Colossians 2:1-7 | A strengthened Heart, united in Love.

This is City Post Church. We're about three things.

Build equipped and send. All under the.

Lordship of Jesus. Christ.

A small church plant in Fort Worth, TX.

Who decided to do things a little differently?

Adoramos Ajesu Cristo I love city post because of the people.

It's where I belong. We truly preach the Word.

I love City Post because of the community we've been able to

build. To do ministry like Jesus.

For light to push back. Darkness.

This is City Post podcast. Father God, we thank you for

what you've done for us All right, so I'm about to show you

guys my. Age so I grew up.

Watching WWF, anybody, you know what if I gave knows?

You see the young ones, they say WWE, but back in the day it was

WWF and on Netflix right now. There is a docu series.

I know it's against your will. Bro, it's all right.

It's it's. Bye, Miami.

All right, my dude. I just want to go free him, but

I can't. But on Netflix right now,

there's a docu series on Hulk Hogan.

Anybody familiar with Hulk Hogan?

Yeah. I mean, he was the innovator of,

of sports entertainment, professional wrestling.

And as I'm watching this documentary.

It's about his whole life. And how he he became the

Hulkster. And one of the things that Hulk

Hogan does and what he's known for is, you know, he.

Does the leg drop? That's his finisher.

But in every match, there comes to a point where they have them

in a chokehold, they have them down, they're beating them up,

and all of a sudden he starts hooking up.

Like the crowd? Season they start cheering and

he's like, you know, they do like.

The one. They're like, Oh my gosh, he

can't breathe and. They're like.

Two and then after third one his arm doesn't go down and he.

Starts like, you know, like. Oh, and everybody's like, Oh my

gosh, he's becoming alive. And then they hit him, but it

doesn't hurt him. He gets hit and then he points

at the guy and he does like, no, no, no, right.

And then of course, like he demolishes them and whatever and

he wins. It's a.

It's like a. Script.

This is very scripted. Now here's the crazy thing.

What if I were to take that same strategy into a street?

Fight some dudes like, whoa, what's up?

Then you're like, Oh yeah, talk about my Mama, yeah, whatever.

And then we start fighting and he puts me in a rear naked

chokehold and then I'm just start like hulking.

That would never happen. I've never seen anybody in the.

UFC do that. Where it's like Nate Diaz has

him, he's tapping out and you never see somebody like hook up

and then get. Out of a chokehold.

Why? Because that's right, it's part

of the script. You see what Hulk?

Hogan, he. Developed this it's all part of

of his characters are part of who he is so they.

Know like when he's part of the program when he's in that ring,

people kind of see what's going to happen and guys when we.

Talk about. Hooking up when we talk about

being encouraged, that's exactly.

What God does? It's not what we do.

God is the one that's encouraging us.

God is the one that encourages our hearts.

And when we're down in our. Spirits, it is the Holy Spirit,

it is God Who? Strengthens us.

Because it's part of who he is. Has none to do what we do.

So if we try to do. That on our own strength, you

might feel. Good for a little.

Bit but it's not going to last. But if we.

Rely on the Holy Spirit. To come in and strengthen our

hearts and strengthen our lives when we are taking a beating,

it's going to help us. And we just dive in.

Colossians chapter 2 Today in chapter. 2 Paul is going to.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

Kind of continue on that same sentiment of encouraging the

believers and encouraging the church, and Paul is going to

tell us there's two things that he is striving for, that he is

fighting for when it comes. To the believers in Laodicea.

So let's let's just go. Ahead and dive in, we're going

to look at 7 verses and then we'll be out of here and then

you guys go home and watch the documentary on Netflix on Hulk

Hogan 'cause you have nothing else to.

Do right so so before. I dive into the text.

Let's pray together so, Father. Thank you for everything.

Thank you for this amazing time of worship.

Lord and God, I pray that you help me as I deliver.

Your word help me. Remember everything that was

studied, Father. Let everything that comes out of

my heart and my mouth be of you, Father, not me.

Help us see. Christ in the text, and then we

pray all these things. Amen.

All right, so let's look at verse one.

Let's read verses 1, 2:00, and 3:00, and then we'll talk about

it. So this is Paul.

