Complete in Christ

[0:00] Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we praise you that we don't stand before you on our own.

[0:15] Thank you that because of Christ we come to you in him.

[0:35] That he stands before us as the advocate. As the one who is bringing our case before you himself.

[0:48] He's the one who has accomplished everything that's necessary for life and godliness and for salvation. It comes to us because of him.

[1:00] And those of us who are in him because of faith in Jesus. Forgiveness of sins and cleansing. And the righteousness of Christ. Thank you that everything has been satisfied.

[1:14] All of the requirements have been met. All the standards accomplished because of Christ. We thank you for that Lord. Lord and we pray that we would live in the reality of what you have accomplished for us.

[1:32] That is those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ. Those who have been reconciled. Which means that you have made peace between us and God.

[1:44] Because of your blood. And because of redemption. You purchasing us back. Paying the price. Making a way. God we praise you for what you have accomplished.

[1:57] And we ask that you would help us to live in the reality of that finished work. That our lives would reflect not only gratitude. But stability.

[2:08] New identity. Transformation. New mission. Because of what you have called us to in Christ. And Lord this morning as we look into your word. I pray that your word would speak to our hearts.

[2:21] And draw us ever closer to Jesus. Make us. Make us delight in you.

[2:33] Help us to grow in our affection for you. And I pray Lord that our lives would show the testimony. Of your finished work in Jesus name.

[2:44] Amen. I want to encourage you to open your Bibles if you would please. To Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. We're continuing our time this morning.

[2:58] In this series. About what Christ has accomplished for us. In his finished work. On the cross.

[3:10] Before we do that. I want to just. Introduce you to. Some. Some. Some thoughts here. I think I have this in my. Oh well.

[3:24] I'm going to have to. I'm going to have to. Add lib on this. Because my notes aren't. Aren't showing up. Let's see. Let's see.

[3:36] Give me a second. Right. Didn't load. Okay. Colossians chapter 2. Verse 11. Says this.

[3:46] It says. In him also. You were circumcised. With a circumcision made without hands.

[3:58] By putting off. The body of flesh. By the circumcision of Christ. Having been buried with him in baptism. In which. You were also raised with him.

[4:10] In faith. In the powerful working of God. Who raised him from the dead. And before we jump into our passage. This morning. We're going to have a time of just.

[4:23] Baby dedication. Peter. And Lizzie. Marbach. You can stay there. Just for a moment. So you don't have to be up here. And endure. Keeping Noah quiet.

[4:33] While I talk. So. We think about circumcision. And we're going to dig into this. A little bit more. In our time together. This morning. But circumcision was this sign.

[4:43] It was a sign. Of what the. The Old Testament. Children of Israel. Were to do. To demonstrate. That they belonged. To the family. It was this outward.

[4:55] Physical sign. This cutting off. Of the foreskin. Of the flesh. So that. So that those who were a part. Of Israel. Could demonstrate. In a physical way.

[5:05] That they belong. To this covenant. This old covenant. Which was this. This relationship. With God. This commitment. Of. Of. Of a relationship. And intimacy.

[5:16] And promise. To be part of. God's. Family. Part of God's. Children. And so Abraham. Was called to do this. In Genesis chapter 17. He was to do this.

[5:27] For. For his son Isaac. Isaac was to do this. Do it for. For his son. Esau and Jacob. And so on. And so forth. Down the road. And it was an expression. Of what. Of what the people.

[5:39] Of this. This new. Community. Would do. To demonstrate. That they had a connection. With God himself. A connection. As God's people.

[5:49] Representing. God. In. The day to day. Of course. This physical. Picture. Was just a point. To a spiritual reality.

[6:02] And. The people of Israel. Weren't quite as faithful. As they should have been. To do these. To obey. The commitments. The requirements.

[6:12] That God had set forth. In the law. And so. We find in. Deuteronomy chapter 30. That. That. That while. The. The people of Israel. Were supposed to. To separate.

[6:22] Themselves. To God. Through this. This ritual. Of circumcision. That. That God. Would have to. Circumcise. Their hearts. God would have to do. A work.

[6:32] That. That only God. Could accomplish. And again. We'll look at that. A little bit more. As we make our way through. This. This segment. This passage. This morning. And so. This responsibility.

[6:45] Of parents. To. To have a heart. That pleased the Lord. We find in Deuteronomy chapter 6. They were to. Love the Lord. Their God. With their heart. And soul. And mind. And strength.

[6:55] And that love. For the Lord. That was true. In their own life. Would then spill out. For their children. And they would help their children. As they rose up. As they. As they walked.

[7:06] Along the way. The word of God. Would be part. Of this. Ever present. Conversation. Within this family. As parents. Sought to point. Their children.

[7:17] To God. Circumcision. Circumcision was. That. That commemorating ritual. A commitment. Really. From parents. To their children.

[7:27] Especially. To their sons. To say. We are going to raise you. In a way. That leads you to God. That helps you understand. The environment. In which you're living. This old. Testament.

[7:38] Old covenant. Old promise. Kind. Of community. And. This ritual. Was performed. On this. Procreative.

[7:48] Member. Of the male. To speak. Really. And figuratively. To demonstrate. It was going to be passed on. From one generation. To the other. Now. Of course. We don't have.

[7:59] Circumcision. In that same way. Today. In this. New. Testament. New covenant. Community. But. But. But we do. As. As Baptists.

