Covenant Community Baptist Church Book of Colossians Fullness in Christ July 12, 2015

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1 INTRODUCTION This morning, I will be sharing from the book of Colossians. I give due respect to Ps Fong Choon Sam s sermon in Jan last year, The Mystery of Ministry, The Secret of Service and his insights to Col 1: Also, bro Mathotmi from Manipur shared in May this year from Col 2:6,7 on the testimony that people see in a Growing Christian, a Faithful One. I would approach Colossians from an overall picture: 1) Background info on Colossians, 2) Why the book was written, 3) What is the Big Idea or Subject of the book of Colossians, 4) How is Colossians relevant to us? 5) How can we apply what we learn from Colossians? The book of Colossians is one of the epistles, or letters, that was written by the apostle Paul. The letter to the Colossians was written to the church in the city of Colosse. We all would have heard about Paul s various exciting missionary journeys whether through Sunday school stories or sermons on the book of Acts and the various epistles. Paul wrote the letter of Colossians around AD60, i.e., about 27 years after the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was written during Paul s first imprisonment in Rome. Before Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Colosse, he had never been to their city. We can infer that from some verses in the letter that the church in Colosse was not personally founded by Paul. A man named Epaphras, had become a Christian when he was in Ephesus and heard the gospel from Paul during Paul s 2 to 3 years ministry in Ephesus. Epaphras then brought the gospel back to Colosse, where a young church resulted. However, the church in Colosse soon became infiltrated with false teachers who taught Christological heresy. Christology is the study of the nature, attributes, and deeds of the person of Jesus Christ. The false teachers taught heresies (or false teachings) that doubted/denied the deity of Jesus, claiming that Jesus was not God, and is not adequate for the salvation of mankind. Epaphras then visited Paul in Rome during his imprisonment, and confided in him regarding the dangerous teachings the Colossians were hearing. The Colossian heresy (What were the heresies about?) The Christians in Colosse were taught by heretical teachers who had lost connection with the Head, who is Christ the Head of the Church. They were taught that Christ alone was somehow insufficient or inadequate for their salvation and growth. They were told that they had to have some additional mystical knowledge about the angels and spirits in order to grow. This set of wrong beliefs gave rise to a set of wrong behaviour. In their wrong understanding, they thought that Jesus Christ was inadequate for their salvation and growth, and they had to subject their bodies to harsh treatment and discipline to attain fullness or completeness in their Christian lives. Though Paul had never been to the church itself, he loved the Colossian church and was determined stop the spread of wrong teachings and beliefs. The nature of Jesus Christ as Creator and Redeemer were non-negotiable. Paul wrote to them as it was critical that the church knew God in His greatness and glory, rather than in the deficient view given them by the false teachers. In his letter, Paul first encouraged the Colossians for their true faith in Christ and genuine love for the saints. He gave thanks that their faith is rightly focused on the hope of heaven. He prayed for them that they would be filled with a knowledge of God s will and would please God in every way. (Col 1:9-14) He then addressed the issues head-on. In the first half of his letter to Chapter 2, verse 5, he corrected their wrong beliefs about Christ. Then in the second half from Col 2:6 to Col 4, he corrected their wrong behaviour in Christ. Paul reminded the believers in Colosse that it was God the Father who 1

2 saved them from the power of darkness, who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, and redeemed them from the penalty of sin, that brought them forgiveness and the right into the kingdom of light. Sometimes, when asked about Christianity or who Jesus Christ is, we as Christians may just simply and lightly state in a few words: - Oh, he is the Son of God, he died for our sins to save us and rose again on the third day. The statement is not wrong at all, but it is crucial to have a proper and complete knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done. Jesus Christ is God taking on human form in flesh so that mankind may be able to identify with Him. He died a physical death at the cross because He obeyed His Heavenly Father s plan of salvation for all mankind. All mankind are sinners and none righteous, and deserved punishment, i.e., eternal separation from the Creator God who loved us and created us for eternity. Because He loved us so much, He meted all the punishment that you and I deserved upon His own Son, Jesus. Jesus, who is perfect and had no sin, willingly submitted to His Heavenly Father s will and died at the cross where He was crucified. He was buried, but His resurrection 3 days later and ascension to heaven claimed victory over sin and eternal condemnation. Only by admitting our sins and receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, can we be saved from eternal condemnation by God. Through the complete work of Jesus Christ, our relationship with God is restored and we can be called children of God. Paul refuted the false teachings by presenting the truth of who Jesus is and set forth the absolute supremacy and sole sufficiency of Jesus Christ. I. It is important for the Colossian church, and for every Christian, to have the proper knowledge and understanding of the Christ whom we have placed our faith and trust in. Paul presented 2 key truths in his letter: a) In Christ and Christ alone is embodied all the fullness of God, the Creator of the universe. (Col 2:9) b) Christian s has been given fullness through relationship with Christ, who dwells within the believers through the Holy Spirit. (Col 1:27, Col 2:10). The believers must stay connected to Christ, who is the Head of the Church Body. (Col 2:19) Christ embodies all the fullness of God. In Col 1:15-20, the apostle Paul described Jesus with some of the loftiest language in all the New Testament, focusing on Christ s pre-eminence and sufficiency in all things. Paul presented Christ as the centre of the universe, not only as the active Creator but also as the recipient of creation in His taking on of human flesh. Christ was and is the visible image of the invisible God, containing within Himself the fullness of Deity (Col 2:9). Because of His divine nature, Jesus is sovereign, above all things with an authority given Him by the Father. As such, Jesus is also Head over the church. He has reconciled all things to Himself through His death on the cross, making believers alive to God and setting them on the path to right living. This proper view of Christ served as the antidote for the Colossian heresy as well as a building block for Christian life and doctrine that is applicable both then and now. Christians have been given Fullness in Christ. We have heard our brother David unpack for us in his mini-series on Ephesians, the mystery of God. The salvation plan of God through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ made it possible for Gentiles (non-jews) like us, to be brought into unity with Christ the Head of the Church. The Apostle Paul, being the same inspired author of both Ephesians and Colossians, unveiled for us another mystery that defines another characteristic of the Church. 2

