The Supremacy of Christ is Defended Against
Man-Made Rules and Regulations
Colossians 2:18-23
October 21, 2001
Intro:
A. [Odd Laws Still on the Books, Citation: Robert W. Pelton in The Door. Christian Reader, Vol. 33, no. 5.]
Young girls are never allowed to walk a tightrope in Wheeler, Mississippi, unless it’s in a church.
In Blackwater, Kentucky, tickling a woman under her chin with a feather duster while she’s in church service carries a penalty of $10.00 and one day in jail.
No one can eat unshelled, roasted peanuts while attending church in Idanha, Oregon.
In Honey Creek, Iowa, no one is permitted to carry a slingshot to church except police.
No citizen in Leecreek, Arkansas, is allowed to attend church in any red-colored garment.
Swinging a yo-yo in church or anywhere in public on the Sabbath is prohibited in Studley, Virginia.
Turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a local church at any time in Slaughter, Louisiana.
B. Those are humorous until you stop to think about the fact that all of those had something to do with church…
1. The sad thing about all of this is that there probably were some fierce arguments about such ridiculous things (with church people involved) before these laws passed.
2. So the question is, Why do people who call themselves believers get so tied down in rules and regulations?
3. Why do believers in Christ insist upon living by some set of man-made rules and regulations and then imposing those rules on other people?
4. Why would the non-Christian community even care if someone wore red to church?
5. It had to be church-goers who decided there needed to be a law against wearing red to church.
6. It wasn’t non-Christians who decided people should wear suits and ties to church.
7. It wasn’t non-Christians who decided that rock-n-roll music is of the devil.
8. It wasn’t non-Christians who decided that playing cards was a sin.
9. Why do believers in Christ insist upon living by some set of man-made rules and regulations and then imposing those rules on other people?
C. So today let’s look at what the apostle Paul had to say about all of this at the end of Colossians 2. [read Colossians 2:18-23]
I. Man-made rules and regulations will disqualify you for the prize.
Colossians 2:18, Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
A. Paul says man-made rules and regulations will disqualify you from the prize.
B. The prize that Paul is referring to here is clearly heaven.
1. Paul is saying that human rules and regulations will disqualify you from heaven.
2. Following merely human rules and regulations will keep us out of heaven.
C. So let’s look at the rules and regulations that he’s talking about…
1. The first one he says is false humility.
a. People who appear to have all the answers and appear to be humble can lead you to hell. How is that possible?
b. Because even though they appear to be humble, they’re not giving the glory to Jesus and Paul says they are really puffed up and falsely humble.
c. People draw attention to their supposed humility are not humble, but proud.
d. People who tell you that they can tell you how to live are not humble but proud.
e. Unless they are teaching what Jesus said and unless they are giving all the credit to Jesus, they are not humble, but proud.
2. The second one is the worship of angels or I would paraphrase this as false spirituality.
a. Folks who are proud of the things they have experienced are not godly.
b. Folks who talk about themselves and the things they experience are not godly.
c. Why? Because they are drawing the attention to themselves and not Jesus.
d. You can tell by the way they talk what is in their heart.
e. If they are telling of their experiences to tell how great Jesus is, then listen.
f. But if they are just telling you about spiritual experiences and encounters with angels and the experience itself, then don’t listen to them.
3. Because these people can disqualify you from going to heaven.
4. If they are telling you that you need to experience these things and you need to tell others about your experiences, Paul is saying they can disqualify you from the prize.
C. How do they disqualify you?
1. They disqualify because they don’t focus on Jesus and Jesus is the only one who can get us to heaven.
2. Angels can’t get anyone to heaven.
3. Spiritual experiences cannot get anyone to heaven.
4. False humility can’t get anyone to heaven.
5. When people try to tell you that you need to have experiences with angels or you need to have some type of spiritual experience or you need to put on some kind of humility in order to be truly saved—don’t listen to them.
6. There is nothing wrong with angelic encounters—they can be wonderful.
7. There is nothing wrong with spiritual experiences—they can be joyous.
8. There is nothing wrong with humility—it is a Godly quality.
9. But if there are those who tell you that you need these things in your life or that you are somehow less of a Christian without them, then they are absolutely on the wrong track and they can disqualify you from the prize!
10. If you keep your eyes on Jesus, you will have your eyes on the prize.
II. Man-made rules and regulations will disconnect you from the head and the body.
Colossians 2:19, He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
A. Of course the rules and regulations that Paul mentioned are not all of the rules and regulations that men try to impose on people.
1. "You must dress in a suit and tie to go to church."
2. "You must worship exactly the way we have always worshipped."
3. "You must be an elder or a deacon to serve communion."
4. "The church should be a democracy."
5. "When you get older you can quit working and let the younger ones take over."
6. "We don’t allow people to shout and raise their hands around here."
7. "Drums and guitars can’t be used in worship because they are of the devil."
8. "Women cannot hold positions of leadership in the church."
9. "You must keep the 10 Commandments in order to be a good Christian."
