How to Find Success

The No Monkey

Have you seen this guy/emoji before? It’s what I think of when I hear the line in our passage today: “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch.” They are a common image for many of us. Here’s some background: They are Japanese and Buddhist in background simply meaning, see, hear, & speak no evil. If you do this you can live a more positive life and not be corrupt. Many today live by this.

Some Christians may say: I’m a Christian and I do all the things of Christians, why do I still lack? For example: Why haven’t I overcome this bad habit though I come to church every Sunday(at least once a month). or they may say, “I haven’t overcome that sin though I’ve followed all the rules.”

At the heart of it, we just want to overcome, to succeed, to be better.

Colossians 2:20–23 CSB

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: “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 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.

If You died . . .

We’ve looked at dying to sin

We’ve looked at dying to the Elemental principles, regulations/written code

We’ve looked at dying to judgment of practices you use to find Christ

Today we ask, why do we keep turning to these worldly principles, regulations, & practices of the world to help us be better?

Our World’s Rules for Success

We all would love to be better, to have success or to curb what our passage calls “self-indulgences.” These lead to destructive lifestyles because they destroy relationships with people and with God. So yes, let’s get rid of them.

Our world has its regulations and methods for success to be a better better person. It has rules and regulations to be successful. Google it.

For us: The do not’s of Christianity(v.21). These are included in the things that guise as real life and substance. If you have these things, you’ve made it. Things that puff up (vs18) as Wade & Kris talked about. Because they hit a checkbox and look good.

That is a dangerous place to be (v.23), as we’ll find out today. It is dangerous to think we have spirituality when all we have are things that will perish (22). Getting that LARGE lollipop at the candy store. I think its gonna last forever. And maybe it feels like it as I eat it. And As a parent when I find it in the couch a week later. Spiritual things of today are like that. They get thrown out and don’t last. AND, they lack any value in restraining self- indulgence.

It is easy to fall into old religious habits like the “Do Nots” because I think it’ll help. So much that I am focused on following the rules to be better and successful and free of sin rather than finding Jesus.

But here’s where our passage goes today: Belonging to Christ frees us from submitting to rules or religious practice of our world that, in ironic fashion, keep us from him and from overcoming sin and brokenness.

We’ve lived in a world that tells us to follow the rules and get success. In Christianity, it is often this: Follow the rules and you can have it. It could be healing or overcoming sin or getting money even. We get frustrated when we follow the rules and regulations of Christianity and don’t get results. We look at ourselves in the mirror and say this: “I have faith, but I am still in sin. I am still broken. God, why haven’t you blessed me?”

Succeeding as a Christian is never one formula, rule, or religious practice, but is found in belonging to Jesus.

Regulations Are Destined to Perish vs 21-22

What are the rules and regulations like the Do nots, that trap us today? I’m sure you could think of some for us. They are anything over and above What God’s word lays out for us. That’s why they’re called “worldly” or “human.”

All of these are destined to perish because they’re of this world: Colossians 2:22 “All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines.”

Think of grass withering in Canada-we have hard seasons and we see it. No Matter how good of a gardener or “plant parent” you think you are, the plant whither. It might be age and a leaf has to die to frost finally comes. Or, like many of us, we neglect that plant.

Peter references Isaiah when he says, “For All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.” (Is 40:8;1 Peter 1:24-25).

You can read the history of regulations and richly learn as Pastor Kris referenced last week. In the end, the regulations or rules can be anything where we are trying to be better, be successful, to get free, and to meet with God. We know it’s only his ways, power and grace that can help us(1 Pet 5:11). We know this….but we like to take it back.

We Slip Back because . . . (v20)

What causes us to slip back into old worldly ways? Let me give us 3 reasons: Measurables, unhealthy guilt and shame, and Old habits being ingrained.

We love measurables.

We get motivated when we see success. ie. Fitness Culture is centred on this and so is business world. If you’re hitting the marks of weight and muscle mass etc, the you’re good and you feel good. The fitness industry gets the attractiveness. One report has the global fitness industry at 278bn in 2026 and growing annually by 7.9%. Don’t worry I’m not done yet. The fitness industry is measured under the even larger “Exercise Industry” which is 1.14 Trillion globally.*

We are insecure people. I wonder, are regulations for religion more tangible for us to measure? We can then feel good about ourselves.

The Philosopher Karl Marx, who hated religion, called religion the “opium for the people.” Makes you feel good but doesn’t last. Is there some truth there?

We slip back to regulations because we have a chance to finally feel good about ourselves. But, do they actually help us curb in what our passage calls “self-indulgences” which again, are simply, destructive lifestyles. We need something greater.

Unhealthy guilt & shame

vs Conviction(Healthy guilt & shame) which leads to life

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.”

Unhealthy shame causes us to hide from God, like Adam and Eve. We’ve adopted poor theology of conviction. Yes, it’s important we feel the weight of our sin, but only to the point of finding Jesus himself, not to run from him. Unhealthy guilt and shame cause us to hide from God. Look to what God did with Adam and eve: He called out to them, drawing them to him, not away. The result of unhealthy guilt and shame is we bury ourselves in excessive self-improvement, self-loathing, or simply anything but God. I can’t begin to describe the destruction that unhealthy guilt and shame can cause.

We feel shame from God or other people. So, we distance ourselves. It does the opposite of drawing us to God.

We were just told in vs 16(P. Wade) not to let people give us a sense of judgment on us by the things we do or don’t do to find God. We know we need things and practices in our lives to find him. But it comes back to the substance. It’s Christ.

We slip back because of unhealthy guilt and shame instead of finding incomparable riches of his grace, only found when we meet with him.

