WEBVTT
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This fall, we are making our way through this fantastic letter that Paul wrote to the church in Colossi.
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We're really starting to get to the heart of the letter now.
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Chapter 2.
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Uh so if you would open up your Bibles to chapter 2, verses 8 through 15.
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That's what we're gonna look at together this morning.
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If you don't have a Bible with you, uh no worries.
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There should be one under a chair around you.
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Feel free to grab that, use that, take it home with you if you need a Bible.
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You can also open up your bulletin, passages in there as well.
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There's even some pages to take notes with or on if that would be helpful.
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This morning we're gonna look at what it means to be captivated and not captured.
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But before we do, I wonder if you've ever had this experience.
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Maybe you've gone to a pretty significant event, and midway through the event you've run over to the concession stand and you found the concession stand just packed.
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There's like six lines, they're awful.
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You start to do that thing in your head where you start to like discern and judge, like, well, there's some big families in that line that look kind of slow, they don't really know what they want, and that register's pretty like that it's struggling.
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Like, I don't think that line's gonna move very much.
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And then finally you like choose your line.
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And you get in that line and you're waiting.
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Maybe it's moving a little bit, and then it just stops.
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And then you're starting to like look at some other lines, and you're like, man, that line over there is starting to move.
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Like it's it's really going.
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Maybe I should quickly switch out of that and move to that other line.
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So you do, you go two lines over and you get in that line and you're moving a little bit, and then if you're me, always, inevitably, it just stalls.
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Like they run out of cups or like cash or whatever.
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I don't know what they use it, uh, these sort of concession stands anymore.
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But somehow a shift change happens.
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And then you look at that original line, and it's just cooking.
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Like it's just like you're like, man, if I was in that line, like I'd be getting ready to order right now.
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Like I might have my food right now.
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It's really easy to second guess ourselves.
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In fact, we live in a world, I would argue, of second guessing.
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We second guess our meals, think, oh man, I should have gotten that appetizer.
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You know, we second guess our dress, oh, I should have worn those shoes.
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We second guess life decisions.
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Why didn't I choose that major?
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Why did I go to that college?
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I should have applied for that job.
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We second guess almost every public figure imaginable.
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Man, that coach last night, he should have called time out in the fourth quarter.
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Like, what was he doing?
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That politician, that guy on city council, why are they voting in another development?
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We don't need any more developments.
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Or that musician, that second album, what were they thinking?
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Like that first album was great.
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What happened?
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We second guess everything.
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I wonder if you ever second guess Christ.
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And I don't mean him personally, though.
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I think we do that.
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Christ, where were you?
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What are you doing?
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What's going on?
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How why are you not with me in this?
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We we second guess Christ.
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But I mean a little bit more broader.
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I wonder if you ever think about whether trusting Christ was the right decision.
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Maybe you don't want to admit that, but I wonder if sometimes you even think about what life would be like if Jesus were not Lord.
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Maybe you think, would that be an easier life?
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Would that be a more comfortable life?
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Would that be maybe even a better life, a more free life?
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I wonder if you have thoughts like that every once in a while.
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Or maybe not so blatant.
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Maybe you're not in danger of second guessing Christ or Christianity altogether.
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You just sometimes second guess whether Christ is enough.
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I find this in my own heart sometime.
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Maybe you can imagine a situation like this.
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You're at a party with some friends, or maybe some uh, you know, folks from college or high school, and they've got this big, beautiful house.
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It's in an incredible neighborhood.
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They've got every single amenity that you can imagine.
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The conversations are all about promotions at work and this, these sort of achievements that they've had, and investment strategies, and their kids are excelling in these expensive music lessons or in this travel sports program, or you just have all of these different things that are happening, and you begin to have this feeling in your soul.
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Sort of this nagging little doubt.
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Do I need more stuff?
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Like, is life actually in that?
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Do I need to be a little bit more impressive?
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Do I need to achieve a little bit more?
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Are we sort of behind?
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Are we failing?
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And that sort of voice in your head and heart gets louder and louder, and you start to think, is Jesus really enough?
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Friends, I think sometimes, and let me say this, none of those things are wrong or bad.
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You could be a Christian and be successful and have a nice home and have kids that are achieving things and all that sort of thing.
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But here's the problem is when our eyes begin to wander from Christ.
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When our vision of the good life or our vision of what life ought to be, maybe it has Christ in it, but he's kind of on the periphery.
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That the things of this world, the desires of this world, the thinking of this world begins to take center stage.
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See, I think in some ways, probably every single one of us in here, at times, begins to second guess a little bit whether Christ really is enough.
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See, that's what Paul is writing about this morning, in one sense.
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Here's our main idea.
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It's this don't be captured by empty philosophies, be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
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See, Paul is writing to a people who know those sorts of feelings.
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There are people around them that are claiming to have had these great experiences.
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They're having these prestigious sort of positions in society.
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They're building a life.
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This looks great.
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And the Colossians are wondering: do I need that?
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And maybe do I need something more than Christ?
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And Paul says, don't be captured by empty philosophies, be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
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Let's look at the passage.
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Here's how he says it, verses 8 through 15 of chapter 2.
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He says, Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.
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For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
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You were also circumcised in him, with a circumcision not done with hands, but by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ, when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through the faith, through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
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And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.
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He erased the certificate of debt with its obligations that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
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He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly.
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Church, we're gonna look at two points, though.
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I will admit the second point has a few subpoints.
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The first point is don't be captured by empty philosophies.
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Don't be captured by empty philosophies.
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See, as we get to the heart of chapter two, Paul gives us three warnings.
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And we're gonna look at the first warning this morning, and then the next two warnings next Sunday.
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Now, this first warning is a strong one.
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The be careful of verse eight, that might be a little bit more dire than might first appear.
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That word, that's this idea of be careful, it means watch out or beware.
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You might think every once in a while we come up to some homes or places where you'd see this sign that says beware of dog.
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And sometimes that is like this little teeny dog, and we it's kind of funny.
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But every once in a while, if you go onto that property, like you need to have your eyes open.
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Like there's a real dog out there, and you need to be watching out.
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That's kind of the idea of watching out.
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Eyes open, looking around, watching out, except for the danger is far worse.
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Look at what he says.
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Be careful or watch out that no one takes you captive.
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Think about that word captive.
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A captive is a prisoner of sorts.
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To be a captive, in one sense, is to be captured.
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I don't know if you grew up playing the game, capture the flag.
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Maybe some of you still play it, uh, students, kids in here.
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But think about this idea: someone capturing the flag, taking the flag, and then taking it back with them.
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You you get it and then you take it away with the opposition.
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That's the picture that Paul gives.
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Now, think about this just on its own merit, right here.
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If you read this warning, be careful that no one takes you captive.
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I think our first instinct is like, wait a second.
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Is that like a possibility?
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Like, are there like people that are trying to capture us out there?
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And here's what Paul is gonna say.
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Maybe surprising to some of us.
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Yes.
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Friends, this is a really needed reminder for us.
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See, how is easy is it for us to just live our lives as if everything is just neutral?
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So easy to just live our lives, to think of Satan and his forces, to think of real deep darkness and evil maybe is elsewhere.
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The stuff of myth but not reality.
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The stuff of uh places that are far from us, but not in suburban America, the stuff of entertainment, maybe on the silver screen, but not in our actual lives.
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But here's what Paul is warning us in a sense.
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I wonder if you could think about it this way.
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Imagine that you were at war and you saw somebody just sort of whistling and walking over enemy lines into enemy territory.
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Like you watched them do that, and they looked like they were just taking their dog on a stroll through the neighborhood.
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And you'd be like, what are you doing?
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Do you not know the danger?
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Well, church, how many of us live that way?
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Just completely ignorant and negligent of the dangers that surround us.
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That's why Paul warns us, watch out that no one takes you captive.
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But you know what?
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There's a second reason he warns us not only because we are unaware of the hazards that are afoot, but also because the means of capture are maybe a little bit unexpected.
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They're maybe not the most evident.
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You might think of the movie Willy Wonka and his little chocolate factory.
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Seems like a paradise, especially if you're a kid, like the best paradise.
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And yet some of the things that look the most delightful, the most amazing, actually pose the most risk and the most danger.
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See, what Paul is warning us is against a danger that we often don't see.
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Look at verse 8 in full.
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Be careful that no one takes you captive.
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How?
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Through philosophy and empty deceit.
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Now, we need to understand what Paul means here because I think there could be some confusion.
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You should not think that your freshman philosophy professor was necessarily evil or that like all philosophy is bad.
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He's actually doing a pretty famous or a pretty well-known rhetorical strategy here where you would use two words to explain one idea.
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So you could really read this as empty, deceitful philosophy.
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Watch out that no one takes you captive through empty, deceitful philosophies.
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Now, that word philosophy for Paul is much broader than we use it.
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Like when you hear the word philosophy, maybe you think of stoicism or existentialism or some sort of very specific thing.
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But Paul is speaking about all religions, any type of worldview, any type of system of thoughts.
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In some sense, he is thinking about a larger picture of thinking in general.
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And Paul is calling us to watch out for empty, deceptive thinking.
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Well, friends, I think such thinking is all around us.
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And if we want to be able to tell what is that thinking even a little bit better, Paul gives us some descriptors.
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He actually gives us three.
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Look at verse 8 again.
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First, it is based on human tradition.
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It is thinking that comes from human wisdom, not God's wisdom.
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Second, it is based on the elements of this world.
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Now that might be the most difficult phrase in Colossians, and that's why I'm gonna let David talk about it in two weeks, and we're just gonna kind of move past it because this is mainly just an introduction.
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He can handle this in a little bit more detail, but let's just say for right now, suffice to say, this is worldly pagan wisdom.
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And then lastly, and I think most importantly, Paul tells us that it is not based on Christ.
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Now, let me tell you what is hard and helpful here because Paul does, and this is what we'll look at a little bit in the weeks to come, Paul does have a very specific false teaching in mind.
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There is a false teaching at the church in Colossai that's plaguing the church, and he's writing to counteract it.
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The problem is that we don't have very many details as to exactly what that uh false teaching was.
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But you know what?
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I think that's actually helpful for us.
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Because this warning is just as powerful.
