Title: Discovering A New Way Of Living
Series: New Beginnings for the New Year
Text: Colossians 2:10-23
Introduction: Handicapped But Complete
About two years ago my wife Kay was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and disability.
Because it is a chronic disease, RA continues indefinitely and may not go away. Frequent flares in disease activity can occur. RA is a systemic disease, which means it can affect other organs in the body. Early diagnosis and treatment of RA is critical if you want to continue living a productive lifestyle. Studies have shown that early aggressive treatment of RA can limit joint damage, which in turn limits loss of movement, decreased ability to work, higher medical costs and potential surgery.
RA affects 1 percent of the U.S. population or 2.1 million Americans. Currently, the cause of RA is unknown, although there are several theories. And while there is no cure, it is easier than ever to control RA through the use of new drugs, exercise, joint protection techniques and self-management techniques. While there is no good time to have rheumatoid arthritis, advancements in research and drug development mean that more people with RA are living happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. (From the Arthritis Foundation wed site. http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/DiseaseCenter/RA/ra_overview.asp.)
Because of her battle with the disease, her doctor approved a handicapped parking decal. This enables her to park closer to the entrance of most shopping places, but she still has trouble trying to walk extended distances. She often requires the assistance of a walker or cane, and soon will face the indignity of using a powered chair. Many of her daily activities, including holding a job, are affected, but have not become impossible at this point, and for that we are thankful. She takes one day at a time, and enjoys the days that are not filled with severe pain and discomfort.
Most importantly, Kay has not lost her sense of fullness in Christ. Though she may weep because of the physical abilities she has lost, she still rejoices in the Christ who saved her. Her physical life may be disabled, but her spiritual life is as glorious as ever. If anything, in fact, her physical limitations have caused her to draw closer to Jesus, and her spiritual life is still thriving.
Sadly, many Christians live as though they are spiritually handicapped. They live every day without hope, without power, without confidence, and without witnessing victories in their lives because they do not embrace the fullness of their salvation. Some live in daily fear that they can somehow lose what Christ has gained. Some live in bondage to a particular sin, and simply surrender to it without a fight, thinking that they cannot overcome their temptation. And regrettably, because they have no confidence in Christ, they do not inspire others to come to Christ.
This sort of spiritual disability is the result of falling prey to the lies of Satan. In Christ we are complete. We have everything we need to effectively resist temptation, to find God’s will for our lives, to live righteously, and to win others to Christ. We need to embrace what we have instead of walking around like a bunch of zombies who have no life, no hope, and no joy.
Note: In our text, today, the word “complete” means to be made full. The Greek actually says, “In Him you are full.” When a person truly believes and partakes of Christ, he receives the fullness of Christ. He receives everything that Jesus is because he is now a child of God, and a joint heir with Christ.
I. BECAUSE I AM COMPLETE IN CHRIST, I HAVE RECEIVED THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST’’S BLESSINGS. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
A. I Have Wisdom In Jesus Christ. (Romans 11:33-36)
Quote: The Intelligence Knob
I wish there was a knob on the TV so you could turn up the intelligence. They have one marked brightness, but it doesn’t work, does it? (Gallagher, comedian. “Leadership,” Vol. 17, no. 3.)
1. I can receive the things of the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Quote: A World Without Conscience
The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. (Omar Bradley, Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 1.)
a. I receive the help of the Holy Spirit to understand the things of God. (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:12)
b. He guides me into all truth. (John 16:13)
2. I know Christ, the power and wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-25).
3. Because I have the wisdom of God, I can understand the things of God and discern what His will is for my life. I can know the difference between right and wrong, and I can choose to do what is right.
B. I Have Righteousness In Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
Quote: The Hard Truth
We don’t become more moral as we grow older, we just choose our sins more carefully. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 25.)
1. My righteousness is a gift from God through faith in Christ. (Philippians 3:9)
2. Having the righteousness of Christ, I can legitimately build on the foundation of Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
Illustration: What About The Foundation?
A preacher once did a lectureship at Ohio State University. As he was being driven to the lecture, they passed the new Wexner Art Center. The driver said, "This is a new art building for the university. It is a fascinating building designed in the post-modernist view of reality."
The building has no pattern. Staircases go nowhere. Pillars support nothing. The architect designed the building to reflect life. It went nowhere and was mindless and senseless.
The preacher turned to the man describing it and asked, "Did they do the same thing with the foundation?"
