Freedom Comes from the Simple Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Introduction- Social Media- follow us online- Care package for Fathauer’s- if you see some Reese’s PB cups and they fall in your cart, bring them in and we’re going to mail those and some cards to the family! (Cubs and Bears fans)
Introduction- Social Media- follow us online- Care package for Fathauer’s- if you see some Reese’s PB cups and they fall in your cart, bring them in and we’re going to mail those and some cards to the family! (Cubs and Bears fans)
Do you know what my favorite part has been about Colossians 2?
It’s that it’s simple. I don’t know about you, but I like simple when it comes to theology. In fact, I remember being in College and in a frustrated mood asking a roommate, “WHY DOES THEOLOGY EVEN MATTER?”
To be clear, I didn’t know that Theology just means “Knowledge of God.”
But, my frustration was real. I had just heard about a church split over some really weird reasons. I had heard people gossiping in the community all over what boiled down to personal preference. And I was discouraged and I was frustrated.
And if we’re honest and I’m asking for honesty, you can probably relate at least a bit to what I was going through.
Like can we just be real? If I stood up here and started talking about the difference between Homoiusia and Homoousia (Which we actually covered last week when we were studying Colossians 2:9) or the Communicatio Idiomatum, you would check out. AT LEAST I WOULD!
Now, these things matter and they are important, but they are secondary.
And what I love about Colossians 2 is that it keeps the MOST IMPORTANT THING THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!
I’ll say that a few times today. There is a MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR FAITH AND IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN COLOSSIANS 2!
So what is the most important thing?
It’s our main point for today.
Main Point: The Gospel is simple. Our Salvation is simple.
Main Point: The Gospel is simple. Our Salvation is simple.
Body
Body
SIMPLE. That’s our theme for Colossians 2. Colossians is ALL ABOUT JESUS and Colossians 2 is all about HOW SIMPLE salvation is!
As we walk through Colossians 2:16-23 today, I want to encourage us to see how SIMPLE it really is.
Last week I mentioned that Colossians 2:4-23 is all one argument. Last week, we saw Paul lay out the truth of the GOSPEL. This week, we see Paul SIMPLY give instructions to protect Christians. Last week he ended his proclamation of salvation with a clear declaration of our freedom in verses 13-15.
13 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. 14 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. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.
The Gospel is simple and JESUS IS VICTORIOUS!
Starting in verse 16 we read. Colossians 2:16-17
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.
Paul is calling out outward signs of religion. Paul’s argument is continuing on.
He’s saying, “Listen, your salvation isn’t dependent on how good you look in someone’s eyes. It’s dependent on Christ!”
He does this by addressing four things.
He talks about Food and Drink, Festivals, or New Moons, or Sabbath day observation.
Starting with Food and Drink, Paul is rebuking the Judaizers who attempt to make Christians follow Jewish dietary laws.
The Judaizers are a major theme in Galatians. Basically, they were jewish men and women who attempted to make Christians follow the law in addition to Jesus.
The Judaizers split churches by adding onto the gospel.
Like we saw last week and even again this morning in verses 13-15, SALVATION IS SIMPLE! SALVATION CAN ONLY COME THROUGH JESUS!
Everything else is UNABLE to save!
No amount of food law following will save!
Remember, the entire reason that the law was established in the OT was to show how ISRAEL NEEDED A SAVIOR!
It was never meant to save.
Yet, some tried to use man’s definition of “holiness” as their savior.
It backfired.
The second thing that Paul addresses is festivals.
Throughout the Jewish and Hellenistic calendars, there were many festivals that were observed for religious purposes.
The Christians were not observing these and they faced judgement for this.
But, Paul encourages them not to let the judgement pressure them!
Thirdly, Paul talks about new moons.
The Jewish and Greek calendar works on the lunar calendar, so there is a lot of significance to the new moon.
The Greeks celebrated with a feast called the Noumenia. It involved feasts and parties and celebrations! If you didn’t participate, you were seen as weird and at times “anti-the gods.”