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Think about what he says.
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He warns us against being taken by any, being taken captive by any thinking or wisdom that is worldly, of human origin, and not of Christ.
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Friends, that enables us to apply this in a lot of different ways.
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And I think there is a lot of application here.
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See, here's the question I think we need to ask ourselves.
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What human or worldly thinking captures your mind and heart and draws you away from Christ?
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What sort of thinking and wisdom captures your mind and heart and draws you away from Christ?
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Could be materialism.
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Your heart ever drawn to stuff more than Jesus?
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Do you ever self-medicate by shopping?
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Do you ever think that if you were to get this thing, however big or small, that that would fill your heart, that that would make you happy or fulfilled?
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What about maybe careerism?
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Does your job define you?
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Are you willing to sacrifice everything on the altar of advancement?
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Is it that your career actually shapes your life in Christ?
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Or is it that your life in Christ actually shapes your work and career?
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Or what about leisure, comfort, or pleasure?
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How many decisions do you make every day based on your own personal uh what's easiest and most comfortable to you?
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How much of your life is spent in consuming things and being entertained by things?
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Or you might even think about individualism.
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Do you think about your life as your life?
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That actually life is all about you, what you can get out of it.
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Have you been captured by such thinking?
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Or maybe captured feels too strong.
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Are you flirting with such thinking?
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Is it tempting to you?
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Well, look at how Paul describes these philosophies of the world.
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He describes them as empty and deceitful.
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That word empty means hollow.
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You you follow them and you find out there's nothing there.
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That there's nothing to them.
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Or they're deluding.
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That's what that word deceitful means.
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They're delusions.
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And what Paul is saying is that if you base your life on possessions, if you base your life on the pride of achievement or the path of ease, or if you make yourself the prince of your life and world, then ultimately you'll find yourself captured.
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You'll find yourself in a prison.
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Remember our main idea?
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Don't be captured by empty philosophies.
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Rather, be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
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And that's what I want to spend most of our time looking at this morning.
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Be captivated by Christ.
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Because here we come to the very crux of the passage.
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Look at the first word of verse 9.
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That little teeny word, for.
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That's a super significant word.
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Don't be uh captured, uh made captive by these empty philosophies.
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For.
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That reason, that little word means for this reason.
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Here's why.
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Here's the cause behind Paul's warning.
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Because Paul doesn't warn us only because of the danger that might come our way.
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No, he warns us even more so because of what we might miss out on.
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Church, I think this is so fantastic.
00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:44.720
Our God does not motivate first and foremost by punishment, but by promise.
00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:51.279
He doesn't want us to be captured by these empty and deceitful philosophies, sure.
00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:56.559
But even more so, he wants us to be captivated by Christ.
00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:01.519
Now, look at why this warning of verse 8, look at verse 9.
00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:02.319
He gives it to us.
00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:03.279
For why?
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:04.160
Why the warning?
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:11.279
For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ.
00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:14.559
Now, at first glance, maybe you're a little bit confused.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.200
Maybe you think, well, that's a little underwhelming.
00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:20.079
Paul's like, here's this warning, don't be captured.
00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:23.440
And then insert random fact about Jesus.
00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:28.160
Like, hey, just in case you're wondering, the fullness of God dwells bodily in Christ.
00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:31.200
And you're like, wait a second, what's what is that?
00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.920
Well, Paul's actually doing something brilliant.
00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:37.119
Because he's just setting up a really powerful argument.
00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:42.160
What was true about that human, deceptive, worldly philosophy?
00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:43.920
It was empty.
00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:46.480
But what is true about Christ?
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:52.960
Paul says, the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in him.
00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:57.039
This is one of those statements that should absolutely blow your mind.
00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:05.119
It's the part of theology and scripture and the redemptive history that my mind and heart still can't grasp.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:06.960
Think about this.
00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:14.880
The fullness of God dwelled, dwells bodily in Christ.
00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:26.880
The fullness of the eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, immortal, invisible, all-wise, all-loving, infinite God.
00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:35.279
The fullness of God who is the creator and sustainer of everything and everyone.
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:45.359
The fullness of God's nature, all that God is, all of that dwells bodily in Christ.
00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:48.079
Here's why C.S.
00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:53.119
Lewis called the incarnation the grand miracle.
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:57.680
The miracle of all miracles.
00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:09.599
That God, the Son, truly God, became a human being, truly human, and walked among us.
00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.759
All that God is, Paul is saying.
00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:15.359
Jesus is.
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:17.519
Because he is God.
00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:19.759
Now think about what Paul's doing.
00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:24.960
Compared to the empty philosophies, Paul is saying, here's the one who is full.
00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:26.240
And you know what?
00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:27.839
That's not even Paul's crescendo.
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:29.440
Certainly is in one sense.
00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:34.079
But now he's going to take this truth and he's going to apply it to our lives.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:43.200
And he's going to show us three reasons why we should absolutely be wholly, completely captivated by Christ.
00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:44.720
And that's what we're going to look at.
00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:50.079
First, we should be captivated by Christ because we are full in Christ.
00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:52.000
Look at verse 10.
00:21:52.319 --> 00:22:00.799
Says all the fullness of God dwells bodily in him, and you have been filled by Him.
00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:05.759
The fullness of God dwells in Christ, and he fills us.
00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:08.240
Look at what Paul is saying.
00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:11.039
Empty things don't fill.
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:13.920
Only full things fill.
00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:17.519
And God, Jesus, is full.
00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:25.680
See, Paul is saying these other philosophies, they might promise the world, but they're empty.
00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:28.720
And in fact, they'll only leave you empty.
00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.799
Isn't that so often the case?
00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:37.920
But Christ, Paul says, He's full, and he will fill you.
00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:49.279
See, I think what was happening in Colossae, it seems like, is that there were these false teachers who were actually offering, claiming to have greater experiences of God.
00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:53.119
That you could have more spiritual fulfillment.
00:22:53.279 --> 00:23:00.559
And they were saying so on things that were beyond Christ, past Christ, aside from Christ.
00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:03.839
But here's Paul's arguments.
00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:05.200
Here's Paul's argument.
00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:08.000
There is nothing beyond Christ.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.720
Because the fullness of God dwells in Christ.
00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.960
Here's how one theologian says it.
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:15.759
I think it's so helpful.
00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:21.680
He says, All that we can know or experience of God is therefore found in our relationship with Christ.
00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:23.359
Don't sleep on that statement.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:30.720
All, all that we can know or experience of God, where is it found?
00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:34.240
It's found in our relationship with Christ.
00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:37.839
See, Paul is claiming the sufficiency of Christ.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:39.839
He is all that we need.
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:43.599
And he is also claiming the exclusivity of Christ.
00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:46.400
He's the only one that we need.
00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.200
See, here's the point for us.
00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:53.279
You want to know God?
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:59.039
You want to experience communion and fellowship with God.
00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:02.000
Well, it's not in Eastern meditation.
00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:04.319
It's not in Hinduism or Buddhism.
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.319
It's not in Islam.
00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:08.079
It's not in the teachings of Muhammad.
00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:10.640
It's not in the revelation of Joseph Smith.
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.640
It's not in crystals.
00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:14.559
It's not in the stars.
00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:19.279
It's not in any sort of pagan practice that might be rising up in our day.
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:27.279
You don't find the fullness of experiencing God in creation or in music, in concert, or in sports.
00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:31.519
As good as those things might be, you will not find the fullness of God there.
00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:36.240
The fullness of God isn't found in money or sex or fame or success.
00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:40.079
It is found only in Christ.
00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:46.799
And church, Paul's saying, we have been filled by Him.
00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:50.079
That same Christ has filled us.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:51.200
Now, what does that mean?
00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:54.240
What does it mean to be filled by Christ?
00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:55.599
There's a lot.
00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:57.279
So much that we could talk about.
00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:00.400
Let me walk us down just a few avenues briefly.
00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:02.319
Look at verse 13 in our own passage.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:03.440
Paul gives us a hint.
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:06.880
He made you alive with him.
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:10.559
Christ made you alive with him.
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:14.880
In Christ you have the fullness of life.
00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:18.160
Here's what Jesus says in John 17, verse 3.
00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:20.000
He says, This is eternal life.
00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:23.839
What is real, eternal, true life?
00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:26.799
We think about it, it's just life that goes on and on and on.
00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:28.240
What does Jesus say?
00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:34.160
That they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ.
00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:35.359
Here's life.
00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:37.119
It's knowing God.
00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:38.880
And how is it we know God?
00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:40.160
In Christ.
00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:44.000
Real life is in Christ.
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:48.400
Christian, you have the fullness of life in Christ.
00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:49.759
But there's more than that.
00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:53.759
Because remember what Paul wrote just prior to this, Colossians 2, verse 3.
00:25:53.920 --> 00:26:00.240
He said, In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:04.000
All wisdom, all knowledge is in Christ.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.279
And he has filled you.
00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:11.839
Which means there's a sense in which we have all wisdom and knowledge.
00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:13.759
Now let me be really, really clear.
00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:16.319
It doesn't mean that you're perfect in knowledge.
00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:18.400
Doesn't mean that you're perfectly wise.
00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:19.440
None of us are.
00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:29.519
What it means is that all the wisdom and knowledge that we need to faithfully and fruitfully live before God, we have in Christ.
00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:35.279
We don't lack anything that we need in Christ.
00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:37.200
Think about it, Christian.
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:39.519
You have Christ's work.
00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:41.039
We're gonna look at that in a moment.
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:43.119
You have Christ's word.
00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:52.319
You have Christ's spirit who teaches you, guides you, comforts you, who helps you.
00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:58.000
But this is what Paul, or one other thing, maybe lastly, of what this fullness means.
00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:01.119
In Ephesians 3, verse 19, Paul uses this exact same language.
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:05.599
He says, so that you may be filled with the fullness of God.
00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:08.720
Well, Paul, what does it mean to be filled with the fullness of God?
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:09.599
Look at it.
00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:27.599
That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love, and to know Christ's love that surpasses knowledge, so that if you comprehend that, if you know that, you may be filled with the fullness of God.
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:30.480
See how wondrous a truth this is?
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:36.799
We in Christ are filled with the fullness of God's love.