He laughed.
You see, you can’t do that with a foundation. You can get away with the infrastructure. You can get away with random thoughts that sound good in defense of a world view that ultimately doesn’t make sense. Once you start tampering with the foundations, you begin to see the serious effects. Yet the foundations are in jeopardy; the foundations of our culture do not provide coherent sets of answers any more. (Ravi Zacharias, "If the Foundations Be Destroyed," Preaching Today, Tape No. 142.)
3. As I build in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, I will be rewarded. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)
C. I Have Sanctification In Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:11)
1. I am set apart and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:19-21)
Quote: Worshipping The Wrong Monarch
The majority of us do not enthrone God, we enthrone common sense. We make our decisions and then ask the real God to bless our god’s decision. (Oswald Chambers in “The Oswald Chambers Devotional Reader.” Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 9.)
2. As I serve God and live for Him alone, I become a living witness of His goodness and mercy.
3. I become a beacon of His love shining out into a lost and dying world.
4. As others see Jesus in me, they will long for what I have and will come seeking the One who gave His life for them.
D. I Have Redemption In Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:13-14)
1. Because I am redeemed, I can choose to forsake the world’s failed system of morality.
Illustration: A Vacuum Doesn’t Just Happen
The expression "moral vacuum" has been tossed around in the media as an attempt to describe the apparent refusal of some sections of society to recognize, let alone live by, basic moral standards. The phrase is appropriate, but it means more than the absence of morality. The whole point about a vacuum is that it does not just happen, for nature, as we all know, "nature abhors a vacuum." Vacuums have to be created. You get a vacuum when you deliberately suck out the air inside an object. It has to be pumped out and sealed out. Western culture for the past 200 years has been systematically and deliberately sucking out the transcendent from its public heart and core. (Chris Wright, "All Our Gods Have Failed," in Themelios (April 1993). “Christianity Today,” Vol. 37, no. 14.)
2. Because I have been redeemed I can escape the world system and embrace eternal life.
3. I am a new creation that can enjoy the redeemed life I live through Him.
Illustration: Legitimacy vs. Abnormality
In the mass-media age, journalism is more than the transmission of neutral information. It traffics in the kind of information and spectacle calculated to embarrass western leaders. But the media doesn’t confine itself to embarrassing politicians. It also works to create shame about western history, traditions, and institutions. Not only our vices but our virtues and values are eligible for assault. Old sexual traditions come under fire as much as segregation laws. Christianity is represented as dogmatic, obtuse, and repressive. Bizarre phenomena like lesbian nuns and gay church leaders are treated not as screwballs but as legitimate protesters against burdensome restrictions. Every whiner, no matter how disoriented, becomes a victim. ("The National Review" (May 17, 1985). “Christianity Today,” Vol. 30, no. 3.)
II. BECAUSE I AM COMPLETE IN CHRIST, I HAVE RECEIVED THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST’S NATURE. (2 Peter 1:4)
Note: Being made partakers of the divine nature refers to God’s moral nature. Everyone who is renewed becomes a participant in the moral nature of God. We have the same views, feelings, thoughts, purposes, and principles. We were born with a sinful nature, but born again in God’s nature. We are LIKE God, and that resemblance will increase more and more until we become partakers of the divine nature.
A. I Have Partaken Of The Divine Nature.
1. Spiritual Circumcision Has Made Me Alive In Him. (Colossians 2:11-13)
2. I am no longer enslaved by the lusts of the flesh. (Ephesians 2:3; Colossians 5:10)
3. I have put to death evil passions that provoked the wrath of God, and have put on the new man in His image. (Colossians 3:5-10)
B. I Have Escaped The Corruption Of The World Through Lust. (James 1:14-15)
Illustration: C. S. Lewis On Lust
You can get a large audience together for a strip-tease act – that is, to watch a girl undress on the stage. Now suppose you came to a country where you could fill a theatre by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let everyone see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon, would you not think that in that country something had gone wrong with the appetite for food? And would not anyone who had grown up in a different world think there was something equally [odd] about the state of the sex instinct among us? (C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 7360.)
James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
1. Lust comes in many forms, and is the source of sin and corruption.
2. Besides sexual lust, which manifests itself in many ways, there are also such things as greed, selfishness, jealousy, brutality, arrogance, and cruelty that proceed from one indulging in lust.
