Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever remember this one?
! This was the Dallas Mavericks back in 2011, the last time they won the NBA championship.
Usually a victory parade, for those of you who don't know, is after your team wins the league championship.
And then at the end of the season, they get to come back to their home city.
And they get to throw a big bash, a big parade.
And go through the streets and everybody cheers and claps.
And it's a great time.
Taking pictures.
Usually they're playing, we are the champions, my friend.
I don't know if Queen knew that was going to become the official song of victory parades when he wrote that.
But listen, yeah, 2011, about 200,000 people lined the streets of downtown Dallas, climbing light poles, hanging off of overpasses.
It was great.
Then the Rangers, it was about two years ago when they won the World Series.
Wasn't that great?
We're getting a little more excited about that.
Okay, good.
Packed half a million people along the parade route in Arlington.
It was awesome.
I didn't get to go because I valued my life.
But had a great time and got to watch it online.
And then for the Dallas Cowboys.
I think I was 11.
It was great.
You should have been there.
Look, I'm mad too, folks.
All right?
Dak's going to get us there, maybe.
All right.
Anyway, that's not what this is about.
But wouldn't it be great if it was?
Wouldn't it be great if life was more like a victory parade?
No matter what happens, a flat tire, somebody cuts you off in traffic, somebody's passive aggressive to you at work,
a cold goes through your house, doesn't matter, man.
Your team won the championship and everything else just doesn't compare.
How great would that be?
Well, let's dive back into Colossians.
Paul's letter to the church at Colossae.
And let's see what in the world victory parades have to do with what he's teaching us in Colossians chapter 2.
This is our series, Christ Over All.
When you take a whole book of the Bible and you reduce it down to the main theme,
this is Christ Over All, our study of Colossians.
Two weeks ago, we learned that in him, Jesus Christ,
all things hold together in this grand cosmos, this ordered universe in which we live.
Jesus is holding it all together and he holds us together.
And then last Sunday, we looked at the end of Colossians 1.
We saw that once we were alienated and now we are reconciled.
God has brought us into the family as his children
when once we were considered his enemies because of our sin.
So, this Sunday, we're going to look at Colossians chapter 2.
Colossians 2 verses 1 through 3.
Let's go ahead and read.
For I want you to know how greatly I'm struggling for you,
for those in Laodicea,
for all who have not seen me in person.
I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love
so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding.
Wouldn't it be great to have complete understanding of God?
Someday we'll have it.
Right now, we get bits and pieces as his spirit reveals them to us through his word.
But that we would have complete understanding
and have the knowledge of God's mystery.
What is that mystery?
Christ.
Jesus Christ.
He is the mystery that we're beginning to have revealed to us.
In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
So, before we pick it up in verse 4 here,
I wanted to get through these three verses because Paul sets it up here.
And he says,
If you understand who Christ is,
if you understand who Jesus is,
and who you are in him,
then you'll never settle for religion again.
And that's what the theme is today.
Colossians chapter 2.
Christ over religion.
Let's pray together.
God, I pray that you would open up our minds to the teaching of your word today.
That through this letter from Paul to this church in Colossae so many years ago,
that this church in Henrietta
would by your spirit have our eyes open to see that you are so much bigger
than what we call religion.
That you would free us from its shackles.
Show us the freedom we have in you.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Alright, so we're picking it up in verse 4 now.
I am saying this, Paul says,
so that no one will deceive you
with arguments that sound reasonable.
Has anyone,
if you're not ashamed to lift your hand,
is anyone willing to admit
that you've been deceived by arguments that sounded reasonable?
And then later you found out they weren't.
Yep, me too.
I got both hands up.
There have been times in my life
when I was deceived by something that sounded really reasonable.
Yeah, that makes sense.
And then later I found out it was a bunch of crock.
It was absolutely false.
So, he says,
I don't want this to happen to you.
So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord,
continue to live in him.
Being rooted.
Make note of that word.
Rooted.
And built up.
So did you get the contrast there?
We're going down deeper in our roots.
And we're going up,
built up in him
and established in the faith.
This is how you are established in the faith.
By digging your roots deep in Christ
and then letting him build this building on top of those roots.
Just as you were taught
and overflowing with gratitude.
So Paul's saying,
don't fall for reasonable sounding religion.
Instead,
choose Christ.
Don't settle for religion.
Save that for Jesus.
What are we talking about?
A reasonable sounding religion.
