An Established Foundation
Colossians 2:6-7
Bro. Tim Baker
First Baptist Church Festus/Crystal City, MO
Download: January 27, 2008 AM Audio, mp3
Additional file, Choir special:
1. Make a Determination Upon Whose Foundation You are Building - Colossians 2:6a
A. A Wise Builder Chooses Christ - Matthew 7:24
1. Hears the truth – Romans 10:17
a. Hearing hope
b. Receiving conviction
2. Acts upon the truth that he heard
a. Responds in faith
b. Receives Peace
B. A Foolish Builder Chooses Himself - Matthew 7:26
1. He hears the truth as well
2. He chooses not to act upon the truth
There are others who hear Christ’s sayings and do them not; their religion rests in bare hearing, and goes no further; like children that have the rickets, their heads swell with empty notions, and indigested opinions, but their joints are weak, and they heavy and listless; they neither can stir, nor care to stir, in any good duty; they hear God’s words, as if they desired to know his ways, like a people that did righteousness, but they will not do them
Thus they put a cheat upon their own souls; for it is certain, if our hearing be not the means of our obedience, it will be the aggravation of our disobedience. Those who only hear Christ’s sayings, and do them not, sit down in the midway to heaven, and that will never bring them to their journey’s end. They are akin to Christ only by the half-blood, and our law allows not such to inherit.
(from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
II. Begin to Build Properly or Wisely - Colossians 2:6b
A. Walk in Him – Matthew 7:24 - Acts upon (NASU), Does (NKJV), Puts into practice (NIV).
1. A single act that is to be done repeatedly.
2. In other words, the beginning of a journey of a lifetime.
B. Make it Your Goal to Become a Producer – Matthew 7.17
Objectives of Training and Pruning
An apple tree will begin producing fruit in 2 – 5 years, depending upon growing conditions.
madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-09/967961334.Bt.r.html
1. In the non-bearing years, some pruning will always be necessary, but the emphasis should be on training rather than pruning. Ideally, the growth of the young tree should be directed into branches that will be a permanent part of the mature tree, and an equal effort should be made to avoid superfluous growth that will be removed before it fruits. 2. Training practices should encourage early production and the development of a strong structural framework capable of supporting heavy crops in future years. The framework should facilitate the development and maintenance of optimum tree shape. 3. The training program should also produce trees that will be easy to manage in later years. In terms of future management, pruning is the cultural practice most affected by training. Much of the pruning of mature trees is merely the correction of earlier errors and omissions. 4. In listing the above factors, the recurring reference to light exposure (or shading) is highly significant. It has frequently been stated that the limiting factor in the productivity of an apple tree is the shade it casts upon itself.
eap.mcgill.ca/CPTFP_7.htm#Objectives%20of%20Training%20and%20Pruning
1. Focus upon the things that are necessary for permanent and mature growth.
2. Train yourself for early production and become strong for heavy production in the future years.
3. Be easily manageable in your maturity as a result of the training you received in earlier years.
4. Stay in the light of the Son.
III. Enjoy the Stability of Your Relationship – Colossians 2:7
1. Become rooted – a past act having present results. The present tense is that you can be anchored in Christ if you will make Him Lord.
2. Built up in Him – a continuous action which means we will be constantly built up in Him.
3. Established in your faith
A. Rains, Floods, and Winds will come Slamming against You - Matthew 7.25a
1. Oftentimes, these situations will cause one to stray or be destroyed because of his level of maturity in Christ.
2. Life is difficult
B. We Need the Rock of our Salvation – Matthew 7.25b
Heb 6:18-19 - - take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast
Heb 10:23 - - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; NASU
Tags: Baker, Colossians, foundation, stability
Posted by Valerie on January 27, 2008