Jesus Plus or Just Jesus? (Part 1)

Introduction

Who here enjoys being out on the water? It’s starting to get a little cold for that in our area, but we’re blessed to have some beautiful lakes and rivers in our area that provide people with lots of excitement. Several years ago, Lindsey and I had just gotten engaged our church had a float trip planned - now, Lindsey and I had gone floating in kayaks and canoes before… but never as a couple. They say that if you can survive a float trip as a couple, you can survive anything and by the grace of God, we barely survived that float! If you’ve ever been floating on a river you know how relaxing it can be to look around at the cliffs and wildlife that God created. How relaxing it is to close your eyes and just let the water take you downstream. This is all enjoyable until you look up and see that you’re headed straight for a giant rock. Whenever you’re on a river and you don’t paddle, you’re going to drift… and eventually, drifting will lead you to danger whether it be running into another kayak, running into a rock, or realizing that you’re about to go through some rapids. We drift towards danger on the water… and we also drift towards danger in this life.

We can think of people who started out well, but slowly began to drift away and ended up a long ways away from where they began. Think of Charles Darwin. Raised in a Christian home in England, got older and began traveling the world. Began to believe in macroevolution, that species developed by chance over large periods of time. He then rejected Genesis… and then the entire Old Testament… and then the Gospels… and then Jesus. Darwin once shared this regarding his drifting away from the teachings about Christ, “The rate was so slow that I felt no distress.”

Sadly, there are many in our world who are in the same boat. Drifting away from the Word of God. Drifting dangerously close to destruction. Abandoning the safety of Jesus for a world that has lost its mind. This morning as we continue our study through Colossians, we arrive at what is called the Colossian Heresy - this false teaching that seeks to add to Christ. As we read, let’s be reminded of the danger of this drift and the importance of growing closer to Christ each day.

Colossians 2:6–15 CSB

6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude. 8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. 9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 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.

This is what our God has done. When we were dead, He made us alive. He forgives us of our sins. He saves us. He changes us. We must not buy into any teaching, ideology, or system that goes against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is not Jesus Plus… it is Just Jesus. Let’s ask Him to help us understand this truth more today, let’s pray

Many people say that they believe in Jesus… but they add to Him. It’s Jesus Plus My Works. It’s Jesus Plus Wealth. It’s Jesus Plus Health. It’s Jesus Plus this modern worldview. Church, Jesus Christ is Sufficient. He needs no help. The Bible needs no secular worldview to assist it. How can we make sure that we’re following the Biblical Gospel and rely solely on Christ? 3 ways in our text, first

Check Your Path (6-7)

There are some moments in life that you always remember. Vacations, family traditions, the day you graduate, the day you get married - as a parent, one of the moments that you remember is the day that your child takes their first step. They’re crawling, they’re cruising on the furniture, and one day they take their first step - and if it’s your first kid, you’re overjoyed! But what happens after that baby takes that first step? That baby usually falls right back down. Eventually they get a little better at walking and then it’s a whole new world! They bump their heads on tables, they try to walk up stairs, they try to do things that they’re not quite ready for. The Bible over and over talks about our life being like a walk where we take step after step. We’re on a path, we’re walking, but we’re all walking in one of two directions, either closer to Christ or further away from Christ. And even as those who are walking towards Christ, there are times, especially early on in our walk with Jesus, that we are like that baby and experiencing this new world of walking, and before we know it we stumble and we fall.

These Colossian Christians are new to the faith. They are in Christ, but Paul wants them to keep on growing - to keep on walking. Look at what we find in verse 6. These believers have received Christ as Lord. Notice, the Bible doesn’t say that these believers “made” Jesus Lord… Jesus is already Lord! They simply received Him as Lord. Think about the significance of that tiny word, Lord. Some say the word Lord is like the word boss - that’s actually underselling the word Lord. Jesus is more than your boss at work. The word Lord, Kyrios, means ruler, master, to exercise dominion over - this is a serious statement because you’re not just saying that Jesus your boss at work… you’re saying He is the ruler and master of everything in your life. Are you to that point with Jesus? Is He the ruler of your life? Is He seated on the throne in your heart?

