10-06-2019
10-06-2019
Rev. Trevor Johnston, Jeff MacIntosh, and Pastor Efrain Silva
Sermon Series: Colossians
Week 5: B.C./A.D.
English PDF file for printing: 10-06-2019
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español: Colosenses 10-06-2019
Keep practicing our theme verse - Colossians 1:28: “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”
Read Colossians 2:11-15:
“In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self, ruled by the flesh, was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
3. Most of the world follows a calendar using B.C. and A.D., which is based on when Jesus Christ was born. This is amazing! And it’s a reminder that Jesus changes everything! What are some things that changed in the world because of what Jesus did while He was on earth 2,000 years ago?
4. In Genesis 17, God told Abraham that he and all his male descendants must be circumcised as a sign of God’s covenant with them. Later in the Old Testament, Moses and other prophets pointed out that this wasn’t intended to be just a surgical procedure done to baby boys, but rather, God’s desire was for circumcision to be an outward symbol of something that was true in their hearts. Read the following Scriptures, and then talk about what it means to have a circumcised heart.
Deuteronomy 10:16: Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.
Deuteronomy 30:6: The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
5. In the New Testament, especially Colossians 2, we see that circumcision was replaced with a new sign to mark those who belong to God’s family - Christian baptism. Discuss the similarities and the differences between the Old Testament sign of circumcision and the New Testament sign of baptism.
6. If you’ve experienced Christian baptism, share with your group what that was like for you.
7. Jesus said that all His followers should be baptized, so this step is an opportunity to obey Jesus. Why do you think Jesus asked His followers to do this? What are some good things that happen when a person is baptized?
8. Colossians 2:12 indicates that the way to step into life in Christ is “through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Based on this, how would you explain to someone what a person needs to do to experience life in Christ?
9. This week’s Colossians passage describes life before and after Christ. Paul says in Colossians 2:13 that before Christ, we were “dead in our sins.” What does he mean by that?
10. What does Paul mean in Colossians 2:13 when he says “God made you alive with Christ”?
11. Receiving Christ’s gift of forgiveness is like having a huge debt canceled (Colossians 2:14). If you’ve ever had a large financial debt, imagine someone canceling the whole debt for you. How would that feel? What does this add to your understanding of what Christ has done for you?
12. Colossians 2:15 points out that when Jesus died on the cross and then rose again, He disarmed demonic spiritual powers and triumphed over them. What does this mean, and how does it impact our daily lives?
13. Consider what you were like in your “B.C.” days, and how you’ve been changing since you committed your life to Christ. Share with your group some ways you’ve changed.