Christocentric Teaching

Introduction

We are Doing a Series Called “Christocentric”

It’s All About Having Christ as Our Center

I Started Off the Series with an Illustration of a Man Buying a Painting

He Wanted the Painting to Be the Centerpiece of His House

He Eventually Renovated His Entire House to Make that Happen…

So that He and All Who Enter His House Would Admire and Honor the Painting

This Series is to Help Us Be Like that Man

Jesus is Our Painting

As Christians, He Needs to Be the Centerpiece of Our Lives

And We Need to Be Willing to Make Whatever Renovations Necessary to Make that Happen

The Christocentric Person’s Greatest Desire:

Is for Jesus to Be Admired and Honored Through Us

This Morning We are Looking at Christocentric Teaching

What We are Taught and Teach Matters

It Has Profound Effects on How We Live…

And What We Center Our Lives Around

Jesus, When Speaking About Seeking After Money, Said:

“Where Your Treasure is, There Your Heart Will Be Also”

Whatever You are Taught to Treasure is Where Your Heart Will Be

And You Pursue the Things Your Heart is Set On

If You are Taught to Treasure Money…

Your Life Will Be Dedicated to Pursuing Money

If You are Taught to Treasure Fame/Popularity/Reputation…

Your Life Will Be Dedicated to Pursuing Fame

If You are Taught to Treasure Wisdom/Knowledge…

Your Life Will Be Dedicated to Pursuing Wisdom

If You are Taught to Treasure Relationships

Your Life Will Be Dedicated to Pursuing Relationships

If You are Taught to Treasure Pleasure/Happiness…

Your Life Will Be Dedicated to Pursuing Pleasure/Happiness

But What Happens When You are Taught to Treasure Jesus?

Your Life Will Be Dedicated to Pursuing Jesus

A Relationship With Him, Pleasing Him, Being Like Him, Reigning with Him Eternally

What We are Taught…

What We Allow to Enter Our Hearts and Minds…

Has the Power to Affect the Way We Live Our Lives

With this Lesson We’re Going to Focus on the Importance of Christocentric Teaching:

Christ Being the Center of Our Teaching

We’re Using the Book of Colossians as Our Outline for this Series

Paul was a Prisoner in Rome at the Time He Wrote this Letter to the Colossians

He was Made Aware that False Teaching was Starting to Spread in the Church

There Seems to Be a Mix of Paganism, Gnosticism, Mysticism, and Jewish Legalism Influencing the Church

Colossians 2:8 (NASB95)

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

These False Teachers Were Trying to Take the Colossians Captive Through Philosophy

What Does He Mean By Philosophy?

Philosophy has to Do with the Love of Wisdom

Wisdom can Be Either Good or Bad Depending on its Source

But Paul Gives Us Descriptions of the Type of Wisdom They Were Teaching:

It was “Empty Deception”

It was Deceiving

What They Were Teaching Sounded Good and Wise

It Promised Deeper Spirituality and Righteousness

But it was Empty

It Couldn’t Offer Any Spirituality or Righteousness to Those Who Followed it

It was “According to the Tradition of Men”

The Wisdom They Offered was Totally Based Off of Their Own Traditions, Not God

They Were Teaching What They Believed was More Righteous/Spiritual

It was “According to the Elementary Principles of the World”

The Wisdom They Taught was According to the Basic Principles of the World

They Were Teaching a Worldly Understanding of Righteousness and Spirituality

It was Not “According to Christ”

The Philosophy/Wisdom They Were Teaching Did Not Come From Jesus

Paul Already Told the Colossians Where True Wisdom Comes From:

Colossians 2:3 (CSB)

In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

In Order to Have True Wisdom, Jesus is All We Need

2 Peter 1:3–4 (CSB)

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

Everything We Need to Live a Life that is Pleasing to God…

And to Inherit the Promises Found in Jesus…

Has Been Given to Us By God in Christ

The Gospel Jesus and the Upside-Down Ways of His Kingdom…

Teach Us Everything We Need to Live the Abundant Life

True Wisdom is Found in Jesus

If You’re Wondering What Teachings Paul was Specifically Referring to as “Philosophy”…

Paul Tells Us in:

Colossians 2:16–23 (NASB95)

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?

These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

The Philosophy/Worldly Wisdom Being Taught in Colossae Included Teachings Like:

Jewish Law-Keeping, Mysticism, and Asceticism

They Were Teaching that Certain Aspects of the Old Law Were Still Required

In Order to Be Considered Spiritual and Righteous Before God:

They Weren’t Allowed to Eat Certain Foods

They Had to Keep and Celebrate All of the Holy Days and Festivals

They Had to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy By Refraining From Working

This is Worldly Wisdom Based Off of Human Traditions

This is From Man, Not From Jesus

Paul Told Them that These OT Requirements Were Only a Shadow of the Messianic Age

Jesus is the “Body” that Casts the Shadow

Stop Teaching the Shadow and Teach the Substance that Casts the Shadow

They Needed Christocentric Teaching

They Were Teaching a Type of Mysticism

They Focused on Spiritual Experiences and Communication with/Worship of Spiritual Beings

They Would Go On and On About Their Spiritual Experiences and Visions

And They Would Act Humble…

But All They Were Doing was Bragging About Their Experiences

It was All an Act to Make Themselves Appear More Righteous/Spiritual

This was All Worldly Wisdom Taught By “Fleshly Minds”

Paul Told Them that this Type of Teaching Comes About When You Don’t Hold Onto the Head

Jesus is the Head of the Body, and the Body Only Grows When the Body Focuses On Him