[8:09] At least. Have this. This. Ritual. As it were. And it's a. A confession. Of parents. A desire. For parents. A commitment.

[8:20] Of parents. To seek. To lead. Their children. In that kind of way. As parents. To love the Lord. Their God. With their heart. Soul. Mind. And strength. And to. And to.

[8:30] As much as they can. Communicate. And to pass on. Generationally. That love. And commitment. Of God. To their children. As well. So.

[8:40] I'm going to invite. Peter and Lizzie. To come. And Peter and Lizzie. Who would like to. Kind of have a public. Demonstration. Of that. Of that commitment. Before you. And. And.

[8:50] Their son Noah. Who's the youngest. And they want to. Dedicate him to the Lord. We. We do this. As kind of a. A pattern. That was set. By. By Hannah.

[9:02] Would you come on up. Maybe. Maybe you can stand up here. So everyone can see you. How about that? It's great. I. I. I. I trust you've met. Peter and Lizzie. And you guys have been.

[9:12] At Maranatha. For several years. Probably since just after. 2020. Yeah. It was 2021. 20. Okay. Yes. And. And so. They're. Especially Lizzie.

[9:23] You came here first as a single. And now. Look what God has done. For you. And. What a blessing is. To have him. Have them here. One of the blessings. Of being a part of Maranatha. Is the commitment.

[9:34] Of. Older. More mature people. Who love Jesus. And want to invest in families. And. And so. I appreciate. Your commitment. And.

[9:45] Kind of this public demonstration. To the church. Of your desire. Your commitment. To seek to raise Noah. And. Your other son. What's his name? Gabriel. In.

[9:55] In the ways of the Lord. And. Hannah kind of sets this pattern. For us. Back in 1st Samuel. And. And maybe. You. You remember. That illustration. Where. Where Hannah. Is.

[10:05] Praying for a son. And. And God. Gives her Samuel. And she decides. That she's going to. Devote Samuel. To the Lord. And. Kind of in a similar way. You're. You're devoting Noah. You're devoting Gabriel.

[10:16] To the Lord. Jesus. Kind of this open hand. Lord. They belong to you. We. As parents. We. As parents. Want as much as we can. To lead them. In love. Of Jesus. And to raise them up.

[10:27] In the nurture. And admonition of the Lord. That begins with you. By the way. It begins as you settle your own hearts. And. Seek to lead your own hearts. And. Peter. Your wife.

[10:37] And your family. In the things of the Lord. And. And the joy that we have. As. A fellowship of believers. In coming alongside you. And. And seeking to help you. In that process.

[10:48] Because raising kids is a. Can be a daunting task at times. But. We're grateful for your. Your example. We're grateful for your commitment. Let me. Let me just pray. For you. This morning.

[10:59] Father. We thank you for Peter. And Lizzie. Thank you for Gabriel. Thank you for Noah. God. I pray that your hand. Would be on this family. God. I pray that you would lead them. And guide them.

[11:11] I pray that you would help. Them. To have wisdom. In how to raise. Their family. In the nurture. In training. In admonition. Of the Lord. That God.

[11:22] You would be first. In their home. First. As a priority. Seeking to lead. Their family. In a way. That pleases you. And worships you.

[11:33] And obeys you. And. Introduces them. To the word of God. And seeks to. To. To lead them. Into the community. Of faith. We know that's not automatic.

[11:45] It's a work of yours. And we pray that you would do. Accomplish that work. Both. For Gabriel. And for Noah. Lord. That you would. Open blind eyes. That you would rescue.

[11:56] Dead hearts. And that you would do. A work. In them. Of leading them. To spiritual. Life. In Christ. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Yeah. Love you.

[12:06] Let me give you. A certificate here. Can you guys. Applaud with me. Thank you guys. Love you. Thank you.

[12:16] Thank you. All right. Colossians 2. Open up with me. If you would.

[12:27] Colossians 2. We're going to begin in verse 8. And make our way to verse 15. Colossians 2. 8 to 15. If you're using the Pew Bible. You're going to find this on page 983.

[12:39] We sang this morning about. About the victorious life that we can have in Christ. We sang this morning about the work of Christ.

[12:51] In our lives that leads us to something. And as a result of this passage this morning. There should be a reality. That shows up in our life.

[13:03] That bears the fruit. Or the evidence. Of the truths that we see. You see the truths of the word of God. Aren't meant to be isolated. The truths of the word of God. Are meant to be.

[13:15] Embedded into our hearts. And to be played out. In how we live from day to day. In 2019. A man named Randy Hess. From Arizona.

[13:26] Received an unexpected letter. That left him speechless. Years earlier. After losing his job. And facing a medical emergency. He had accumulated nearly $200,000.

[13:39] In unpaid hospital bills. The debt. Had followed him for years. Ruining his credit. Limiting his opportunities. Weighing on him like a chain.

[13:49] He could not break. And any of you. Who have been in debt. Will know the pressure. Of financial stress. The burden. Of that. Of that. Of that weight.

[14:00] But on December afternoon. He opened a letter. From a charity. That had quietly purchased. His medical debt. And forgave.

[14:11] Every penny. Randy said in the interview. I felt like someone. Had just lifted. A mountain. Off of my shoulders. I didn't deserve it.

[14:22] I couldn't believe it. It was just. Gone. It's reminiscent. This morning. Of what we're going to come to see. Of the burden. That is on. The heart.