Speaking goes, I want you to know how hard I am contending.

For you. And for those in Laodicea, and

for all who have not met me personally, my goal is that they

may be encouraged in heart and united in love so that they may

have the. Full.

Riches of complete understanding and.

Order that. They may know the mystery of

God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of

wisdom and knowledge. So go back to verse.

One Paul uses the same language that we learned last.

Week when he talks about the. Struggling, right?

But instead he goes, I want you to know so he's talking to the.

Believers. He want you to know you guys in

the. Church, you followers of Christ,

that I. Have been striving.

Remember that word Striving is like to win a game like I'm

playing to. Beat you so, Paul.

Is saying I have been striving hard, I've been working hard,

have been struggling. Hard for you?

You know. I think a a better Greek.

Word here is agon. Agon is where we get the root

word of agony or agonize. And what Paul is saying, he's

like, man, I have been pushing, I've been struggling, I've been

grinding, I've been agonizing for you guys in the church.

But he doesn't say that in a negative light.

He actually says it in a positive light, right?

It's it's a positive. Term.

For you and for all of you, all of.

Those and they ought to. See it which is?

Kind of a region near Colossae. For all who have not met me

personally. So for those who know me, those

who don't know me, and what? Paul does here is that he sees

believers as believers. In Christ he doesn't see Jew or

Gentile. All of us are.

One in Jesus. So he doesn't go culturally like

we. We have to look at.

Paul's words here 'cause Paul understands that Christ.

Is the head of the church and his love for.

Christ is shown in his love for the church and He's.

Willing to suffer physically, he's.

Willing to suffer daily for those in the church.

And that's something that we talked about last week now.

Look what he says in verse 2 because.

Man, verses 2 and three. I think it's brilliantly written

by Paul. So Paul says listen.

What I'm striving for, what I'm agonizing for, what I'm what I'm

grinding for. Like the goal of all of this?

And then he's going to. Give two goals.

He's like this. Is what I want to show you guys.

So there's two things and and this is just .1 is to have an

encouraged heart. So what he's saying is like, for

you and the church. My main goal is that I want you

to have an encouraged heart. Now another term here in the

Greek, instead of encouraged, is actually strengthened.

He wants you to have a strengthened heart, right?

He wants you to. Be able to hook.

Up whenever you're feeling down. So he says strengthened heart.

And then the other one is united in love.

We're going to look at that here in a second.

So number one is strengthened heart and I want you to

understand something. What, Paul?

Realizes is that the church. Does not need to be comforted,

they need to be strengthened. There's a difference and I think

sometimes we get those mixed up. I'll give you an example.

Like yesterday, we spent the whole day cleaning the.

Disaster. That's Casa Cado.

Right now. Crazy week.

Like 7 loads of laundry, the grass look like Jumanji outside.

I mean, it was like just not a good situation.

And then there's a ladies retreat.

So yeah, one my kids eat, you know, we're living off of ramen,

right? All that stuff like, so so we're

like man, Saturday we're going to clean.

We're we're. So I tell Livia I was like

Livia. You need to go.

Put your clothes up. And then do you?

What do you think? She said OK, Father, Huh.

No, I like to say that. Have you met Livia?

So I was like, Livia, don't come out of your room until all.

Your clothes is up. And man, let me tell you, she

stalled. Man, she tried to.

Get out of it, She. Came to be real sweet we can I

get something to dress like girl?

Get. In your room, get your clothes

up. And then she came out and she's

crying and she's like, dad, I don't want to do this, I need

help. I need so much help.

And she's just. She's just.

Begging me, and then I took her by the hand, said Livvy.

You need to put. Your clothes up.

It's time for you to grow up. You need to put your own clothes

up. So let's do this.

Let's. Put some music on.

Turn your CD player on and then you're just going to put your

clothes in the drawers. You got this girl, you could do

this. Now what did I just do?

I encouraged her. I strengthened her.

I didn't do like, oh. It's OK, I'll do it for.

You me no, like no like what is that going to do for her?

She's not going to learn and now she's going to expect dad to do

it every time she cries. Kids are smart, y'all.

It's a learned. Behavior.

