Keep The Gospel Clear in Your Mind

Attention (Why should they listen to you?) Someone experienced trying to communicate a warning or solution to someone inexperienced so as to help them avoid difficult ramifications.

What is the Hearer’s problem?

What is the Biblical Solution?

What do the hearers need to know?

Main Textual Idea:

Main Idea: Fill Your Mind with Truth and Spare Yourself the Pain!

Interrogative:

Transition:

Body (Satisfaction)

1. Don’t Fill Your Mind with Trash! (vs. 8)

Lead in…There is an old saying, “Garbage in, Garbage out.” That is very much true. The Apostle knows this and so he warns his friends to be very careful to whom you listen! Look at what Paul says in verse 8...

Colossians 2:8 ESV

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Text -

Explanation - I can hear Paul saying, “What those heretics are preaching is ALL GARBAGE! Don’t listen to them!”

And, if you notice in the text, Paul puts the pressure on the people in the church at Colossae. “Listen up everyone! See to it that NO ONE takes you captive...”

They were not to be passive in this! They (and we) are in a war for truth! And this war doesn’t include knives, guns and ammunition! It’s a war of ideas.

Unfortunately we live in a culture that, for the last two decades has promoted the idea that there is no truth, there is no over arching story or meta-narratives in history. Rather everyones individual stories are supremely important and in fact, the only truth for that individual. Well, as you can imagine this, brought to its logical philosophical end, leads to chaos.

And friends, we, as a culture are eating the fruits of this aberrant and bizarre philosophy! Believers simply cannot become captive to this philosophy or the myriads of philosophies that try and explain life, who we are and how we got here. There is ultimate truth and any philosophy to say otherwise is

Aberrant or false philosophies are nothing new. The church in Colossae was dealing with a real mess. An amalgamation of ideas that claimed to be superior to Jesus and the truth of the gospel!

In fact, Paul is very clear in his admonition to this dear group of believers.

Colossians 2:8 ESV

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

The word captive means - to take prisoner.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 1. Spiritual Fullness in Christ (2:8–15)

The verb translated in this way by the TNIV (and in most English versions) is a rare one, used only here in biblical Greek and sparsely elsewhere.2 It vividly expresses the danger that the readers may be “carried off as plunder” by an alien and fundamentally anti-Christian form of teaching. Those responsible

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 1. Spiritual Fullness in Christ (2:8–15)

Just as a soldier is doing everything they can to keep the enemy out and inso doing not being captured as well, So the Colossians were to be active, not passive in not allow philosophy, empty deceit through human tradition through elemental spirits of the world.

So what are these things that Paul mentions?

Three actually. Philosophy, Human Tradition, Elemental spirits of the world. Everything “not according to Christ.”

Philosophy - So, is philosophy bad? Is it something we as Christians should avoid?

The word, “philosophy” simply means “to love wisdom” And who doesn’t love wisdom?

Fools! That’s who! And Philosophy becomes foolish when it is devoid of Christ.

And this is the philosophy that Paul is warning the Colossians about! A “wisdom” that is no wisdom at all. A philosophy that drives one away from the Gospel and Christ. And while we cannot cover it in this sermon, Paul spells out even more clearly the Philosophies they are to avoid in verses 16-23.

But please know this. Philosophies that fail to lead to Jesus are deadly and, for the Christian, should be avoided at all costs.

Human Tradition - “That which is handed down.” And certainly there are Christian traditions...

2 Thessalonians 2:15 ESV

15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Here’s the important thing to think about when it comes to tradition - what is the source of the tradition. Did it come from man or did it come from God?

Matthew 15:1–9 ESV

1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Even Paul (Saul), prior to his conversion bought into this philosophy of tradition...

Galatians 1:14 ESV

14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

Whether it was the Pharisees or Saul of Tarsus we know that while traditions can be helpful, they can never supersede the authority of God’s word.

The false teachers were not telling the Colossians that they needed to do the old Jewish traditions in order to be saved (they were not the Judiazers that Paul was dealing with in his letter to the Galatians), no they were saying that if they did these traditions, they would have a higher relationship with God.

