08-03-2020
Colossians 2:16-23 New International Version (NIV)
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
What started as something good ends up as a challenge.
Fake news goes into our minds. It puts us off from the logical mind. It creates panic, fear and confusion. Fake news causes destruction.
In our Christian journey, we need to be aware of what comes into our lives. The big mastermind is the devil. He is the liar and father of lies. He is the originator of fake news. (Genesis 3)
The devil sows confusion in God's truth. He sows half-truth. We see compromises all over. We see people defaming each other. We see people living two kinds of lives.
Fake news undermines God's truth. Eg. God looks at your performance in order to be acceptable to Him. That's a lie of the devil.
Another fake news is, God has a plan and purpose for your life to grow spiritually and to mature. You come to church to mature. But he doesn't tell you that you are part of the body of Christ to honour one another, to serve one another and build one another up.
Jesus Christ the Son is the image of the invisible God.
God's completeness is found in Christ.
In Christ, we find our completeness in Him.
In Christ, we understand the fullness of the Deity in bodily form.
Do not let them capture your heart and mind with things that are not true.
Colossians 2:6-7 New International Version (NIV)
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Our roots in Christ need to be grounded in the soil of truth.
We need to grow our lives deep into God's truth.
It is our personal responsibility to get our lives to be rooted and grounded in Christ.
Colossians 2:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
Paul says, "Be careful. Let's anchor on Christ and see to it that we take action along that direction."
Acts 20:29-31 New International Version (NIV)
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 New International Version (NIV)
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
People come to take you away from your faith. Be careful of aavage wolves. Be careful of fake news. It takes you like virus. The savage wolves attack your itchy ears and itchy fingers.
The savage wolves also look for those who want short cuts. These people look for secret recipes. The wide gate is the easy way. There can be blessing but no commitment. There is also the narrow way.
The savage wolves also look for those who are not rooted and grounded in Christ.
Matthew 22:34-40 New International Version (NIV)
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Do not let anyone judge you.
Do not let anyone disqualify you.
Do not be taken captive by submitting to the elemental spiritual forces of this world.
Paul brings them from false teachings to a Christ centred life.
The fullness of God is in Christ alone. There is no other answer. There is no other secret recipe.
Luke 15:11-32 New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
As far as the older brother is concerned, his significance and security and acceptance was based on his ability to perform in order to be accepted by his father.
We need to see ourselves falling in the danger of the older brother.
It was not on the love of the father.
The story is also about the prodigal son's father. He went out and called him, "My son. You are always with me. Everything I have is yours."
The father loved them-the younger brother and the older brother.
It says a lot to us. If we become religious and go about condemning others, it is all false news.
It is by grace that we have been saved through faith. It is not through our own effort. It is the undeserved gift of God. It is the grace of God. The grace of God is able to transform. The grace of God is able to give us that sense of significance and acceptance and being secure in Christ.
Every time the devil comes to deceive us, come back to the grace and truth of God.
I am accepted, therefore I am obeying.
Experience the celebration and thrill of being free in Christ.
Praise the Lord. "Thank you, Lord!"
Freedom in Christ is received, not achieved.
The bondage of sin is broken. Our identity in Christ is all on Christ. He did it all for us.
John 21 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Peter is me. Peter is you. Peter is us. We have all denied Jesus in our lives in certain ways. Whether it is in denying Jesus in our attitude or in our convictions.
Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me more than these?"
What is important for you and me is to love Jesus in the innermost part of our lives and that love comes out in our actions.
Jesus tells Peter, "Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep. And follow me. I have restore you. I have loved you. I have come to you with the word of eternal life."
There is freedom in Christ because of Calvary. The chains of sin are broken and we are able to follow Him. Do not judge. Do not be judged. Do not think you are disqualified. Do not be taken captive by the spiritual elemental forces.
1 Peter 2:9-10 New International Version (NIV)
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The gospel is about the journey of God in your lives. Because of that we begin to live our Kingdom principles.
When He comes again, we have a hope that is unshakeable. Salvation is a process of us being conformed into the image of God.
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
RELATED:
A Holy People in the Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:1-14)
The Supremacy of Christ (Colossians 1:15-23)
How Should We Serve Christ (Colossians 1:24-2:5)
Completeness in Christ (Colossians 2:6-15)
Freedom in Christ (Colossians 2:16-23) The Attack on a Christ Centred Life
Mentality in Christ (Colossians 3:1-17)
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