WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.600 This is Colossians chapter 2, verses 16 to 23. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:59.980 Verse 16. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:11.840 Amen. This is God's holy word. 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:20.519 We turn this evening to Colossians chapter 2 and to the final verses of that chapter. 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:31.619 The number of people targeted by scams of one kind or another, telephone, internet, email, 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:39.379 in any given year apparently runs into tens of millions of people. That's just in the United 00:01:39.379 --> 00:01:47.780 Kingdom. The statistics indicate that almost two-thirds of us will have this kind of experience 00:01:47.780 --> 00:01:55.460 in the coming year. And these fraudulent scams appear to be everywhere. Now, some are pretty obvious 00:01:55.460 --> 00:02:04.780 and are designed only to dupe the most gullible. I mean, if you receive an email from a Nigerian prince 00:02:04.780 --> 00:02:11.139 offering to deposit a million pounds in your bank account, if you'll just send them your bank details, 00:02:11.139 --> 00:02:18.919 I suspect most of us, at least I hope most of us, are going to think twice about that. But others are 00:02:18.919 --> 00:02:27.119 very sophisticated, difficult to detect. They purport to be from your bank, your building society, 00:02:27.519 --> 00:02:35.079 even HMRC. They use the right language. They have the right logo. They appear very convincing. And if 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:44.160 you're on the phone to somebody, they appear very, very convincing. Warnings abound against being taken 00:02:44.160 --> 00:02:52.360 in by various scams of one kind or another. And that's really what Paul is doing in this section 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:59.560 of the letter. He's writing to warn his readers in Colossae that they're in the danger of succumbing 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:07.319 to a huge spiritual scam. And the key verse introducing this theme is in verse 8, 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:14.420 see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:22.699 according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. These false teachers, 00:03:22.699 --> 00:03:29.240 as we've seen, were offering a kind of Christianity plus, offering something better, 00:03:29.240 --> 00:03:36.680 something new, something improved, a free upgrade for the Colossians. All they had to do was download 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:42.860 the file, click on the button. Everything's going to be so much better. Here was the way of fullness 00:03:42.860 --> 00:03:53.640 and freedom. And yet, of course, it was all a lie, an illusion. Their words were words of worldly 00:03:53.639 --> 00:04:03.559 philosophy and empty deceit. They were a spiritual scam. And here Paul appeals to the Colossians not to be 00:04:03.559 --> 00:04:13.500 taken in or taken captive, captured by such teachings. No matter how appealing they may appear, 00:04:14.500 --> 00:04:20.139 because they will lead not to fullness, but to emptiness, not to freedom, but slavery, 00:04:20.139 --> 00:04:27.659 not to life, not to life, but actually to death. Why? Because these teachings are not according to 00:04:27.659 --> 00:04:37.599 Christ. They're based on human tradition, not divine authority. They are rooted in a worldly way of 00:04:37.599 --> 00:04:45.959 thinking rather than in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the essence of what Paul is getting 00:04:45.959 --> 00:04:54.579 at here in these verses is simply this. Jesus Christ doesn't need an upgrade. In the Christian life, 00:04:54.620 --> 00:05:02.019 you don't get beyond Jesus Christ. The person and work of Jesus does not need to be added to or 00:05:02.019 --> 00:05:09.959 supplemented. Don't be captured by any way of thinking that takes you away from Jesus. He is all 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:20.299 sufficient. Christ is all you need. In the previous verses that Chris looked at last week, in verses 8 00:05:20.299 --> 00:05:27.539 through 15, Paul reminds us there that Christ is our satisfaction. Only in Him is there the fullness 00:05:27.539 --> 00:05:35.259 of deity. Christ is our power for living. Only He can produce a holy life. Christ is our forgiveness. 00:05:35.259 --> 00:05:44.219 Only He has canceled the debt that we owe to God. He is all we need. In Calvin's words, 00:05:44.459 --> 00:05:53.480 drink from this fountain and from no other. Now, however, Paul turns his attention to focus more 00:05:53.480 --> 00:06:00.259 specifically on the threat posed by this religious philosophy that was doing the rounds in Colossae. 00:06:00.259 --> 00:06:09.539 And in essence, he makes a three-pronged appeal to the Colossians. He does not want them to exchange 00:06:09.539 --> 00:06:18.000 the truth of God for a lie. He doesn't want them to be scammed. And so, let's look at these three 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:29.800 appeals. The first one we have in verses 16 and 17 is this. Don't exchange gospel substance for religious 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:39.620 shadows. Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a 00:06:39.620 --> 00:06:50.460 festival, new moon, or Sabbath days. These are a shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 00:06:50.459 --> 00:06:59.519 It appears that these false teachers were promoting or pushing several different things. They were trying 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:07.179 to impose dietary requirements. Paul speaks about being judged in relation to food and drink. Some 00:07:07.179 --> 00:07:15.019 foods and drink were deemed unclean or unacceptable for believers. And this appeal may well have found its 00:07:15.019 --> 00:07:21.199 origin in some of the dietary laws of the Old Testament. Those were designed that the people 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:27.939 would be clean to worship in the sanctuary of God. It distinguished them from the unclean Gentiles. 