The believers didn’t observe these new moon celebrations either, but Paul says, “DON’T LET THEM JUDGE YOU!”
DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT YOU BECAUSE OF THIS!
The final example Paul uses is a distinctly Jewish thing- the sabbath.
The sabbath was established by God in Genesis 1 when God rests on the 7th day of creation.
The sabbath was designed as a day for rest and focus on God!
By this time though, the Sabbath had become a day full of manipulative rules! It had lost its meaning entirely!
The sabbath day- which should have been simple- had become ANYTHING BUT!
There were rules on how many steps you could take, on exactly what you could do at home, on what you could do in public and more!
And Paul says to the believers, “YOU WILL BE JUDGED ABOUT THIS, but DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT!”
Paul calls these 4 things out as a “shadow of what was to come.”
And what was to come? JESUS! JESUS HAS SUPERSEEDED ALL OF THESE BECAUSE JESUS IS HOW WE ARE SAVED!
It’s that simple!
And listen friends, we will face judgement like the Colossians did! It may not be over new moon festivals, or the sabbath, but we will do things differently! The way that we date, the way that we construct our lives, the way that we schedule our weekends for instance, the way that we structure our finances, the way that we use the internet, what we watch on TV- these things are DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD! (Say this in an APPLICATIONAL way)
Paul carries this theme of ignoring cultures condemnation on in verse 18.
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.
Paul goes from physical judgement that he expects the believers to face to what he knows that they will face about their faith!
He calls out the spiritual misdirection of the world and this is deeply applicable to us!
First, he calls out the ascetic practices that people were engaging in.
Ascetic practices were practices of self-discipline and denial for the hope of enlightenment.
This is practiced in Buddhism heavily today!
To be clear, ascetics practice self-denial to essentially attempt to grow closer to God and for prideful reasons like being seen as better!
This really is important to clarify because as Christians, we are called to pick up our cross. But picking up our cross does not mean seeking to draw attention to ourselves!
The ascetic practices of these people are shameful. They are actually prideful and they should be avoided!
The second thing that Paul calls out is the worship of angels- these people are claiming access to a visionary realm.
In other words, people were worshipping angels instead of Jesus AND were claiming that they were more holy than others!
They were claiming that they were entitled to a better position.
There’s a clear prohibition against worshipping angels in scripture. Revelation 22:8-9
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
John has seen this great vision, falls before an angel and is immediately stopped!
The people that Paul warns of though are people who seek out worshipping angels and they claim to have visions that make them more special and different.
We could summarize that as a pride issue really! They are inflated by their pride!
Finally, Paul calls out people who claim to know Jesus and follow Jesus but don’t understand!
Instead of holding onto Jesus as the head of the church, they hang onto tradition and onto one another!
Listen, fellowship matters. BUT IT CAN NEVER REPLACE JESUS!
They think that they can survive without Jesus because they “no longer need Jesus”!
But if you have a body with no head, it won’t survive for long!
Listen, if at any point JESUS is removed from THE BODY through our ACTIONS, then DEATH IS SOON TO COME!
As Paul writes this, he’s warning the Colossian church of a simple and critical message- he’s saying, “NO MATTER WHAT, KEEP JESUS AT THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING!”
Jesus is the head of the church and JESUS IS THE CENTER OF THE CHURCH!
If our eyes ever get off of Jesus, then everything will crumble!
The church is not primarily about OUR DESIRES and OUR opinions, the CHURCH IS BUILT AROUND JESUS AND OUR ROLE IN FOLLOWING HIM!
Let me be blunt. Paul’s argument is simple. THE GOSPEL IS SIMPLE! SALVATION IS SIMPLE! BE ON GUARD AGAINST PEOPLE WHO TRY TO MAKE IT COMPLEX!
Paul is telling us to KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!
And that’s what he continues to argue as we move to verses 20-23.