3 From Col 1:25-27, we read that God has chosen to make known to the saints, i.e., all Christians, the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (v.27). Remember that Paul was correcting the false teachers in Colosse who were teaching a secret kind of religion. A religion that implied one needed to acquire certain special, exclusive (meaning not available or accessible to everyone), knowledge in order to receive heavenly blessings. Christ in you clearly teaches that there is no need nor even no possibility for us to work ourselves up to God s heavenly blessings. All such blessings have come down to us in Christ since He is the one in whom God s fullness dwells (Col 1:19). Paul then unveiled yet another mystery of God revealed in Col 2:2-3. Paul said of his struggle for the Christians at Laodicea and Colosse My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. With Christ in us comes all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that God said are hidden in Christ, and that, is another mystery unveiled to us. Hidden means the treasure must be sought after, dug into, pulled out. It means we need to spend time reading and studying the Word of God. It doesn t mean that we must know everything, but it means as Christians we are to have a mature understanding of the Bible. The better a Christian understands God's true revelation concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ, the better he or she will be able to recognize and refute false doctrine. Only then, Christians will not be taken in by worldly philosophies, or outward empty forms that Paul had warned the Colossian Christians of. We will know when anyone attempts to deceive us by adding to Christ. As Paul said in Col 2:4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by finesounding arguments. Christ embodies all the fullness of God. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, a Christian have access to all the treasures of wisdom that is in Christ. Col 2:9,10: For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the Head over every power and authority. The deeper and proper knowledge of Christ is not just head knowledge, but for practical Christian living. First, do not be judged by human traditions and the basic principles of this world (Col 2:8). The Christian life is often counter-cultural. Paul warned the Colossians of the danger of returning to their former beliefs and practices. We need to base our confidence on God's Word, rather than on human traditions that do not reflect scriptural revelation accurately. Such a life is often counter to our culture. It is neither natural to us nor to our sinful nature. If you think that those heresies only belong to the ancient world, think again: Have you at certain point in your own life, or heard of Christians who consulted horoscopes, the zodiac, or fengshui? Do you know of Christians who are in somewhat ways influenced by them? I am aware of Christians who still hold on to so-called traditions that they have grown up with, some of which are really just superstitions. Why is it that in our present day and age, some Christians still look for matching horoscopes, auspicious dates, etc, when deciding on their life-partner or a date for their wedding or some other special occasion? Some of us may have been brought up under Asian-Confucian values that emphasise certain virtues that are fundamentally good. Filial piety, or 孝 is one virtue that is considered fundamental to Confucianism. As a Christian, to what extent are we to practise filial piety? Absolute obedience to our parents? I don t think any of us are able to fulfil that. What about ancestor worship and 3

