Colossians 2

Closet Chapter 2 is where we're going to be in the word of God. This morning Paul is speaking to the people of classy and he's sharing with him, his hopes, his desires. He's sharing with them with them. The pre-eminence of Christ, this is what Colossians is really about the pre-eminence of Christ in our lives. What's most important to us our own wants and desires our own wishes or to do what Christ has called us to do. Remember, back in Colossians, chapter 1 for me to live. As what Christ to die, is gain right? That's important for us. It's important for us to understand that what God has for us is to follow him, to serve him to put him first. 2:1 Paul says, in verse 14, I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you, and for those and Leo to see you. And for, as many as have not seen my face in the Flash, Paul is sharing his desire in his heart for these people, that he's never even met, but he's communicated with them. And the communication of his day is not as easy as a communication of our day, pick up a cell phone, call somebody get a hold of him right away, you can FaceTime them, you can text me whatever you do do however you communicated can be right away. This took some time for him to compose a letter, get it sent off and then to hear back from them. A little bit later. So, some time frame went by and that's the way he had communicated with these people. But in his communication, as in this, when he says, I want you to know that there's a great conflict going on with me in my concern for you. Those of you and Klaus you, those of you and Leo to see you who have not seen my face in the flesh. But I've heard my words and have understood where I'm coming from. That's his desire. So what Paul is writing to them, in this chapter and chapter 2, is the fact that he says, listen, folks, you must never allow anyone. Never allow anyone to come between you and Christ. Think about that for a second. Never allow anyone to come before between you and cries, why? Because if that individual that person be comes between us and Christ and we're doing there will not the will of God the will of Christ then that person is more important to us than Christ. And the question how important is Christ to you? How important is God how important is The, Holy Spirits? Are we willing to follow them and their guidance? Yes, it's not always an easy path difficult to walk that path. But God never told us, we'd have an easy time walking. What he did tell us is he would never leave us nor forsake us that he would always be there with us holding our hand, guiding us and directing us. Why should we hold on to him? Why should we look to him for guys to Drexel? He tells us that answer where Stewie says this that their hearts may be encouraged being knit together in love in attending to all the riches of the foot of the full Assurance of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the father and of Christ. Friday night, I had a about an hour long conversation on the phone with a young man from Kansas. He used to live in this area. Kids talk to us through the week, texting send. Hey, can I check? Can we chat sometime? So the answer is sure we can chat. So then you text again. Hey, can I call you? Tonight sure, call me tonight. So for about an hour, we talked to a little bit of theology over the phone or face-to-face, much less over the phone. And it's not that we were battling any theology thing. He just saying. Hey, here's where I am, and here's with the direction, I'm going, what do you think? Am I off track? Or am I where I need to be? He was a premise of our discussion. And of course it I'm saying the same thing, the pre-eminence of Crisis was important here in his message to the Church of classy. So I don't want to take away from that preeminence of Christ, but is question to me was this past plaid? Why do you suppose That we as a people, we as believers.

Put the emphasis on Jesus. Well, he died on the cross as what was going on my head, when he's put the emphasis on Jesus, but we sort of sometime somehow kind of forget about God.