Verses 20-23 are Paul’s final discussion of salvation and how we are saved.
He concludes this section by comparing human-centric ideas with what God tells us.
Listen for that as I read these verses. Colossians 2:20-23
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.
As Paul concludes this section, he summarizes the threats to the Colossians in 3 specific human-centric ways of worship. But he doesn’t just give warning, he shows us how these three ways FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD!
THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT! THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE GLORY OF GOD! THIS IS AWESOME STUFF! This is SOLID CHRISTOLOGY!
THIS IS ALL ABOUT JESUS! THIS IS KEEPING THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!
In verse 20 Paul asks us a question essentially saying- “If you are saved by Jesus, why do you submit yourself to all these other human-centric ways to worship?”
These limits are: don’t handle (Unclean things), don’t taste (Unclean Meats), don’t touch (Unclean things).
They are all tied in closely to the OLD COVENANT!
Paul is really attacking the Judaizers claim that JESUS IS NOT SUFFICIENT!
Paul is saying, “JESUS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH! YOU DON’T HAVE TO FOLLOW EVERY LAW! JUST FOLLOW JESUS!(PLEAD)”
And the question still applies for us. If we truly believe Jesus, why do we force ourselves to follow specific traditions that are extra-biblical? Why do we make things complex when SALVATION IS SIMPLE!
That’s really a question for us today!
At Cornerstone, do we truly keep JESUS AT THE HEAD OF EVERYTHING, or are their times where we want to make sure that we get OUR way, or that things are done according to tradition?
Because hear me- THERE’S NO ROOM FOR Our PREFERENCE OR Our TRADITION!
So let me encourage you- let’s be people defined by what Jesus has called us to do.
Let’s preach THE SIMPLE GOSPEL THAT LEADS TO SIMPLE SALVATION!
Let’s live a SIMPLE LIFE- a LIFE FOCUSED ON JESUS! Let’s be a SIMPLE CHURCH- a church built not on OURSELVES, but on Jesus, which we can only do when we intentionally let the SIMPLE GOSPEL DEFINE US!
It happens when we let the MAIN THING BE THE MAIN THING!
As Paul asks these questions and lays this out, he’s not just encouraging believers to stand strong, he’s also correcting issues!
He knows that some of the Colossian believers will be led astray! They will follow these extra ways. And how does he know this?
He knows this from experience and from what he’s heard!
Galatians is written to a church that is struggling with adding extra laws onto salvation! They have run back from SIMPLE SALVATION to a complex, work-based salvation.
Paul is taking his experience and his knowledge and is warning and correcting the Colossians!
And HE’S WARNING AND CORRECTING US!
He also knows that some believers will seek to be more spiritual and more “holy” not through SANCTIFICATION but through their power.
He deals heavily with this in 1 Corinthians!
Listen, it’s simple- Paul is warning us in verses 20-23. He’s saying, “DON’T EMBRACE THESE FALSEHOODS, EMBRACE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL!”
KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!
And Paul continues his warning in verse 23 where he lists a number of things and says that false teachers have gained a reputation of wisdom for teaching the following: self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body.
Do those sound familiar?
They should! This is what he listed earlier!
But think back to earlier in Colossians 2. Paul warns the believers not to be taken captive through Philosophy and empty deceit in verse 8!
THINK ABOUT THIS! Paul is listing all of these specific things- THESE ARE THESE PHILOSOPHIES!
This is what is threatening the COLOSSIANS BELIEVERS!
They are being told that they can be saved by themselves through these, or that they NEED things like false humility, or ascetism in ADDITION to JESUS TO BE SAVED!
Paul is rebuking this!
And that brings us back really to Colossians 1:13 and 2:13-14! Friends, THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR! THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE!
WE ARE ONLY SAVED THROUGH JESUS!
Don’t get caught up on these alternative philosophies. They aren’t worth your time!
But do you know what will ALWAYS be worth your time? JESUS!