00:07:28.500 --> 00:07:35.799 But it wasn't just about diet. It was also about days. Festival, new moon, ESV has an Sabbath. 00:07:37.299 --> 00:07:43.399 Better there, Sabbath days. In the Jewish calendar, there were annual festivals that were celebrated. 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:51.479 A new moon would have been acknowledged monthly. The reference here to Sabbath, I think, is not a 00:07:51.479 --> 00:07:57.979 reference to the Lord's Day and the fourth commandment. It's a reference to ceremonial, 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:07.679 festival, yearly Sabbaths. And so, this group was trying to force a certain regimen on the Colossians, 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:13.120 trying to shape their worship, their way of life in a certain way, seeking to get them to 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:19.780 conform to a variety of different Old Testament traditions, under the pretext that these would 00:08:19.780 --> 00:08:27.680 help them grow spiritually and deepen their faith. And I think there's a hint in the text that the 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:34.159 Colossian believers were somewhat intimidated by this group, their zeal in promoting these practices. 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:43.919 Perhaps some of them were made to feel unspiritual, second-class Christians. Their confidence had 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:50.639 taken a hit. This group claimed biblical warrant for their practices. They pointed to the Bible. 00:08:52.339 --> 00:08:59.559 And we know from passages such as Mark 7 that Jesus declared all foods clean. In that great vision of 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:06.819 Acts 10, Peter hears a voice telling him, what God has made clean do not call common. The Old Testament 00:09:06.819 --> 00:09:15.859 dietary laws were provisional. They were only for a specific period in Jewish history as they looked 00:09:15.859 --> 00:09:23.939 forward to the coming of the Messiah, in whom all peoples, Jew and Gentile, would be made clean. 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:33.640 Israel's worship in the Old Testament was a shadow of what was to come and be fulfilled in Jesus. 00:09:35.220 --> 00:09:41.240 And much of it, including the dietary laws, the special days and festivals, and indeed the temple and 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:52.600 the whole sacrificial system itself, were signposts pointing to Christ. Shadows, not substance. These are a 00:09:52.600 --> 00:10:02.120 shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Christ is the substance. He is the real 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:09.620 thing. If we think we're having communion this evening, if we think for a moment of the Passover 00:10:09.620 --> 00:10:17.379 in Exodus 12, that night where God's people were shielded from the divine wrath, not by their ethnicity 00:10:17.379 --> 00:10:24.879 or their traditions or their good works, but by what? By the blood of lambs. And those first Passover lambs 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:32.519 were the price that had to be paid for the Exodus. For God's people to be set free, those unblemished 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:40.100 lambs had to be slain, their blood had to be shed. Without them, there was only judgment and death. 00:10:40.100 --> 00:10:51.460 And yet on the eve of His death, Jesus celebrated the Passover. But He didn't take a lamb from the table. 00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:58.639 He took bread and said, this is My body given for you. He took the cup. He said, this cup is the new 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:09.120 covenant in My blood. Because Jesus offered Himself as the Passover lamb. As Isaiah prophesied, 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:16.419 He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. As John declared by the Jordan River, 00:11:16.700 --> 00:11:23.639 behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Because Jesus is the Lamb, 00:11:24.700 --> 00:11:31.299 set forth as a propitiation for sin, set forth that God's wrath might pass us over, 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:39.000 set forth that we might say with the firstborn of Israel, that lamb died for me. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:47.340 He died in My place. You see, there are shadows, and then there is the substance, 00:11:47.539 --> 00:11:53.179 and Christ is the substance. He is the solid reality to which the whole of the Old Testament 00:11:53.179 --> 00:11:59.100 points. And if you have the substance, then why would you be focusing on the shadows? 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:06.879 It's not that Paul is despising or diminishing the importance of the shadows. They are important signs. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:12.939 They have their place. But we need to let them lead us towards the one that they're pointing to. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:20.480 Many years ago, Alice and I, I remember this, Alice and I bought a washing machine, 00:12:21.179 --> 00:12:27.679 and we had it for years. I don't think I ever learned how to operate it, to be honest, but that's a 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:34.200 personal confession. But however, every time someone came out, because washing machine is always 00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:39.160 breaking down. But anyway, somebody came out to repair it, and they would say this, 00:12:40.259 --> 00:12:46.620 they don't make them like this anymore. And invariably, the repairman would encourage us to 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:52.900 hold on to this washing machine as long as possible. Why? Well, it was built to last. 00:12:53.780 --> 00:12:59.940 Unlike most modern appliances today, which have built in obsolescence, they are no longer, 00:12:59.940 --> 00:13:04.980 you know, they're no longer made to be repaired or renewed. You know, they run their life, and then 00:13:04.980 --> 00:13:11.360 you throw them away. Friends, these Old Testament laws and festivals had built in obsolescence. 