00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:43.200
See, church, I wonder if maybe here's why we're not captivated by Christ.
00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:47.759
Because we haven't comprehended his love for us.
00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:51.920
In fact, we so often doubt it.
00:27:53.039 --> 00:28:00.240
My guess is you're here right here this morning, and there are ways in which you've put limits on God's love.
00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:12.319
You think you can outsin his love, or you think you can override his love, crash the system of his love, or you think in some ways you can empty him of love.
00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:14.319
Well, he has loved me too much.
00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:17.039
There's no love left for me.
00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:29.440
But here's what Paul says that in Christ we are filled with the fullness of God's love that knows no height or depth, width, or length.
00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:34.640
Paul says, you, Christian, actually can't escape God's love.
00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:36.799
That's how great it is.
00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:44.640
Christian, right now, do you know how much God loves you?
00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.200
I I mean that.
00:28:47.279 --> 00:29:01.200
I mean, there is, I would argue, few things in this life as a Christian that you need to know more fully than how deeply God loves you.
00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:11.039
Are you every day comprehending more and more of his wondrous love for you in Christ?
00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:18.240
See, church, why would we ever seek life, wisdom, and love elsewhere?
00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:22.079
We have it in full in Christ.
00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:24.720
That's the first reason why we ought to be captivated by Christ.
00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:27.920
Secondly, because we are forgiven in Christ.
00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:31.519
We're gonna skip the circumcision part, but just for a moment.
00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:33.279
Look at verses 13 and 14.
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:41.920
Here's what it says And when you were dead in trespasses and in the circumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.
00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:51.440
He erased the certificate of debt with its obligations that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
00:29:51.680 --> 00:30:06.160
Friends, the Bible does not mince words about how dangerous and devious sin is, or how dire our plight in sin is.
00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:11.680
Paul says that we were dead because of our sin.
00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:16.000
And when we hear that word, we think immediately physical death.
00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:19.519
But here's the problem: Paul does not say we will die.
00:30:20.400 --> 00:30:22.799
He says we were dead.
00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:29.039
He's speaking to people who are living, and he's saying, you used to be dead.
00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:32.240
Well, how can that be true, Paul?
00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:37.359
Because for Paul in scripture, to live in sin is death.
00:30:38.640 --> 00:30:40.640
To live in sin is death.
00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:43.599
It's kind of a type of zombie life.
00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:47.359
You are living, walking, but you are living in death.
00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:50.000
You're living under judgment, under condemnation.
00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.440
You might think of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:59.680
And you might think early on in the book, when Marley, his deceased partner, comes and visits him.
00:30:59.920 --> 00:31:03.039
It's probably the scariest scene in the book, maybe except for the end.
00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:13.599
And in there, Marley, when he visits him, he is shackled, weighted down, chains everywhere, he's bandaged, he's moaning.
00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:21.359
And the point is, Scrooge, that will be you if you don't watch out.
00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:24.319
But I think there's actually a deeper point there.
00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:27.839
I think the point may be, Scrooge, that's already you.
00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:31.759
Think about Scrooge's life in a Christmas carol.
00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:40.000
He's bitter, lives in darkness, isolated, angry.
00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:44.240
He actually walks around moaning, bah, humbug.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:46.640
That's a type of grunt or moaning.
00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:50.079
He lives in this miserable death.
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:54.799
Because sin is a living death.
00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:56.799
But Paul actually says more.
00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:01.519
It's not just a living death, it's also an insurmountable debt.
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:06.240
See, now I think this is an idea that we understand well, this idea of debt.
00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:10.319
Many of us know what it's like to be in some financial debt.
00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:14.880
And what Paul is doing is he's actually uh speaking about this debt.
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:18.319
He look at verse 14, he talks about a certificate of debt.
00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:22.160
Some commentators, and I think they're right, you might imagine like an IOU.
00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:24.240
What is a certificate of debt?
00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:26.559
It's like we wrote an IOU.
00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:29.839
God, I owe you signed humanity.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:33.119
And what is it that we wrote to God and said, we owe?
00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:38.079
Well, we owe you our complete allegiance and obedience.
00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:38.799
Why?
00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:40.559
Because you are our God.
00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.359
You are the creator, we are your creatures.
00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:46.319
We were created by you and for you.
00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:55.279
And so Paul says, that I owe you, that allegiance and obedience that was demanded of all humanity, it actually stands against you.
00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:57.359
And its obligations stand against you.
00:32:57.440 --> 00:32:58.319
What are those obligations?
00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:00.880
You might think of the law of God or the Ten Commandments.
00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:03.359
They stand against you.
00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:06.400
And you are in debt.
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:12.799
Now, Jesus described in a parable just how significant this debt of sin is.
00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:19.279
And he described it by telling a story of a man who was in debt 10,000 talents.
00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:29.599
Now, that might seem like nothing to us because we don't know what a talent is, but a talent was uh 20 years wages for a normal worker.
00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:37.039
So for this servant to pay that debt, he would have had to work 200,000 years.
00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:39.599
What's Jesus' point?
00:33:39.839 --> 00:33:44.480
That is an insurmountable, unpayable debt.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:47.039
That's the debt of sin.
00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:51.279
Now, friends, I think we actually know the weight of this debt.
00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:56.799
Even if you're not a Christian or not sure about Christianity, I think you know the weight of this debt.
00:33:56.880 --> 00:34:01.920
I think we are all weighed down by sin, even if we might not call it sin.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:09.760
Because there's always, isn't there, this little undercurrent running through us of guilt and shame.
00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:15.280
And no matter what you can do, what you try to do, you can't put that off.
00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:20.880
I think that's why we try so hard to prove ourselves.
00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:23.280
Not only to others, but even to ourselves.
00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:25.840
We don't even live up to our own standards.
00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:28.639
We are guilty and shameful even to our own selves.
00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:34.960
I think that's why it's we we work so hard to put up this image of ourselves.
00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:42.400
And we try so hard to make people believe that this image is actually us, even though we know that it's not really us.
00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:45.519
We would be terrified for someone to know the real us.
00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:46.800
We want this image up here.
00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:47.599
Why?
00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:52.719
Because we know the weight of sin, we know the reality of sin.
00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:54.320
And you know what?
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:00.079
There are so many worldly philosophies that promise to deal with sin and guilt.
00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:02.800
And they all do the same things.
00:35:03.760 --> 00:35:07.199
First, they ignore it, they just act like it's not there.
00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:09.360
No, sin is something you just put on yourself.
00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:12.960
It's human construction, it's religion.
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:15.599
Or they hide the sin.
00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:18.559
Or they try to minimize the sin.
00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:25.840
And yet the problem is if you go down any of those avenues, what you're gonna find is that the sin is still there.
00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:27.920
The problem's still there.
00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:30.800
The ugliness in your heart is still there.
00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:33.599
But here's what Paul says: look at verse 14.
00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:38.320
He, Christ, erased the certificate of debt.
00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:45.840
He didn't ignore it, he didn't minimize it, he paid it in full.
00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:49.440
He wiped the books clean.
00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:54.000
There is no more debt for those who are in Christ.
00:35:54.079 --> 00:36:00.159
Paul says, Romans 8:1, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:06.159
See, God the Son actually erased our debt.
00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:06.559
How?
00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:08.079
Look at what he says.
00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:12.559
He's just taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:14.880
God the Son became a man.
00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:17.920
The creator entered into his creation.
00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:18.639
Why?
00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:20.719
To save us from our sin.
00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:29.280
To do what we could never do for ourselves, to pay the debt of our sin with his very life.
00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:35.840
An infinite death or an infinite debt needed an infinite savior.
00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:41.280
And Christ is the only one who is the one who can pay our infinite debt.
00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:46.960
This is why Peter says that he himself bore our sins in his body.
00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:49.760
He took on our sin and his consequences.
00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:50.880
And you know why?
00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:52.960
It's so that we can sing this.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:56.400
Church, this song ought to make us rejoice.
00:36:56.639 --> 00:36:57.280
My sin.
00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:12.159
Oh, the bliss, the wonder of this glorious thought that my sin, not in part, but the whole, all of it, is nailed to the cross.
00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:14.480
And I bear it no more.
00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:20.159
That weight of sin, that weight of failure, that shame, that guilt, I bear that no more.
00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:23.440
Because it has all been nailed to the cross.
00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:24.880
Praise the Lord.
00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:26.159
Praise the Lord.
00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:27.280
Oh my soul.
00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:30.400
That's why we can sing, it is well.
00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:38.880
No matter what our circumstances may be, because our sin, not in part, but the whole, has been nailed to the cross.
00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:42.719
See, church, perhaps here's why we aren't captivated by Christ.
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:46.320
Because we're still trying to bear what he has already born.
00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:49.760
We actually don't understand.
00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:53.599
We haven't comprehended the reality of this grace in Christ.
00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:56.800
The world wants to camouflage our sin.
00:37:57.199 --> 00:37:59.039
Christ came and conquered it.
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:03.119
Third reason why we ought to be captivated by Christ.
00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:06.079
Because we have freedom in Christ.
00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:08.000
See, here's what I think we often forget.
00:38:08.159 --> 00:38:10.480
Maybe that last little point, you're like, I get it, I know it.
00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:12.719
I hope you still are in awe of it.
00:38:12.960 --> 00:38:15.119
But you think I know that I have been forgiven in Christ.
00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:17.119
But you know what else the Bible tells you?
00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:19.519
That you are being freed from the power of sin.
00:38:19.679 --> 00:38:24.719
Not only that your sin has been forgiven, but that you are being freed from its power.
00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:29.199
Church, in Christ, we no longer have to walk in sin.
00:38:30.320 --> 00:38:32.719
We can walk in freedom.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:39.039
Now, in order to understand this, we've got to dig in to what Paul is talking about here with circumcision.
00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:40.559
It might be the most difficult part.
00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:45.280
As you read through this passage this week, you're like, that's a lot of mentions of circumcisions.
00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:46.719
He begins in verse 11.
00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:47.360
Look at it.
00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:53.199
You were also circumcised in him, in Christ, with a circumcision not done with hands.
00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:54.559
What is that circumcision?
00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:59.119
By putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ.