Roman culture said that Caesar is lord and to say that Jesus was Lord was to mark yourself as an enemy of the empire… something punishable by death! To say that Jesus is Lord is to say that there is no other master that I will serve. There is no other person to whom I will bow - it’s all about Jesus. Following Jesus, identifying with Him in baptism and being a part of the local church, these are radical changes for these Christians. This is not just a one time emotional decision. This is laying your life down and becoming a new person in Jesus and this is why Paul instructs these Christians to not only receive Christ but to continue walking in Him.

Why do we at times not continue in something that is good? We don’t continue in some things because they are either bad for us or someone else… but why would we not continue in something good for us? Sometimes we get busy and fill our schedules with other things. Sometimes we make poor choices and exchange something good for something bad. Other times, though, we don’t continue in something good because don’t think that it’s worth the cost. When we don’t continue in a certain direction, we drift… hear this, you never drift towards Christ in the Christian life. We always drift away from Christ. Away from His Word. Away from His church. We are prone to wander and tempted to forget. Because of our sinful heart, we will drift away from the things of God. Because of temptation and distraction, there is a temptation to not continue in Christ and to go back to something different. How can we prevent this as believers? How can we continue to walk in Christ? 3 ways

Recognize our Need for Him

First imperative in Colossians is Colossians 2:6 - continue to walk in Him. We have to recognize that without Jesus, without Him being our Lord, we are lost. We are separated from Him. We desperately need Jesus Christ not only to save us, but to help us throughout this life. We need Him to help us grow. Look at what Psalm 1 tells us about this

Psalm 1:1 CSB

1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!

Psalm 1:6 CSB

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

We need Jesus to help us walk down this path of the righteous by keeping us from stumbling onto the way of the wicked. We must recognize our constant need for Jesus.

Remain Rooted and Built up in Him

Next we see that we are to be rooted and built up in Christ and this paints a picture of a tree. Having a root and growing upward. Jesus talks about this in John 15:4-6 says this

John 15:4–6 CSB

4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Healthy trees grow and produce fruit and this happens whenever we remain rooted and built up in Him. These are divine passives in the Greek, which tells us that God is the One who helps us grow in our faith and continue forward in our walk with Him.

Rejoice in His Finished Work

A thankless Christian is not a Christian. Thankfulness is a good test of our spiritual state and the path that we are on. Are you thankful? Not that everything we endure is good or easy, but is your life marked more by bickering or thanksgiving? Looking down or looking up? Paul says that whenever we grow in our walk with Christ, we are overflowing with gratitude.

Think about some of the things that you have to be grateful for today.

Do you have clean drinking water? Over 10% of people on our planet don’t… meanwhile we not only drink, but shower and water our grass with clean drinking water

Do you go to bed hungry? Over 10% of people in our world do… meanwhile we have debates about which snack we want before bed

Do you have money in a savings account? It’s estimated that in the United States, nearly 30% of people don’t have any money in a savings account

In the United States, we are able to publicly attend church… something that millions of other Christians cannot do without the fear of death

Church, we have many things to be grateful for as those who are in Christ Jesus. Not only should we be grateful for all that God has given us… but we should be especially grateful for our salvation story! We are saved. Forgiven. Loved. Adopted. Growing in godliness generates gratitude! We must check our path and ask this question: Am I grounded? Am I growing? Am I grateful? Whenever you are saved by Jesus, you are changed by Jesus. Because of Jesus, we now have a relationship with God! We have the best news of all to share with people walking on the other path. Sadly, there are many who have claimed to be in Christ, who claimed to be walking on the right path, but they added to Christ. They added to the Gospel. They promised more than the Gospel promises. They said more than the Bible says. And in doing so, they presented an unrecognizable Jesus. The Gospel is not Jesus Plus, it’s Just Jesus… because of this, we must not only check our path but also, second

Check Your Position (8-10)

There are times where we are on the right path, but depending on the time that we’re on that path, we might be in danger. We can think of this in recent days with the storms that our country has experienced. You might always go to Florida, as I know some of us like to go to Florida from time to time, you might be on the right path… but if you were to go to Florida right now, you’d be in danger. You’re path is right, but the position you’re in is dangerous because of the situation. These Colossian believers are on the right path, Paul is sure that they are saved and in Christ, but there is danger… and as they grow, they need to be aware of their surroundings.