The kind that says,
if you just try harder,
do more,
follow all the rules that we've given you,
by the way,
then God will love you more.
God will value you more.
God will choose you
if you
follow what we say you should do.
But that,
in a nutshell,
described most religions
in the ancient times
and it still describes them today.
So when we say religion,
I want to be very clear about this up front.
When I say religion,
in this sermon today,
I'm talking about
the man-made construct
that often takes the place
of what Jesus
was coming to institute
on this world.
And if you look at Jesus' time
walking around on this earth,
much of it was spent
fighting against religion.
Fascinatingly enough,
most of it was spent
fighting against
the Jewish religion
that God had founded
and then man
had co-opted.
Man had
hijacked.
Jesus was coming
to turn the page
and do away
with what they had done.
So,
if you just
try harder,
if you do
what we tell you,
then you can have victory.
then you can have
what you're striving for.
But there's a truth here
that Paul is teaching
all through
Colossians chapter 2
that runs
totally counteracted
to that.
And it's this truth
that we don't fight
for victory.
We fight
from
victory.
We're going to dive
into that a little bit more
and flesh it out.
But I want to lay that out there
as where we're trying
to get to.
This is the point
we're trying to arrive at
today, okay?
We don't fight
for a victory.
We fight already
from the place
of victory.
So,
as we discover
that today,
let's look at
number one.
From rules
to roots.
We're going to look
at what Paul
just taught us
in verse 7
being rooted
and built up
in Jesus.
So,
we're shifting
from the rules
of religion
to our roots
in Christ.
What do we mean
by roots?
How are we rooted
in Christ?
Well,
don't you just love
roses?
Aren't they beautiful?
Lovely,
aren't they?
Wives,
would you accept that
as an anniversary gift?
It's roses, man.
It's the roots
of roses.
roses.
How many of y'all
like apples?
Aren't they tasty
and delicious?
Don't you just want
one right now
looking at that picture?
That's an apple tree,
folks.
It's the roots.
One of my favorite
things in all the world
is a nice,
crisp,
juicy,
green grape.
Don't they look appetizing?
It's the roots.
roots.
But I can promise you
that roses,
apples,
and grapes
would not exist
without these three things.
These things
cause the fruit
to appear
that we then enjoy.
But the roots
are the most important part.
Without the roots
digging deep
into good soil,
we don't get to enjoy
the roses
or the apples
or the grapes
or you substitute
whatever you'd like to.
You don't grow
by pretty fruit.
You don't grow
by making your fruit
prettier.
How do you grow?
By making
your roots
deeper.
You grow
by getting
your roots
deeper.
That is what
produces fruit.
That is what
produces something
that you would enjoy.
Something of value.
So just like
a plant
or a vegetable
or a fruit
that we enjoy,
it comes
from the roots.
So,
the fruits
only exist
because of the roots.
Jeremiah 17
produces a principle
here.
The more
we're rooted
in Christ,
the stronger
we will be.
The more
we're rooted
in Christ,
the stronger
we will be.
The person
who trusts
in the Lord,
whose confidence
indeed
is in the Lord,
is blessed.
Anybody ever
seen somebody
on social media
put in
hashtag blessed?
Usually when they
get a new car
or a new house
or something great
happens to them,
hashtag blessed.
It's great.
Kind of seems
a little shallow.
I don't know,
like they don't
maybe understand
exactly what
the blessings
of God are
because they
don't always
manifest themselves
in something
of monetary value.
Something that
would be
only for the
wealthy
or only for
those in
the financial
place to be
able to do it.
That's not
always how
God's blessings
manifest themselves
in our lives.
Sometimes they're
in joy
in the midst
of a storm.
Sometimes they're
in peace
when everyone
around you
is losing
their minds.
Often that is
how God's blessings
manifest themselves.
And so it says
when you trust
in God
and your confidence
is in Him,
you will experience
God's blessings.
You will be
like a tree
planted by
the water.
Notice that
word water.
And then in
verse 8 it says
it sends its
roots out
toward a stream.
There it is
again.
The water,
the stream.
It doesn't fear
when the heat
comes.
Why?
Because it's
near the water.
Its foliage,
its leaves
remain green.
This is what
a life looks
like when its
roots are deep
in Christ.
Because who's
the water?
Who's the stream?
It's Jesus.
It's God's
spirit.
That's where
we draw our
strength.
So when the
heat comes
and it threatens
to dry you up
and those around
you are getting
dried up,
you remain
productive
because your
roots are deep
and moving
toward the
water.