So what I did? Was I encouraged?

Her. I strengthened her.

I let her know. That she is fully capable.

Of putting clothes in her drawer.

And you know what ended up happening?

The clothes was in her drawer. It wasn't perfectly folded, but

you know, step one, it's all good.

She did it. And I think there's sometimes

where. We.

Feel so discouraged and so be down.

And what Paul is saying, you don't need to be comforted right

now. What you need is to be

encouraged. You need your heart

strengthened. So that.

Way you could continue to. Do what I've.

Called you to do we continue to move.

Forward with the Gospel. Message and to do what?

God has called us. To now let's take.

This a little bit deeper all right so let let's.

Dig a little bit more in in in this whole idea of an encouraged

heart. So I want to ask us like so when

you see the word heart in Scripture.

Like a lot of like. What does that?

Mean, I know some of us throw that around like like, I love

you with all my heart, Miko Razon.

Yeah, whatever, whatever you want to say.

But in scripture what that means this is not just.

Like this is this. Is not just like game.

What Paul is saying, the heart is the inner self.

It is the center of. Life.

But here's what's crazy that. A lot of us miss.

The heart. Equates to the mind.

So in Scripture, whenever you see like your heart, something

that is always going to be tied to the inner man and the inner

self is the mind. So Paul is saying not just to

have an encouraged. Heart.

Or strengthened heart. But he's also talking about the

mind itself. So like Revelation 223, it says

that in all. All the churches.

Will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts

and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds and

you see. So when it when it when it talks

about the heart and the minds, that's also addressing our

emotions. Our emotions respond.

To what our hearts? And our minds are taking in.

So what Paul is saying is that because our emotions respond to

what goes into the hearts, but also what the mind perceives.

So wait, so the way that we. Control our emotions and our

feelings is through the mind. Why am I saying this?

Because when you don't have, when your heart needs

strengthening and when you're getting hit and when you're

getting beat down, what? A lot.

Of us do as believers. Is that we lean on our emotions

and we forget the mind we go based on how we feel and we.

Forget about God's truth. I don't feel like going today.

That must be an indicator. That the Spirit is.

Speaking to me? No, wrong you don't.

Feel like it because it's. Gloomy outside, you had a rough.

Day you're tired, but God's truth is very clear, so which?

One do I got to? Follow the way I feel or the

truth of the Lord God's truth. So a lot of that.

Stuff stems from the heart and into our mind.

So. Our mind needs to be.

Filled with biblical truth. And if our minds are.

Filled with biblical. Truth, then our emotions respond

correctly. It all aligns out.

Let me give you some Bible. For it some.

You're like Rick. I don't.

Believe you all right. Psalms 20.

Psalm, Yeah. Proverbs 420.

Three, it says this. Watch over your heart with.

All diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.

And then he goes on to say, man, whatever the mouth says it's

from, it's what's in the. Depths of your heart.

And then we see Psalms 26 two examine me, Lord, and put me to

the test. Refine my mind and my what?

My heart. Psalms 13923 and 24 Search me

God and know my. Heart and put me to the test.

And know my anxious thoughts and see if there is any hurtful way

in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

So then when we talk about a strengthened heart and

encouraged heart, we cannot leave the mind out of it.

That's what Romans 12 says. Do not conform to the patterns

of the world, but be renewed by the mind.

So we. Do all this, So what?

What is what is Paul trying to do?

How do we strengthen our hearts? We strengthen our hearts by

strengthen our minds and that comes through the strengthener

who is the Holy Spirit. So Ephesians 3, I'll go and

read. This for us.

Ephesians 314 through 16 and it says this.

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom

every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

That he would grant you according to the riches of His

glory. Here comes.

To be. Strengthened with power through

the. Holy through His Spirit.

In the itself. It is the holy.

Spirit that strengthens us. It is the Holy Spirit.

That encourages our hearts, not just our hearts, but our minds.

And if our hearts and our minds are strengthened by the Spirit,

that means that our our emotions are going to be controlled, not

by us. But by the Spirit as.

Well, and I know that sounds like a a a.

Lot. But listen a strengthened heart.

Strong hearts result on a powerful Christian life.