00:13:12.740 --> 00:13:18.700 They weren't designed to last. They were not meant to keep on going. They had a divinely appointed 00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:26.000 lifespan. They were previews of the one who was to come. They were not the final word. They were never 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:34.159 meant to be permanent fixtures. They were provisional. They've now been superseded. They've been overtaken 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:44.000 by the Lord Jesus Himself. You would think me a bit crazy or crazier than usual if I suddenly decided to 00:13:44.539 --> 00:13:50.419 trade in my Honda Jazz for a horse. You know, you'd be thinking, well, that's a bit strange. 00:13:50.419 --> 00:13:58.299 I wouldn't abandon my laptop computer to go back to my old Amstrad word processor or some old typewriter. 00:13:58.740 --> 00:14:08.679 Things have been superseded. Belong in the past. We sometimes give babies a dummy to keep them quiet. 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:15.599 Dummy is used to pacify. I think that's what our American cousins call them, isn't it? Pacifiers. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:21.920 Parents pacify a young child. And with babies and very young children, we see that as altogether 00:14:21.920 --> 00:14:28.060 appropriate. But if we see a 40-year-old man sitting in church sucking a dummy, we would think 00:14:28.060 --> 00:14:33.840 something has gone wrong. That would be aberrant behavior. It would be a sign of immaturity or 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:40.600 something worse. Because the dummy is not meant to be a permanent fixture. It's only for a short time. 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:48.500 Likewise, the diets and days of the Old Testament were only for a time. They weren't built to last. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:54.580 They were shadows pointing to Jesus. They were signposts, not the destination. 00:14:55.480 --> 00:15:01.240 If you're, you know, if you're going to Glasgow and you see a sign, Glasgow M8, 00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:07.500 you don't stop at the signpost and gather around it. You go where it's pointing you, 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:15.299 even if it's to Glasgow. Yeah, I'll just stop there. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:23.179 And that's what Paul is driving at here. You know, don't get fixated on the signs. Don't let 00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:29.679 these things obscure the destination. Focus on the substance, which is Christ Himself. 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:42.419 Don't exchange gospel substance for religious shadows. Secondly, don't exchange gospel truth 00:15:42.419 --> 00:15:49.959 for what we'll call religious speculation. Verses 18 and 19, let no one disqualify you, 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:55.919 insisting on asceticism and the worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:01.779 puffed up without reason by a sensuous mind, not holding fast to the head from whom the whole body 00:16:01.779 --> 00:16:06.559 nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments grows with a growth that is from God. 00:16:07.599 --> 00:16:15.299 That little phrase, let no one disqualify you, can be translated variously. Let no one condemn you, 00:16:15.379 --> 00:16:22.240 or maybe let no one pass judgment on you. These false teachers were judging the Colossian believers 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:29.360 by their own worldly standards. They were looking down their noses at them, their simple faith in Jesus. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:37.240 And they were insisting on asceticism, a word that conveys the idea of false humility. 00:16:38.299 --> 00:16:44.279 They gave the appearance of being humble and devoted, but it was really just a show of religious pride. 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:51.839 They fasted. They fasted. They abased themselves. But it was all designed really to parade a sense of 00:16:51.839 --> 00:16:58.740 spiritual superiority. It was a bit, you know, look at us. Look how spiritual we are. It was the very 00:16:58.740 --> 00:17:04.859 opposite of that true humility that comes through Christ. And then there was the worship of angels 00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:11.839 in that part of the ancient world. Angels were often invoked through magical practices for help and 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:18.579 protection from evil powers. And it's likely that their assistance was being sought, and these angelic 00:17:18.579 --> 00:17:24.419 beings were being so venerated that they become objects of worship and devotion. It was idolatry. 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:30.980 They were looking to angels rather than Christ. They were angel-centered rather than Christ-centered. 00:17:32.639 --> 00:17:38.819 And then Paul mentions visions, going on in detail about visions puffed up without reason by a 00:17:38.819 --> 00:17:47.639 sensuous mind. Again, in some of the mystery cults of that time, initiation rites involved kind of ecstatic 00:17:47.639 --> 00:17:54.639 visions. And these visionary experiences were sought after. They were viewed as a kind of badge of 00:17:54.639 --> 00:18:00.919 spiritual maturity and standing. And I think it's likely that Paul is alluding to something of this 00:18:00.919 --> 00:18:07.639 kind. Mystical, visionary experiences that puff people up with a sense of their own importance. 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:14.940 What do we make of those who claim to have visions from God? 00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:20.020 Now, of course, Paul himself had a vision of Christ on the Damascus road. 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:26.120 And indeed, he tells the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 that he received 00:18:26.120 --> 00:18:29.840 further visions and revelations from the Lord. 00:18:31.380 --> 00:18:34.200 Now, Paul was a leading apostle of the early church. 