Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to Paul's letter to the church at Colossae.
At the risk of giving you ammunition to mess with me during a sermon.
A little over a year ago, I had a hard time getting my notes to print on a Sunday morning.
And as such, I just grabbed the iPad and pulled up the information on it and preached that Sunday
and discovered that I love it because I can see it. I'm getting a bit older, my eyes are getting harder,
and this light's a bit bright. Such a wonderful, wonderful thing.
But I get text messages on my iPad. And from time to time, I'll get a text message.
It pops up at the top of the screen. It's kind of funny.
And just now I got a text, but from four days ago, from my father that said, please call me.
So I just opened my iPad and went, what? Not now.
Well, but it came many days later onto the iPad, apparently.
So don't text me during the service.
It's ultimately the moral of that. But four days ago, you're certainly welcome to.
Our text today is Colossians 2, verses 4 through 8.
Before I read it, though, I want to remind you where we've been in our text.
The church at Colossae is a fairly unsubstantial church in our definition of what is substantial.
A small group of believers in a very small, insignificant town.
I don't remember the exact history as I presented it to you at the beginning of our study,
but the Romans had moved the major highway around Colossae and went through Laodicea,
and Colossae was just kind of left in the middle of nowhere.
This wasn't a church that Paul established.
It's most likely that Epaphras, who's mentioned in the letter multiple times,
carried the gospel from Ephesus, where Paul was, back to his hometown,
saw converts and started a church there.
And it's also most likely that it's Epaphras who has come to Paul while he's in prison.
We think in Roman imprisonment.
We do know that he's in prison.
We're not sure exactly where, but more than likely in Roman imprisonment.
And has come to him and asked for his help in correcting some erroneous doctrine,
some heresy that's encircling the church and possibly making some inroads into the church.
We don't know the exact nature of that heresy.
In some of Paul's other letters, it's much more clear,
specifically the heresies of the day that he's addressing.
Here we're not entirely sure, but in some way or another,
as most heresies concerning Christianity do,
these people seem to be denying the deity of Christ,
that he was himself actually God,
because Paul so clearly addresses that beginning in verse 15.
And they seem to, in some way, be attacking the sufficiency of Christ,
that faith in Christ is what brings salvation and adding work to that,
as he expounds upon, oh, interspersed amongst 12, 13, down 19, down through 23.
So these seem to be the two issues of the day,
which are fairly massive heresies.
I hope for our church and for most Christian churches this morning,
that if these types of things were being taught,
denying that Jesus Christ is himself God,
or that we must work in order to maintain our salvation,
that these people would be fairly readily shut down.
So as we come to these texts, sometimes it feels distant to us.
We seem to live in a place where these aren't great challenges.
But I would put forth to you that they are, in fact.
That there are many ways in which the world and the enemy
is trying to deceive us about who Jesus is.
It just seems to be much more subversive these days,
much more, as we live in such a Christian culture, deceptive.
So it's important that we, especially important, I think,
that we draw our attention to how it is that Paul addresses
and what it is he's trying to press upon the Colossian believers
and how it is we ought to also take up these things
in order to stand firm in Christ.
So beginning in verse 4, I read,
I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
For though I am absent in the body, yet I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Therefore, as you receive Christ Jesus, Lord, so walk in him,
rooted and built up in him and established in the faith,
just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit
according to human tradition,
according to the elemental spirits of the world,
and not according to Christ.
This is God's word to us.
It was written for his glory and our good.
We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
So Paul directly takes on here these doctrinal heresies.
And again, the application is there's many such challenges to our faith today.
And this is why, and this will be the outline for the text today,
that disciples of Jesus Christ, true disciples,
those who have placed their faith in his saving work,
number one, must have a resolute understanding.
Number two, must walk in him.
And number three, must abound in thanksgiving.
So firstly, disciples of Jesus Christ must have a resolute understanding
of who their Lord is and of our salvation.
This is imperative for us, beloved.
And in fact, he in caps this text today with two charges for this.
Verse four, I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
And verse eight, see to it that no one takes you captive.
And then he lists off a number of ways in which this can take place,
which we'll address in a moment.
We have to pay attention to the very beginning of verse four,
where he says, I say this in order that.
What is the this that he is referring to?
And last week, we fairly glanced over verses two and three of chapter two.
And now I want to kind of help tie that in here
as Paul speaks of his struggle on behalf of the Colossian believers.
And then in verse two, he writes that their hearts may be encouraged,
being knit together in love to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding
and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge.
So his struggle on their behalf, even though he hasn't seen these people,
his struggle on their behalf in prayer,
his struggle on their behalf in the writing of this letter,
his struggle in that he's going to send faithful workers to them,
is that they would have a full assurance of understanding
and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,
that they would know Christ,
that they would understand who Christ is and who he is to them,
that they would get a clear and full confidence in Christ's deity
and his sufficiency, as I referenced earlier in chapter one.
This is who Jesus is.
