Latest / The Daily Word / June 15 – Warning and Teaching Toward Maturity
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, Lakeshore family, possibly good afternoon, good evening, wherever you're at in your day. I'm so glad that you joined us. Welcome to the Daily Word Podcast. I'm Robert Rosales, and alongside my wife Yolanda, we have the honor of serving as campus pastors at our Gastonia location. This podcast is a simple space we share each day to slow down. Open God's word and pay attention to what He's saying. As a church family, we're committed to meeting with God daily, not out of religious routine, but out of a relationship, through scripture, through prayer, and by capturing what the Holy Spirit is stirring in our hearts and how it connects to our everyday lives. We're walking together through the Life Journal Reading Plan, and today we'll be focusing on the New Testament portion from that plan. When I invest time with the Lord, I try to keep things uncluttered. Just my Bible, my journal, something to write with, and a highlighter to mark what stands out. At times I'll also lean on a couple of trusted study tools to help me get a little deeper and stay grounded in the text. Not to replace God's word, obviously, but to enhance it and help me to listen more closely. As a church, We also follow the soap method, scripture, observation, application, and prayer. It's a simple and practical tool, not just to use in reference to reading God's word, but to respond to God's word as we're reading it. Now, before we jump into today's passage, let's take a moment to prepare our hearts with a quick prayer. Lord, as we open your word, we ask that you would open us by your spirit. Make your truth come alive in us. Give us ears to hear and hearts to receive and courage to respond. Speak, Lord, we are listening. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, today's passage for June 15th is Colossians chapter 1, and I journaled from Verse 28. Let me read it to us out of the New King James Version. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. The title of my journal entry is simply this warning and teaching towards maturity. Warning and teaching towards maturity. And here's my observation. Conservative scholars believe Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome. Eprephas, the pastor and leader of the church, reached out to Paul for help to confront false teaching that threatened the church. The Spirit Filled Life Bible explains that this heresy was a combination of Greek philosophy, Jewish legalism, and mysticism. This syncretistic approach was said to teach that Jesus was not fully God and fully man, but merely one of the semi-divine beings bridging the distance between God and the world. Therefore, Jesus lacked the authority and ability to meet the Colossians' needs. This background connects directly to Colossians 1:28, as the false teaching in Colossians. Attacked Christ's sufficiency and supremacy, meaning him being more than enough and more than supreme. Because Christ is supreme and sufficient, he must be proclaimed clearly, taught accurately, and defended faithfully. In Colossians 1:28, Paul says he proclaimed Christ by both warning and teaching. The Greek word for warning. Nothote N-O-U-T-H E T E O means to place truth into the mind, carrying the idea of lovingly correcting, cautioning, and confronting error with truth, not harsh condemnation or public shaming. Teaching communicates what is true while warning Confronts what opposes the truth. Because the Colossian church was facing false teaching and spiritual confusion, Paul knew that believers needed both instruction and correction to become fully mature in Christ. And let me share an illustration I think will help us to understand this. A good doctor does more than explain how the body works. He also warns about what could destroy it. He teaches a patient about healthy living, but he also says if you keep going down this path, it will harm you. Teaching informs, the warning protects. Both are acts of care, not condemnation. In the same way, Paul says faithful ministry involves both teaching the truth and lovingly warning people about error and Because spiritual maturity requires not only knows what is right, but also turning away from what is wrong. So here's the application. In other words, how does this apply to my life or our lives? This is what I wrote down. This applies to my life in two very specific ways. First, as a pastor and teacher, I must take this to heart. Today we face many of the same challenges. We have a pluralistic religious society that is diluting the truth about Christ for the sake of unity. Christ's lordship is challenged and irrelevant in many religious circles. Because of this, I need to continue to grow in my understanding of truth and know how to teach and warn for the sake of the church's growth, strength, and maturity. Second, as a follower of Christ myself, it's important for me to continually grow in my personal application of the teachings and the warnings I receive from Scripture and from those who are examples and pastors in my life. The goal in my life is the same one that Paul had for the church in Colossae, to be presented mature in Christ Jesus. And here's my simple prayer as we wrap up. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today through your word. Help me to live these powerful truths out in my life as a pastor and as a follower of Christ. Help me to teach and warn the church for the sake of their growth in Christ, and lead me to take heed to the teachings and warnings from Scripture in my own life, so that I will be presented fully mature when I stand before Jesus. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Lakeshore family, as you go about your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His Word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His Word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you become everything God has called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and And plan for our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you, and we'll catch you again tomorrow.