[14:32] And life. Of every single person. In this room. Every single person. On the planet. It is a. A burden. That we should face. A burden. That we should feel. But it was a burden.

[14:43] That because of Christ. Was lifted. And not a physical burden. Or a financial burden. But a spiritual burden. A spiritual burden. That could not be paid. Except for.

[14:54] Christ. Paying it for us. We find. This morning. In our passage. He. He. Cancelled. The record. Of debt. That stood against us.

[15:05] With its legal demands. This he set aside. Nailing it. To the cross. Jesus. Paid. The debt. The burden. Lifted. Through faith.

[15:15] In Christ. And that's just a summary. Of what we're going to find. This morning. In our passage. What Christ. Has accomplished. For us. And. Those of you. Who haven't. Have an outline. What we'll see.

[15:26] Kind of the title. That's there. Complete. In Christ. What does. A life. That's complete. In Christ. Look like. What is the reality. Of being completed. In Christ.

[15:36] Do. For us. What should we look like. This morning. We're going to see. Five things. Five ways. In which. This completion. In Christ. Will show up. And should show up.

[15:48] In the life. Of every believer. First. In verse 8. It says this. See to it. That no one takes you captive. By philosophy. And empty deceit. According to human tradition.

[16:00] According to the elemental spirits of the world. And not according to Christ. For in him. The whole fullness. Of deity. Dwells bodily. And you have been filled in him.

[16:11] Who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also. You were circumcised. With a circumcision made. Without hands. By putting off the body of flesh.

[16:22] By the circumcision of Christ. Having been buried with him. In baptism. In which. You also were raised with him. Through faith. In the powerful working. Of God.

[16:32] Who raised him. From. The dead. In Christ. First. We have freedom. In Christ. We have freedom. Notice.

[16:44] See to it. That no one takes you. Captive. By philosophy. In empty deceit. Because in. In Christ. We have freedom. Let me. Just develop this. A little bit for you.

[16:54] You see. Paul is concerned for this church. And we've seen that from the very beginning. His heart. That is pouring out. In affection. For this church. He loves this church.

[17:05] He's never seen this church. But he is pouring himself out. He's suffering. He's been afflicted. He's toiling. For this church. He loves this church. And while Paul has seen the evidence of Christ in this church.

[17:19] Going all the way back to chapter 1. Verses 4 and 5. He talks about their confession of faith in Christ Jesus. Their love for all the saints. Their hope in heaven. Those are the good evidences of faith.

[17:32] That they show. He is still concerned. That the false teachers. Who are there. Who have kind of infiltrated their ranks. He's concerned that these false teachers. Are going to disqualify them.

[17:44] From this faith that they have. He sees vulnerability. And he wants them to endure. He's prayed for their endurance. We find that in Colossians chapter 1 verse 11. May you be strengthened with power.

[17:57] What does that do for them? Well it gives them endurance and patience with joy. God's power produces endurance. So he's prayed for them.

[18:08] He's also spoken to them. And warned them about the need for endurance. Not just take their faith for granted. He says in verse 23 of chapter 1. If indeed you continue in the faith.

[18:22] Stable and steadfast. Not shifting from the hope of the gospel. That you heard. There is an enduring quality of genuine faith. And he wants the people of Colossae. Of this church.

[18:33] To have that endurance of faith. Not to be taken away. Captured away. You see the problem. The problem was not necessarily that they had abandoned Christ.

[18:45] They believed the gospel. They had heard the gospel. They knew the right things about Jesus. The problem with this church. Is that they were being persuaded.

[18:56] That they needed to add something to Christ. Christ plus works. Christ plus circumcision. Christ plus duty. Christ plus duty. And of course.

[19:07] Any addition to the gospel. Is not the gospel. Anything that is added to Christ. Devalues the work of Christ.

[19:18] Diminishes the work of Christ. And renders our faith useless. Galatians chapter 5 verse 4. Paul will deal with the church of Galatia.

[19:31] In the same respect. He says this. You are severed from Christ. You who would be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. And this is a church.

[19:41] By the way. That had come to faith in Christ. And Paul talks about this in Galatians chapter 3. He talks about how they have submitted themselves to Christ. How they know the gospel of Christ.

[19:52] But they didn't think that Christ's work was sufficient. And that's what Paul has been dealing with now. For the last several verses. Christ plus something else.

[20:03] Is not the gospel. And by the way. These are terrifying words. You have been severed from Christ. You see. The church of Galatia. Along with the church of Colossae.

[20:15] Was under strong pressure. To have Christ plus something else. And we'll see more of that next week. Most of that was the human tradition. Or the Jewish laws. Or asceticism.

[20:27] Which was mistreatment of the body. To try to elevate in some way. The spiritual nature that they had. And so Paul begins this section in verse 8.

[20:39] With this warning word. See to it. It's the word. Greek word. Blapete. Which is the word. Beware. Or watch out. Or danger. Danger.

[20:49] Danger. Jesus will use this word. On a number of occasions. With his disciples. Especially in dealing with. With the Pharisees.

[21:00] He says in Mark 8.15. Beware. This is our word. Of the leaven of the Pharisees. In Mark 12. Verse 38. Beware of the scribes and Pharisees. Mark chapter 13.

[21:13] But watch out. They will deliver you. We may think of words. And concepts. And philosophies. As immaterial. And things that don't really matter.

[21:24] But the real danger of the church. The thing that's going to disrupt your faith. More than anything. Is not the pressure. Of conflict. That you feel. From physical people.