Again, Paul Tells Them What They Need is Christocentric Teaching

They Were Teaching the Practice of Asceticism

Asceticism is the Denying Oneself of Any and All Pleasure

Think of Monks, Nuns, Modern-Day Priests

This Can Span From Fasting to Self-Torture

And its Primary Purpose is to Attain Superior Spirituality and Righteousness

It Looks Like Wisdom, Humility, Self-Control, and Devotion…

But Paul Called it “Self-Made Religion”

Religion Made My Way

The King James Version Translates it “Will-Worship”

It’s a Religion Based Off of What I Want or Think is Best

Practicing Christianity the Way I Think Christianity Should Be Practiced

But This Type of Worldly Wisdom is “of No Value Against Fleshly Indulgence”

Or as the NLT Puts it:

Colossians 2:23 (NLT)

These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

It Looks Wise and Devout, But it Doesn’t Fix the Problem

It Doesn’t Take Away Our Desires to Do Evil

It’s All Outward Focused, Not Inward

It’s All Focused On the Actions, Not the Heart

But Jesus Taught Us to Focus on the Inside/Our Hearts

Matthew 23:25–26 (NASB95)

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

True Transformation Toward Spirituality and Righteousness Begins with the Heart

Colossians 2:20–21 (NASB95)

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

When We Die with Christ (Become a Christian)…

We Die to Such Basic Principles of the World

What These Colossians Need is Not More Teaching on Self-Control

They Need More Teaching on Jesus

Colossians 2:8 (NASB95)

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Paul Told These Christians to Not Allow These False Teachers to Take Them Captive…

To the Worldly Philosophies of:

Law-Keeping, Spiritual Experiences, and Extreme Self-Control of the Body

They Needed Jesus to Be the Center of Their Teaching

This was Paul’s Mission

Colossians 1:28 (NIV)

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

“We Proclaim Jesus”

Paul’s Ministry and Mission as a Christian was Christocentric Teaching

The Goal of Christocentric Teaching is:

So Everyone can Reach Maturity in Christ

Maturity in Christ is Being Like Christ

Being Conformed to His Image

The End Goal of Christocentric Teaching is for Christians to Become Like Jesus

To Live as a New Creation/Humanity in Christ

In Colossae, There was an Immaturity Problem

The False Teaching that had Infected the Congregation…

Was a Very Fleshly, Old Creation, Immature Way of Thinking and Living

But We Don’t Grow to Maturity in Christ-Likeness Through Teaching of Worldly Philosophy

We Grow to Maturity in Christ-Likeness Through Christocentric Teaching

Application

Now, Let’s Bring These Principles Paul is Teaching to the 21st Century Livingston Church

Do We Still See Worldly Philosophies Being Taught?

Do We Still See Man-Made Traditions Being the Central Teachings in the Church Today?

It May Not Be Primarily Jewish Rituals and Ceremonial Laws…

But They are Still Just as Wrong to Bind on Others

Was it Wrong for Jewish Christians to Continue Practicing These Things?

The Teachings of Paul Say Absolutely Not…

So Long as They Don’t Believe They Make Them More Righteous

And So Long as They Don’t Bind Them on Others

If You Hold Yourself to Certain Standards of Practice, Worship, or Ritual…

That is Perfectly Fine, as Long as it Doesn’t Violate Principles of the Gospel

But When You Start Binding Your Standards on Others…

You are Teaching a Worldly Philosophy, Not the Gospel of Jesus

Do We Still See Spiritual Experiences Being Taught in the Church Today?

Sure We Do

There are Many Christians that Chase the Spiritual High They Get From Doing Good Deeds

There are Many Christians Who Rely on Their Emotions and Feelings to Guide Their Religious Practices

There are Many Christians Who Pretend to Be Humble…

But Actually All They are Seeking to Do is Brag About Their Spirituality

There’s Nothing Wrong with Riding Those Spiritual Highs and Being Emotional

But is it True, or is it All for Show and Self-Promotion?

And if Your Religious Life is Centered on Such Spiritual Experiences…

What’s Going to Happen When These Feelings Stop?

You’re Going to Walk Away From Christianity

Because Your Faith Wasn’t Centered Jesus and His Gospel

It is Centered on Worldly Wisdom

Do We Still See Ascetic-Like Legalistic Teaching in the Church Today?

Absolutely

Many Times in Our Teaching, the Focus is Centered on Law-Keeping…

Whether Those Laws are Found in Scripture or in Our Own Minds

Is it Wrong to Place Focus Upon Avoiding Sin and Practicing Righteous Behavior?

Absolutely Not

But We Do Harm to the Church When that is What Our Teaching is Centered On

Too Many People Grow Up in/Around the Church Believing it’s All Up to Them

That My Righteousness Depends Entirely on My Good Works and Self-Control

That Type of Teaching is Only Good for 2 Things

Making Us Absolutely Miserable Because We Realize We’ll Never Be Good Enough

Or Making Us Self-Righteous Because We Believe We Are

Christianity is Not Judaism 2.0

It’s Not a New List of Rules We are to Keep

The Gospel is About Being Transformed By God’s Grace

It’s About Being Welcomed into a Relationship with God…

Where His Son Takes All Our Sins Away and Makes Us Righteous

It’s About Receiving God’s Spirit Who Creates a New Heart Within Us

The Gospel is Not About New Rules

It’s About Receiving a New Heart Transformed By Jesus’ Spirit

Whenever Our Teaching Centered on Me and My Ability to Practice Righteousness…

And Not on Jesus and His Ability to Make Me Righteous…

We are Teaching a Worldly Philosophy, Not the Gospel

Like the Church in Colossae…

What We Need to Be Mature and Christ-Like is Not Worldly Philosophies

We Need More Teaching On Jesus…

The Gospel of His Kingdom…

His Transforming Spirit

And the Hope We Have in Him