3. Lust is the irregular, unreasonable, excessive, and impure desire to have, to do, and to be what God has prohibited.
4. Partaking of the fullness of Christ’s nature, my old man has died, and my new man has moved in.
5. I have the power to resist temptation and to turn away from the lusts of the flesh.
6. I now have the ability not to sin, and will escape death through the life of Jesus Christ. (John 14:6)
III. BECAUSE I AM COMPLETE IN CHRIST, I HAVE RECEIVED THE FULLNESS OF LIFE NOW.
A. Knowing Jesus Gives Me Abundant Life. (John 10:10)
1. I have a constant source of provision to supply my needs. (Philippians 4:19)
Illustration: A Wealthy Friend
A prominent evangelist said that on the eve of starting out on a long journey, a wealthy friend said to him: "You are going on a far trip. You may need more money than you have. Here is my check book - take it along with you. The checks are signed, and you can fill out as many as you need."
The evangelist was astonished at such confidence, and as he went from city to city, and mixed with well-to-do business men, he said to himself: "You may be rich, but I have more in my pocket than you have. I have at my disposal all that my friend is worth."
Each one of us has a friend, and He has placed at our disposal all the rich store of His Promises. They provide for every contingency, every adversity, every difficulty that can happen to us. They are at our disposal. They are the "exceeding great and precious promises" - our hope and confidence. (The Sunday Circle.)
2. I have a sufficient supply of grace to provide for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8)
3. I have God’s promise that, if I seek His kingdom first, I will always have provision for my daily needs. (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:29-31)
Quote: Seek Him First
Whenever we place a higher priority on solving our problems than on pursuing God, we are immoral. (Larry Crabb in “Finding God.” Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 6.)
B. Knowing Jesus Gives Me Full Joy. (John 15:11)
Illustration: Laughing And Aging
The average child laughs 400 times a day. The average adult laughs 15 times a day. What happens in life that makes adults lose their laughter? Do we quit laughing because we are old, or do we get old because we quit laughing? (Contributed by: Wade Hughes, Sr., http://www.sermoncentral.com)
C. Knowing Jesus Gives Me The Fullness Of God’s Spirit. (Ephesians 3:19; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 8:14-17)
Illustration: We Can’t See God In The Dark
My Bible professor, Dr. Dewey Roach, told this story about his little daughter. One night after the family had turned out the lights and had gone to bed. Dr. Roach’s little daughter was a bit frightened and began to cry. Mrs. Roach tried to soothe the child’s fears and said, "Don’t worry, God is with us even in the dark." Her little daughter replied, "But I can’t see God in the dark."
Isn’t that our problem? We can’t see God because of the darkness of sin, the shadows of worry and anxiety, the shades of suffering and death, and the ghastly problems of war, disease, death, crime, and natural disasters that beset our world.
We need to remember that Jesus came to give light to those who sit in the shadows of death and who walk in the darkness. (Luke 1:79). (Bill Citwood, Proclaim, July-Sept. 1995, p. 16.)
D. Knowing Jesus Gives Me The Fullness Of The Knowledge Of God’s Will. (Colossians 1:9)
Illustration: Getting Out Of God’s Will Is Destructive
There are peculiar storms in the Indian Ocean - typhoons and monsoons. They’re peculiar in that they do not move very rapidly. They do not move practically at all from east to west, or north to south; instead, they play around in a circle. F. W. Troy was told by a sea captain that before the navigators understood the characteristics of these storms, if they tried to come out of them, they failed.
"Now," he said, "when we run into a monsoon, we locate its center, and we go around it. Little by little we narrow the circle. When we get into the center, we are in a dead calm."
This is like God’s will. Try to get out of it, and you will find it a destructive force. Get into it, and you are in a calm, and you find it is good, and acceptable, and perfect, as it is so graphically described by the Apostle Paul in the twelfth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. (Alliance Weekly.)
Conclusion
All the things we have talked about today are desired by everyone living. But the world believes these “ideals” can be realized through philosophy. But the fullness of life and the answers to truth and reality do not come from a philosophy, but from a Person, Jesus Christ.
For the lost: You cannot know the fullness of life until you know the One Who gives life, Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:8-11
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
For the saved who have lost the joy of your salvation: From the time believers receive Christ, they should lack nothing. If a believer ever lacks anything – any fullness of life – it is because they have taken their eyes off Christ and have slipped away.
Revelation 3:15-19
15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ’I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