Elemental Spirits -

The word meant...“the elemental spirits of the universe, the angels that influenced the heavenly bodies.” It was one of the words in the vocabulary of the religious astrology of that day. The gnostics believed that the angels and the heavenly bodies influenced people’s lives. Paul’s warnings to the Colossians about “new moon” and other religious practices determined by the calendar () may be related to this gnostic teaching, though the Jewish people also watched the calendar (). One thing is certain: Such teachings about demons and angels were not a part of true Christian doctrine. If anything, such teachings were satanic. - Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Complete (Colossians):

Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Complete (Colossians): Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 89). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.

The Christian who messes around with the occult, is asking for trouble. When you play with fire you will be burned.

Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Complete (Colossians): Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 89). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.

Weirsbe quote -

So, don’t become captivated by these Philosophies, Human Tradition, or Elemental Spirits of the world. Non of these things are according to Christ. Don’t seek a higher knowledge a higher understanding, a higher tradition.

Why? Because as Paul says in the last part of this verse, there is nothing higher than Jesus Christ!!!

And as believers in Christ, everything we do, everything we think ought to be run through the lens of Christ alone!

We do not want to add to nor take away from Jesus or His word.

Revelation 22:18–19 ESV

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

It’s that serious!

So, how is it that these false teachers are able to take captive people? Especially churched people?

It’s because they were ignorant of the Scriptures and thus susceptible to the ungodly, false garbage they peddled. These teachers were beguiling and their message was intriguing.

Who doesn’t want to get the inside scoop on something? To know what really is going on? To have a higher understanding than the average Joe?

So, Paul is admonishing his friends to run from this, to put it off! But we never put something off without replacing it with something else.

And friends, there in nothing and no one better to replace Philosophies, human traditions and elemental spirits of this world than with Jesus Christ!

This is the point of this letter! Jesus is superior to these things! Just is superior to ALL THINGS!

Jesus is greater than you

Jesus is greater than me!

Jesus is greater than America!

Jesus is greater than Riches

Jesus is greater than this world!

Jesus is greater than the universe

Jesus is greater than the greatest skeptic!

Jesus is greater than anything and everything!

There is none that is superior to Jesus and so we do not need to add anything to Jesus or His beautiful plan of redemption and sanctification!

The false teachers wanted to add Jesus as a part of their system. Jesus isn’t a part of anything! He is the whole of EVERYTHING!

And Paul didn’t want the Colossians focusing on the trash the false teachers were passing off as truth!

Can you imagine taking your spouse out to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House...

appetizers

MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT - broiled, topped with romano cheese...

appetizers

RIBEYE* USDA Prime 16 oz cut, well marbled for peak flavor, deliciously juicy

broiled, topped with romano cheese

FRESH MOZZARELLA & HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD - locally sourced heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, aged balsamic glaze, extra virgin olive oil

locally sourced heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, aged balsamic glaze, extra virgin olive oil

MASHED POTATOES - with a hint of roasted garlic

with a hint of roasted garlic

MASHED

GRILLED ASPARAGUS - hollandaise sauce*

with a hint of roasted garlic

hollandaise sauce*

RIBEYE* - USDA Prime 16 oz cut, well marbled for peak flavor, deliciously juicy

RUTH’S CHRIS SPECIALIZES IN THE FINEST CUSTOM-AGED MIDWESTERN BEEF. WE BROIL IT EXACTLY THE WAY YOU LIKE IT AT 1800o FAHRENHEIT TO LOCK IN THE CORN-FED FLAVOR. THEN WE SERVE YOUR STEAK SIZZLING ON A 500° PLATE SO THAT IT STAYS HOT THROUGHOUT YOUR MEAL. OUR STEAKS ARE SERVED SIZZLING IN BUTTER.

USDA Prime 16 oz cut, well marbled for peak flavor, deliciously juicy

I mean, doesn’t this sound amazing?! Too good to be true!

And then they start bring out your meal! And you have your cloth napkin tied around your neck, a steak knife in one hand and your fork in the other - you are so ready!!!

with a hint of roasted garlic

They place your covered platter right in front of you and it is steaming hot! And as the white gloved waiter lifts the silver dome from the plate you can hardly stand it! Your mouth is watering uncontrollably!

GRILLED ASPARAGUS

And as the cover is raised, there right before your very eyes is a steaming pile of cow manure!

hollandaise sauce*

You are disgusted and devastated simultaneously!

