Thanks very much Sam for leading this morning and thanks to the musicians again for playing.
It's always good to have people who can play music and help us along in our singing.
Thanks again Sam for your organisation of yesterday. It was a good time, a great encouragement.
Let's turn in our Bibles please to Colossians.
This is the book we're looking at. If you've missed any of the talks along the way, you'll find them all on the website.
And again, thanks to Christopher who does that.
And yeah, they're all in good order now so you can follow up on past series as well.
But you'll find them there. We're going to read this morning from Colossians chapter 2, starting at verse 8 through to verse 15.
So let's hear God's word together.
Colossians 2, starting at verse 8 through to verse 15.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world, rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form.
And in Christ you have been brought to fullness.
He that is Christ is the head over every power and authority.
In Christ you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands.
Your whole self, ruled by the flesh, was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ.
He forgave us all our sins.
Having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us,
he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Well, these are rich words and we need God's help to understand and apply them.
So let's pray and ask for his help now.
Father God, we thank you again for all your many blessings to us.
Thank you that we can meet together like this in peace and in safety.
Thank you that we can enjoy one another's company and support.
And thank you that you have given to us your word.
That the God who made this universe has written down his word for us today.
So that as we listen to it, we can hear your voice speaking to our hearts afresh.
So please, will you encourage us.
And would you meet every need of every person here today.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Life with Christ is good.
But you know what?
It can be so much better.
Wouldn't you like to experience the best life, the good life?
And please don't misunderstand me.
Christ is a good place for us to start.
But don't let that restrict you.
There is so much more beyond Christ to experience.
Well, be very careful of such teaching.
Look at verse 8.
See to it that no one, including the preacher,
takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.
We don't know exactly what this philosophy or teaching is,
but we do know its source.
Continue with me through verse 8.
It depends on human tradition.
In other words, it is nothing less than the imaginations and speculations of people.
And it also depends on, the rest of verse 8,
the elemental spiritual forces of this world.
That is, its roots, the teaching of this,
its roots are sinister, evil,
luring you away from the truth.
The problem is, this teaching depends on other things.
Do you see the last sentence of verse 8?
Rather than on Christ.
Their foundations are in other things except Christ.
Christ is a good place to start, they say,
but there is something more.
Christ can meet some of your spiritual needs,
but not all of your spiritual needs.
Now we face the same kind of deceptive philosophy today.
Let me share with you two that I came up with.
Christ plus religious tradition.
So people will say,
Christ is good,
but it's your religious traditions that really count.
It's not so much who Christ is,
but believing in your rituals and your practices.
Or how about this one?
Christ plus personal experience.
Christ is good,
but it's your personal experience that counts.
It's not so much who Christ is,
but what you feel and think is best for you.
Now these things sound right,
they can almost feel good,
but we've got to be careful,
it's deceptive.
Such teaching, as we see in verse 8,
is human speculation.
It depends on human tradition.
It's luring you away from the truth.
It's not Christ plus that we need.
We need Christ alone.
You see, if we add anything onto Christ,
we're actually taking away from Christ.
And that's dangerous.
Rather than free you,
look again at the beginning of verse 8,
it takes you captive.
And rather than fill you,
it leaves you hollow,
it leaves you empty.
It's not Christ plus something else,
but Christ alone.
And we're going to look at three things
in the remaining verses
that show us that Christ is enough
for us as we walk the Christian life.
Three things.
We have fullness in Christ,
we're made alive with Christ,
and we experience victory through Christ.
So fullness in Christ,
alive with Christ,
and victory through Christ.
So let's look at the first one.
We have fullness in Christ.
In Christ, we have all that we need
to live the Christian life.
Three things are going to help us see this.
Here's the first one.
We have union with Christ.
Look at verse 9.
For in Christ,
all the fullness of the deity
lives in bodily form.
Now to help us understand that,
we can go back to chapter 1,
verse 9,
where the same thing is said.
For God was pleased
to have all his fullness
dwell in Christ.
Christ.
All of God,
so if my fist,
if you like,
is God,
and this is Christ,
all of God
is in Christ.
