Colossians 2:1-10
Word Document Colossians 2: 1-10
“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
Three Points to Ponder:
- Heart of the Shepherd
Though he hadn’t met most of them, he agonized over their spiritual well-being!
In 2 Cor 11 where he wrote about everything he had endured as he went about preaching and teaching, he said this:
“besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”
What was his concern?
“that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
And…
“… to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
Paul’s highest hope for them, and the Lord’s desire toward us, is that we would stand shoulder to shoulder, rooted, solidly established, growing together in our faith that He will complete the work of His Spirit that He has begun in us!
But the world is a dangerous place!
And we face the same dangers that they faced!
II. Don’t be Cheated!
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
The idea is that you and I are in danger of being deceived and led into captivity; plundered by men who come with attractive & persuasive lies which appeal to our human desires and emotions!
Traditions and philosophies of men!
Three that quickly come to mind:
- tradition of confession
Confession in the Biblical sense means agreeing with God about sinful behavior, and that involves repentance!
It isn’t a license to continue in sin!
Romans 6:20 says:
“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2) Marriage equality (bigotry?)
Our culture seeks to redefine something that God Himself put into place.
Now before I even go there, let me emphasize that I don’t hate gay people!
I’m not like the Phelps family circus!
In fact, I married someone who believed herself to be a lesbian…
Listen… I believe every single human being has issues! We are all in need of Divine intervention!
We are broken, messed up, and only God can fix what’s wrong with us!
And He will, if we come to Him in humility and faith asking Him to!
From today’s edition of the Miami Herald:
“This debate is not inconsequential. Romney, for example, maintains that he is an opponent of discriminating based on sexual orientation, but that he is also an opponent of same-sex marriage. This stance makes him the “moderate” choice, at least in the eyes of social conservatives. But in reality, all the major GOP candidates have come out against same-sex marriage, although Jon Huntsman has stated his support for civil unions. Meanwhile, just last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a bold statement before the United Nations: “…Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.” President Barack Obama agreed.
This debate demonstrates the effects of four decades of liberal protest and reform in changing social and cultural values in the United States. It reflects the heated culture wars that rallied powerful coalitions of religious and conservative voters against issues that had largely been absent – or at least muted-from past politics. Gay activists have used the legacy of the black civil-rights movement to argue homosexuals represented an oppressed minority group.”
The article goes on to explain that it all started right here!
“Thirty-five years ago this week, South Florida played a pivotal role in the gay-rights movement – and gave voice to the contemporary vocabulary that has since made gay rights an enduring frontier in human rights.”
The Bible tells us that:
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Eph 5:31
God implemented and defined marriage! We have no authority to modify it!
Even if the laws of the land say something different, marriage will always remain what God established it to be!
The mood of our culture changes back and forth with time (Greco/Roman cultural attitude toward it), but Truth is consistent!
3) Christ-consciousness
J. Vernon McGee: “false philosophy is like a blind man searching a dark room for a black cat that isn’t there.”
The scriptures declare that:
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13
But up until that time we were children of wrath!
Eph 2…
“you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
Once you come and surrender your will to His perfect will, He makes you alive by putting His own Spirit inside you!
From that moment forward you have the mind of Christ! You can be led by His Spirit!
But until then, you are led by your desires and emotions, and they are in conflict with the Spirit of God!
III. You are complete in Christ!
Only in Christ!
He is the Head! If you are living your life in submission to His authority, guided by His Spirit and pursuing His will, then you are fully secure!
Nothing you do adds anything!
Pray
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Discussion Questions:
Colossians 2:1-10
What principle, precept, or observation from this weekend’s message did you find most helpful, insightful, or troubling?
How does it make you feel, when you see some of the ones you care off, stumble, sin, make mistakes?
How does being knit together in love look like?
What do you do to be “knit together in love” in our church?
What matters to you in your life?
As we are immersed in “evil” or “imperfect” traditions, what steps do you take to keep your beliefs “pure” or “godly”?
How does following Jesus vs. following the flesh looks like?
What does your confession of sin look like?
when you undress at night, do you hang your clothes, drape them over the furniture, or just drop them in the floor? (be honest!)
What empty philosophies or traditions of men are you needing God to replace with truth?
Why is Truth consistent?
What does it mean that you are complete in Christ?