00:38:59.679 --> 00:39:09.840
Now, in order to understand what Paul is talking about here, we need to actually understand the nature of circumcision, which admittedly makes us a little uncomfortable.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:11.360
But we're gonna dig in.
00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:17.760
Here's what circumcision is: circumcision is the cutting off of something.
00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:19.199
And that's really important.
00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:23.920
It is the cutting off of the foreskin of the male sexual organ.
00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:27.679
And the reason that it was done is so that it would mark someone.
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:33.440
In the Old Testament, it was a way of marking the people of God, the people of Israel.
00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:36.960
If you were circumcised, you were a part of this people.
00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:38.239
But you know what?
00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:44.239
Even in the Old Testament, circumcision was being used sometimes metaphorically.
00:39:45.039 --> 00:39:51.599
This is so important that circumcision, physical circumcision, actually pointed to our need of a far greater circumcision.
00:39:51.760 --> 00:39:54.480
Look at Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 16.
00:39:55.039 --> 00:39:56.000
Here's what he says.
00:39:56.239 --> 00:40:02.159
Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don't be stiff-necked any longer.
00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:06.320
Or Jeremiah 4, 4, circumcise yourselves to the Lord.
00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:13.039
Remove the foreskin of your hearts, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.
00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:22.159
Do you see that circumcision was this pointer that something more significant needed to be put off or cut away?
00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:25.199
We needed a circumcision of our hearts.
00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:27.679
And here's what Paul is saying.
00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:30.639
That has actually happened.
00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:35.679
And Paul says it wasn't done by man with human hands.
00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:36.639
That's this point.
00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:38.480
But it was done by Christ.
00:40:38.639 --> 00:40:40.320
That's the circumcision of Christ.
00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:42.800
And what happened in this circumcision?
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:48.239
It was the putting off of the body of flesh, our body of flesh.
00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:59.760
Now, when Paul uses the word flesh, most often he is talking about our sin nature or our old man, this person in sin, our sinfulness.
00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:08.159
And Paul is saying that by Christ, our sin nature, this old man, has been cut off.
00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:10.000
Has been put off.
00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:12.719
That's spiritual circumcision.
00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:15.199
That's why verse 13, look at verse 13.
00:41:15.280 --> 00:41:19.360
What is another way that we could talk about being dead in trespasses, dead in sin?
00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:22.800
Well, it's to talk about the uncircumcision of the flesh.
00:41:23.119 --> 00:41:26.239
The sinful nature hasn't been cut off.
00:41:27.039 --> 00:41:29.840
But now, Paul says it has.
00:41:30.639 --> 00:41:33.199
When, Christian, look at verse 13.
00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:38.239
When you were buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised with him.
00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:41.199
Why all of a sudden does Paul bring up baptism?
00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:44.000
Because baptism is very similar to circumcision.
00:41:44.239 --> 00:41:48.559
Circumcision marked the people of God as the people of God.
00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:53.760
Baptism is a sign, it's a symbol that we are the people of God.
00:41:53.920 --> 00:41:57.840
And in fact, it is a way in which we enter into the community of God.
00:41:58.400 --> 00:42:05.760
And so here's what Paul is saying that actually it shows us baptism is a picture of spiritual circumcision.
00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:07.280
What happens in baptism?
00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:08.159
I say this often.
00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:11.599
We have usually a horse trough when we do it, so it looks even more real to us.
00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:14.239
Like you go under the water and you're like, I don't know if they're coming up.
00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:16.320
Like it looks a little bit like death.
00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:17.119
That's the point.
00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:25.119
In baptism, we die with Christ and then we're raised out of the water, almost like we are resurrected with Christ.
00:42:25.199 --> 00:42:26.000
That's the picture.
00:42:26.159 --> 00:42:26.960
So what's the point?
00:42:27.039 --> 00:42:28.639
What is spiritual circumcision?
00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:32.800
It is to die with Christ, a death to sin.
00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:42.719
When Christ died to our sin, when he took our sin in him and he died, that was our sin, dying, our sinful self, dying with Christ.
00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:48.159
And then when he raised to new life, we raised with him in new life.
00:42:48.639 --> 00:42:50.239
How is that possible?
00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:53.519
How is it that we can be united to Christ in that way?
00:42:53.679 --> 00:42:54.960
Look at verse 12.
00:42:55.119 --> 00:42:56.320
Right in the middle.
00:42:56.639 --> 00:42:59.599
Through faith in the working of God.
00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:02.320
How are we united to Christ?
00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:03.519
By faith.
00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:05.360
And what is the working of God?
00:43:05.519 --> 00:43:08.559
It is the fact that Christ has taken our sin and nailed it to the cross.
00:43:08.719 --> 00:43:10.239
The working of God is the gospel.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:14.639
We are united to Christ by faith in the good news of Jesus.
00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:17.679
Let me give you the whole picture because there's a lot.
00:43:18.320 --> 00:43:23.280
Here's what happened: Christ lived, died, and raised for us and for our salvation.
00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:28.880
We are united to Christ by faith in him and his work on our half.
00:43:28.960 --> 00:43:37.039
And that means in Christ, he has circumcised us, he has cut off our sinful nature, put off our old man.
00:43:37.199 --> 00:43:42.000
We have died to sin in Christ and raised to new life in him.
00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:50.559
And then just to give us a little cherry on top, in Christ's life, death, resurrection, and especially his ascension, he did something else.
00:43:50.639 --> 00:43:51.920
Look at verse 15.
00:43:52.320 --> 00:43:54.960
He disarmed the rulers and authority.
00:43:55.119 --> 00:43:56.639
Who are the rulers and the authority?
00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:59.440
Evil powers, demons, Satan.
00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:01.360
Worldly powers.
00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:04.880
He disarmed the rulers in authority and disgraced them publicly.
00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:07.360
He triumphed over them in him.
00:44:08.480 --> 00:44:15.199
Every single person that read this letter of its first hearers would have known exactly what Paul was saying.
00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:32.880
They would have had a picture of their mind in their mind come to them that would be this commander returning from this victorious battle, and all of his enemies and prisoners in chains behind them, being publicly disgraced because they have been defeated.
00:44:33.840 --> 00:44:39.119
Friends, I think it's worth noting that the philosophies of this world will leave you in chains.
00:44:40.320 --> 00:44:44.400
And Christ actually leaves your enemies, sin, Satan, and death in chains.
00:44:44.719 --> 00:44:46.320
That's who Christ is.
00:44:46.559 --> 00:44:49.679
Now that's a whole lot of theology.
00:44:50.239 --> 00:44:53.440
That's a lot there, but don't miss the point.
00:44:54.000 --> 00:44:56.559
We are free in Christ.
00:44:57.119 --> 00:45:00.079
Christian, let me be as clear as I possibly can be.
00:45:00.239 --> 00:45:02.639
You are no longer under sin.
00:45:03.360 --> 00:45:06.239
Your sin does not rule you.
00:45:06.480 --> 00:45:08.639
You don't have to sin.
00:45:09.519 --> 00:45:12.239
Christ is greater than your sin.
00:45:12.480 --> 00:45:14.719
He has defeated your sin.
00:45:14.880 --> 00:45:21.360
And now you can actually, truly, genuinely walk in holiness, not perfectly.
00:45:21.679 --> 00:45:24.719
We will still sin in this life until we see him.
00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:26.639
We will still battle.
00:45:28.400 --> 00:45:33.199
But we battle a war that has already been won.
00:45:34.239 --> 00:45:38.480
And the dominion of sin has already been destroyed.
00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:47.760
See, worldly philosophies, they might change your actions, they might help out some of your circumstances, but only Christ can circumcise your heart.
00:45:48.000 --> 00:45:54.239
Only He can rip out that ugly cancer of sin that ravages your soul.
00:45:54.559 --> 00:45:56.719
And so here's the question, Christian.
00:45:57.119 --> 00:46:00.639
Are you walking in the freedom that's yours in Christ?
00:46:01.840 --> 00:46:11.280
Do you look at Satan, sin, and this world as enemies, yes, but enemies with an expiration date?
00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:19.920
I wonder if sometimes we walk in defeat as Christians.
00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:28.000
We actually walk living as if sin is our king and not Jesus.
00:46:29.119 --> 00:46:34.239
Christian, are you living in light of the victory of Christ?
00:46:35.199 --> 00:46:37.760
Now think about this whole argument, church.
00:46:38.079 --> 00:46:43.760
To walk in Christ is to walk in his fullness, fullness of life, fullness of wisdom, fullness of love.
00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:53.679
To walk in Christ is to walk in his forgiveness, debt fully paid, no condemnation, fully wiped clean your sins.
00:46:53.840 --> 00:46:58.639
And it is to walk in his freedom, your old sinful nature cut off.
00:46:58.800 --> 00:47:01.280
You have died with Christ and risen with Christ.
00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:04.159
Do you see Paul's argument then?
00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:11.280
If all this is ours in Christ, why would we ever look elsewhere?
00:47:12.480 --> 00:47:18.079
What more could we want than what we already have in Christ?
00:47:18.800 --> 00:47:33.199
How dim, how dull, honestly, how dumb are all of these empty philosophies that actually offer us nothing compared to Christ.
00:47:34.480 --> 00:47:38.559
Friends, don't be captured by empty philosophies.
00:47:38.880 --> 00:47:42.159
Be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
00:47:42.719 --> 00:47:44.880
Here's a question I want us to think about.
00:47:45.360 --> 00:47:48.400
Are we captivated by Christ?
00:47:49.119 --> 00:47:50.559
Let's pray that we would be.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:07.200
This fall, we are making our way through this fantastic letter that Paul wrote to the church in Colossi.
00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:10.640
We're really starting to get to the heart of the letter now.
00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:12.080
Chapter 2.
00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:17.120
Uh so if you would open up your Bibles to chapter 2, verses 8 through 15.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:19.440
That's what we're gonna look at together this morning.
00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:22.399
If you don't have a Bible with you, uh no worries.
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:24.559
There should be one under a chair around you.
00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:29.120
Feel free to grab that, use that, take it home with you if you need a Bible.
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.560
You can also open up your bulletin, passages in there as well.
