1. BOOK OF COLOSSIANS Presenting Everyone Perfect in Christ: “Maturing Disciples”

2. Happy Mother’s Day! There’s nobody in the world that can match a mother! For love For concern For nurturing For patience For protectiveness For insight For bugging you to do what is best for YOU! We must always honor our mothers—honor motherhood itself.

3. Small group sharing – 5 minutes Share your fondest memory of your mother and then say a prayer of thanks. If you are one of those that has less than good memories, share that with the group and let them pray for you as well as your mother.

4. Review The Supremacy of Christ in All Things. Col. 1 – 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him… 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him… In NT all truth hinges on the identity of Christ and all false teaching is rooted in a misbelief about Him

5. Presenting Everyone Perfect Col. 1 – 24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

6. 28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

7. Keys to Maturing Disciples 1. Focus on Jesus 2. Admonish and Teach Jesus 3. Make Maturity an Express Goal 4. Work with All His Energy—The Holy Spirit

8. 1. Focus on Jesus Col. 2:1-8 – 1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

9. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine- sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

10. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

11. 1. Proclaim and preach Jesus – not inspirational, self- serving quotes; not isolated texts to support our pre- conceived notions; not denominational doctrines and practices that have long lost connection to Jesus; not nice readings written by uninspired moderns; not mere opinions and points of view 2. Aim for all to have the complete understanding of Christ 3. Avoid fine-sounding arguments that detract from Christ

12. 4. Be rooted and built up in faith in him 5. Make everything is “according to Him”

13. 2. Admonish and Teach Jesus Col. 3 – 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

14. 1. Be at peace with one another in your hearts and be unified in Him. 2. Be full of the word of Christ 3. Teach and admonish one another with all Wisdom 4. Share and sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs 5. Have gratitude in your heart to God 6. Do everything in the name of Jesus—by his authorization and to His glory and credit.

15. 3. Make Maturity an Express Goal Phil. 3 – 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

16. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

17. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

18. 1. You’ve got to “want it”. 2. You’ve got to focus on Jesus. 3. You’ve got to work hard at it—strain for it and teach others to strain for it. 4. You’ve got to press on with patience and perseverance.

19. 4. Work with His Energy Col. 1 – 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may 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…

20. Isa. 40 – 30 Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

21. Eph. 3 – 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…

22. 1. It’s about living a life worthy of Him. 2. It’s about seeking to please Him in everything. 3. It’s about growing in His knowledge and power. 4. It’s about developing his strength and endurance. 5. It’s about “waiting” on him. 6. It’s about walking by His Spirit, being filled with His Spirit, and following the leadership of His Spirit.

23. Conclusion 1. Focus on Jesus 2. Admonish and Teach Jesus 3. Make Maturity an Express Goal 4. Work with All His Energy—The Holy Spirit