From sitting in prison for preaching the Gospel...the Apostle Paul wrote a plea to the church in Colosse to help them understand TRUTH.
Why? The early church was JACKED up*.
There were teachings being presented in the city of Colosse that were opposing the true Gospel, and confusion was flourishing.
In the book of Colossians, we see that the early church was facing and even participating in: false teaching, false gospel, mysticism, legalism, self-salvation projects, inactivity, and even exclusion.
Certain members of the church were teaching observance of rules that could help earn salvation, or an elevated level of the spiritual realm. Other gentile members were promoting a form of mysticism that claimed that Jesus was a higher being but not God.
This early church was being challenged to its very core. They were being asked, "What makes someone's life whole? What makes it complete? What should our faith be centered upon?"
They were being challenged on what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus.
Now, fast forward to present time.
Our church doesn't face issues such as these today, do we?
We don't face teachings in our city that oppose the gospel, do we?
There isn't confusion about what makes one's life complete, is there?
We don't have questions about how to live the life of a disciple, do we?
Well, yes we do. The truth is that the time we live in today is just as jacked up as this early church.
Join us for a new series at The Bridge called Disciple 101. Over the next five weeks we will explore the basic tenets of a disciple's life.
April 19 - The Gospel
April 26 - Gospel Mission
May 3 - Baptism
May 10 - Bring to Life, Put to Death (How we live)
May 17 - Prayer
*Jacked up: 1. Not working properly or as intended; in a state of disarray; 2. Having consumed large quantities of harmful substances; 3. In generally poor or injured condition; 4. Something that is not quite right.
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