Beware the Warning Signs of Spiritual Intimidation

Welcome

We are continuing our series in the Book of Colossians. Last week we began looking at some spiritual pitfalls that we sometimes experience in our lives. We were primarily looking at philosophies and human traditions that sometimes influence our spiritual beliefs in a way that corrupts the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

We also said that we sometimes fall into these traps because we are not properly prepared and we get surprised or even “taken captive” as our translation put it. We don’t want anything to take us by surprise spiritually speaking. This is why we have the Bible and we encourage every believer to engage in Bible study. It is by studying God’s word that we can arm ourselves and harden our minds against any assault by the enemy.

This morning we will continue looking at the warning signs of spiritual intimidation and some of the tools that false teachers use cause us to stumble or get off the track of our faith in Christ.

We see warning signs all the time. We see traffic signs, and red lights, and construction signs. We see the warnings on household chemicals and on machinery. Warning signs are there to keep us safe. As little children, we have to be taught to pay attention to warnings. And as adults, we sometimes get used to them and ignore the signs.

[I know, I saw some of you all driving on your way into church this morning. Be careful out there!]

Let’s go to our text for this morning where we find some of the warning signs of ways that people try to intimidate us into practices that are not based on scripture.

Colossians 2:16–23 CSB

16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. 18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 19 They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God. 20 If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 23 Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.

[pray]

I. Judgement, Condemnation, and Shaming through Ideas

Each one of us is on a path of learning, of understanding, a path of life transformation.

It would not make sense for a brand new believer to have the same depth of knowledge and understanding as a believer of many years. However, sometimes we get a little judgmental with new believers. We actually mean well, but we wind up making new believers feel as if they are less spiritual than we are because of certain things that they have not learned yet to do without.

There is some of this going on with the gnostics and the judaizers, they are intimidating the believers in Colossae about things that are not required by the gospel. In addition to circumcision the judaizers want the new believers to practice all the feast days of the Jewish religion, as taught by the Mosaic law. The gnostics want them to be more spiritual and less focused on their physical needs.

Let’s look again at verses 16-19...

Colossians 2:16–19 CSB

16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. 18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 19 They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

“Ascetic practices" speaks of “a lifestyle characterized by few possessions or luxuries. It is an attempt to focus one’s life on religious or spiritual matters and to not be distracted by things of the world.”

Have you ever noticed how minimalists want everyone to be minimalists?

Or vegetarians want everyone to be vegetarian?

We can sometimes be the same way in our own churches. We can chase ideas that sound new to us or ideas that have impacted us. Unfortunately at times we try to force those ideas on others.

Paul said to not allow those ideas to force us into legalism.

We read about this in our responsive reading text earlier today. Let’s look again at Romans 14...

Romans 14:1–10 CSB

1 Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. 10 But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Paul’s point here is that the believer should do the best he knows to live a life that is dedicated to the Lord. We will make choices that just don’t matter when considered in the light of eternity. And some of us will be called to a stricter lifestyle than others.

These legalistic ideas and spiritual intimidation can break young believers and force them away from faith rather encouraging them to a deeper and more vibrant faith.

Pastor Warren Wiersbe says that “legalism is bondage.”

The Apostle Peter called legalism a “yoke upon the neck”:

Acts 15:10 CSB

10 Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?

The Apostle Paul agreed with Peter saying that it was a “yoke of slavery””

Galatians 5:1 CSB

1 For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Verse 17 of our text says that the ascetism of the Old Testament has passed away and has been replaced with Christ.

Colossians 2:17 CSB

17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ.

The author of Hebrews said that better things are coming than adherence to the law:

Hebrews 10:1 CSB

1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year.

That’s a promise, brothers and sisters, BETTER THINGS ARE COMING than what we have in this world. All will be set right when we are joined together with our savior in eternity.

Don’t Get Cheated Out of Your Reward

Colossians 2:18–19 CSB

18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 19 They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

This word that is translated here as “to condemn” is καταβραβεύω (katabrabeuō) in the Greek.

The New King James translates it as “to cheat”, as in “Don’t let anyone cheat you” and the NKJV adds “of your reward.”

The word carries the sense of being disqualified (as in being disqualified from a sporting event as determined by the sporting official, who is expected to ensure fair play).

This of how this works in the context of our spiritual lives. Paul is saying “don’t let anyone who is supposed to know better to take you out of the game by condemning you and judging you for things that don’t matter.”

We don’t find our salvation in legalism. We cannot give up enough bad habits or misunderstandings of scripture to earn our way into heaven.

Our salvation is not found in what we eat or what we do or do not do. Our salvation is only found in Christ and in the forgiveness that he provides for us through his work completed on the cross.g

Colossians 2:18 CSB

18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind.

Note here in verse 18 that Paul says “Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind.” Don’t let these empty notions lead you into a legalistic and enslaved mindset, and by all means don’t force these ideas on others as if they were necessary and required by the gospel.