That's why it says,
if we go back to chapter 2,
verse 10,
the very last sentence,
Christ is the head
over every power
and authority.
That's actually a position
that belongs to God alone.
But here it's telling us
that Christ
is the head
over every power
and authority.
In other words,
Christ is God.
And the more we know
the Lord Jesus Christ,
the more we know
who God is.
Now look at verse 10.
So we've seen that
in Christ
is God.
And now we're told
at the beginning
of verse 10
that we are
in Christ.
That's who we are
if we're trusting in him.
Go back to chapter 1,
verse 2.
Remember how he described
the church
to God's holy people
in Colossae,
the faithful brothers
and sisters
in Christ.
Now put these
two things together.
If God is
in Christ
and we
are in Christ
then
we have
been brought
to fullness.
If all of God
is in Christ
and we are
in Christ
then verse 10
we have been brought
to fullness.
To be
in Christ,
to be trusting
in him
is to be
filled
with the
fullness of God.
Which means
Christ
is
enough.
All that we
ever need to
know of God,
all that we
could ever have
or receive
from God
is found
in Christ.
Therefore
we can say
Christ
is enough
for me.
Christ
is sufficient
for me
in my
walk
with him.
And if
you have
been filled
with the
fullness
of God,
with all
the greatness
and glory
of God,
if we've
been filled
with him,
how could
you ever
think
that you're
missing
something?
How can
we ever
say
I don't
have enough
if we've
been filled
with the
fullness
of God?
God
has given
us
everything.
He's given
us
himself
so that
we could
be
eternally
satisfied.
You see,
to know
Christ
is to
know
God.
And if
you have
God,
then you
can never
add anything
better and
greater
onto that.
Christ
is enough
for you
and for
me.
Maybe
you're
asking,
well,
okay,
this fullness
of Christ
in me,
how can
I experience
that for
myself?
Well,
very simply
through faith
in Christ.
We have
this union
with Christ,
we have
this fullness
as we
place our
trust,
our confidence
in him.
We are
united to
him,
we're
bound to
him,
we're
in him,
we're
incorporated
into him.
It's an
eternal
union that
can never
be broken,
ruined,
or destroyed.
His
life
becomes
my life.
So think
of it like
this,
think of
a marriage.
So when
Kirstie and
I got
married,
we became
one.
The two
became
one.
Through our
vows and
promises and
commitments,
my life
became her
life and
her life
became my
life.
We were
united,
we were
bound.
Well,
in a
much
deeper
and
eternal
way,
through
our
faith,
by trusting
our
life to
Christ,
his
life
becomes
my
life.
All
that
Christ
has
becomes
ours.
He
has
the
fullness
of
God
and if
we're
in him,
we have
his
fullness.
We don't
need
anything
else.
We don't
need to
add on
to
Christ.
So,
first,
we have
fullness
in
Christ.
Second,
we've
been made
alive
with
Christ.
In
Christ,
we have
the
best
life.
And
again,
three things
are going
to help
us see
this,
how it
works
out.
First,
we are
circumcised
by Christ.
Look at
verse 11.
in
Christ,
again,
so it's
that union
language as
we trust
in him,
in him
you are
also
circumcised
with a
circumcision
not
performed
by human
hands.
Now,
circumcision
was an
Old
Testament
covenant
sign given
to God's
people.
The
foreskin
of every
baby boy
was cut
off.
It was
a mark
or it
was a
sign
to show
you
that
you
belonged
to
God.
However,
circumcision
was always
outward
and
physical.
It was
just a
mark.
It never
changed
the
inside.
It never
changed
the
heart.
What
was
needed
was
something
inward
and
something
spiritual.
In
fact,
God
told
Moses,
or God
told the
people
through
Moses,
this is
what God
said,
he
says,
I want
you to
circumcise
your
hearts
and don't
be
hard
hearted
any
longer.
Well,
of course,
God didn't
mean to
physically
cut out
your heart
with a
knife.
No,
God was
saying,
what you
need
is not
something
physical
and outward,
but you
need something
inner
and
spiritual.
You
need to
change
the
inside.