Moving toward
the stream.
So this is
what Paul's
encouraging this
church to do.
Move your
roots toward
Christ.
let them
grow deeper
down.
I can promise
you there are
so many people
who come to
church on
Sundays
and they live
relatively upright
lives in society
and they say
they're Christians
but when the
storm comes
their house is
built on sand.
when the heat
comes
their roots
are not
deep.
They're not
digging toward
the water
of Jesus
and they dry
up.
Their house
falls.
They can't
last
because it
wasn't real.
It wasn't
faith.
it was
something else.
So Paul's
saying don't
be like
that.
Dig your
roots down
deep.
Continue to
live in
Christ Jesus
being rooted
and built up
in him and
established in
the faith.
So from
rules to
roots.
Before we go
on to number
two I want
to make this
last point.
Religion is
all about
rules.
Jesus is
all about
roots.
You say
what makes
our church
the Baptist
church
different from
the Methodist
church or
the Christian
church or
the church
of Christ
or the
Catholic
church or
whatever else.
When you
nail it down
it comes down
to whatever
rules that
we have
decided to
believe
or teach.
The sign
on the
church
usually
distinguishes
that church's
set of
rules from
a different
one.
But that's
not what
it's about.
And I'm
not telling
you that
there's no
difference between
the churches
sometimes there
are.
But the
real difference
between whether
a church is
right or
wrong.
You ready
for this?
It's going
to be a
controversial
statement.
You can put
it out on
Facebook and
say that
preacher's
lost his
mind if
he ever
had it in
the first
place.
Here we
go.
The
difference
and how
you decide
whether a
church is
right or
wrong is
whether Jesus
is more
important than
the rules.
Whether its
roots go
deeper than
the rules
that they've
decided on.
That's the
difference on
whether a
church is
right or
wrong.
So we're
not going
to pick on
a particular
denomination
or say this
one, there's
no way that
that's the
case.
You have to
let the
Holy Spirit
guide you
in that.
But there
are many
that it's
pretty obvious
from the
outside looking
in that
their rules
are more
important than
Jesus himself.
And I
pray, literally
every day, I
pray that our
church would not
be one of
those.
That we
would not be
one that
says our
rules that we
decided on,
because I can
promise you
this, you
take a passage
of scripture
and you get
ten different
people in the
room and they
can all read
it and they
can come away
with ten
different opinions
on what it
means.
The Bible
is like
that.
Why?
Because the
Holy Spirit
of God is
supposed to
guide each
of us
individually.
So we
can come away
with ten
different opinions
and ten
different set
of rules based
on what we
think the
Bible teaches
in this
passage.
So who's
right?
Which one
of the ten
is right?
That's where
God's Spirit
has to guide
you.
and you
have to
hold some
of those
rules loosely
and say
my roots
are going
to go deep
in Jesus
and that's
going to
guide me
more than
my interpretation
of this one
particular set
and how it
disagrees with
hers or his
or his or
hers.
But that's
not how the
church has
operated.
For centuries
splits have
happened.
Christians have
gotten mad at
each other.
They say I'm
done with this
kind of church
because they
believe these
rules and I
don't believe
this is what
the Bible
teaches.
So I'm
going to go
over here
and we're
going to
start our
own church.
And that
happens time
and time
again.
Why?
Because the
roots were
not as deep
as their
belief in
their rules.
The truth
is we ought
to be able to
set aside
some of those
things.
Say well in
this church
we do this
kind of music.
In this
church we
believe in
this and
we absolutely
do not
believe in
that.
You say no
you do.
Truth is the
person on the
other side of
the sanctuary
from you may
not believe
that like you
do.
And that's
all right as
long as both
of your roots
are digging
down into
Jesus.
That's what
it's about.
So I'll
get off that
soapbox now
and we can
move on to
number two.
It's about
the roots in
Christ.
It's not about
the rules and
how good you
are or bad
you are at
obeying them.
It's about
how deep your
roots go in
Jesus.
Number two,
religion's about
the flesh.
Jesus is about
fullness.
We're moving
from flesh to
fullness.
Look down in
verse nine.
the entire
fullness of
God's nature
dwells bodily
in Christ
Jesus.
And you
have been
filled by
him who
is the
head over
every ruler
and authority.
You were
also circumcised
in him with
a circumcision
not done with
hands.
Does anybody
need to pause
here and try
to figure out
why Paul's
talking about
circumcision?
Does that
strike any
of you as
odd?
