3/17/13
“Tied To Jesus Christ”
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Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1-11
When I was a boy my mother often would say “If you go out in the rain without a coat and hat, you’re going to catch pneumonia.”
Now as an adult, I can see exactly what she meant. Pneumonia is very powerful. It may start small. But it’s so powerful that it eventually takes control of your lungs and your life. Some of us who have had pneumonia know what this means. Now, imagine this. Suppose you wanted to “catch” not a cold and not pneumonia, but you wanted to “catch” something positive like kindness. Every parent knows that the best way to convey kindness to his child is to be kind. And as the child sees your lifestyle, they are attracted to it and your kindness is “caught.” The same holds true for integrity and selflessness. And how about joy and peace and contentment; where would you go? Wouldn’t you go to catch these things? The answer is found in Scripture. Would you please open your Bible with me to Colossians chapter one? I’ve titled today’s sermon “Tied to Jesus Christ.” Shall we pray? When you read through Colossians, see it as an epistle from God Himself. Here’s a word from Colossians that should encourage your heart. Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:…” It’s as if this God’s greatest concern for you and me. He wants us to know the riches of something beyond the riches of this world. He wants us to get a glimpse of one of the mysteries of life. That mystery is Christ in you; which Paul calls “the hope of glory.” |
There is a lot of unrest in the world. There’s a huge lack of peace. And we often we hear news reporters commenting on some sad conditions and very difficult things in the world. But they do it from the viewpoint of education or economics or even social standing. But when you read God’s word, you see that our biggest needs are the spiritual ones. And God has so ordered the history of mankind that at some point we learn that we need Someone a whole lot bigger than ourselves to make it through this life. We need Jesus Christ. And we need Him in us. As Paul puts it “…Christ in you, the hope of glory:…”
It would be a great thing to be a follower of Jesus. It would be a great thing to read what Jesus said and taught. It would be a great thing if we could memorize and be able to repeat some of the great sentences Christ spoke. But, “Christ in you” is a whole lot more than this. We’ve all see beautiful fountains in the center of a large city. I happen to love fountains. Now, you could admire that water. You might even stand near it. You could stand so close to it that that fountain could spray you a bit. But is that all fountains were made for? Did you know that in order for you to really experience the fountain, you’d have to get into it? You can’t just look at the pictures or read about them or talk about the beauty and wonder of the city fountain. You need to quote “get into it.” Here’s a fountain. And here’s another fountain. They are in the same city. And here’s another one in the same city. And here’s another one. Actually this city has more than two hundred fountains in it. |