I see where you're going with that. Without God, we have nothing else, right? Why is it that we we we take what Jesus has the offer. We take the blessings in the Privileges and everything that Jesus has offered salvation. And that's where we stopped at. Goes back to that lordship of Christ. Is he our Lord? Or is he just our savior? If he's truly Our Savior, we truly understand what Jesus did for us in laying down his life willingly for you. And for me, then it ought to go deeper with us in that relationship with him. And understanding, who the father truly is God, the father? Yes. Scripture says, we are one about the father God, Son. God the Holy Spirit, Jesus as I and my father are one. If you knew my father, you know me. If you know, my know me you knew my father I understand all of that. But what I'm trying to say is what Paul, I think it's trying to encourage the people of coffee, don't just stop here. Continue on with the ministry, continue on, doing the work, never allow anything to stop. You From serving Christ. To the fullest. Remember when Jesus died on the cross, remember what happened to the veil in the temple? It was torn into and it wasn't an easy task. Somebody said, it would take 30 horses, are 30, oxen on each side of that failed, to pull that bill part from top to bottom to make that repair, so it wasn't an easy task to do that. But God being all-powerful, Can speak it and happens. When that veil was torn into, what did that do? That gave the people who were used to giving sacrifices to the priests and the priests would go in and offer sacrifices for them. It gave those people, it gave you and me, the freedom than to go, right to God through Jesus. The only way we can have access to God is through Jesus Christ. But why is it? That we get to God. I'll get the Jesus. And that's where we stopped. Think we've, we've got it all set. God is a god of wrath and I think that's where we as a nation of Christians. I use that were carefully, a nation of Christians. I think that's where we got. We've gotten to all the stuff that Jesus has done for us. We want that, we want salvation, we want to go to heaven. But we don't want to do the hard stuff. Paul says, he don't let anyone keep you from doing and being what Christ wants, you do? Why? Because anniversary says in him is all wisdom and all knowledge versuri in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom. And knowledge.

Who do you get your wisdom and knowledge from? Teachers at school. It's good to be taught longer taught the right things, the right stuff. How do you get your knowledge from Google? Siri. Alexa. Just ask Alexa some time who Jesus isn't listen to what they have to say.

Need to go to the book. The word of God, get our wisdom, in our knowledge from God because this is what he tells us that all this was an all this knowledge comes from him, Solomon with everything. He had all of his wealth all of his wisdom and what can I give you? Solomon, ask not for more money, not for more. Why is he had more money? And you what to do with had more wise, more concubines? And he knew what to do with. He's building temples for their gods, not a good thing. To appease them and their families.

You said God, give me wisdom. Give me wisdom. When's the last time you've asked God for wisdom was the last time. You've asked God, for knowledge. On Facebook this past week. I I saw it maybe yesterday or the day before.

There was a question are going up there and you fill in the blank. If I could just have more blank, I'd be all set. What would that blank be for you? What did you put in there? When I just asked that question. If I could just have more money If I could just have more time. If I could just have more friends. What about if I could just have more Godly wisdom? Then I'd be all set. Knowing right from wrong. Doing the right things knowing who's in total control of this whole universe. See we, we are relying Upon Our Own wisdom.

This in this past week or so. They shot a satellite in orbit to hit an asteroid and move it off course. Right. Amazing feat to be able to do that. And said, we were hoping to move it, 10 minutes out of its orbit rotation and we moved it, 32 minutes out of its orbit of rotation. So it's further away from crashing into the Earth than it was

Okay. But did you know? And I'm sure you know this but you guys are wise That is a rocket takes off to take it and put them in on the moon. We've heard that's happened, right? And if it's off my just one degree. It's going to miss its mark. 1 degree. Take one degree from here to there, may not be much. Right? If we're off in our life serving Christ, you're putting Christ in the right way by 1°, through all the turmoil of life that we deal with everything that's going on. We could miss the mark that God has for us. Why? Because we're allowing other things to calculate where we're headed, where we're going. He also says, hey. You need wisdom. Paul's telling the people we need wisdom. We need knowledge week. We need this thing. That God has words. What else do we need one? Because in him is all the fullness of God looked down the verse 9. Porsche 964 in him. Two walls. All the fullness of the godhead bodily. If we put our faith in our trusting, in God, all of it, say God the Father God, the son, God the Holy Spirit, we need all of that.

But we're moving further and further away from God. Okay, well we'll do this in Jesus thing. We'll try it for a while. See how that works. And then we get a little further than that. And I'm not saying the importance of God is God.

Jesus is God. The holy spirit is God, it's all part of the Trinity, but depending on what we want do we we just want salvation or do. We get to the spirit, we're all we wanted to experience this exciting times. Well, I go to that church more often, if, if they just clapped her hands on it, a lively song.