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:44.980 No one can seriously make that kind of claim today. Or can they? Unfortunately, such claims are 00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:52.140 sometimes all too frequent. There are many today who make great claims about receiving visions and 00:18:52.140 --> 00:19:00.440 direct revelations from God. The claims are great. Jesus spoke to me. The Lord told me. God showed me. 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:05.740 And sometimes it's very hard to contradict or to push back against such claims. After all, 00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:16.180 who are we to question God? But in truth, making such claims is very easy. Anyone can make them. 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:25.019 Prophetic words of knowledge, revelations and visions, promises of blessings for the faithful. 00:19:25.019 --> 00:19:32.940 Indeed, indeed, in some settings, the Word of God is set aside in favor of these apparently more exciting 00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:42.180 and immediate revelations. It is easy for some people to claim divine authority and direct revelation 00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:47.160 from God, and on that basis seek to direct and control others. 00:19:47.160 --> 00:19:54.940 In other words, invariably, it is a path that leads to pastoral carnage, 00:19:54.940 --> 00:20:04.540 because these speculative visions and dreams lead people away from the Word of God and away from God Himself. 00:20:06.140 --> 00:20:13.320 Many of such fellowships that have allowed such things have descended into all manner of heresies, 00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:23.000 because they've exchanged the truth of the gospel for religious speculation. It is never a wise course to follow. 00:20:25.220 --> 00:20:30.240 So, what was this group of false teachers missing? Where were they going wrong? 00:20:31.500 --> 00:20:35.379 The dangerous characteristic, the evidence, was this, verse 19, 00:20:35.380 --> 00:20:42.640 They were not holding fast to the head from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, 00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:44.660 grows with a growth that is from God. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:48.220 What's he saying? They were not holding on to Jesus, 00:20:49.060 --> 00:20:52.200 because Christ alone is the head of the church. 00:20:53.140 --> 00:20:57.700 He is the one who directs the body. He is the one who sustains the body. 00:20:57.900 --> 00:21:00.160 He is the one who nourishes the body. 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:04.420 He is the one who binds His people together in unity. 00:21:04.860 --> 00:21:10.360 He is the one, the only one, who leads His church to growth and maturity. 00:21:11.580 --> 00:21:16.320 And so, union and communion with Christ are absolutely vital. 00:21:19.120 --> 00:21:23.880 In his little commentary on Colossians, the English preacher, Steve Brady, 00:21:23.880 --> 00:21:30.500 tells of an experience learning to water ski in the English Channel. 00:21:31.280 --> 00:21:35.440 He was all kitted out in his wetsuit and life jacket, 00:21:36.140 --> 00:21:39.000 and he was assured that this was all going to be very easy. 00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:44.000 There was a rope with a little handle attached to a powerful speedboat. 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:48.600 All he had to do was to hold the handle between his bent knees, 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:50.060 let the rope take the strain, 00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:53.899 and as the boat surged away, he would be water skiing. 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:55.399 Simples. 00:21:56.859 --> 00:21:58.220 Well, not quite. 00:21:59.539 --> 00:22:04.059 He says, after swallowing a huge quantity of water from the English Channel, 00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:07.639 being left adrift from the boat for the umpteenth time, 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:11.319 he again found himself bobbing about in the water. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:15.099 His friend pulled up alongside in the boat and asked Steve, 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:17.519 do you know what faith is? 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:21.240 And though he was an experienced minister, 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:24.759 Steve wisely decided not to rise to debate, 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:26.400 and instead said, 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:27.359 Peter, tell me. 00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:29.420 And Peter replied, 00:22:29.579 --> 00:22:31.680 Faith is holding on. 00:22:32.500 --> 00:22:35.039 Don't let go of the rope. 00:22:36.579 --> 00:22:38.480 And friends, we need to be doing that. 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:41.940 We need to be holding on to Jesus. 00:22:42.900 --> 00:22:45.160 We mustn't let go of the Lord. 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:47.920 We need to be abiding in Jesus. 00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:49.900 Thomas Chalmers wrote, 00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:52.580 Oh, let me abide in Christ, 00:22:52.700 --> 00:22:56.560 and in Him have nourishment and strength. 00:22:56.580 --> 00:22:57.860 You want to grow as a Christian? 00:22:58.620 --> 00:23:03.380 You need to be united to and abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:06.380 You need to be holding on to Him by faith. 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:11.120 Don't exchange gospel substance for religious shadows. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:15.379 Don't exchange gospel truth for human speculation. 00:23:16.199 --> 00:23:18.239 Keep holding on to Jesus. 00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:20.639 Third thing, 00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:22.659 don't exchange, 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:24.539 verses 28 through 23, 00:23:24.959 --> 00:23:29.879 don't exchange gospel freedom for religious rules. 