Fully God, yet man, come to earth,
lived a perfect life that we may have his righteousness,
bore on the cross the wrath for our sin,
ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father,
now making intercession for us,
will one day come back and judge the world,
will separate the righteous from the unrighteous,
the righteous for eternal glory,
the unrighteous to eternal damnation.
This is our Christ.
And we must have a very clear understanding of who he is
and that his work was sufficient for the saving of us,
that we must simply believe that it is his work
that accomplished this thing on our behalf.
1 Timothy 3.16
And what very likely was a first century hymn,
Paul beautifully writes,
maybe somebody else wrote it and he's simply quoting it,
but verse 16,
Great indeed, we confess,
is the mystery of godliness.
Being Christ.
The mystery of godliness.
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
So it is Christ
that we must have a resolute understanding of.
And as with Paul's writing,
as it's so beautiful,
and there's so much depth to it,
it has to be unraveled.
In verses 2 and 3,
this is the maybe even a bit trite summation
of what he's trying to say.
Christ.
The treasure of wisdom and knowledge.
It's Him that we must know.
And we must know Him
so that no one may delude us
with plausible arguments.
This idea of delusion
is simply to be led astray,
to be confused by,
to be, as he says later,
taken captive by.
And he uses this interesting language
of plausible arguments,
which I appreciate.
It means that people who believe in other things
aren't entirely insane in the world,
but these are persuasive arguments
that people are making.
They're arguments that contain within them
some bit of truth.
All believable lies
contain within them some truth.
To be able to grasp it,
to be able to understand it.
An example to this,
if I told you a story
that yesterday I met
and was punched by Mike Tyson,
you'd be very unlikely to believe me.
Thinking that,
how is it possible
that Nathan met Mike Tyson yesterday?
What if I told you
that my wife punched me yesterday?
Well, she didn't.
But it'd be much more believable
because I see her all the time
and I certainly deserve to get punched
at times as well.
You see that in order for something
to be believable,
it has to contain some truth within it
that resonates within us.
So there's a truth mixed with the error.
So these arguments are plausible.
They could sound to us at times like,
oh, well that sounds pretty good.
Do you know people like that
or are you that person possibly?
That it's very easy and simple
for somebody to convince you?
You may be convinced of one thing
and they make a simple argument
and now you're suddenly convinced
of the opposite of that very thing.
So easily swayed back and forth
by plausible arguments.
This has been promised to us
that in the future of the church,
Paul writes much about this,
that there would be false prophets.
There would be people
who would come in amongst the church
and lead members of that church astray
with plausible arguments.
There's much strong warning given against this
in the scriptures.
It should be no surprise to us
that we need to be firmed up in our faith,
that we need to contend for the truth
because this is a thing that's repeated again
and again and again.
A couple quick examples of that.
2 Corinthians 11, 13-15.
Paul writes,
For such men are false apostles,
deceitful workmen,
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Sounds so good
because they're coming in the name of Jesus.
In verse 14,
And no wonder,
for even Satan disguises himself
as an angel of light.
People come and they say good things
that resonate with us
and then they slip in underneath
the falsehood, the lies,
those things that lead us astray.
Verse 15,
So it is no surprise
if his servants also disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness.
It's difficult to discern these people at times
if we're not founded in the truth
of who Christ is.
The end of verse 15 says
their end will correspond to their deeds.
Paul wrote to the Galatian believers,
chapter 1, verses 6-9,
I am astonished that you are so quickly
deserting Him who called you
in the grace of Christ
and are turning to a different gospel.
Here are people already being turned
by plausible argument.
Verse 7,
Not that there is another one.
There is no other gospel.
There's one true good news.
But there are some who trouble you
and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
The great heresy we know
for the Galatian church
was from the Judaizers
who said that Jesus is good and acceptable.
You can believe in Jesus
and you can follow Jesus,
but you also must obey the law.
You must keep the practice of the Jews
and therefore you must be circumcised.
This was the great thing
that Paul is addressing
to the Galatian church.
Verse 8 he says,
But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach to you
a gospel contrary to the one
we preach to you,
let him be accursed.
That is, cut off from the grace of God.
As we have said before,
so now I say again,
if anyone is preaching to you
a gospel contrary to the one you received,
let him be accursed.
And it's a challenge in our day, beloved.
It's so very, very difficult
because there's so few people I know
that are so blatantly heretical.
The kind of people,
you just want them almost like
people our day,
preachers our day,
I just want them to step across that line
just so I can say,
no, never listen to that man.
But there's good stuff happening
and I think good motivation
and intention happening.
I listen fairly often
to conservative talk radio.
The CD player doesn't work in my truck
so the radio comes on
when I'm driving places.
And there's often a previous
Southern Baptist leader,
currently the pastor
of a rather large church
in the Atlanta area,
and he has these little moments
that he gets on and shares something.
And they're usually incredibly good.
More often than not,
I really appreciate
the things he has to say.