From time to time in our Bible reading, it is helpful to read from another translation to help us grasp what is being said. While we need a word for word translation for Bible study, there are more thought for thought translations that can help us and one that I like to use is the New Living Translation. Look at what the NLT says in Colossians 2:8

Colossians 2:8 NLT

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

That’s pretty good, isn’t it? Empty philosophies. High-sounding nonsense from human thinking and spiritual powers of this world. Now, what are these spiritual powers? The source of teaching that does not align with Christ is not of human origin, is it? Remember the Garden? Who was opposed to God’s commands? Satan. What is the source material for any teaching that goes against God’s Word? Satan. This is why in Ephesians, Paul shares with these Christians that there is a battle taking place around them

Ephesians 6:11 CSB

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

What are the devil’s schemes? To keep people blinded to the Gospel. To keep those who know the Gospel silent. To cause division within the body of Christ. How can Satan best accomplish this task? What scheme works best? False teaching. False teaching keeps people blinded from the true Gospel. False teaching muddies the water regarding the true Gospel. False teaching leads to division within the body of Christ. This is our enemies tactic and it has been for thousands of years. Empty philosophy and human tradition are elevated to an unbiblical level. One of these tactics is with cults. We talked briefly about the Gnostics last week, the Gnostics believed that there was secret knowledge that you could find and you had to attain this knowledge by being good or doing good. These gnostics had twisted the Gospel to the point that they believed that Jesus Christ was not a real human, He simply appeared to be human. We could say that gnosticism is the first Christian cult - they mixed some Christian teaching with philosophy and other ideologies and what you were left with was something new. Something deceptive. Something deadly. Something destructive. South Gate, there are thousands of cults in our world today that offer nothing new. They might be platformed, promoted, and publicized… but they bring no benefit. They bring deception. Death. Destruction.

Did you know that one of the presidents of the Mormon Church once said this, “As man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may be.” This cult’s belief is that God once was a man, but because He was a good person… He finally became a god with his own planet, and then the god of heaven and now if you do enough good, then you too can become god. Mormons aren’t alone here, many in the Word of Faith Movement believe that Jesus did all of His miracles as a man in right relation with God and that if you just have enough faith, then you can do all of those miracles as well. What do we see in these movements? We see a distortion of the Gospel. God was not once a man. You will never be God. You and I cannot do the miracles that Jesus did, because He did them as fully-God and fully-man! Any teaching that does not fit with the Gospel is a tier 5 threat that we need to shoot down, because if we’re not careful, it can take us captive. We must check our position.

Think about that word, captive. In ancient Rome, once the army would return to Rome they would have a parade of sorts as the military would proudly march through the capital along with the treasures they had plundered along the way and with any enemies that they had conquered and taken with them as captives to eventually become slaves. This is a military picture. He doesn’t want any of these Colossian believers to be conquered by these powers and enslaved by them. Don’t be enslaved by a teaching about Christ that isn’t Christ’s actual teaching. Check your position and remember that Christ is sufficient!

Look at why we follow Jesus in verses 9 and 10 that follow.

False teaching exalts man and denies Christ, faithful teaching exalts Christ and edifies the church.

What is faithful teaching? It’s not Jesus plus, it’s just Jesus. Why is it just Jesus? Because the fullness of God’s nature dwells in Christ. What does this mean?

Hebrews 1:3 CSB

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Colossians 1:19 CSB

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

Whenever Jesus was born, we see that He is both fully-man, and fully-God. This is called the Hypostatic Union. Not 50/50, but 100/100. You math people can’t comprehend that and it drives your brain crazy! But it’s Bible. Fully-God and fully-man. This means that the false teaching of Jesus not being man is thrown out the window. This means that Jesus not being fully-God when He walked the earth is also thrown out the window. Not only this, but this Jesus has all authority! He is the head over all rulers and authorities. Do you know what this means? Can I give you some hope in this season that we find ourselves in as a nation and as a people? The spread of Christianity is not dependent one bit on who is seated in the White House… it’s 100% dependent upon Who is seated on the Throne - and that isn’t on the ballot next month.