You
need to
cut
away
the
sinful
self
so that
you
can
be
devoted
to
me.
And
that's
what
Christ
came
to do
for us.
So,
look at
the rest
of verse
11.
Your
whole
self
ruled
by the
flesh,
so when
it uses
that term
flesh,
it's
talking
about
the
sinful
desires
of the
heart,
your
whole
self
ruled
by the
sinful
desires
of the
heart
was
put
off
or
cut
off
when
you
were
circumcised
by
Christ.
In
other
words,
our
hearts
which
represent
our
true
selves
and
are
ruled
by
sin,
we
want
to
live
God's
way.
But
that
needs
changed
and
we
can
never
change
that
on
ourselves.
We
don't
even
want
to
change
our
hearts.
We
need
Christ
to
come
to
us
and
change
us
inwardly
to
give
us
a
circumcision
of
the
heart,
not
performed
by
human
hands,
but
a
spiritual
working
of
God
in
our
life.
It's
like
Christ
performs
inner
spiritual
surgery.
You
know,
if you
were to
go to
the
doctors
and
say,
there's
something
wrong
with your
heart,
there's
a valve
that's
blocked,
well,
you go
into
surgery,
they cut
open your
heart,
they do
all the
work,
they take
out what
needs to
be taken
out,
so that
you can
live.
Well,
Christ does
that to
us inwardly,
spiritually,
he cuts
us open,
he circumcises,
he cuts
away the
sinful heart,
so that we
can live for
him.
Well,
you say,
how on
earth does
that happen,
because it's
all kind of
picture language,
isn't it?
How does
Christ cut
away our
sinful
hearts?
Well,
baptised
in Christ.
Christ cuts
away the
sinful self
by his
death and
resurrection,
which is
symbolised in
baptism.
Let me say
that again,
it's quite a
lot there.
He cuts
away the
sinful self
by his
death and
resurrection,
which is
symbolised in
baptism.
So look at
verse 12.
So the
cutting off
has been
done by
Christ.
Verse 12,
having been
buried with
him in
baptism,
in which
you were
also raised
with him
through your
faith in the
working of
God,
who raised
him from
the dead.
You see,
when Christ
died,
and when
Christ was
buried,
we died
and we
were buried.
We died to
our sinful
self.
Through
faith,
our whole
self,
ruled by the
sinful nature,
was put to
death.
And similarly,
when Christ
was raised
from the
dead,
we were
also raised
from the
dead.
We were
raised to
new life.
Through
faith,
our whole
self is
now ruled
by Christ
and we
live for
him.
Now all
of that
is symbolised
through the
act of
baptism.
You know
what baptism
looks like
when you
go down
under the
water.
It's a
picture of
you saying,
I am
dying with
Christ.
When Christ
died,
I died.
I died to
my sinful
self.
Then when
you come
up out
of the
water,
it's a
picture of
being raised
with Christ.
We now
live for
him.
You see,
Christ deals
with the
internal,
not the
external.
He changes
us on
the inside,
not the
outside.
He gives
us new
life.
Look at
verse 13.
When you
were dead
in your
sins and
in the
uncircumcision
of your
flesh, so
before Christ
dealt with
your inner
life, he
says God
made you
alive with
Christ.
You see,
when I
trusted
Christ,
the old
died and
the new
lives.
When I
trusted
Christ, the
old Johnny
died.
There was a
dying to
it all.
And the
new Johnny,
well, he's
alive.
Look what
God has
done for
us.
It is
nothing less
than a
spiritual
resurrection.
Look at
the end
of verse
13.
He made
you alive
with Christ.
You see,
spiritually, we
often see
ourselves as
people who
are in a
bit of
trouble and
we're crying
out to God
for help.
We're like a
person struggling
in the sea.
We cry out
and someone
hoists a
life belt out
to us and
pulls us into
safety.
And we
can say,
my life
was saved.
And somehow
that's how we
think it is
with God.
We see
something that
needs to be
put right and
we cry out
to God to
come and
help us.
Well, it's
kind of
right.
Because our
spiritual condition
is much
worse than
that.