00:23:30.739 --> 00:23:34.119 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, 00:23:34.339 --> 00:23:36.299 why, as if you were still alive in the world, 00:23:36.379 --> 00:23:37.699 do you submit to regulations? 00:23:37.700 --> 00:23:39.100 Do not handle, 00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:39.759 do not taste, 00:23:39.840 --> 00:23:40.539 do not touch, 00:23:41.299 --> 00:23:43.779 referring to things that all perish as they're used, 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:46.779 according to human precepts and teachings. 00:23:47.340 --> 00:23:49.600 These indeed have an appearance of wisdom 00:23:49.600 --> 00:23:52.460 in promoting self-made religion, 00:23:52.620 --> 00:23:54.880 that asceticism and severity to the body, 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:56.100 but they're of no value 00:23:56.100 --> 00:23:58.840 in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:01.400 So, this third prong of Paul's appeal 00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:04.460 is for the Colossians not to be seduced, 00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:06.019 we'll call it, 00:24:06.100 --> 00:24:07.380 by a religion of rules, 00:24:08.259 --> 00:24:09.319 because these false teachers 00:24:09.319 --> 00:24:11.980 laid great emphasis on certain rules and regulations, 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:14.539 and they encouraged the Colossians 00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:17.299 to submit themselves to their teachings, 00:24:17.480 --> 00:24:20.059 as if this was the way of real, 00:24:20.500 --> 00:24:22.019 true spiritual progress. 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:24.680 And Paul reminds them 00:24:24.680 --> 00:24:26.160 that since they've already died 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:28.500 to the spiritual pattern of this world, 00:24:28.759 --> 00:24:30.200 why on earth would they live 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:31.900 as if they still belong there? 00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:34.900 They've been set free in Jesus Christ. 00:24:35.060 --> 00:24:37.100 They were now part of God's new creation. 00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:40.400 Why would they return to this old way of life? 00:24:41.280 --> 00:24:42.880 Why would they submit themselves 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:45.180 to worldly rules and regulations? 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:46.620 What on earth were they thinking? 00:24:49.400 --> 00:24:51.560 The regulations that the false teachers 00:24:51.560 --> 00:24:52.780 were seeking to impose 00:24:52.780 --> 00:24:54.259 were promoted, as I've said, 00:24:54.340 --> 00:24:55.860 as a way of kind of true holiness. 00:24:57.280 --> 00:24:58.480 Paul says here that these things 00:24:58.480 --> 00:24:59.180 are of no value. 00:25:00.220 --> 00:25:01.580 They're purely external. 00:25:01.579 --> 00:25:03.399 They're not a matter of the heart. 00:25:04.759 --> 00:25:06.759 They're of human, not divine origin. 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:08.480 They're fixed, 00:25:09.619 --> 00:25:10.919 their attention on a world 00:25:10.919 --> 00:25:12.240 that is passing away. 00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:15.559 Not on Christ who reigns and rules 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:17.039 over all things. 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:20.619 Paul asks the Colossians, 00:25:20.740 --> 00:25:22.460 why do you submit to such things? 00:25:23.699 --> 00:25:24.679 Now, that's a good question. 00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:28.380 Why is a religion of man-made rules 00:25:28.380 --> 00:25:31.680 sometimes so attractive? 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:37.539 Well, I think we must remember 00:25:37.539 --> 00:25:39.820 that rules can be very comforting. 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:42.880 They have a very strong appeal for many. 00:25:43.860 --> 00:25:45.600 Submitting ourselves to certain 00:25:45.600 --> 00:25:48.360 extra-biblical religious rules 00:25:48.360 --> 00:25:49.820 can make us feel very good 00:25:49.819 --> 00:25:50.779 about ourselves. 00:25:53.259 --> 00:25:55.000 If you just need to recall 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:58.079 some of the often bizarre rules 00:25:58.079 --> 00:25:59.319 imposed upon people 00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:00.579 during COVID-19. 00:26:02.819 --> 00:26:03.639 Extraordinary, really, 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:04.859 when you think about it. 00:26:05.319 --> 00:26:07.839 And how absolutely obsessive 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:10.179 some people became about them. 00:26:10.180 --> 00:26:12.380 And in the same way, 00:26:12.460 --> 00:26:13.259 rules-based religion 00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:14.980 can be very satisfying. 00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:16.880 It gives all the appearance 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:18.240 of spiritual wisdom. 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:19.799 Adhering to rules 00:26:19.799 --> 00:26:21.240 can make you feel very good 00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:22.380 and very righteous. 00:26:24.620 --> 00:26:25.720 And unfortunately, 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:29.160 churches can be infected 00:26:29.160 --> 00:26:30.539 with this kind of approach. 00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:32.660 Sometimes churches can morph 00:26:32.660 --> 00:26:34.160 into something quite authoritarian. 00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:36.980 Church life can be very regimented. 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:38.680 There can be a kind of 00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:40.900 unwritten behavioral code. 00:26:41.560 --> 00:26:43.360 The atmosphere can be very controlling. 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:45.039 People become accustomed 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:46.519 to being told 00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:48.440 what they can and cannot do 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:49.400 in all sorts of 00:26:49.400 --> 00:26:52.019 secondary and peripheral matters. 