And that brings us right into our time of application today.
Application
Application
Over the last two weeks we have really been stressing the idea of how SIMPLE the gospel is! The gospel is SIMPLE!
And because the GOSPEL is simple, we want our applications to reflect that, so we have SIMPLE applications!
The Gospel is Simple!
The Gospel is what DEFINES us!
The Gospel is Simple
The Gospel is Simple
I cannot stress enough. the GOSPEL- that is the GOOD NEWS of JESUS, is SIMPLE!
It isn’t complex. It doesn’t require an advanced degree to understand. The gospel is SIMPLE!
Let’s walk through it.
God’s Creation- perfect and holy
Man’s Sin
Jesus’s REDEMPTION
13 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. 14 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.
OUR RESPONSE- REPENT AND BELIEVE!
We are saved by grace and only by Jesus! Nothing else can save us. Listen to me- no matter how hard we try, no matter how hard we work to be good people, or to “earn it” we never will.
THE ONLY ANSWER IS JESUS!
It is THAT SIMPLE!
Even today, we see and hear people, even churches, trying to add more to the gospel. But listen, the GOSPEL is SIMPLE!
REPENT AND BELIEVE!
It’s that simple! It’s what we have talked about at length over the last two weeks! The price has been paid, we can be saved!
It’s simple and it’s GLORIOUS!
So today, REPENT AND BELIEVE!
The Gospel is what DEFINES US
The Gospel is what DEFINES US
The Gospel isn’t just what saves us, the GOSPEL, the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS, is what DEFINES US!
The Gospel should be what LEADS US, what GUIDES US, what TELLS US HOW TO LIVE!
The simple truth is that the Gospel is simple and part of that is that the GOSPEL calls for us to COMPLETELY FOLLOW!
Notice what Paul talks about. He says, “Salvation is simple. Don’t add onto it and don’t worry about being judged by others!”
The simplicity of the gospel should really shape our lives. We don’t need to worry about all of these added traditions or practices because we have been set free because of what JESUS HAS DONE!
This isn’t just a positive instruction. There’s also a NEGATIVE WARNING when we say that we are defined by the GOSPEL!
In other words, when we find our definition in the GOSPEL, we find that there are things we need to AVOID!
And one of the most prevalent ones that we see in Colossians 2:16-23 has to do with the way that we seek the approval of others.
Simply put, there isn’t room to seek the approval of man if we are defined by the GOSPEL!
It’s really that simple.
Yes, people will look at you differently. Yes, people will wonder why you do things in a certain way.
For instance, when Hope and I were dating and engaged, we were asked at least once a week why we didn’t live together. And these weren’t just non-believing friends- these were also Christian friends!
Because here’s the thing. If the GOSPEL TRULY DEFINES US, we will LIVE DIFFERENTLY! It’s that simple!
And yet if we’re honest, it can be hard.
Why is it hard? It isn’t because it’s actually impossible to live differently; it’s hard because we WANT TO FIT IN!
It’s hard because even though we love the idea of being defined by JESUS, deep down, we also like the idea of FITTING IN AND BEING LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!
But here’s the truth. The GOSPEL LEADS US TO LIVE IN A WAY THAT IS FAR BETTER THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD!
Think about the examples that Paul lists off. They are marked by rules and by faking things. These false philosophies are marked by attempts to mislead and to self-promote.
It’s marked by pride and a need to prove ourselves.
But there’s freedom that comes from Christ, not just from sin, but from this race!
Because guess what- WE DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT THAT FIGHT!
We don’t have to run that race! We don’t have to prove ourselves!
Why? BECAUSE OUR LIVES AREN’t DEFINED BY SOMEONE ELSE’S FEELINGS, they are defined by JESUS!
Guys, this is GREAT NEWS!
So practically, what do you do with this? Well, it takes some heart change.
Really, this is a call for heart transformation.