And if your heart is strengthened?

And if your heart is rooted, which?

We're going to see here in a second.

And if your mind is strengthened by the.

Holy Spirit, the life. That you're going to be.

Able to live is going to be so. Strong and so powerful.

We talked about this if you if you look at the fruits of the

Spirit. That means that the fruit of

the. Spirit 1 of the fruits.

Is self-control You know in the Bible the only thing that the

word of. God says that you're.

To be in control of is yourself, not anybody.

Else self. Control is what the holy.

Spirit. Is giving us too that's.

Why? You can't use the excuse I'm

too. Ratchet to be righteous.

Or I'm too hood to be holy, right?

I'm I'm like this because I'm from the South side of the

Kingdom and I get. That yes, you're.

Product of your environment. But when the Holy Spirit is the

one who strengthens my heart and spend and renews my mind, that

means that what comes out, I'm able to control it.

So I don't have the excuse of that's just how I am.

The Bible. Also says that in Christ we are

a new creation. The old is gone and the new has

come. I love.

That because what God does is he takes all your.

Giftings all of your idiosyncrasies.

Like all of your. Talents, all the stuff.

That you love. And when you make it.

His. He uses everything that you have

and everything that you are and he.

Takes it and he uses it for his glory.

But you're still a new creation. So I have the Holy Spirit.

I'm now I'm able to control that stuff.

I'm able. So when Paul says man, my.

Prayer for the Church. Is that you have an encouraged

heart, that the Holy Spirit strengthens you.

It doesn't just mean how I feel. No, it's everything.

My inner being, how I think, and then how I respond.

This is important because the church was being infiltrated by

a bunch of. False teachers.

And in this text, we're going to see here the Gnostics, and it's

really. Easy.

For them to prey on theology of younger believers and then

control how? They feel about.

Things, emotions are easily manipulated sometimes.

That's why you. Have to be so rooted.

And grounded in this holy. Spirit.

All right, no so #2 so we have encouraged in heart.

And then Paul says, I also want you to be united in what y'all

could say it. United in what love?

That's right. I want you to be united in.

Love. I love that word.

United. That word united actually means

knit together. There's another Greek word that

means like. It's it's weaved together

tightly. I want.

You to be knit together, weaved together in love.

I want you to bring everyone together.

Church unity is not just organizational.

Church unity is organic. And it happens.

With the Holy Spirit, that's why what we see.

Like in the early church? You had all sorts of.

Groups of Judaism and gentiles how in the world does.

Everybody come together in one. Accord without fighting in

unity. Paul say Amen.

Unity has to be in love. We are all.

One, we are unified church. Because Jesus is the head.

We're all unified in Christ. John 1335.

This is Jesus talking by. This all people.

Will know that you are my. Disciples, if you love.

One another. Listen y'all, there's nothing

better and nothing stronger than a unified church.

And when a church is unified and.

Outside stuff starts to creep. In.

Because the church is so. Unified, none of that's going to

impact us if anybody comes in and tries to prey on our

brothers. And sisters.

Oh. There's going to be a fight.

Why? Because we're unified together

in love. Nothing is going to happen.

It's a perfect illustration and I'll put a quote on the screen.

I I. Love this what I.

Read from Spurgeon. He says humility.

Is the key. That opens the door of love and

unity. How in the world do you become

unified in love? Humility.

How do we know what humility? Looks like Jesus, so Jesus

shows. US in Philippians.

That he he was so. Humble that he came as a

servant. All the way to a.

Sacrifice on the cross. Jesus shows us humility.

He shows us how to be humble. It has to come from love, and

loving someone is not defined by having warm feelings for them.

I want you to understand that remember we.

Just talked about our. Feelings and emotions.

Love is not defined by having. The butterflies or the goose?

Pimples or the warm feelings? The way that we see true love is

agape, which means sacrificial. If you want to know what love.

Is you have to be able to be sacrifice, you have to be.

Part of that. So we sacrifice from for one

another because we see that in. Christ people were sacrificing

for. Each other in the early

churches, they were helping meet each other's needs.

You know, I, I have to share this testimony because it was it

was just so amazing to me. It was one of those things that

you take a step back like God. I saw what you just did.

