Grateful Series

Above All: A Study in Colossians

Colossians 1:1-8

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

04-03-2022

How to Shoot a Free Throw

Free throws are more difficult than you think. Yes, you are not guarded and yes you can take your time. But, there are so many distractions. The crowd behind the basket is doing whatever they can to throw your concentration off. I’ve seen some really funny antics in the opposing student section during free throws.

When I was in eighth grade, I was on the basketball team. Before the season started, we played the teachers in an exhibition game for the whole school. I was fouled and went to the line.

I’d be playing since I was about five so I had shot thousands of free throws in games, in practice, and in my backyard. I made my free throws about 80% of the time.

Free throws are a combination of ritual, muscle memory, and concentration.

I took two dribbles, bent my knees, exhaled, and the gym went quiet. It was just me at the line and the only thing I saw was the ball going through the net.

I stepped off the line and looked up to my friend group in the stands that were cheering me on. That’s when it happened. All of sudden I was aware that there were 800 pair of eyes on me. My heart started pounding. My hands were sweating.

I toed the line, bent my knees, exhaled and shot the ball. Even leaving my fingertips I knew. It was at least a foot short. I shot an airball in front of 800 people and, believe me, they let me know.

Why did I miss the second shot? Because I stepped off the line and looked somewhere other than the rim.

That’s the key to free throws, and our Christian life - focus on what’s most important and tune out the rest.

Why are we studying Colossians now?

As we approach Easter and our informational meeting with Mike Baker of Eastview, it will be very easy to get distracted and we need to have our eyes on Christ and Christ alone.

The writer of Hebrews makes this clear:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 2:1-2)

The Colossian Heresy

Identifying the false teaching in Colossians isn’t as easy as it was when studying Galatians. It seems to be have a buffet of several different religious philosophies.

From the letter, we can see that this false teaching included:

hollow and deceptive philosophy

Depended on human tradition

Depended on the elemental forces of the world

Didn’t depend on Christ

Advocated the observance of certain food restrictions and Jewish holy days

Practiced ascetic disciplines - fasting

Worshipped angels

Focused on visions they had

Characterized by pride

Lost connection with the “head” - Jesus

It was a mix of Jewish legalism, Gnosticism, local folk religion, and Christianity.

Gnostics believed that they had special insight into spiritually realities. They would say that Jesus dying on the cross was wonderful and I’m glad you believe that. But that’s not enough.

We know this from Paul’s use of the term “fullness,” in the letter. Obviously, these teachers were spreading the idea that putting your faith in Jesus was just the first step and there were additional, secret steps, you needed to take to be a real Christian.

Instead of Paul hammering the false teachers and the heretical teaching like in Galatians, Paul takes another tactic.

He asserts the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the head of all creation and the Church.

Warren Wiersbe writes:

“The message of this letter is greatly needed today. I hear too many voices telling me that I need something more than Jesus Christ - one exciting experience, some new doctrine, some addition to my Christian experience. But Paul affirms that what I need is appropriation of what I already have in Christ.”

Turn with me to Colossians 1.

Prayer

Glad

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.” (Colossians 1:1-2)

Who wrote this letter?

The author of this letter is Paul. That is the name that God gave him. Before that, he was known as Saul.

He was born into a Jewish family from the tribe of Benjamin. He grew up in Tarsus and was educated under the famous rabbi Gamaliel. He was also a Roman citizen.

He was a strict Pharisee who persecuted the church. In fact, we first meet him in the Bible as he is holding the coats of the men who were stoning Steven, one of the first “deacons “ of the church.