[21:36] But the philosophies. And the ideas. That are going to drive you away. From true faith in Christ. And the sufficiency. That he would bring to the table. He uses this word.

[21:48] Captive. This present. Participle. This ongoing. Work. Of these. False teachers. In the church. That wanted to capture them away. It's the word.

[21:59] To plunder. The word. To carry off. The word. To kidnap. Not the word. To imprison. So much. But to. To carry them away. To disqualify them. From.

[22:09] From all the benefits. Of what they would be able to enjoy. In Christ. Christ. And those of you. Who have been watching the news. Will understand. Or appreciate. In some sense. The captives. Or the hostages.

[22:20] That are being released. By Hamas. Back. Into Israel. Is a serious. Concern. That Paul has. You see. The false teachers. Didn't go out.

[22:30] And make recruits. On their own. False teachers. Will infiltrate the church. To capture people away. May we not think. That this is a safe place. That somehow.

[22:42] We are removed from the world. And here we are. At church. And everything is okay. No. We still here. At the church. Need to beware. We beware. And allow. The ministry.

[22:52] Of the word of God. To set the course. For us. In terms of wisdom. And knowledge. And principle. And that's what Paul. Is concerned about here. The clear.

[23:04] Teaching. Of the knowledge. Of wisdom. Of God. Set apart. From philosophy. This word. Is to love wisdom. And we understand. People who love. Wisdom.

[23:14] And love apologetics. And love to. To be able to argue. With others. And sound. Sound smart. In some way. And that was the same problem. Back in the first century. We're inundated.

[23:26] Day by day. Bombarded. I would say. With philosophies. What are some of the philosophies. That are. Are bombarding us. From day to day. Well here's. Here's a mini list.

[23:38] And I won't go into detail. But how about the philosophy. Of materialism. Of. Boosting up. Income. And creating. Financial.

[23:49] Security. And setting a course. For wealth. And success. How about. Consumerism. That wherever you go. There is a. A desire.

[24:00] Of your heart. To make sure. That. That your expectations. Are met. You go to a restaurant. You purchase something. From Amazon. Or you go to church. And you want to expect. Certain things.

[24:10] If they are not there. Then you go to the next church. Where you can find it. Consumerism. Is. Is. Is. Is infiltrating. Our. Thought processes. How about independence.

[24:22] Our self-sufficiency. How about our radical individualism. That we are the ultimate authority. Over our life. And personal fulfillment. Is the highest goal. How about autonomy.

[24:34] That we are subject. To no one. We are accountable. To no one. No one has the right. To tell me. What to do. How about this health. Wealth gospel.

[24:45] That if I do. The right things. I follow. The right commands. I pray. The right way. I go to church. And the times I am supposed to go. Then my life will be blessed. And if it is not blessed.

[24:56] Then God is not doing. His part of the responsibility. How about relativism. That truth is whatever feels right to you. How about tolerance. That we should accept. The belief systems.

[25:06] Of everyone around us. And put them on a level playing field. How about emotionalism. That we trust our heart. If it feels right. Then it must be good. How about anti-authority.

[25:17] That institutions. And authorities that are over us. We have been conditioned to think. That they are oppressors. And we need to resist. The oppression of the oppressor.

[25:29] How about secular humanism. Where human reason. And science. And cooperation. Are sufficient to solve. All of human problems. We are bombarded.

[25:39] Day by day. With philosophies. Philosophies. That you must sort out. As you align your heart. With the truth. Of the word of God. Otherwise you will be.

[25:50] Captive. You will be kidnapped. You will be taken away. This empty deceit. This deceit. This fraud. This trick. That those who are false teachers.

[26:02] They promise the world. But they deliver nothing. Or human tradition. That we are going to look at more. Next week. Those especially Jewish traditions. That found their way.

[26:13] Made their way. Into the church. And believing that they had to follow. These traditions. And incorporate them. Into their Christian life. In order to enjoy all the benefits.

[26:23] That God had for them. Elemental spirits. This is. This is really a word. That refers to the primary letters. Of the alphabet.

[26:33] A, B, C, D. And literally means. To things in a row. These are the basic. Things. Of the world. Basic concepts.

[26:43] And when you compare them. To the riches. Of the wisdom of God. This is like being in kindergarten. And. It's like getting a doctorate degree. And deciding to go back to kindergarten.

[26:54] Don't be like that. Don't adopt the. The elemental principles. Of the world. Recognize the. The riches. Of the wisdom of God. Follow after that.

[27:06] Of course. The false teachers in Colossae. They didn't ask. The believers. In Colossae. To abandon Christ. They wanted them. To add something.

[27:17] To Christ. Which was. To sever themselves. From true faith. In the sufficiency. Of Christ's work. Alone. It was not.

[27:27] According. To Christ. So in Christ. We have freedom. We don't have to. Follow the yoke. Of the world. And also in Christ. We are full. We see that in verses.

[27:37] Nine and ten. We're full. In Christ. Notice how he develops this. I'm going to read. Verses nine to fifteen. I want to. Just draw your attention.

[27:48] To the ways in which. The apostle Paul. Draws this concept out. He. He wants to. To make this emphatic. So you. You're going to look for the words. In him. Or with him.

[27:58] Or of Christ. And. Eight times. In seven verses. The apostle Paul will say. Christ. Has done it. All. Christ. Is sufficient. Everything that's required.

