"HIS Word Is Enough, Don’t Be Fooled"
Jesus Is ENOUGH - part three - Col 2:1-23
A little boy was lost inside a busy shopping mall. He was standing in the aisle of a department store just crying and crying, "I want my mommy.. I want my mommy." People who passed by felt sorry for him and many of them gave him nickels and dimes and quarters to try to cheer him up.
Finally a salesperson from the floor walked up to the distraught little boy and said, "I know where your mommy is, son."
The little boy looked up with his tear trenched eyes and said, "So do I....just keep quiet, I got a good thing going here!"
Question; Have you ever been fooled by someone? Has anyone ever deceived you? Has someone ever convinced you that something was real good and that you just had to have it... and when you got it -- you found out that you had been ripped off.
Maybe you bought a used car -- and were convinced that you got a winner -- but as soon as you drove it off the lot it became obvious that you had bought a lemon.
Or maybe you have been deceived by a person, someone who sweet talked you, convinced you that they were on the up and up -- and that they really cared about you, but when your back was turned they hurt you and took advantage of you.
A deception is something that looks good on the outside and makes many great promises, but on the inside it is empty -- and there is really not much to it.
It is like putting our money into a machine and pushing a button for a bag of Potato chips that, judging from the appearance of the package, look as though it is full of nice crunchy potato chips. But when the bag comes out and we open it... we find out that it is mostly full of just air and only has about 3 chips in it... I’ve bought bags like that.
Don’t you hate to be fooled -- to be deceived -- to be taken advantage of/to be used/to be conned..... And I guess the only thing that could be worse than being fooled ourselves, is to have someone we care about, a loved one, be taken advantage of by someone.... either financially, spiritually or emotionally (now that will get you upset).
Paul felt these same concerns about the christians in Colosse. [2:1-5]
Even though Paul had never met the Christians in Colosse personally, he still struggled for them.... We know from chapter 1 verse 9 that part of that struggle involved Paul continuously praying for the believers at Colosse.
And the thing that really ignited Paul’s concern was that false teachers who were peddling doctrines of destruction had invaded the Church. They came with many fine sounding arguments -- that sounded convincing... And Paul wanted the church to know that if they bought into those lies, that they were buying a lemon, they were falling into a trap/ a dangerous trap/a deadly trap... and that they would come up empty in the end...
Though these teachings that looked good when they first pushed the button, when opened would be found to be filled with nothing but air...
Paul wanted the Colossians to realize that in Christ, they already had all of the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge available to them.... Therefore what could these false teachers really have to offer them --- answer not a thing!!
Paul, in telling the Church at Colosse how not to be fooled by those wolves in sheep’s clothing, is also telling all Christians throughout all generations how not to be taken in by false teachers ... The questions is not will there be false teachers (Jesus said there would be), but rather the question is will we recognize them and not be fooled by them when they come knocking out our door.... Paul says we can recognize them and not be fooled, and he tells us to do it.
FIRST OF ALL BY MAINTAINING OUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS [6,7]
Have you ever heard the expression, "AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.." That is what Paul is talking about here... because the best way to prevent our selves from becoming fooled by deception and false teaching, is to maintain our spiritual progress... If we are growing in Christ the chances of our being fooled go down exponentially.
You see the false teachers of this world do not make a habit of preying on strong Christians rather they prey on weak Christians -- they prey on the sheep that are straying from the fold, those who are out on the edges... because they are the ones who are most vulnerable.. and open to attack.
A former member of the Watchtower Society wrote the following in his book
THIRTY EARS A WATCHTOWER SLAVE:
"THE WATCHTOWER LEADERSHIP SENSED WITHIN THE MIDST OF CHRISTENDOM WERE MILLIONS OF PROFESSING CHRISTIANS WHO WERE NOT WELL GROUNDED IN THE TRUTHS ONCE DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS, AND WHO WOULD EASILY BE PRIED LOOSE FROM THE CHURCHES AND LED INTO A NEW AND REVITALIZED WATCHTOWER ORGANIZATION...
