WEBVTT 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:09.919 Thank you for joining us for a sermon from Sojourn North. 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:12.880 Well, good morning, Sojourn. 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:14.640 It's really good to be with you this morning. 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:19.280 If you have a copy of God's Word, go and open up to the letter of Colossians. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:23.199 Um, it is a real joy to be able to worship together each and every day. 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:28.719 And I just was telling Brian and the team right before we got going this morning just how blessed I've been by then the last few weeks. 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:35.679 Uh Keith leading last week and the team, and it's just been a real blessing because what we do here on Sunday mornings really is a team effort. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:49.039 It's an all hands-on-deck approach from Sean and the team back in the sound booth with Chris Barnes to Dory and the many, many, many kid servants back running Sojourn Kids, along with Chloe and how excellent a job she's doing leading our student ministry. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:54.880 This really is a church, it's a people, it's a body of Christ, and we get to gather together and worship. 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:57.759 And one of the ways we do that is hearing from God's Word. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:04.560 I can't tell you how excited I've been about going and diving into Colossians in particular. 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:21.840 A few, I guess it was earlier this year, maybe right after the new year, uh, Chad and I and the elders were talking about our next sermon series and kind of where we were heading as a church, and we decided to go through a number of kind of what's known as the prison epistles, Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and diving into this. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:24.640 Colossians, though, I've been particularly excited about. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:33.120 This is one of my favorite books in all of the Bible, partially because of how clear it is, but also because of just how profound it really is. 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:43.040 About we see the image of Christ, we see who he is, and then how we are called to live in light of that, in light of who God is and what he's done for us through Christ. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:47.120 And we see that so brilliantly here in this letter. 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:51.439 The fun part is I knew through this letter there's lots of fun passages. 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:58.000 I would love to preach all of them and many of them, but I was really eager to hear what Pastor Chad would assign me. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:06.640 So a few weeks ago, he asked me to work through this passage, Colossians 2, 8 through 15, which is our text this morning, if you want to turn there. 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:08.879 It's also in your bulletin if you want to see that as well. 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:11.120 But Colossians 2, 8 through 15. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:14.400 And as soon as he sent me that, I said, Of course you did. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:16.800 Not because it's a hard passage. 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:22.879 Sometimes when the pastor's out of town, they assign the backup preacher a genealogy, for example. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:23.919 Those are fun. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:26.240 Or maybe a really difficult text. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:29.759 But he sent me this one, and I said, Man, I'm so pumped about this. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:31.039 Also, thank you. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:40.080 And it's funny because of how often one of these verses in our passage today is used kind of against me, jokingly often, because I'm a college professor. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:46.159 I particularly teach philosophy and ethics, which if you look at the text, you'll know exactly where we're heading right now. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:51.759 Because right out of the gate, we see this admonition, this warning against learning philosophy. 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:56.240 And my students, jokingly, by the way, uh, will often kind of chide me a little bit. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:57.919 And I said, of course you did, Chad. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:03.280 Of all the passages, this is the one you chose, but it's actually one of my favorite passages in all of this book. 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:08.800 Partially because as good Bible readers, we are not to just jump in, grab a verse, and run away. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:15.680 We're to see it in its context and to see the argument that the author is making, in particular in this letter. 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:17.199 It is a cohesive whole. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.599 From verse 1 to the very end of chapter 4, Paul was doing one thing. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:24.000 He's making much of Jesus. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:29.360 He's saying who this Christ is and how we are then to live accordingly. 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:30.960 In chapters 1 and 2, we see this. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:32.479 We see the preeminence of Christ. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:42.319 We see verse 15, that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, in whom, by whom, for whom all things have been made. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:50.560 We hold on to those truths that Pastor Chad has expanded for us in these last few weeks, and we pick up here in chapter 2. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:04:02.080 It's funny though, because the way this passage is often used, my students, when they kind of chide me a little bit, I always think of the Michael Jordan meme from the ESB and docuseries about him and his life, and he says, and I took that personally. 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:09.599 That's I always think of that when I go into this because it's but it's so profound what Paul's actually doing here. 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:15.599 What he's unpacking for us about who Christ is and what he has done for us in Christ. 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:28.000 The main point of today's passage, but to be really honest with you, friends, the main point of this entire book, not just this letter, but the entire book is about Jesus Christ. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:36.959 That our life as Christians should be characterized by who God is and what he has done for us, because Christ rules over all. 