Jesus Is Enough

Colossians 2:8–3:4

This morning we are going to be in the book of Colossians. We concluded the first section of Isaiah and have a few things we want to preach in between. Next week is a fifth Sunday, where we are going to begin something new. Normally we would have our Super Communion on fifth Sundays. Maybe we’ll go back to that again someday, but we have done them for a long time, and we felt like it was time for something new. We’ll talk more about that next week.

But this week we are going to be in the book of Colossians. Now why Colossians? Well this book is all about the Sufficiency of Christ. I think the theme of this book and particularly the section we’re going to look at today, fit exactly the message that Isaiah was preaching in his first 12 chapters. Isaiah’s preaching brought the question “Who are you going to trust? God or the nations?”

Paul in Colossians writes a letter to a church struggling in much the same way. There were no physical armies attacking, but the church was faced with a false teaching that essentially said “Jesus isn’t everything you need.” You can’t trust him fully because he is not able to fill everything.

Well that’s just false isn’t it? But don’t you listen to those lies sometimes? That’s why God’s word is so important for us to hear as often as we hear it.

Let’s look at this together.

8-15

Isn’t it interesting that Scripture describes misleading and false teachings as something that can take you captive? I’ve always found that language fascinating. But I’ve seen it so many times, perhaps you’ve seen it. Someone is walking with Christ, their life is defined by Christ, you think, “This person has it all figured out.” And the next thing you know they start talking with you about some new youtube channel that has really piqued their interest.

Maybe you don’t think anything about it, but before you know it that’s all they seem to be able to talk about. All of a sudden they’re dressing differently, talking differently, their social media is filled with nothing but discussing this new thing. And you wonder, “What happened?”

See when scripture talks about an enemy taking someone captive, as dangerous and unwanted as it is to physically be taken captive, this type of captivity is much worse. Why? Well because this captivity, the source is derived from human tradition, according to demons, it doesn’t come from Christ.

Paul describes himself in many places as a slave of Christ. He has taken us captive, we have been captivated by him. But there are empty deceitful things out there that purpose to pull you away from Jesus. One of the most dangerous things you can say is “This will never happen to me.”

Paul explains here, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily in Christ. These captivating things that pull us away from Christ promise that they come from real authority. But Paul says, no no, Jesus, the perfect man is also completely and perfectly truly God. See to be captivated by something else is to claim that Jesus is lacking.

If you are a Christian, Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, has made you full. Even if these forces exist that the Colossians have been taken captive by… teachings that come from demons… Christ rules over them. Even if they have some sort of authority, Christian you’ve been made complete by the one who has authority over them.

How did he do this? Well he cut off your dead heart and gave you a new one. You died and were buried with him. You were raised from the dead, made alive in him at his resurrection from the dead. He accomplished these things while you were still in this dead condition through faith in the powerful working of God.

He cancelled the debt that stood against you, he nailed it to the cross. He disarmed all the rulers and authorities in this world and put them to shame.

I often shock myself with my own sinfulness. Do you ever get shocked by how sinful you are? That Jesus can accomplish all of this, make us alive, set us free, fill us, and we can still be captivated by other things?

16-23

Well he continues in 16-23 to discuss how this works. When I was in seminary and we were learning church history and apologetics I remember thinking, many of these things that come as a false burden to believers in the church come from within the church.

That first section, it was slipping in and being taught by some in the church, but the authority they rested on was outside. But 16-23 these are burdens that Christians take from a poor reading of scripture and place on the shoulders of other Christians. It shouldn’t be like this.

I want you to see verse 16 and verse 18 then we’ll look in the center at 17.

Food, drink, festivals, new moons, Sabbaths, two different categories here, diets and special days. What you could or should eat, and when to worship. Now we could go to the passages in the Old Testament that talk about these, there is chapter and verse for each of these references.

What do we see in this? Well Christians don’t always know how to read their bibles. We also see and even deeper problem that isn’t alleviated when you can’t read your bible properly, Christians don’t know God very well.

People have a tendency to think that God is a God who’s love must be purchased through proper conduct. We don’t run our homes like this do we? When you do what I want you to do, then i’ll love you? I hope not! Do you treat your spouse like this? Your kids? Why do we assume this about God?

Then on the other side (18) there are Christians who make up things in their own minds. The stuff isn’t even connected to a chapter and verse. Their own ideas about proper life, or a so called vision from God directs their actions.

What is center to all of this? Verse 17. In the first case, 16, Christians read their bible’s not understanding that these things are shadows of whats coming, it all points to Christ and is fulfilled in him. How can you get excited about an event that promised the coming savior when the savior already came and is invited you into his courts?

Or ver 18 they aren’t even looking at scripture they’ve made things about their own thoughts and ideas, nothing is centered on Christ. See all of these things have, as Paul says, an appearance of wisdom, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

No on ever put sin to death by the ideas of their own mind, by misapplied scripture. No one is made more like Jesus apart from Jesus! Friend, if you are going to be made like Christ you must look to him!

3:1-4

See if you’ve been raised, seek the above things! Seek after Christ. Nothing on this earth can satisfy. Nothing here is going to gain you favor with God, either by avoiding it or indulging in it. We don’t earn God’s favor by either working or not working. We run to Jesus!

It is Christ who sustains the Christian! He energizes Christians, he enables us to be and to do what we should do.

See notice this, its key. Paul does not say Christ will give you life. He says you have been raised and Christ IS your life! That’s the point! Everything you have is his. He has filled you, he has completed you.