He takes these big grand truths
about who God is
and he brings them down
in a simple way
to a broad audience.
I really appreciate it.
This week, however,
he started off by talking about
how in racing,
people look for
every little competitive edge
they can get.
The tenths of a second matter
in racing.
And so they're always trying
to find the way racers are
that they can just
get a little bit
of a competitive edge.
And then he went on to say
that in life,
Jesus is our competitive edge
in our race.
Oh my gosh,
like I just wanted to tackle him
and stop the broadcast
of it all.
That's not the case at all.
Jesus puts us in a different race.
He shatters the race.
He says this is a pointless,
fruitless race,
and he puts us on another track.
Completely different.
And then we run after him.
He's not a competitive edge.
He is the goal.
He is the prize
of the race that we run.
So you have to be so careful
about what you take in
and what you hear
and where the foundation is
for your understanding
of truth.
Bookended again.
Plausible arguments.
This is a man
that people listen to
and probably just consumed
what he had to say.
He said,
oh, that's very good.
Competitive edge.
I like it.
This bookending, though,
goes on in verse 8.
See to it that no one
takes you captive
literally means to kidnap,
right?
To bag up and take away
by philosophy, right?
This is not referring
to our modern study
of general and fundamental problems,
but it's a much broader term,
which certainly can include
our modern philosophy,
but also allows for
religious sex.
Just as an example,
the first century historian
Josephus wrote in Jewish Wars,
there are three philosophical,
same Greek word,
sex among the Jews.
So it allowed for that,
a much looser term
of philosophy,
ways of thinking,
worldview.
Don't be taken captive
by the varying worldviews
that are out there
or by empty deceit.
Certainly the Colossian heretics
and those of our day
would have found great value
in their teaching,
believed it.
Otherwise,
they wouldn't teach it.
But Paul here deems it
empty and deceitful,
of no value whatsoever.
According to human tradition,
which is to say that
just because somebody
believed it before,
in the past,
doesn't make it true.
It doesn't necessarily
make it true.
It's of interest
for us today
to study church history
because it informs
so much about what we believe.
If you tend to believe something
that most of Christianity
has deemed a heresy,
you're probably wrong.
There's some value
in looking at the church itself.
I would encourage you
to look at the great heresies
that have come
and been squashed
throughout the days
of the church
and find that you may believe
some of those things
and may have,
at one point in history,
been burned for it.
Human tradition
is not the reason
that we believe things
to be true.
It can have some value,
but you never say
just because,
just because
grandma and grandpa,
just because
mom and dad,
therefore it must be.
The standard for our truth
is the Scripture,
is Christ.
according to the
elemental spirits
of the world.
Now there's a lot of conjecture
about what this
could mean.
I think the simplest explanation
is the proper explanation,
so I'm just going to give you
that one.
If you are interested,
I would encourage you
to study it
on your own time.
The phrase
elemental spirits
is a single noun
and it refers,
its weightiest definition
is referring to
the letters of the alphabet,
the way the letters
of the alphabet
come in order.
The suggestion seems to be
that Paul is stating
that to believe in heresy
is to descend
to foolishness.
Having been enlightened,
having been taught
the glorious truth,
it's to come back down
to the more base things.
It's like a child
learns to read
and then they go back
to just like learning ABCs.
You already know your ABCs.
Move on to the reading.
This seems to be
what he's communing.
It's a regression
in one's understanding.
He's juxtaposing,
I think,
the mature teaching
of Christ's deity
and sufficiency
to the childish teachings
that oppose his deity
and his sufficiency
that would suggest
that Jesus was just a man
and would suggest
that we can somehow
work and earn
our salvation.
This same language
is used elsewhere,
Galatians 4.3.
In the same way,
we also,
before we were
in the faith,
when we were children,
were enslaved
to the elementary principles
of the world.
Same phrase,
elementary principles
and elemental spirit
used in both places.
I think this is what
he's trying to say.
It's childish
to believe such things
that are,
the end of verse 8,
not according
to Christ.
So anything that is
in opposition
to who he is,
the things that he has
accomplished
are heretical.
So,
we must know
who Christ is
and have an understanding,
a resolute understanding
of who Christ is.
So how does that
come to pass?
How do we foster
a resolute understanding
of who Christ is
and what he's accomplished
as deity
and his sufficiently?
Two quick points to that.
Firstly,
prayerfully
read the text
in its context.
That's the exhortation.
Prayerfully
read the text
in its context.
Before you ever come
to the Word of God,
which completely speaks
of Christ,
we need the Holy Spirit's
illumination.
We need His illumination.
We need Him
to give us
spiritual eyes
to understand rightly
what is contained
within this book.
It was spiritually inspired.
It was given to us
by God
and we need Him
to help us
understand it rightly.
There's a wrong way
to read this book,
beloved.
We must read it rightly.
We must prayerfully,
we must ask,
we must come to the Word of God
on our knees.
