Rooted and Built up Colossians 2:6-10 (NKJV)

Rooted and Built up Colossians 2:6-10 (NKJV) Today we continue with chapter two, where Paul was writing to fight off the false teaching that had made its way into Colossae. The attack was toward Jesus, they were presenting a wimpy Jesus, not one who was Creator, Sustainer, All Sufficient Savior; but just another deity among many, one of many emanations. He had a shot of God, a gallon of God, but he was not fully God. So Paul was writing to root this teaching out of the hearts and minds of the church of Colossae. Do you remember the theme of Colossians? And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18 (NKJV) Colossians was written to help us understand the preeminence of Christ, so that He would ultimately be preeminent in our lives. Let s pick up where we left off last week in verse six and read through verse ten. Vs. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him As you received Jesus so walk in him. Notice, Jesus does not force his way into our lives, He will draw us and convict us, but at the end of the day, He must be received. John reminds us But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name John 1:12 (NKJV) It s when we receive Christ that He births us into the family of god. It s not because we attend church or because we have memorized a few verses, it s not the result of trying to live a moral life, it s because we have believed and received Christ into our lives. And the outcome; He gave us the right to become children of God. Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 1

And that s just the beginning, notice, just as you received Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Our relationship with Jesus is one that is in constant motion. That s the idea behind walking, that we are in motion, some slower, some faster, but we should all be moving forward in the faith. It was said that Enoch walked with God, and was not. How sweet would that be, Enoch went on a walk with God one day and he ended up in Heaven, must have been a great conversation. Enoch is a great Old Testament picture of the church living in the last days that will also be raptured up. The word rapture can be translated to; be snatched up violently. And this is what it will look like when he takes up the church. "Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Matthew 24:40-41 (NKJV) Christians everywhere, removed from planet Earth and taken to the Heavenly Kingdom. That s why Jesus reminds us to be alert and ready. "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42 (NKJV) Are you rapture ready? Have you put your faith in Christ, are you walking with Christ so that when He calls His church home, you won t be left behind? The thought of this should sober us up; realizing that the time is nearer than it s ever been. Paul reminds the church of Colossae, just as you received Christ, keep walking in him. And then he reminds them of what walking will produce in our lives, Notice Vs. 7...rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Paul was talking here about spiritual maturity, that process of sanctification and what it looks like; he uses two metaphors to help us understand this process Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 2

Notice here he uses agriculture. Spiritual Maturity: 1. Like a Tree That Has Roots. The word root in the Greek is stability; that s what happens when a tree has a good root system, and it brings stability. It is why we give each new believer a Bible, because we know this is what we need to root us, and nourish us so that we have stability in our lives. Find me someone who is reading and applying the word, and I will show you someone who is stable in their faith. The Psalmist reminds us Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV) The believer is liken to a tree, a tree that is planted near the water. The water being the word of God, and notice, it s our job to delight in it, to meditate in it, and the suggestion here is to do so day and night, to make it a priority. When you do, it will be nourishment to you, it will cause your roots to sink deep and to bring strength, it brings forth fruit and keeps your leaves from withering. Unlike the non believer. Notice what Psalm one says about the non believer... The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Psalm 1:4 (NKJV) Chaff is the dry protective casings of the seeds of grain; it s what is removed on the threshing floor. If you take a seed with that still in its stalk and in its casing, and rub them into your hands, what is left over and tossed out is the chaff. It is like the leaves that fall off the tree, they have nothing to ground them or sustain them, they are blown everywhere by the wind. Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 3

They are not connected to anything that would nourish them. Notice the outcome of the two Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1:5-6 (NKJV) The way of ungodly will perish, they won t be able to stand in the judgment, and they won t be seated with the righteous. It s not that there wasn t a place reserved for them, it s that they rejected the one who could get them there. After using the metaphor of agriculture, Paul then moves into architecture and construction, notice the word built up Vs. 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith 2. Like a Building Being Built. The idea here is like that of building. You and I are liken to a building, God s building. Notice Paul will talk about his letter to the church of Corinth For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 (NKJV) Notice here, the foundation is critical, like the root system of a tree. It is critical to its ability to endure, to everything that is built upon it. Paul reminds us that this foundation is Jesus. Who He is and what we believe about Him is critical; that He is God in the flesh, that He died for sin, and that he was resurrected for our resurrection. These are critical to our faith, without them our faith will fail. And then he goes on Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 4

receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1Corinthians 3:12-15 (NKJV) After the foundation is laid, what we put into our lives after that is also important. Will it be gold, silver or precious stones? Things that endure after being tested by the trials of this life and the judgment in the afterlife will prove to last. Or will it be wood, hay, and straw, materials that only prove to fuel the fire? Reminds me of the three little pigs, one built his house out of hay, the other out of wood, and each losing their house, as the wolf had the power to blow it down. But the one who built his house out of brick had the power to sustain. The key, make sure your putting the truth of God into your life. So when the wolf comes, you have what it takes to endure. So when judgment comes, what you built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ will endure. Then he finishes with the outcome of this process, notice... Vs. 7 as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. The outcome is the same for each metaphor, it will prosper. 3. The Outcome: A Fruitful Life. Notice the word abounding A word that can be translated: to super abound or to be fruitful. It s what happens when we are rooted, built up, and established. We will inevitably bear fruit, much fruit; Paul reminds us what this fruitful life will look like But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) That s the stuff we should see in our lives, the stuff that should be flowing from our lives. The key is that we don t bail out on the Lord, that we not flake out in the faith, but that we stay a believer, and stay faithful. Psalm one reminds us, in season we will bear fruit. That s why the warning Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 5

Vs. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the principles of the world, and not according to Christ. The word cheat here in the Greek can be translated to: spoil. What spoils food for you? Is it how long it sits out? Or how long it sits in the fridge? Or even in the car, because it never made it to the fridge? Or is it something that you just despise being put on your food, which spoils it? There is nothing worse that can spoil my burger, my sandwich, or my anything, than putting mayonnaise on it. You put mayonnaise on my burger, you might as well throw it out, and it s like spreading demon sauce on it. That s what the false teachers were doing to Jesus, spreading some extra sauce that wasn t needed. Notice Paul calls them out, philosophy, empty deceit, traditions of men, according to the principles of this world and not Christ. It had the stamp of man on it, not God. David Guzik Its roots were in systems of man, and not from God. Something that will pass away, the Apostle John reminds us Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1John 2:15-17 (NKJV) That s why it s called empty deceit, because at the end of the day it leaves us empty, and it can follow through on its promises. Reminds me of some of those commercials where there trying to sell you on a new medication, and at the end, they remind you of all the side effects; you lose your appetite, extreme anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. That s why Paul reminded us It s not according to Christ, it did not come from heaven, it came from below. The wisdom that is from the Lord is from above. Notice Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 6

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17 (NKJV) Paul will go on and remind the church of who Jesus is here. Notice Vs. 9 For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In the new living translation it read this way For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. Colossians 2:9 (NLT) How much of God in a human body? All the fullness. The word fullness in the Greek can be translated: that which fills or with which a thing is filled; it s where we get our word full or to fill up from. Like a ship container that is full with freight and merchandise, or like that U- Haul you filled up when you moved to your new home. You packed it perfectly, and if you were like the Fraley s you might of even strapped something on the back, it was totally full. That was Jesus in the flesh, God was filling that human flesh with His deity, so that Jesus was completely God at all times. Not half God, not a little bit of God, and not a shot of God, but totally God. It s what he said back in chapter one verse nine-teen. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell Colossians 1:19 (NKJV) That word dwell means to settle down and be at home. God was at home in the body of Jesus Christ, making Him totally and completely God. Then notice how he finishes up this thought; how should this affect us as believers? Vs. 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 7

You don t need anyone else, or anything else, everything you need is in Jesus. I remember when I was a kid and I would get a Christmas present that needed batteries. It was always a bummer because you would have to wait at least a day to enjoy it, you could look at it, you could touch it, but it would not do what it was intended to do until you go those batteries. It was inferior until you got the batteries, it needed something more, it was incomplete. Not so with Jesus, batteries are included. You re complete in Him, there is nothing else needed. He is not an exalted angel; He is head of all principality and power. Copyright 2015 Chris Fraley 8