00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:37.280
There's even some pages to take notes with or on if that would be helpful.
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:44.159
This morning we're gonna look at what it means to be captivated and not captured.
00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:47.200
But before we do, I wonder if you've ever had this experience.
00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:57.840
Maybe you've gone to a pretty significant event, and midway through the event you've run over to the concession stand and you found the concession stand just packed.
00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:01.359
There's like six lines, they're awful.
00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:13.200
You start to do that thing in your head where you start to like discern and judge, like, well, there's some big families in that line that look kind of slow, they don't really know what they want, and that register's pretty like that it's struggling.
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:14.959
Like, I don't think that line's gonna move very much.
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:17.359
And then finally you like choose your line.
00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:19.599
And you get in that line and you're waiting.
00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:22.400
Maybe it's moving a little bit, and then it just stops.
00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:27.599
And then you're starting to like look at some other lines, and you're like, man, that line over there is starting to move.
00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:28.799
Like it's it's really going.
00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:32.079
Maybe I should quickly switch out of that and move to that other line.
00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:40.799
So you do, you go two lines over and you get in that line and you're moving a little bit, and then if you're me, always, inevitably, it just stalls.
00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:43.760
Like they run out of cups or like cash or whatever.
00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:46.560
I don't know what they use it, uh, these sort of concession stands anymore.
00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.120
But somehow a shift change happens.
00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.040
And then you look at that original line, and it's just cooking.
00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:58.640
Like it's just like you're like, man, if I was in that line, like I'd be getting ready to order right now.
00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:01.280
Like I might have my food right now.
00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:04.959
It's really easy to second guess ourselves.
00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:09.759
In fact, we live in a world, I would argue, of second guessing.
00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:14.800
We second guess our meals, think, oh man, I should have gotten that appetizer.
00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:18.960
You know, we second guess our dress, oh, I should have worn those shoes.
00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:20.960
We second guess life decisions.
00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:22.639
Why didn't I choose that major?
00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:24.080
Why did I go to that college?
00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:27.199
I should have applied for that job.
00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:32.639
We second guess almost every public figure imaginable.
00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:36.560
Man, that coach last night, he should have called time out in the fourth quarter.
00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:37.759
Like, what was he doing?
00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:42.000
That politician, that guy on city council, why are they voting in another development?
00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:43.919
We don't need any more developments.
00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:48.479
Or that musician, that second album, what were they thinking?
00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:50.319
Like that first album was great.
00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:51.759
What happened?
00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:55.759
We second guess everything.
00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:00.479
I wonder if you ever second guess Christ.
00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:04.080
And I don't mean him personally, though.
00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:05.599
I think we do that.
00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.120
Christ, where were you?
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:07.919
What are you doing?
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:08.639
What's going on?
00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:10.479
How why are you not with me in this?
00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.240
We we second guess Christ.
00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.879
But I mean a little bit more broader.
00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:21.919
I wonder if you ever think about whether trusting Christ was the right decision.
00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:30.080
Maybe you don't want to admit that, but I wonder if sometimes you even think about what life would be like if Jesus were not Lord.
00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:33.840
Maybe you think, would that be an easier life?
00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.759
Would that be a more comfortable life?
00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:41.039
Would that be maybe even a better life, a more free life?
00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:44.080
I wonder if you have thoughts like that every once in a while.
00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:45.840
Or maybe not so blatant.
00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:50.639
Maybe you're not in danger of second guessing Christ or Christianity altogether.
00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:55.280
You just sometimes second guess whether Christ is enough.
00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:58.159
I find this in my own heart sometime.
00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:00.159
Maybe you can imagine a situation like this.
00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:10.800
You're at a party with some friends, or maybe some uh, you know, folks from college or high school, and they've got this big, beautiful house.
00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:12.639
It's in an incredible neighborhood.
00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:15.840
They've got every single amenity that you can imagine.
00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:35.680
The conversations are all about promotions at work and this, these sort of achievements that they've had, and investment strategies, and their kids are excelling in these expensive music lessons or in this travel sports program, or you just have all of these different things that are happening, and you begin to have this feeling in your soul.
00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:38.399
Sort of this nagging little doubt.
00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:42.079
Do I need more stuff?
00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:44.639
Like, is life actually in that?
00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:47.040
Do I need to be a little bit more impressive?
00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.519
Do I need to achieve a little bit more?
00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:51.120
Are we sort of behind?
00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:52.879
Are we failing?
00:04:53.680 --> 00:05:02.000
And that sort of voice in your head and heart gets louder and louder, and you start to think, is Jesus really enough?
00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:10.000
Friends, I think sometimes, and let me say this, none of those things are wrong or bad.
00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:17.600
You could be a Christian and be successful and have a nice home and have kids that are achieving things and all that sort of thing.
00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:22.720
But here's the problem is when our eyes begin to wander from Christ.
00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:32.879
When our vision of the good life or our vision of what life ought to be, maybe it has Christ in it, but he's kind of on the periphery.
00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:40.879
That the things of this world, the desires of this world, the thinking of this world begins to take center stage.
00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:53.120
See, I think in some ways, probably every single one of us in here, at times, begins to second guess a little bit whether Christ really is enough.
00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:58.160
See, that's what Paul is writing about this morning, in one sense.
00:05:58.319 --> 00:05:59.519
Here's our main idea.
00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:08.240
It's this don't be captured by empty philosophies, be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.959
See, Paul is writing to a people who know those sorts of feelings.
00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:17.759
There are people around them that are claiming to have had these great experiences.
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:23.120
They're having these prestigious sort of positions in society.
00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.040
They're building a life.
00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:27.199
This looks great.
00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:31.279
And the Colossians are wondering: do I need that?
00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:35.759
And maybe do I need something more than Christ?
00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:42.319
And Paul says, don't be captured by empty philosophies, be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:43.600
Let's look at the passage.
00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:46.480
Here's how he says it, verses 8 through 15 of chapter 2.
00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:58.399
He says, Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.
00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:08.319
For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:26.240
You were also circumcised in him, with a circumcision not done with hands, but by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ, when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through the faith, through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:38.160
And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.
00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:47.839
He erased the certificate of debt with its obligations that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:53.120
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly.
00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:59.279
Church, we're gonna look at two points, though.
00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:02.399
I will admit the second point has a few subpoints.
00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:07.439
The first point is don't be captured by empty philosophies.
00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.319
Don't be captured by empty philosophies.
00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:15.040
See, as we get to the heart of chapter two, Paul gives us three warnings.
00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:20.720
And we're gonna look at the first warning this morning, and then the next two warnings next Sunday.
00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.240
Now, this first warning is a strong one.
00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:30.800
The be careful of verse eight, that might be a little bit more dire than might first appear.
00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:36.639
That word, that's this idea of be careful, it means watch out or beware.
00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:43.039
You might think every once in a while we come up to some homes or places where you'd see this sign that says beware of dog.
00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:47.279
And sometimes that is like this little teeny dog, and we it's kind of funny.
00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:52.480
But every once in a while, if you go onto that property, like you need to have your eyes open.
00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:55.600
Like there's a real dog out there, and you need to be watching out.
00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:57.440
That's kind of the idea of watching out.
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Eyes open, looking around, watching out, except for the danger is far worse.
00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:03.039
Look at what he says.
00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:08.639
Be careful or watch out that no one takes you captive.
00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:11.519
Think about that word captive.
00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:16.080
A captive is a prisoner of sorts.
00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:19.440
To be a captive, in one sense, is to be captured.
00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.080
I don't know if you grew up playing the game, capture the flag.
00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:24.799
Maybe some of you still play it, uh, students, kids in here.
00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:31.279
But think about this idea: someone capturing the flag, taking the flag, and then taking it back with them.
00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:35.759
You you get it and then you take it away with the opposition.
00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:38.799
That's the picture that Paul gives.
00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:42.559
Now, think about this just on its own merit, right here.
00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:47.919
If you read this warning, be careful that no one takes you captive.
00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:51.679
I think our first instinct is like, wait a second.
00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:54.000
Is that like a possibility?
00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:59.440
Like, are there like people that are trying to capture us out there?
00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:01.200
And here's what Paul is gonna say.
00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:03.440
Maybe surprising to some of us.
00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:04.639
Yes.
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Friends, this is a really needed reminder for us.
00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:18.799
See, how is easy is it for us to just live our lives as if everything is just neutral?
00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:29.919
So easy to just live our lives, to think of Satan and his forces, to think of real deep darkness and evil maybe is elsewhere.
00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:33.600
The stuff of myth but not reality.
00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:45.679
The stuff of uh places that are far from us, but not in suburban America, the stuff of entertainment, maybe on the silver screen, but not in our actual lives.
00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.879
But here's what Paul is warning us in a sense.
00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:51.279
I wonder if you could think about it this way.
00:10:51.759 --> 00:11:01.759
Imagine that you were at war and you saw somebody just sort of whistling and walking over enemy lines into enemy territory.
00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:07.759
Like you watched them do that, and they looked like they were just taking their dog on a stroll through the neighborhood.
00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.399
And you'd be like, what are you doing?
00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:12.960
Do you not know the danger?
00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:16.720
Well, church, how many of us live that way?
00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:22.639
Just completely ignorant and negligent of the dangers that surround us.
00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:28.159
That's why Paul warns us, watch out that no one takes you captive.
00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:29.360
But you know what?
00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:41.039
There's a second reason he warns us not only because we are unaware of the hazards that are afoot, but also because the means of capture are maybe a little bit unexpected.
00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:43.600
They're maybe not the most evident.
00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:48.000
You might think of the movie Willy Wonka and his little chocolate factory.
00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.519
Seems like a paradise, especially if you're a kid, like the best paradise.
00:11:51.759 --> 00:12:00.399
And yet some of the things that look the most delightful, the most amazing, actually pose the most risk and the most danger.
00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:06.240
See, what Paul is warning us is against a danger that we often don't see.
00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:07.840
Look at verse 8 in full.
00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.960
Be careful that no one takes you captive.
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:11.440
How?
00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:15.519
Through philosophy and empty deceit.
00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.600
Now, we need to understand what Paul means here because I think there could be some confusion.
00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:26.639
You should not think that your freshman philosophy professor was necessarily evil or that like all philosophy is bad.
