2. Colossians: It's All About Jesus When It's Love

3. Becomes a believer Church, Scripture, Prayer Conferences, Retreats Tons of knowledge

4. Becomes a believer Church, Scripture, Prayer Conferences, Retreats Tons of knowledge Very little love or authenticity

5. What went wrong?

6. We are never given knowledge For the sake of knowledge But so that how we live Will be irrevocably changed To God's glory, for our joy

7. And God's glory Is always our joy

8. Literary Genre Epistle= letter ½ of the Conversation Greeting, right theology, life

9. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother

10. Apostle: "Sent one" By God's will The Faith's greatest opponent Becomes its supreme advocate

11. Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church - Acts 8:1

12. Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison - Acts 8:3

13. Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord…

14. …went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus

15. …so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem

16. Damascus, Light, Blind Led into the city 3 Days, Ananias prays Eyes opened, filled with Spirit

17. …he rose and was baptized - Acts 9

18. From persecutor To persecuted Because he's found life …he rose and was baptized - Acts 9

19. From persecutor To persecuted Because no one is too far gone …he rose and was baptized - Acts 9

20. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother

21. …and Timothy our brother Family, not just friend You choose friends You accept family

22. Not just friends But Family Not Family IF I like them right now How I feel isn't the issue

23. You are: Part of, not on the outside of Belong, not separated from Meant to fit by being different In all the right ways

24. The moment you became a Christ-follower: You became Family and a Member of Christ's Church

25. When you were made to feel Like you didn't belong By fellow believers They were wrong

26. We have an acceptance bias Rather than a rejection bias We look for ways to love and Reasons to accept Rather than reasons to divide

27. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God - Romans 15:7

28. We're called to be People of grace Only way this works, right?

29. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you - 3:13

30. Gospel Lenses: - Family - Not-yet Family Either way, Christ died for and We look to point to Jesus in love

31. But here's the problem: Family Dysfunctional Experiences and Cultural Discipleship

32. Estranged, Manipulation False promises Fairness, comparison, bitterness Playing favorites Playing one against the other

33. To walk together as family We'll need 3 Things: Unlearn dysfunctional me-ism Learn mutual submission/honor Christ's Power to live it out

34. Fallen Community: What we've experienced Restoration Community: What God intends it to be

35. Why are churches so jacked? Because people like you are there! (and me)

36. Guarantees: We'll always be jacked New believers, various stages Walking vs. not walking…SO… Great grace while to Jesus

37. Layman: same household Fellow believers: same family Not pastor-centered Christ-centered We minister to one another

38. Questions?

39. To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father …saints who are faithful brothers

40. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…

41. …since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven

42. You Love Because: You want to be good people You're nice and moral Your church expects it You live for more…the hope

43. You live for more than this world To be cognizant of the gospel Is to see past all this stuff And know that this world Is not what we live for

44. Taken advantage of Maligned, reputation ruined Cheated out of, hurt relationally #NotMyHome #NotHomeYet

45. …because of the hope that is laid up for you in heaven The eternal perspective frees us To love like Jesus loves

46. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you… Relativism vs. Objective Truth

47. …as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing- as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth

48. Knowing Jesus is never just a Choice we make It is a spiritual action by which God opens our eyes to perceive Truth we otherwise could not

49. …just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit

50. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you…

51. …asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…

52. So I can live my best life now? So I'll be happy… #SoBlessed? So I'll know lots of spiritual stuff And can throw verse bombs at Other people?

53. If I stop at knowledge alone For the sake of knowledge I risk making the Faith All about me And missing Jesus

54. …asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…

55. …so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God

56. We are given spiritual wisdom And understanding So that our lives will bring honor To the King who died for us

57. And…as we follow his will Seeking to glorify him We bear fruit and increase Even more in our Knowledge of God

58. We are never given knowledge For the sake of knowledge But so that how we live Will be irrevocably changed To God's glory, for our joy

59. Growing in the knowledge of The things of God Leads us to live more for God And love people better Else we didn't actually grow

60. You are given wisdom So that you can follow Jesus As you follow Jesus by faith You grow even more in your Understanding of your King

61. When we follow Jesus by faith We grow in our knowledge Of our King And find that he's more than Enough to meet our needs

62. A Christian Used Car Salesman…

63. A man who stayed faithful When his wife continued To step out on him

64. A guy who moved out To give God room to work A discovered that God Actually could meet his needs

65. A call to ministry Without any way for it To ever happen

66. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy…

67. …giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light

68. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…

69. …in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins - Colossians 1:1-13

70. Cross of Jesus: - Qualified for inheritance - Delivered into Kingdom - Redeemed and forgiven

71. This is why we trust Jesus And live for our King This is why we're Family To help each other live In a world that loves stumbles

72. How do I see church? An organization? Or a Family? Am I seek Jesus for power to Live out Restoration Community

73. Do I have an acceptance bias? If not, what needs to change?

74. Is my desire to live for Jesus And love people Growing? If not, am I willing to ask Jesus To put that desire back into me?

75. Pray

76. Questions, Comments Disagreements

77. Restroom Renovation Next Sunday

78. Colossians Next Week