This is why Paul prays
for the Ephesian church
as we see recorded
in Ephesians 1.18
that the eyes
of their hearts
would be enlightened.
That they would understand
the truth
of the Gospel.
So read it prayerfully.
And read it.
Prayerfully,
read the text.
We never,
never
outgrow
our need
of the Scripture.
This is such
a beautifully complex
book
in the way that God
has orchestrated
its writing
and the way
in which He uses it
in application
to our life.
I am continually
astounded
at the way
that God speaks
to me
through His Word.
It still blows my mind.
Texts that I am
so incredibly
familiar with.
Things that I can
rattle off to you.
And I'll go back
and reread it
and a phrase
will like stamp me
on the forehead
as if I've never
seen it before.
It's alive
and it's active
because the Spirit
uses it as a tool
to change us
from one degree
of glory
to the next.
99% of the time
someone comes
to me for counsel
and we're talking
about what's going
on in their life
and I ask them
have you been
consistently
prayerfully
reading your Bible?
The answer is
no.
It's incredible.
Go.
Read your Bible.
Ask that God
would work the truth
into your life
and then come back
and let's talk.
He uses the church
as a tool.
But you have to be
practicing these things
beloved.
You have problems
in your life
and we all do.
Go to the Scriptures
for them.
They're sufficient
to give us
the guide
for holy living.
You must read
the text.
You never,
ever,
ever outgrow
your need of it.
You never become
so familiar with it
that meditation
becomes unnecessary
for you.
You've heard me say
before that no doctrine
stays alive in the mind.
No truth just
automatically gets
in our heads
and stays in our heads
and has effect
in our lives.
It must be fed.
You must continually
remind yourself
of the truth
of the Gospel.
Sunday morning's
not enough.
Necessary,
good,
valuable,
important.
Please come and hear
the preaching
of God's Word.
But it's not enough.
You have to be
in this book.
If you spent
all summer with us,
the only thing
you're going to hear
about is the book
of Colossians.
Go study something
else as well.
And I'm in no way
suggesting legalism
to you.
You have to get up
at a certain time.
You have to do
this many minutes
in the Bible,
etc.
But it ought to be
the meditation
of your life.
You ought to be
continually considering
what it is
the Word of God
has to say
to you.
Psalm 1, 1, and 2.
Blessed is the man
who walks not
in the counsel
of the wicked,
nor stands in the way
of sinners,
nor sits in the seat
of scoffers.
Happy is the man
who's not this man,
but instead,
verse 2,
but his delight
is in the law
of the Lord.
Not a labor for him,
but his delight,
his joy,
is to come
to the fountainhead
of God's truth
and impact
in our lives.
His delight
is in the law
of the Lord,
and on his law,
he meditates
day and night.
I know very few people
who can meditate
on the law
of the Lord
day and night
and not spend time
reading it.
I shouldn't even say
very few.
I don't think
I know anybody
who could do
such a thing.
There are days
that I don't
open the Scripture
for the study
of my own soul
because there's
something that's
running around
inside my head
from the day before.
Something I've learned.
Something that's
stuck with me
and I'm still
in the process
of meditating
on that very thing.
So it isn't to say
that you've got to
have your quiet time
every single morning,
but you need to
if you want to have
a life that's fulfilling
and beneficial
and honors God.
You need to be
in the Scripture.
Constantly.
Constantly letting it
work through you.
So prayerfully
read the text.
It's a jewel,
a gift given to us.
And prayerfully
read the text
in its context.
Both immediate
context
and broader context.
And I'm saying this
and I'm adding this
phrase to the end
of this because
there are so many
people who spend
lots of time
in the Bible
and misunderstand
it completely.
A very favorite
verse of so many
people.
And I hope I'm not
squashing your
favorite verse
right now,
but it's Philippians
4.13.
I can do all things
through him
who strengthens me.
Athletes love
Philippians 4.13.
It seems that
they believe that
God's great concern
is that they win
games.
It's not.
It's not what
Paul's even talking
about at all.
Does it include that
as a much lesser
thing?
Yeah, sure.
Can we do anything
apart from Jesus?
No.
There's some element,
some kernel of truth
contained within there.
But if we back up
just a little bit,
oh, I don't know,
read the chapter
before we make this
our favorite verse.
Beginning in the
last half of verse
11, Paul says,
I have learned in
whatever situation
I am to be content.
Verse 12,
I know how to be
brought low
and I know how to
abound.
And Paul's version
of abounding
is not our version
of abounding.
In any and every
circumstance,
I have learned
the secret of
facing plenty
and hunger,
abundance and need.
Paul is talking
about in the midst
of his struggle
in advancing
the kingdom of God,
that he's able
to walk through
the trials
as well as
the comfortable
times because
he can do all things
through Christ
who strengthens him.
The context
matters a lot
for these verses.
Another great
example in a broad
sense,
to understand
the scriptures,
another favorite
of many peoples,
Jeremiah 29.11.