[28:09] For salvation. Is done. It's accomplished. In Christ. In him. The whole fullness of deity. Dwells bodily. You have been filled. In him.

[28:19] Who is the head of all rule. And authority. In him also. You were circumcised. With a circumcision. Made without hands. By putting off the body. Of the flesh. By the circumcision.

[28:30] Of Christ. Having been buried. With him. In baptism. In which also. You were raised. With him. Through faith. In the powerful working. Of God. Who raised him.

[28:41] From the dead. And you who were dead. In your trespasses. In the uncircumcision. Of your flesh. God made alive. Together. With him. Having forgiven.

[28:51] All our trespasses. Canceling the record. Of debt. That stood against us. With its legal demands. This he set aside. Nailing it to the cross. He disarmed.

[29:01] The rulers. And authorities. And put them. To open shame. By triumphing. Over them. In him. Jesus. Jesus. Has finished. It all.

[29:12] Jesus. Has accomplished. Everything. Demanded by God. In salvation. Has been completed. In Christ. And those who are in Christ.

[29:23] And how do you get to be in Christ? Well you get to be. In Christ. Through faith. In Jesus. Believing that he alone. Can forgive you. Of your sins. Believing. That you are separated.

[29:34] From God. Because of your rebellion. Against him. That all have sinned. And come short. Of the glory of God. And that only. In Jesus. Can you enjoy forgiveness. And we are going to see that more.

[29:45] As we continue to work our way. Through this passage. Forgiveness. Cleansing. The removal. Of this burden. Of sin. This debt. That we owed. It was placed.

[29:55] On to Jesus. And it was nailed. To the cross. So that record. Of wrongs. Against us. Was captured. And nailed. On the cross. In Christ. In believing.

[30:07] That Jesus died. And he rose again. And in his resurrection. He offers new life. That's how you get to be in Christ. And that's what Paul is talking about here. And notice in verse 9.

[30:18] He says. For in him. The whole fullness. Of deity. Dwells. Bodily. If you remember. Paul is repeating this. This is something. He's already said.

[30:29] In a very similar way. Back in chapter 1. Verse 19. He says this. For in him. All the fullness of God. Was pleased. To dwell. Why in the world. Is Paul.

[30:40] Repeating this. Now again. What's the point? Well. It's meant to be. A marker. It's meant to be. This mental cue. To take you back. To chapter 1. Verse 19.

[30:50] To remember. What Christ has done there. So that we can then. Apply it to the truth. That we see here. In chapter 2. Well. What do we see. In chapter 1. Well. Notice. Chapter 1.

[31:01] Verses 15 and 16. It says this. He. Is the image. Of the invisible God. The firstborn. Of all creation. For by him. All things were created.

[31:11] In heaven. And on earth. Visible. And invisible. Whether thrones. Or dominions. Or rulers. Or authorities. All things were created. Through him. And for him. Jesus.

[31:23] Is the creator. Of the universe. Well. Why does that matter? Because Jesus. As being the creator. Of the universe. Everything was created. Through him. And what church?

[31:35] For him. All of created. History. Is moving. In one direction. And that is. To glorify. God. Through Jesus Christ.

[31:46] Glorify. Jesus Christ. And if. Jesus is the one. To whom. We are meant. To appease. If he is the. End goal. That all of history.

[31:56] Is moving. Towards him. And we are already. In him. Then the verdict. Has already been written. In the cross. And in the resurrection. That we. Have been. Completed in him.

[32:07] And we have been. Satisfied. The debt. Has been paid. By Jesus Christ. Jesus. Has been appeased. The father.

[32:18] Has been appeased. Through the death. Of Jesus Christ. And if we are in him. Then. Then all of. Created history. All this. Material world. All this. Physical world. Is owing.

[32:28] To him. It's accountable. To him. Second. Is in verse 18. So. 15 and 16. Speaks about the physical. World. The created world.

[32:39] And now notice this. In verse 18. And he. Is the head. Of the body. The church. He is the beginning. The first born. From the dead. That in everything. He might be.

[32:50] Preeminent. Jesus is over. The created world. Jesus is also over. The spiritual world. Which by the way. He also created. With these two statements.

[33:02] Paul demonstrates. That Jesus is over. Everything. He is over everything. And so if he. Has completed. Everything. And we are in him. Then. God's requirements.

[33:13] For us. Have been satisfied. God's requirements. God. The false teachers. Didn't deny. That God. Was in charge. But what they denied.

[33:24] Was that Jesus. As God. Came in bodily form. Mainly because. Jesus. Because he was. Physical. They. They.

[33:35] They. They broke. Their logic. In terms of trying to see. This physical. Person. As not having limitations. Not as. Representing. Some measure.

[33:45] Of corruption. Or. Or. Seeing Jesus. As a person. Who. Was weak. In some way. But in fact. Jesus. Was God. And he was God. Fully. This word for fullness.

[33:58] Is the word. Pleroma. And in. Gnostic culture. In that first century. Culture. There. In Colossae. The. The idea. Was that. That.

[34:08] That God. Would. Disseminate. Or he would. Disperse. The. The authorities. And the powers. To the various demons. And the various angels.

[34:19] And. And he would. He would assign to them. And distribute to them. This power. Based upon their goodness. But if Jesus. Is the fullness. Of God. None of that power.

[34:31] None of that authority. Is distributed. It's all. Contained. It's located. In Christ. In totality. Christ. Is. Everything. He was God.