We had our brother Manny, He calls me up on Sunday night and

he said, hey, Rick, on Monday I'm working at this office

building and they're throwing away.

All this stuff. They're getting rid of it.

Do you think the church could use some TV's and some

whiteboards? I was like, yeah, bring it.

We'll just hold on to it and see, you know, just bring it.

So that's Monday. So at Congresso, I met a friend

and pastor. His name is Robert and he

planted a church in Grand Prairie.

And I just felt led to go talk to him, we started.

Talking. We knew a lot of the same people

and I was like, dude, I would love to hear more.

About like your church. Plant in Grand Prairie.

I was like our church supports church planning.

I would love to just know more about it.

So on Friday we met, our schedule's finally aligned, and

I was like, dude, I got AI, got a meeting at Texas Wesleyan,

I'll meet you at Black Coffee, and we'll hang out, 'cause I got

a meeting at 3:30. So we're.

Just trying to all make it work. And as we're sitting there and

we're drinking coffee and we're just talking about ministry, I'm

asking like, man, tell me. About like what the the heart

that God's. Given you for your people and

he's sharing these stories and then he says something he's like

man like like we're praying for this building but we're we're

having to tear down and right now after this I'm actually on

my way to Walmart. I'm going to go get some TV's.

And I said, hold that thought. I said I got you how many TV's

you need, he said. I was going to get 275 inch

screens. I was like dude, I'll give you 3

of them just to flex a little bit on how God is.

To show how awesome God is, I said dude.

I'll give you 3 of them because you're going to need a monitor

in the. Back he goes.

Are you? Serious and his eyes.

Start to water. And he's like, Rick, don't play

with me. And I was like, dude, I am dead

serious. We go to the church.

Right now we're about like 12 minutes away.

I will give you some TV's that somebody blessed us with and he

goes. Let's.

Go and he drops everything. close everything up.

Boom boom boom. We don't even finish drinking

our coffee and we leave. So excited and we get here.

And he goes, Rick, you understand, he pulls his phone

out and he has 275 inch screen TV's in the cart at Walmart that

he was going. To go pick up and.

He's like, man, God is just so amazing.

And I was like, I know, isn't that crazy?

And then we're just talking, and we spent the next.

Two hours. In the office just talking about

church and life and and our struggles and like what God is

doing. I missed my 3:30 meeting so I'm

probably in trouble. But it was so worth it.

It's so worth it. I.

Was like, just slap my wrist. It's OK, I'm a director.

I can't lose anyway. So, so but but man, we just

spent. I just lost it and it was so

awesome. How?

How does that happen? Because we're all unified in.

Love the global church. My brother needed something.

God put in one of our people to bring that here.

I didn't think twice. I'll say help sell it to you.

No, it's take it open hands. I was like, that's why God

blesses us, so that we could bless other people.

And then because of our blessing, that's going to help

his church explode and and his church grow.

And I was like, dude, just come back anytime you want and

anything else you need, just tell me.

I'll see what we can do to get it.

That's unity and love. That's unified and love.

I don't know him very well, but I know that he is a minister of

the gospel and I know that he was a brother in need and I

know. That we had extra.

He could have it, no questions. Asked guys.

That's how it works. That's what.

Unity and love being unified and love is it doesn't matter what

church like. These are not gangs.

We're all in it together. We all support each other, those

who preach. Christ, I gotta keep moving.

So unified in love now. Paul tells us these two.

Things now and and I love what he.

Says look at verse 2. Again, he goes my I want you to

be encouraged in heart. I want you to be unified in

love. And then look.

At the connector words so. That.

Don't miss it. You should highlight that in

your. Bible so that what Like what's

the. Reason I need you to do these

two things. So that they may have the.

Riches of complete understanding in.

Order that. They may know the mystery of

God, namely Christ. The reason I need you to have

these two things is that you will have.

The. Riches of the complete

understanding. What are you talking about?

Riches of complete understanding.

So that way you will. Understand God's Word, the.

Fullness of the Gospel, that word understanding.

Is actually a Greek word. Called Sanisi's right.

Sanisi's reply. I mean applying biblical.

Principles to your everyday life.

