Knit Together in Loving Unity

At youth group last night, I  was also really encouraged by the message from Colossians that Eric gave.  He taught on Colossians 2:1-5 and titled his message The Pinnacle of Our Existence - What is True Christian Maturity?

"For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.  For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ."

The part that particularly stuck out to me was in regards to his point that "Christian Maturity Enjoys the Riches of Christ."  The riches of Christ are found in 1) encouraged hearts.  Believers NEED to be around the body of Christ.  We cannot think that we will be okay on our own without fellow believers.  We need to be around other believers to receive accountability, to receive encouragement, and even to grow in our knowledge of Christ.  The Church provides for this necessity. 

Christ's riches are also found in 2) loving unity that is experienced by being knit together with other believers. and are 3) found in full assurance of knowledge and understanding.  When we are with other believers we enjoy fellowship that should cause us to love Christ more.  We need to be around people who spur us grow in our knowledge for Christ and our love for Him.  We cannot think we can do this on our own!  The more we get to know Christ and the more we spend time with Him the more we will grow to love Him.  The more we spend time with His bride - the Church and the body of Christ - the more we will grow to love Christ and know Him better.  We cannot isolate ourselves!  We must be with the body so that we may be encouraged in Christ.  We cannot be prideful and think that we can think through life on our own; the Church, the body of Christ, and believers are there to help guide and direct.  Christ has given us the Church so that we do not have to walk through life alone.  Yes, we have Christ to walk through life with but He also provides fellow believers to walk with us as well.

Christian maturity also see and know the danger of Christ-less thinking.  (This was Eric's last point)  Being with other believers and the Church helps us be watchful of 1) plausible or real arguments that will distract us from Christ.  A mature Christian will be aware that he can easily be swayed by his own thinking or worldly thinking that is not honoring or obedient to Christ.  When we are digging deeper in the knowledge of Christ we will be well equipped to resist futile thinking.  As believers, we can and must encourage one another to run from thoughts distract us from the Gospel.  We cannot be encouraged by others if we are not seeking others out and asking for help.  We cannot be encouraged by others if we are not in the presence of other believers.

As believers, we must have a "bigger vision" than ourselves and remember that we are part of the body of Christ and we must play our part in the body.  We must "be involved" with others and "seek to know God" on our own as well as alongside others.  If we are basking in the Gospel each and every day we will see our dependence on Christ and that we need help.  We will see that we need accountability and encouragement. 

Come to Me

Last night we sang this song at youth group.  I was again reminded of how encouraging and hopeful a song it is.  Be encouraged as I was.

Come to Me by Aaron Shust

Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened
And I will give you rest
Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened
And I will give you rest
 
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
For I am gentle and humble in heart
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
You will find rest for your souls
You will find rest for your souls

Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened
And I will give you rest
Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened
And I will give you rest


Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
For I am gentle and humble in heart
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
You will find rest for your souls
You will find rest for your souls

For My yoke is easy
And My burden is light

For My yoke is easy
And My burden is light


Simple but comforting lyrics.  I LOVE how they are straight out of Matthew 11:28-30. 

When we are weary; when we feel like we are carrying a burden that is greater than we can bear or when we feel that nobody else in this world can understand what we are going through...we can go to Christ.  He understands.  We can go to our Heavenly Father; we can go to our Savior and He will give us rest and peace.  He might not take away the burden; He might not take away the trial we are going through but He will give us strength and He will give us peace and rest in knowing that He is with us.  We MUST give our burdens to Jesus.  We were not meant to bear them alone!  That is one of the many wonderful things about our salvation!  We have Christ to walk through life with; we have Christ to lead us and carry us; we have Christ to give us strength.  He bears our burdens and we MUST look to Him for help. 

If we think we can figure out life on our own or if we think we can walk through trials on our own we are sinning.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your OWN understanding, but in ALL your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will direct your paths."  Verse 7 in Proverbs 5 goes on to say, "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil."  When we do not seek the Lord for help and when we fail to trust in Him we are being prideful and puffed up.  We are trusting in our own strength and wisdom.  Verse 8 says, "It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones."  It seems that the sentence structure of verse 8 is pointing back verses 5-7.  "It," in the beginning of verse 8 seems to refer back to the command to trust God and not lean on our own understanding and not being prideful; when we fix our eyes on Christ and trust Him for guidance it will be a healing to our souls. 

Christ will bear our burden if we go to him and humble ourselves before Him.  He is more than willing to help us and give us rest.  He is more than willing to bear our burden for us.  We must humble ourselves and trust Him and His word.

"You will find rest for your souls..."  

"I will give you rest..."