The Importance Of A Foundational Church

Colossians 2:1-15

Chapter 2 it’s still all about Jesus but what if it wasn’t what happens to a church when it’s not about Christ but they still call it Christianity what happens is what was happening in the Colossian church or starting to anyway if you’ve ever encountered weird Christianity, the hyper spiritual pseudo philosophical Christian or the super judge mental arrogant Christian or just the new rules live exactly like the world Christian if you’ve seen that or live that, then stay tuned.

The Colossian church hadn’t gotten weird yet, but the poison of bad teaching was there and it was starting to infect the people, and why Paul wrote this letter. Colossians has the antidote to weird Christianity and the antidote is Christ. The Christian life is all about Jesus and when it’s not it gets weird. Just think about friends or people you knew or still know you attended church with. Then you know what I’m talking about. Colossians shares everything we need to know about the false teachers that had invaded the church. in Paul’s day, they called themselves gnostics spelled with a silent G. Gnosticism professes to have a secret knowledge mystery only known to a few gnosticism presented a twisted version of Christian doctrines, taking true teaching and twisting it into something unbiblical. It’s similar to New Age beliefs today and the lessons here are still essential for us.

When a church identifies itself as Christian but does not focus on Christ and His teachings, several potential issues can arise, both doctrinally and in the spiritual lives of its members. 2 things will occur.

Doctrinal Drift

A church that does not prioritize Christ's teachings may begin to stray from core Christian doctrines. This could involve:

- **Neglecting the centrality of Jesus' death and resurrection** as the basis for salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3-4

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NKJV)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

- **Emphasizing works over grace** as the means of salvation, contrary to Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 NLT

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

- **Promoting moralism or legalism** instead of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

Loss of True Worship and Focus

Worship in such a church might focus on human achievements, moralistic teachings, or social issues rather than glorifying God and following Christ's example. True Christian worship centers on acknowledging Christ's lordship and God's sovereignty (John 4:24

John 4:24 (NLT)

For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The most important thing you need to know is that gnostics presented a different Jesus and the wrong Christ leads to weird Christianity, so Paul fights, false teaching with truth teaching and fights confusion with clarity.

in verse 2, Paul’s goal is that the church would be encouraged. United and have the full riches of complete understanding that’s why good Bible teaching is so essential to help us understand. Gnoticstics always talked about mysteries that you can’t completely know. It sounds deep but it’s a smoke screen. When someone gets up here and starts throwing out 50 dollars that have less than 10 value, you better start questioning what is he teaching. Paul says he wants us to fully understand so he makes it plain. verse two in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge want to know the mystery it’s Jesus. Want deep wisdom and deep truth? It’s all in Jesus all of it the gnostics taught that the truth is hidden deep inside of you and you just need to contemplate yourself and search within so in verse 4 I tell you this so that no one is made to see you by fine-sounding arguments.

Paul doesn’t want you to see by arguments that sound good but they’re just convoluted emptiness with the false teachers do is swoop in on Christians who are new or just don’t know better and they tell them that Jesus is a good starting place but if you want to grow, you need the secret knowledge the Colossians haven’t fallen for it just yet their faith is still in Christ.

So what happens when you allow smoke screens to invade your spirit? what are the spiritual consequences of our members?

Spiritual Consequences for Members

Members of a church that doesn't emphasize Christ may experience confusion about their faith's fundamentals, leading to:

- **Weak spiritual growth** due to a lack of solid biblical teaching and discipleship.

- **Uncertainty about salvation**, as the assurance of faith often comes from understanding Christ's finished work on the cross (Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1 (NLT)

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

You are not subject to the penalty of Sin.

- **Spiritual stagnation or even decline**, as they may not be encouraged to cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus.

Potential for False Teaching

Without a Christ-centered foundation, a church is vulnerable to false teachings that can mislead and harm its congregation. This could include prosperity theology, human-centered philosophies, or other ideologies inconsistent with biblical Christianity (2 Timothy 4:3-4

2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NLT)

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

Impact on Community and Outreach

A church that lacks a focus on Christ may also lose its distinctiveness as a witness to the community. The church's mission to share the Gospel and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) cannot be compromised if Christ is not the focal point of its message and activities.

So Paul has an answer for this in verse 6 then just as you received, Christ Jesus as Lord continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in Him Paul says start with Jesus and walk with Jesus stay in Christ, rooted, and built up. Gnostics, and others treat Jesus as if He was that little stick you tied to a baby tree to get it started growing up and you don’t need it anymore. Wrong Jesus is the vine and we are the branches so live in him rooted and built up, that means grow deep and grow up in him, sink your roots into Jesus and watch your life Change.

Roots are where you get your nutrients spiritually speaking how do you know where your roots are? Roots are also what hold you down in the storm. Just wait till the hurricane hits, whatever you hold on too, that’s where your roots are. So hold onto Jesus and dig your roots deep.

Verse 8 Paul Warns us not to be deceived by worldly philosophies Now this philosophy cannot be identified precisely; it could reflect the influences of several ancient traditions, including Judaism, mysticism, asceticism, mystery cults, and Gnosticism (see note on Col 1:22). Regardless of the specific teachings, the fundamental problem Paul identifies is that human rules and traditions are being recommended as necessary supplements to Christ. These are shallow and hollow. Looks good on the outside but no substance on the inside. So Jesus offered substance in verse 9. For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. that’s huge. The fullness of God is in Jesus mark that verse Jesus is fully God and if you thought that was big look at verse 10 and in Christ, you have been brought to fullness. You are complete in Jesus fullness fulfillment meaning purpose, you are made hole by searching within, but by faith in him then verse 12 brings us to baptism as we talk about how to follow Jesus today one of the very first steps is baptism if you belong to Jesus, he calls you to get baptized. No baptism is not a work that you do to be saved. It’s something you do because Jesus saved you look at verse 12 having been buried with him in baptism. There is an essential symbolism in baptism burial. You bury the old sinner that you were in the water, but it doesn’t stop there. Colossians 2:12

Colossians 2:12 (NLT)

For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Baptism is a burial and resurrection come up out of the water to new life born again, and in baptism, we identify with Jesus your old life died with him on the cross and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead raises us and that new life is how we follow Jesus now. Paul compares our sin with debt, if you’ve ever been in serious debt, the kind of debt that makes financial life impossible. That was our situation. We could not pay it off. even if we paid the minimum balance. verse 13 we were dead, but God made us alive. He gave us all our sins having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness. Jesus took every last sin every last debt piled up on the desk and nailed them all to the cross paid in full. That means we have a new relationship with God we are not working to pay off all our sins. They’re already paid in verse 15 They have nothing on you anymore. That is the power of the cross and that’s why it’s all about Jesus that’s why it’s not about a bunch of rules see when you lose sight of Jesus you end up back at rules-based religion

Closing

The Bible warns against deviating from the teachings of Christ and the apostles. Paul admonishes believers to hold fast to the Gospel they received (Galatians 1:6-9 and the letters to the seven churches in Revelation highlight the dangers of losing one's first love (Revelation 2:4) and tolerating false teachings (Revelation 2:14-15).

Galatians 1:6–9 (NLT)

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.

Church if we identify ourselves as Christian but fail to center our church on Christ. We will drift into doctrinal errors, lose our spiritual vitality, and fail in our mission to effectively share the Gospel.