That's what understanding is. So if you want to have a better

understanding of God's Word, you must implement what you learn

into your everyday life. And what happens is a lot of us

hear the word but. Don't do the word.

We take it all in, but we don't do it.

And then you complain that I don't get it, and you don't get

it because you don't do it. And when you don't do it, you

lose your assurance of what you think you know.

He says the full. Assurance of understanding so

truth that finds solid footing and a strong heart.

So to. See how it all connects here and

it works itself out in love? With fellow believers, all that

results. In a deep conviction for.

Christ, that is the basis. Of assurance.

Because he. Says that it's in the mystery.

What's the mystery? The mystery is God incarnated

Christ in you. The hope of glory.

We talked about this last week, so.

Here's my challenge to us. If I don't have assurance, then

I have to ask myself, am I putting into practice what I'm

learning? If I'm not practicing what I'm

learning, then I'm not going to have the right understanding.

And if my understanding is off, then my assurance is going to be

hit. That's we got a bunch of

believers walking around. Don't know, like don't think

this is real. I don't know if this whole God

thing is real. I don't know how Christianity is

real. And then I asked him like man to

share your testimony with me and a lot of it stops at saying yes.

Now don't get me wrong when you submit your life.

To Jesus, and he forgives you. And you accept him.

You are forever. You don't lose your salvation.

You're covered by his grace. What?

Paul is getting at to alluding to is is your walk.

So I'm saved, yes, and now? It's time to grow How?

Come, I'm not growing. How come I'm not getting stuff?

How come I'm stuck in the same place?

This right here are you. Putting into practice what

you're learning and reading and attaining.

And that needs to be the number one question that we ask.

You know Pastor Matt Chandler has a new book out.

And and he. Said something really

interesting, He says there's something that he calls the

Christian bypass principle. And I thought that I thought it

was interesting because of the time that we live in today.

What he says is that. The bypass principle is when

believers because of technology and because of everything

Christians that go to church and they're.

Able to articulate. And they're able to explain

things that they've read. That they've heard, that they've

watched with Christianese. But they haven't done it.

So when you talk about suffering, you're.

Able to talk about it because of a podcast you heard, or because

of a book you read, or because of a Ted talk that you like you.

Listen to so I'm able to tell. You what's?

Suffering is I'm able to. Tell you what walking with Jesus

is and you're able to do that by.

Bypassing actually experiencing it and because.

You're able to articulate it the rest of the world.

Especially in Western Christianity, we look at them be

like, you must know he's knowledgeable.

But what happens is that we're. Skipping the experiencing peace

you're skipping going through the hard times.

You're skipping the faithfulness you're skipping reading and

struggling with. God's word because.

You're able to attain it through other things, and if we think

about AI and the stuff that's coming to our world, it's going

to be. Easier to just.

Ask a machine what something says.

And what God is saying? Is that no like the word of God?

Like don't get me wrong, I use AI all the time, it's a great

tool. But what the word of?

God says that in. Order for you to attain.

Assurance and understanding. You've got to actually do.

Something we've got to do something and I know like.

I always, I always call. Out some young folks that like

to talk a lot but don't do anything.

It's like man, it's called. Lazy.

Activism. You could say all you.

Want you complain all you want. You could talk about the.

Culture and and conspiracy theories all you want, but are

you feeding kids in your neighborhood?

Are you voting? Are you going out to the

community? Are you hanging out with?

People, are you disciple? In anybody, when people come up

as a man, when was the last time you want somebody to Christ?

I'm glad. That you could.

You could. Fight and all that.

Stuff. But but what are you truly?

Doing What does it look like to walk in the Spirit?

Without you just explaining. It to me.

So we've got to go into this life stepping in even though

it's scary, and saying Jesus, I'm going to walk.

With you I'm. Going to do what you asked me to

do. Because that is how you.

Attain growth in the Christian world in the Christian

worldview. We've got to be able.

To dive in and not bypass things.

Just because we could talk about it.

So it's not just talking about it, but it's going through it.

So as we continue. Here we'll close up got.

A few more verses and we'll be done.

Verse four. And then Paul goes on and.

He goes, I tell you. This so that no one may deceive.

