Transcript Sermon Notes - University Chapel

Paul’s Letter to the Church in Colosse
2. The Image of the Invisible God
Colossians 1: 15-23
p. 1088
Movie theology …
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Avatar
 All the creatures & plants on the planet are connected
 “Avatar and the faith instinct” – Vancouver Sun, Wed 6th.
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“… norm to speak glowingly of spirituality but derisively of traditional religion.”
Star Wars
 “The force” is the life energy of everything
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The Lion King
 “The circle of life”
Theological assumptions …
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Spiritual sensitivity/openness is psychologically healthy
 Most healthy is whatever works for you
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Interconnectedness and mutual dependence of all living creatures
 “Life” is equally precious no matter its form
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Idealization of simple, unsophisticated life lived in harmony with nature –
validation of primitive animism.
What if …
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What if there is no circle of life?
 What if we live ONCE and then face judgment? (He 9:27)
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What if there is no “force” residing in every living thing?
 What if all life is sustained by a creator? (Col 1:17)
 What if the creator is separate from the creation? (Col 1:15-16)
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What if only one, very specific form of spirituality works?
 What if “works” means the difference between eternal life and eternal death, not
just happiness now? (Col 1:21-23)
What if …
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What if the one right spirituality radically alters our experience of life now?
What if all the wrong spiritualities lead us down a dead-end path of
disillusionment, discord, discontent,
What if compartmentalizing our lives into spiritual, material, social, etc, is a
fundamental error of mis-perceiving reality.
1. Jesus – the One & Only Lord
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Lord of CREATION
 The Image of the invisible God
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Discloses God’s identity and character – not just represents his appearance
 “Firstborn over all creation” – position of preeminence
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Israel God’s firstborn son (Ex 4:22; Jer 31:9)
 “All things created through him and for him”
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He is the source and purpose of our existence
 “In him all things hold together” – sustainer of life (Rev 4:11)
1. Jesus’ – the One & Only Lord …
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Lord of the CHURCH
 The HEAD of the body
 The firstborn from the dead – the first one resurrected
 God’s “fullness” “dwells” in him – not in the temple (Dt 12:5)
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God decides where he dwells – we must come there!
 He is the source and locus of reconciliation for everything
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By his blood shed on the cross
2. From Alienation to Reconciliation
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Alienated / Enemies of God
 Because of our “evil behaviour”
 Fundamentally characterized by living as if God was not everything / enough.
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Reconciled by Christ’s death –
 Which put to death the cause and the consequence of our evilness
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He presents us HOLY –
 without blemish, free from accusation
3. IF you continue …
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Established and firm in the Faith
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DO NOT MOVE from the hope of the “Good News”
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Embracing this story in its entirety –
 “produces fruit” (v. 5, 10)
 Let’s us “live a life worthy of the Lord” (v. 10)
 Gives us access to the “might” of God’s “power” (v. 11)
 Fills us with “joy” (v. 12)
 Rescues us from “the dominion of darkness” (v. 13)
Don’t be Robbed!
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The greatest challenge for human beings –
 Not believing in God “however we conceive him to be”
 Believing in the one, true God ALONE!
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Living victoriously in Christ is God’s intent –
 Requires the fullest possible understanding of Christ
 Requires the whole engagement of our being in Him
 No part of our identity, activity, interest is apart from Him.
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The AWESOME HOPE of the Gospel is ours for the taking