[34:41] In totality. The fullness. Of deity. Was Paul's way. Of stating. That Jesus. Is. Is. Every bit. God. We see.

[34:54] In this word. Fullness. The sum total. Of all that God is. All that you would expect. God to be. Was located. In Jesus. Who was the.

[35:05] Exact. Imprint. Of God's glory. On the earth. The word. Became flesh. And dwelt among us. Jesus. Was that expression. That expression.

[35:15] Of God. And notice. Notice the implications. Of the fullness. Of deity. In Christ. Well. The implications. Are found in verse 10. And you have been filled.

[35:28] So. Christ. Is the fullness. Of God. And we have been filled. In him. Who is the head. Of all rule. In authority. God. Is in Jesus. And we.

[35:39] Are in him. Filled up. By him. Completed. Every requirement. That God had. In salvation.

[35:49] Was met. By the full. Ministry. And work. Of Jesus. Himself. So that Jesus. Is enough. Jesus. Is enough. You don't need to add anything.

[36:01] To your faith. You don't need to add anything. To your life. You need Jesus. Jesus is sufficient. But there are so many ways. That we put. Faith. In things. Outside of Christ.

[36:12] And I think we all struggle. With this. At one point. Or the other. And here are some examples. We tend at times. To put faith. In emotional experiences. Believing that somehow.

[36:22] Our emotional highs. In spiritual lows. Or sensations. Indicate God's approval. God's acceptance. God's presence. With your life. You ever feel like.

[36:34] God just doesn't seem. To be with me. I don't feel. His presence. That is kind of embedded. In culture. Christian culture. It is not true. If you have.

[36:44] Jesus. You have. Everything. Whether you feel it or not. There's also faith. In knowledge. What I know. About God. What I know.

[36:55] About the Bible. Trusting our own. Interpretations. Of truth. Or philosophical systems. We want to put our faith. In what we know. In what we understand.

[37:06] What we can explain. And things that we can't explain. Just can't be. Reconciled in our heart. We also put faith. In spiritual leaders. If so and so.

[37:18] Said something. Then it must be true. Well. I've got this problem. I want to. I want to see what. So and so says. And then what they say. Must be true. And by God's grace.

[37:28] There are some. Spiritual leaders. That really help us. In that way. But if Christ is enough. And his word is enough. That's the source. That we need to go to. We must know. The word of God.

[37:40] We have faith. In methods. And techniques. If I pray. The right way. Or I go to church. Enough times. Or if I take care. In leading my family.

[37:50] The way I'm supposed. To lead my family. Then. A plus B. Is going to equal C. Is going to lead. To this better life. Over here. We put our faith. In those methods. And when those.

[38:01] Methods let us down. Then Christ. Is not enough. His word. For some reason. Is not bearing. Truth for us. But God doesn't.

[38:12] Necessarily care. About results. God cares. About our relationship. With him. And often times. He will use. Very difficult things. In our life. Whether it's.

[38:22] Health crisis. Whether it's. Relational crisis. Whether it's. Work crisis. Or financial crisis. God will often. Allow us. To feel. The removal. Of those things.

[38:33] So that we can embrace. What is the most valuable. And that is. Christ. Himself. Because Christ. Is enough. Not my marriage. Not my family. Not my work.

[38:44] Not my success. Not my ability. To promote myself. In community. It's Christ. Christ. How are we putting. Our faith. In Christ. Alone. And not Christ.

[38:55] Plus. Something. Else. When a person. Is born. Into the family of God. He is born. Complete. In Christ. It's amazing. So why does it mention.

[39:06] That Christ is the head. Of rule. And authority. It's because. Christ. Is the end. And Jesus. Is the ultimate. Judge. As we find. In Romans. Chapter 8.

[39:16] Verses. 33 to 35. Who shall bring. A charge. Against God's elect. It is God. Who justifies. Who is to condemn. Christ. Jesus. Is the one.

[39:27] Who died. More than that. Who is raised. Who is at the right hand. Of God. Who indeed. Is interceding. For us. Who shall separate us. From the love of Christ. Nothing. Can separate. Separate you.

[39:37] From the love of Christ. And all these things. We're more than conquerors. Through him. Who loved us. Christ. Has accomplished. For us. As we are in Christ. Through faith. We can enjoy the benefits.

[39:49] Of that. Accomplishment. So Christ. Is the one. Who frees us. Christ is the one. Who fills us. In verse 11. Christ is the one.

[39:59] Who makes us alive. Through faith. He makes us alive. Through faith. Now. Follow this. In verse 11. It says. In him. Also. You were circumcised. With a circumcision.

[40:10] Made without hands. By putting off. The body of flesh. By the circumcision. Of Christ. Having been buried. With him. In baptism. In which. You were also raised. With him.

[40:20] Through faith. In the powerful. Working. Of God. Who raised him. From the dead. We could spend. A lot of time. Unpacking.

[40:30] This. This morning. We just don't have. The time. To go through. All the details. But some of these concepts. Are really. Foreign to us. And the familiarity. That we have. With baptism. Would lead us. To believe. Well.

[40:41] Then I guess. We have to be baptized. In order to be in Christ. And that's not what Paul is saying. Paul begins here. By helping the church. Understand. All of these things. Were done. For them.

[40:52] Not things. They had to do. For themselves. He puts these. In. These verbs. In. The passive form. Which means. That we are recipients. Of the work of Christ.