THE SOCIETY CALCULATED AND THAT RIGHTLY, THAT THIS LACK OF PROPER KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THE WIDESPREAD ACCEPTANCE OF HA;F TRUTHS IN CHRISTIANITY WOULD YIELD VAST MASSES OF MEN AND WOMEN, IF THE WHOLE MATTER WERE WISELY ATTACKED, THE ATTACK SUSTAINED AND THE RESULTS CONTAINED, AND THEN REUSED IN AN EVER WIDENING CIRCLE."
AND THAT IS WHAT THEY DID.
SPIRITUAL PROGRESS IS ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO KEEP OURSELVES ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW, AND Our spiritual progress began when we FIRST received Christ as our Lord... When we were obedient to his word, repented of our sins and were immersed into the name of Christ. That’s when our spiritual life began.
And it is our own individual spiritual progress after this salvation event, that is the best defense again the lies of this world...
In order to maintain our spiritual progress we must as Paul says continue to walk in Him, the word that the NIV translates as "live" is the greek verb for walk. -- To maintain our spiritual progress we are to continue to walk in Him... we are to always be walking in Him.... IT IS TO BE A CONTINUOUS ONGOING PROCESS...
The concept of describing our relationship with GOD as walking with God is not a new concept... Back in Genesis 5:22 we read,
"AFTER HE BECAME THE FATHER OF METHUSELAH, ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD...ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD; THEN HE WAS NO MORE, BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM AWAY."
In Genesis 6:9 we read,
"NOAH WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN AND HE WALKED WITH GOD..."
AFTER Moses had brought down the 10 commandments he said the following to the people, "WALK IN ALL THE WAYS THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS COMMANDED YOU.."
The Psalmist says in 26:3,
"I WILL WALK CONTINUALLY IN YOUR TRUTH..."
And Paul said in chapter 1 verse 10 of the book of Colossians,
"SO THAT YOU MAY WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE LORD, TO PLEASE HIM IN ALL RESPECTS, BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK.."
What does it mean to walk in Him? To walk in Christ? For one thing it means to walk in the same direction that Jesus is walking.... We need to continue to walk (not sit or stand) in the paths that Jesus would walk and live the kind of life that Jesus would live....
Are the paths that you are walking right now in your life, are they the paths that Jesus would walk (paths of love, commitment, obedience, forgiveness)? OR are they paths of sin, pride and self? Is the life that you are living pleasing to the Lord (are you bearing fruit for the Lord in every good work)? If not, then you are not walking in Him, and you are therefore like the sheep at the edge of the camp -- the one that the hungry wolf has his eyes on as he licks his lips and prepares his plate....rubbing his knife and fork together.
We need to continue to walk in Him, if we don’t we may as Paul warned might happen, be deceived by fine sounding arguments..
PAUL IN THESE VERSE TELLS US THE 3 THINGS NECESSARY TO BE WALKING IN HIM.....
FIRST WE MUST BE ROOTED IN HIM
Trees will grow only when they have a good root system... And as the roots digs into the ground the tree draws nutrients from the soil and the tree also gains strength and stability....
Have you ever watched trees blow In a heavy wind? We have some trees in our back yard and I’ve seen those trees bend like crazy...
What would happen to those trees if they had no roots -- "IT’S CALLED BYE BYE TREE TIME..."
What happens to those who have no root in Christ? Jesus in the parable of the sower said, that thy will not last long.....He says that it want take much to blow them away.
And Rather than being a tree that can stand firm in heavy winds they are like tumble weed blowing through a deserted western town -- blown here and there by every wind of doctrine... ( Yeah that sounds good, so does that,, and this too).
The tense of the verb for "root" indicates an event which occurred in the past but that has continuous results and literally means, "ONCE AND FOR ALL HAVING BEEN ROOTED."
You see there was a time in the past when the Christian became rooted in Christ.... Paul describes that time in verses [11, 12] as he tells us How to become rooted in Christ (read it now) AND INDIVIDUAL BECOMES ROOTED IN CHRIST WHEN HE IS A REPENTED BELIEVER WHO MEETS HIS LORD IN THE WATERY GRAVES OF BAPTISM.