For I know the plans
I have for you,
declares the Lord,
plans for welfare
and not for evil,
to give you a future
and a hope.
You need to know
the broader context
of what's happening
and who the you is
in this particular text.
God is making a promise
to exiled Israel.
Israel.
So,
unless you're an Israelite
in Babylonian captivity,
this promise
is not for you.
A lot of
health and wealth
is based
on this verse.
Right?
Subversively,
subliminally,
based on this verse.
Recently,
I went to a dance
recital for my niece
and the church building
that the dance
recital was in.
Had this verse
painted on the wall
huge
when you first walked in.
And what it seems
to communicate to people,
the way people quote it
all the time,
is that God has
welfare plans
for us.
Future and hope.
It's not what the verse means.
Certainly,
we can look at God's character.
We can go other places
in the Scripture
to see that God
has a great deal of care
and compassion for us.
We can see that He has
our good in mind,
but defined much differently
than here.
Himself giving us Himself.
So you must prayerfully
read the text
in its context.
And beloved,
you don't have to be
brilliant to do this.
You don't have to
be a scholar
to be able to do
this type of thing.
All of us are theologians.
All of us can spend time
in the Scriptures
prayerfully asking
that God would teach us
about Himself.
that we might
understand it better.
So firstly,
prayerfully read the text
in its context.
Second,
surround yourself
with biblical teaching.
Surround yourself
with biblical teaching
with people
and other ways
that you can
take in
the truth of the Bible.
We have
the most amazing,
almost limitless resources
at our fingertips
to be able to do this.
We have no excuse
for not knowing
this book
and knowing it
very well.
Be in fellowship
with a church.
For us,
show up to
our congregational meetings
like this morning.
Be involved
in a community outreach group
where people study the Scripture
and minister the Scripture
to one another.
Get involved
in some small group
discipleship,
meeting with people
on an individual basis
or in small crews
to talk about
the Scriptures
to be of encouragement
to one another
in that way.
I have been told
that my preaching style
tends to be a bit academic.
If you don't like that,
I apologize.
But part of the reason
I do that
is because I want you
to see how I arrive at things
because I want you
to be able to do it
on your own.
I want you to need me.
Like you have to come
and I impart something
to you every Sunday
and you just go,
oh, thank you.
That was so good.
And then you try to
nourish yourself
throughout the week on it.
I want you to understand
how it is we come
to the Scripture
and understand the Scripture
so that you can go
and do it yourself.
This fellowship
is really, really important
to that end.
The church is a grace
given to us
to help us be founded
in the truth.
Remember that Paul
is writing to a church
and the way in which
they're meant to be
functioning together.
You remember in verse 2
that he talked about
them being knit together
in love.
That this seems to be
important and conditional
for them coming
to a full assurance
of faith.
And there are ways
to access the broader church.
Don't just come
and hear my preaching.
I've not written any books
so you can't read
anything I've written
but throughout history
brilliant scholars
of the Scripture
have written books
for us to enjoy
that speak of the Scriptures.
And so,
kind of prioritized
in this order,
be in fellowship.
Read books
that employ the Bible heavily,
that tell you
what the Bible says,
that helps you
pull it together
thematically.
Flip to the back
of a book
and check the Scripture index.
If it has a good
Scripture index,
it's probably,
not always,
still need to be
discerning
concerning the book,
but probably
a good book.
If you want to read
good books,
there's a lot of men
and women in this church
you can ask
about good books.
Read biography.
Access the lives
of saints
that have gone before.
See these examples
of faithfulness,
the breadth
of somebody's life
and the way
in which God
has worked
and moved through them.
It's always so nice
in the midst
of your trouble
and the way
the truth applies
to you
to step back up high
and look down
at somebody's life
and see the way
in which God
has been providential
through it all.
Read.
Take up and read
good books.
Listen to sermons
beyond mine.
Man, we have a great
wealth of sermons.
You have so much
little bits of downtime
in your day.
Driving in the car,
waiting in the doctor's office.
John Piper,
it's a wonderful resource,
DesiringGod.org.
Decades of his preaching
recorded on there.
Amazing project
that they made available.
John MacArthur,
GraceToYou,
GTY.org.
Also another wonderful one.
Arturo Azzerdia,
SpiritEmpoweredPreaching.com.
He's my favorite,
so if you have
limited time,
go check out
Pastor Art.
And more recently,
Martin Lloyd-Jones,
The Doctor,
MLJTrust.org
is a wonderful,
wonderful resource.
Listen to podcasts.
Three that I listen to daily.
Five Minutes in Church History
by Stephen Nichols.
Ask Pastor John
by John Piper.
And The Briefing by Al Mohler.
These things will help you
to have a resolute understanding
of who Christ is.
This should be our activity,
beloved.
You are a theologian
if you're a Christian.
You must understand God rightly.
It matters for your life.
So, disciples must have
a resolute understanding.
