Continue as you started

Good morning. And if you’re an international student, well done on making it all the way from back home through the first few weeks of University to be here with us today. I can already see many new faces and countries represented. I hope your flag is up there, but if not do speak to me after this and we can arrange something.

Well, one thing that all international students share in common is (I know a lot of people are thinking food), but more than that, it’s a desire to grow and progress in life. That’s why we’ve made big decisions to leave home and family for a better future. So, after studies back home we asked, what’s next? After University here, you’ll ask, what’s next? After getting a visa and job, what’s next? A relationship and family, what’s next? It’s natural and good thing we all ask ourselves as we want to grow – but if you notice the pattern, it doesn’t seem to end.

Well today we’re looking at a part of God’s Word where Paul writes to Christians in Colossae who were asking the same question. They were thinking, I have believed in Jesus – who He is and what He’s done, so what’s next? Should we move on to more advanced things? Or explore other beliefs out there. We see Paul’s answer in the last 2 verses of the passage read for us which would be helpful to turn to in your Bibles to Colossians 2.6-7, on page 984. Paul has been encouraging them to grow in the right things. He says:

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

What’s next is the same as when you started to believe in Jesus your Lord. Continue as you started by walking and growing in Jesus. That’s the main point of our passage today, which some would say summarizes the whole letter of Colossians. It sounds simple but it’s hard because we know we are so easily tempted like the Colossians to move on to other new ideas that seem more interesting, popular, or relevant. Why stick with the basics? Why go back to what we already know? My hope and prayer today, is that God would help us to continue in Him if we have started with Him. And if you wouldn’t say you have received Jesus, that this would be a good window to consider what a life with Jesus is like. So, let me pray now before we go further.

[PRAYER]

Well, because this passage is a lot about continuing in what we’ve started, we need to make sure we know what the start looks like. So:

1. As you received Jesus the Lord

When Paul says receiving Jesus, he’s talking about receiving the message of Jesus that was ‘delivered’ or preached to them by others like Epaphras. When you send you a message to a friend on WhatsApp, you get one tick if you have sent your message to them. You get two ticks if your message has been received, and you get two blue ticks if your message has been received and read. But these days that doesn’t always tell us much. The message could be read halfway, read and forgotten, or read and not responded to. What we really want to see is three blue ticks that the message has been sent, received, read, and responded to. Taken to heart – yes, I’m sorry Mom and Dad for the late reply, I have eaten, I’m not losing weight, and I will call back… We’ve all been there on both sides. So, that’s what Paul meant when he says as you have received Christ Jesus. The Colossians have received the message that Jesus died for their sins, rose from the dead defeating death, and ascended to heaven. And they have responded to that message by trusting that Jesus’ death saves them from the punishment they deserve for rejecting God. But he also adds that they have received Jesus the Lord, which means not just believing Jesus has saved them but that he has a rightful rule over all people. And responding to Jesus as Lord is submitting to His rule; listening and following how he says we should live for Him. All of that would show a real change in someone’s life, not just two blue ticks.

So for us here today, we all come from different backgrounds and experiences. Some of us come from generations of Christians, parents going to church all their life, some may have only started going to church recently, or for some this may be the first time. But, the question is not how long have you been going to church, or are your parents Christian? It’s have you received and responded to Jesus as your Lord? It would look different how each one receives and responds to Jesus. For some it’s hard to tell the exact moment, for others they can remember the exact day. But what happens in your heart is the same; you realise that you have wronged God by rejecting Him, and at the same time trust that Jesus has taken your punishment on the cross. You trust that Jesus is the one and only Lord above all things, and your thoughts and actions show that he is number one. Not perfectly, but in a way that wants to know Him and live for him more each day. Now that the Colossians are reminded of when they first received Jesus as Lord, Paul continues by saying, so walk in him.

2. Continue to walk in Jesus.

Walking gives the picture of the daily pattern of life. Which is not hard to imagine with Newcastle being a very walkable city. Whether you’re taking the metro in or living close to town, walking is a big part of your life as you walk to University, shops, parks, quayside, to church, and back home. So, to continue walking in Jesus is to continue living out that message you first received every week, and every day. As you go about your daily routine, you are doing it in Jesus. You get out of bed in the morning to brush your teeth then read your Bible to refresh your mind of God’s power as the Creator in control of all things. You walk to University or commute to work while praying that God would help you live for Him as Lord more than living for other people or yourself. As you meet others in the week, you’re treating them with God in mind – knowing God has forgiven you not because you deserve it. So, you treat others with love and forgiveness. And naturally it’s a struggle for anyone to do all those things each day, but it’s that struggle that shows a heart that wants to live for Jesus.

The Colossians were walking in Jesus but faced temptation to move on from Jesus to different ideas and beliefs. If they looked around back then, maybe they would have seen two groups who were walking in different paths. One group who seemed to still be in the church but were focusing on their own efforts to be right with God. And another group outside the church who were introducing new ideas that seemed more interesting and advanced. In either case, they were moving away from Jesus as Lord to a new idea as Lord or a new way of life that made themselves Lord. But Paul’s been saying in his letter that because Jesus is above all things and is most important, you don’t move on from him to something else.

One of my pastimes which I wanted to pick up again at University was fencing which is something like sword fighting with a lot more protection. In my very limited time learning to fence, a lot of it was first spent learning the basics. How to stand with the right stance. How to move forwards and backwards with the right footwork. It might have been months before any beginner was allowed to hold a sword because the fundamentals were so important to learning how to do anything else. But even as one makes progress and learns new skills, they can never move on from the basics. To continue fencing you have to continue relying on the fundamentals. And it’s the same with many other sports and subjects. But if you asked me today, what my walk in fencing is like (or what my fencing life like), I would say it’s non-existent. Because back in high school other things became more important like friends and studies, and so I stopped fencing and haven’t picked it up since. And just like that, it’s hard to continue walking in Jesus when it feels we already know the basics or when other things in life seem more important or interesting.