But our
salvation is
even greater
than that.
Rather than
see ourselves
flailing around
on the surface
looking for
someone,
to help.
Spiritually,
we're like a
corpse at the
bottom of the
ocean.
We're dead.
And dead
people don't
cry out for
help.
We need
somebody to
come and
intervene into
our life and
give us
life.
That's why it
says, you
were dead
in your
sins.
But God
came and
made you
alive.
life with
Christ.
Now, what
life is
better than
that?
To be
given
resurrection
life.
New life
with him
today.
New life
with him
for an
eternity.
We have
the best
life ever.
We've been
made alive
with Christ.
Christ.
And then
third, we
experience
victory through
Christ.
Through
Christ, we
can live a
victorious life.
And again, this
is just to help
us through and
to get the big
picture, three
things.
To see how we
have victory
through Christ.
First, we're
forgiven by God.
Look at the end
of verse 13.
God forgave
us all
our sins.
Sin is not
just misdemeanors.
Sin is our
rebellion
against God.
It's our
personal demand
that we want
to rule our
own lives and
do our own
thing.
It's seen in
our selfish
actions every
single day.
It's heard in
our angry
words.
we see it
in the
thoughts in
our twisted
minds.
And it
separates us
from God.
It breaks
relationships with
others and it
destroys our
own self.
Sin is a
burden that
weighs us
down and
cripples us.
And left to
ourselves, we're
just suffering
with our guilt
and shame.
But what has
God done for
us?
Verse 13.
He forgave
us all our
sins.
Not just
some of our
sins, but
every single
one.
Not just the
public ones
that people get
to see, but
the secret
private ones
that people
don't see.
Not just the
one-off sins,
but the daily
habitual sin.
He forgives us
of all of
our sin.
There's no
sin too big,
no sin too
dark, no
sin too
destructive,
that God
can't forgive.
Now that's
good news for
you and me,
but how does
he forgive?
Well, we're
told it's
nailed to
Christ or
it's nailed
to the
cross.
Verse 14
shows us
how we are
forgiven.
He forgave
us all
our sins,
having
cancelled the
charge of
our legal
indebtedness
which stood
against us
and condemned
us.
He has
taken it
away,
nailing it
to the
cross.
Now if we
commit crime
and we're
caught and
we're arrested,
we're hoisted
off to court.
And there we
sit in court.
and the
evidence is
carefully detailed
and recorded
before the
judge.
The charge
for our
crime is
then decided
and we're
sentenced.
Well, here we
are.
We all stand
before God
as guilty
before the
judge.
Verse 14
tells us
the charge
of our
legal
indebtedness
which stood
against us.
That is,
all the
evidence of
our guilt
through our
whole life
is all
piled up,
is all
carefully
detailed
and recorded
and presented
as it were
towards God.
And it
stands over
us.
It condemns
us.
We're guilty.
And we've
got no
defence,
no excuse.
The record
is crystal
clear.
The sentence
of God's
judgement
hangs over
us.
But look
what happens
verse 14.
Look at the
beginning of
verse 14.
He cancelled
the charge
that was
against us.
And how
did he do
it?
Look at the
end of
verse 14.
He took
it away
by nailing
it to
the cross.
Can you
picture that
in your
mind?
That if
we are
trusting in
Christ today,
all our
sin,
every single
bit of it,
was taken
on by
Christ on
himself.
The
evidence
against me
has been
nailed to
Christ.
The
judgement
that is
mine has
now fallen
on Christ.
And the
charge against
me has
been cancelled
through Christ.
An old
hymn that
we sometimes
sing here
puts it
like this.
My sin,
oh the
bliss of
this
glorious
thought,
my sin,
not in
part,
but the
whole,
all of it,
is nailed
to the
cross,
and I
bear it
no more.
Praise the
Lord,
praise the
Lord,
oh my
soul.
Sin is
nailed to
the cross,
Christ.
And it
stays there,
never to
be taken
with us
again.
That's the
victory we
have through
Christ.
But there
is even
more to
that
victory.
Our
victorious
Christ.
Look at
verse 15.
Christ has
disarmed
the
powers and
authorities.