Because that's
something that's
a procedure,
a medical
procedure that
happens to
little baby
boys right
after they're
born.
What is it?
A week or
ten days or
two weeks after
they're born?
Something like
that, right?
You take him
back in, you
get him
circumcised.
Why is Paul
talking about
this?
Because it
was a big
controversy.
Because the
Jews back
then were
pretty much
the only ones
circumcising
their baby
boys.
Now are
you ready
for this?
Men, are
y'all ready
for this?
Back then, if
you were going
to be a
follower of
Jesus, a
lot of those
early churches
were telling
the men that
they had to
get circumcised
if they were
going to come
join their
church.
Like adult
grown men.
I'm sorry,
that's not
pleasant to
think about.
Ow!
Especially with
the relative
lack of
anesthetic
back then.
Tough ask.
Here we just
tell you to
give a bunch
of money and
I'm kidding.
We don't
really put any
obligations on
you, restrictions
on you if you
want to join the
church other
than do you
believe in
Jesus?
Have you been
saved, baptized,
and we welcome
you into our
fellowship as a
follower of
Jesus?
But back
then it was
yeah man, you
got to go under
the knife.
It's not going
to be fun.
Well Paul's
fighting against
that.
He's saying no,
absolutely not.
You are so
focused on the
outward, the
flesh, saying
well they've got
to look like us.
Well first of all,
who would even
know?
You know, I
mean come on
folks.
No, that's
not what it's
about.
It's not about
whether on the
outside physical
appearance you
fit in.
But that's what
these early Jews
who had chosen
to follow Jesus
but they couldn't
get past their
rules.
They couldn't get
past their
regulations.
They couldn't get
past their
traditions.
Say you've got to
do it how we do
it.
you've got to
look like us.
It's all about
the flesh.
God says it's
about so much
more than the
flesh.
I'm here to
offer you
complete fullness
in me.
So verse 9
he says
the entire
fullness
of God's
nature
is available
to you
through Jesus.
it's so much
better
than your
religious
restrictions.
So
he says
this is about
a circumcision
that's not
done with
hands.
Putting
off the
body of the
flesh.
The circumcision
is done
in Christ.
This is how
we are united.
This is how
we are made
right.
it's all
in Jesus
not through
any physical
procedure.
And then he
continues
when you're
buried with
him in
baptism
which you
were
in which
you were
also
raised
with him
through
faith
in the
working
of God
who
raised
him
from
the
dead.
Paul
says
you don't
need
external
religion
to make
you
right
with
God
because
everything
that needed
to be
done
has
already
been
done
by
Jesus.
We
can't
add
anything
to the
gospel.
In our
starting point
class
this morning
we talked
about the
gospel.
We talked
about the
good news
what it
is
what it
isn't.
And I
can promise
you
circumcision
had no
part
of the
gospel.
That was
never a
requirement.
Neither
was faithful
church
attendance
every
Sunday.
Now you
ought to be
faithful in
your church
attendance
every Sunday.
Why?
Not so you
can go to
heaven when
you die.
Not so you
can have a
good relationship
between you
and God.
The relationship
is there
regardless.
It's
for your
own
benefit
and the
benefit
of the
body
of
Christ.
It's
because we
are good
for each
other.
It's
because we
need each
other.
And the
Holy Spirit
in me
communes
with the
Holy Spirit
in Bonnie
Hoff and
we can
fellowship
together
because we're
faithful in
attending the
gatherings of
the body
of Christ.
When the
body's
missing a
part it's
not whole.
But that
doesn't
affect our
standing in
God's eyes
whether we
miss a
Sunday or
not.
But we
choose to
gather because
we love each
other as
Jesus first
loved us.
That's what
fullness is.
That's what
God's offering
you.
Romans chapter
3.
Romans, I'm
sorry, chapter
8 verse 3.
Romans chapter
8 and verse
3.
I don't have
it on the
screen.
It's a little
bit of a
passage so if
you wouldn't
mind turning
there real
quick.
Romans chapter
8 and
verse 3.
It would
have been a
lot of
flipping through
slides if I
put it all
up there.
So I just
thought we
could look at
the Bible
together.
Look on with
somebody next
to you if
you don't
have a copy
but there
should be a
copy in
front of
you.
If you
need to
look at
your phone
or tablet
that's fine
too as
long as
you're on
the Bible
app and
not checking
Facebook.
Alright?
Romans
chapter 8 and
verse 3.
