Today's FOCUS: I want every single person here to be rooted in prayerful gratitude because of the
hope stored up for us in heaven.
Where are your roots?
We typically ask that question when we want to know a person’s story. Are you a country boy or girl?
Or are you from the city? Small town? Big town? Cars with the top down or pickup trucks and dirt
roads. We are going to push that question further than usual in this new sermon series on Paul’s letter
to the Colossians that we are calling “ROOTED”.
Or are you from the city? Small town? Big town? Cars with the top down or pickup trucks and dirt
roads. We are going to push that question further than usual in this new sermon series on Paul’s letter
to the Colossians that we are calling “ROOTED”.
Where are your roots when you’re pushed to your limits? We find out where the apostle Paul’s roots
are in the opening of his letter to the Colossians. They are deeply rooted in God’s grace and peace.
Paul grounds himself in God’s gracious heart, which gives him total peace and tranquility as he writes
another serious letter that has similarities to Galatians. There’s no other explanation for how he starts
his letter with words of prayerful gratitude for the troubled Colossians.
are in the opening of his letter to the Colossians. They are deeply rooted in God’s grace and peace.
Paul grounds himself in God’s gracious heart, which gives him total peace and tranquility as he writes
another serious letter that has similarities to Galatians. There’s no other explanation for how he starts
his letter with words of prayerful gratitude for the troubled Colossians.
There’s a desperate situation going on in the church at Colosse. False teaching is kind of like a
hacker that poses as the true thing, say your bank’s website, and tries to steal your information and
identity, in this case, your heart and your faith. It looks so real, so close. And that’s what makes is so
tricky. But it’s way off.
hacker that poses as the true thing, say your bank’s website, and tries to steal your information and
identity, in this case, your heart and your faith. It looks so real, so close. And that’s what makes is so
tricky. But it’s way off.
Imagine that someone in our church starts insisting on keeping statues of angels in our gardens
because the presence of those statues offers true protection. And if you only worship the angels that
the statue symbolizes, they will offer you protection that you couldn’t find by a simple faith in Jesus.
The angels are overemphasized to the extent that Jesus and his protection from the evil that is most
dangerous to us, the evil that lives inside of us, is forgotten about. Then they insist that to be a real
believer, you don’t go to wedding parties or birthday parties and you live a life as separate from the
world as possible so you can really be in tune with the divine. Then you will be worthy of tapping into
the mysteries of God. This is a taste of what’s happening with the Colossians. Something or someone
replaces Jesus. There’s a weird legalism creeping in that "you’re only a true Christian if…" And there’s
extra knowledge that you’re missing that isn’t set forth plainly in God’s Word.
because the presence of those statues offers true protection. And if you only worship the angels that
the statue symbolizes, they will offer you protection that you couldn’t find by a simple faith in Jesus.
The angels are overemphasized to the extent that Jesus and his protection from the evil that is most
dangerous to us, the evil that lives inside of us, is forgotten about. Then they insist that to be a real
believer, you don’t go to wedding parties or birthday parties and you live a life as separate from the
world as possible so you can really be in tune with the divine. Then you will be worthy of tapping into
the mysteries of God. This is a taste of what’s happening with the Colossians. Something or someone
replaces Jesus. There’s a weird legalism creeping in that "you’re only a true Christian if…" And there’s
extra knowledge that you’re missing that isn’t set forth plainly in God’s Word.
Pretty soon, if the Colossians keep heading this direction, the same thing that happened in the
American Dust Bowl is going to happen to their faith.
The land was so overused with unnatural farming practices that it became dust and the winds came
and took it all over the U.S. A desire for a quick and easy crop instead of caring for the land that
grows our crops led to this. The same happens when we want something quick, easy, more novel,
more mysterious when it comes to our faith. When we ROOT ourselves in soil like the Colossians did,
we are at risk of being caught in a suffocating dust storm.
American Dust Bowl is going to happen to their faith.
The land was so overused with unnatural farming practices that it became dust and the winds came
and took it all over the U.S. A desire for a quick and easy crop instead of caring for the land that
grows our crops led to this. The same happens when we want something quick, easy, more novel,
more mysterious when it comes to our faith. When we ROOT ourselves in soil like the Colossians did,
we are at risk of being caught in a suffocating dust storm.