I'm an independent grown up grown up. Is that good English? Grown up. I was growed up. In Texas Independent, fundamental bible-believing Baptist Church. man, if you even didn't rub your hands like this, I thought you were clapping nothing wrong with clapping. As long as you can do it to the beat.

That's important part, right? I mean you watch these guys up here sometimes and they're getting the Rhythm together. That's why you always do an answer so I can get the Rhythm together, right? You're going to know it's spiritual and doesn't come by how much we flapper. We Don't Clap. That experience is that could be exciting. It's where the heart is. Cuz I can be clapping all, that's a great song. That's wonderful and hating my neighbor.

Am I truly worshipping God, if I hate my neighbor?

Digress know, right? No, are completely complete. This is not an experience as it's in him. It's in. Who Jesus is what Paul is saying, listen, folks, you don't know me. I love you. We never met the Church of quashing, the Church of Leon as he and those others who have never seen me face-to-face. Here's my desire for you. Have wisdom and knowledge of God have the fullness of God because we need nothing else. Look what verse 10 says. First Gentiles, we are complete in him and you are complete in him. Who is the head of all principality and Power? I'm not going to say this. I mean it in a derogatory way but God is a top dog. Hey man, you can't get any higher than him and in him. We are complete in him. We have everything we ever need. Why? Because he is the head of all principality and Power.

I don't know if you know this or not. We're coming into another election season. I need to be gone. My home is not in man. My Hope Is In God in him. We are complete. However, yes, I want to get the best person in that position to fulfill God's will.

And we all think the people we vote for is the best. Right.

David. King David chosen by God, to be king of Israel. Yet in his own life, had issues and had problems. And yet, God looked at him to listen. He is a man after God's Own Heart. If any one of us here this morning, thanks, we're better than anyone else. Oh, man, we're in big trouble. Cuz we all have our moments, we all have our path, our trials, or struggles. That we go down the moments in our lives. When we let go of God, And do our own thing. King David had that for 16 months, he goes off with the Philistines after running from Saul trying to save his own life from Saul trying to kill him. And yet in all of this that they was going to, he's always seeking God's will. What would you have me to do God, how would you have me do this? And then stalls life, all he's looking for his, how can I better myself? How can I make it better for me? What can I do? I'm greater, I don't want them singing about David killing his ten. Thousands of me, only his thousand. I want that turned around. I want to be the top dog, and when we get our eyes off of God and your eyes on the world, we fail and we're miserable. David's eyes was on God, he was doing what God wanted him to do until the moment that he got totally depressed and got away for 16 months. He went and fought with the enemies of Phyllis easy. He's on their side.

Mini realize where he was and what was going on cuz this is ridiculous. What am I doing here? And it goes back. Israel. Gets back on God's team if you will.

And God placed him as the leader permanently for that. Over Israel. Cuz he was Tollway back when he was a kid. He's going to be the king. You're going to be the king someday. See, we all have our moments of struggle or our moments of Triumph when we slip our hands out of God's, why? Because we don't like the path, he's allowing us to go down.

But he wants us. The hold tight, regardless.

Take a moment this morning. Before you leave, if you will. Take a look at my grandson. Dawson's face. Have you seen it?

Keep it the pavement. The other day.

Trying to pop a wheelie on his bicycle.

Right. I'm sure it hurt. I'm sure he cried and I'm sure there's what I'm here and there's a lot of blood. but his statement a little bit later, when all of that cell is I didn't do it this time but I'm going to try again.

Can I get a witness? Have you ever messed up tried something? You didn't do it right said, man, I've seen other people. I'm going to do it again. I'm going to try it. That's the mind of a child. I'm going to forget about the pain eventually.

This is when you see him and it's noticeable.

Where that same way with God. We tweet we're not always are holding on to his hand, the way that he wants us to in his hand is always outstretched towards us when we slip our hands out. Why? Because we want to do our own thing. And we face plant. And usually, when we as adults face plant, who do we blame? God. Why did you let me see?