B. Now how do such man-made rules and regulations disconnect you from the head?
1. The head of the church is Christ.
2. Last week we looked at verse 17 which says that the written code of the OT was merely a shadow of Christ.
3. I gave the illustration of Jill hugging and kissing my shadow on the floor instead of me.
4. That is surely a disconnect from the head.
5. Embracing rules and regulations; embracing a list of do’s and don’ts instead of Christ is a disconnection from Him.
6. And only Christ can save. Christ’s shadow cannot save.
7. The OT laws which are a shadow of Christ cannot save.
8. When we are trying to simply be a good person and live by man-made rules and regulations or even OT laws, we are disconnected from the head and only the head (Jesus) can save!
9. In order to be saved, we must be connected to the head in our own particular place in the body (the church).
10. Simply keeping a list of man-made rules and regulations is simply trying to be a good person and trying to be a good person disconnects us from the head of the church, Jesus Christ.
III. Man-made rules and regulations will lead to death.
Colossians 2:20, Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:
A. Man-made rules and regulations lead to death.
1. They lead to death because only Christ can save.
2. And if we are not saved we will eternally die.
3. And the Bible’s meaning of death is an eternal separation from God in hell.
4. Man-made rules and regulations lead to death.
B. Paul is asking here why would people who have been made alive in Christ return to the death of rules and regulations?
1. Why would believers in Jesus still submit to the rules of men?
2. Why would people who claim to be saved submit to the rules and principles of this world?
3. Paul already made the point that not even the rules in the OT can save, so why would anyone think that rules and principles of men could save?
4. Why do we submit to the rules of human denominations?
5. Why do we submit to the burdensome rules and regulations of men?
6. I don’t care if they are church officials, why would you submit to them?
7. Why would you listen to something so silly as to say that you have to were a suit or a dress in order to go to church?
8. Why would you listen to something so silly as to say that you have to sing only hymns in order to truly worship God?
9. Why would you listen to something so silly as to say that you can only read the KJV to be authentic?
10. Why would anyone listen to something so silly as to say that they church should be a democracy?
11. Why would anyone listen to something so silly as to say that this is the "house of God" and you therefore need to worship God in a quiet and respectful manner?
12. Why would anyone think that obeying the rules of men is God’s plan for your life?
13. Man-made rules and regulations are exactly what the Pharisees of Jesus’ day specialized in.
14. And listen to what Jesus said to this kind of people in Luke 11:46, Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
15. Luke 11:52, "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."
16. That’s what Jesus said about religious leaders who imposed rules and regulations on people that God never did and Paul is asking believers why they would submit themselves to such people’s rules.
C. Submitting to the rules of men do not bring life, but death.
1. Romans 7:10, I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
2. Again, Paul is speaking here about OT laws and he is saying that even though God intended them to bring life, they actually brought death.
3. That’s a God-given command and even those God-given commands in the OT cannot bring life.
4. Only the commands of Christ in the NT can bring life.
5. So there is no way that man-made rules and regulations can bring life.
6. Trying to obeying the rules of men may make men happy, but it will not make you happy and it only bring death in the end.
7. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ can make you happy and lead to life.
8. Knowing and loving and obeying Jesus is the only way you will ever be happy in this life and gain eternal life in the next!
IV. Man-made rules and regulations will perish.
Colossians 2:21-22, "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
A. Man-made rules and regulations will perish.
1. "Don’t do this; don’t do that."
2. "Never do that!"
3. "Do this; don’t do that."
4. Paul says they will all perish.
5. Rules and regulations will all perish.
B. Why will they perish?
1. Because they are based on human commands and teachings.
2. And human commands and teachings will not last.
C. Human commands and teachings will all come to an end and then what good will they do you?
1. If you’re just going to church because you think its a good thing to do, what good will it do you?
2. If you’re not committing adultery just because you think its wrong, what good will it do you?
3. If you always tell the truth simply because you think its the right thing to do, what good will it do you?
4. If you don’t drink alcohol simply because you think it is wrong, what good will it do you?
5. Following a list of do’s and don’ts won’t do anyone any good because all of those lists will perish.
6. Only Jesus Christ will remain!
7. If only Jesus remains, will you remain?
8. Will you be connected to the head?
9. Do you have a relationship with Christ that is knowing, loving, and obedient, or are you just trying to be a good person by keeping someone’s list of do’s and don’ts?
10. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ will last; the rules and commands of men will perish!
V. Man-made rules and regulations only appear to be wise.
Colossians 2:23, Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body,
A. We must be cautioned to remember that these things do appear to be wise.
1. "You must worship God," appears to be wise.
2. "You must be humble," appears to be wise.
3. "You must take strict care of your body," appears to be wise.
4. But we must remember that what we MUST do is have a relationship with Jesus.
B. There are all kinds of things that people will tell us that we "must" do that seem to make sense, but unless we are in a right relationship with Jesus, those things will not matter!
1. The only thing we "must do" is have a right relationship with Jesus.
2. If we are in a right relationship with Jesus will probably do those things.
3. If we are in a right relationship with Jesus will want to worship Him, we will want to be humble, and we will want to take care of our bodies.
