WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:05.200 Colossians 2, 16 through 23. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:14.000 Therefore, don't let anyone judge you in regard to food or drink, or in the matter of a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath day. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:16.160 These are a shadow of what is to come. 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:18.000 The substance is Christ. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:26.239 Let no one condemn you by delighting in aesthetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:30.399 Such people are inflated by empty notions of their own spiritual mind. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:38.560 He doesn't hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:45.600 If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:47.600 Why do you submit to regulations? 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:50.240 Don't handle, don't taste, don't touch. 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:55.359 All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:58.079 They are human commands and doctrines. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:08.480 Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indu-indulgence. 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:09.760 Let's pray. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.879 And Lord, I thank you so much for this morning. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:14.719 I thank you for your word. 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:21.840 I thank you that we have it and we can hold it in our hands and we can read and check up on these things, Lord. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:25.599 And I ask that you would fill me with your spirit to rightly teach your word. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:40.000 I ask that you would fill the hearers with your spirit to rightly divide and discern what is of you, that we would grow in you, that we would be conformed more and more to your image, and that we would fall more and more in love with you. 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:41.040 In your name. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:42.000 Amen. 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:44.079 Go ahead and have a seat. 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:55.519 We are continuing through the book of Colossians, and this is an interesting book in that Paul, the author of it, has never been there as far as we know. 00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:00.239 He's not familiar with this church, and so, except from what he has heard. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:02.159 He knows that they're followers of Jesus. 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:13.039 He has not actually planted it, and so he is giving them basically a full list of things of things to do, things to watch out for, just a general overview in that. 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:20.159 So it is less familiar than we might have seen in like Ephesians or Philippians, for those of you who have been here in a while. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:23.759 It's more high-level concept, which is great. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:30.319 So this passage is a continuation of what we went over last week. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.400 And so if you weren't here last week, I definitely recommend you check that out here. 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:36.159 The information on that. 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:49.520 This is a continuation forward of all these things that are warnings against Jesus and so the issue at hand is that it seems like they have some false teachers circling. 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:55.840 And those false teachers are telling you, they're not saying you don't need Jesus. 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:58.639 They're not saying stop following Jesus. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:09.439 They're saying, well, that's fine, but you need this too, in order to be truly spiritual, truly divine, truly holy. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:12.400 And that's the and is that extra part. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:18.319 And so in this passage, we're gonna see a couple of different categories for what that looks like. 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:19.840 And so we're gonna put that up. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:21.280 We have a couple different things. 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:23.759 Number one, do not do. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:26.319 Super, super easy. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.840 Whatever the thing is, hey, just don't do that. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:32.879 And you will be closer to God. 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:34.719 You will be holy, you will be righteous. 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:38.080 And then on the other side, you must do. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:40.639 Those are pretty easy to remember, right? 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:42.719 Do not do, you must do. 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:46.080 And you can go home and go, do not do, you must do, do not do, you must do. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.159 What was I not supposed to do, and what was I supposed to do? 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:50.639 And have completely missed the point of the sermon. 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:57.680 So, you must do is that, okay, that's good that you follow Jesus, but also, but and. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:08.719 And we saw that in the book of Acts when we went went through that in our home groups, that it was, well, that's cool that the Gentiles have decided to follow Jesus, but they also need to follow the law of Moses in order to be saved. 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:12.000 And there's a big issue of that, and the determines like, no, no, they do not. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:14.560 Jesus is sufficient. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:20.079 That's if you could pull one thing from this morning, it is that Jesus is sufficient. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:35.600 Why is there a danger in the Jesus and that Paul is warning against whether that was last week with the uh philosophy, empty deceit based on human traditions, and then um the circumcision, all these different things. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:36.319 Why is the issue? 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:38.319 Well, I have a visual up there. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:43.120 It starts out you have Jesus, and then you have the and. 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.000 And you go, I can have both. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:48.959 I have two hands, I can hold two things, right? 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:50.399 I have both. 00:04:50.720 --> 00:05:05.680 But then it's interesting how over time, when you try to combine those two together, invariably the Jesus part gets smaller, and the and circles around that. 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:14.639 It's like a it's like a, if for those of you, my my wife teaches biology to high schoolers at a co-op, the the the macrophages. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:17.199 They want to want to eat something. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:17.920 Same thing. 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:20.079 The and starts to eat what's there. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:20.639 Why? 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:22.399 Why does that happen? 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:28.879 Uh well, we live in a world, a fallen world, that is changed by sin. 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:42.879 Unfortunately, there's still an aspect of the things that are not a part of Jesus that sound more familiar than the truth of the gospel, than the truth of Jesus. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:46.800 And those can be very easy to go, like, oh, that just seems comfortable and familiar. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:54.720 And so ultimately, Jesus starts to be less important in our life, and then the ant, and then eventually it's just the ant. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.920 And we didn't even see it happen. 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:04.160 But suddenly we are this, and we do this, and that's so that's kind of the progression of how that happens. 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:16.240 Uh, we like to think that the false teachers here, you know, are these people who are like twirling their mustaches with their evil schemes, and they're gonna be like, oh yes, I'm gonna take them away from Jesus. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:19.279 They think they're doing the right thing. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.079 That's what's difficult in this. 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:32.639 So that is how that can happen in the do-not-do and the must-do, and that's why Paul is asserting here, you have everything you need in Jesus. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:35.199 So, let's take a look at what this looks like. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:36.480 In verse 16. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:47.839 Therefore, don't let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink, or in the matter of a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath day. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:50.879 These are a shadow of what was to come. 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:53.839 The substance is Christ. 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:58.319 So, the shadow and the substance. 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:12.480 It looks like these people who are telling them they need to have the and are acting as judges in regard to food and drink, do not do. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:13.920 We see that in verse 18. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.759 That no one can condemn you by delighting in aesthetic practices. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.079 So, ascetic practices. 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:25.199 The food and drink, don't eat these kinds of things, don't drink these kinds of things, don't do this. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:31.199 Or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day, you must do this. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:43.839 That's how that looks like, and they're like, okay, well, you follow Jesus and that's cool and all, but you should not be, you should be conforming to these dietary restrictions. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:45.279 Don't eat these things. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:50.560 And over here it is, well, that's cool you follow Jesus, but why aren't you doing the festivals? 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.160 Why aren't you doing the feasts? 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:54.800 The new moon, the Sabbath day, these things. 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:58.079 And here's why Paul brings this up in verse 17. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:04.480 Either a shadow of what was to come, the substance is Christ. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:12.160 So, this imagery of the shadow and the substance happens actually quite a few times in Scripture. 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.439 One of the good examples is Hebrews 10, 1, talking about the law. 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:22.240 The law was only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:27.279 It can never perfect the worshippers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year after year. 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:29.759 A shadow, not the reality. 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:37.519 And he's saying here that these practices that do not do and that you must do, they're simply a shadow. 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:50.720 Now, contrary to what you may have seen in dumb movies, can you have a shadow without an object? 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:51.840 No. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:56.000 There is okay, I'll put it this way. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:59.919 How many of you are youngest children in your family? 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:05.840 Okay, of those, how many of you were the were early risers compared to the rest of your house? 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:06.639 Okay. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:14.799 My daughter, uh youngest daughter here, she is the early riser in the house. 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:21.919 And so she wakes up, and there is the anticipation of who else is going to wake up. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:24.240 How is that going to happen? 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:35.919 And so if you are in that position, and then you see the shadow of your parents in the hallway, there's the excitement, right? 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:38.799 There's the looking forward to that. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:42.320 There is a I'm hungry, when's breakfast? 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:54.960 But once you see your parent there, you don't sit there and go to the shadow, hi, I'm so happy to see you. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:55.519 Good morning. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:56.799 That's stupid. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:01.279 Because the parent is right there, right in front of you. 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:06.000 Once you see the substance, you stop thinking about the shadow. 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:13.039 The shadow is only the anticipation and the pointing forward to what is real. 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:26.080 So these practices, food and drink, festival, new moon, Sabbath day, those are a shadow in the law that we're pointing to Jesus. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:32.159 When Jesus is here, we don't fixate on the shadow anymore. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:34.639 And it doesn't make sense to do so. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.600 We'll talk about that more in a moment. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.320 But he is the substance. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:50.240 And so Paul's exhortation here do not let anyone judge you in regard to these matters. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:53.120 Guilty. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:54.639 Not guilty. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:56.960 Just don't show up for the trial. 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:07.200 Continuing forward, verse 18, let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:13.039 That's such a tough word because if you say aesthetic practices, then like all of the designers in the room are like, excuse me? 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:14.320 Aesthetics matter. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:24.720 Okay, so let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a heavenly realm. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:28.000 Same thing, said in a different way. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.279 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:35.519 Ascetic practices is this idea of denying the self. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:42.480 You have the whole idea of this Stoic philosophy of denying yourself for the greater good, the greater eventually good. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:51.600 And so here it is to not partake, to not eat, to not drink, do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, as we'll see later. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.919 And he's saying, don't let someone condemn you. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:57.200 That's a fun word. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:58.480 That condemn word. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:00.639 So I actually I have a slide for that. 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:05.039 Yes, kata brabuho. 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:08.080 You will remember that? 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:11.679 For three, two, one, it's gone. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:12.159 Okay. 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:21.759 It means to decide as an umpire against, to defraud or beguile of the prize of victory. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:28.639 Those of you who are NFL teams may be thinking of certain teams where it seems like the refs are on that team. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:29.679 I'm gonna move forward. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:40.159 So this idea of deciding as an umpire against, to defraud or beguile, to rule against. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:44.159 In what context? 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:50.639 Ascetic practices, denying the flesh, denying the body, denying the self needlessly. 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:52.159 Do not do. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:57.440 Or the worship of angels, you must do. 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.840 Claiming access to a visionary realm. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:03.200 And this is the issue with this. 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:20.000 Normally the Jesus and the and is usually accompanied by an assertion of expertise based on some experience or higher knowledge or supernatural experience with that. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:35.440 And he's saying, don't let anyone condemn you by these things that do not do of aesthetic practices, that you must do of worshiping the angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:44.159 These people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:45.039 Ouch! 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:55.759 Okay, they are inflated, they are puffed up by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:00.080 I wanted to title this Don't Be an Air Head, and that was kind of vetoed. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:01.360 But that's the idea. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.240 You have the head that's empty and void and full of air. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:12.159 It has a okay, a balloon is cool, it's not full of something good. 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.840 If you put glitter in your balloon, that is devious behavior. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:17.200 Don't do that. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:23.360 So they are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:29.200 And then point number two for these people, they don't hold on to the head. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:31.279 Who's the head? 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:32.320 Jesus. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:34.320 Oh my gosh, we have such a cool church. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.600 We see in Colossians 1.18 and in 2.10. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:44.720 Just in this book alone, the idea of the head, Jesus being the head, the church being the body. 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:49.039 And they're saying they don't even hold on to the head. 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:52.080 This is what's interesting. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:58.720 They are inflated in their own minds of their own expertise. 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:10.720 And they want to judge or to condemn the believer, the follower of Jesus, based on this, but they're not even attached to the head. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:21.519 They are claiming to be judges and experts in their superior knowledge, and they're not even a part of the body that they claim to be judges over. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:23.200 That's crazy. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.000 So Paul's saying don't fall for it. 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:29.759 Just don't let it happen. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:31.919 Because you have the head. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:44.799 And in verse 19, from whom the whole body, which is the church, nourished, held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God. 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:51.120 Growth and nourishment comes from the head. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:16:00.960 He's riding in a day where they didn't have IVs and such things like this, of course. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:04.879 How do you get nutrients into the body? 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:07.759 Through your face hole. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:13.279 And that is the only way, in that essence. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.279 And if you're not attached to the head, how are you gonna get that? 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:29.919 I am not an expert in human anatomy, but I do not think that if you were separated from your head, it would go well for you. 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:37.600 So, in this same way, the head is everything. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:45.440 And these false teachers, they have a different head they want to attach you to. 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:53.440 Jesus is sufficient, and you cannot have Jesus. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:17:02.480 And if we go back to that first slide, this idea of Jesus and is that you have your part of the head. 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:05.440 And they're like, cool, but look at this, this is what you really need. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:10.960 And then they want to graft you onto themselves as the head. 