And gods, like I had your hand. You want to do your own thing? You wanted to go on your own path. You wanted to do, whatever it is. You do you slip your hand out? Just be careful. Just be glad I still got you a live.

Here's my thought is we I was raising his what I truly believe when I became a child of God, when I was seven years of age I became his scripture telling me that no man can take me out of the father's hand. And not only are we in the father's hammer in Jesus hand in God's hands or around Jesus as week, we have double protection.

But we can do some pretty stupid stuff. Can't we? But trying to get away from that protection. I'm going to heaven no matter what I do that. That doesn't mean I can do whatever I want, doesn't mean I can't live my life. However, I want, I need to have a desire to put God in the right place. Never allow anything to come between you. And Christ. Cousin him is wisdom and knowledge in him is the fullness of God in him. We are complete. So why would we want to accept a substitute? Anything less than God. Is a substitute. And not good. Looking for let no one to see if he tells him. Now, this, I say anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

There's a lot of people who know how to use persuasive words to get us to do what they want us to do and live how they want us to live it, you know Satan knew that What happens if a bit of the truth and mix it with a lie? It doesn't doesn't stay true. That way becomes a lie, and that's what Satan did with Adam and Eve in the garden. That's not what God Said. Hey, you know, if you eat of that fruit in your eyes going to be, you're going to be happy.

Have you ever been there? Then if I could just attained this, right? If I could just do that, I'll be happy. That's why I'm just hiring for and you get there, you tame it, you do it and you go.

Why?

Thankful be thankful. That God says, I will never leave you nor forsake you when were his children. He takes care of his two, here's the problem. Religious system seems to be so inviting many times, their leaders can be so persuasive. but if you follow the leaders, if you follow the system, you'll substitute man's ideas for God's truth. Follow God. God, the only way we can do that is through Jesus Christ and once we get through, Jesus Christ, when Jesus said to the disciple, hey, I'm going away from you. But listen, I'm not going to leave you here. All of them. I'm not going to leave you or friends. He said, I'm going to send you a comforter. I'm going to send you. Somebody who's going to remind you of all the words. I've said to you.

That's What I Call conviction. There's a lot of things I've been taught from the word word of God. There's a lot of things that are shared in my life from other ministers, other areas. And there's a lot of times in, in my life that I'm like, okay, job. And what would you have for me? And the Holy Spirit says, to me. And that still Small Voice is not allowed. Boo, me is what I want you to do. That's what we're always after, right? And that still Small Voice because I've been taught, I've been sharing the truth says Clyde. Here's the path. You should know. You need to take Just take it. Just take it. That's that wisdom and knowledge. That's at 4 and said we have that God has he doesn't want to be.

Look what he says. In verse 8, not always had to do not let anyone deceive. You said you not let anyone cheat you. Mercedes says, beware lest anyone cheat you through full OST, me and empty the seat, according to the tradition of men according to the basic principles of the roof and not according to Christ.

And moving this asteroid away from crashing into. Our world. Our Earth, I heard the statement being made afterwards by somebody say hey, we accomplished, just imagine what else we can accomplish. Not my school. Who set the planets and everything in place.

And now, so now we want to rearrange them.

We're still thinking we can be God. That lie in the garden has run deep as a knot. And because of that lie, we have death and destruction because of one man's send death, Android into the world. But God gave us his son. Jesus Christ, in whom were completing whom is the fullness of God in whom we have wisdom and knowledge, which do you want to choose? You've heard me say it. I'll say it again. I've said it before. I'm ready to go to heaven. By that, I mean I pack my bags. No, I haven't packed my bags. I got my ticket. I'm ready. If God so chooses to take, I don't need to pack any bags anyway, cuz I'm getting new clothes when I get to heaven. Amen, I'm getting a robe. I'm going to be prepared for my God, who's taking care of everything. So, my ticket is purchased. I've accepted that price Jesus Christ on the cross for me. Yes, Lord, I haven't packed my bags cuz, you know, I haven't packed my bags. I'm not expecting to go today. I don't even expect to go tomorrow, but I don't know. I couldn't go today. God could take me out of here today if he so chose to do such. But my life is not setting you say okay I'm just going to wait for Jesus to come back. Take me out with Rapture take me to buy I'm just packing my bags and I'm going to wait no there's life out there for us to continue to do life out there for us to continue to minister to people. How do you say, don't let the world cheat you with being philosophies on the way it, let the world. Teach you something that's empty. Empty to see the, according to the tradition of men according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ,

