed for you and the church you lead. God Bless and Keep.
Thanks Craig. I know you have only been blogging a short time and look forward to reading more in 2011. Blessings to you.
I wish I were going to be there but will wait for it to hit the world wide web 🙂 Love you and will be praying…
Wish you were here also but you have chosen to live in that southern state of Tennessee with them orange and white people. 🙂 Love you and you know I am praying for you.
hope the series goes well for you and your church
Thanks Jay. I am expecting God to show up. 🙂
That sounds like a kick-butt series. You do record and podcast the sermons, right?
Hoping it is Jason. And the answer is yes. They are on the church’s website.
Praying for OVCF and this series bro’…I’m going to “resolve” to listen when I can! Happy New Year!
Thanks Jay. That means a whole lot!
Colossians is an incredible book. I pray that God speaks through you powerfully to your community. It sounds exciting. I love expository preaching!
Happy New Year Bill! May God continue to bless and use you powerfully!
Thanks Tony. I look forward to seeing what God is going to do in your life this year.
Hi Bill,
If we have strayed from God what brings us back?
I think of the nation of Israel in their exile to Babylon. They went there (into exile) because of their sin against God. Of course not all of the people in the nation of Israel had turned away from their God but many of the rulers and priests and leaders of the land had.
Honestly, other than their grieving and repentance before God while in captivity I can’t think of anything that brought about their return to the land that God had promised to their forefathers and had given to them.
Identity is good. However, I think that it can also carry on the New Age theme of ‘I am’ in the minds of God’s people.
Of course we can always say that we are not a wayward people. There is no need for me to repent, I’m secure in Christ.
As a believer, I’m not willing to take that chance.
Right now my thoughts are leaning toward our needing to think of ourselves as in captivity. We’re no better or no less than the one without God in our land. The saved and the unsaved are scrambling to find relevance? 🙂 meaning, reason for our lives and the salvation of our souls and eternal life.
It’s not that I believe that Christians don’t have an advantage is this race. However, Paul does teach in Romans chapter 2 that those who sin apart from the law will perish apart from the law and those who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
We have simply lost the fear of God in our time and the fear of God, the Bible says in Psalm 111:10, is the beginning of wisdom.
What will obtain the desired goal? Humbling ourselves and grieving and repenting before God for as long as it takes. The Jews did this in Babylonia and after 70 years God listened.
This is just some of my current thinking about wayward people trying to get back to God.
I am looking forward to your series. I think it is a good place to start in the New Year.
Thanks Linda. I hope it will turn out to be a revolutionary series in the lives of the people.
Hi Bill,
I’m thinking further on this ‘identity crisis’. Are we having an identity crisis? Or are we simply having trouble living for God?
I wouldn’t think that very many believers have missed the teaching of the past 20 years or so on who we are in Christ. I think what we are having trouble with is living out that identity. We fail, we feel guilty, we beat ourselves and others in order to try to make ourselves feel better. We have the want to, but no power to do it. No power to live righteously for God, no power to be holy.
We are a people without an active God. We are a second order of Jews living like the nation of Israel today, still waiting for God to show up.
If we look at the natural Jews, their identity was taken from them at the time of Christ and given to those who would receive it. The Jews in Christs’ time and up to the present day refuse to believe that God has left them. Even today they still believe that they are the ones who have the true God. All other peoples are inferior and lost.
We are in a crisis as believers in USA and Canada. There is no doubt about that. We’re seeing what the scriptures say in God’s word but we aren’t seeing it being manifest in our own lives or in the organized churches.
Instead of repentance we justify, explain away, and give ourselves excuses for our lives not conforming to the Word of God. The newest thing is that God’s word is not relevant for our time, that we have to re-write and re-make it so that the world can understand it. What??
God did not revive the nation of Israel in Jesus’ day. He put the nation of Israel under the same sin and position as all other peoples in the world. An equal playing field. We all come to God now through faith in Jesus Christ.
I think that we do a disservice to believers when we say that all is well. It is very obvious that all is not well. We are not well. We are sick and in need of the great physician.
Lets get ready for another change in the order of things. If we cling to the old order as the nation of Israel did in the time of Jesus we will miss what God is moving us into.
Hi Bill,
I think a new order is likely coming.
When we look at the natural we see a New Order for the world coming. Things have been prepared and are still being prepared for a new way for the natural world to function. A one world government is rising up, as one example.
First the natural the Bible says then the spiritual. Hallelujah!! There’s new hope for our future in God!! Let’s hang on and ride the Polar Express!! 🙂
Hi Bill,
Something I remember about how and why the Israelites came back into the land after captivity in Babylon for 70 years. The Prophets had prophesied it. They prophesied the exile of the nation of Israel including Judah into captivity and the destruction of Jerusalem and they prophesied God’s mercy in bringing the people back.
Hi Bill,
I like Dan’s work here of the banner showing Jesus and the World. I’m not suggesting that you change it.
I’ve heard that peoples view him differently all over the world. To Mexicans and South Americans he is spanish looking, to Africa he is black. etc.
Ezekiel describes something totally foreign to us. Full of eyes, etc. This morning I’m thinking of a Jesus with oriental eyes, black styled lips, red frizzy hair, one pale white cheek, one black cheek etc. However one wants to divide him up. Sorta patchwork like. 🙂
This is just me blurbing about nada.
Dan does a terrific job. It is true though that how we have often pictured jesus is probably not the way he was.