What the
law could
not do
since it
was weakened
by the
flesh,
God did.
Remember a
few Sundays
ago when we
looked at
the law
and then we
looked at
grace.
These are
two opposing
forces.
God established
the law to
show us how
we couldn't
keep it and
to bring us
to the place
where we
needed his
grace.
And all of
us are there.
We're all in
the same boat.
So he says
what the law
could not do
since it was
weakened by
the flesh,
God actually
did it.
He condemned
sin in the
flesh by sending
his own who?
His own son.
In order
that the
law's
requirement
would be
fulfilled in
us.
But wait a
minute, how
could the
law's requirement
be fulfilled
in us?
We don't
walk according
to the
flesh but
according to
the spirit.
That's how.
When Jesus
forgives your
sin and makes
you his
child, then
you move from
under the law
to under
grace.
So now we
don't walk
according to
the law
anymore.
Am I doing
okay today?
Well, yes,
because I
fulfilled the
law mostly.
No, that's
not how we
judge our
day anymore.
It's am I
walking by the
spirit today or
am I walking
according to my
own thinking,
my own
understanding?
All right?
So for those
who live
according to
the flesh,
in parentheses,
the law,
they have their
minds set on
the things of
the flesh.
But those who
live according to
the spirit,
have their
minds set on
things according
to the spirit.
So when you
have your
mind set on
the flesh,
you're thinking,
am I doing
all the
rules right?
Am I doing
all the
circumcision?
religion?
All the
things that
man-made
religion has
placed above a
relationship with
God.
They say as
long as you're
doing that,
long as you're
not wearing your
hat in church,
long as I
didn't hear a
cuss word come
out of your
mouth.
For me growing
up, as long as
you didn't go to
the movies.
Is everything in
the movie theater
wrong?
No, but people
might think you're
watching one of the
bad ones.
What?
Do you have a
TV?
Isn't that the
same?
Anyway, the
rules can change
and they do
depending on the
church you go to,
depending on the
person you hear,
how they see
things, how they
think, the rules
change.
That's why it's
never going to be
about the rules
because you can't
follow everybody's.
You certainly
can't follow
God's.
It has to be
about our
listening and
being guided by
the Holy Spirit.
That's the new
creation.
That's the new
way.
That's the new
command that
Jesus gave to
us.
Some of us are
still stuck in
the old one.
That's called
religion.
So, the
mindset of the
flesh is death.
Verse 6.
The mindset of
the spirit is
life and peace.
In case that
wasn't clear enough
for you, verse 7,
the mindset of
the flesh is
hostile to God
because it doesn't
submit to God's
law.
Your flesh will
never submit to
God's law.
It won't.
You're wired
differently.
You're not going to
obey God.
You're going to take
every chance you
have to disobey
God.
That's what we
all want to do.
God's the one who
makes us different.
So, the mindset of
the flesh is hostile
to God.
It doesn't submit to
God's law.
Verse, the end of
verse 7, it's
unable to do so.
You think you're a
good guy without
God?
You're not.
I'm not a good guy
without God.
Trust me.
And I'm not just
picking on the guys.
You think you're a
nice lady without
God?
You're not.
None of us are.
We are unable to
be so.
Verse 8, those who
are in the flesh
cannot please God.
So, I don't care how
good you look on the
outside.
This reminds me of
the passage where it
says there's going to
be people who get to
heaven someday and
stand before God and
they say, God, we did
all this in your name.
We went to church
every Sunday.
We gave our tithe.
We were good,
upstanding citizens in
the community.
And he's going to say,
depart from me.
I never knew you
because I never had
your heart.
You were doing it in
your flesh.
You were doing it under
the law.
You were trying to earn
it yourself.
And God says, get out.
You have no standing
here.
You have no place
here.
You never humbled
yourself and accepted
my grace as a
substitute for your
religion.
Those who are in the
flesh cannot please
God.
Verse 9, you,
however, are not in
the flesh.
You are in the
spirit, if indeed the
spirit of God lives in
you.
And that's what we
got to remind ourselves
of every day.
Does the spirit of God
live in me?
Then I am not under
the flesh.
I'm not under the
rules.
I'm not under the
law.
I have a real
relationship with God.
I'm family.
Let me live like it.
Let me live like God
loves me.
And because he loves
me, I can love
others.
That's the new way.
The law could expose
sin, but it couldn't
erase it.
The law was unable to
do so much that Jesus
instead did for us.
The law could diagnose
the problem, but it
could never deliver a
cure.
