The Cross Covers It ALl

“THE CROSS COVERS IT ALL”

Colossians 2:6-14

Main Text

Colossians 2:6-14

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

8 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, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Introduction

Main Point:

· The single most important event in history is the cross of Jesus Christ

· What Jesus accomplished on the cross is all sufficient for our redemption and salvation

“THE CROSS COVERS IT ALL”

VS 2:6-7 Review because of it’s importance Along with the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ, this is a main thrust of the letter

It Involves Faith and Practice

· The believers Received Christ Jesus as Lord – through faith in Him when they heard and believed the Gospel

· Faith = The Greek gives us a better understanding - “Pisteuo” – “Believing into”: More than cognitive belief, but living in a committed relationship with Jesus – to make Him your Lord and Savior

· When we receice Jesus by faith: Translates into us living a Christ-centered life

· Faith in Practice:

· Paul gives us the natural results/bi-products when we come to faith

· We walk in Him – Live in obedience to Him

· We are rooted and grounded in Him

· We are being built up in Him

· We have made Jesus the foundation of our faith

· We become established in the faith

· And we abound in thanksgiving

· Basically, we live a Christ-centered life

Rooted and built up in Jesus – Established in the faith

· Ray:Rose bush vs tumble weeds

· Rose bush: Have a heavy root system that is strong enough to penetrate dense soil and live for years

· Tumble weeds: Weak roots that are easily pulled out when wind blows

· The root system, which is unseen, is what nourishes and sustains the plant or tree, which is seen

· We are the plant or tree and Jesus is our root system

· How established we are in the faith all depends on our foundation, root system

· The strength and quality of our Christian growth, being built up, in our faith directly corelates to the strength and quality of our root system

· The strength of our foundation is Jesus Christ

VS 8 – “A call for Vigilance”

8 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, and not according to Christ.

· The false teachers were a real threat in the Church in Colossae

· Important to know that in VS 10, Paul refers to the false teachers as “RULERS AND AUTHORITIES” if we’re to understand and apply Paul’s teaching here

· Also important: These were not just people off the street

· They were influential Jewish leaders that could easily take them captive by their teachings

For example:

Want to read Mark 11:24

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

· Ask for…..and you’ll get it if you just have enough faith

How strong is your foundation, do you believe what I am saying because I am a pastor?

Prosperity Gospel: There are pastors who teach this

· Well Paul instructs believers to not be taken captive by their hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world.

· Greek “captive” refers to stealing from a cargo ship

· “Philosophy” is equivalent to “teaching”

· That philosophy is that more needed to be added to our faith to be true Christians

· “Hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition” are the lie that man made works are things they must do to add to faith in Jesus

· These “HUMAN TRADITIONS” are inspired by “ELEMENTAL SPIRITUAL POWERS OF THIS WORLD.”

· In the context of when this letter was written, it refers to pagan religions that has its roots in demonic spirits

· This is likely what Paul is referring to

· “ELEMENTAL SPIRITUAL POWERS” is therefore much stronger of a threat than just false teachers

· This, of course, contrasts the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed and subsequently what all believers proclaim

· Again, how strong is your foundation?

· Is your foundation built on Christ or on the world?

Take VS 2:9-15 as a Unit

· These versus encourage the church, as well as us today, that we have everything we need in Jesus – He is all sufficient for our redemption and salvation

· And as believers, we are made complete in Jesus

· Therefore, we don’t need to turn to anyone or anything else, we are complete in Christ

How does Jesus provide all we need to be complete in Him, that He’s all sufficient for our Christian lives?

“THE CROSS COVERS IT ALL”

VS 2:9-10

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

· In Jesus all the fullness of Deity lives bodily – Jesus was fully God in the flesh

· Repeating VS 1:19 – “IN JESUS, ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD WAS PLEASED TO DWELL”

· And because Jesus is God, He is Head over all power and authority

· In 1:15-20, we learned that He is the Head over all creation

· Well, if we are “IN CHRIST” we are complete in Him and receive all His spiritual blessings

· When we are complete in Jesus, we can reject anything less than Him alone

· We no longer have to look for ways to earn these spiritual blessings – Jesus is sufficient

· We are free to center our focus on Him rather than on ourselves

· Free to put Jesus on the throne of our lives

VS 11-14 – Continues the truth that we are “COMPLETE IN CHRIST” because of what He has done for us

This is the Gospel message – What Jesus has accomplished on the cross and in His resurrection

“THE CROSS COVERS IT ALL”

· In these versus, we learn we are made complete because of 4 things

· Notice the pattern Paul uses – “In Him (Jesus) – the result – and then “because Jesus has…”

The 1st refers to circumcision in VS 11

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ

· It’s interesting that Paul uses “CIRCUMCISION” as a metaphor for believers going from spiritually dead in their sin to becoming “ALIVE IN CHRIST” because of their faith

