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Greetings FCCB’ers!
I hope that all is well with you. I am not a fan of the constant cold weather and have an annoying cough, but besides that everything is all good. We had about 30 people come to our first ‘Connect Luncheon’ this past Sunday which was so good to see. Thanks to all who prayed, attended and helped in so many ways. Also, on Tuesday night the prayer night in the Boxford Library was attended by eight people from Boxford and our church and we had a great time seeking the Lord together. This Sunday we’ll have David Allen, Elder of Christian Ed, lead us through week 2 of 1 Peter for Sunday School at 9:00 am in the Coggin Room. Great start last week, praise God, and we’re looking forward to hearing the Word through David and all of you in the weeks to come! This Sunday during our service we’ll hear from Elizabeth Kuczun and her testimony as well from the Pregnancy Care Center. Steve Kercher has our worship songs all set – Hosanna and Blessed Be Your Name. Click on the links if you would like to “practice up” or just enjoy praising God (click “x” when the ads first appear).
This Sunday I’ll be sharing some ‘Vision’ for 2018 and noting the Lord’s mighty work in our midst. So many things to look forward to! I’ve sensed the Lord’s leading to Colossians 3 for this message. The Apostle Paul reminds those in Colosse and us as to “who they/we are” in Christ. Paul begins by stating, “since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (v. 1-2).
Right off the bat, Paul wants us to raise our gaze to the Lord. My boss with CBMC, John Endlich, used to always say, “keep looking up!”, a good paraphrase for what Paul is saying here. It’s so easy in the “day in/day out” grind to try and plow through, head down. Paul is saying that’s no way for believers to live. Theologically we believe that when we came to faith in Jesus Christ that He actually “raised us to new life.” Our “position” is actually with the Lord already. Truly awesome! Because we have been raised with Christ, we learn to live in that amazing reality. We don’t have to force ourselves to focus on Christ or come up to where Christ is. He has brought us near. Thanks be to God! I am fired up about this….can you tell?
Paul is essentially exhorting us not to live “horizontal lives”, but rather “vertical lives.” Those who haven’t been raised with Christ are naturally, primarily worried about earthly things. For instance, “what is my reputation, do I have what it takes to make it in this world, what is going to happen next week, etc.?” Of course, Christians can be consumed by these things as well. But because we have been raised with Christ, the things of the Lord are to be primary.
Am I living out God’s call on my life
Am I spending time and delighting in His presence
Am I having my mind and heart filled with His love?
Am I experiencing this as an individual and as a church.
Will we be a church that is consumed by earthly concerns or we will be a church consumed by the fire of His love and grace?
I believe our focus on things above will grow as we continue to take steps to go deeper with Him and one another! Verse 3 reminds us, “for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.“
We died?! At first glance this wording by Paul seems a bit odd. In this context Paul is speaking of death to our earthly nature that came the minute we received Jesus as Lord and we were born again. The Lord gave us new birth by the Spirit’s work. Maybe we should all get headstones that remind us that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. After all,
“when Christ, who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” (v. 4).
As believers, a sobering but wonderfully freeing reality is that our life is no longer our “own.” Actually, it never was. No one’s life is. It is all a gift from God. No one created themselves. But the difference for believers is that we acknowledge this – His life is the only reason we live. As believers, we become truly His. Wonderfully liberating. May we be a church acknowledging we are “dead people.” Dead to our flesh and the things of the world that once consumed us. May we simultaneously (and most importantly) acknowledge we are people fully and completely alive to Christ! We are walking with Him in this life and we will be with Him for all eternity in glory. A church that lives this out is a church that is fully alive. In dying to ourselves, Paul lists all the things we are to put to death – “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming” v. 5-6.
Paul points out that we used to walk in these ways and they bring nothing but death. Some of us may testify, through much heartache, the truth of such realities. Paul builds on this list of death producing behaviors. “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips” v. 8.
Paul minces no words and lays out how deadly these sins are. These are things that can kill a church if they pervade people’s thinking. These are lethal forms of sin that take others down in their poison. May we be a people and a church that is coming more and more alive in Christ and daily letting the Lord kill what He needs to kill in us to live into the fullness of His call. This is not easy, but He is merciful and a great Redeemer.
May our speech and lives be edifying!
May we believe the best in each other and seek each other’s best in the Lord!
May we give words of encouragement and not discouragement!
May we not pass unsettling rumors on without thinking but thoughtfully go to the person that it may involve.
May we hold short accounts and love people unconditionally with the love of Christ.
This is not about behavior modification, a moral improvement plan or “sin management.” This is about surrender. This is about life and death. This is about the Lord’s ways and the ways of the world. Let us walk in step with Him and live out this audacious call to live in the light! This is how a world is turned upside down for the Gospel. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, that binds them all together in perfect unity” (v. 12-14). Powerful verses! These passages are common at weddings due to the “garment imagery.” We would put these on like garments. Because we are loved and chosen by God (which is absolutely amazing) these are to be our responses. We are to be compassionate people who care for others in ways that go above and beyond. First Church truly does this! May we pray to embody it more and more!
We want to be people who are kind to others. In this vitriolic world, how refreshing it is to encounter people who are genuinely kind in all their interactions! Patience….oh patience….very tough! We are in a season as a church of learning to patiently wait on Him. He is moving in some amazing ways in our midst and so our antennas are up, seeking Him. But there is also a lot of waiting for ministries to develop and things to be operational. This is a season as a church that we will need to patient with one another as we seek Him for His best. It will take some time and won’t always be easy. Trust me, I know. I would love to move on things quickly. But He is teaching me, and I think us, to wait in some key areas.
In that waiting, we are also to bear with each other and forgive. The tough thing about churches is that we live life in close proximity. Exciting, but also tough. We can “grate” on each other from time to time. But let’s not allow occasional annoyances to become big things. Let’s let the love of Christ fill us and forgive as He has done for us. What a high call! His Spirit will give us the strength for it!
A forgiving church, a loving church, a church that stays after the main thing!
I think this is the type of place the Lord wants us to be. He will do the work. We will watch, wait and participate. This is a season of watching His redeeming work in many wonderful ways. There will be sacrifices and there will hard decisions. But He is the Good Shepherd- He will lead us! Come this Sunday as we look forward to an amazing 2018.
Blessings,
Pastor Andrew |