My challenge to you is to stop working for someone else’s approval and to focus instead on GOD’S APPROVAL, WHICH GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN TO YOU!
Listen, this is a heart transformation and it isn’t going to happen on our strength- it’s only happening when we RUN TO GOD IN PRAYER AND FAITH! It’s only happening when we RUN TO GOD’S WORD FOR INSTRUCTION AND DIRECTION! And guess what, you aren’t the only one struggling with it. And I know you are. Our NATION is struggling with this!
So let me encourage you- LET GOD WORK! LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU! LET THE GOSPEL DEFINE YOUR LIFE!
Hear me, the gospel doesn’t just define our lives.
The Gospel defines us as a CHURCH!
Let’s talk about what that means practically and visionally.
The GOSPEL, THE SIMPLE, BEAUTIFUL GOSPEL IS WHAT DEFINES US! THE MAIN THING IN OUR WORLD- THE MAIN THING IN OUR TEXT TODAY, is what SHAPES US AND GUIDES US!
Now, I have three practical things that I want to lay out for you that we are doing to help keep this main thing, the main thing!
But listen, these three things are all aimed at helping us stay SIMPLE! They are built around a SIMPLE TRUTH- THE GOSPEL and they are built around helping us REACH OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE DISCIPLES!
PTC- SIMPLE, UNDERSTANDABLE, APPLICABLE
This is all about disciplemaking! It’s also evangelistic! It’s equipping! How can we handle something that is common in our world?
Gender ministry
Men’s Ministry Launch- Wednesday Morning Group- @Cornerstone @6:30 A.M.- SIMPLE! No Curriculum- it’s simple- come and we’ll talk about GOD’S WORD! It’s SIMPLE! And do you want to know the best part? You can BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU!
Women’s Ministry Summer Activities- Talk to Deb Vaughn
CP 100 for 100- How we are going to help keep the main thing the main thing around the world!
Did you know of the CP giving, almost 60% of it goes straight to missions and evangelism? A further 27.9 % of it goes towards equipping pastors and lay leaders with training. This money allows us to keep the main thing the main thing not just at Cornerstone Savoy, but around Illinois, around the US and around the world!
And the CP is the only program of its kind. In fact, if it wasn’t for the CP, I wouldn’t have been able to go to Seminary! Listen, this is an awesome program where churches give sacrificially and are able to partner together to reach the world.
As we approach 2025, the CP turns 100 so it’s getting some much deserved attention. With that in mind and with our focus on KEEPING THE MAIN THING - THE GOSPEL- the MAIN THING, I want to give us a challenge.
It’s simple. Let me challenge you to give $100 this year, over the course of the year specifically to the CP. This money will go to the CP in addition to what we give as a church.
Over the course of 12 months, that’s $8.33.
I don’t like picking on everyone’s coffee because I don’t drink it, but $8.33 a month could be as simple as bringing lunch one day during the month instead of buying it at work.
Let me challenge us. Let me cast a vision. Every day, every hour, the gospel is being spread through the ministry of people who are backed by the CP. And let me challenge us, each of us, we can support it!
But let me go one step further. Because this isn’t a funding pitch. No one is telling me I have to do this. I want to challenge us to do this after praying about it for days and weeks! And I want to challenge us to engage more with the COOPERATIVE PROGRAM because it fits our MISSION AND OUR VISION!
Let me go one step further now. Don’t give because Daniel told you to. DON’T give as a substitute for living out the gospel or for SHARING THE GOSPEL. Rather, GIVE because you want to see GOD’S KINGDOM EXPAND! GIVE AND GO! Go to your neighbors! Go to your friends! As we GIVE AND AS WE GO LET’S KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!
Listen, as we walk together at Cornerstone, it’s going to be simple. God’s WORD, God’s TRUTH, God’s DESIGN! That’s our method here! WE WANT TO FOLLOW GOD AND KEEP THE SIMPLE GOSPEL THE MAIN THING IN EVERYTHING!
Let me pray for us.