AND Once the Christian has been rooted in Christ.... there is no need for Him to be re-rooted... The Christian is not to transplant himself and move to the inferior soil of false teaching... Rather the Christian IS TO allow those roots that have been established in Christ to grow and deepen.... obtaining more spiritual nutrients and even greater stability.
How deeply is your life rooted in Christ - today?
Are you a tall strong tree or a dried out tumble weed --OR somewhere in between?
Tumble weeds can be fooled easily, and trees will stand firm..
AS PAUL CONTINUES HIS THOUGHTS ON SPIRITUAL PROGRESS AND WALKING IN CHRIST HE USES 2 MORE METAPHOR’S -- THAT GO TOGETHER...
BUILT UP AND STRENGTHENED IN HIM
The roots of a tree are not the end.. but rather they are the beginning....OUR BECOMING ROOTED IN CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION -- IT IS A SURE FOUNDATION -- A TRUE FOUNDATION --- A SOLID ROCK... BUT IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
We must continue to be building ourselves up in Him....Peter puts it this way, "AS YOU COME TO HIM, THE LIVING STONE -- REJECTED BY MEN BUT CHOSEN BY GOD AND PRECIOUS TO HIM -- YOU ARE ALSO BEING BUILT INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE TO BE A HOLY PRIESTHOOD OFFERING SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES TO GOD.... THROUGH CHRIST."
IF WE ARE TO BUILD OURSELVES UP IN HIM, WHAT KIND OF BUILDING MATERIALS ARE WE TO USE?
Jesus after His great sermon on the mountains near the sea of Galilee said that "the wise man builds his house upon the rock".... the rock being the teaching of Christ.
If we want to be build up in Him we must spend time studying, and applying, God’s Word -- there is no other way... there are no short cuts....
We must as Peter says in his first letter, "LIKE NEWBORN INFANTS, CRAVE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK, SO THAT BY IT YOU MAY GROW UP IN YOUR SALVATION -- NOW THAT YOU HAVE TASTED THAT THE LORD IS GOOD."
IF YOU WANT TO BE BUILT UP IN HIM --- IF YOU WANT TO BE STRENGTHENED IN YOUR FAITH -- IF YOU WANT TO GROW UP IN YOUR FAITH -- THEN CRAVE THE WORD OF GOD -- HAVE YOU TASTED IT AND SEEN THAT IT IS GOOD -- THAT IT BRINGS LIFE?
Christians who study the word, WHO SPEND TIME WITH THE LORD become strengthened in their faith...
A FINAL MARK IN OUR CHRISTIAN PROGRESS, IS TO BE
OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS TO GOD.
(DO YOU THINK WE HAVE CAUSE TO BE THANKFUL TO GOD) WHEN WE ARE OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS, IT WILL KEEP WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US (AND HE HAS DONE MUCH), IT WILL KEEP THIS TRUTH RIGHT NEAR THE SURFACE, AND WE WILL THEREFORE BE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF HIS GOODNESS.
WE MUST BE OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS TO MAINTAIN OUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS.
AS WE CONSIDER THESE 3 ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESS, WE CAN EASILY SEE HOW THE GROWING CHRISTIAN, HOW THE ONE WALKING WITH GOD -- IS LESS LIKELY TO BE DECEIVED AND LED ASTRAY BY THE ENEMY.
BECAUSE -- IF OUR SPIRITUAL ROOTS ARE DEEP IN CHRIST WE WILL NOT WANT ANY OTHER SOIL. IF CHRIST IS OUR SURE FOUNDATION WE HAVE NO NEED TO MOVE. IF WE ARE STUDYING AND GROWING IN THE WORD -- WE WILL NOT BE EASILY ENTICED BY FALSE DOCTRINE.. AND IF OUR HEART IS OVERFLOWING WITH THANKSGIVING -- WE WILL NOT EVEN CONSIDER TURNING FROM THE FULLNESS WE HAVE IN CHRIST...
A GROUNDED -- GROWING -- GRATEFUL BELIEVER WILL NOT BE LED ASTRAY --- WILL NOT BE FOOLED!