C. But do you see that the key here is the word "self-imposed."
1. Why we do these things is an important question to ask.
2. If we are self-imposing those things on our selves, they’re wrong.
3. If we are having them imposed on us by others, they’re wrong.
4. If we are doing them to be a good person, they’re wrong.
5. However, if we are doing them because we love Jesus, they’re right.
6. The important question is why we are doing them.
7. The important question is what is motivating us to do them.
8. The important question is what is in our hearts.
9. If there is anything but Jesus in our hearts, then they are wrong.
10. If there is trying to be a good person in our hearts, then they are wrong.
11. If there is trying to keep a list of do’s and don’ts, then they are wrong.
12. If there is anything but Jesus in our hearts, then there is something wrong and we have got to do whatever it takes to get only Jesus in there!
13. Man-made rules and regulations only appear to be wise.
VI. Man-made rules and regulations lack any value.
Colossians 2:23, Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
A. Not only do they not save us, not only do they not have any wisdom in them, they actually have no value whatsoever.
1. Rules and regulations lack any value whatsoever.
2. They don’t do us any good at all!
B. Look at what Paul says…
1. They appear to be wise, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
2. Someone may have perverted sexual thoughts in their minds and think that as long as there is no insertion, there is no adultery.
3. A man-made rule of no adultery cannot restrain the thoughts that are in the heart—only Jesus can restrain what’s in the heart!
4. A man-made rule of not killing anyone cannot restrain the hate that is in the heart—only Jesus can restrain what’s in the heart!
5. A man-made rule of dressing up on Sunday morning cannot make a person worship Jesus in their heart.
6. Man-made rules and regulations cannot restrain the evil in a person’s heart—only Jesus can do that!
7. Only Jesus can restrain the sensual desires of the heart and thereby allow us to restrain from ungodly behavior.
8. Self-imposed rules cannot change the heart.
9. It will only work the other way around: Jesus changes the heart first and then the behavior changes naturally.
10. Rules and regulations lack any value whatsoever.
VII. Jesus Christ is Supreme over man-made rules and regulations!
A. Jesus Christ is supreme over rules and regulations.
1. We cannot allow Satan to convince us that controlling our own behavior will make us acceptable in God’s site.
2. We cannot allow Satan to convince us that salvation is spelled D O, because salvation is spelled D O N E!
3. We cannot allow Satan to convince us that being a good person will make us right in God’s sight.
4. And we cannot impose our list of do’s and don’ts on other people.
5. Because Jesus Christ is supreme over the rules and regulations of men!
B. Jesus Christ is supreme over the rules and regulations of men!
1. Man-made rules and regulations will disqualify you for the prize.
2. Man-made rules and regulations will disconnect you from the head and the body.
3. Man-made rules and regulations will lead to death.
4. Man-made rules and regulations will perish.
5. Man-made rules and regulations only appear to be wise.
6. Man-made rules and regulations lack any value.
7. Jesus Christ is Supreme over man-made rules and regulations!
Conclusion:
A. [Good Won’t Get You There, Feda H. Babinski, via Donald Husk]
I’m standing there in front of gates like none I’ve ever found
They shine like golden ribbons as they glide across the ground
I see the stairs that never end how brilliantly they glow
I start to climb and realize there’s nothing down below
Then suddenly the two appear yes they must be my guide
They didn’t speak or show their face while they were by my side
We reached the top and I was placed in line with everyone
The two so quickly disappeared I guess their job was done
Such purity was all around so it just had to be
The day that would determine where I’d spend eternity
The line moved very slowly but since I’d been good and kind
I knew where I was going so I really didn’t mind
I watched so many walk away with wings as white as snow
The others were escorted out to where? I didn’t know
My turn had come to face the Lord but much to my surprise
I didn’t feel so confident when I looked in his eyes
I felt His power all around and nothing was the same
He opened up this golden book and asked me for my name
He said, "Where your name should appear there’s just a vacancy"
I said, But God I’ve been so good please look again for me"
God closed the book and tiny angels wiped his tears away
He said, "I hope you’ll understand what I’m about to say
Do you recall that poor old man who asked you for a dime?
You hurried passed and said to him that you did not have time
There also was a little child who wanted you to play
Again you didn’t have the time and pushed the child away
In line while at the grocery store she tried to hurry so
You grumbled as you passed her by because she moved too slow
You see, I came so many times but you turned me away
So now I don’t know who you are I’m sad for you today
If I’m not living in your heart you can’t be free from sin
So being good is not enough you must be Born Again"
The two appeared just like before they stood close by my side
This time I saw their faces and became so terrified
Through tears I was escorted to my final destiny
I had no one to blame at all except for one, just me
Then suddenly a ringing sound completely filled by head
I opened up my eyes and found that I was still in bed
Through sweat and tears I realized how real our dreams could be
And then I wondered just how long that God would wait for me
That night I gave my heart away I’m Born Again through prayer
God proved to me with so much love that "Good Won’t Get You There"
B. What response do you need to make to Christ today?
