Lesson 4:
Colossians 2:8-23 (“The Superiority and Sufficiency of Christ”)
Lesson 5:
Colossians 3:1-17 (“The Love of Christ”)
During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing
the work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to
her, wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders, but she refused
to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed the help and he was
prepared to pay out of his own funds. When he asked why he could not buy the
supplies, he was told, "Colonel,
just ask for it!" A smile broke
over Roosevelt's face. Now he understood--the provisions were not for sale. All
he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely. Our Daily Bread, October 11, 1992.
My Teaching will hopefully help you to see your growth in
Christ covering lessons 4 and 5 spring planting and Jesus resurrection.
·
Be Rooted in Christ
·
Be Alive in Christ
·
Plant well
During our break I spent time some time thinking about which vegetables
to buy for my garden patch and planning where to transplant some established
plants. The roots of a young plant need great care.
Colossians 2:6Therefore,
as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,7rooted and
built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding
in thanksgiving.
The slide I showed in an earlier lesson had a tree full of
life and a huge root system. In Colossians it tells us to be rooted and
grounded in our faith. Not faith in just anything, but faith in the One who is
superior and sufficient.
One of our Core Leaders introduced
me to a remarkable resource online. Jesusplusnothing.com That is exactly was
lesson 4 is teaching. We must choose to trust in Christ alone, plus nothing
else; not works, not mantras, not position. Believers, complete in Christ, must
add nothing to their salvation.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully Man. His sacrifice for us
is complete. He alone is all we need
for salvation—today, tomorrow, and forever. He alone can bring us into full,
deep relationship with the Father God. Center your faith, your hope, and your
love in Christ.
Sunday night our church shared an outdoor viewing of the Jesus film from Campus Crusade for
Christ in the gazebo of our small town. Listening once more to the story of
Christ’s supreme sacrifice reinforces His unfailing love for us. A Love that is
greater than all my sin.
Whenever we try to add something to what He has done, we’re
saying that Jesus’ cry from the cross (“It
is finished!” John 19:30) is a lie. Did Christ die for nothing? What more
can we add to His perfect sacrifice? Greek word “Tetelestai"
(pronounced "teh-teh-les-tai") .
13….God made (us) alive together with him, having
forgiven us all our trespasses,14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.
This he set aside, nailing it to the
cross.
In Jesus day a Roman prisoner was
given a “certificate of debt” with the amount of money owed or the crime
committed tacked on the outside of their cell. We know the most horrific, the
most severe punishment was to be crucified, hung a tree. Christ has taken our
certificate of debt, He cancelled our debt, blotted out our sins, and wiped
away the shame of our iniquities; And nailed it to the Cross. “Jesus paid a debt he did not owe.”
For this reason believers are alive in Christ.
Back in 1830 George Wilson was
convicted of robbing the U.S. Mail and was sentenced to be hanged. President
Andrew Jackson issued a pardon for Wilson, but he refused to accept it. The
matter went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded that Wilson must to be
executed. "A pardon is a slip of paper," wrote Marshall, "the
value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If
it is refused, it is no pardon.” For some, the pardon comes too late. For
others, the pardon is not accepted. (Prokope, V. 11, #5.)
Will you accept this pardon?
19-20For in him all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Will you accept the peace He offers?
When Peter reaches the tomb to find Jesus raised and the
linens left behind, the napkin was folded from his head symbolizing He was
finished. This scene always reminds me as Christians we need to take off our grave clothes and
live for Jesus.
Please take some time now to confess to the Lord that you
will accept the pardon made on your behalf by Jesus precious blood sacrifice on
the Cross. Tomorrow is Good Friday. Do you have someone you need to tell what
that means to you? In Leader’s Council we are preparing our personal
testimonies to share. 1 Peter 3:15
tells us to always be prepared to answer the “Reason for our Hope.”
I loved the part in the Flint Groves Drama when the thief
arrived in paradise robed in white. He is confused and cannot believe he was in
heaven. Everyone turned out to greet him and welcome him to heaven. Luke 15:7
tells us the rejoicing over one sinner who repents. We are dead to the old self
and our fleshly desires. Take off your grave clothes and put on your new robes.
3:9b,10 put on the new
self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator
Isaiah 1:18Lord: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
When the world is covered we snow it is easy to see something crimson red.
If we are alive in
Christ, so we must live like it.
Remember our verse of several weeks ago. He delivered us from
the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his
beloved SON.
Have you ever felt like you were in a dark place and needed
to move into the light. Jesus is the light of the world. Call out to Him.
If we are alive in Christ, we ought to be light in the world.
We are to be shining examples of His love spreading joy and peace. Well, in my
garden I need to transfer my rose bush from under the shade of a river birch
into the SUN.
Moving plants allows me to see the root system, worms or rot
can damage plants. Without a strong root system a tree can be uprooted and
tossed in the wind. Are you Rooted in
Christ? Are you secure in your position as a child of God that you will not
be swayed by every teaching that tickles our ears? Our memory verse for lesson
4 states:
8See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy
and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental
spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Besides the strong roots to anchor them, plants need water
and nourishment to thrive.
Plants need to be planted in good soil. Remember the parable
of the Sower and the seed. Luke 8:15 As for that (seed planted)
in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it
fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
How can we live for
Christ?16Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all
wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your
hearts to God.17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
John 15:5 I am the vine;
you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I
in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
The fruit of the spirit is LOVE and manifests itself in all the Godly characteristics of
Christ.
Trimming back dead wood is necessary encourage new growth. Do
you have any dead wood you need to remove? Do you exhibit a bad attitude,
ungrateful spirit, murmuring and grumbling? We must die to self every morning
leaving behind our old habits and attitudes.
Christians, we are in
Christ, and He in us. Let’s live that way.
Your life is a Garden. What you plant, you will
harvest.
As you plan your garden this year, here are some good
suggestions.
PLANT 5 rows of peas.
PLANT 5 rows of peas.
· Politeness
· Purity
· Patience
Perseverance
PLANT 4
rows of squash.
·
Squash gossip
·
Squash criticism
·
Squash indifference
·
Squash prejudice
PLANT 5 rows
of lettuce.
· Let us not be weary in well-doing
· Let us be obedient in all things
· Let us be truthful
· Let us not complain
Water freely with patience and cultivate with love. AFTER
PLANTING, may you "Grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18) and may you reap rich results.
Believers are alive in
Christ, are you willing to live like it?