Secondly, disciples of Jesus
must walk in Him.
Must walk in Him.
Verses 5, 6 and 7,
I guess the first part of 7.
For though I am absent in the body,
yet I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see your good order
and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk in Him.
Rooted and built up in Him
and established in the faith
just as you were taught.
Now, remember that Paul
has never seen these believers.
He's never been to this church.
And as far as we know,
he never did go there.
And he says,
as I'm absent in the body,
I'm with you in spirit.
Just to say that I'm longing
to be there with you.
I'd like to be there with you.
I'm considering you.
I'm praying for you.
I'm writing to you now.
And he's rejoicing.
He's heard reports
from Epaphras of their good order.
The way in which
the Gospel is having effect in their life
and that they are in fact
standing against some of these heresies.
There's a challenge to it.
There's a tearing at the seams.
But yet, there's a firmness
of their faith in Christ.
And so Paul commends them
for their conduct.
Good order and the firmness
of their faith.
Proper learning,
a resolute understanding
yields proper living.
It's the necessary outcome
of understanding
that we get it to the degree
that we act on it.
That it's not just some thing
in modern terms
we call it philosophy,
but that it's a reality.
It's a thing that
who Jesus is
causes us to turn
and to move
and to work
and to act.
A good example of this
is Romans 12.
Verse 2
where Paul writes,
Do not be conformed
to this world,
but be transformed
by the renewal
of your mind,
that by testing
you may discern
what is the will of God,
what is good
and acceptable
and perfect.
So don't be like the world.
Be different.
Be changed
from one degree to another
by the changing of your mind.
Resolute understanding.
Getting who God is
and how He functions
with you
now that you're His child.
That by testing
you may discern.
And the word discern
here in the ESV
is kind of a word
too weak,
I think.
It means,
some of your translations
may say,
approve
what is the will of God.
Still,
maybe not quite there.
The word carries with it
the meaning of
valuing.
Doing something
because you have
assessed it
and that you agree
that it is the proper
thing to do.
That you have looked
at something
and you've said,
yes,
because my mind
is being transformed,
I'm looking at this
thing in the world
and I'm seeing that
it is good
and right
and true.
It's a thing
that God treasures,
therefore I will
treasure it.
It's good
and it's acceptable
and it's perfect.
And this is the way
in which we're meant
to walk
in truth
under God.
Ephesians 4.18
It's an interesting
connection here
that Paul makes.
I think I just realized
that every single
reference today
was written by Paul.
Ephesians 4.18
Paul says,
speaking of
those who are not
in the faith,
unbelievers,
I hope categorically
different than who you
are this morning,
it says,
they are
darkened in their
understanding,
alienated from the
life of God
because of the
ignorance
that is in them
due
to their
hardness
of heart.
So it's an interesting
kind of phrasing
that he connects
on the end here.
Rather than just saying
they are darkened
in their understanding,
they don't understand
who God is
and how they're
meant to relate to Him
and therefore
they're alienated
from the life of God
because of this
ignorance
that is in them,
he takes it a step
further to say
it's due
to their
hardness
of heart.
And I just want
to press to you
and say to you
again
that man is
dichotomous,
that our head
and our heart
are never divorced,
that the two
function together,
that these
people have
a hardness
of heart,
their emotions,
their desire
for the things
of God
are turned
away from God
and therefore
they're darkened
in understanding.
And for those
of us who have
been delivered
from that,
our affections
are turned
toward God
and therefore
our mind
should also be
as well.
We should desire
to know Him
more.
These two things
should be functioning
together,
kind of conduiting
one from the
other.
So it's important
that we see
this,
that we see
that there should
be an outflow,
an outcome
of the way
in which we
think.
That there
shouldn't be
head without
heart or
heart without
head.
And so in
verse 6
He says to
them,
as you received
Christ Jesus
the Lord,
so walk
in Him.
And there is
so very much
to be said
about walking
in Christ.
This little
tiny phrase,
so walk
in Him.
We could
expound on
the entire
Christian experience
of what it
would mean
to walk
in Christ.
And I'm
not going
to go
there today.
We don't
have time
for it,
or you
guys have
the bandwidth
for it,
or myself,
but lest
you think
I'm neglecting
this,
the breadth
of that
phrase,
let me
assure you
that there's
much opportunity
to divulge
more concerning
this in the
rest of
chapter 2
and chapter 3.
In fact,
that's what
Paul intends
to go
on to do.
In the coming
weeks,
we'll look
more at
what it
looks like
to walk
in Christ.
But here
it is,
and we
can't
possibly
overlook
it here
in its
immediate
context.
We have
to deal
with it.
He says,
therefore,
because you
have received
Christ and
have settled
convictions about
His deity and
sufficiency,
this is working
in your lives
for good
order.
You've come
to this
resolute
understanding
and now
it's out
working.
He's saying
don't stop.
Just as you
received Christ,
walk in Him.