00:26:53.100 --> 00:26:54.100 And in a strange way, 00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:55.140 people can really feel 00:26:55.140 --> 00:26:56.580 very safe and secure 00:26:56.580 --> 00:26:57.820 in such a context. 00:26:58.060 --> 00:26:59.620 It can all sound so very spiritual. 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:01.900 And it can be very difficult 00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:04.120 to leave and break free. 00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:06.380 And over the years, 00:27:06.460 --> 00:27:08.259 I've seen just how such a culture 00:27:08.259 --> 00:27:10.740 of unwritten rules often 00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:12.619 can damage people 00:27:12.619 --> 00:27:14.559 and cause harm 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:16.059 to the cause of Christ. 00:27:17.640 --> 00:27:19.259 People are psychologically 00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:20.819 stripped of their freedom. 00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:23.980 It generates into a situation 00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:25.740 of spiritual abuse 00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:26.879 from which it's very hard 00:27:26.879 --> 00:27:27.539 to break free. 00:27:29.539 --> 00:27:30.700 You know, sometimes 00:27:30.700 --> 00:27:32.640 in a domestic abuse case 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:35.400 where perhaps a wife is oppressed 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:36.820 by a domineering husband. 00:27:37.900 --> 00:27:38.820 And we wonder, 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:40.460 why doesn't she just leave 00:27:40.460 --> 00:27:42.020 for her own well-being 00:27:42.020 --> 00:27:42.640 and safety? 00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:45.259 Friends, it's never that easy. 00:27:46.460 --> 00:27:47.660 It can be very hard 00:27:47.660 --> 00:27:48.620 to free yourself 00:27:48.620 --> 00:27:50.280 from an abusive relationship. 00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:53.339 And this group in Colossae, 00:27:53.420 --> 00:27:54.180 with all their rules 00:27:54.180 --> 00:27:55.000 and regulations, 00:27:55.160 --> 00:27:56.299 were very intimidating, 00:27:57.579 --> 00:27:59.399 appeared very spiritually impressive, 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:01.940 high level of commitment, 00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:02.639 rigorous, 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:03.680 disciplined, 00:28:04.259 --> 00:28:04.700 sincere, 00:28:05.099 --> 00:28:06.319 full of do's and don'ts. 00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:09.559 But look at what Paul says 00:28:09.559 --> 00:28:10.759 about such practice. 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:13.960 These have indeed, 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:14.819 verse 23, 00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:16.700 an appearance of wisdom 00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:19.159 in promoting self-made religion 00:28:19.159 --> 00:28:20.319 and asceticism, 00:28:20.619 --> 00:28:21.839 severity to the body. 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:24.619 But they are of no value 00:28:24.619 --> 00:28:25.460 in stopping 00:28:25.460 --> 00:28:26.519 the indulgence 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:27.480 of the flesh. 00:28:28.939 --> 00:28:30.019 What was he saying? 00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:30.240 He said, 00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:31.480 they feed the self. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:34.179 But they're useless 00:28:34.179 --> 00:28:35.700 in combating the flesh, 00:28:35.980 --> 00:28:36.700 the sinful nature. 00:28:37.619 --> 00:28:38.919 They don't help people 00:28:38.919 --> 00:28:40.480 overcome sin. 00:28:41.500 --> 00:28:41.779 Why? 00:28:41.919 --> 00:28:43.700 Because the root of sin 00:28:43.700 --> 00:28:44.799 remains untouched. 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:46.939 These religious practices, 00:28:47.220 --> 00:28:47.539 rules, 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:48.899 serve to feed 00:28:48.899 --> 00:28:50.139 the sinful nature 00:28:50.139 --> 00:28:51.679 and actually encourage 00:28:51.679 --> 00:28:52.899 feelings of pride 00:28:52.899 --> 00:28:53.679 and superiority. 00:28:54.740 --> 00:28:55.259 Friends, 00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:56.200 such rules will not 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:57.119 make you like Jesus. 00:28:58.159 --> 00:28:58.819 They will not 00:28:58.819 --> 00:28:59.939 transform you. 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:00.480 Friends, 00:29:00.539 --> 00:29:01.759 they will deform you. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:03.980 They will not make you 00:29:03.980 --> 00:29:05.159 holy or godly 00:29:05.159 --> 00:29:06.279 because such rules 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:07.599 have no power 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:09.460 to change the human heart. 00:29:11.399 --> 00:29:12.379 Real godliness 00:29:12.379 --> 00:29:13.220 is created 00:29:13.220 --> 00:29:14.259 only when the roots 00:29:14.259 --> 00:29:14.700 of sin 00:29:14.700 --> 00:29:16.000 have been destroyed 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:16.839 and uprooted. 00:29:17.740 --> 00:29:18.660 It can be created 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:19.660 only when the roots 00:29:19.660 --> 00:29:20.359 of our fear 00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:21.160 and pride 00:29:21.160 --> 00:29:22.000 and insecurity 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:23.500 have been dealt with 00:29:23.500 --> 00:29:24.299 by the power 00:29:24.299 --> 00:29:26.000 of Christ's gospel. 