Sermon – “Steadfast Faith”

For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

When my message titled steadfast faith those that were going to conference this week are going to hear a lot about steadfast going to hear about steadfast faith steadfast hope steadfast prays steadfast prayer steadfast going to be talked about a lot this week a conference and it’s a great thing that the president chose this year for conference steadfast are we steadfast in our faith we know that God is steadfast we know that God is faithful. God is never changing always faithful always with us. When things mention of the concert he knows your name as one of the songs he knows your name. He knows how and he knows Kevin he knows Scot he knows Joe He knows your name. He knows you he loves you. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to have faith in him and he wants that faith to be steadfast. So your scripture lesson this morning comes from Colossians Chapter two verses one through ten. Hear the word of the Lord for I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea conflict is mean and a burden on his heart. Paul had a burden on his own heart for the church in colossi and also the church in Laodicea and he said as for as many as have not seen my face seen me my face in the flesh that their hearts may be encouraged. Being knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the fullness of the foreshores of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery of God both of the Father and of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words for though I am absent in the flesh letter yet I am with you in spirit. At rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. He’s commending them. I see your steadfastness of your of your faith in Christ as you therefore have received Christ is the Lord so walk in Him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught a bounding in it with Thanksgiving be where lest anyone teach you through philosophy and empty deceit. According to the tradition of man according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in Him who is the head of all principle and power your complete in Christ who is the head of all principle and all power a man already had an amen steadfastness. The Greek means of steadfastness as it’s used in our text today. Well the word is start Oma and it means to be established. It means to be stable has stability stability in your life in your life or in your faith it means confirmation. But there’s also other words that are closely related to this like stand fast not steadfast but stand fast and they are steadfast spelled different way. But some of these meanings really they apply to this whole thought process today and another meaning is solid means. Your is your faith solid it’s stable. It’s not unwavering but it is stable it is strong and sure. Are you sure about your faith. Are you sure do you have that. Sure it’s in your face. These are some very strong words to describe what steadfastness means. And today I hope my emphasis helps you to see how important it is that these are words to describe your faith. There was when your neighbor looked at Eunice a man person is strong in the face or that person is sure about what they believe. I hope this this this thought stays with you. The purpose for which Paul was addressing the church a colossal was this that there were those who had crept into the church and they were trying to deceive the believers. How does an enemy destroy a church from within. You can’t do it from outside. They do it from within. People crept into the church and they were trying to deceive the people they were bringing bringing heresy into the church and the heresy that Paul was dealing with here with the colossi church was similar to gnosticism and their teachings were contrary to the Biblical doctrine. It was contrary to what Paul had taught them. They were trying to burn the church once again with the yoke of bondage. They were trying to teach them that salvation by works. And we were talking about this inside a school. True Faith will produce works but the works aren’t going to say we’re not saved by works. We’re only say by the Blood of Jesus Christ in the sacrifice that he made for us. But they were trying to get them back in the bondage thinking you must be circumcised you must do this don’t do this don’t touch that don’t do this you know sharing a lot about what went on at the fair. You can hear some of that again in my message. I’m not preaching I’m just saying. Karen said it’s a fair we have a little sheet that has lots of questions on Aaron are brainteasers But when you get to the bottom they’re not really brainteasers or true honest questions and one of the questions that the buy. Was can you avoid hell by being a good person. And this one young man or I say young I’m saying he’s probably a nice thirty so he’s a young man he was then out there looking at the questions who are who are with the paper and he’s going through all of them and he’s doing very good and I get down to your do you believe in God yes. Do you believe there’s hell. Yes Do you believe them one of the questions the last one can you avoid hell by being a good person. And the young man said Well yes I said well let me put it to you this way then let’s talk about this as a let’s say that there’s a person out there that they don’t believe in God they’re going to tell you they don’t believe in God but yet there are a good person. They do no harm to their neighbors. They’re kind they’re generous love their families take care of them. They may not live and they may not cheat. There are very good person but yet they still say I don’t believe there’s a god. So whenever time for judgment comes do you think God is going to allow that person A says I don’t believe in you but I want to come into your kingdom. You think he’s going to be allowed to command to go as well I never thought of that I never thought of it that way. He said so you must believe in God you cannot get there by being a good person. You must believe in God the Father and God the Son. Another teaching that these this heresy group was bringing into the Clottey church was that they were very important secrets knowledge that was hidden for most believers that only a select few could have that knowledge. But Paul clears this up by telling them in verse two it says being knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full shores of understanding God will give you all the understanding that you need that you seek. He will freely give it. He will not withhold anything from you that help you. When your fate and your steadfastness in