Reminded, Refreshed and Excited By Our Fullness in Christ

I imagine that you're not surprised to hear that living in Madagascar has been hard for us.

Sometimes it's been really hard.

It's hot and it's dry.

Water and power come and go.

Relationships are always complicated by language and cultural differences.

Church is long.

And when I say church is long, I don't mean an hour and a half.

Church is three hours or four.

Health risks are always present.

Healthcare is hard to access.

We've had to watch weddings and funerals of our friends on our phones in the middle of the night.

Over the last few years, there have been days when either Avril or I would look at each other and say, I've had it.

I'm done.

I don't want to be here anymore.

Now, we have a rule when that happens, when somebody says that.

The rule is that the other person must immediately start looking up what the next flight back to Australia is.

We then spend five to 10 minutes in fantasy land.

We talk about whether we're going to get the direct flight back through Mauritius or whether we might go up to Ethiopia and via Singapore or something like that.

Now, it's not really serious, but we do it as a way of saying, I hear you.

I'm with you.

I know it's hard.

And we go from there to reminding ourselves why we're not actually going to get on that plane and what is it that keeps us in Madagascar.

What's the vision? What vision motivates us to go and what vision motivates you all to send us, to partner with us sacrificially, to pray for us regularly? What is it that motivates us to go and you to send us back? We consider that question this morning as we look at the book of Colossians, Paul's letter to a group of believers that he had never met, and yet in whom he rejoiced very deeply, with whom he celebrated the flourishing of the gospel.

In our passage this morning, Paul begins with the words, Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, or just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.

Now notice how Paul describes becoming a Christian.