Your religion can
expose sin, but it
cannot erase it.
Your religion can
diagnose a problem, but
it can never deliver a
cure.
So where does that
lead us?
Religion is no
substitute for
relationship.
And Jesus' forgiveness
is no substitute for
his fullness.
You see, it doesn't just
start with his
forgiveness.
Oh, your sin's gone.
You get a blank check.
You get a get into
heaven free card.
That's not what it's
about.
It's about experiencing
the fullness of God.
God, we have unlocked
the fullness of God.
His forgiveness was
just the path to his
fullness.
It was what opened the
door.
Now we can experience the
fullness of God, not
hollow religion.
Finally, from chains to
change.
religion offers you
chains.
Jesus offers real
lasting change.
Look back at verse
eight.
We skipped it a minute
ago, but I want to go
back to it.
Colossians chapter two
and verse eight.
Be careful that no one
takes you captive
through philosophy and
empty deceit based on
human tradition.
Does that sound like
religion to you?
It does to me.
Taking you captive
through philosophy and
empty deceit based on
human tradition, based
on the elements of the
world rather than
Christ.
Now skip down to verse
16.
Therefore, don't let
anyone judge you in
regard to food and
drink or in the matter
of a festival or a new
moon or a Sabbath day.
These were the
controversial topics for
them back then.
Insert your own
controversial topics
that religions argue
about and people argue
about.
Should I?
Shouldn't I?
Don't let anyone judge
you in regards to
these controversies.
These are a shadow of
what was to come.
The substance is Christ.
Is your religion a shadow
or does it have the
substance of Jesus?
Because most of what we
get in arguments about
and we go online and we
bash each other about,
it's a shadow.
It's not the substance.
Jesus is not a real part
of any of that.
It's just people getting
caught up in silly,
vain arguments.
So, let no one condemn
you by delighting in
ascetic practices.
I'm not going to get
into asceticism and all
that.
I preached a sermon about
a year and a half ago
that talked about
asceticism and how they
were trying to be more
holy than everybody else
by renouncing all the
pleasures of life.
They wouldn't allow
themselves any earthly
pleasures in saying,
I'm more like God
because I've done all
this.
It's not at all what
Jesus ever asked them
to do.
The worship of angels,
claiming access to a
visionary realm.
Such people are inflated
by empty notions of
their unspiritual mind.
He doesn't hold on to
the head from whom the
whole body, nourished and
held together by its
ligaments and tendons,
grows with growth from
Christ.
I'm not saying that you
can't, God doesn't
sometimes give you a
vision of something.
He certainly did that
in the scriptures and
he could certainly, if
he chose to, do that
again today.
But it has to be based
on the substance of
Christ.
It can't ever run
counteractive to the
teaching of Jesus or
lead you someplace that
Jesus doesn't lead us.
He is the head.
He is what guides
everything else.
That's what Paul's
teaching here.
And so verse 20, if
you died with Christ to
the elements of this
world, why do you then
live as if you still
belong to the world?
Folks, he's not just
talking about going out
and getting drunk and
living like a heathen.
He's saying, why do
you live as though you
belong to this world by
submitting yourself to
all these rules of the
law?
And not just submitting
yourself, but trying to
bring everybody else under
it with you.
That's the context of what
he's talking about here.
Why instead don't you
release that and live with
open hands and say, God,
teach me.
You guide me now.
I'm not going to be stuck
in my tradition, my
expectations, what I'm
used to, what I grew up
with.
I want you to reprogram me.
Change the way I think.
Why do you submit to
regulations?
Don't handle.
Don't taste.
Don't touch.
Anybody ever heard that
before?
Don't.
Don't touch this.
Don't be around this.
Don't taste this.
Why do you submit to
these things?
All these regulations
refer to what is destined
to perish by being used
up.
They are human commands and
doctrines.
Although these have a
reputation for wisdom,
isn't that true?
Some of this stuff, oh
yeah, man, that's the way
to live right there.
You see how that guy, he
doesn't do anything wrong.
They have a reputation for
wisdom.
But why?
Verse 23, by promoting
self-made religion.
Y'all, if we had to focus
on one verse in this
entire chapter, in this
entire sermon today, it's
verse 23.
Promoting self-made
religion, false humility,
and severe treatment of
the body.
These are not of any value
in curbing self-indulgence.
You know why?
Because you end up faking
it.
You end up focused on the
outside.
You end up focused on the
flesh, and your heart is
far from God.
