Wesley Word – July 27, 2022
To go along with service on: Sunday, July 31st
Experiencing Grace
- Contemporary Song: What A Beautiful Name
- Traditional Hymn: #144 This Is My Father’s World
Exploring Truth
Colossians 2:6-15
Colossians: In Christ Alone – Alive In Christ
We are continuing with our series in Colossians called, “In Christ Alone.”
Last week, I talked about Gnosticism, or at least the beginnings of it, in Colossae and the New Testament. Paul continues refuting Gnostic ideas in our text this week by warning us not to be taken captive by empty philosophies and reminding us that in Christ, the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form and that in him we have been brought to fullness. There are no secrets.
It seems as if the Colossians are trapped between the Greek world in which they live and the pagan philosophies that are part of it and the Jewish world out of which the Christian faith comes. The very next thing Paul has to deal with is everybody’s favorite subject: circumcision. Apparently, someone in the Colossian church had been teaching that one had to be circumcised and keep all of the Jewish laws and customs in order to be a Christian. Paul dealt with the same thing in Galatians and in other places.
In response to this, Paul reminds the Colossians that they received not a physical circumcision but a spiritual one. The symbol of the Old Covenant was circumcision; the symbol of the New Covenant is baptism. We have died to our old sinful way of life and have been buried in baptism and we have risen to a new life in Christ. We are alive in Christ.
New Testament in a Year: https://wesleyonline.org/biblereading/
- July 27 Romans 10:14-11:12
- July 28 Romans 11:13-36
- July 29 Romans 12:1-21
- July 30 Romans 13:1-14
- July 31 Romans 14:1-23
- August 1 Romans 15:1-22
- August 2 Romans 15:23-16:9
- August 3 Romans 16:10-27
Expressing Love: Family/Mission Activity
Baptism is the Christian’s sign of covenant. We belong to God’s family by God’s choice, not by our merit. It is not a profession of faith that gives us status as part of the Christian household. It is God’s parental adoption of us as sons and daughters, even before we can call God’s name.
How many of you have ever played with an Etch A Sketch? You can draw pictures by turning the knobs. You may have sat for hours on end drawing pictures. The best thing about an Etch A Sketch is that when you mess up all you have to do is turn it upside down, shake it and then you can start all over again, because the mistakes have been erased.
We are like this Etch A Sketch. We do OK for a while and then we mess up. But if we tell God that we messed up and that we are truly sorry, it is like he takes us, turns us upside down and shakes us. When God forgives our sins, he totally erases them, and we get to start all over again.
Announcements
- Wesley Scholarship Fund Fifth Sunday Offering is this Sunday, July 31. This fund is to benefit members of Wesley UMC who are attending colleges, universities and/or trade schools beyond high school.
- Jackson Concert Series presents Josh Duffee’s Big Band – Monday, August 1 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are not required.
- Fall Kick-Off Sunday will be August 28. One worship service at 10:00am followed by a kick-off party at the Wesley Family Life Center. A cookout meal will be provided. There will be games and a jump house!