While many try to find hope and identity in godless worldviews like intersectionality, feminism, secularism, and humanism, we must pause and remember: Christ is Sovereign. Christ is Supreme. Christ is Sufficient. We don’t need to add to Jesus. We definitely don’t need more than Jesus. We lack nothing in Jesus. So, why allow ourselves to be taken astray by a teaching that is not Christ Alone? Why settle for something not only substandard, but something that will lead your soul to eternal separation from God? Friends, we must check our position and ensure that we are following Jesus. That we believe rightly in Jesus, because we don’t have a right relationship with Him if we are not believing rightly in Him. So many want to try and apologize for the Bible. For Jesus. For the Gospel message. Spurgeon shared that the Bible is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion… all you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself. At South Gate Baptist Church, we unapologetically proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not Jesus Plus tradition. Not Jesus Plus philosophy. Not Jesus Plus. Our position is in Christ Alone, because that is where our hope is found! He has all authority.

Check Your Praise (11-15)

The final part of our text reminds us of our newfound identity in Christ. Think about how you identify things in life. Say you’re at a massive airport like DFW in Texas and all of the gates and restaurants and shopping places they have and you’re looking for your terminal. How can you identify where your terminal is? You look at your boarding pass and you look at the giant maps they have throughout the airport. Say you’re at the grocery store and you’re searching for something that you can’t seem to find, how do you identify a worker? You look for someone wearing the company uniform. There are ways that we can identify certain things and certain people in this life - but how can we identify a Christian? What distinguishes a Christian from a non-Christian? Some might say that it means to go to church on Sunday - yes, Christians are commanded in Scripture to gather with one another in Hebrews 10:25, but there are some non-Christians who come to church too. Some might say that Christians are to treat others nice - yes, Christians are to love their neighbor as themselves, but there are non-Christians who try to treat others nicely as well. What distinguishes the Christian from the non-Christian? The Christian is a new creation and walks and talks as such!

Paul uses the term circumcision here - this previously distinguished the Jews from the Gentiles. This was a physical distinction between these groups of people as God called His people to be set apart and this is one way that He did this… One of the greatest problems facing the earliest Christians was regarding circumcision! Many Jews believed that the Gentiles had to be circumcised in order to be saved. In other words, they believed that to be saved, it required Jesus PLUS Circumcision. What Paul argues throughout his letters, though, is that the physical act of circumcision is not what saves. One does not have to be circumcised in order to be a Christian… what saves is being IN CHRIST. This circumcision is of the heart and this is something that only Jesus Christ can do! Only Jesus Christ can change the human heart and this is what He does whenever He saves us.

This is the picture of baptism. Do you know that the water in this baptistry will not save you? It’s normal city/county tap water. This water does not save you… the God who raised Jesus from the dead is the one who saves! I’m so excited for 2 weeks from today as we’ll get to celebrate baptism #1 together and I pray daily that our baptismal waters will be flowing more often in the years to come as we see lives saved by Jesus Christ. Consider the picture of our baptism. Romans 6 is the passage that I use whenever we baptize as Paul shares this reality

Romans 6:4 CSB

4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

We are buried with Christ in baptism. Meaning that whenever you are saved, your old self dies the minute that the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. You are a new creation. Charles Spurgeon once shared it like this, “If I am not today all that I hope to be, yet I see Jesus, that assures me that I shall one day be like Him.” You might look the same on the outside, but your identity changes whenever you are saved by Jesus. Just as Jesus was buried and rose, this is what happens with ourselves whenever we are saved, we are a new person. So often as believers we look ahead for heaven to all the benefits that we’re going to experience. We think of being in glory. Being freed from sin. Being around the throne and experiencing the peace and joy of worshiping Jesus… but did you know that we can experience this and walk in this reality today? That’s what our passage is telling us. You “were raised with Him” past tense. South Gate Baptist Church, this same resurrection power lives in us now!

Do we live in light of this reality? Do we let our light shine whenever we face temptations, struggles, and darkness? Do we remember that the cross is not only good future news, but it is just plain old good news!