And you run from the table in horror!

Friends! This is all that false teachers can offer. Manure! Trash, Rubbish, Garbage

Do you know what they called the place of garbage in Jerusalem? Gehenna - another word for Hell...

Listen to this author’s description of this dump...

“Well before the time of Jesus, the valley was also used as a refuse heap. The people in the surrounding areas dumped their trash in Gehenna, where it burned day and night. The fire never went out. It smoldered there beneath the surface, incinerating the rotting, smelly garbage. New garbage was piled on top of the old decaying garbage: rotting fish, slimy vegetation, decaying human refuse of every imaginable sort. And as you know from experience, a dump without flies is a dump without garbage. The flies laid eggs on the surface of the dump. So just imagine the hundreds of thousands of squirmy, wormy maggots living there, eating the rotting refuse. All the while, under the surface, the fire still burned, devouring the putrid garbage days and weeks past.

It was a fire that burned forever, where the worm did not die and where people went to throw their trash, grimacing from the stench, gritting their teeth in revulsion, never venturing too close for fear of falling into the abhorrent abyss. In times of war, decaying human flesh mingled with the rotting garbage—imagine the vile vision. When Jesus spoke of Gehenna, his hearers would think of the valley of rotting, worm-infested garbage, where the fire always burned, smoke always lingered, and if the wind blew just right, a smell that sickened the sense wafed in the air.” (pp. 129-30)

My friends, why do you think Epaphras and Paul took these false teachers and their heresy so seriously? Because, those that believed their garbage would end up in the eternal garbage pile of Gehenna or sheol or Hell!

Preaching the Word: Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Charged to Resist (v. 8)

One of the great, flourishing cults of our day has as its credo this theological couplet:

As God was, man is.

As God is, man can become.

This cult’s belief is that God was once a man, but because he lived a virtuous life, he was reincarnated to successively higher lives, until finally he became a god of his own planet, and then the god of Heaven. Today thousands are setting out to become gods!

What is your source of authority? If it isn’t God or His Word, you are running the risk of trusting trash.

Take some time this week and evaluate who you are listening to. How?

What books are you reading?

What music are you listen to?

What shows are you watching?

What podcasts are you into right now?

Even the people and conversations you have with them. Are they gossip filled garbage? Then throw out the trash!

Folks, remember, Garbage in, Garbage out!

Review - Fill Your Mind with Truth and Spare Yourself the Pain

Don’t Fill Your Mind with Trash!

2. Do Fill Your Mind with Truth (vs. 9-10)

Lead in…Okay, hopefully you agree that we need to be more careful about our input than we perhaps thought! And so its not just about eliminating the trash, but we need to also soak in the truth! And Paul gives the Colossians to big, mic drop, truth bombs that should continue to blow us away even in 2019! Take a look!

Text -

Colossians 2:9–10 ESV

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

Do you see these tremendous truths that Paul gives so they can replace the garbage they’ve been tempted to follow?

The first is...

Jesus is Fully God (9) “For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,”

This is one of the greatest theological truths we have the privilige of learning! The human, Jesus is also God. Theologians refer to this as the Hypostatic Union.

The what? By the way friends, learn theology! It used to be the gentlemen’s hobby. Now both being a gentlemen and having a theological depth of understanding is passe at best.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Meaning of Hypostatic Union

The hypostatic union may be defined as “the second person, the preincarnate Christ came and took to Himself a human nature and remains forever undiminished Deity and true humanity united in one person forever.” When Christ came, a Person came, not just a nature; He took on an additional nature, a human nature—He did not simply dwell in a human person. The result of the union of the two natures is the theanthropic Person (the God-man).

Now, of the infinite number of subjects about Christ Paul could have chosen, why do you suppose he picked this one?

Because it is a direct hit against what the false teachers were promoting.

Preaching the Word: Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Reasons to Resist (vv. 9, 10)

This statement that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” forever blasts the Gnostics’ idea that the fullness came through the emanations and angelic mediators. We can see the fullness of God in his work in the heavens and creation around us. But in Christ we see the face of God. Christ is the sole Temple of Deity in whom the divine glories are stored. How can we go anywhere else but to him?