THE BEST WAY NOT TO BE FOOLED, IS TO MAINTAIN OUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS. ARE YOU PROGRESSING SPIRITUALLY? IF YOU ARE PRAISE THE LORD! AND IF YOUR NOT PROGRESSING FRIENDS YOU ARE Digressing -- BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS STAYING THE SAME IN CHRIST...
LET’S MAINTAIN OUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS.
THE SECOND WAY TO AVOID BEING FOOLED BY FALSE TEACHERS IS --
BY UNCOVERING THE SPIRITUAL PERILS
People who are trying to take advantage of you, people who are trying to fool you -- obviously like to keep, their true purpose well hidden.
Paul in verses 8-15 pulls the camouflages off all false teaching and He gets down to the real issue of things... He uncovers the real choices that false teachers are asking us to make.
THEY ARE ASKING US TO CHOOSE BETWEEN
TRUTH AND LIES [8]
Paul is saying that the teaching of these men is not true -- it is the hollow and deceptive teaching of men.
Truth is an important thing, truth matters -- and truth - despite popular opinion, isn’t relative...AND what the false teachers are saying is different then what the Word of God says -- and sometimes it directly contradicts the Word of God.... Therefore they both can’t be true!!
Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Mormonism, Jehovah Witness can’t all be true... Because they all say different things about God and Jesus. And let me say here that false religions and cults are not the only lies being perpetuated by man today. Perhaps one of the deadliest lies that is penetrating nearly every church (and I don’t know who started it) -- but I know it is a false teaching because they certainly didn’t get it from here (hold up Bible)... This lie proclaims that you can be a Christian and still live anyway that you want to.... That you can back home to the father and still leave in the pig pen... They say you don’t have to go to Church, you don’t have to give God your best, you don’t have to really love, encourage, build up and forgive your brothers and sisters, it’s not necessary to share the Gospel with people, and you don’t really have to put Jesus first (they say that Jesus will be happy with whatever we have left....) MY FRIENDS THAT IS NOT WHAT THE WORD SAYS, IS IT?
It either does or it doesn’t...
Those teachings are either the truth or a lie.
It can’t be both ways!!!
Suppose you are taking a math test and you are in advanced college course and one of the questions is what is the sum of 2 + 2? And you put down 5.
And when the teacher grades your paper you get it wrong. But you being a product of a relativistic society say... But Mr Evans my answer isn’t wrong... I mean for you 2 + 2 =4, but for me 2 + 2 = 5. What do you think the teacher would do? What would you do if you were the teacher? This seems pretty silly doesn’t -- I mean it is obvious that they both can’t be right....
Because Truth is never relative! Not in mathematics and not in theology either.
Jesus is God or He isn’t. The Bible is God’s Word or it isn’t. God either expects something from us or He doesn’t. The plan of salvation is through faith, repentance and baptism or it isn’t. This ridiculous notion I hear many well meaning people say, a notion that people can believe whatever they want and that we all will still get to the same place all happy and all smiling -- Though it may sound understanding and sanctimonious --- IT IS PURE NONSENSE -- IT’S A LIE -- A LIE OF SATAN.
IF IT IS TRUE WHY DID GOD BOTHER WRITING THE BIBLE? God is the author of truth -- God is the standard... And when we are asked to accept something contrary to God’s Word we (no matter how pretty they make it sound -- no matter how many good works they do, no matter how sincere they are) WE ARE BEING ASK TO BELIEVE AND ACCEPT A LIE....
False teachers ask us to choose a lie over the truth.
I CHOOSE TRUTH!!!
THEY ARE ALSO ASKING US TO CHOOSE BETWEEN
FULL AND EMPTY
"FOR IN CHRIST ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE DEITY LIVES IN BODILY FORM AND YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN FULLNESS IN CHRIST WHO IS THE HEAD OVER EVERY POWER AND EVERY AUTHORITY."