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:13.759 And then ultimately, where's Jesus? 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:19.519 That's the danger in this, and what Paul is uh teaching them in this way. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:23.680 Without Jesus, death. 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.079 With Jesus, life. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:27.440 Very simple. 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:46.720 If we look at 2 Peter 1:3, we see his divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:51.680 You are complete in Jesus. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:18:01.119 As a follower of Jesus, if you have put your faith in Jesus, you have everything you need for life and godliness for salvation. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:02.880 Everything. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:04.640 You lack nothing. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:12.160 The thing that's coming could be cool, could be a peripheral thing, but in terms of your salvation, it adds nothing. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:15.200 Is that closed-minded? 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:20.400 Yes! Is that bad? 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:21.200 No. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:38.960 So I will say that we abide, will fully assert that Jesus, and putting your faith in Jesus as a substitutionary atonement for our sins, is the only means to salvation and reconciliation with God. 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:40.640 There is no other way. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.559 Is that close-minded? 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:47.200 We are closed-minded on things that are important. 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:51.599 We just are the things that truly matter. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:19:05.839 If I told you you don't need a PIN number for your ATM, or better yet, you should give it out freely. 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:13.359 How do you know that people aren't going to just deposit more money into your account? 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:17.839 Are you one of those glass half-empty people? 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:26.559 How do you know that there's just not somebody out there just looking for a willing recipient so they can donate their millions into your account? 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:31.440 We keep our PIN number secure, hopefully. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:33.119 If you don't, please do. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:40.079 We tend to lock our doors at night. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:48.319 How do you know that somebody's not gonna want to come in and do your dishes while you're sleeping? 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.519 And people are like, please, please do that. 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.799 How do you know they're not gonna fold your laundry while you're away at work? 00:19:57.039 --> 00:19:58.400 You don't know that. 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:02.319 It could be that a good thing is coming right around the corner. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:06.400 They could have made you lunch and you missed out on that. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:08.960 That's stupid. 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:23.759 Because it is sufficiently important that we do not accept and entertain the hypotheticals of violating that. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:28.960 Such is that for our salvation by faith in Jesus. 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:34.559 It is sufficiently important that we don't need to go, well, what about that thing? 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:35.359 And what about this thing? 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:36.240 And what about over here? 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:37.279 And what about over there? 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:39.599 We are sufficient in Him. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:54.559 So looking forward here, in verse 20, if you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:56.480 Why do you submit to regulations? 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:00.640 Do not handle, do not taste, don't touch. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:05.920 Our citizenship has been transferred. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:11.119 We are now citizens of heaven. 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:16.079 Living as pilgrims and sojourners on this earth. 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:20.400 We're still here, but we are citizens of heaven. 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:31.279 And he is saying, why do you think that you need to follow these things in order to be better citizens of heaven when they don't pertain to that? 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:40.079 For those of you who like a challenge, this is really dark. 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:41.200 I'm sorry, we're doing it. 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:53.359 Um, if you happen to go to a morgue and tell a deceased person, you still gotta pay your taxes, bro. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:56.480 Tell them to go. 00:21:57.359 --> 00:21:59.440 I don't think that's going to work. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:13.599 No matter how persuasive you are, no matter how much authority that you think that you wield, there is nothing you can do to make that deceased person pay their 2025 taxes. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:15.920 Because they did. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:21.200 They're not a part of this world. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:39.279 In the same way, why would we as followers of Jesus need to do these things in order to be citizens of heaven when we already are citizens of heaven through the price paid by Jesus on the cross? 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:40.799 We already have it. 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:46.880 And these things do not apply any more than taxes would apply to a dead person. 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:53.440 Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle. 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:56.400 These are the do not do's. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:05.359 You can't do these things in order to be a real godly person, holy person. 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:17.359 So this is the part of the show where you have to start to slip in gently the potentially offensive things in such a way that suddenly we've been doing this long enough that you might accept it. 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:19.200 If I do it at the beginning or the end, it's really rough. 00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:20.079 But here we are at this point. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:21.440 So here's one of those things. 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:23.440 What does this look like in the world today? 00:23:23.680 --> 00:23:24.640 How does this apply? 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:27.200 We're going through a lot of really, really good information. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:39.920 Best way I can say the regulations of don't test, don't handle, don't taste, don't touch, is in the abundance of discernment ministries we have in this world today. 00:23:40.880 --> 00:24:03.119 There are uh there's an abundance of individuals who care, who have a burden, who have a passion, but who want to take things and make them ultimate things and say that these people are heretics because this, this, this, this, this. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:08.880 These people who say they're Christians are actually evil because of this, this, this, this, this. 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:11.519 We're past the blog thing. 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:14.480 We're past the YouTube thing to a certain extent. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:18.960 I guess we're into like reels and TikTok, discernment ministries at this point. 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:19.839 I'm getting old. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:43.440 And well-meaning, very well-meaning, but the ultimate thing, what that results in is creating a middle point between you and the world and Jesus and the church filtered through this person's views. 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:46.319 And that's dangerous. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:48.480 Dangerous. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:55.839 That's the problem with the, and I'll just say, oftentimes, there are things, this is what we like to talk about. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:01.680 We tell we have first order things, which is salvation is by faith in Jesus. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:06.880 Trinity, God in three persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:07.839 Things like this. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:10.799 We have second order things, mode of communion. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:12.079 Do we have open and closed? 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:15.200 Mode of baptism, do we sprinkle, do we dunk, things like that? 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:21.119 We have third order things, which is everything else, basically. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:29.920 And oftentimes these things are built up by taking third issue things and making them sound like they're first issue things. 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:31.200 And that's the problem. 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:33.119 So just know. 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:36.640 Don't go there. 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:41.519 You have everything you need in the word of God. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:42.480 Okay. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:44.960 Moving on with that. 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:46.960 Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle. 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:58.960 Well, and I guess the thing too is that we see in Revelation 2, 2 through 6, the Church of Ephesus, they have all the testing and all the endurance and have left their first love. 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:07.279 Now, those of you with a discerning ear go, now are you being a discernment ministry for discernment ministries? 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:09.519 I'll let you chew on that. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:13.200 So, moving forward here, what's the issue? 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:29.440 Although these have a reputation for wisdom, by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence. 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:32.319 They have a reputation for wisdom. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:33.599 What are they promoting? 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:35.279 Self-made religion. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:37.359 You must do. 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:40.799 False wisdom or false humility, you must do. 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:43.519 Severe treatment of the body, do not do. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:52.160 They are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence or the feeding of the flesh. 00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:55.759 Boil this down in a different way. 00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:01.279 We talked about earlier the shadow and the substance. 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:04.720 The shadow points to things to come. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:07.599 The substance is the real thing. 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:11.599 Once you have the real thing, the shadow is not the focus. 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:16.880 Here, the shadow is a reputation for wisdom. 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:20.720 But there is no substance. 00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:24.160 There's nothing there. 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:31.759 So he's saying, don't let anyone judge you in these matters. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:37.039 Don't let someone condemn you in these matters. 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:42.480 Here we see more kind of the of the you must do, self-made religion, false humility. 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:44.559 You must do these things. 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:51.839 And he's saying just they don't actually fulfill what is promised. 00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:57.119 They're the Timu purchase of religion. 00:27:59.200 --> 00:28:00.880 So what does that look like today? 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:04.720 This is a little more difficult because we don't really have these kinds of things as much. 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:19.279 We don't tend, as followers of Jesus, to be prone to worshiping angels, to be prone to seeing the observance of a festival as necessary to salvation. 00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:20.640 Here's what I would say. 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:24.160 I would submit this to you to please just chew on and think with this. 00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:41.039 We know that Satan, the accuser of the brethren, the enemy, is no match for God in any way, shape, or form, in any category for any reason, period. 00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:44.720 He's a lot smarter than us, guys. 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:45.839 It just is. 00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:48.559 That's why we hold on to the head. 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:57.119 And so there are things in the first century that were very black and white that are a lot more subtle today. 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:09.920 And I would submit to you that what it may look like as a you must do is replacing ultimate things with good things and calling them ultimate things. 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:12.240 Here's what I mean by that. 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:23.039 This is hard to process because we often live in a binary thing, to where if I say a good thing is not an ultimate thing, the hearers hear, you think that's a bad thing. 