Don't stop
doing the
thing that
you're doing.
I've heard
of your
good order.
I've heard
of your
firmness of
faith.
Don't
stop.
Walk
refers to
daily
conduct.
Continue
believing the
truth concerning
Christ.
Have an
unwavering
Christology and
have an
effect in
your life.
This is
specifically what
he's talking
about.
As he goes
on in the
letter,
he talks
about how
that should
come out
of you
more
practically.
But in the
beginning of
verse 7,
there are
three
participles
that elaborate
on so walk
in Him.
This idea
rooted and
built up in
Him and
established in
the faith.
Those are the
three.
First part of
verse 7,
rooted and
built up in
Him and
established in
the faith.
The phrase
here,
rooted,
you have
been firmly
planted in
Christ.
This took
place at your
salvation.
If you have
placed faith
in Him,
it's in the
perfect tense
which denotes
it is a
completed and
eternal work.
You have
power to
walk in
Him, to
be sustained
in the
truth because
you have
been rooted
in Him.
You've been
planted by
God.
And you
are being
built up
in Him.
The present
tense here
indicates that
it is a
continuous action.
It is an
ongoing thing.
That God
is at work
building us
up in
Christ.
We've been
rooted in
Christ and
we're being
built up
in Christ.
And we
have been
established
in the
face.
The passive
voice denotes
that the
establishing
happens outside
of us.
we have
been
established.
We have
not
established
ourselves,
but we
have been
established.
And that
is that
it is
God who
does the
establishing.
It should be
of a great
deal of
encouragement
to us
as disciples
of Jesus
Christ must
have a
resolute
understanding,
must walk
in Him.
And lastly,
disciples of
Jesus Christ
must abound
in
thanksgiving.
The last
part of
verse 7,
abounding
in
thanksgiving.
This is
the fourth
participle
that explains
the walking
in Him.
And it
would seem,
the way the
Greek works,
get down and
start trying to
sentence diagram
this all out,
that it's a
response to
the other
three
aforementioned
participles.
Rooted and
built up in
Him and
established in
the faith
because of
these things
abounding
in
thanksgiving.
It kind of
seems on
first reading
to almost be
like an
afterthought.
Like Paul's
like, oh
yeah, yeah,
oh and be
thankful.
It's good,
important to
be thankful.
But it really
deserves a
closer look
because there's
a giving
thanks theme,
a theme of
thanksgiving
that develops
in the book
of Colossians.
Look quickly,
chapter 1,
verse 12.
You'll see it
there.
Here in
chapter 2,
verse 7.
And again,
in chapter 4,
verse 2.
I'll talk about
each of those
briefly.
But why is it
that Paul
finds thanksgiving
to be so
incredibly
important?
It seems to
be, what he
seems to be
presenting it
as, is a
weapon against
the very false
teaching that
he's addressing.
Thanksgiving
is a weapon,
an offensive
against
false teaching.
So how could
that be true?
Chapter 1,
verse 12.
Giving thanks is
the proper
response of
what has
proceeded in
chapter 9,
verse 11,
and what
follows in
verses 12-14.
Right?
The goodness
of God
to us,
the brevity
of it,
the breadth
of it,
in Christ.
How is it
God has
saved us
by the
work of
Christ?
And giving
thanks is
given as
this proper
and right
response to
that.
Again,
here in
2-7,
abounding in
thanksgiving
is the
proper response
of the
things that
have been
said previously,
rooted and
built up in
Him,
established in
the faith,
just as you
were taught.
Taught what?
The things
that we've
seen to be
true in
chapter 2,
2 and 3,
which I read
to you
previously.
Hearts
encouraged,
together in love,
to reach the
riches of
full assurance,
of understanding,
and the
knowledge of
God's mystery,
which is
Christ,
in whom are
hidden all the
treasures of
wisdom and
of knowledge.
So it's a
proper response
giving thanks
to who
Christ is
and who
He is
to us.
Being
thankful,
beloved,
is the
outworking
of,
the
grasping
of the
reality of
what Christ
has done
on our
behalf.
It gives
it wheels.
When our
hearts overflow
with
thankfulness,
it takes
it from
being high
and philosophical
to being
real to us
when we
respond to
it with
thanksgiving.
Being
thankful has
perspective
shifting
power.
Let me
give you
a very
obtuse
example of
this,
then I'll
give you
a spiritual
application
as well.
Yesterday,
I mowed
the grass
at our
house.
I really
hate
mowing
grass.
I would
love
someday
to pay
somebody
to mow
my grass
all the
time.
It was
hot out
yesterday.
I have
allergies,
so as soon
as I start
kicking up
the dust
and the
other weeds
and things
that are in
our yard,
I sneeze
a lot.
But I'm
out there
and I'm
cutting the
grass and
my mind's
beginning to
take this
grass and
kind of
an attitude
about it.
And I
was thinking
about this
text and
I was
thinking about
how it
is that
being
thankful
combats
lives.