So how does Paul bring this church back to its ROOTS? This is remarkable and is a proof of where
his ROOTS were. He prays for them! He shares his prayer for them in a letter! His prayer reminds
them of why God our Father and his Son Jesus Christ are the true nourishment, water, and soil that
our faith needs to be ROOTED in.
his ROOTS were. He prays for them! He shares his prayer for them in a letter! His prayer reminds
them of why God our Father and his Son Jesus Christ are the true nourishment, water, and soil that
our faith needs to be ROOTED in.
Listen for how we too can be ROOTED along with Paul in prayerful gratitude.
Listen to or read Colossians 1:1-14 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians+1%3A1-14&version=NIV
1. Be ROOTED in the hope stored up for you in heaven!
That’s how Paul was able to endure all kinds of desperate situations like this one in Colosse,
all kinds of opposition and adversity. And so can you and I, when we’re ROOTED together in our
mutual certainty of a future together with our God in heaven. In God’s vocabulary, hope means
future certainty.
all kinds of opposition and adversity. And so can you and I, when we’re ROOTED together in our
mutual certainty of a future together with our God in heaven. In God’s vocabulary, hope means
future certainty.
Let’s sink those ROOTS deeper.
2. Be ROOTED in the knowledge of his will.
You heard Paul pray, “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through
all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,10 so that you may live a life worthy of
the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the
knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so
that you may have great endurance and patience.”
all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,10 so that you may live a life worthy of
the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the
knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so
that you may have great endurance and patience.”
Do you have a will yet? I remember when it started to really bother me in my twenties, after having a
few kids, that I didn’t have a will. Finally, one morning I woke up at 4 a.m. and went onto Legalzoom
and made a will and got it notorized in town here. That will is a written record of our exact wishes.
That will says exactly what will happen to my children and all of our assets.
few kids, that I didn’t have a will. Finally, one morning I woke up at 4 a.m. and went onto Legalzoom
and made a will and got it notorized in town here. That will is a written record of our exact wishes.
That will says exactly what will happen to my children and all of our assets.
The same with God’s will. We don’t need to guess. God’s will is that all people be saved by coming to
know Jesus Christ. His will is that you come to know him as your only certain hope of life after death,
as your only certain hope that you will not be in hell. You will not cease to exist, you won't come back
as a tree. You will live because your brother Jesus lives. Your only hope that you don’t have to live a
meaningless life ROOTED in sin’s toxic soils, but that you can be ROOTED in total friendship with
Jesus Christ. Your only hope in a world full of counterfeits who cannot reverse sin and death’s
confusion and destruction.
know Jesus Christ. His will is that you come to know him as your only certain hope of life after death,
as your only certain hope that you will not be in hell. You will not cease to exist, you won't come back
as a tree. You will live because your brother Jesus lives. Your only hope that you don’t have to live a
meaningless life ROOTED in sin’s toxic soils, but that you can be ROOTED in total friendship with
Jesus Christ. Your only hope in a world full of counterfeits who cannot reverse sin and death’s
confusion and destruction.
Being ROOTED in the knowledge of his will makes patience and endurance possible. Our human
instinct when change or trouble comes is to panic. To get angry. The person who is ROOTED in the
knowledge of God’s will will be held in place. Much like Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1 shows us, you
will learn to rely on the ROOTS that hold you up instead of trying to sink your roots into your own
solutions or being rootless by sinking down in the eroding soils of worry. Consider Proverbs 16:32
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that rules his spirit than he that
takes a city.” How can I be like that?! Be ROOTED in the hope your God has stored up for you in
heaven. Be ROOTED in the knowledge of his will, in the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit
gives in God’s Word.
instinct when change or trouble comes is to panic. To get angry. The person who is ROOTED in the
knowledge of God’s will will be held in place. Much like Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1 shows us, you
will learn to rely on the ROOTS that hold you up instead of trying to sink your roots into your own
solutions or being rootless by sinking down in the eroding soils of worry. Consider Proverbs 16:32
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that rules his spirit than he that
takes a city.” How can I be like that?! Be ROOTED in the hope your God has stored up for you in
heaven. Be ROOTED in the knowledge of his will, in the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit
gives in God’s Word.