Old habits

Are from an old identity: Dying to the elements or regulations of our world is literal rewiring of the brain. We are all formed by a time and place with the people we were born to. Those habits and “rules and regulations” we received could have been good or bad or anywhere in between. But at best, it is passed on with its regulations and rules. This becomes ingrained and habitual. But, not fully owned yet. And often then, they fail.

So When we align ourselves with Jesus and seek to meet with him, those old ways get replaced. That old identity is being replaced. But our default is the old way, the old wiring. So we slip back.

Recap all three reasons we slip back: Measurables, unhealthy guilt & shame, Old Habits.

To not slip back: it takes intentional surrendering to your new authority and belonging.

Belonging Overcomes.

Colossians 2:20 “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:”

A key word concept here is living as though you “belonged” to the world and currently “submitting” to its rules rather than to Christ himself.

We all start as belonging to the world. When we come to Christ and choose to follow him, inviting him in as Lord & Leader in your life, his Spirit takes up residence in you as we talked about a few weeks ago. Now, you belong to Christ and not this world. You’ve died to it. You do not belong to it anymore.

Nor then the ways it operates to help you grow and succeed in life to be better.

It is clear here in Colossians 2:23 that these regulations have no value in curbing self-indulgence: “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.” There is no value. That is powerful language.

Who do you belong to? If you belong to Christ, you can stop from putting on the show now. Follow his ways and rules and regulations to overcome self-indulgence of any kind. He will not only direct you to wisdom, he also gives you strength to overcome.

He overcame this world with all its indulgence traps that destroy us. 1 John 5:4 “because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.”

He overcame, so we do too; for we belong to him.

Succeeding as a Christian is never one formula, rule, or religious practice, but is found in belonging to Jesus.

Religion’s Role to Overcome.

vs 23. When we slip back to the world’s ways, religion becomes, as Paul says here in Colossians, self-made. It is about the religion itself and about me. I show I am doing the “right things” and so it looks good, humble even.

Dessert Father of the Christian Faith John Cassian said in around the year 400 about religious practice and extremes:

We ought to strive for discretion and humility, as it will save us from extremes. There is an old saying that extremes meet. For excessive fasting and gluttony come to the same thing, and unlimited late night vigils can be just as harmful as long lazy sleep… Moderation and discretion help us to walk the line between extremes.

So we don’t throw it out but give it its proper place. Religion has a role otherwise we should all go home and not religiously attend today, no one should read their bibles and stop praying immediately. NO. We simply don’t BELONG to it as the Scriptures say here. We don’t submit to regulations, but to Jesus our true authority. So What role does religion have?

Religion does not have any value in curbing self-indulgent destructive lifestyles, but it can point to the one who can.

Religion is meant to point us to and help us meet with God; Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

Wade asked a pointed question two weeks ago, “Do you know Jesus or are you just following the rules?

The rules & regulations, religion, should always lead to Jesus. If not, examine them and throw them out if necessary.

Jesus Sabbath Breaking: Sometimes you have to break the rules. ie. Jesus had to break the rules of the Sabbath to actually get to the heart of Sabbath. Religious leaders who studied the Scriptures decided to create more rules around sabbath to “protect the law” meanwhile forgetting that the law was there for us to meet with God. Instead people were blocked from meeting with God. How tragic.

Little Black Book: When I was a kid I kept a Little Black Book. In there I felt convicted to pray for everything. SO I started a list and the list grew as I prayed for things and people and events. Daily I went through the book and the pages began to fill up as I wrote down more and more. Praying began to take long enough where I’d fall asleep. One day I realized, I don’t even care anymore. I’m just reading a list of names. I am no longer even meeting with God. SO I stopped and started talking with God differently, praying for people in less formulaic fashion.

Rearranging My Prayer Life: Several years ago I felt convicted to read the Bible through in a year. I did it for many years. It was engaging and I was meeting with God. The years went by and soon I was rushing through or felt guilty when I got behind. The year went by and I realized I haven’t been meeting with God at all, but living a checklist Christianity. I felt convicted to slow down. The Lord gave me a book around the Lord’s prayer that helped me shape my prayer life through the Lord’s prayer. I broke it a part and it formed me to focus of God and meet with him. Anxiety around Scripture left and I could engage the Scriptures again to meet with Jesus.

What’s the role of regulations and religion in your life today? Is it getting in the way of meeting with God?

Some of us maybe need a little regulation shifting to help us to meet with him again. Lent? Palm Sunday? What might that be for you? What might it be for us as a church?

Asking this question becomes paramount: Is what I’m practicing currently leading to Jesus himself?

Overcoming starts and ends with Forming our Identity around God

Religion can get in the way of Jesus. OR, it can help us get to him. We must have a posture of this: nothing of religious practice is so important or sacred that it IS THE WAY to Jesus. It may then get in the way. What is needed is finding and re-finding and finding more of my belonging in him.

It’s here that my identity along with all of its destructive self-indulgences that keep me trapped, are reshaped and made into something beautiful.

So NO, don’t slip back to the ways of our world to try and solve your problems and rid of sin and brokenness, to find success, instead do what Psalm 34:8 says,

Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!”

And once you taste, keep on seeking him for every aspect of your life.

Response Questions

Father, Is what I’m practicing currently leading to you?

Lord Jesus, What do I need to shift?

Holy Spirit, would you give me another taste of what it is to belong to you?

Blessing:

prayer under the cross

Giving in the locked box or e-transfer

Receive this blessing Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!”

*https://www.wellnesscreatives.com/fitness-industry-statistics-growth/