Now what
do you
think of
the powers
and
authorities
here?
Well, you
can talk to
me afterwards,
but I
think the
powers and
authorities
here are
Satan and
his minions.
You see,
Satan has
always been at
war with
Christ,
hasn't he?
Through the
temptation in
the desert,
as we follow
his life through
the Gospels,
the opposition
of religious
leaders,
people pursued
him,
people were
against him,
and behind
it stood
the powers
and authorities
of Satan.
They were at
war against
Christ.
And it
seems like
Satan won
the battle.
When Christ
was charged
by those
religious rulers
and sentenced
by the Roman
authorities,
when he was
stripped
naked,
and when he
was beaten
and whipped,
and when
the crown
of thorns
were crushed
on his
head,
and the
nails were
driven into
his hands
and feet,
all hell
went wild
in delight,
because Christ
was defeated.
But no,
what Satan
thought was
the final blow
on Christ
turned out
to be Christ's
victory
over Satan.
Verse 15,
he disarmed
the powers
and authorities.
He made
a public
spectacle
of them,
triumphing
over them
by the
cross.
One writer
helpfully put
it like this,
follow on
screen,
the cross
was not
the defeat
of Christ
at the hands
of the powers,
it was the
defeat of the
powers at the
hands,
yes,
the bleeding
hands of
Christ.
You see,
as Christ
died on
the cross,
that was a
demonstration of
the greatest
power ever,
because he
defeated Satan
who throws
at us
every accusation,
who reminds
us of all
our sin and
all our past
and all our
failure,
and points
fingers and
says you're
useless,
you're rubbish,
you're a
failure.
But Christ
has taken
away,
he has
disarmed
Satan,
he has
taken away
that weapon
of accusation,
so it can
never,
ever touch
us again.
You see,
through the
death of
Christ,
our salvation
is secured,
through the
suffering of
Christ,
our debt
and sin
is forgiven.
You know,
in ancient
times,
when kings
went out to
battle,
and they won
their battle,
they would
march back
into the
city,
and in
tow would
be their
enemies,
their disarmed
enemies,
in chains,
following the
conquering king,
and people
would line
the streets,
cheering their
victorious,
triumphant
king.
Well,
the cross
is God's
victory parade.
As people
walked by,
they saw
suffering and
death,
a crucifixion,
brokenness.
But it is
through the
death of
Christ that
we have
victory.
The cross
is God's
victory parade.
Jesus Christ
is our
victorious,
triumphant
king.
He has
won,
and we
now share
in that
victory.
And if
Christ has
won the
greatest
battle,
if he
has defeated
our
greatest
enemy,
why would
we ever
go looking
for something
more?
He's done
it all.
He's
enough.
He's
sufficient.
so let
us
together,
verse 8,
see to
it that
no one
takes you
captive
through hollow
and deceptive
philosophy.
Be careful
of dangerous
deception.
People who
say,
Christ is
not enough.
You need
something more.
No,
we have
fullness in
Christ.
We've
been made
alive with
Christ,
and we
experience
victory
through
Christ.
Christ is
enough.
He's
sufficient for
you and
for me.
Let's
pray.
Amen.
Let us
pause,
and reflect,
on where
we so often
put our
hope and
our trust.
Father,
thank you
that Christ
is
enough,
and he
is sufficient
for our
life today.
Thank you
that we have fullness in Christ.
We have all of God with us
and for us.
Thank you that we have been made alive with Christ,
new life to live your way
and new life forevermore in your eternal kingdom.
Thank you that we have victory in Christ,
all our sin dealt with,
never to be held against us.
Never to be accused,
never to be condemned,
but living with the sure and certain hope
of life with you for all eternity.
Father, thank you for the gift of Christ
and thank you that through our faith in him,
his life becomes my life.
Thank you so much
and it's in his name we pray.
Amen.
We're going to sing together.
Amen.
I once was lost in darkest night,
yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy in life,
well, it had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that you would own a rebel to your will.
And if you had loved me first,
I would refuse you still.
Hallelujah.
I have loved you still.
Hallelujah.