00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:35.440
He's actually doing a pretty famous or a pretty well-known rhetorical strategy here where you would use two words to explain one idea.
00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:41.200
So you could really read this as empty, deceitful philosophy.
00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:47.120
Watch out that no one takes you captive through empty, deceitful philosophies.
00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:51.679
Now, that word philosophy for Paul is much broader than we use it.
00:12:51.759 --> 00:13:00.159
Like when you hear the word philosophy, maybe you think of stoicism or existentialism or some sort of very specific thing.
00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:06.960
But Paul is speaking about all religions, any type of worldview, any type of system of thoughts.
00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:12.399
In some sense, he is thinking about a larger picture of thinking in general.
00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:18.559
And Paul is calling us to watch out for empty, deceptive thinking.
00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:23.039
Well, friends, I think such thinking is all around us.
00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:29.440
And if we want to be able to tell what is that thinking even a little bit better, Paul gives us some descriptors.
00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:30.639
He actually gives us three.
00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:32.159
Look at verse 8 again.
00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:36.000
First, it is based on human tradition.
00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:41.679
It is thinking that comes from human wisdom, not God's wisdom.
00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:46.159
Second, it is based on the elements of this world.
00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:56.720
Now that might be the most difficult phrase in Colossians, and that's why I'm gonna let David talk about it in two weeks, and we're just gonna kind of move past it because this is mainly just an introduction.
00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:04.720
He can handle this in a little bit more detail, but let's just say for right now, suffice to say, this is worldly pagan wisdom.
00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:12.080
And then lastly, and I think most importantly, Paul tells us that it is not based on Christ.
00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:22.320
Now, let me tell you what is hard and helpful here because Paul does, and this is what we'll look at a little bit in the weeks to come, Paul does have a very specific false teaching in mind.
00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:30.000
There is a false teaching at the church in Colossai that's plaguing the church, and he's writing to counteract it.
00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:36.879
The problem is that we don't have very many details as to exactly what that uh false teaching was.
00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:38.159
But you know what?
00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.159
I think that's actually helpful for us.
00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.120
Because this warning is just as powerful.
00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:44.480
Think about what he says.
00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:57.200
He warns us against being taken by any, being taken captive by any thinking or wisdom that is worldly, of human origin, and not of Christ.
00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:01.840
Friends, that enables us to apply this in a lot of different ways.
00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:04.879
And I think there is a lot of application here.
00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:07.919
See, here's the question I think we need to ask ourselves.
00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:16.559
What human or worldly thinking captures your mind and heart and draws you away from Christ?
00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:26.240
What sort of thinking and wisdom captures your mind and heart and draws you away from Christ?
00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.639
Could be materialism.
00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:34.000
Your heart ever drawn to stuff more than Jesus?
00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:37.440
Do you ever self-medicate by shopping?
00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:47.200
Do you ever think that if you were to get this thing, however big or small, that that would fill your heart, that that would make you happy or fulfilled?
00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:49.360
What about maybe careerism?
00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:52.399
Does your job define you?
00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:57.600
Are you willing to sacrifice everything on the altar of advancement?
00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:02.240
Is it that your career actually shapes your life in Christ?
00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:07.759
Or is it that your life in Christ actually shapes your work and career?
00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:10.559
Or what about leisure, comfort, or pleasure?
00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:19.039
How many decisions do you make every day based on your own personal uh what's easiest and most comfortable to you?
00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:25.840
How much of your life is spent in consuming things and being entertained by things?
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:28.720
Or you might even think about individualism.
00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:33.679
Do you think about your life as your life?
00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:40.240
That actually life is all about you, what you can get out of it.
00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:45.200
Have you been captured by such thinking?
00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:47.759
Or maybe captured feels too strong.
00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:50.399
Are you flirting with such thinking?
00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:52.559
Is it tempting to you?
00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:56.320
Well, look at how Paul describes these philosophies of the world.
00:16:56.399 --> 00:17:00.240
He describes them as empty and deceitful.
00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:04.000
That word empty means hollow.
00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:08.960
You you follow them and you find out there's nothing there.
00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:11.839
That there's nothing to them.
00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:13.440
Or they're deluding.
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.039
That's what that word deceitful means.
00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:16.240
They're delusions.
00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:33.920
And what Paul is saying is that if you base your life on possessions, if you base your life on the pride of achievement or the path of ease, or if you make yourself the prince of your life and world, then ultimately you'll find yourself captured.
00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:36.640
You'll find yourself in a prison.
00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:38.480
Remember our main idea?
00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:42.880
Don't be captured by empty philosophies.
00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:48.079
Rather, be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:51.200
And that's what I want to spend most of our time looking at this morning.
00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:54.319
Be captivated by Christ.
00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:57.359
Because here we come to the very crux of the passage.
00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:59.839
Look at the first word of verse 9.
00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.000
That little teeny word, for.
00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:05.279
That's a super significant word.
00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:13.279
Don't be uh captured, uh made captive by these empty philosophies.
00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:14.640
For.
00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:19.680
That reason, that little word means for this reason.
00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:21.039
Here's why.
00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:25.119
Here's the cause behind Paul's warning.
00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:31.039
Because Paul doesn't warn us only because of the danger that might come our way.
00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:36.240
No, he warns us even more so because of what we might miss out on.
00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:39.680
Church, I think this is so fantastic.
00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:44.720
Our God does not motivate first and foremost by punishment, but by promise.
00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:51.279
He doesn't want us to be captured by these empty and deceitful philosophies, sure.
00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:56.559
But even more so, he wants us to be captivated by Christ.
00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:01.519
Now, look at why this warning of verse 8, look at verse 9.
00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:02.319
He gives it to us.
00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:03.279
For why?
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:04.160
Why the warning?
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:11.279
For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ.
00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:14.559
Now, at first glance, maybe you're a little bit confused.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.200
Maybe you think, well, that's a little underwhelming.
00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:20.079
Paul's like, here's this warning, don't be captured.
00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:23.440
And then insert random fact about Jesus.
00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:28.160
Like, hey, just in case you're wondering, the fullness of God dwells bodily in Christ.
00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:31.200
And you're like, wait a second, what's what is that?
00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.920
Well, Paul's actually doing something brilliant.
00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:37.119
Because he's just setting up a really powerful argument.
00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:42.160
What was true about that human, deceptive, worldly philosophy?
00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:43.920
It was empty.
00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:46.480
But what is true about Christ?
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:52.960
Paul says, the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in him.
00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:57.039
This is one of those statements that should absolutely blow your mind.
00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:05.119
It's the part of theology and scripture and the redemptive history that my mind and heart still can't grasp.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:06.960
Think about this.
00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:14.880
The fullness of God dwelled, dwells bodily in Christ.
00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:26.880
The fullness of the eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, immortal, invisible, all-wise, all-loving, infinite God.
00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:35.279
The fullness of God who is the creator and sustainer of everything and everyone.
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:45.359
The fullness of God's nature, all that God is, all of that dwells bodily in Christ.
00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:48.079
Here's why C.S.
00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:53.119
Lewis called the incarnation the grand miracle.
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:57.680
The miracle of all miracles.
00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:09.599
That God, the Son, truly God, became a human being, truly human, and walked among us.
00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.759
All that God is, Paul is saying.
00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:15.359
Jesus is.
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:17.519
Because he is God.
00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:19.759
Now think about what Paul's doing.
00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:24.960
Compared to the empty philosophies, Paul is saying, here's the one who is full.
00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:26.240
And you know what?
00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:27.839
That's not even Paul's crescendo.
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:29.440
Certainly is in one sense.
00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:34.079
But now he's going to take this truth and he's going to apply it to our lives.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:43.200
And he's going to show us three reasons why we should absolutely be wholly, completely captivated by Christ.
00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:44.720
And that's what we're going to look at.
00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:50.079
First, we should be captivated by Christ because we are full in Christ.
00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:52.000
Look at verse 10.
00:21:52.319 --> 00:22:00.799
Says all the fullness of God dwells bodily in him, and you have been filled by Him.
00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:05.759
The fullness of God dwells in Christ, and he fills us.
00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:08.240
Look at what Paul is saying.
00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:11.039
Empty things don't fill.
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:13.920
Only full things fill.
00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:17.519
And God, Jesus, is full.
00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:25.680
See, Paul is saying these other philosophies, they might promise the world, but they're empty.
00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:28.720
And in fact, they'll only leave you empty.
00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.799
Isn't that so often the case?
00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:37.920
But Christ, Paul says, He's full, and he will fill you.
00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:49.279
See, I think what was happening in Colossae, it seems like, is that there were these false teachers who were actually offering, claiming to have greater experiences of God.
00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:53.119
That you could have more spiritual fulfillment.
00:22:53.279 --> 00:23:00.559
And they were saying so on things that were beyond Christ, past Christ, aside from Christ.
00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:03.839
But here's Paul's arguments.
00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:05.200
Here's Paul's argument.
00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:08.000
There is nothing beyond Christ.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.720
Because the fullness of God dwells in Christ.
00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.960
Here's how one theologian says it.
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:15.759
I think it's so helpful.
00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:21.680
He says, All that we can know or experience of God is therefore found in our relationship with Christ.
00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:23.359
Don't sleep on that statement.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:30.720
All, all that we can know or experience of God, where is it found?
00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:34.240
It's found in our relationship with Christ.
00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:37.839
See, Paul is claiming the sufficiency of Christ.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:39.839
He is all that we need.
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:43.599
And he is also claiming the exclusivity of Christ.
00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:46.400
He's the only one that we need.
00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.200
See, here's the point for us.
00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:53.279
You want to know God?
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:59.039
You want to experience communion and fellowship with God.
00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:02.000
Well, it's not in Eastern meditation.
00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:04.319
It's not in Hinduism or Buddhism.
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.319
It's not in Islam.
00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:08.079
It's not in the teachings of Muhammad.
00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:10.640
It's not in the revelation of Joseph Smith.
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.640
It's not in crystals.
00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:14.559
It's not in the stars.
00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:19.279
It's not in any sort of pagan practice that might be rising up in our day.
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:27.279
You don't find the fullness of experiencing God in creation or in music, in concert, or in sports.
