Grace Bible Church, of Seabrook, MD Sermons

Colossians 1.21-2.6

1. Appreciate the Gospel by Persevering in Faith (1.21-23)
2. Connect Cognitive Faith to Emotional Guts (1.24-2.1)
3. Know Your Purpose (2.2-3)
   The path to true knowledge:
   1. Are you seeking to comfort others?
   2. Are you connecting to a loving church community?
   3. Are you seeking to assure others by understanding them?
   4. Are you thinking, feeling, and acting like Jesus?
      If these aren’t your motives, you know little of true importance.
4. Walk the Walk (2.4-6)

Colossians 2.6-17; 3.1-5

1. Introduction (2.6-9)

Remember Who Jesus Is (9)
Understand What Paul Means by “philosophy” and “empty deceit” (6-8)

2. Beware Your Inner Pharisee (2.10-23) (Your Conscience Runs Amok)

Signs of Legalism:

• Somehow simple faith just doesn’t cut it for you (2.10-13)
• You have to have your rules and you don’t like them to be changed (2.14)
• You fear the demonic realm because your conscience isn’t really free (2.15)
• You are vulnerable to other people’s inappropriate expectations (2.16)
• You don’t start with Jesus, you start with shadowy attempts to appease him (2.17)
• You put too much faith in human theories (2.18-23)

3. Check Yourself into a Rehab Center (3.1-7) (Your Desires Run Amok)

Signs of Addiction:

• You keep looking to earthly pleasures to satisfy your deepest longings (3.1-4)
• Your sexuality is out of control (3.5a)
• You refuse to admit that your desires are contrary to God’s design (3.5b)
• You always need more (3.5c)

4. Note the Warning Signs of These Two Extremes (3.8-9)

• You have unresolved anger
• You have powerful negative emotions (People walk on eggshells around you)
• You carry resentment
• You are verbally toxic, or even abusive
• You have a foul mouth 
• You lie

 5. Application (3.10-11)

. . .put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge
after the image of its creator.  Here there is not Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian,
slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Colossians 2.6-17; 3.1-5

1. Introduction (2.6-9)

Remember Who Jesus Is (9)
Understand What Paul Means by “philosophy” and “empty deceit” (6-8)

2. Beware Your Inner Pharisee (2.10-23) (Your Conscience Runs Amok)

Signs of Legalism:

• Somehow simple faith just doesn’t cut it for you (2.10-13)
• You have to have your rules and you don’t like them to be changed (2.14)
• You fear the demonic realm because your conscience isn’t really free (2.15)
• You are vulnerable to other people’s inappropriate expectations (2.16)
• You don’t start with Jesus, you start with shadowy attempts to appease him (2.17)
• You put too much faith in human theories (2.18-23)

3. Check Yourself into a Rehab Center (3.1-7) (Your Desires Run Amok)

Signs of Addiction:

• You keep looking to earthly pleasures to satisfy your deepest longings (3.1-4)
• Your sexuality is out of control (3.5a)
• You refuse to admit that your desires are contrary to God’s design (3.5b)
• You always need more (3.5c)

4. Note the Warning Signs of These Two Extremes (3.8-9)

• You have unresolved anger
• You have powerful negative emotions (People walk on eggshells around you)
• You carry resentment
• You are verbally toxic, or even abusive
• You have a foul mouth 
• You lie

 5. Application (3.10-11)

. . .put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge
after the image of its creator.  Here there is not Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian,
slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Colossians 3.12-17

1. Dress for True Success (12)

• Compassionate
• Kindness
• Humility
• Meekness
• Patience

2. Interact Graciously with People (13)

• We develop these attributes by bearing with and forgiving each other.
• Bearing with = withholding punishment
• Forgiving = responding graciously

3. Love Harmony (14)
4. Allow Peace to Rule Your Heart (15)
5. Gain a Christ-like Heart and Community (16-17) 

Signified By:

• Wise Teaching
• Wise Interventions (“Admonishing”)
• Thankful Singing

Colossians 3.12-17

1. Dress for True Success (12)

• Compassionate
• Kindness
• Humility
• Meekness
• Patience

2. Interact Graciously with People (13)

• We develop these attributes by bearing with and forgiving each other.
• Bearing with = withholding punishment
• Forgiving = responding graciously

3. Love Harmony (14)
4. Allow Peace to Rule Your Heart (15)
5. Gain a Christ-like Heart and Community (16-17) 

Signified By:

• Wise Teaching
• Wise Interventions (“Admonishing”)
• Thankful Singing

I Corinthians 15.42-58

1. Master the Gethsemane Moments of Life (42-44a)
2. Fit Your Story into Humanity’s Story (44b-49)
3. Trust Grace, not Nature and Nurture (50)
4. Keep Faith in the Mystery (51-57)
5. Stand Firm by Persevering in Ministry (58)

I Corinthians 15.42-58

1. Master the Gethsemane Moments of Life (42-44a)
2. Fit Your Story into Humanity’s Story (44b-49)
3. Trust Grace, not Nature and Nurture (50)
4. Keep Faith in the Mystery (51-57)
5. Stand Firm by Persevering in Ministry (58)

I Corinthians 14.1-12

1. Increase Your Ability to Love (14.1a)
     How can I increase my ability to be a loving person?
2. Seek Spiritual Focus (14.1b)

     Why do I want to be more spiritually focused?
3. Pour God’s Word into People’s Lives (14.1c) (Prophesy!)
     What is at the heart of prophecy?
4. Cultivate Silence (14.26-40)
     Why Do I Feel Such a Need to Be Heard?

I Corinthians 14.1-12

1. Increase Your Ability to Love (14.1a)
     How can I increase my ability to be a loving person?
2. Seek Spiritual Focus (14.1b)

     Why do I want to be more spiritually focused?
3. Pour God’s Word into People’s Lives (14.1c) (Prophesy!)
     What is at the heart of prophecy?
4. Cultivate Silence (14.26-40)
     Why Do I Feel Such a Need to Be Heard?

I Corinthians 12.31-13.13

1. Start from Our One Foundation (12.12-13; 27-30)
2. Direct Your Passions Accordingly (12.31) (see also 14.1)
3. Examine Your Motives, not Your Doings (13.1-3)
4. Define Success Correctly (13.4-8, especially 8b)
5. Practice Humility by Accepting Uncertainty (13.9-12)
6. Emulate God’s Heart (13.13)

In the Church we still gravitate to the “gifted person.”  We should notice the faithful, hopeful, loving one.