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April 5, 2009AM Colossians 2:16-19 Colossal Celebration
This past Friday I attended the Lent service hosted at St. Paul’s Church. High up on the front wall of the sanctuary hung the crucifix. There was an image of Jesus with His arms stretched out on a cross. His body, thinned out on the cross. As I sat looking at that portrayal of the crucifixion Scripture was being read. The Scripture was Psalm 22. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” They were the words uttered by Jesus centuries later as He died on the cross. In verse 17 David said, “I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.” I looked at the image of Jesus and I could see His ribs. His bones glared through His stretched skin. Other bones would have been exposed where flesh gave way to the whip. Jesus knew what it meant to have life stretched thin. We know a lot about living thinly in these pressure packed and hectic days. Our lives are stretched beyond tolerable levels. So many things demand our attention. We feel compelled to be in more than one place at a time. And we end up feeling thin, living life on the surface. Life loses its depth. And there is little cause for celebration. Listen to a few brief minutes in Christian songwriter, Carmen D’Arcy’s, life. “On the backside of errands too numerous to name, I pull into our driveway and emerge from my 7 passenger vehicle with at least one child toting piano lesson books under one arm and a soccer ball under the other. And like clowns coming out of the car at the circus, the rest of my pre-school to elementary age gang quickly pours out sporting backpacks, baseball equipment and guitar gear. As they make their way through the garage to the mud room, I follow them carrying a bag of just purchased groceries, while talking on my cell phone to my husband as he drives home from work. Without even indicating a change of scene to the handsome man on the other end of the line, I step into my kitchen, grab the defrosted pork chops from the fridge, continue to hold up my end of what I’m hoping is coming off as an intelligent phone conversation, head out to the back porch, turn on the grill, go back inside, stop by the laundry room, switch a load from the washer to the drier, keep talking to my husband, flip the pork chops, cut up some salad veggies and motion for someone to help set the table. All of this while managing a well timed, heart-felt, but admittedly somewhat distracted “wow, honey, it sounds like you had a huge day”. We know what it means to live a life stretched and thinned to the limits. The problem is that all these distractions stretch something else. They stretch our relationship with Jesus. Many days the same thing could be said of us that Paul said of the Gnostics. In verse 19 he says, “They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece.” The Message “They are not connected to Christ, the head of the body.” NLT “They have lost connection with the Head.” NIV Maybe right now you are feeling thinned out. You want to worship God in awe. You are seeking inspiration for a more dynamic relationship with Him. You really want to know the power to be like Christ. But it just isn’t happening. Even now you are battling distractions. You are thinking about tomorrow’s responsibilities. You are like Carmen talking to her husband on the phone. You want to adore Jesus as your Lord. You want Him to be your complete focus. You want to stand in awe of Him. But instead you feel swamped by the mundane. Carmen D’Arcy wrote the song entitle “We Adore Thee”. As the worship team was learning the song she began to reflect on what it means to adore God. These were the conclusions she came to. “Adoration requires all of me. Wow! Some days when I’m feeling pulled especially thin, it seems like that’s asking a lot. But that’s what Jesus offers me. All of Him! How can I offer Him less?” (from CCLI Web Site) The problem Paul was addressing was this very issue. Some people in the church were caught up in secondary issues. Their lives revolved around past experiences. They were focused on the celebration of seasons. They were caught up on issues like food and drink. God was receiving the left-overs. They were more interested in angels and visions than they were God. They had their own little projects that consumed their attention. Paul said these things are only shadows. He was encouraging the Christian not to get distracted by shadows. So much of what we think as essential in life are only shadows. Only what comes through Jesus is substance. And these shadows stretch us and thin us out. They create a disconnect between ourselves and Jesus. Can you identify the shadows in your life? Are you even willing to identify them? These shadows keep you from being all