He don't listen to the world and all of its wisdom. Are God and all his. Now, we got to learn how to decipher that cuz we don't always decipher that stuff correctly. See if my phone conversation Friday night. Not really sure in the beginning where we were heading in in this conversation I just, I just want to say, hey, Christ is important. And I think we all agree. He is. But he is gone and God said in the ultra listen, I'm going to send you a savior. His name will be Emmanuel and Emmanuel means what god with us. Because, you know what you and I need, we need the visual, do we not? We need that that encounter with what's really true in the right, so I've never seen Christ why I haven't either, but I seen his effects on those who put their faith in their trust in him. In the Old Testament there. Looking forward to the birth of Christ here. We are snakes looking backwards at the birth of Christ, and the ones that were there walking with him when he was on this earth when he died, they sort of forgot what he had said. Wow, what are we doing? Jesus die. They put, they put him on the cross. He died. They put him in a tub. Now, what are we doing? 3 days later. No, he didn't knock Daddy. He just walked into the room. Hello.

What's up? You forgot what I told you. You forgot that I'm coming again. Okay, this is just a First step in becoming a prove to you that I'm alive. Go do the work, I've called you to do and he let no one keep you from doing the work. God has called you to do. Nowhere. Number one battle is other than the devil is our self. Why I don't want to do it and might take more time than I want to put, it might take more energy, it might take more money than I want to spend.

But I think we can look around at our world today and in our own communities. And we can see churches that weren't willing to put in the time, they're not willing to put in the finances, not willing to do the work that needed to be done. For others to come to Faith.

Let no one cheat you. Let no one deceive you. But give her 16, here's a big one, let no one judge you. That means we ourselves should not be judging others. Write a 16. So let no one judge you in food, or in drink, or in regard and regarding a festival, or a new moon, or Sabbath. All the decisions of the world. The legalism that are out there is a robber. Let me see that down the verse 21 as well. Stealing our Liberty and Christ judging us for what we may. We're judging us for what we met each judging us, for what we may drink. This is what was going on in Paul's time.

Where were the clean ones are the unclean was, they don't eat right? They don't drink or either, they don't even dress, right? In fact, I don't even look right, we can get pretty picky sometimes when you start judging others, can't lie.

I look around in life. And I see a lot of old people.

I walked past a mirror.

And I realize, I am one.

Right.

Somebody's asking me this morning. What when your your younger did you have more hair? I so want depends on where it was. The more hair on my head. Well, was it was it dark? Or was it was it was dark. And I had a little more hair on my head with Lori and I got married by my hair and my beard, everything was dark. Dark colored. Things change. I remember I get I can picture that guy doing things that when I'm in thought of, Now. Sitting at a fancy. I should just maybe a while back standing at a fence about this high and somebody was needing me on the ball field. So I I stood there and I hopped over the fence.

Oh, yes, and the people behind me. Who did you show? How do you do that?

You're My Superhero powers.

Which I no longer possess.

Bright. I thought about it here a while back. I think I did this because I don't remember how I did that. So then you walk down in through the gate to get in. Lot less embarrassing. Those this these days doing it that way.

Don't let anyone. Judge you. Do what Christ has called you to do?