You. By find sounding arguments.

So remember we talked about the Gnostics coming in there.

They're telling everybody that Jesus is step one.

To all this spiritual stuff. That there's these mysteries.

In the world that. Hey, we could help you unlock it

if you just listen to us and. Believe what we believe.

And Paul calls them out on their stuff and says no, you know

what? The mystery.

Is Christ? And he fights it with the.

Supremacy of Christ, that's. The mystery.

I know the mystery. Because I have Jesus.

And he's trying to tell him he's like, don't be.

Deceived. I like that word.

Deceived. And the Greek is like don't be

cheated. A better way to put it is.

Don't be kidnapped spiritually by people that come in and are

able to talk real nice and start throwing away.

Throw around their philosophies and their beliefs.

It's why it's so important for us to know the Word of God.

Then I love verse 5. It goes for though.

I am absent from you in body. Remember Paul's in a Roman

prison. I am present with you in spirit

and delight to see. How?

Disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

So what, Paul? Does he bookends it?

He's like, man, listen what? I really need you.

Guys to do is be. Strengthened in heart, right?

I need, I need you to be encouraged, and then I need you

to be unified in love. Then he tells you why, 'cause

you're falling off, man, don't. You got to do it.

You. You.

Got to know the gospel. Christ is the mystery.

Here, this is what we're fighting for.

And then he ends it. He bookmarks it with another

encouraging words, with two other things, and he goes, man,

but it brings me so much joy, even though I'm not there, what

I'm hearing from you. Guys, it brings.

Me, so much joy. To see.

How? How come?

He says. See, I thought he wasn't there.

He said he goes. I'm delighted to see how

disciplined you are. You know why?

He says see, 'cause he's. Seeing.

The fruit. Of what they're doing.

He's seeing the impact of the church, even though he's not in

their presence. Their presence is being shown

with him, guys. That's the impact.

Of the church right like people are able to see it he's going to

address the. Fruit here in a second and he

goes, there's two things, man. You're disciplined.

You know what a short definition of discipline is doing, even

though you don't feel like it? If you ever talked to any

bodybuilders, most disciplined people in the whole entire

world. How in the world can you watch

everybody eat a double bacon cheeseburger and you take out?

Your bowl of. Grains and be like.

It's great. No, it's not great.

You're lying to me, but you're strengthening your mind right

now because I would fall. Right.

I mean like they, they. They're so disciplined in their.

Sleep their workouts what they. Put inside of their body who

they hang out with. Why?

Because they have a. Goal that they're trying to

attain, same thing. He's like, man, you guys are so

disciplined. That means that here they're

disciplined in the Christian disciplines, gathering together,

reading God. 'S Word prayer.

Fasting, giving, loving each other and goes man that is

producing fruit. The gospel is moving.

So you guys are just you're super.

Disciplined, and I see it. I see the result of it.

And then you're firm in your faith in.

Christ what Paul is. Saying you might bend, but you

ain't breaking. You're firm even though all this

has. Happened to you.

You're still. In the fight you're still

grinding it out and I see it and when with.

These last two verses therefore, for six.

So look what he. Does now he's going.

To tie it all together, therefore, as you have received

Christ Jesus the Lord, so. Walk in him.

He's giving a command. He's like I I need you to walk

in him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in

him and established in your. Faith just as you.

Were instructed and overflowing with gratitude.

I need you to. Walk with Jesus.

Man, I love this like walking with Christ, the word walk here

means living a lifestyle. When you walk with Jesus, your

lifestyle in the manner that you live in daily changes.

You don't do the same things that you used to do when you

were living in the world. I'm walking with Christ now.

I am firmly rooted in him and then the outcome of.

That because I followed. Christ, I'm walking with him and

instruction is. Gratitude.

So I'm not a Grumps. There's a there's this weird

joy. That's coming out of my life

because I'm walking with Jesus. Even when I have all these

things coming at me, there's a. There's this joy that just

bleeds out 'cause we're. Walking with Christ it kind of

what I want to do is end our time with just two last things

and we'll. Be out of here the.

Question is how do you? Walk with Christ, Paul.

Is telling us, man, like you got to.