· That they have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Jesus

Most likely Paul uses circumcision here because they were told that believers must participate in the Jewish tradition of circumcision as an addition to their faith

· Circumcision was always central for the Jews as an outward sign identifying that they were God’s chosen people

Genesis 17:9-11

9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

· But when we come to faith, we are circumcised by Christ, an inward circumcision made without hands

· We no longer need physical circumcision to be complete in Him

· Because Jesus has fulfilled all that circumcision points to

· That because of Him, we are now God’s sons and daughters

· This is the spiritual circumcision of the heart that only God can perform

· Again, Paul uses circumcision as a metaphor that the old person living in sin has passed away and the new person has been made “ALIVE IN CHRIST”

The 2nd way we are made complete speaks to our burial and resurrection represented by baptism – VS 12

12 Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

· Makes it sound like the act of baptism produces forgiveness of sin and salvation

· But this is not the case

· Baptism is an Outward expression of an inward reality

· Immersion baptism is the picture of us identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

· Under water represents dying to our old self and coming up represents us being raised to new life “ALIVE IN CHRIST”

· We share in Christ’s death and resurrection

· 2 aspects to resurrection: resurrected to new life here on earth and then we will be resurrected to eternal life with God

· This inward reality is all through the powerful working of God

· God raised Jesus from the dead, and if we are “In Christ” we too will be raised

· Have you died to your old self and been made alive in Christ?

· Have you experienced this complete transformation in your life?

· And if so, have you been baptized to proclaim your new life in Jesus?

YOU CAN JOIN US TODAY

The 3rd way we are made complete comes from a legal standpoint in VS 13-14

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

· Our condition before we come to faith is that we are spiritually dead

· Scripture tells us we are dead to God, sons of disobedience, and children of wrath

· Paul then describes how we have been made alive through forgiveness of sin when we come to faith from a legal standpoint

· As with an earthly court, we stand before God the Judge

· God reads our record of debt or the record of our sin – “YOU HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH…”

· He then pronounces us guilty because we have broken God’s O.T. laws – 10 commandments

· Last, God sentences us to death by crucifixion on a cross: Told in Romans, “The wages of sin is death”

· BUT: Jesus steps forward and says, “I will pay the price of their sin. I will go up on that cross and die for them”

“THE CROSS COVERS IT ALL”

Illustration: Cross and sticky notes – ask audience for examples of sin

· God’s judgment is no longer determined by our sins but determined by what Jesus has done

· We are now declared “NOT GUILTY”

· Romans: Wages of sin… “There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”

· God also says, “CASE CLOSED” – Regarding future sins

Now there have been some misunderstandings here

· That because Jesus died on the cross, God’s law is abolished, we know longer need to obey His law

· In fact, in the book of Romans, Paul addresses this very misunderstanding

· This is not the case, God’s law has not been abolished – we still must obey His commands

· It wasn’t the law that was nailed to the cross

· It was our sins of breaking the law that were nailed to cross

The 4th reason why we are complete is Christ’s victory in VS 2:15

15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

· Accomplished through His death and resurrection

“THE CROSS COVERS IT ALL”

· Here Paul uses a military metaphor

· When the Romans defeated the enemy, they led a procession in Rome celebrating their victory

· The enemy captives would follow behind the Romans in utter defeat and humiliation

· The result of Christ’s work is that He has triumphed over all earthy and heavenly powers and authorities opposed to God

· And specifically in this context, Jesus has disarmed the false teachers – They no longer have power or influence over believers

· And since we are “ALIVE IN CHRIST” and we are filled in Him…

· We share Christ’s power over all earthy powers and authorities, including false teachers

· We no longer have to live in fear that we aren’t doing enough to keep our salvation, that we may lose it

· We have Christ’s power not to be taken captive by false teachers

Conclusion

There is a lot of information in the text we studied today

But as I said at the beginning; It can all be boiled down to the single most important event in history: The cross of Jesus Christ

The cross is Christ’s moment of victory, of triumph as we saw in VS 15

God’s overarching plan of redemption and salvation revealed in the Bible all culminated in this event

“THE CROSS COVERS IT ALL”

Application

· How’s your root system – Have you made Jesus the only foundation for your faith, for your life?

· Are you building on His foundation by

· Dying to your old self, who lived only for yourself?

· Or do you now live for God? To make Jesus the Lord of your Life? To be obedient to Him?

· Are you growing and building on Christ’s foundation through regular time studying the Bible?

· Are you equipped to reject false teachers?

· None of us are immune to being deluded by plausible arguments and taken captive with the empty deception of false teachers

· We face many today: give examples

And perhaps even more important:

· Nothing of what we have learned today has any bearing in our life if we have not received Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior

· If you have not come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, what are you waiting for?