Him He will reveal the knowledge of the mystery of God and the knowledge the mystery of Jesus is Jesus Christ the mystery of His love for us and then they were also teaching that the body was evil that the body was evil and therefore the only way in which perfection could be reached was to punish the body through a synthesis them so that through the infliction of pain and the mortification of the flesh that we may reach spiritual purity. That’s the heresy they were teaching. That’s not true. There’s only one way that will be cleansed and made pure and as through the blood of Jesus Christ they also taught that Christ only seem to be human but in reality he wasn’t. Now don’t go because there are those today that are teaching the same thing. Paul refuted this in verse nine he said for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily in Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. You know it’s kind of hard to imagine that this letter was written to the church in colossi around eighty sixty. Here they are they’re still on the very first century of the New Testament church and they’re having to deal with these false teachings already. Well my friends dealing with false teachings and heresy has been a problem since day one of the New Testament church and in every center between then and now it must be dealt with. Here’s an example of why we must be steadfast in our faith. Another little story from the fair. As we were out there Monday night Patti was sharing with me that. She saw an interview on the news. It was in the community down there where the shooting took place in Tennessee. And she shared how they were interviewing different people and how you know the community is coming together and are trying to promote healing in the community and and people coming together of different faiths and they interviewed one particular woman that she was a member of a Baptist church. And she said we need to just come together and he’ll let the community heal and I agree that the community needs to heal. We truly do. If something terrible like this happens in our town we would need a time of healing. And that is so important. But there in that interview with that one particular woman she said we all warship the same God we just need to come together. Well with that statement but it is to tell you I boldly disagree because we do not all worship the same God how many times that God tell the Israelites you need to clear out the false idols. Clear out the false gods you need to worship the One True God only the One True God and I’m going to stay here today to tell you the DOS who practice Islam do not worship the same God that we do because they do not believe that Jesus is the Christ that He is a Son of God so how could they say that their worship in the same God the very book that they follow the Qur’an does not profess that Christ is the savior that he is a Son of God and they referred to Christians as the Temple delts. So how can they believe they were worshipping the same God Again first time. Said in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead in Christ. You must believe in Jesus Christ or stand your ground. Stand your ground be steadfast in your faith know what you believe to put. It’s a straightforward this is nothing but the simple gospel message this morning. If one does not believe that Jesus is the crisis Son of God and that he came to the earth that he lived in a human body and yet he is still God and that he died for the sins of the world and he defeated death and held in the grave and rose up out of the grave then they are not worshipping the same God that we believe in John fourteen six says. Jesus says Say just says Jesus says I am the way. Meaning I am the way to the Father. There is no other way. He is the way that’s what the Christian movement was called in the beginning. Those that are of the way the way which is the way to the father is Jesus and he says I am the truth. There is no lie in him he is truth and he says I am the life the life eternal is Jesus. There is no other way to turn a light. And he says no one comes to the Father except through me. Can I get an Amen for that please. There is no way to come to the Father except through Jesus Christ. So do we all worship the same God we all worship the same god. Yes but the Gloster and say that we are all these other faiths need to come to gather together in here all because we all were to the same god. I’m sorry I disagree. If you disagree with me I’m sorry but there’s only one true God And that’s the Trinity the Father Son the Holy Spirit. You cannot come to the Father except through the Son. If we are not rooted in established in the faith we could be easily deceived. We could be led astray by these strange teachings. There are many that are always out there looking for some new philosophy. All new teaching philosophy can be good. We want to learn more about God and His ways and His will for us. But there’s also a lot of philosophy out there that could lead one to strike any theories and chapter four verses thirteen through fifteen and says till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God that will be true unity until we come to the together. So the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ that we should no longer be as children tossed to and fro and carried about with everyone the doctrine by the trick Rearden trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But speaking the truth in love that’s important. If we stand firm in our faith and stand against the heresies we need to do it in the love that we may grow up in all things into him who is the head of my poses again is a question who is the head Christ amen. Psalms twelve one twelve six and seven says surely he will never be shaken a righteous man will be remembered for ever he will have no fear of bad news his heart is steadfast trusting in the Lord. You must trust in the Lord if you expect to be steadfast in your faith to know that he is with you that you need not fear any bad news because you know that God is with you. You know that he will protect you know that he will provide for you. Is said he should never be shaken remembered forever. No fear. These two verses are just packed full of adjectives describing a righteous man who fears God. Verse one of that chapter said says. Gravely the man they greatly did lights in his commandments. How many of us would describe ourselves as steadfast in our faith firmly established firmly fixed. Sure. Completely determined and completely trusting God. Do you describe your faith as that steadfast do others look at you know that you are steadfast even when tested