The cross is good news because of where we once stood. In the 21st century, the average person believes that they are good by nature, and at worst, make an occasional mistake here and there and we love to blame other people for our mistakes!

The idea that we stand separated from God and are dead in our sins and trespasses is not only offensive to our culture, it’s seemingly the unpardonable sin. In a world that loves feelings and the color gray, to state this Biblical fact and to paint with the colors black and white certainly stand out. Yet, this is what the Bible says. We had a certificate of death hanging over our heads. We’re not just talking about bad news. We’re not just talking about a minor problem. We’re talking about a small threat to our safety and peace… we read in the Bible that we have a massive problem and we can’t blame someone else for this problem. Think of the people that we at times blame for our sin… My boss made me do it. My spouse made me do it. My kids made me do it. My parents made me do it. We love to blame the devil for this too - the devil made me say what I said! Don’t go blaming the devil, the dog, or the ______,

the person responsible for my sin is the person that I see in the mirror every single day - friend, we have to assume responsibility for our sins! No more passing the buck. We have sinned. We are responsible. Here’s the good news

Romans 5:8 CSB

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

What has Jesus done? While we were sinners - Jesus came to this earth, lived a sinless life, took our sins upon Himself, and nailed them to the cross. We were under condemnation. We stood guilty! How are we given peace with God? Not through military might. Not through years of hard personal work. No, by Jesus taking our place on the cross and suffering the most painful death imaginable. On the cross, Jesus endured the worst that death could throw at Him… and not only did He win, He wins the victory for His people thousands of years later!

Colossians & Philemon for You We Are Secure: Innocent in Christ

“The cross was not the defeat of Christ at the hands of the powers: it was the defeat of the powers at the hands—yes, the bleeding hands—of Christ”

Friends, our message is that of freedom, victory, triumph, salvation, and life and it’s all because of Jesus. We don’t need to look for these things in any other place because we have them already because we are IN CHRIST.

Because of Jesus… we don’t panic today

Because of Jesus… we don’t fear tomorrow

Because of Jesus… we understand that history is His Story and that our God has a perfect plan that WILL come to pass!

Though we face trials and difficulties and though there are false teachings and spiritual opponents that will oppose us, we have every reason to praise our Savior for what He has done. Yes, we face enemies, but they have been humiliated. They might fight battles against us, but they have lost the war. Because Jesus rose, we too will rise. We will conquer. Friends, let’s be a people about our Master’s business as we live on earth as citizens of heaven. Let’s find our identity in Jesus and remember that in Jesus, we have everything that we could ever need!

In this race called life, on this path that we’re all walking on, Jesus has promised to supply our need… not our greed. As we walk, we don’t just want to start well… we want to finish well. This requires us to persevere and to run through the finish line. So whenever false teaching arises, whenever sin tempts us to go astray, how can we continue to walk in Him?

How Can We Stop Spiritual Drift?

Identify the Lie

We must identify the false teaching that is being shared and the lie that we are tempted to believe in our heart about God. We must identify what is wrong and realize that we have moved off course.

Reject the Lie

If you realize that there is a problem but you don’t course correct, then you are still in danger! Not only must we identify false teaching or identify the fact that we have gotten off course, we must reject that false teaching. We must reject anything that seeks to add to Jesus or that questions His sufficiency or Lordship. We must identify and reject counterfeits

Celebrate the Truth

As we fight drifting from Jesus by identifying threats and rejecting them, we must stay on track and we do this by understanding and celebrating the truth. Church, never be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Never be ashamed to say, “The Bible Says…” We celebrate the truth because this truth is what sets us free. This truth provides us with life. This truth helps us navigate an ever changing world with a never changing message: Jesus Christ Still Saves Sinners - this is the best news of all! We never graduate from this message, regardless of how many times we’ve heard it.

If you are here this morning and you find yourself spiritually dead. Without hope. Apart from Christ: Christ’s invitation to you is simply this. Taste and See. Come home. His yoke is easy, His burden is light. Don’t go another day adding to Jesus with your own works. Don’t go another day trying to earn your own way. Don’t go another day thinking that it’s Jesus Plus… Salvation has always been and will always be Jesus… just plain old Jesus - come to Jesus today!