If you’re following Jesus, it’s likely you’ve thought this way before at some point; “I’ve read this part of Bible before. I heard that before. I already know what Jesus has done for me. So, I’ll move onto something more interesting like joining a new club. I’ll move on to something more urgent like getting a part-time job. Good and important things but things that can take us away from our walk with Jesus if we give them too much attention”. So, if you have received Jesus, how’s your walk with Jesus? Are you walking closely to Him? You know what He’s like and how you can be living for Him each day. He’s in your weekly schedule in the things you do in and out of church.
Or are you distant from Him, walking in yourself? You have a rough idea what Jesus has done but He’s not a big part of the rest of your week. You can get by on your own just fine.

As you start this new season, surrounded by new experiences and responsibilities, will you continue walking in Jesus? Having him as Lord in mind as you make decisions about who to spend your time with, what to spend your energy on. Paul encourages us as he does to the Colossians to continue as you started by walking in Jesus. Having said that, we need to be careful when we’re warning against moving on to grow and make progress. There is a good desire that wants to grow in all areas of life. And when we have received Jesus as Lord, we should not just walk in Jesus but continue to grow in Jesus. That’s my second point following what Paul says next:

3. Continue to grow in Jesus.

(Colossians 2.7):

rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught

When the Colossians first received Jesus into their hearts, their lives drastically changed as they became rooted in Him; they were made new as their thoughts and actions became grounded in what Jesus had done on the cross. And since they were rooted in Jesus, Paul says continue to grow in Jesus. Now I’m not a plant expert or enthusiast, but in my many years of observation I know that if you plant a spider plant giving it the right amount of sunlight and water, it will grow into a spider plant and not something else because its roots are spider plant roots. Since it’s an indoor plant, you wouldn’t take it outside to try to grow it like you would an apple tree because it’s not an apple tree. And like any plant or tree, its strength to live and grow are seen in its roots – the deeper the roots, the more it can grow and withstand the harshest conditions. Just some planting tips for you. You are rooted in Jesus so continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus not something else. Taking the time and effort to get to who He is. To trust and follow what He says as your Lord. Again, we might think that we already know who Jesus is. But Jesus is unlike any sport or subject we learn because he’s infinite. There will always be more of the same God that we can know. More of the same truth in His Word that we can see and experience in deeper ways. Continuing in Jesus doesn’t mean we’re just going to read the same parts of the Bible without learning anything more. We grow in knowledge of Him as we read all of His Word, and we grow in relationship with Him as we continue living for Him.

Sometimes we see the most growth in someone at the early stages of their Christian lives because everything is new. But there’s still so much growth in those who have been following Jesus for years and decades. As I’ve heard from many of you say things like, I’ve been following Jesus for most of my life, but it was only when I started living closer with others that I realised more of my sin and more of God’s love for me. It was only in my loneliness that I came to know God’s comfort even more. It was only in my difficult housing situation that I’ve learned to trust in God’s timing and provision more. It was only in my poor health that I’ve learned to fully rely on God’s strength. Through each of those times we choose to walk in Jesus, trusting and obeying Him, we come out with stronger roots than before and faith in Him that has grown.

So, what are you rooted in and what are you trying to grow? When the wind blows what’s keeping you grounded? As an international student, adjusting to a new culture and stage in life will reveal your roots and what you’re trying to grow. Studying night and day in the library without rest shows your roots are in how well you do at University. Who you turn to for help when you need support shows your roots are in family back home. Where you turn to when you have free time shows the experiences that you’re trying to grow in. If you have received Jesus as your Lord, your roots are in Him so you should be growing in Him. A healthy spider plants diet is water once a week with indirect sunlight. Pretty manageable although I still fail to do it. A healthy Christian’s diet is a frequent and heavy dose of being in God’s Word and with his people. So, being here together to worship God and hear from Him is a big part of our diet. But by itself it’s not enough to grow because we still have six other days in the week where we’re not getting enough exposure to Jesus. If anything, we get fed and watered with other ideas out there that are unlike Jesus.

One of the most helpful things you can do to grow in Jesus is by joining one of our small groups where you can open God’s Word together and build each other up as you get to know each other. And if you’re already in a small group, that’s great! Continue being a part of that and find ways that you can grow by being more committed. Maybe taking more time to get to know someone in the group better to pray for and encourage each other in your walk with Jesus. And if you wouldn’t say you’ve received Jesus as Lord yet, would you consider that being rooted in Jesus is far greater than being rooted in anything else the world offers. In the previous chapter, Colossians 1.15-17, we see that:

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

What else could be better than being rooted to the Creator God who has power above all things; who we can know and love personally even more deeply than the limited attractions of the world? The life of an international student involves a lot of uprooting from your home culture, and replanting into a new environment. For most it takes about 6-8 months to fully adjust to life here – maybe shorter, maybe longer. Sometimes by the time you do settle in you’re about to leave. Last year we had few exchange students join us for only 3 months but in that short time even though they may have never fully settled in, you would be able tell they never had to completely uproot from home. Because their roots were in Jesus and that doesn’t change even though you’re in a different place. So, they held on to those roots and stretched themselves out to grow in Jesus. By the end of their 3 months, it felt like they’d been here for much longer and we were encouraged by how much they grew. They could see it too and abounded in thanksgiving to God as Paul writes at the end of that verse, because they knew that change was from God – not themselves. So, as you adjust to a new environment, as you ask what’s next this year, would you find your roots in Jesus and continue walking and growing in Him. Let’s pray.