Colossians 2:16-23

Intro

Man-Made Religion does nothing for Spiritual Maturity

Man-Made religion is a prideful comparison game that elevates the self

there is a mainstream brand of Christianity that cares about appearances more than anything else, and I guarantee you it exists even in this church.

This is also a brand of Christianity that can tend to apply a lot of pressure on other Christians to act just like they do. The focus here is on how you spend every moment of every day, claiming that certain things are completely off-limits when Scripture doesn’t say that itself.

The pressure comes in when there are some who want to “disqualify” others when their lives don’t look just like how the other thinks they are supposed to. We can be guilty of this as well!

Man-Made religion is focused on shadows of Christ rather than Christ himself

the law, regulations, legalism

When we focus on rules as the most important part of life and not on Christ himself, we are missing the point.

If we say that our own or other people’s salvation is contingent on these other things, we are doing something we don’t have the power to do.

Romans 8:33–34 ESV

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

These things will only push us further away from Christ.

When we are focused more on anything that isn’t Christ himself, even if those things seem “good,” we are in danger of distancing ourselves from him.

Christ-Centered Religion gives us growth from God

Christ-Centered religion is focused on Christ rather than his shadows

Christ is found in his word!

Christ-Centered religion is focused on community and elevates the body over self

Rather than how the church can serve me, I should ask how I can serve the church. Really, you’re asking how you can serve God through participating in the church.

Rather than care mostly about how people perceive me, I am more focused on how I can do well by serving others.

These things will bring true maturity from God

If our focus is primarily on how to look mature, we will never actually get to maturity

If our focus is primarily on Christ, maturity will come without us even necessarily noticing it.

There is a temptation that we will all receive in life to cave into the pressure and abandon Christ so that we can look like better Christians as we focus more on rules and regulations than Christ himself. We may even feel a temptation to apply that pressure to others as well. We need to fight against this, because there is no life or maturity to be found there.

Rather, we should focus on Christ himself as he is revealed in the word. Christ himself is what we should long for, he is who we should desire to know, and he is who we should desire to please. When our focus is on Christ and his word, that is when we will receive the growth that is from God.

Application: Hold fast to Jesus and don’t let man-made religion stunt your growth.