All the fullness of God exists in Christ -- and when we are in Christ (and how do we get in Christ according to the Word of God which is the standard, "WE ARE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST"-- BROS THAT’S THE TRUTH!-- GOD SAID IT!!) and when we are in Christ -- we too are giving what? --
WE ARE GIVING FULLNESS!
The false teachers in Colosse and many today say that you are not complete in Christ... That you need something else -- you need to accept their teachings...
God says we are full in Christ -- AND I BELIEVE GOD!!.... In Christ we have salvation, redemption, justification, forgiveness, a peace that passes understanding, joy in spite of circumstances, true freedom, The Holy Spirit, hope, comfort, a friend that sticks closer than a brother, the righteousness of God, access to God in prayer (we go into the Holy of Holies), one who understands all we are going through, all the hidden treasures of wisdom and understanding -- In Christ we are full.....as a matter of fact IN CHRIST we are full to overflowing....
And these false teachers can’t add a things to our cup -- they can only take away and empty it (and they are)....
TRUTH VS LIE
FULL VS EMPTY
AND, These dealers in deception are also asking us to choose between
LIFE AND DEATH [13-15]
Paul says that we were dead in our sins... But that God made us alive..... That God forgave us all our sins.... That God canceled the written code that was against us.... That God nailed it to the cross... and That God disarmed all power and authorities -- making a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross...
In Christ, In God, there is life.... Jesus was in Capernaum -- and large crowds who had been near the sea of Galilee when Jesus fed the 5,000 had followed Him there. And the teaching they would receive this day, was not what they wanted -- it was a hard teaching about who Jesus is and that there was life in Him -- and what he expected from those who followed Him.
And the scripture says the following in John 6:66-69,
"FROM THIS TIME MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES TURNED BACK AND NO LONGER FOLLOWED HIM. `YOU DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE TOO, DO YOU?’ JESUS ASKED THE 12. SIMON PETER ANSWERED HIM, `TO WHO SHALL WE GO? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. WE BELIEVE AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE OF GOD?’"
IT IS ONLY IN OUR ACCEPTANCE OF, AND OBEDIENCE TO THE JESUS CHRIST THAT IS REVEALED GOD’S HOLY WORD, THAT WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE -- "JESUS IS THE WAY (NOT A WAY), JESUS IS THE TRUTH (NOT ONE OF MANY TRUTHS) AND JESUS IS THE LIGHT (HE IS THE ONLY LIGHT) -- AND NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM...NO ONE!!"
WHEN WE REMOVE THE FLOWERS, THE BOWS AND THE RIBBONS FROM THE TEACHINGS OF THE FALSE PROPHETS TODAY -- WE UNCOVER THAT WHAT THEY ARE REALLY ASKING US TO DO IS: TO BELIEVE A LIE -- TO SETTLE FOR EMPTINESS AND TO CHOOSE DEATH (ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD).....
I CHOOSE TRUTH -- I CHOOSE FULLNESS
AND I KNOW THAT ONE DAY THE TRUMPET OF GOD WILL SOUND -- AND I KNOW THAT WHEN IT DOES THE THAT I HAVE PUT MY TRUST AND HOPE IN --
I KNOW THAT THE LION OF JUDAH
THE LAMB OF GOD
THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
I KNOW THAT JESUS IS COMING IN POWER AND IN GLORY
COMING TO TAKE ME HOME
I KNOW THAT IN HIM
I HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN FOREVER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY GOD...
TO THOSE FALSE TEACHERS OUT THERE PEDDLING DEATH, DOOM AND DESTRUCTION --
YOU LOOSE -- I CHOOSE JESUS -- I CHOOSE LIFE.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CHOSEN CHRIST -- PRAISE GOD FOR HIS MERCY!
IF YOU HAVE NOT OBEYED THE TRUTH IN GOD’S WORD (FRCB)
YOU ARE NOT FULL
YOU HAVE BELIEVED A LIE
AND YOU HAVE CHOSEN DEATH
TODAY I EXHORT YOU TO CHOSE LIFE
CHOOSE FULLNESS
CHOOSE CHRIST AND LIVE
BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM YOU ARE NOTHING AND YOU ARE HEADED NOWHERE!!!!!!
