Sermon Tone Analysis

John Burke writes, I watch the news and condemn those "idiotic people" who do such things.

Most reality TV shows are full of people I can judge as sinful, ignorant, stupid, arrogant, or childish.

I get in my car and drive and find a host of inept drivers who should have flunked their driving test—and I throw in a little condemnation on our Department of Public Safety for good measure!

At the store, I complain to myself about the lack of organization that makes it impossible to find what I'm looking for, all the while being tortured with Muzak—who picks that music anyway?

I stand in the shortest line, which I judge is way too long because—"LOOK PEOPLE—it says '10 items or less,' and 1 count more than that in three of your baskets—what's wrong with you people?"

And why can't that teenage checker—what IS she wearing?—focus and work so we can get out of here?

Judging is our favorite pastime, if we're honest—but we're not!

We're great at judging the world around us by standards we would highly resent being held to!

Judging makes us feel good because it puts us in a better light than others.

Judgment is one of those fascinating topics to discuss.

There are all kinds of reactions from all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds.

But many times when it does come to judgment, the reason it is condemned is because these are all wrong and immoral judgements.

When you make judgments we are to make right ones.

Wait but Shane why are we judging at all.

We are not supposed to judge people period.

Does not the Bible command Judge not lest ye be judged?

First of all, this does not tell us not to judge, but not to judge without taking the log out of your own eye before you get the speck out of someone else.

But second, we are supposed to make judgements.

We are to watch out for men who do evil.

We are not to cast our pearls before swine.

We are to be wary of fools and mockers.

We are commanded to cast out the immoral brother.

We are not to support false teachers.

We gotta make a judgement in order to an action.

But are we making right judgments?

This is what Jesus directed.

The problem that we normally face today is wrong judgements.

Judgements that are based upon our own personal standards and traditions.

Our own wants and desires.

Our own need to feel better about ourselves by making others feel worse about themselves.

But we should also remember that many in this world are trying to pull you from genuine Christianity to get you to follow them so that you can feed their greed.

So they can build their own following.

So that you can be a part of their thing.

One of the ways they do this, is false rules and traditions that you can be condemned for if you do not follow.

They way you dress, the way you talk, the way your pray, the way you give… how much you give.

I remember the condemnation speech we got at one church service I visited once where they passed the plate 3 times and got a we are going to hell speech if we don’t give enough.

This is a reality today.

I happens more than we think and the apostle gives us a real and encouraging warning.

Let’s check it out.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

The Shadows

The Reality

The first thing we will look at today is the judgment that came for all that were simply shadows of things to come.

Second, we will look at the reality of what they represented… the reality of Christ.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world will cause us to live and move in the shadows and types, it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the scriptures that will show us the reality, the reality of Christ and Christ alone.

I.

The Shadows

- The shadows of the reality.

A. So the apostle is urging the Colossians not to let inappropriate judgements come from the false teachers that were trying to lead the people away from Christ and to follow their thing.

They were trying to bring a guilt and a condemnation because of what the Christians were and were not doing.

B. Paul and Timothy are urging the people not to fall for any type of spiritual fullness system that promises fullness of life without Christ at the center of it.

Even if it is those things that point us to Christ.

Paul uses the Greek Krino which essentially expresses a critical opinion of something.

But the context would compel translators and even Dr.

Doug Moo to suggest that this judgement was a bit more than criticizing.

“The latter parallel in particular could suggest that Paul means not just that the false teachers were “criticizing” the Colossian Christians but that they were pronouncing God’s judgment on them.”

C. The two ways they were passing judgement of God upon the Christians were first in their diet and then in the festivals.

Dr.

Richard Melick writes...

“The false teachers attempted to enforce regulations on the group which were foreign to the spirit of Christ and unnecessary to Christian faith.

Their message was non-Christian.

It reflected matters of personal choice and had little to do with one’s relationship with Christ.”

D. So you see we have a clue here about how we are to handle false teaching.

A huge clue when it comes to false teaching is the dimishing of Christ.

When false teaching is there Christ will not be necessary or He will dimished.

The reality of the Gospel and true Christianity is the centrality of Christ and the necessity of Christ.

True Christianity fails with a diminished Christ or an absent Christ.

This is the urging of the apostle.

E. In the first century it seems that diet was no small thing.

It took on many of the dietary laws of the OT brought by Judaizers or even Ebionite teaching.

Clearly, the dietary laws of the Old Testament required careful discrimination between clean and unclean meats.

F. The Colossians were being condemned for not holding to the dietary regulations given by the scriptures.

But we see the reality of the abrogation of dietary laws by Christ in the scriptures as well.

G.

But it was not just diet.

It was also the festivals.

Condemnation was coming down on the peoples because they were not keeping the festivals as regulated by the scriptures.

II.

The Reality

- It all points to Christ.

A. This has been made clear with the teachings of Christ.

When it comes to eating there is a clear connection with Christ.

Even when it comes to food, like mana from heaven.

B. But what about the feasts?

What about passover?

C.

Even the Sabbaths?

D.

Here is something very insightful from Dr. Hendrickson...

“To be sure, for the time being a shadow that is cast by an approaching person may prove to be of some real value.

For example, it is possible that one is eagerly expecting this person but happens to be so situated that, at his approach, for a moment his shadow alone is seen.

However, that shadow not only guarantees the imminent arrival of the visitor but even provides a dim outline, describing him.

Thus, too, the Old Testament regulations had served a real purpose.”

E. So many things in the Bible point to Christ… matter of fact they all point to Christ.

F. An article I read from the Gospel coalition… If you grew up in church, you’re probably familiar with the well-known Bible stories.

You’ve marveled at Noah’s floating zoo, you’ve faced down giants in your life like David, maybe you’ve even dared to be a Daniel.

And that’s just the Old Testament.

In the Gospels you learned about Jesus’s miracles, and perhaps also that these stories aren’t just intended to amaze; they’re meant to make you a better person.

See how generous that little boy was with his lunch?

Go and do likewise.