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Abounding With Thanksgiving
Colossians 2:6, 7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Key words:
- Abounding – to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or measure;
- Thanksgiving – thankfulness; the giving of thanks
I am ABOUNDING IN THANKSGIVING this morning because of:
I. The Salvation that was Extended – As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus…
I am supremely grateful this morning for the fact that I am saved.
My heart is ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING because:
- Somebody loved me enough to send His Son.
My heart is ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING because:
- Somebody died for me.
My heart is ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING because:
- Somebody took me to church. (they didn’t send me; or drop me off; they took me)
My heart is ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING because:
- Somebody preached the Gospel to me. (Didn’t water it down…)
My heart is ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING because:
- Somebody saw me in the altar and came down and prayed with me.
My heart is ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING because when I asked him to save me, HE DID!
I’m ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING this morning because I HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS!
II. The Stability that was Expected – so walk ye in him
- Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The New Testament believer is not simply offered salvation, and then turned loose in the world.
Each believer is both instructed and equipped to walk a life that is pleasing to God.
Notice the text:
ROOTED – to cause to strike root, to strengthen with roots, to render firm, to fix, establish, cause a person or a thing to be thoroughly grounded
– This indicates that there is a process of growth.
BUILT UP – To finish the structure of which the foundation has already been laid, to give constant increase in Christian knowledge and in a life conformed thereto.
STABLISHED – to make firm, establish, confirm, make sure
- Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
I am ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING this morning over the fact that growing was emphasized.
My entire childhood and teen years were a group effort of people encouraging me to live for God.
I was expected to LIVE LIKE A CHRISTIAN; WALK LIKE A CHRISTIAN; ACT LIKE A CHRISTIAN!!
As ye have received Christ …so walk ye in him.
Too many people want to receive Christ, but they don’t like the expectation that comes with it!!
If I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times growing up: “If you’re saved, ACT LIKE IT!!”
If you are a child of God, ACT LIKE IT!
If you’ve been born again, ACT LIKE IT!
Paul is encouraging the church of Colosse – if you’ve received Christ Jesus, SO WALK YE!!!
They were already growing. They were already demonstrating a Christian life.
NOTE Chapter 1:5, 6
- 5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
- 6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
LOOK AT VERSES 9, 10:
- 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
- 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
As a young person, I heard this more than once when I was acting up: “I thought you said you were saved!”
They weren’t saying I wasn’t saved. They were saying that I wasn’t walking like I was saved.
Getting a person saved takes a few minutes in most cases.
Getting them to walk like it takes a lifetime!!
WALK: to make one’s way, progress; to make due use of opportunities; to live; to regulate one’s life; to conduct one’s self
III. The Scriptures that were Expounded – stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught
- NOTE verse 8: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
- There is a lot of PHILOSPHY being taught.
- Three is a lot of VAIN DECEIT being taught.
- There are a lot of MEN’S TRADITIONS being taught.
- There are a lot of the WORLD’S RUDIMENTS being taught.
I am ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING this morning that I was taught the WORD OF GOD!!
I am ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING this morning that I was taught to BELIEVE the Word of God.
I am ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING this morning that I was taught to TRUST THE WORD OF GOD.
I am ABOUNDING WITH THANKSGIVING this morning that I was taught to CONFORM to the WORD OF GOD.
The Bible was front and center in the church services.
The Bible was front and center in family devotions.
The Bible was front and center in our school Bible classes.
The Bible was front and center in Sunday School.
Anytime we were receiving religious training, the Bible was the main attraction.
Paul was quick to remind them to be ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN CHRIST – not men.
STABLISHED IN THE FAITH – not in the ideas of man.
He warned them in verse 8 BEWARE!!!!