Perfect. Look at verse 21. Do not touch, do not taste, do not. Handle. I think we know what those things are going to God's work. If we had the wisdom in the knowledge, we know what we should not touched, we know what we should not take as we know what we should not handle. we live in a society today where we Medicaid everything I'm not saying medications wrong, right? But if if you got to handle a bad day,

Do alcohol. You really not trusting God. if you got to handle a bad relationship through,

An inappropriate sexual relationship. You're not trusting God. If you got to handle something else in your life, other than trusting God to guide you and direct you. You're not really trusting. What was that blank that you filled in? If I could just have more? Might be all set. I be a happier person. If I could just have more wisdom or knowledge, not the worldly, kind God. If I could have just more More God. See him. Clearly the way that I should. Then I don't have to worry about somebody. This evening me, I don't have to worry about somebody cheating. It's going to happen. We've been cheated, in fact, maybe you'll even cheated somebody as well.

Maybe you haven't? But we know what it's about. Maybe maybe we need not judge those around us. The numbers 18 and says, listen folks, let no one defraud you first 18. Let no one cheat. You of your reward. Taking the light in false humility those things, which he is not seeing vainly, puffed up by his fleshly mind. You're the culprit is religious mysticism, that's going on around us today, putting our faith than anything else and everything else. But God, That message that replaces the spiritual nourishment that Christ has for us. What's something exciting? Something more entertaining. Those religious experience that really move us.

How does that coincide with God telling us to be still? And no. But I am God.

Close with this.

I do, if you notice its fall season,

Maybe it's not a big thing to you if you don't have any trees on your property.

but when three sides of our house, or covered with trees, There's a lot of leaves.

The other morning, I sucked up a lot of leaves in my lawn mower. I looked out and man, the grass was Pretty Queen. Pretty nice looking. In fact, the wife even went out and took pictures. Did you notice on Facebook, The trees are changing. The grass was green, not too many leaves on the ground.

I went away. Came back hour or two later. With all these leaves come from.

I know where they came from. Was like, come on God. Can you just give me one full day? Not just couple hours. But guess what? I'll be doing again. I'll be getting on my lawnmower. I'll be sucking up those leaves again. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Or Tuesday or Wednesday, maybe Thursday. When it tries to back out. Because they're going to be more leaves down. And there's a lot of leaves left in the trees. Do I just give up? Forget about what I could? But then comes no time and leaves underneath the Snows. It's not fun. And all the leaves like the end up down by my Cellar Door, where we walk in our walk-in, because that's where everything congregates the wind, just blows everything right there. And they can get knee deep and leaves going into the door into the house.

What is my work on the leaves in the yard the other morning? Futile. No, I moved a lot of leaves is a big pile of leaves over where I moved them. But the work never ends. Because guess what, even if I suck up every leaf that falls off the trees around my house, this year? It's going to be more to do next year. Facts about before that happens. Guess what's coming snow? Ice cold. And God says listen keep doing the work. Cuz he's the God of all creation. He is the one full of wisdom and knowledge, he's complete for us and wants us to be complete in him through him. For I can do all things through Christ. Who strengthens me? Father, I thank you. I thank you for your word. I thank you for the wisdom that you give us for me word. Help us to apply these things to our lives. Help us to realize and understand that we have all that we need in Christ. More money may help take care of some Financial issues but more money is not what we need. We need to have Christ in us the hope of glory and when we have Christ in us a right with the rest of these things fall into place when we're following the wisdom in the knowledge that he gives us. We could have nicer houses or nicer cars or whatever it is that might fill in that blank of all that I need would be what we need is Jesus. The author and the finisher of our faith and we put him in a proper place and look to you God through Jesus Christ. We have hope that the world can understand. In the midst of trial and tribulation, and scripture tells us that if the Lord tarries is coming, those days will be here. Help us to handle them. As you would have us father you know the needs of the burdens on each heart and life here, we ask that you take care of those needs it. Lift those burdens help us to lay them at your feet but father, help us to walk down that you're holding tight or to your hand than ever before. Knowing that you will guide us and you will direct us in Jesus name, we pray