That's what religion offers
you.
Chains.
Jesus instead wants to
change you, not what you
do.
Hello.
The wasp enjoyed the
preaching too.
He's just like, hey, I
got to get a closer look at
this.
All right, anyway.
Y'all, we got to do
something about these
wasps, all right?
It's the devil fighting
right there.
Jesus wants to bring real
change, all right?
And the wasp wants to
fight against that.
That's our final point
today, from chains to
change.
Religion will chain you to
performance, but Jesus
changes you by his
presence.
Are you more interested in
performing according to
religious expectations than
you are basking in the
presence of Jesus?
Galatians 5.
Christ has set us free.
This means we're really
free.
Stand firm and don't get
tied up again in the what?
Chains.
In the what?
Chains of slavery.
Time and time again, this
imagery is used.
And then in verse 4, he
says, if you try to be made
right by the law, you cut
yourself off from Christ.
That's strong language, isn't
it?
The only thing that counts is
faith working through love.
Don't cut yourself off from
Christ.
But you do that when you get
out from under his grace and
you go try to live according to
the law again.
That is not what that's about.
That's not how this life is
meant to be lived.
Religion is a cage, but Jesus
is the key.
That sounds strong, doesn't it?
How many of you said when you
came to church this morning, I
bet he's going to call religion a
cage today.
When I was writing this last
week, I'm thinking, man, how's
that going to go over?
Religion is a cage.
But Jesus is the key.
And until he unlocks the cage
for you, can I tell you
something?
Then religion ceases to be a
cage.
Once Jesus unlocks the door and
he lets you out and he says,
you don't have to live here
anymore.
You don't have to live according
to these harsh rules and
regulations.
I have now freed you by my
grace.
Then religion becomes a house
that can be built up.
And Jesus is the foundation of
it.
And then he's building this
house and he says, true
religion, undefiled by God, is
to visit those who need help.
It's to be a blessing to
those.
It's to keep yourself unspotted
from the world.
It's to not be like everybody
else, think like everybody
else.
Why?
Not because we're trying to
obey a list of rules.
Not because we're trying to
check a bunch of boxes.
It's because Jesus is making
us different.
It's because he's changing
us.
And we're not looking at each
other like, huh, that guy, I
saw him drinking a beer the
other night.
No way he's saved.
No way he's going to heaven.
That's not the religious, the
religion that Jesus is talking
about.
That's the cage.
And maybe the Holy Spirit's
telling you drinking alcohol
would be a terrible thing.
Do not do it.
Then you listen to that because
God's got your best interest in
mind.
Maybe for someone else he's
saying, you worry about you,
I'm dealing with them.
We don't compare each other
and judge each other according
to this list of legal rules or
regulations or anything else.
What our religion espouses, we
judge each other according to
our pursuit of Jesus.
We start right here in our own
heart.
So, I said this was the last, this
is the last one.
From guilt to grace.
This is my favorite part.
Verse 13 and 14.
Finishing it up.
When you were dead in
trespasses and in the
uncircumcision of your flesh, he
made you alive with him, forgave
you all your trespasses.
He erased the certificate of debt
with its obligations that was
against you and he opposed you
and opposed to you and he has
now taken it away by nailing it
to his cross.
That's what Jesus did.
With all your law breaking, all
your rule breaking, he took it
away so it can't be held against
you anymore and he nailed it to
his cross.
We read in Romans 8 just a
moment ago and I want to go back
there.
There is now therefore no
condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.
No one can condemn you, not even
yourself.
I don't know about y'all, but I'm
way harder on myself than I think
anybody else is.
I can get myself depressed like
hardly anybody else can.
I can condemn myself and you can
too.
But no one can truly condemn you if
you are in Christ Jesus.
So don't live under religious rules
and regulations because that opens
you up for condemnation.
Yeah, you know what?
You didn't follow all the rules.
You're a mess.
But if you abandon that and say,
no, God freed me from that.
That's not the world I live in
anymore.
Now I live under grace.
Now I'm in Christ Jesus and he
says you can't condemn me and I
can't condemn myself and Satan can't
condemn you.
In the middle of the night when
you're having a hard time sleeping,
Satan can't condemn you.
No one can condemn you because
you're not living according to how
good you are or how bad you are.
You're living according to how
great Jesus is, how forgiving he is,
how good he is.
Say, no, Jesus is my advocate.
He's the one who stands in for me.
So Max Lucado, a famous Christian
writer, said the same hand that
still the sea stills your guilt.