3. Be ROOTED in your inheritance in the kingdom of light.
Remember how Paul said, “And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to
share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us
from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves We
Americans get pumped when we find out we will inherit some land. Paul is saying that each of us
has heavenly real estate, no matter how many acres or how much debt there is to our name right now!
share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us
from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves We
Americans get pumped when we find out we will inherit some land. Paul is saying that each of us
has heavenly real estate, no matter how many acres or how much debt there is to our name right now!
And it’s a kingdom of light with no darkness as opposed to the kingdom of darkness with glimpses of
light we live in right now. You won’t have to watch your back. Or worry about getting ripped off or taken
advantage of. Or used. Or abused. Or hurt. That’s darkness and there’s no room for it in the land you
are inheriting. There can be no darkness when the Son of God is our light!
light we live in right now. You won’t have to watch your back. Or worry about getting ripped off or taken
advantage of. Or used. Or abused. Or hurt. That’s darkness and there’s no room for it in the land you
are inheriting. There can be no darkness when the Son of God is our light!
So why not let his light shine in every nook and cranny of your life right now? So you’ve been hiding
something. Money.. An addiction. An affair. A grudge. A prejudice against a certain kind of person.
Don’t disqualify yourself from your inheritance in the kingdom of light by settling for the dark, danky
dungeons of the kingdom of darkness. God’s light will either expose what you are hiding now or on
Judgement Day. God already sees it. Why do you hide like Adam and Eve did as if your Maker cannot
find you? This is the God who has qualified you for the inheritance you had disqualified yourself from.
Jesus is the only person ever to truly qualified to be God’s Son because he always walked in light and
honesty and integrity before his Father. And he has given his qualifications to us. Be ROOTED in your
inheritance in the kingdom of light and let God continue to bring you out of the darkness with his light!
something. Money.. An addiction. An affair. A grudge. A prejudice against a certain kind of person.
Don’t disqualify yourself from your inheritance in the kingdom of light by settling for the dark, danky
dungeons of the kingdom of darkness. God’s light will either expose what you are hiding now or on
Judgement Day. God already sees it. Why do you hide like Adam and Eve did as if your Maker cannot
find you? This is the God who has qualified you for the inheritance you had disqualified yourself from.
Jesus is the only person ever to truly qualified to be God’s Son because he always walked in light and
honesty and integrity before his Father. And he has given his qualifications to us. Be ROOTED in your
inheritance in the kingdom of light and let God continue to bring you out of the darkness with his light!
When we are ROOTED in prayerful gratitude, having an attitude like we just saw in God’s servant,
Paul, is possible. There was a businessman who once said, “My business is being a Christian! And I
support myself and my family by running a general store.”
Paul, is possible. There was a businessman who once said, “My business is being a Christian! And I
support myself and my family by running a general store.”
There’s an example in nature that helps us pull this whole idea of being ROOTED in prayerful gratitude
together. It’s this tree called the Banyan tree. The Banyan tree’s branches bend to the ground,
take root and form a new tree. This process keeps going on into infinity as more and more trees spring
up. When God’s people are ROOTED in prayerful gratitude because of his amazing grace that has
made peace with us, we will not grow tired of producing fruit. I think of my pea plants that did their
thing and now are turning yellow and shriveling up. Not so with the Christian ROOTED in God’s grace
and peace. The gospel is not like corn, which, having put out cobs, dies even to its roots.
together. It’s this tree called the Banyan tree. The Banyan tree’s branches bend to the ground,
take root and form a new tree. This process keeps going on into infinity as more and more trees spring
up. When God’s people are ROOTED in prayerful gratitude because of his amazing grace that has
made peace with us, we will not grow tired of producing fruit. I think of my pea plants that did their
thing and now are turning yellow and shriveling up. Not so with the Christian ROOTED in God’s grace
and peace. The gospel is not like corn, which, having put out cobs, dies even to its roots.
But it’s like a tree, which at the same time bears fruit and continues to grow! Amen.
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