[41:03] For us. Not the work. That we have done. For God. You were circumcised. That's a circumcision. That he did for you. You were buried. With him. In baptism.

[41:13] That's something he did for you. You were also raised with him. In the resurrection of Christ. You raised him from the dead. That's something he did for you. In Christ. The work.

[41:25] Of bringing. Us in. To this new covenant. Is really what is meant. By this word. Circumcision. And. We don't have time. To develop this. In detail. But.

[41:35] But just follow me. Briefly. As I try to trace this. Through. In Genesis chapter 17. I'm not. I'm not going to show the verse. For you. Because I don't want you. To get distracted. But in Genesis chapter 17.

[41:47] God makes a covenant. With Abraham. He. He draws him. Into relationship. He says. I'm going to do these things. For you Abraham. I'm going to bless those who bless you. I'm going to curse those who curse you.

[41:58] In you. All the nations will be blessed. I'm going to do this for you. And as a sign. Of this relationship. That we have. I want you. And your sons. To be circumcised.

[42:10] It demonstrates their separateness. From culture. Their devotion. And dedication. To God. This was a very physical. Commemoration. In order to demonstrate.

[42:20] That something. This sign. Had been done. To mark them out. In a physical way. As belonging to God. Of course. This was something. That was just emblematic.

[42:32] Of a deeper reality. In Deuteronomy. Chapter 10. Again. I'm not going to. Take you there. But if you want to. Take in notes. Deuteronomy. Chapter 10. God wants to help them understand.

[42:43] It's not just about. This physical. Right. Of circumcision. But. But he wants them. To circumcise their hearts. It's not about this. Following the duties. Of circumcision.

[42:54] But. But I want there to be. Something deeper. This spiritual. Reality. That needs to be true. Where your heart. Is tender. It's not stubborn. Your heart. Is following. After me.

[43:05] It loves me. It wants to obey me. Not because. You're following. A set of commands. But because. You are in love. With this relationship. Circumcise your heart.

[43:15] He says. And then in Deuteronomy. Chapter 30. God realizes. The deficiencies. Of the people. Of Israel. And he's like. Okay. Fine. Fine.

[43:26] You can't do this. For yourself. And in Deuteronomy. Chapter 30. Verses 6 to 80. Says this. And the Lord. Your God. Will circumcise. Your heart. And the heart.

[43:36] Of your offspring. So that you will love. The Lord. Your God. With all your heart. With all your soul. That you. May live. And you shall again. Obey the voice of the Lord.

[43:47] And keep. His commandments. That I commanded you today. You can't do this. For yourselves. You've shown. Time and again. You are. Now you are. Delinquent. In your following.

[43:57] After me. So I will do this. For you. And that's the reality. That we see here. In the New Testament. Where now there's this transition. That's taking place. Between an old covenant. Promise.

[44:08] This promise that God makes. With his people. Israel. And now he's allowing. The Gentiles. To come in. And enjoy the benefits. Of that relationship. And he does that. By circumcising their hearts.

[44:20] He does that. By cutting off. The flesh. We see here. In our passage. And really. What that's talking about. Is the sinful natures. The tendencies. That we have. The gravitational fields.

[44:32] As it were. That pull us. In the direction of rebellion. Against God. God has severed that off. He's cut that off. He's given us. A new reality. By being buried with Christ.

[44:42] And raised with him. It draws us. Into this new reality. Of newness of life. Where we were dead in our sins. And now we can be raised.

[44:54] To newness. Of life. We can. We can live a different way now. Because of what Christ has accomplished. For us. And while Christ has completed. All of the requirements.

[45:04] Of salvation. Because of that work. Of raising us from the dead. Now we have. Not just this obligation. But we have this inner joy.

[45:16] In power. To begin to follow after God. The way that he desires. This new power. That's promised. That can be a mark.

[45:27] Of the Christian life. In verses 13 and 14. We see that in Christ. We can know forgiveness. And we'll develop this more tonight. I would encourage you. To come tonight.

[45:37] As we have our. Our family gathering. We'll develop this. This forgiveness. What does this forgiveness look like? How does forgiveness happen? Why is forgiveness important? What did Christ's forgiveness.

[45:48] Of us accomplish? But in Christ. We can know forgiveness. Notice. You who once were dead. In your trespasses. In the uncircumcision.

[45:58] Of your flesh. God made alive. Together. With him. Having forgiven. Us. All our trespasses. By canceling the record of debt.

[46:09] That stood against us. With its legal demands. This he set aside. Nailing it. To the cross. Notice how Paul. Describes the hopelessness.

[46:19] Of their situation. They were dead. They were lifeless. They were unresponsive. There was no. Trace. Of. Responsiveness.

[46:30] In them. They could not respond. To spiritual. Stimuli. Because they were dead. They were also dead. In their uncircumcision. This is a way. To demonstrate.

[46:40] They were outsiders. They weren't part. Of the covenant community. They weren't part. Of those. Who were enjoying. The benefits. Of this relationship. With God. The apostle Paul.

[46:51] Describes this more. In Ephesians chapter 2. Verses 11 and 12. When he says this. Therefore. Remember. That at one time. You Gentiles. In the flesh. Called the uncircumcision.

[47:02] By what is called. The circumcision. Which is made in the flesh. By hands. Remember. That you. Were at that time. Separated from Christ. Alienated.

[47:12] From the commonwealth. Of Israel. Strangers. To the covenants. Of promise. Having no hope. And without. God. In the world. There was hopelessness. There was death.

