Category Archives: – Sunday Messages

Sunday’s main service is NOT held on Sunday due to rigorously held dogma so much, but it IS in respect to the holiness of the Sabbath day as declared by God BEFORE mankind fell. Quite literally the Sabboth was declared holy FROM THE BEGINNING. We know that Sabboth was most likely our modern day “Saturday”, but our Lord was risen on what we call Sunday, so it seems appropriate.

In addition to this, we worship on “Sunday” out of convenience because we believe Jesus’ words which teach us, “Man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man.” As such, Sunday is the day MOST OFTEN recognized as the day to worship within Christian circles so that is when we have our main service of the week.

We use this day as the day we press forward as a community of believers into Biblical teachings which our leaders believe God is immediately guiding us into for our maturity and Spiritual growth. We do not have Sunday night services in part due to the fact that we do not want time constraints to dictate our worship.

As a community of grace we are interested in ministering to others, outside our immediate assembly and encourage others to participate in our lessons and grow with us.

Binding Sabbath

Binding the Sabbath

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As we progress through the letter to the believers in Colossae we run into an often misunderstood statement regarding Sabbaths. Written in the plural as it is, distinguishes it from The Sabbath day all by itself, but rather than rely upon this alone, we dug a little deeper.

Now I covered this topic back a few years ago in a mini-series and also in two (now three) articles on our website. Included in this study is an article and teaching on the subject of binding and loosening. If one does not know about this latter topic, they will be at a severe disadvantage in thoroughly studying out the former regarding The Sabbath.

It is my encouragement that you set aside all prejudices and preconceived ideas and enter into this teaching and those its references with a mind devoted to discovering what it is that God has really said regarding this topic. Remember the encouragement from James that the wisdom that comes from above is first pure, teachable and willing to yield. Those who approach any topic with the idea that they already know – cut themselves off from wisdom and the grace (influence) of God which is never wise.

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Supremacy Jesus

The Supremacy of Jesus

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This week we studied how Paul began addressing the pagan and false doctrines which were seeking to infiltrate the church in Colossae and quote possibly the church of Laodacia. These were the doctrines of asceticism, ritualistic and ceremonial aspects of Judasim and an early form of Gnosticism.

Paul confronts these head on by weaving key and focal components of all these beliefs and practices into his teaching about Jesus, revealing that in Him, are the realities which these other pursuits are seeking.

We ended in Colossians 2:14-17 which required a little investigation. In it, Paul speaks of a “certificate of indebtedness” – a list of requirements which were contrary to our nature before Christ. He says that these have been removed and nailed to the cross of Christ. But what are they?

The scriptures talk about two “requirements” of the Old Testament – one is to be fulfilled IN us as we walk by the Holy Spirit. The other is mentioned here and it was “taken out of the way” which means it was destroyed, wiped out and lifted off of us. Clearly these two cannot be the same “requirement” of the Law. So we spent some time looking into their meanings.

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Colossians my prayer

My Prayer for you

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Colossians is a unique letter in the New Testament because it was the only city Paul never visited, but to which he had personally written. Some the same is true of Rome and while he may not have been there by 57AD upon the writting of his letter to them, we know that he did in fact meet them since he was under house arrest in Rome for two years beginning in 60AD.

Paul had led a man named Epaphras to Christ while ministering in Ephesus. This man returned to his home town of Colossae, evangelized it and established the church there which probably met in the house of Philemon.

Years later when Paul in again in prison, Epaphras came to visit Paul with concerns over the hellenizing influence of differenbt forms of mysticism and Judaism was having upon their doctrine and solidity in Christ. It was in response to this news that Paul wrote this wonderful and redemptive letter to the saints in Colossae.

In the first chapter Paul addresses the sincerity of their faith and their genuine love for the saints. Because this was true, Paul knew their wavering in doctrine was not purposeful and so he prayed that they might have a walk worthy of God and live lives fully pleasinbg to Him BY being filled with the knowledge of His will!

Such offers us some clarity regarding how to pray for genuine believers who have wondered into false doctrine and need to be re-established and fortefied in sound and solid doctrine.

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Good Work Obedience Rulers

The Good Work of Obedience to Rulers

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The third and final chapter in Titus is one which would not be well received in many modern churches, especially those in 1st world countries – the western world in particular. Paul bears down once more on the necessity to maintain good works. Three of the works he mentions by name are perhaps the most widely rejected in the modern church in terms of theology and practice than any others.

He begins by telling Christians that they are to submit to and obey those who govern them. This is so widely rejected and opposed within the church that one would think it is a peripheral doctrine which only crops up once in all of scripture. More jumping through doctrinal hoops and special pleading is used to get around these obvious commands than nearly any other topic in scripture.

The second thing Paul mentions is the need to show fruitfulness in their union with Christ by giving, especially to urgent needs.

The third and final instruction of Paul is given in the form of a warning and that is to reject anyone in the local assemblies who are divisive, after having warned them twice. This action of church discipline which was mentioned first by Christ Himself in Matthew 18 and then by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 and now here in Titus (not to mention that mentioned in Thessalonians). Most churches are either unwilling or unable to fulfill this mandate. Unwilling in that they are more afraid of man than they are respectful to the point of obedience to God. Unable in that many churches are so large today that it would be impossible for any pastor to even know all the people, much less know if there is unrepentant sin continuing in the lives of his sheep. These shepherds, though many are well meaning, have exchanged the intimacy of close knit ministry for size and numbers. This is a monstrous substitution that has many shepherds smelling more like money than sheep.

All of these commands are clear and powerful directives from God our Father and ones which require our zealous obedience!

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Saving grace

Saving grace has been revealed to all

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In Paul’s letter to Titus he gave instructions regarding Christian behavior so that believers on Crete would honor God in their lives and be living witnesses unto the gospel.

However, in his closing statements in chapter 2 Paul explains that God’s grace has already gone before them. That through creation and the direct influence of the Holy Spirit God has paved the way for their living testimony by influencing the hearts of everyone in the world in preparation for the gospel they are to live and preach.

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