The same hand that cleansed the
temple cleanses your heart.
The hand is the hand of God.
The nail is the nail of God.
As the hands of Jesus opened for
the nail, the doors of heaven
opened for you.
I thought that was beautifully
written.
This is what Jesus offers to us.
It's what he did for us.
So you could say it this way, and
I read this from Max Lucado, when
grace moves in, guilt has to move
out.
It has to move out.
God might convict you of sin after
the fact to lead you back to him
and away from something that will
take you down a wrong path.
But you don't get to be overwhelmed
by guilt anymore.
Say, no, you've got a new standing, a
new identity in Christ.
We're finished.
I want to make this last point before
we leave today.
Back in Colossians 2, our final text
here.
Verse 15.
On that cross, Christ freed himself
from the power of spiritual rulers
and authorities.
He made a public spectacle of them
by leading them as captives in his
victory procession.
Do you see that?
Everybody look up there.
His victory procession.
Your translation of the Bible might
put it a slight different way, but
it's saying the same thing.
Jesus, when he forgave us from sin and
he triumphed over sin through his death
and his resurrection, it says he took
all the spiritual rulers and
authorities, religion, and he made a
public spectacle of them by leading
them as captives in his victory
procession.
Do you realize that when Roman
generals would come back from
fighting in other lands and they would
lead back the victory procession of
their armies, they would have their
captives bound in chains leading them
along saying, look who we captured.
Look at the spoils of war.
Jesus is saying, I took religion
and all those who would legislate
against you and I'm leading them as my
captives in a victory procession.
This reminds me of another victory
procession.
When Jesus was sitting on a donkey
and he was riding into Jerusalem and
they were waving the palm fronds saying,
Hosanna, Hosanna.
Hosanna.
You know what Hosanna means?
Deliver us.
Save us.
It's a form of praise saying our
deliverer, our savior has come.
Please save us.
The crowd went wild.
They thought Jesus was going to offer
them political victory.
They thought he was going to free
them from those chains.
Jesus was offering a different kind of
victory.
He wasn't interested in freeing them
from Roman chains right then.
He was interested in freeing them
from the chains of religious
obligation.
Of sin that bound them and held
them by their flesh.
That's what Jesus was doing.
He was coming to go to a wooden
cross because his victory was not
about a nation winning.
It was about salvation winning.
And then in 2 Corinthians chapter 2.
But thanks be to God who always
leads us in Christ's triumphal
procession.
And through us spreads the aroma of the
knowledge of him in every place.
That's what this life is.
It's a victory parade.
This life with Jesus is a victory
parade.
You're not out there trying to earn the
victory.
You're not trying to win the game or win
the championship.
Jesus already didn't.
You couldn't.
We were destined to lose.
The enemy against us was greater than
us.
But Jesus triumphed.
He won the victory.
So now he's offering you to go along
with him through this life on his victory
parade.
His triumphal procession.
That's the victory.
The deliverance.
Freedom.
He's offering to you.
So.
With Jesus instead of religion.
You're not walking toward victory.
You're walking in it.
When someone accuses you.
Or you feel like you're not meeting all
the rules or expectations of religion.
I want you to remember.
The parade isn't canceled.
Jesus still has the victory.
And you're on the winning side.
Would you pray with me now?
God.
God we went a little longer today than
usual.
But I just pray that.
I pray that by your spirit you can reveal
to us.
The freedom you offer.
That this is not about.
Obeying this church's rules or another
church's rules or.
Anybody else.
This is about having a real meaningful
relationship with you.
That frees us.
And let's just experience your victory.
And that we're not guided by.
Somebody says.
This is what you need to do.
Or this is what you shouldn't do.
We're instead guided by your Holy Spirit.
And that will truly change us.
Then we'll become more loving.
Then we'll become more.
Grace filled.
And grace giving people.
It's how you treated us.
And it's how you want us to treat others.
So I pray that you would change your people
by your spirit.
Through your word.
We'll give you the glory for it.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
Church for sake of time.
We're going to dismiss in just a moment.
Before we do.
Linda can you play.
Amazing grace.
How sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me.
Let's just sing this through.
The first verse.
One time together.
Think about the grace.
That God's given to us.
How sweet it is.
Amazing grace.
How sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost.
But now am found.
Was blind.
But now.
I see.
Never forget the grace that we've been shown.
And let's show it to others.
Jared would you come and close us in prayer.
Amen.
Thank you.