Gospel Acceptance
Sermon Notes
Today we’re continuing our teaching series called Gospel Revolution, which is about understanding the life changing power of the gospel. The gospel is the primary message of Jesus, it’s a message that has life changing implications for our lives, and so we’re spending the next several weeks diving deeper in our understanding of the gospel. So far we’ve talked about what the gospel is, and how the gospel works to change us. We’ve also talked about how it’s the grace of Jesus that becomes the motivating fuel for our obedience to Jesus. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us,” meaning we love in response to his love. We obey not to gain his love, but in response to having already received his love, which leads to today’s topic about acceptance...Today we’re talking about acceptance, and as you go through life there’s a lot of people whose acceptance you try to gain.
For example some of you are trying to gain the acceptance of your peers. Some of you are trying to gain the acceptance of a teacher who said you’ll never be anything in life; you’ve been working hard trying to prove them wrong. Some of you might even be trying to gain the acceptance of your parents who’ve been putting a lot of pressure on you to be a success. We spend most our lives trying to prove we’re intelligent enough, athletic enough, beautiful enough to be loved and accepted by others. We spend most our lives trying to gain the acceptance of others, but the one person you don’t have to do that with, is Jesus...You don’t have to try to gain the acceptance of Jesus, because his acceptance is given not gained. It’s received, not achieved, and that’s what we’re gonna talk about today. So let’s turn to Colossians 3:1-3 and get into it. You’ll find Colossians in the last quarter part of your bible, and we’ll be in Colossians 3:1-3. The title of today’s message is Gospel Acceptance. The big idea is you’re accepted not by your works, but by the works of Jesus...You’re accepted not by your works, but by the works of Jesus.
Context:
Here’s your context. The Apostle Paul writes this letter specifically to Christians living in a city called Colosse, but it’s for all Christians in general. He writes this letter to address a false teacher in the church, and to help Christians grow in living out their faith. In ch 3 he specifically talks about how to live the Christian life, and in vs 1-3 he says the way to do that is by focusing on Jesus. It’s by continually focusing our hearts and minds on Jesus. Let’s check it out.
The Word:
Colossians 3:1-3 states this, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Notice Paul says 2 times we’re to be focused on ‘things above,’ where Jesus is. We’re to set our minds on Jesus, set our minds on heaven, on things that are eternal not temporal. Then in the rest of ch 3 he explains how living like this will affect our daily lives. He says it’d free us of things like greed, lying, anxiety, anger, bitterness, worry over material things. It’d free us of so many worldly stresses if we truly understood how temporary life is, compared to how glorious eternal heaven will be. You’d realize it isn’t worth it being greedy anymore, since you can’t take any of your wealth with you in eternity. It isn’t worth it staying angry at your spouse, your family, or your roommate when your life will end soon, when eternity’s just around the corner. It’s trivial to fight over which way the toilet paper goes...in the grand scheme of eternity. In fact this is a great question to ask ourselves as we go throughout our day. It’s the question “Is it worth it?...Is the money, the anger, the worry I’m holding onto worth it, in the grand scheme of eternity? Is it worth it?”...There’s so many worldly stresses we’d be free of, if only our minds were set on Jesus, set on heaven, set on the eternal instead of the temporal like Paul says.
Now consider the opposite view where some people believe this life’s all there is. Some people believe this life’s all there is, so enjoy it while we can. “I should be greedy with my money so I can enjoy as many of life’s finest luxuries while I can. I should be greedy with my time, not serve others with my time, so I don’t lose the little time I have.” If this world’s all there is, then your greatest goal in life is to serve yourself, to enjoy as many of life’s greatest pleasures while you can. People who think like this are living life with a clock that’s ticking down, but the Christian view is to live life with a clock that’s ticking forward. It’s to live life with a clock that’s taking us to an even greater place with greater pleasures than this world could ever offer. Paul’s saying the more our minds are captured by Jesus, by the eternal hope and joy Jesus has given us in the gospel, the more freedom and joy will have from the worries and stresses of this world.