that you can be in Christ. These shadows restrict the power to be like Christ. They interfere with our adoration of God. Adoration, at its core, pre-supposes all of my affection. Adoration demands all of my attention. Adoration requires all of my passion. We live in utter awe of who He is. We bring our whole undistracted selves before Him to worship our most high King. Is it really possible to live like that? Can our lives really flourish rather than flounder? Can we really live as Paul said, “nourished and knit together”? (v. 19) Can we experience a life that “grows with a growth that is from God”? (v. 19) Today is Palm Sunday. On Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem the crowds waved Palm branches. The palm branch was a significant symbol for the Jew. The palm branch represented victory. The whole picture of Palm Sunday is one of victory. The people greeted Jesus with the chant of victory: “Hosanna!” The word Hosanna is the Hebrew for “Save Now!” The people’s shouts were quotes out of Psalm 118:23. It concluded the Psalms known as the Hallel which means “Praise God!” Every Jewish boy had to memorize the Hallel – Psalms 113-118. “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens!” (Psalm 113:1-4) These Psalms were the songs sung at the greatest celebrations. But for the Christian the Palm branch has even greater significance. There is coming a day when the victory will be complete. That day is described in Revelation 7:9-12. “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10) We’ll be waving palms on that great day…Hallelujah. That day will not be followed by betrayal and crucifixion. Life will not be thin. Life will be abundant and glorious and pure. A life we can experience now if we hold fast to our Head – Jesus. Our lives can be the palm branches today. “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the King of Israel” (John 12:13) The late S. M. Lockridge presented an incredible message describing Jesus. We have heard recordings of this message. But let’s listen to it again this Palm Sunday. The BIBLE says my king is the king of the JEWS. He’s the KING of Israel. He’s the KING Righteousness. He’s the King of the Ages, He’s the King of Heaven. He’s the King of GLORY. He’s the King of KINGS And He’s the LORD of Lords…That’s MY king! I wonder…do you know him? My KING is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define his limitless love. He’s enduringly strong. He’s ENTIRELY sincere. He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. Do you know him? He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He’s GOD’S Son. He’s a SINNER’S Savior. He’s the center piece of civilization. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He is the LOFTIEST idea in literature. He’s the highest PERSONALITY in philosophy. He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He’s the only one qualified to be an ALL sufficient Savior. I wonder if you know him today?... He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and he saves. He strengthens and sustains. He guards and he guides. He heals the SICK. He cleansed the lepers. He forgives SINNERS. He discharges DEBTORS. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent And he beautifies the MEAGER. I wonder if you know him?... He’s the key to knowledge. He’s the wellspring of WISDOM. He’s the doorway of DELIVERANCE. He’s the pathway of PEACE. He’s the roadway of RIGHTEOUSNESS. He’s the highway of HOLINESS. He’s the gateway of GLORY. Do you know him?... Well…His life is MATCHLESS. His goodness is LIMITLESS. His mercy is EVERLASTING. His love never CHANGES. His Word is ENOUGH. His grace is SUFFICIENT. His reign is RIGHTEOUS. And HIS YOKE is easy and His burden is light… I wish I could describe him to you… yes… He’s indescribable. HE’S incomprehensible. He’s invincible. He’s irresistible. You can’t get him out of your MIND. You can’t get him off of your hand. You can’t OUTLIVE him and you can’t live without him.
Well…the Pharisees couldn’t STAND him. But they found out they couldn’t STOP him. Pilate couldn’t find any FAULT in him. Herod couldn’t kill him. DEATH couldn’t handle him And the GRAVE couldn’t hold him. Yaaaaa, that’s MY King! That’s my KING! Amen![1] Do you know Jesus today? Is Jesus your Savior? Is Jesus your King? Is Jesus your Lord? Is Jesus your source? Your peace? Your strength? Your joy? Do you need to be put back together in one piece? Then make Him your focus, not the shadows of this world. Hold fast to Jesus because He alone is worthy of our awe and adoration! “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) “For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18) “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Video Song We Adore Thee |
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