So here
I am
beginning to
pick up
all of
these things
like it's
hot,
starting to
get damp
up here.
I couldn't
get my
earbud to
stay in my
ear.
Every time I
turned my
head,
it would
pop out
of my
ear and
I'd
have to
put the
music back
in my
ear.
It was
annoying,
I was
sneezing
a lot.
I'm
thinking about
being
thankful and
the power
of being
thankful and
all of a
sudden this
breeze just
blew through
our backyard
and it was
so nice and
cool,
it felt so
good and
I went,
it's actually
not that
hot out
here.
The cloud
covers out
and yesterday
got hot but
when I was
cutting the
grass it was
cloudy at
our house and
there was this
nice breeze.
I realized that
I just hadn't
noticed the
breeze before but
the breeze had
been blowing
the entire
time I
was out
there.
I began to
think about
how I'm
thankful that
I have a
yard.
We just
recently did
a bunch of
work on the
yard and
it went
well and
there's some
good and
some value
in having a
space to
enjoy in
that way and
suddenly my
mind shifted
doing the
exact same
activity and
my mind
shifted from
being grumbly
about it to
being happy,
happy that I
was cutting the
grass.
I have grass
to cut and
it's a nice
cool day and
God has been
good and
blessed me
with this
house.
So there's
this ability
to shift.
If you leave
here and I
hope that you
do and you
go with
people and
go have
food together,
some form of
fellowship,
I'd encourage you
to talk about
sermons.
If the first
thing you talk
about is how
long the
sermon was
today,
you're likely
not going to
say a whole
lot positive
about the
sermon beyond
that.
You say,
man,
Nathan preached
all the way
to noon,
which now I
have to,
to just make
the example
work well
for you.
What a long
sermon that
was.
Rather than
somebody breaks
the ice and
says,
isn't it good
that we have
the truth of
God,
that we can
sit it in our
laps and we
can listen to
it preached?
Whether I do a
good job or not,
I'm always very
hard on myself,
that someone this
week took the
time to try to
divulge to you
the truth contained
in the Scriptures.
You begin a
conversation like
that and it
changes.
The perspective
changes.
Yes,
God is good
to us.
Right?
It causes
cynicism,
which I am so
guilty of,
to flee.
It turns our
hearts.
It's the
outcome of
recognition of
how very good
God is to us.
And Paul places
it so strategically
in here as the
way in which we
turn our minds
from the lies
that the world
is telling us
to the truth
of God.
And just to
drive that home
for you,
chapter 4,
verse 2,
and this is it.
We're going to
wrap up here in
just a moment.
Chapter 4,
verse 2.
He says,
continue steadfastly
in prayer,
so persevere in
your prayer,
being watchful in
it with
thanksgiving.
Not and be
thankful or be
thankful in your
praying,
but be watchful in
it,
and the way
you're being
watchful is
with thanksgiving.
And why is that?
Because the
enemy does not
want us praying.
God's people
praying are a
dangerous thing
because God
uses the prayers
of his people
to accomplish
his will.
He doesn't
need us,
but he uses us
in that regard.
We're dangerous
when we get on
our knees.
John Piper said
it this way,
which I just love,
really appreciate.
He said,
when we pray,
we kneel in a
hornet's nest
of evil.
That,
that evil
pours out.
Have you,
have you not
experienced this
in your prayers?
You're so easily
distracted.
You buy lies
so readily.
The greatest lie
that I believe
is that God
doesn't hear my
prayers.
That my prayers
aren't worthy
to go up to
him.
And this is
something that's
told to me
by the enemy.
When the truth
of it is,
that I'm clothed
in Christ's
righteousness,
by myself,
they're certainly
not,
but because I'm
clothed in Christ's
righteousness,
when God sees
me,
he sees Christ.
And that Christ
is sitting at
his right hand
and he leans
over when I
pray and he
goes,
you should hear
this,
I've got him.
That my life
has been redeemed
and therefore
my prayers
are heard.
So,
thankfulness is
the way in
which we are
watchful.
That we can
rejoice in the
truth of the
gospel and
rightly pray
and not be
attacked by
these outside
influences
because it's
the outcome,
it's the
outflow of
our recognition
of God's
goodness to
us in
Christ.
I hope you're
seeing that
connection.
I'm not sure
my mind is
totally wrapped
it up yet,
but I'm
going to end
there because
it is now
noon.
And now my
example doesn't
work if I go
much further.
So let me
just conclude
this,
beloved.
If we're
going to
contend for
the truth,
if we're
going to
stand firm
in the
faith,
in the
midst of
a day
when the
truth is
being torn
asunder,
when the
truth is
being distorted,
the enemy
is certainly
at work
trying to
lead us
astray,
trying to
take us
captive,
we must
have a
resolute
understanding.
We must
walk in
Him,
Christ,
and we
must abound
in
thanksgiving.
Let's pray
together.