Vs. 3, “For you died...” Not physically, but mentally, psychologically, spiritually. He’s saying when you receive the gospel, when you become a follower of Jesus your old mindset, your old way of thinking dies. You go from thinking me-centered to thinking Christ-centered. You go from thinking worldly to thinking heavenly, from thinking temporal to thinking eternal. Once this happens it’s impossible to go back to the old way of thinking because Jesus has opened your eyes to the beauties and realities of another world. It’s like the first time you eat a filet mignon or enjoy a nice vacation on the beach or mountains. Once you’ve tasted such things you can’t ever go back to the way life was, because you now know the reality of those joys exist. In the same way we can’t ever go back to the old mindset of our temporary world, once Jesus has opened our minds to the beauties and realities of his heavenly world. The two mindsets will still be at war with each other until we enter eternity. But as soon as we enter eternity the war will be over, and our minds will be completely filled, with only the endless beauties and joys of Jesus.
Again vs. 3, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” He’s saying if you want to have the mindset, freedom, and joy he’s been talking about, then you need to focus on Jesus, you need to focus on the infinite treasures he’s given you in the gospel. You need to especially focus on the fact that your life’s hidden with Christ, meaning your sinful life’s hidden because Jesus died for your sins on the cross. God no longer views us as sinners when our sins are hidden with Christ, instead He views us as His very own sons and daughters with Christ. The gospel allows us to be accepted into God’s very own family. This means when God looks at you He doesn’t say “You’re so disgusting...You’re so disgusting, pathetic, worthless, I don’t want anything to do with you until you clean your life up first.” Instead He looks at the righteousness of Christ covering your sin and says “I know what you did, but I also know what Jesus has done. I know what you did, but I’ve already forgiven you, adopted you, accepted you into my family because of what Jesus has done. I won’t ever abandon you, because I’ve already accepted you.”
There’s so much freedom and joy that comes when you realize this, when you realize God’s already accepted you. We spend most our lives trying to overcompensate for times we’ve been rejected. It’s rejection from something your parents said, a kid in school said, or a person who rejected you for a date, a job, a sports team. We spend most our lives trying to project an ideal image of ourselves, a fake Instagram image of ourselves to cover up our past rejections. But you don’t have to do that with God...You don’t have to try to overcompensate or impress God to cover up past rejections or sinful failures, because He’s already accepted you with Christ. My friend and mentor J.D. Greear reminds himself of this by praying this daily “In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done or could do, that would make You love me less.” There’s nothing you can do to add or take away from God’s love, because you’re already fully loved and accepted in Christ. You’ll never be more loved or less loved by God, than you are right now...You’ll never be more loved or less loved by God, than you are right now with Christ...Let that give you peace in your relationship with God this morning...Now let’s turn to Matthew 4:1-11, because I want you to see what one of your greatest temptations is. I want you to see how Satan tempts Jesus, because it’s exactly how he tempts us.
Matthew 4:1-11 states, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Okay so notice there’s a voice from heaven and a voice from hell. There’s the voice of the Holy Spirit leading Jesus, then there’s the voice of Satan tempting Jesus. Like I said before there’s parts of life you don’t realize exist until you receive the gospel, until you start following Jesus, and this is one of them. This is the reality of the Christian life. When you first become a Christian your eyes are opened to the reality that there’s a voice from heaven leading you, and a voice from hell that’s tempting you. First there’s salvation, then there’s attempted assassination. First there’s acceptance, then there’s whispers doubting your acceptance. First there’s the Holy Spirit leading you, then there’s Satan tempting you.
Now here’s why this is important. It’s because a lot of times when we’re facing struggles we’re like “God doesn’t love me,” or “God isn’t pleased with me. I must’ve done something wrong.” Then when life’s going well we think the opposite, we think “God must really love me, He must really be pleased with me. I must’ve done something right.” This exactly the mindset Paul said we need to avoid. It’s where you think you have to earn God’s love and acceptance which isn’t true, because you’re loved and accepted the very moment you receive the gospel. If you receive the gospel today, if you ask Jesus to be your savior today, then you’ll be loved and accepted by God today. You’ll be loved and accepted as a beloved child of God for all eternity. It’ll make all the difference in the world, especially in times of suffering. You’ll be able to say “This suffering I’m facing isn’t because of something I did or didn’t do. It isn’t God’s punishment, because Jesus already took my punishment. It isn’t God’s punishment, because I’m already loved and accepted as God’s beloved child.” But Satan wants you to doubt this, to doubt God’s love and acceptance, especially in times of suffering. Pay careful attention to how he tempts Jesus.