00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:31.519
As good as those things might be, you will not find the fullness of God there.
00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:36.240
The fullness of God isn't found in money or sex or fame or success.
00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:40.079
It is found only in Christ.
00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:46.799
And church, Paul's saying, we have been filled by Him.
00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:50.079
That same Christ has filled us.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:51.200
Now, what does that mean?
00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:54.240
What does it mean to be filled by Christ?
00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:55.599
There's a lot.
00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:57.279
So much that we could talk about.
00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:00.400
Let me walk us down just a few avenues briefly.
00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:02.319
Look at verse 13 in our own passage.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:03.440
Paul gives us a hint.
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:06.880
He made you alive with him.
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:10.559
Christ made you alive with him.
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:14.880
In Christ you have the fullness of life.
00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:18.160
Here's what Jesus says in John 17, verse 3.
00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:20.000
He says, This is eternal life.
00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:23.839
What is real, eternal, true life?
00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:26.799
We think about it, it's just life that goes on and on and on.
00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:28.240
What does Jesus say?
00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:34.160
That they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ.
00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:35.359
Here's life.
00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:37.119
It's knowing God.
00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:38.880
And how is it we know God?
00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:40.160
In Christ.
00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:44.000
Real life is in Christ.
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:48.400
Christian, you have the fullness of life in Christ.
00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:49.759
But there's more than that.
00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:53.759
Because remember what Paul wrote just prior to this, Colossians 2, verse 3.
00:25:53.920 --> 00:26:00.240
He said, In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:04.000
All wisdom, all knowledge is in Christ.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.279
And he has filled you.
00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:11.839
Which means there's a sense in which we have all wisdom and knowledge.
00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:13.759
Now let me be really, really clear.
00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:16.319
It doesn't mean that you're perfect in knowledge.
00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:18.400
Doesn't mean that you're perfectly wise.
00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:19.440
None of us are.
00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:29.519
What it means is that all the wisdom and knowledge that we need to faithfully and fruitfully live before God, we have in Christ.
00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:35.279
We don't lack anything that we need in Christ.
00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:37.200
Think about it, Christian.
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:39.519
You have Christ's work.
00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:41.039
We're gonna look at that in a moment.
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:43.119
You have Christ's word.
00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:52.319
You have Christ's spirit who teaches you, guides you, comforts you, who helps you.
00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:58.000
But this is what Paul, or one other thing, maybe lastly, of what this fullness means.
00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:01.119
In Ephesians 3, verse 19, Paul uses this exact same language.
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:05.599
He says, so that you may be filled with the fullness of God.
00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:08.720
Well, Paul, what does it mean to be filled with the fullness of God?
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:09.599
Look at it.
00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:27.599
That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love, and to know Christ's love that surpasses knowledge, so that if you comprehend that, if you know that, you may be filled with the fullness of God.
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:30.480
See how wondrous a truth this is?
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:36.799
We in Christ are filled with the fullness of God's love.
00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:43.200
See, church, I wonder if maybe here's why we're not captivated by Christ.
00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:47.759
Because we haven't comprehended his love for us.
00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:51.920
In fact, we so often doubt it.
00:27:53.039 --> 00:28:00.240
My guess is you're here right here this morning, and there are ways in which you've put limits on God's love.
00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:12.319
You think you can outsin his love, or you think you can override his love, crash the system of his love, or you think in some ways you can empty him of love.
00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:14.319
Well, he has loved me too much.
00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:17.039
There's no love left for me.
00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:29.440
But here's what Paul says that in Christ we are filled with the fullness of God's love that knows no height or depth, width, or length.
00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:34.640
Paul says, you, Christian, actually can't escape God's love.
00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:36.799
That's how great it is.
00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:44.640
Christian, right now, do you know how much God loves you?
00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.200
I I mean that.
00:28:47.279 --> 00:29:01.200
I mean, there is, I would argue, few things in this life as a Christian that you need to know more fully than how deeply God loves you.
00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:11.039
Are you every day comprehending more and more of his wondrous love for you in Christ?
00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:18.240
See, church, why would we ever seek life, wisdom, and love elsewhere?
00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:22.079
We have it in full in Christ.
00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:24.720
That's the first reason why we ought to be captivated by Christ.
00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:27.920
Secondly, because we are forgiven in Christ.
00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:31.519
We're gonna skip the circumcision part, but just for a moment.
00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:33.279
Look at verses 13 and 14.
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:41.920
Here's what it says And when you were dead in trespasses and in the circumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.
00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:51.440
He erased the certificate of debt with its obligations that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
00:29:51.680 --> 00:30:06.160
Friends, the Bible does not mince words about how dangerous and devious sin is, or how dire our plight in sin is.
00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:11.680
Paul says that we were dead because of our sin.
00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:16.000
And when we hear that word, we think immediately physical death.
00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:19.519
But here's the problem: Paul does not say we will die.
00:30:20.400 --> 00:30:22.799
He says we were dead.
00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:29.039
He's speaking to people who are living, and he's saying, you used to be dead.
00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:32.240
Well, how can that be true, Paul?
00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:37.359
Because for Paul in scripture, to live in sin is death.
00:30:38.640 --> 00:30:40.640
To live in sin is death.
00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:43.599
It's kind of a type of zombie life.
00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:47.359
You are living, walking, but you are living in death.
00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:50.000
You're living under judgment, under condemnation.
00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.440
You might think of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:59.680
And you might think early on in the book, when Marley, his deceased partner, comes and visits him.
00:30:59.920 --> 00:31:03.039
It's probably the scariest scene in the book, maybe except for the end.
00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:13.599
And in there, Marley, when he visits him, he is shackled, weighted down, chains everywhere, he's bandaged, he's moaning.
00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:21.359
And the point is, Scrooge, that will be you if you don't watch out.
00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:24.319
But I think there's actually a deeper point there.
00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:27.839
I think the point may be, Scrooge, that's already you.
00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:31.759
Think about Scrooge's life in a Christmas carol.
00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:40.000
He's bitter, lives in darkness, isolated, angry.
00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:44.240
He actually walks around moaning, bah, humbug.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:46.640
That's a type of grunt or moaning.
00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:50.079
He lives in this miserable death.
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:54.799
Because sin is a living death.
00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:56.799
But Paul actually says more.
00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:01.519
It's not just a living death, it's also an insurmountable debt.
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:06.240
See, now I think this is an idea that we understand well, this idea of debt.
00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:10.319
Many of us know what it's like to be in some financial debt.
00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:14.880
And what Paul is doing is he's actually uh speaking about this debt.
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:18.319
He look at verse 14, he talks about a certificate of debt.
00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:22.160
Some commentators, and I think they're right, you might imagine like an IOU.
00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:24.240
What is a certificate of debt?
00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:26.559
It's like we wrote an IOU.
00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:29.839
God, I owe you signed humanity.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:33.119
And what is it that we wrote to God and said, we owe?
00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:38.079
Well, we owe you our complete allegiance and obedience.
00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:38.799
Why?
00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:40.559
Because you are our God.
00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.359
You are the creator, we are your creatures.
00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:46.319
We were created by you and for you.
00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:55.279
And so Paul says, that I owe you, that allegiance and obedience that was demanded of all humanity, it actually stands against you.
00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:57.359
And its obligations stand against you.
00:32:57.440 --> 00:32:58.319
What are those obligations?
00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:00.880
You might think of the law of God or the Ten Commandments.
00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:03.359
They stand against you.
00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:06.400
And you are in debt.
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:12.799
Now, Jesus described in a parable just how significant this debt of sin is.
00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:19.279
And he described it by telling a story of a man who was in debt 10,000 talents.
00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:29.599
Now, that might seem like nothing to us because we don't know what a talent is, but a talent was uh 20 years wages for a normal worker.
00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:37.039
So for this servant to pay that debt, he would have had to work 200,000 years.
00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:39.599
What's Jesus' point?
00:33:39.839 --> 00:33:44.480
That is an insurmountable, unpayable debt.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:47.039
That's the debt of sin.
00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:51.279
Now, friends, I think we actually know the weight of this debt.
00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:56.799
Even if you're not a Christian or not sure about Christianity, I think you know the weight of this debt.
00:33:56.880 --> 00:34:01.920
I think we are all weighed down by sin, even if we might not call it sin.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:09.760
Because there's always, isn't there, this little undercurrent running through us of guilt and shame.
00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:15.280
And no matter what you can do, what you try to do, you can't put that off.
00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:20.880
I think that's why we try so hard to prove ourselves.
00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:23.280
Not only to others, but even to ourselves.
00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:25.840
We don't even live up to our own standards.
00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:28.639
We are guilty and shameful even to our own selves.
00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:34.960
I think that's why it's we we work so hard to put up this image of ourselves.
00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:42.400
And we try so hard to make people believe that this image is actually us, even though we know that it's not really us.
00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:45.519
We would be terrified for someone to know the real us.
00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:46.800
We want this image up here.
00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:47.599
Why?
00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:52.719
Because we know the weight of sin, we know the reality of sin.
00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:54.320
And you know what?
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:00.079
There are so many worldly philosophies that promise to deal with sin and guilt.
00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:02.800
And they all do the same things.
00:35:03.760 --> 00:35:07.199
First, they ignore it, they just act like it's not there.
00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:09.360
No, sin is something you just put on yourself.
00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:12.960
It's human construction, it's religion.
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:15.599
Or they hide the sin.
00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:18.559
Or they try to minimize the sin.
00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:25.840
And yet the problem is if you go down any of those avenues, what you're gonna find is that the sin is still there.
00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:27.920
The problem's still there.
00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:30.800
The ugliness in your heart is still there.
00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:33.599
But here's what Paul says: look at verse 14.
00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:38.320
He, Christ, erased the certificate of debt.
00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:45.840
He didn't ignore it, he didn't minimize it, he paid it in full.
00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:49.440
He wiped the books clean.
00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:54.000
There is no more debt for those who are in Christ.
00:35:54.079 --> 00:36:00.159
Paul says, Romans 8:1, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:06.159
See, God the Son actually erased our debt.
00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:06.559
How?
00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:08.079
Look at what he says.
00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:12.559
He's just taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:14.880
God the Son became a man.