4 mourning rituals that are all traditionally considered part of showing filial piety? When faced with criticisms or persecution from the family, do we stand firm by God s word, or do we just blindly follow those so called traditions? Do we, in the first place, have a proper understanding of what God teaches about love, and honouring of our parents? We need to turn to the Bible and learn from Christ s example of submission to God s purpose and will for His life on earth, not-withstanding all the criticisms hurled at Him by the rule-makers of His day. Even preachers in modern days may go off track or end up with messages that are often quite shallow when they focus on man rather than on God and Christ. Messages became anthropocentric (man-centered) when we should be theocentric (God-centered). I was reminded of this mistake by Ps Gary in my very first sermon script on 1 Sam 1. I had originally focused more on the character in the narrative, rather than on God and His purposes, the invisible One who orchestrated history and is in sovereign control. Yet, there are those who become intoxicated with studying the deeper truths of the Bible that they became big headed and created problems in the church. All Bible truths are for practical living, not just theoretical knowledge. The church today desperately needs the message of Colossians. We live in a day when religious toleration is interpreted to mean 'one religion is just as good as another.' Some people try to take the best from various religious systems and manufacture their own private religion. To many people, Jesus Christ is only one of several great religious teachers, with no more authority than they. He may be prominent, but He is definitely not pre-eminent. People are trying to harmonize and unite many different schools of thought and come up with a superior religion. They are not denying Christ, but they are dethroning Him and robbing Him of His rightful place of pre-eminence. In view of the multi-racial, multi-religious society that we live in Singapore, and the emphasis on religious harmony, where is the place of absolute truth? How do we share our Christian faith without being offensive? That must not deter us from sharing. Rom 1:16 boldly declare, I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. We need to pray for Christ s wisdom in sharing the Truth of who He is and what He has done for us, without demeaning the belief of the listener. What about the set of values that determine how we make decisions and choices in life? Do we also buy in to the competitive rat race in defining success in life? Most people, when they hear about my son and daughter one a professional, and the other studying to be one, will say that we are successful parents, and should be very happy in life. Yes, by the principles of this world, or at least Singapore, indeed they are doing fine. I am grateful to God for my children, but as a Christian mother, my greatest prayer for them is to remain in God s kingdom and keep a close walk before God. Please think again if we are most overly concerned with our children s academic performance instead of praying for God s purpose in their lives to be fulfilled, and the health of their personal relationship with Christ. Then, maybe further away from our region, but the danger of the principles of this world is still very real - a google search showed there are already more than 20 countries that have legalised gay marriage, including Canada, England, and the latest, USA. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movements are called social movements that advocate for the equalized acceptance of marginalised people in society. Psychiatrics are now trying to rationalise and argue the same way that paedophiles are just people with a sexual orientation towards children. We must be firm on 4

5 what the truth is and not fall into the trap of world principles that all these acts condemned by God are simply an alternative lifestyle or sexual orientation that can be accepted. Second, have victory over sin. (Col 2:11-15). Our Lord Jesus Christ has already won the victory over sin and conquered the power of death at the Cross! The Believer already shares Christ s victory, for Christ is the Head of all rule and authority. Christians are free from the dominion of sin and darkness. Since as Christians we ve been raised with Christ, we have a new status and therefore a new way of life. We now have a power source for living. Believers have died with Christ, been buried with Him, and have been raised with Him. This is our position, but we must appropriate these truths on a daily basis in order to break free from the past. In Christ, we have the power to overcome the vicious cycle of sin. We don t have to be like we ve always been. We can break free from the past, if we desire to and are willing to commit to prayer our desire and allow God to do the transformation work in us. Resolve and desire to want to be transformed into the image of Christ more and more. All these do not happen overnight. We must complete in practice what we have started in principle. Fullness of life has already come by the grace of God, accessible to us through Christ. We experience fullness in Christ, for in Him: God restores us to our true place in creation, to our true relation to Himself, and to our true fellowship with Himself. This restoration enables us to cooperate with God in His purposes. Paul prayed for full perception and deepest understanding of God's will for the Colossians and for all believers. He did this so they would be able to glorify God in their conduct. He told them this to remind them that their understanding must come through the working of God's Spirit in them, and that correct understanding is foundational to correct behaviour. Our view of Jesus Christ will impact every area of our lives. When we have a true view of Jesus Christ, He will be the focus of our thinking. That view will deliver us from the domination of the flesh. Put on qualities that are motivated by Christian love. And because Christ is Lord over all, the life of the Christian is a life of submission to Jesus. Are you following after Jesus as you should? Will you seek to bring every phase of your present life in line with the Bible s teaching about your relationship with Christ? Have you been caught in the errors of our day, which seem intellectual but do not make you depend upon Christ as revealed in the Bible? If so, will you take a step to correct it by holding fast to Christ the Head? For CCBC as a church, may it be a reminder to us that in our decisions and relationships whether in the church or the marketplace, our secular training and experience may be relevant and helpful; but these must not replace God's wisdom in Christ. We need to grow our relationship in Christ (not just head knowledge) & depend on Christ for practical Christian living. Let s pray that we re not like those described in Titus 1:16: They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. Today, take time to reflect is there one area in our life that we have not put our total dependence on Christ? Or have we not drawn upon the full riches and wisdom that is in Christ as described in Colossians? For those who do not know Jesus Christ yet, give yourself this opportunity to discover the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that is Him. Speak to your friend who invited you here this morning, or someone whom you are comfortable with to understand how to personally know Jesus Christ. For some of us who have just started, or have a relatively short relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, do not miss out on the spiritual blessings that come with growing in spiritual maturity in Christ. 5

6 Finally, for some of us who may have been slumbering in our Christian walk for too long, it s time to be concerned and wake up! When God s Word prompts us and yet we refuse to be nudged, be warned of the consequences if we do not mature and bear fruit as described in John 15:1-2, 1 Cor 3:15. Do not be hard-hearted or stiff-necked! Humble ourselves before God our maker as soon as we have the opportunity today. Be broken before Him and ask God to help us take a small step of victory. Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. Isa 59:1-2 Do not wait till the LORD give you over to sin and destruction. 6