00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:28.379 Godliness is only 00:29:28.379 --> 00:29:29.099 produced when people 00:29:29.099 --> 00:29:30.200 have been set free 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:31.759 by the Holy Spirit 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:32.379 to live 00:29:32.379 --> 00:29:33.839 for Jesus Christ. 00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:36.140 God pouring out 00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:36.720 His love 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:37.940 into our hearts 00:29:37.940 --> 00:29:39.099 by His Spirit. 00:29:39.099 --> 00:29:41.099 Jesus Christ 00:29:41.099 --> 00:29:42.599 coming to live 00:29:42.599 --> 00:29:43.519 within us. 00:29:45.299 --> 00:29:45.939 Godly living 00:29:45.939 --> 00:29:46.899 is about loving, 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:47.539 adoring, 00:29:48.019 --> 00:29:48.559 worshiping, 00:29:48.879 --> 00:29:49.519 enjoying 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:51.159 the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:29:51.160 --> 00:29:51.360 Christ. 00:29:53.600 --> 00:29:55.519 And these religious rules 00:29:55.519 --> 00:29:57.880 obscured the glory 00:29:57.880 --> 00:29:58.480 of Christ. 00:29:58.660 --> 00:29:59.380 They diminished 00:29:59.380 --> 00:30:00.080 Him. 00:30:00.840 --> 00:30:01.460 They did not 00:30:01.460 --> 00:30:02.759 exalt Him. 00:30:04.120 --> 00:30:04.700 Their rules 00:30:04.700 --> 00:30:05.700 meant that a person 00:30:05.700 --> 00:30:07.660 was puffed up, 00:30:08.380 --> 00:30:09.880 but the body of Christ 00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:11.460 was not built up. 00:30:13.040 --> 00:30:13.380 And so, 00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:14.120 Paul says, 00:30:14.119 --> 00:30:16.179 don't exchange 00:30:16.179 --> 00:30:17.239 gospel substance 00:30:17.239 --> 00:30:19.199 for religious shadows. 00:30:19.959 --> 00:30:21.039 Don't exchange 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:21.959 gospel truth 00:30:21.959 --> 00:30:23.299 for human speculation. 00:30:23.819 --> 00:30:24.799 Don't exchange 00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:26.059 gospel freedom 00:30:26.059 --> 00:30:28.259 for religious rules. 00:30:30.059 --> 00:30:30.919 You see, 00:30:30.959 --> 00:30:31.439 the essence 00:30:31.439 --> 00:30:32.239 of the world's 00:30:32.239 --> 00:30:32.879 way of thinking 00:30:32.879 --> 00:30:35.599 is to get us 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:36.939 to look to someone 00:30:36.939 --> 00:30:38.179 or something else 00:30:38.179 --> 00:30:39.279 to complete us 00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:40.739 and make us whole 00:30:40.739 --> 00:30:42.859 other than Jesus Christ. 00:30:44.119 --> 00:30:45.419 It's when we think 00:30:45.419 --> 00:30:46.259 we can complete 00:30:46.259 --> 00:30:47.099 our own lives 00:30:47.099 --> 00:30:48.059 by our own efforts, 00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:49.119 our good works, 00:30:49.199 --> 00:30:50.299 our religious acts. 00:30:51.199 --> 00:30:51.839 It's when we look 00:30:51.839 --> 00:30:52.559 to establish 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:53.579 our own righteousness 00:30:53.579 --> 00:30:55.659 and credit before God, 00:30:55.799 --> 00:30:56.799 or it's when we look 00:30:56.799 --> 00:30:57.459 to other things, 00:30:57.579 --> 00:30:58.859 money and power 00:30:58.859 --> 00:30:59.599 and status 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:00.739 or whatever 00:31:00.739 --> 00:31:01.419 to fill up 00:31:01.419 --> 00:31:02.339 our empty lives. 00:31:03.099 --> 00:31:03.979 And these avenues 00:31:03.979 --> 00:31:04.899 may be popular, 00:31:05.799 --> 00:31:06.979 but they're dead ends. 00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:07.779 They will take us 00:31:07.779 --> 00:31:08.759 nowhere but despair. 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:09.559 They will always 00:31:09.559 --> 00:31:10.319 leave us empty. 00:31:12.619 --> 00:31:13.739 Don't be afraid 00:31:13.740 --> 00:31:16.420 to really give 00:31:16.420 --> 00:31:17.420 your life to Jesus. 00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:18.720 And yes, 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:19.920 that can feel 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:20.640 very scary, 00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:23.079 but He alone 00:31:23.079 --> 00:31:23.900 can slake 00:31:23.900 --> 00:31:24.799 our thirst 00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:26.079 and make us whole. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:28.759 I'm reminded 00:31:28.759 --> 00:31:29.339 of a scene 00:31:29.339 --> 00:31:31.859 in one of 00:31:31.859 --> 00:31:32.539 C.S. Lewis' 00:31:32.839 --> 00:31:33.759 Narnia books, 00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:34.880 The Silver Chair. 00:31:36.200 --> 00:31:37.039 Jill is searching 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:37.640 for water 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:38.160 in the wood 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:39.519 when she encounters 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:40.660 Aslan the lion. 00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:43.240 If you're thirsty, 00:31:43.380 --> 00:31:44.040 you may drink. 00:31:44.660 --> 00:31:45.480 For a second, 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:47.200 she stared here and there, 00:31:47.300 --> 00:31:48.259 wondering who had spoken. 00:31:48.500 --> 00:31:49.080 Then the voice 00:31:49.080 --> 00:31:49.740 said it again, 00:31:49.820 --> 00:31:50.519 If you're thirsty, 00:31:50.660 --> 00:31:51.240 come and drink. 00:31:52.320 --> 00:31:53.120 It was deeper, 00:31:53.320 --> 00:31:53.700 wilder, 00:31:53.840 --> 00:31:54.240 stronger, 00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:55.080 a sort of heavy, 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:56.320 golden voice. 00:31:57.060 --> 00:31:58.000 It did not make her 00:31:58.000 --> 00:31:59.019 any less frightened 00:31:59.019 --> 00:32:00.360 than she had been before, 00:32:00.480 --> 00:32:02.100 but it made her frightened 00:32:02.100 --> 00:32:03.560 in rather a different way. 00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:06.000 Are you not thirsty, 00:32:06.140 --> 00:32:06.640 said the lion? 