“For in Him all the fullness...”

What does “fullness” mean?

pleroma (πλήρωμα) - “the sum total of all that God is, all of His being and attributes.” - Wiersbe

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Fill, Fill Up

pleroma (πλήρωμα

Wiersbe

So the “whole fullness of deity dwells bodily...”

Colossians 2:9 NLT

9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

Preaching the Word: Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Reasons to Resist (vv. 9, 10)

My wife and I once stood on the shore of the vast Pacific Ocean—two finite dots alongside a seemingly infinite expanse. As we stood there, we reflected that if I were to take a pint jar and allow the ocean to rush into it, in an instant my jar would be filled with the fullness of the Pacific. But I could never put the fullness of the Pacific Ocean into my jar! Thinking of Christ, we realize that because he is infinite, he can hold all the fullness of Deity. And whenever one of us finite creatures dips the tiny vessel of our life into him, we instantly become full of his fullness.

And this leads us to the next profound truth. Not only is Jesus the fullness of God, but...

You are Filled with Jesus (10)

Who is in charge? Who is over all things? Who is not only the Creator, but the Sovereign of every square inch of all that is? Jesus!

Colossians 2:10 ESV

10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

Jesus is

And you are filled with Him!

Dr. Kenneth Wuest’s - “And you are in Him, having been completely filled full with the present result that you are in a state of fullness.”

Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Complete (Colossians): Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 91). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.

Warren Weirsbe said...

growth is not by addition, but by nutrition. He grows from the inside out. Nothing needs to be added to Christ because He already is the very fullness of God. As the believer draws on Christ’s fullness, he is “filled unto all the fulness of God” (). What more does he need?

When a person is born again into the family of God, he is born complete in Christ. His spiritual growth is not by addition, but by nutrition. He grows from the inside out. Nothing needs to be added to Christ because He already is the very fullness of God. As the believer draws on Christ’s fullness, he is “filled unto all the fulness of God” (). What more does he need?Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Complete (Colossians): Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 91). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.

Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Complete (Colossians): Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 91). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.

The false teachers wanted to add, add, add to the Christian new life. They wanted to add strange philosophies, traditions and other strange and even satanic thing. But Christ is sufficient! We need no more than Christ. We need no more that the sweet and complete Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And when we turn our lives over to Christ, that is when the change begins. Not because we adhere to some teaching, but because Christ is in us! This is the hope of glory!

And because Christ is in you, He will change you so that you not only have him in you, but you will start to resemble him. We don’t change for the gospel, it is the gospel that changes us!

C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

Argumentation - This, my friends is the truth! The King of the universe has come to dwell within you! You are a palace being fit for a King! Why do you think that Paul wants the Colossians to understand this?

Because if the fullness of Christ dwells within the believer, there is nothing more we must do to get more of Him in us!

You have as much Christ in you that you will ever get!

The real question is, how much of you does Christ have?

Application - You see, Jesus said something quite profound during His ministry.

John 8:31–32 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The truth will set you free!

Two questions come from this for me.

First - Has the Truth set you free? Explain the gospel!

Second - If you are a believer, you have a responsibility to constantly wash yourself with His beautiful, cleansing truth! Because even as believers we can get caught up in philosophies, human traditions and elemental spirits that get us off track and, in fact, trapped! And it is only the TRUTH that will set us free.

We must fill our minds and hearts with His Truth! Because it is His Truth that is our compass for the “true north” of godliness!

What are you doing to fill your mind with truth?

Review - Fill Your Mind with Truth and Spare Yourself the Pain

Don’t Fill Your Mind with Trash!

Lead in...

Text -

Explanation -

Do Fill Your Mind with Truth (vs. 9-10)

Illustration -

Argumentation -

Application -

Review -

Conclusion (Visualization)

Review opening illustration (if appropriate)

Action they should take

Land the Plane

Connection Group Reflection Questions

What actions can you take to guard yourself from being taken “captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to elemental spirits of the world...”

Why do Christians

How can Christians easily become “captive” to things?

Why do you think Paul is tell them that the fullness of God dwells in Christ?

What advantage to you have knowing that you have been filled in Christ?

Paul says that Jesus “is the head of all rule and authority.” Why is this significant? What can we learn from this truth?