You got to have your walk with Jesus.

And what many of us do know, and I've seen it many.

People start off really well. In their Christianity.

They start out great. They make a decision for Jesus,

but then they fall. Off and we start.

Thinking like what happened? Like what?

Was it? Was it real?

What is it not like what happened for somebody?

To just. Kind of like disappear.

Well, you stop walking with Christ, you stop walking with

him. So what I want to do is just end

like, like there's this two things 2 two things that I want

to encourage us with in walking with Jesus like.

Ricky, how do you walk with Jesus?

Number one is this. Just keep moving forward.

It's not science. Move forward.

You just keep going forward toward.

Christ. Because the the moment that you

stop moving. Forward.

You fall back. There was a running back, Walter

Payton. Anybody familiar?

Walter Payton. Hall of Famer.

One of the greatest running backs, I would even argue

greatest running back in the world, Walter Payton.

He was a beast for the Chicago. Bears and I, I remember growing

up watching like one of those NFL documentaries, 'cause I, I

used to love Barry Sanders and I would love like, little running

back. Stories Walter Payton They.

Interviewed him and in the. Back of his house he had this,

this steep hill. And every single day, like even

on his like break days, even on game days.

What he would tell the. Camera, he said.

Part of my routine and my. Workout is to.

Run up the hill and then they showed it and he is there.

Like I mean, this thing is steep.

And what he said was? Regardless of my legs are

burning. Regardless how tired I am if my

legs. Stop moving.

I'm falling backwards and it translates into a game because

if you're running back and the other team is trying to tackle.

You if your legs start. Stop moving.

You know what happens? To you get your head.

Taken off but. If you keep your legs.

Moving even though people are trying to.

Tackle you. You.

Gain positive yardage. Which is the goal.

Of an offense. Your goal of an offense is never

to get negative yardage. It's always to go forward.

So in the Christian life, as the enemy tries to take you down,

you keep moving forward, you keep trying to get that

positive. Yardage.

Because there are going to be times when you fall, but it

ain't going to be backwards and it ain't going to be because you

stopped moving. Keep moving forward.

Keep. Driving forward, don't stop your

legs from moving, you're going. To try to get tackled, but.

You're always going to be in the positive yards.

I think that's what God is trying to.

Paul is teaching. I was like.

Walk in Christ, don't stop. Keep moving.

Forward, regardless how hard it. Is no matter how many people.

Are trying to take you. Down, don't stop moving forward.

And then the last thing is, if you're going to grow up, you got

to grow down 1st. In order to grow up, you've.

Got to grow down verse 7. It talks about being firmly

rooted and now being built up in him in order for us to attain

fruit. That produces out of our lives.

We have to have deep roots. I'll put this.

This is the last thing I'll see on the screen, the fruit of the.

Tree is related to the root of the tree, the deeper your roots.

Are in. Christ, the more your fruits.

Going to show. So what?

Paul's getting to here is saying, man, you've.

Got to go deep in your relationship with Christ.

It's not a shallow. You get to know Him.

You spend time in His Word. You meditate on His.

Word you pray, you seek. Him and as you're getting deeper

and deeper and deeper. Into your relationship with

Christ. You start seeing fruit popping

out of your life and you're not even noticing it.

It's happening, but what happens with us?

Is that our focus? Is so much on the activity that

you miss intimacy? I'm so focused on trying to do

what's. Right, trying to please God.

Trying to do what I'm. Supposed to, because that's

what. God wants to see, but I'm doing

all this stuff, but there ain't no fruit in my life.

Nobody sees it. Why?

Because you got shallow roots but the deeper you go.

The deeper you dive into. Christ, your roots are going to

start to. Show I mean your fruits.

Going to start to show. What's the fruit Galatians?

The fruit of the Spirit Lovejoy. Peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness and the most important, self-control.

How do I control myself? Deeper relationship with Jesus.

The. Deeper I go with him.

The stronger my fruit is. So what it comes down to.

So I want to encourage you guys. I want to.

I just want to. I really want to encourage you.

Go deep with. Christ get in his Word.

Know his word, love his. Word be in the.

Spirit, we'll pray for us. Jesus, we love you.