[47:24] There was separation. There was estrangement. From God. But in Christ. Through faith. We have been brought in. Been brought in. To enjoy. The benefits.

[47:36] Of salvation. That come through forgiveness. Forgiveness. You see. Forgiveness. Forgiveness is not just. Ignoring. The offense.

[47:48] Forgiveness isn't just. Overlooking. The offense. Every offense. Must be judged. Every offense. Must be condemned. And God the father.

[48:00] Condemned. And punished. Sin. In his son. Jesus Christ. So that every. Record. Every. Standard. Every. Requirement. Of the law. That was. Levied against us.

[48:11] And that record. Of wrongs. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Was nailed to the cross. Because in Christ. It was complete. It was fulfilled. It was accomplished.

[48:23] Through his righteousness. And Jesus took. My. Debt. Jesus took. The debt. Of everyone. Who comes to him. In faith. And asks for forgiveness.

[48:34] He's taken. Your debt. He's nailed it to the cross. And the burden is lifted. He's forgiven. He's absorbed. The punishment. Of your sin.

[48:44] And my sin. On the cross. If we come. To faith. In him. What a forgiveness. We'll talk about more. That forgiveness. This evening. Finally.

[48:56] In Christ. We can experience. Triumph. In Christ. We can experience. Triumph. This is verse 15. It says. He disarmed. The rulers. And authorities. And put them.

[49:07] To open shame. By triumphing. Over them. In him. This word. Disarmed. Is the word. To take off. Or to strip. It's a. It's a word. To describe.

[49:17] What would happen. As you would. Strip somebody. Of rank. You would strip them. Of dignity. You would parade them. Through the streets. And that's what would happen. In Roman culture. A victor.

[49:29] Would parade. His captives. Through the street. He would strip them. Of dignity. He would put them. In chains. He would make a spectacle. Out of them. And you can imagine. That wasn't happening.

[49:39] Willingly. But it's happening. Because the. One who conquered. Was the one. Who was in control. It demonstrated. His power. His authority. His.

[49:50] Triumph. In victory. Over. That. Individual. And God parades. These powerless. Powers. And principalities. To make plain. To all.

[50:01] Of the world. His victory. Their period. Of rule. Is finished. Now it doesn't mean. That we don't. Participate. In the skirmishes. That happen.

[50:11] From day to day. It doesn't mean. That we won't ever. Be opposed. By Satan. And his force. As we know. From. From Ephesians. Chapter 6. Verse 12. That we don't. Wrestle against.

[50:21] Flesh and blood. We wrestle against. The principalities. Against authorities. Against cosmic powers. Over this present darkness. Against the spiritual. Forces of evil.

[50:32] In the heavenly places. But because of. Christ's victory. We don't. Have to submit. To that. Because of. Christ's victory. We also. Can triumph. Because of.

[50:42] Christ's victory. We can be victorious. Over sin. And over Satan. God has accomplished. Spiritual victory. That final. Blow.

[50:52] That definitive. Victory. Has been won. On the cross. Now there will be. Skirmishes. There will be. Persecution. There will be. Martyrs. That will take place.

[51:03] Those who will. Give their life. For the sake of Christ. But in Christ. We can be victorious. You can be victorious. Over your sin. You don't have to live.

[51:14] In the repeated patterns. Of that captivity. That bondage. But you can enjoy. The strength. Of God. Over. Sin. Reminded of. Martin Luther's. Famous hymn.

[51:25] A mighty fortress. Is our God. A bulwark. Never failing. Our helper. He amid the flood. Our mortal ills. Prevailing. For still.

[51:36] Our ancient foe. Does seek to work us woe. His craft. And power. Are great. And armed with cruel hate. On earth. Is not. His equal. And though.

[51:48] This world. With devils filled. Should threaten. To undo us. We. Will. Not. Fear. For God.

[51:58] Has willed. His truth. To triumph. Through us. The prince. Of darkness. Grim. We tremble. Not. For him. His rage. We can endure.

[52:08] For lo. His doom. Is sure. One. Little word. Will fail him. The reality. Of what Christ. Has accomplished. For us. Is a settledness.

[52:20] A security. A confidence. In Christ. As sufficient. The only one. Who can forgive sins. And because. Of what. He has declared. The verdict.

[52:30] Of God. Over every life. Who has come to him. In faith. It is clean. It is righteous. It is forgiven. Because of Christ's work. On the cross. There is now.

[52:43] Therefore. Now. No condemnation. For those who are in Christ. But also. The testimony. The reality. Of this truth. Because we are in Christ. We have been given. Power.

[52:53] Victory. To overcome. Sin. Overcome. The world. Overcome. The devil. May God. Help us. To show the reality. Of that truth.

[53:04] In our life. From day to day. And may God. Use us. As the sweetness. Of light. And salt. In this culture. To draw others. To that same.

[53:15] Confidence. That same. Stability. That same blessing. That can be found. Only. In Jesus Christ. Our world is chasing. Every other satisfaction. But it. The only satisfaction.

[53:27] The real. Satisfaction. The ultimate. Satisfaction. Can be found. In Christ alone. Oh. May God help us. To embrace. And live out. That reality. God. Thank you for.

[53:38] This word. This morning. Thank you for. This reminder. This morning. Oh God. Please help us. To walk. In freedom. To walk. In fullness.

[53:49] And to walk. In victory. Over sin. In Jesus name. Amen.