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:08.960 I'm dying of thirst, 00:32:09.060 --> 00:32:09.440 said Jill. 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:11.180 Then drink, 00:32:11.860 --> 00:32:12.620 said the lion. 00:32:13.580 --> 00:32:14.420 May I? 00:32:15.020 --> 00:32:15.640 Could I? 00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:17.160 Would you mind 00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:17.780 going away 00:32:17.780 --> 00:32:18.500 while I do, 00:32:18.700 --> 00:32:19.140 said Jill? 00:32:20.360 --> 00:32:22.259 The lion answered this 00:32:22.259 --> 00:32:23.320 only by a look 00:32:23.320 --> 00:32:24.740 and a very low growl. 00:32:25.780 --> 00:32:26.640 The delicious, 00:32:26.920 --> 00:32:27.620 rippling noise 00:32:27.620 --> 00:32:28.240 of the stream 00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:29.180 was driving her, 00:32:29.380 --> 00:32:30.100 nearly frantic. 00:32:31.020 --> 00:32:32.340 Will you promise 00:32:32.340 --> 00:32:34.220 not to do anything 00:32:34.220 --> 00:32:34.900 to me 00:32:34.900 --> 00:32:35.620 if I do come, 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:36.140 said Jill. 00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:38.340 I make no promise, 00:32:38.800 --> 00:32:39.360 said the lion. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:41.259 I dare not come 00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:41.660 and drink, 00:32:41.780 --> 00:32:42.140 said Jill. 00:32:42.980 --> 00:32:43.960 Then you will die 00:32:43.960 --> 00:32:44.480 of thirst, 00:32:44.740 --> 00:32:45.259 said the lion. 00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:46.580 Oh dear, 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:47.460 said Jill, 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:49.480 coming another step 00:32:49.480 --> 00:32:49.940 nearer. 00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:51.320 I suppose 00:32:51.320 --> 00:32:52.680 I must go 00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:53.980 and look for 00:32:53.980 --> 00:32:55.100 another stream then. 00:32:57.240 --> 00:32:58.180 There is 00:32:58.180 --> 00:33:00.280 no other stream, 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:01.420 said the lion. 00:33:03.060 --> 00:33:03.580 Friends, 00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:04.860 there is no other stream. 00:33:04.859 --> 00:33:07.059 If you are not 00:33:07.059 --> 00:33:08.099 a Christian this evening, 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:10.059 then come and grab 00:33:10.059 --> 00:33:10.799 hold of Jesus 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:11.619 by faith. 00:33:12.479 --> 00:33:13.259 Put your life 00:33:13.259 --> 00:33:13.799 in His hands, 00:33:13.859 --> 00:33:14.819 you will not regret it. 00:33:15.899 --> 00:33:17.179 And if you are a Christian, 00:33:17.299 --> 00:33:18.219 then keep holding on 00:33:18.219 --> 00:33:18.679 to Jesus. 00:33:18.959 --> 00:33:19.819 Don't let go of Him. 00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:20.959 Don't be lured 00:33:20.959 --> 00:33:21.779 away from Him. 00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:23.779 He alone is the way 00:33:23.779 --> 00:33:24.279 and the truth 00:33:24.279 --> 00:33:24.899 and the life. 00:33:26.339 --> 00:33:27.359 Don't be scammed 00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:30.219 by this world's religion. 00:33:30.220 --> 00:33:32.920 All manner of religious 00:33:32.920 --> 00:33:33.860 cul-de-sacs 00:33:33.860 --> 00:33:34.799 and spiritual 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:35.940 dead ends 00:33:35.940 --> 00:33:36.720 exist today. 00:33:38.180 --> 00:33:39.079 Man-made religion 00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:40.319 will take us 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:41.100 nowhere. 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:43.460 Look to the 00:33:43.460 --> 00:33:44.480 life-giving Savior. 00:33:46.019 --> 00:33:46.839 Drink from 00:33:46.839 --> 00:33:48.380 no other stream. 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:50.920 Turn your eyes 00:33:50.920 --> 00:33:51.559 on Jesus 00:33:51.559 --> 00:33:54.059 because everything 00:33:54.059 --> 00:33:54.620 we need 00:33:54.620 --> 00:33:55.920 is found 00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:56.980 in Him. 00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:58.720 Let's pray together. 00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:10.159 Lord, help us 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:11.980 to lean 00:34:11.980 --> 00:34:12.960 and trust 00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:14.099 and depend 00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:15.860 not on ourselves 00:34:15.860 --> 00:34:17.980 but on 00:34:17.980 --> 00:34:19.699 the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:21.699 Help us 00:34:21.699 --> 00:34:22.820 to look to Him 00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:24.099 in faith. 00:34:24.740 --> 00:34:25.119 Help us 00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:26.099 to hold on 00:34:26.099 --> 00:34:26.579 to Him 00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:27.720 by faith 00:34:27.720 --> 00:34:28.699 knowing that 00:34:28.699 --> 00:34:30.079 He holds 00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:30.980 on to us 00:34:30.980 --> 00:34:32.699 and He has 00:34:32.699 --> 00:34:33.259 promised 00:34:33.259 --> 00:34:35.000 never to let 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:35.759 us go. 00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:38.199 Lord, 00:34:38.299 --> 00:34:39.639 we confess 00:34:39.639 --> 00:34:40.139 tonight 00:34:40.819 --> 00:34:42.819 that there is 00:34:42.819 --> 00:34:44.619 no other stream, 00:34:45.699 --> 00:34:46.639 no other fountain, 00:34:47.980 --> 00:34:48.899 no other Savior. 00:34:50.439 --> 00:34:51.279 And we pray 00:34:51.279 --> 00:34:52.179 these things 00:34:52.179 --> 00:34:53.279 in His name. 00:34:53.919 --> 00:34:54.259 Amen. 00:34:54.259 --> 00:34:54.439 Amen.