Fulness of Christ

Fulness in Christ (Col. 2:1-7)

Intro: Happy New Year! It is that time of the year that people are looking for self-improvement. As a Christian if someone came up to you and said, “I am thinking about trying out Christianity, does it really work?” What would you tell them? Would you tell them, “Yep, it solves all your problems and life is filled with ease!” or “Yes, if you are looking at helping with social justice issues, the church is active in solving the problems happening in the news.” Or would you offer up another answer that focuses on health, wealth, and other human desires? The problem I see is that Christians today have several different ideas on what it means to be a Christian. People approach Christianity asking the question, “What does Christianity offer me?” Unfortunately, Christians come up with many answers but not many of them biblical. The truth of the answer for what does Christianity offer is, Christ, Christianity offers Jesus Christ. When we offer the Gospel, we offer Christ. Today we are going to read from the book of Colossians. The Colossian church was being attacked by heresy from both Greek and Jewish traditions. These attacks were causing the Christians of Colossae to question what to believe. The Hellenistic teachings focused on secret knowledge and wisdom. While, the Jewish traditions focused on legalism, works based achievements to please God. If you hear nothing else today, know this Jesus + Nothing = EVERYTHING. Let’s read Colossians 2:1-7.

COL. 2:1 Keep Our Eyes Open

In chapter 2 verse 1 Paul stress his agonizing over not only this church but for all the churches in the area who have not met Paul face to face. This not only includes the church of Colossians but also Laodicea. Paul’s deep feelings flow from a heart of concern. Over Paul’s years of ministry his eyes are open to the presence and the appeal of false teaching. He has witnessed many people come to the faith only to turn to false teachings. He has witnesses great pastors transition into false teachers. Paul’s eyes are wide open for the church, he is committed to love the church as Christ instructed him. 1 John 4:21 says, “This commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” Paul agonizes over the followers in Colossae and all the surrounding area because his love for God runs so deep that it spills over to all believers.

Paul is fighting to keep the eyes of the Colossian church open and to be aware of the appeal of error. This is a lesson that churches today must hear. The Bible is full of warnings; Rom. 16:17-18 “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.” 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 2 Tim. 4:3-4 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine, Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Churches today, we must keep our eyes open to ensure we are not deceived by false teachers.

COL. 2:2-4 AVOID DECEIT

Paul now instructs or sets goals for believers on how to avoid falling into heresy or false teaching. There are 3 components given by Paul. 1) encouraged in heart and 2) united in love 3) receive the full riches of complete understanding know the mystery of God, namely Christ

1) Encouraged in heart- The Greek word used for “encouraged” can have several different meanings. One of those meanings is strengthen. In the context of this message it appears that the Colossian church needs strength more than anything. The church is currently under attack from false teaching. People are trying to utilize philosophies and works based religion to heighten the Christian faith. So, the churches need strength to equip them to stand strong against the errors they face.

2) How are they going to obtain this strength though? I am glad you asked, it’s the next part unite in love. Strengthening takes place as believers are united in love. This unity comes from the Bible not the false teachings blending all denominations and religions together. Hyper grace and hyper love do not conform to the teachings from the Bible. It is not unity to ignore teachings and practice that go against the Bible and therefore against the triune God. The practice of unity comes from the Bible. Here are some Biblical examples of what uniting in love looks like. Ephesians 4:16 “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Believers share a common life with love as its basis. All believers possess the same eternal life, all come to Christ in the same way, and all were placed into the Body of Christ by the same Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 12:11-13). The church’s unity isn’t accepting all beliefs and overlooking our differences. No, church unity comes from believers becoming “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). At the last supper the night Jesus was betrayed, after washing the feet of the disciples, and disclosing who would betray him, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). John 17:20-23 Jesus prays “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, in both letters, 1 Cor. 1:10 “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” and again 2 Cor. 13:11 “be like-minded, live in peace.” Paul drilled this throughout the scriptures. I could continue on here for hours but I need to keep moving.

3) Receive the full riches of complete understanding know the mystery of God, namely Christ- This is where the rubber meets the road. To receive full riches of complete understanding believers, need to obtain the truth. The truth is Jesus Christ. John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Jesus is the full riches of complete understanding. We get to know Jesus through the Bible. Reading and studying the Word of God continuously. A loving, learning community will produce believers who are settled in their understandingof the truth. Stability and confidence come from knowing the word of God. Jesus Christ, possesses all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Remember, it is not Jesus plus something that brings fulness of knowledge and wisdom. It is not Jesus plus the enneagram. It is not Jesus plus horoscopes. It is not Jesus plus your political party. It is Jesus plus NOTHING equals everything. We get to know Jesus through His written word. If you are looking for a New Year’s Resolution, here it is Study the word of God or Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior if you have never done that before. Understanding comes from Jesus Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. When believers understand this truth, no longer will they be deceived by fine sounding arguments.

COL 2:5 HOLD STEADY

The church in Colossians was under attack but they were not defeated. Paul, though … absent … in body, delights to see the discipline … and … firm [their] faith in Christ is. These terms discipline and orderly are military metaphors painting a picture of the Colossians not breaking rank or defecting. The enemy has been attacking but the Colossians have not backed down. They hold steady as reinforcements are gathered. Paul’s letter is the reinforcement to strengthen them of the truth they received about Jesus Christ.

COL 2:6-7 CONTINUE MOVING

We received Christ Jesus as Lord. Now we are to continue to live with him as our Lord. Live literally means walk. Step by step, day by day, we are to conduct everything we do in conscious submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. We do not do this on our own strength but in unity with Christ and believers. When we are rooted and built up in Christ we can stand against the cultural trends, the rejection of the world, and firm in what [we] were taught. Being rooted keeps us growing. We do not search for secret or “higher” knowledge. We grow in the knowledge of the truth already revealed in Christ. By remaining rooted we extend our thankfulness. When we recognize we are complete in Christ we overflow in thankfulness. As thankful believers we stay grounded and rooted. Beware of the grumbling, whiny, disconnected believer because they become easy prey for false teachers who are more than willing to offer “just what you’ve been missing.”

Conclusion As we finish up today remember to keep your eyes open. There are many things around you trying to tell you that you need something more, that you are missing out, your life is incomplete. If you have received Jesus Christ there is nothing more to add. Jesus + nothing = everything. Keep your eyes open. Avoid Deceit! Remain strong in the truth that you have received. Jesus Christ is your truth stay strong in that truth. To do this successfully we need other believers. We need to unite with the fellowship of believers. There are several ways to do this but without that unity we become vulnerable to attack. There is nothing to add to receiving Jesus. When you received Christ and the teachings in the Bible and gained the understanding of the mystery of God, Christ that is it. There is no other secret knowledge to gain. We can spend a life time studying the scriptures and learning about Jesus and still only scratch the surface. Hold steady because you will be attacked. Remain disciplined and firm while you continue to move. Live your life with Christ Jesus. Everything we say and do should be under conscious submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Let us pray.