And even better in verse 19 he gives the reason why their beliefs are vain and self-centered...

Colossians 2:19 CSB

19 They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

The head here is Christ, who is head of the church. Hold onto the head, brothers and sisters. Your spiritual growth does not come from vain and self-centered practice. Your spiritual growth comes from the Spirit within us, that we received as a gift from God at the request of Christ, our Lord.

II. Dying with Christ to the Elements of this World

Last week we spoke about a warning that Paul gave about getting caught up in philosophical ideas, deceitful practices, and human traditions. Paul used an interesting turn of phrase here. He claimed that these things were based in the ‘elements of the world, rather than [in] Christ’ (Col 2:8). This term is used again in this week’s text.

We talked some about these ideas in our Wednesday night Bible study. We see these ideas crop up in the church, but also in the public school system, we are seeing the encroachment of ideas that challenge and conflict with scripture.

The Greek word in question is στοιχεῖον (stoicheion). It translates as basic priciples or “rudimentary principles.” While originally this phrase may have referred to the elements of the natural world: earth, wind, fire, and water, it grew to include the body of knowledge that is considered basic and elementary. Some of the teachings associated with these ideas were astrology and the zodiac, or were connected with the powers that exerted their influence over the world. In Jewish thought these powers were thought to be demons or some other supernatural beings.

Paul addressed these ideas in multiple of his letters to Christian believers in the churches that he served. In his letter to the Galatian church, he said...

Galatians 4:9 CSB

9 But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

[Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 253.]

Paul goes back to this idea in verse 20 and following...

Colossians 2:20–21 CSB

20 If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”?

This is an astute question by Paul, “if you are dead to the world, because you are in Christ, why are you still acting like you belong to this world?

Colossians 2:22–23 CSB

22 All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 23 Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.

These regulations that Paul writes about are not God’s regulations but man’s regulations: human commands and doctrines. Do this. Don’t do that.

We might laugh at the ancient monks, or the oriental mystics, but we fail to see it when these same ideas creep into our churches or even into our own thinking.

The problem does not come from doing something or not doing it. When we try to prove to others that we are more spiritual or that they can be more spiritual if they will just do this or not do that, this creates a problem that Paul calls self-made religion.

The power of Christ in our lives does much more for us than these self-imposed rules and restrictions.

We have Christ within us, the very nature of God...

2 Peter 1:4 CSB

4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

With Christ in us, we have his nature and his character at our fingertips. We don’t need additional laws and regulations to guide us. We have life within us, the very life of Christ.

Paul says that all these add-ons to the gospel ‘lack value in curbing our appetites.

Conclusion

While we have looked at several dangers in our spiritual lives over the last few weeks, our real focus is to remember the preeminence (the first place) of Jesus in all and over all.

The answer to any legalism that we encounter is to recall the spiritual reality that we have in Christ. The answer to mysticism is our spiritual union that we have in Christ. And the answer to asceticism is recalling our place with Christ in his death, his burial, and his resurrection.

Christ is sufficient!

-----

The Lord’s Table

We now move to the Lord’s Table as we remember the sacrifice and the salvific work that Christ completed on the cross. As we do regularly, we come to the table reflecting upon his sacrifice and we remember the reason that He made that sacrifice.

This is an appropriate time to reflect on your readiness and upon your personal condition before God.

[pause]

I know that a few of you come from a tradition of closed communion, which means that only members of the church are allowed to participate in communion. But here at FBC Pharr, we practice open communion. That means that we leave the decision to participate or not participate up to you.

If you are a Christian, who believes in Jesus Christ, and have taken him as your Savior and your Lord, we invite you to participate with us, if you feel it is appropriate.

Scripture teaches us that if there is any sin in your life or conflict with your brother or sister that might keep you from participating in this meal, then do not participate. If this is the case with you or if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please allow the bread and the cup to pass and do not participate.

If this is you, please do not feel guilty or compelled to participate. There is no judgment or condemnation here. However, if this is you, please seek one of us out to get answers to questions that you might have or to correct some things in your life. We are here to serve you.

[pause]

Jesus came to this world to open the doors of Heaven to us by taking our say sin upon Himself and provide a way that we might enter into the presence of Almighty God.

[distribute the elements / pray / send out the deacons]

You’ll notice that you have two cups, one inside the other. The bread is in the bottom cup. You can gently separate the two cups.

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 CSB

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

This is the body of our Lord, Jesus Christ, take it and eat in remembrance of His body broken for for us.

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 CSB

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

This is the blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Take it and drink in remembrance of His blood poured out for us.

For by eating this bread and drinking this cup, we join together in proclaiming the Lord’s life, death, and resurrection until His return to us.

Doxology

Praise God from Whom

All blessings flow

Praise Him all

Creatures here below

Praise Him above

Ye heavenly host

Praise Father Son

and Holy Ghost,

Amen