by the storms of this life. Are you steadfast. And I’m sure that every single one of us could probably come and sit down and share with this body your story of faith. You could share with us your story of how you first believed in the things that you’ve been through on your faith journey. And I’m sure there are some wonderful amazing stories. You know I could share as a child I was taking the church and I remember as a young child going to church and I remembers I got a little bit older even preteens going to church and being in the choir and singing or fly away in that in wonderful songs a kid saying. But I also remember those teenage years where I got away from the church. But I remember but many probably have similar stories of your faith. And as I was sitting there this morning thinking how wonderful wonderful would be that if we had set a time like you know maybe once a month or a Saturday evening or something. Come and share your faith story with the body because it helps others to be encouraged when they learn. All that you were said fast through all that you and dirt in your faith journey. You know it’s like wow that’s amazing. You know it encourages in lift one another up. I thought that would be so cool so so neat. Maybe want to monthly come tonight maybe two or three people share your faith journey. I want to know I’m interested in not really you know what is God brought you through. How have you stood for him. How do you been steadfast. I think that would be amazing. So I put that back and be thinking about that while you’re thinking about potatoes too. But think about that that would be a very I think a way wonderful way to encourage others and just share and to give God glory really to give God glory because I know he’s brought me through so many things but I thank him for his faithfulness Amen. First Peter five vs eight nine says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith and we are to do that but there seems like there’s times that we spend more times resisting rebuking the devil than we do. Concerned about God than we do talking to God. Just get up in the morning resisting and then forget about and go on about your day and then worship God Praise God pray to God you know the devil is he’s going to continually try to remind you of your mistakes. He’s going to remind you of your failures and your sins and he’ll tell you that because of these things you cannot receive your healing or that you will have to pay for your mistakes or that something bad is going to happen to you or your. Women who accuse you condemn you will try to persuade you that you are that your heart that in your heart to believe that he can do bad things to you to get that abscond twisted around he’s going to try to persuade you that he can do bad things to you. But the truth is that the devil cannot do anything against your life if your heart is persuaded steadfast in God He cannot touch you. Isaiah fifty four fourteen says in righteousness you sow be established you shall be far from oppression. You shall not fear and from terror for it shall not come near you. It shall not come near you. He might try to trick you that he can have power over you but he can. So when our heart is established in righteousness we can boldly declare yes I may have problems in this life but I am not guilty in God’s eyes I am justified in God’s eyes. That’s the most important thing. I am justified in God’s eyes by faith because of what Christ has done collations to sixteen says knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. That’s it. Do you believe God’s word you believe that is true. We are not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law but by the works of the law in the flesh shall be justified steadfast faith my friends means that we are strong that we are on movable unmovable and that we do. Not doubt it does not waver. Steadfast faith is like a well watered tree planted by the river. They grow stronger and stronger and stronger with each passing year. I found a story this shared that some years ago our embassy in Beirut was bombed by an automobile or a truck that was driven into and several people were injured and one Marine was injured in addition to his physical impairment injuries. He was blinded. The four star general who was a commanding officer of that area went to the hospital and commanded those men for their suffering. A few days later the commanding officer was advised that it was the birthday of the young Marine that had been blinded. The general said Cancel everything that I had to do today. I’m going to the hospital. He got four stars and went over to the hospital and he sought out the blind Marine and he said I understand it’s your birthday today. And he said Give me your hand. And as he held up his hand a general put four stars in his hand and said these are for you young man happy birthday. The young man the young Marine then asked for the hand of the general and gave back the four stars and said Semper fi. So those of you who know what Semper Fi means that the comment is obvious to those who do not know it means always faithful always faithful and this young Marine was simply saying I do not deserve anything extra I was simply remaining faithful to we are Christians a similar motto needs to be lived out in our on in our lives steadfast means that we are always faithful always faithful remain ever faithful. As we know that. God is faithful to us. Second Thessalonians three three says but the Lord is faithful who was stabbed as you and guard you from. From the evil one we know that he is faithful. Let us remain ever faithful to Him in our text in Colossians Paul also mention the church related to seal and if you’ve ever read Revelations you know in the third chapter that Jesus gave a strong warning to the lower layer of the church in Laodicea. He says because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I will vomit you out of my mouth. He wants us to be hot or cold warm or the other. So you going to be steadfast and be hot for him. I pray that you are don’t become lukewarm like the church in Laodicea My friends your complete in him your complete in Christ remain steadfast for him. Don’t be like a sieve and let everything that God is put into you just leak out and let it enrich you let it help you grow become stronger and him become stable and him become established in him. If you’ve been struggling in your faith come before him and ask him to help you be strong help and ask him to help you guide you through whatever you might be going through in your life and he is able and he will do it because he is faithful. Let’s be set fast for Jesus Amen.