Col 2: 16-19- "Don't Judge Me...According to Shadows"

Intro (Thought process, question to answer or driving summary, illustration:

Communion

Remember where we have been in Colossians

Painting that Alyssa did in November

Read the passage on the screen

Outline:

Passing Judgement: “Shadows vs. Substance” (vs. 16-17)

Holding Fast to the Head: “A Growth That is From God” (vs. 18-19)

Summary: In order to Grow in Christ, we must hold to Christ

Prayer:

Passing Judgement: “Shadows vs. Substance” (vs. 16-17)

Past Debts (v. 16)

Therefore

Col. 2:6-7 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit

according to human tradition

according to the elemental spirits of the world

an not according to Christ

You were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh

God made us alive together with him having foriven us all our trespasses

Present Issues (v. 16)

Let no one pass judgement on you- if we are not careful we can take this as a blank statement, ripped out of context to justify ourselves. But look at the context...

In questions

of food and drink- The early church struggled with this topic. The Jews were very strict in what they were allowed to eat, how it was prepared, and if it had been offered to idols.

Lev 11, 17; Deut 14, f

Rom. 14:1-4 “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

1 Timothy 4:3 ESV

who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

“ I saw that you had bacon on your burger last week, you cannot belong to God’s family and eat that.

or with regard to a

Festival- The Jews had their festivals, and the pagan world had theirs, a feast with religious significance, involving feasting and celebration, often for the God of Israel

or a new moon- often when these festivals would happen

or a Sabbath- notice “a” not “The” sabbath. A day of rest and worship at the end of the the seven day week cycle, lasting from Friday evening until Saturday evening.

Shadows vs. Substance (v. 17)

Shadows

These:

Food and drink

Festival

New Moon

Sabbath

are a shadow- foreshadow

of the things to come

Heb. 8:5 “They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.””

Heb 10:1 “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.”

Substances

But the substance- “soma- body, reality

belongs to Christ

Illustration: turn the lights out in the auditorium and use the spot light

The OT light of God’s revelation pointed to a coming Messiah

The NT light of God’s revelation reveals Jesus as the Son of God

We have to be careful that we do not take more interest in the shadow than we do in Jesus

We have to be careful that we do not find ourselves like Peter Pan where we are so enamoured with the shadow that it takes on a life of its own and we spend more time trying to sow it back on to Jesus.

Application/Implications:

Engage the Heart (humiity vs. pride):

Have we become too enamoured with the shadow that it no longer is attached to Jesus?

The tabernacle

The sacrificial system

The Law of Moses

The 10 Commandments...

Alcohol

smoking

Tatoos

they way you dress

Morality

person preferences

Grew up going to church

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

Which parst of this verse caught your attention

Which aspect do you have questions about?

Engage the Heart (humiity vs. pride):

Which one are you more proned to holding against someone: Past debts or present issues?

Do we get more hung up on the shadow of things that are meant to point to Jesus or Jesus Himself? In other words, have our personal preferrences and traditions become what qualifies us to be in God’s family?

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

What are some of the “shadows” in our lives that have become more important than the substance of Jesus?

Does our understanding of who belongs in God’s family have more to do with looking at Jesus or more to do with matching a shadow of your choosing?

What will we put beofore our eyes and fill our ears with this week that will help us see Jesus more clearly this week? What shadows need to be detacked and not sown onto Jesus?

What things are we making the main thing that are not the main thing?

Transitional phrase: The substance of Jesus is far more important than the shadows that point to Him. The only way we are going to grow in maturity in Christ, is if we are holding to Jesus more than the things that point us to Him. Which brings us to the second challenge

Holding Fast to the Head: “A Growth that is from God” (vs. 18-19)

Insisting on (v. 18)

Let no one disqualify (defraud, beguile) you (from the prize)- “katabrabeueto” pres, act, imp, 3rd, sg, condemn, to declare unfit; especially performed by a sports official who is expected to ensure fair play- Superbowl

The prize here is being in Christ, do not turn to the shadows of legalism to the law

insisting - “thelwn” pres, act, part, nom, mas, sg, wish or want, to enjoy pleasure

on asceticism- “tapeinophrosyne” humility, the disposition of valuing or assessing oneself appropriately; especially in light of one’s sinfulness or creatureliness. 2:18, 23; 3:12.

I thought humility was a good thing?

and worship- “threskia” worship, the activity of showing love and devotion to a deity

of angels: false teachings of demon, legalism

1 Tim. 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”

They do not preach the gospel of Jesus but rather the legalism of the law

Going on in detail about visions- coming back to a topic over and over, to dwell on frequently

puffed up without reason- being proud in vain

by his sensuous mind- “sarkos” flesh, sinful humanity, the physical aspect of a person in distinction to the immaterial soul; often understood as the seat of sin and rebellion to God.

Because you are not as spiritual as they are, or they have some hidden knowledge that you do not.

Instead of being passionate about these ways of “growth” These shadows of growth

Growth from God (v. 19)

and not holding fast to the Head

from whom the whole body

nourished and knit together through its

joints

and ligaments

Grows with a growth that is from God

Gal 5- fruit of the Spirit

Eph 4- speaking the truth in love

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

Engage the Heart (humiity vs. pride):

What other means of growth are you tempted to be more passionate than holding fast to Christ?

In what ways do we seek to be over humble, or apear to be for our own glory?

How has legalism become the measuring stick for growth more than holding to Jesus?

What aspect of growth do we keep coming back to and taking pride in more than humility before Jesus, “Oh, well I have never done ...” I have never said...

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

Transitional phrase:

Summary: In order to Grow in Christ, we must hold to Christ

Song: Death was Arrested

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

?

?

?