00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:24.640 It's like, no, that's not what I said. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:25.519 It's a good thing. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:27.599 It's just not the ultimate thing. 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:33.039 So, what is the life of a believer and a follower of Jesus? 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:34.640 The Great Commission? 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:38.000 Go out of the world, make disciples. 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:44.559 Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to command all that I have observed. 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:56.799 The thing that Jesus left the church was making disciples, teaching his word, preaching the good news. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:30:10.880 And I would submit to you that it is very easy to take that ultimate thing and replace it with another very good thing of felt needs and programs and comforts. 00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:21.920 To where the organization of the big sea church, the organism, starts focusing on how to make the Christians more comfortable. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:31.759 If we make it more comfortable and more cool, then more Christians will want to come to our comfortable, cool thing. 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:33.680 And that's growth. 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:36.319 And that's a quantifiable win, right? 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:37.599 Those are good things. 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:39.839 Felt these are good things. 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:54.640 However, if disciple making, the proclaiming of the gospel, teaching of his word, is not central, what are we even doing? 00:30:55.039 --> 00:31:00.480 So this is just something to just to tuck that away for the next uh like more next week. 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:01.359 I'll just say that. 00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:02.960 So, and I'm not even teaching. 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:10.319 So, but with that in mind, what I see in the you must do is the moving of goalposts for the body of Christ. 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:12.240 Whatever we take with that. 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:19.920 It's not a salvific issue, and we're not to make it in quotas here, it's more of a mindset issue of what we do as followers of Jesus. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:36.000 So, looking at all of this, we see how easy it is for the and to push out what is truly important if we allow it. 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:38.480 It's never gonna happen against our will. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:42.960 That's what's crazy about it, is we usually go, no, this is good, and we let it happen. 00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:46.160 So, with that in mind, no one's stealing it from you. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:47.039 I'll put it that way. 00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:48.079 That's what's important. 00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:52.559 However, what does Paul say? 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:55.680 Don't play the game. 00:31:55.920 --> 00:31:57.839 Just don't show up. 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:09.599 In the trial that's being set up for whether or not you are a truly holy person in the Jesus' name, you just don't show up. 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:14.720 And uh continue to do what God called you to do. 00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:19.759 So, how do we hold on to the head? 00:32:20.400 --> 00:32:22.319 Because that's really, really important, right? 00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:29.519 If I leave you with, hey, be careful guys, see ya, I'm like, what do I do now? 00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:32.799 Look at your neighbor like, are you sketchy? 00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:34.079 Might be sketchy. 00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:35.599 Yeah, probably sketchy. 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:37.200 Um, not sketchy. 00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:39.119 So, what do we do? 00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:41.680 How do we hold on to the head? 00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:48.720 Consistent, regular time in the word. 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:52.960 We talked about this as uh we have the reading plans. 00:32:53.119 --> 00:33:02.000 You don't have to follow a reading plan, but reading the Bible will not automatically make you a healthier Christian. 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:07.119 Not reading the Bible will automatically make it difficult to be a healthy Christian. 00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:07.440 Yes. 00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:09.200 So that's a challenge with that. 00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:12.160 I'm not saying, hey, if you do this, you get that. 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:19.039 But if we don't, then we wither and die on the line. 00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:21.680 So with that, just stay in your word. 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:24.000 That is the authority. 00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:25.440 The word of God. 00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:30.319 Prayer, super simple with that. 00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:31.920 Just spend time with God. 00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:34.079 Make your request known to Him. 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:41.039 Sit before Him, seek to hear His will, combine with scripture reading, super easy with that. 00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:45.519 And then body life as followers of Jesus, be in a don't do it in a vacuum. 00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:46.319 That's the punchline. 00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:51.599 Do it in a church setting with other like-minded believers who love Jesus. 00:33:52.640 --> 00:34:07.200 That's really not a compelling uh marketing package, but is how we hold on to the head is through the word, through prayer, through doing that in community. 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:13.760 Stirring one another up in our faith, in following Him and guiding Him. 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:21.360 We've been talking about this a lot from the perspective of those who are followers of Jesus. 00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:23.840 Because that's, I mean, he's writing to that. 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:34.880 But having that said, um, for anybody who's hearing this who is not a follower of Jesus, you're missing out. 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:42.960 It is so simple and costs you everything as a good thing. 00:34:43.920 --> 00:35:05.119 When we put our faith in Jesus, it is as simple as submitting to Him and transferring authority, confessing that we have committed offenses against God in our actions, that we make bad gods of our own life, and we have separated ourselves from God by our actions, and that he loves us so much that Jesus his son. 00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:29.199