Vs. 2, “After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ 4 He answered, ‘It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Notice one of the primary ways Satan tries to tempt Jesus is by attacking his identity. It’s by attacking his identity, attacking the love and acceptance Jesus just received from God the Father. In the section just before this, in Matthew 3:17 Jesus was getting baptized and a voice from heaven spoke saying “This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.” But immediately after the voice of Satan starts questioning this. He whispers doubts saying “If you are the Son of God.” God the Father just affirmed that Jesus is His beloved Son, but Satan’s trying to get Jesus to doubt it.
Now this is exactly how Satan tries to tempt us, it’s by getting us to doubt God’s love and acceptance of us. The gospel starts with Jesus assuring us that we’re forgiven of our sins through his death on the cross. But Satan whispers “That isn’t good enough! You aren’t good enough!” The gospel starts with Jesus assuring us that we’re loved and accepted by God, but Satan whispers “Are you really?...Are you really loved and accepted by God?...If you are a son and daughter of God. If you are a beloved child of God. Then why’d He bring you to a desert? Why’d He allow you to face suffering and temptation?” The gospel starts with Jesus assuring us of God’s love, but Satan tempts us by trying to get us to doubt that love. Some of you wrestle the assurance of God’s love because of how much you struggle with sin. But God’s love isn’t based on your struggles with sin, it’s based on Jesus dying for your sin. You need to remember the gospel, you need to remember there’s nothing you can do that would make God love you more, and nothing you’ve done or could do, that would make God love you less.”
Vs. 7, “Jesus told him, ‘It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.’ 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, ‘I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.’ 10 Then Jesus told him, ‘Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.” Satan’s relentless. He keeps going, he keeps trying to wear Jesus down, just like he tries to wear us down with our temptations. But underneath all this is Satan trying to stop Jesus from going to the cross. When he says “Turn these stones into bread,” he’s really telling Jesus “Don’t come in weakness, come in strength and power. Use your divine power to turn these stones into bread.” When he says “I’ll give you all the kingdoms of the world,” what he’s really telling Jesus is “You don’t need to suffer the pains of the cross to draw people to you. You can have a crown without the cross...If God the Father really loves you, then He’d give you a crown without the cross. He’d give you a crown, not a crown of thorns. So go ahead Jesus, take the crown without the cross.” He’s trying to stop Jesus from going to the cross, and trying to get us to doubt our need for the cross. He’s trying to get us to doubt the loving acceptance available to us through the cross.
So how does Jesus resist this?...How does he fight against the doubts of Satan?...It’s by reminding himself of what God the Father has said...It’s by reminding himself of what God’s word has said...Every time Satan comes at him he says “It is written, it is written, it is written.” It’s because Jesus trusts what God the Father says, over what Satan says. He knew the only way we could ever overcome the temptations and doubts of what Satan says, is by trusting in what God the Father says. It’s by trusting in God saying “Not if you are my beloved child, but because of the cross you are my beloved child.”
The Big Idea:
So here’s the big idea. It’s that you’re accepted not by your works, but by the works of Jesus...You’re accepted not by your works, but by the works of Jesus...If you really think about it, it doesn’t make any sense for us to think God’s love and acceptance can fluctuate, based on what we do or don’t do...It doesn’t make any sense...because our works are miniscule compared to the magnitude of Jesus’ works. Our works are miniscule compared to the magnitude of the cross. Our works are miniscule compared the magnitude of his death and resurrection. So don’t try to outperform the performance of Jesus. Don’t try to outwork the work of Jesus.
Instead receive the great freedom, joy, love, acceptance Jesus has given you on the cross. Rest in the blanket of assurance he’s given you. Enjoy this life as you look forward to a much better eternal life. Enjoy the good news of the gospel which is that your stumbling is covered, it’s hidden, by the magnitude of the cross and the glorious power of the resurrection. You’re accepted not by the magnitude of your works, but by the magnitude of Jesus’s works. The degree to which you trust that, is the degree to which you’ll have freedom and joy in this world. It’s the degree to which you’ll enjoy life to the fullest, knowing you’re an accepted beloved child of God.