00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:17.920
The creator entered into his creation.
00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:18.639
Why?
00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:20.719
To save us from our sin.
00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:29.280
To do what we could never do for ourselves, to pay the debt of our sin with his very life.
00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:35.840
An infinite death or an infinite debt needed an infinite savior.
00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:41.280
And Christ is the only one who is the one who can pay our infinite debt.
00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:46.960
This is why Peter says that he himself bore our sins in his body.
00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:49.760
He took on our sin and his consequences.
00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:50.880
And you know why?
00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:52.960
It's so that we can sing this.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:56.400
Church, this song ought to make us rejoice.
00:36:56.639 --> 00:36:57.280
My sin.
00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:12.159
Oh, the bliss, the wonder of this glorious thought that my sin, not in part, but the whole, all of it, is nailed to the cross.
00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:14.480
And I bear it no more.
00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:20.159
That weight of sin, that weight of failure, that shame, that guilt, I bear that no more.
00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:23.440
Because it has all been nailed to the cross.
00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:24.880
Praise the Lord.
00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:26.159
Praise the Lord.
00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:27.280
Oh my soul.
00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:30.400
That's why we can sing, it is well.
00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:38.880
No matter what our circumstances may be, because our sin, not in part, but the whole, has been nailed to the cross.
00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:42.719
See, church, perhaps here's why we aren't captivated by Christ.
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:46.320
Because we're still trying to bear what he has already born.
00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:49.760
We actually don't understand.
00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:53.599
We haven't comprehended the reality of this grace in Christ.
00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:56.800
The world wants to camouflage our sin.
00:37:57.199 --> 00:37:59.039
Christ came and conquered it.
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:03.119
Third reason why we ought to be captivated by Christ.
00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:06.079
Because we have freedom in Christ.
00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:08.000
See, here's what I think we often forget.
00:38:08.159 --> 00:38:10.480
Maybe that last little point, you're like, I get it, I know it.
00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:12.719
I hope you still are in awe of it.
00:38:12.960 --> 00:38:15.119
But you think I know that I have been forgiven in Christ.
00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:17.119
But you know what else the Bible tells you?
00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:19.519
That you are being freed from the power of sin.
00:38:19.679 --> 00:38:24.719
Not only that your sin has been forgiven, but that you are being freed from its power.
00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:29.199
Church, in Christ, we no longer have to walk in sin.
00:38:30.320 --> 00:38:32.719
We can walk in freedom.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:39.039
Now, in order to understand this, we've got to dig in to what Paul is talking about here with circumcision.
00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:40.559
It might be the most difficult part.
00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:45.280
As you read through this passage this week, you're like, that's a lot of mentions of circumcisions.
00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:46.719
He begins in verse 11.
00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:47.360
Look at it.
00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:53.199
You were also circumcised in him, in Christ, with a circumcision not done with hands.
00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:54.559
What is that circumcision?
00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:59.119
By putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ.
00:38:59.679 --> 00:39:09.840
Now, in order to understand what Paul is talking about here, we need to actually understand the nature of circumcision, which admittedly makes us a little uncomfortable.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:11.360
But we're gonna dig in.
00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:17.760
Here's what circumcision is: circumcision is the cutting off of something.
00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:19.199
And that's really important.
00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:23.920
It is the cutting off of the foreskin of the male sexual organ.
00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:27.679
And the reason that it was done is so that it would mark someone.
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:33.440
In the Old Testament, it was a way of marking the people of God, the people of Israel.
00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:36.960
If you were circumcised, you were a part of this people.
00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:38.239
But you know what?
00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:44.239
Even in the Old Testament, circumcision was being used sometimes metaphorically.
00:39:45.039 --> 00:39:51.599
This is so important that circumcision, physical circumcision, actually pointed to our need of a far greater circumcision.
00:39:51.760 --> 00:39:54.480
Look at Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 16.
00:39:55.039 --> 00:39:56.000
Here's what he says.
00:39:56.239 --> 00:40:02.159
Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don't be stiff-necked any longer.
00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:06.320
Or Jeremiah 4, 4, circumcise yourselves to the Lord.
00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:13.039
Remove the foreskin of your hearts, men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.
00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:22.159
Do you see that circumcision was this pointer that something more significant needed to be put off or cut away?
00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:25.199
We needed a circumcision of our hearts.
00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:27.679
And here's what Paul is saying.
00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:30.639
That has actually happened.
00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:35.679
And Paul says it wasn't done by man with human hands.
00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:36.639
That's this point.
00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:38.480
But it was done by Christ.
00:40:38.639 --> 00:40:40.320
That's the circumcision of Christ.
00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:42.800
And what happened in this circumcision?
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:48.239
It was the putting off of the body of flesh, our body of flesh.
00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:59.760
Now, when Paul uses the word flesh, most often he is talking about our sin nature or our old man, this person in sin, our sinfulness.
00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:08.159
And Paul is saying that by Christ, our sin nature, this old man, has been cut off.
00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:10.000
Has been put off.
00:41:10.159 --> 00:41:12.719
That's spiritual circumcision.
00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:15.199
That's why verse 13, look at verse 13.
00:41:15.280 --> 00:41:19.360
What is another way that we could talk about being dead in trespasses, dead in sin?
00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:22.800
Well, it's to talk about the uncircumcision of the flesh.
00:41:23.119 --> 00:41:26.239
The sinful nature hasn't been cut off.
00:41:27.039 --> 00:41:29.840
But now, Paul says it has.
00:41:30.639 --> 00:41:33.199
When, Christian, look at verse 13.
00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:38.239
When you were buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised with him.
00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:41.199
Why all of a sudden does Paul bring up baptism?
00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:44.000
Because baptism is very similar to circumcision.
00:41:44.239 --> 00:41:48.559
Circumcision marked the people of God as the people of God.
00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:53.760
Baptism is a sign, it's a symbol that we are the people of God.
00:41:53.920 --> 00:41:57.840
And in fact, it is a way in which we enter into the community of God.
00:41:58.400 --> 00:42:05.760
And so here's what Paul is saying that actually it shows us baptism is a picture of spiritual circumcision.
00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:07.280
What happens in baptism?
00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:08.159
I say this often.
00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:11.599
We have usually a horse trough when we do it, so it looks even more real to us.
00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:14.239
Like you go under the water and you're like, I don't know if they're coming up.
00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:16.320
Like it looks a little bit like death.
00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:17.119
That's the point.
00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:25.119
In baptism, we die with Christ and then we're raised out of the water, almost like we are resurrected with Christ.
00:42:25.199 --> 00:42:26.000
That's the picture.
00:42:26.159 --> 00:42:26.960
So what's the point?
00:42:27.039 --> 00:42:28.639
What is spiritual circumcision?
00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:32.800
It is to die with Christ, a death to sin.
00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:42.719
When Christ died to our sin, when he took our sin in him and he died, that was our sin, dying, our sinful self, dying with Christ.
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And then when he raised to new life, we raised with him in new life.
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How is that possible?
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How is it that we can be united to Christ in that way?
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Look at verse 12.
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Right in the middle.
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Through faith in the working of God.
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How are we united to Christ?
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By faith.
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And what is the working of God?
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It is the fact that Christ has taken our sin and nailed it to the cross.
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The working of God is the gospel.
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We are united to Christ by faith in the good news of Jesus.
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Let me give you the whole picture because there's a lot.
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Here's what happened: Christ lived, died, and raised for us and for our salvation.
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We are united to Christ by faith in him and his work on our half.
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And that means in Christ, he has circumcised us, he has cut off our sinful nature, put off our old man.
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We have died to sin in Christ and raised to new life in him.
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And then just to give us a little cherry on top, in Christ's life, death, resurrection, and especially his ascension, he did something else.
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Look at verse 15.
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He disarmed the rulers and authority.
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Who are the rulers and the authority?
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Evil powers, demons, Satan.
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Worldly powers.
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He disarmed the rulers in authority and disgraced them publicly.
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He triumphed over them in him.
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Every single person that read this letter of its first hearers would have known exactly what Paul was saying.
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They would have had a picture of their mind in their mind come to them that would be this commander returning from this victorious battle, and all of his enemies and prisoners in chains behind them, being publicly disgraced because they have been defeated.
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Friends, I think it's worth noting that the philosophies of this world will leave you in chains.
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And Christ actually leaves your enemies, sin, Satan, and death in chains.
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That's who Christ is.
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Now that's a whole lot of theology.
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That's a lot there, but don't miss the point.
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We are free in Christ.
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Christian, let me be as clear as I possibly can be.
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You are no longer under sin.
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Your sin does not rule you.
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You don't have to sin.
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Christ is greater than your sin.
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He has defeated your sin.
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And now you can actually, truly, genuinely walk in holiness, not perfectly.
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We will still sin in this life until we see him.
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We will still battle.
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But we battle a war that has already been won.
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And the dominion of sin has already been destroyed.
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See, worldly philosophies, they might change your actions, they might help out some of your circumstances, but only Christ can circumcise your heart.
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Only He can rip out that ugly cancer of sin that ravages your soul.
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And so here's the question, Christian.
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Are you walking in the freedom that's yours in Christ?
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Do you look at Satan, sin, and this world as enemies, yes, but enemies with an expiration date?
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I wonder if sometimes we walk in defeat as Christians.
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We actually walk living as if sin is our king and not Jesus.
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Christian, are you living in light of the victory of Christ?
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Now think about this whole argument, church.
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To walk in Christ is to walk in his fullness, fullness of life, fullness of wisdom, fullness of love.
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To walk in Christ is to walk in his forgiveness, debt fully paid, no condemnation, fully wiped clean your sins.
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And it is to walk in his freedom, your old sinful nature cut off.
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You have died with Christ and risen with Christ.
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Do you see Paul's argument then?
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If all this is ours in Christ, why would we ever look elsewhere?
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What more could we want than what we already have in Christ?
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How dim, how dull, honestly, how dumb are all of these empty philosophies that actually offer us nothing compared to Christ.
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Friends, don't be captured by empty philosophies.
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Be captivated by the fullness of Christ.
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Here's a question I want us to think about.
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Are we captivated by Christ?
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Let's pray that we would be.