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:39.360 That's our main point. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:41.680 That's what we're going to unpack this morning. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:46.160 Throughout this letter, we see these beautiful summaries of the gospel. 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:52.560 And just as an aside here, I'll tell you, years ago, I had a pastor friend to encourage me. 00:04:52.639 --> 00:05:00.319 He said, whenever you come across just reading God's Word, a nice little summary of the gospel, he called them gospel nuggets, so all I can think of is McDonald's now. 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:12.399 But those gospel nuggets, those little gospel summaries, he says, underline them, highlight them, circle them, whatever you've got to do, because you see, we see multiples throughout the letter of Colossians and one, chapter 1, verses 13 and 14. 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:14.240 If you have your Bible, you can see that. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:22.319 You also see it in verses 21 and 22 of chapter 1, but in particular here in verses 13 and 14 that we're going to unpack. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:23.759 Underline these things. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:25.120 Dwell on these things. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:29.839 And even throughout this week and in the coming weeks, I encourage you, just read this letter. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:31.759 Slow down. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:35.680 Maybe some of you are struggling right now even to read God's Word. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:38.319 Why not just read the passage along with us each week? 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:39.680 Study it, dwell on it. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:41.519 You can read this whole letter in one sitting. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:47.199 Maybe be ambitious, maybe do a few verses, maybe just review the sermon text each week, but challenge yourself. 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:52.800 Because the central question of this letter and of this passage is how will you live? 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:58.800 How will you live in terms of how these realities will shape your daily walk with Christ and others? 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:05.439 How will you live and how this truth reorients everything about how you live and act and move and breathe? 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:08.399 From sunup to sundown, every single day of the week. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:09.439 How is this shaping? 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:12.879 How is this shaping our church here at Sojourn Church Lawrence? 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:20.639 How are we modeling the gospel not only as a body of believers, but in this neighborhood and in this community that God has called us? 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:23.839 How will these truths affect how you love your spouse? 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:27.279 Even amidst the challenges at times, if we're honest. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.160 How will it change how you parent and raise your families? 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:36.240 How will it change how you work your old nine to five, as the philosopher Dolly Parton once told us? 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:38.160 The old nine to five? 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:42.160 How will the gospel truth reorient and reshape everything about it? 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:44.800 How will it shape your life in retirement? 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:48.879 And how will it shape your life to the moment of your natural death? 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:51.920 How are you living in light of these truths? 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:58.959 We can be reminded throughout this letter, and in particular in today's past, that Christ indeed reigns over all. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:00.720 And guess what? 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:08.399 He's made an opportunity, he's made that option for us to have a relationship with the Father that we could not do on our own. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:14.800 No matter what you're facing this morning, friends, some of us when we gather on Sunday mornings, just need to take a deep breath. 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:18.480 Just to pause, to reflect. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:21.439 Some of us come in on cloud nine, we're ready to go. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:24.959 Some of us saw the big cat's victory last night, we're really ready to go. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:26.879 I'm a Tennessee boy, so there's that. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:30.079 But then also some of us come in here and we're just down. 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:33.519 We're down in the mud, we're down in the valley right now. 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:38.480 You may not even recognize what you feel, but honestly, God does. 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:41.839 God sees you and he knows you, friend. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:43.600 He remembers you. 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:48.720 No matter if you're in the valley or on the mountaintop, these truths are true. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:50.399 This word is true. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:08:00.480 So as we dive into this passage this morning, I invite you to open up a copy of God's Word and or your bulletin, and please stand with me for the reading of God's Word. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:06.319 One little note I'm gonna pick up in verse six. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:11.279 Not because that's part of my assigned passage per se, but it kind of concludes, it pulls together a thought. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:15.279 So I want to start in verse six, and we'll then we'll get to eight through fifteen. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:17.120 This is the word of the Lord. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:32.879 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him, established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude. 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:33.919 Verse 8. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:49.840 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental spirits of the world, rather than Christ. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:09:21.919 For the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by him, who is head over every ruler and authority, and you were also circumcised with him, with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of the flesh and the circumcision of Christ, when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were raised with him through faith in the working of God who raises raised him from the dead. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:34.320 And when you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all of our trespasses. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:44.159 He erased the certificate of debt with its obligations that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:49.279 He has disarmed the rulers and the authorities and disgraced them publicly. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.399 He triumphed over them in him. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:54.639 This is the word of the Lord. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:56.480 You may be seated. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:09:59.759 Let me pray for us as we get going. 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:02.480 Father God, I thank you for this morning. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:21.440 I thank you for the great privilege and honor and opportunity that we have to gather as your body, to read your word, to sing your gospel back to you, to rehearse these truths as it's so easy to be deluded, it's so easy to be taken captive by the ways of this world. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.879 And I pray that this morning would be refreshing for all of us. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:34.399 No matter how long our week has been, no matter how tired we may be right now, no matter how stressed we may be, or how excited and ready to go we are this morning. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:37.279 God, I pray that your word would refresh us. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:52.799 Father, that you and your powerful working through the Holy Spirit would open up our eyes to see you, to see Christ and all of His majesty, open up our ears to hear your word, open up our minds to comprehend these big truths of who you are and what you've done for us. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:57.759 And give us hearts that are overflowing in love for you and for you alone. 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:02.720 That spills over not only in how we love you, but also in how we love one another. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:09.200 God, I pray that you would guide us this morning, fill us with your spirit, and guide my word so that I bring glory and honor to you and to you alone. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:10.799 We pray all this in the name of Jesus. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:11.679 Amen. 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:21.519 This morning, friends, our big idea is I've already kind of hinted at it, is about how we are to live, or in this very Colossians way, how we are to walk. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:25.759 You see why I told you started in verse 6, so as to walk. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:29.039 We also see this at the very beginning of chapter 1 as well. 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:36.399 How we are to walk, how we are to live each day in light of the Lordship of Christ over everything. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:44.399 That's the beauty of this passage, and what Paul is doing here is showing us just how big our Jesus really is. 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:49.440 What's fascinating about what he's doing, we see this play out in three distinct ways. 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:52.320 These are the three points in your bulletin you can see here. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:12:00.559 Verses 8 and 10 of chapter 2, we see that Christ is above worldly wisdom, that of philosophy and empty deceit. 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:05.360 Second, we'll see that Christ is above our sins and our rebellion. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:07.840 Verses 11 through 14. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:14.240 And lastly, we'll see how Christ is above all authorities, rulers and authorities. 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:17.120 No law, no debt, no ruler, no authority. 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:20.080 Nothing takes over Christ. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:24.320 Nothing can defeat Christ because he triumphs over all. 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:31.759 This passage we see, as I picked up in verses 6 and 7, we see in our section today, in your bulletin, verses 8 through 10. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:35.600 I think this represents one of the first big ideas that we see here. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:43.840 As Pastor Chad has told us throughout this letter, what's fascinating is that the church at Colossae, just a run-of-the-mill regular church, amen? 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:47.519 In some sense, kind of like us, we can see ourselves here. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:51.120 Just a normal church seeking to love Jesus. 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:52.559 They have been deluded. 00:12:52.639 --> 00:13:00.879 They have been taken captive in some ways by a heresy, by false teaching, taking them away from Jesus. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:04.559 And it's fascinating because scholars pour over trying to, what is this heresy? 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.000 What is this false teaching? 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:07.519 Paul never says. 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:15.679 Whether Paul knew directly or not, nevertheless, what we see here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is Jesus. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:22.960 As Pastor Shadis told us from the very beginning, Paul didn't feel the need to go line by line unpacking how wrong that teaching is. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:25.840 He said, Let me just preach Christ and him crucified. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:29.519 Let me talk about how big Jesus really is. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:34.159 While he never clearly states what the false teaching is per se, it's true. 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:35.919 We see it right in the passage. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.080 There's a real threat of false teachers. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:42.000 That's not just of the Church of Colossae, that's for all of us today included. 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:46.000 False teachers, false knowledge that had an appearance of wisdom. 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:47.519 It sounds reasonable. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.279 Go up a few verses, you'll see it. 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:54.240 It sounds reasonable until you slow down to interrogate it in light of Christ. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:14:14.799 He didn't feel the need to engage every single point of this teaching specifically, but he wanted to proclaim to them the Jesus that they claimed to know, to remind them of what Christ had done, how he rules over all things, because these things had crept in to the church, and it was causing significant disunity in the church. 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:16.240 There was division. 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:26.320 Verses six through eight, many will argue is kind of the banner verse for all of chapter two, but in some sense kind of the apex, the high point of this entire letter. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:28.639 See what we see here in verses six through eight. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:39.519 So then, as you have received Christ Jesus our Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude. 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:43.440 Verse 8, be careful that no one takes you captive. 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:44.960 We'll hold on to that. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:53.600 Through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental spirits of the world rather than Christ. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:59.360 Specifically looking at verse 8, what's fascinating is this phrase, taking captive. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:02.559 It's actually the only time that it appears like that in all of Scripture. 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:03.679 It's kind of striking. 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:05.679 It's drawing our attention to something. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:11.840 Put vividly, as one scholar says, there's a danger here that the people are going to be carried off as plunder. 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:13.039 They're going to be carried off. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.240 They're going to be deluded. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.320 They're going to walk away from their Jesus. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:18.639 They're going to walk away from who he is. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:25.039 It's fundamentally an anti-Christian form of teaching that we see manifesting in this local church. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:29.759 We see this back in verse 6, not to be deceived with arguments that sound reasonable. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:32.480 This is what Pastor Chad unpacked last week to us. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:33.600 It sounds plausible. 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:38.639 It sounds good until you have evaluated in light of Christ. 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:45.919 Paul specifically is noting here that these false teachings aren't just confusing the church, but they're taking them captive. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:53.679 They're taking them captive to a way of living that is not in accordance with Christ. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:16:04.399 This philosophy, this empty deceit, is worthless, according to Paul, in terms of the true knowledge and wisdom, and despite the ways that the church at Colossae is being deceived. 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:15.360 This empty deceit is according to, it's based upon, it's depending on your translation, that of human tradition, as opposed to that of Christ. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:16.159 You see that? 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:21.120 It's either of human tradition, the ways of the world, and not according to Christ. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.639 This way, according to the world, was not interested in the truth itself. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:31.200 It was often interested in the power and the status of those leaders, those false teachers. 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:35.519 It's a worldly understanding, the elemental spirits of the world. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:38.080 And then you get this picture of who Christ is. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:39.759 He's always calling you back. 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:40.879 Go back and look. 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.879 Verse 15 of chapter 1. 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:45.600 He, Jesus, is the image of the invisible God. 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:47.279 This is who Christ is. 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:49.759 Now, what do we do in light of that? 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:56.639 It's easy for a verse like this, as I mentioned earlier, to be taken out of context, to be used to kind of poke and prod philosophy professors like myself. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:59.039 Now, granted, I'll give, I'll go ahead and give you credence. 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:01.120 Sometimes philosophy is taught in a really boring way. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:01.759 Amen. 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:07.440 It's sometimes taught in these questions that don't seem to be interested in truth, but just to ask questions for questions' sake. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:08.960 Does this chair exist? 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:10.799 How do we know that? 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:14.799 Those are actually big questions, but also kind of weird, if we're honest with you. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:23.119 But nevertheless, Paul in this passage is referring to philosophy as a way of living, this pursuit of wisdom in many ways. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:26.000 Thankfully, my job as a college philosophy professor is safe. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:27.119 Thanks, Chad. 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:35.119 Indeed, Paul says here we're to avoid philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, not according to Christ. 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:39.279 Meaning there is a way of doing philosophy according to Christ. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:41.359 I'll get off that soapbox, I promise. 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:47.599 The description of the empty deceit here is that teaching is devoid of intellectual, moral, spiritual value. 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:48.400 Why? 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.319 Precisely because it's leading you away from Jesus. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:18:00.400 Friend, anyone and anything, anything you read, anything that takes your eyes off of Jesus, it's not worth it. 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:07.920 That doesn't mean that we don't read outside of our church, and that doesn't mean we read people we disagree with, but we have to know what we believe and why. 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:11.920 It's also part of wisdom to understand what other people believe and why. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:16.079 But we have to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus. 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:26.319 Only the gospel, only the truth of Christ is true, reliable, and powerful, and able to truly transform us into the people that God has called us to be. 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:32.640 What's fascinating here in verses, kind of picking up and verses 9 and 10, you see Paul stacking something. 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:36.640 See this, you see, for the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily in Christ. 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:41.039 You have been filled in him, who is head over every ruler and authority. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:48.079 You see it basing, it's kind of stacking in many ways, this empty deceit based on human tradition, the elemental spirits of the world. 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:50.799 Paul is really emphasizing this point. 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:52.960 So thus I'm going to as well. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:53.920 He's pushing this. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:56.799 He's saying, how are we to live in light of that? 00:18:57.119 --> 00:18:59.279 Christ is our filter. 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:04.000 Christ is the authority, Christ over all. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:22.480 It's easy for us to be given over to what is ever in the news cycle these days, or whatever the talking heads on social media and or TV are telling us, the new book, the new idea, to be so-called these so-called influencers online, to be deluded, to be taken captive by these ideas. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:27.200 Look, I'm not trying to scare you away from being in the world, but you're not of it. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:33.200 We live according to a different standard, and that standard is Christ. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:41.359 All of us, me included, friends, can be taken captive by worldly philosophy and empty deceit without even knowing it. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:48.720 While I encourage you to read widely, we as a church also have, me as a pastor, I have a responsibility before God. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:52.400 My friend, my boys always ask me why I'm nervous before I preach. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:55.200 And part of it is just being, I think it's a good nerve. 00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:58.480 Sometimes it's a prideful nerve about I want to impress you. 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:05.200 But to be honest with you, most of the time those nerves are because of the authority, the responsibility that God has given me to preach his word. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:12.400 This is our authority because it tells us who that Jesus is. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:14.880 Scripture is our highest authority. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:20.400 We often call this sola scripture, a really fancy way to scripture is our highest authority. 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:29.759 Think of a passage I preached in this very pulpit last year in 2 Timothy 3, 16 through 17, that all scripture is God breathe and authoritative. 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:33.920 It's useful for teaching, rebuke, for correcting, training in righteousness. 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:41.039 Feel this, so that we could be we can be complete and equipped for every good work. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:47.119 Scripture is sufficient, it is good, and it points us to Jesus. 00:20:47.839 --> 00:21:00.000 Friends, I don't know your background, I don't know where you come from, but it's interesting sometimes about pastors who stand in the pulpit declaring their own wisdom and their own insight, the authority of the church in that sense. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:02.000 Friends, I'm accountable to this word. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:05.680 We as a body are accountable to this word and nothing else. 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:15.279 Whatever I say, whatever Pastor Chad says, whatever we teach, preach, and whatever we do, if the scripture doesn't say it, it's not true. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:20.720 But that's the kind of authority that Christ is truly over all. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:29.680 Because compared to Jesus, no earthly wisdom, nothing can stand, nothing rivals Christ's authority and his position. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.559 Nothing challenges God and his great love for us. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:37.759 Now you might see, this is a big vision, this is a big idea, this is heavy, this is weighty. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.599 But in these passages, we see the very heart of God. 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:47.519 He's not just majestic, he is, friends, but he loves you. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:57.599 Whatever you're feeling, the weight that you carry, the suffering that you're facing, your God sees you and knows you. 00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.759 And sometimes we need to be reminded that. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.599 That he remembers you. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.839 He has not forgotten you. 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:06.400 He loves you so much. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:11.839 You see that big vision and how it starts to apply to our everyday lives. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:25.680 Just as the cr the Colossian believers were to proclaim Christ over all, we are also to be filled by him and to proclaim him above all things, all wisdom, all insight, all knowledge. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:28.640 Because Christ is our filter. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:38.480 Now this flows into the second movement in our passage that we see, not just Christ over earthly wisdom, but Christ above our sins. 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:46.240 It's easy when we're suffering, when we're confused, when we're lost in some sense, we're looking for answers to run to other things. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:50.960 But also, we also run to ourselves, that we can be self-sufficient. 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:53.200 We can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:55.119 We just have to work harder. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:08.559 But the beauty of what we see here in verses 11 and 14, this my favorite verses in this whole passage, and really in many ways, this entire letter, is that those things are not sufficient either. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:19.279 That Christ is above our wisdom, our ideas, particularly because our wisdom and ideas are tainted with sin and rebellion, pride, arrogance. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:26.000 Not only did Christ have victory over the worldly wisdom of our day, but he has also overcome our biggest challenge. 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:28.720 You want to know what our biggest problem in life is? 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:36.240 It's not your boss, it's not your bank account, it's not whoever is in the White House, it's not who whatever's going around the world. 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:37.680 Get real particular. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:43.599 It's not just the challenges that you may be facing with your kids or your spouses, it's not just the challenges you face in life. 00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:48.720 The biggest problem in our life is sin, rebellion, self-sufficiency. 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:50.240 I can do it. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:54.000 I have news for you, good news, beautiful news. 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:55.519 You can't. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:57.200 And you never could. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:00.079 But Christ did and does. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:04.480 Note what we see here in verses 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. 00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.960 Note what the emphasis in verse 9. 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:08.000 It's in Christ. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:10.240 Verse 10, we're filled by him. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:13.119 Verse 11, circumcised in him. 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:16.799 Verse 12, buried with him, raised with him. 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:19.920 Verse 13, you have made alive with him. 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:22.160 You see the emphasis? 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:23.680 It's not on you. 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:25.519 The pressure's off. 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:27.279 The weight has been lifted. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:30.000 It's not about you making yourself right with God. 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:33.759 It's about what Christ has already done on your behalf. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:35.039 He's defeated it. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:36.720 He's defeated the earthly wisdom. 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:38.799 He's also defeated your sin and rebellion. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:41.519 That's the beauty, the good news of the very gospel. 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:46.880 Paul is making a huge point here about the centrality of Christ over all. 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:50.400 He made a way when there was no way. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:54.559 Verse 11, we see this beautiful understanding, this spiritual circumcision. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:57.200 Now I don't have time to unpack that, nor do I really want to. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:04.240 But nevertheless, we see this instituted in Genesis 17 early on about this circumcision that would mark the people of God. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:05.359 Guess what, friends? 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:10.240 We have a different circumcision, not of hands, not of our physical bodies, but of Jesus. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:11.599 Jesus has marked us. 00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:12.960 He has set us apart. 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:15.759 That's that spiritual circumcision that we see here. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:23.599 Verse 12, we see that there is this spiritual marking, the setting apart of God's people when we turn from our sins and trust in God. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:25.599 That's signified through baptism. 00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:28.640 That's what this little curtain over here is, friends, if you're new here. 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:29.839 We get to baptize people. 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:34.480 We get to proclaim the sufficiency, the goodness of Christ, and the saving work of Christ. 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:37.839 And there's something mysterious about baptism. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:48.160 When we go into those waters, we even see here that we see this mark, this spiritual circumcision, the setting apart, pushing away the old self and its ways and embracing the new. 00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:51.759 I want you to hold on to that, by the way, that old self, new self. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:54.960 Chad will unpack that in a couple weeks in verse chapter 3. 00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:57.599 To put off the old and to put on the new. 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:42.640 Verse 13, and when you, you, not the you out there, but you, friend, when you were dead in your trespasses, in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive. 00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:44.960 This is just the beauty. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:50.079 I love preaching and teaching because one of the things you're just preaching the same message every single week in some ways. 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:51.440 It's just the gospel. 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:53.279 This is the beauty of the gospel. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:56.559 This idea that God has made us alive. 00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:59.279 We were dead in our trespasses in the past. 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:04.000 If you are indeed in Christ, if you trust in Christ, that's who you once were. 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:11.599 With its old ways of living, the old sufficiency, the old appealing to earthly wisdom, appealing to yourself, appealing to rulers and authorities. 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:12.960 We're getting there, friends. 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:17.519 Because that's who we once were, but now we have been made alive in Christ. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:20.960 We are forgiven because he was forsaken. 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:25.599 We are made alive because he died and was raised to new life. 00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:29.359 We live because he lives. 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:33.680 The beauty is Christ is no longer in the grave. 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:34.480 Amen. 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:36.960 Guess where he is, friends? 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:40.720 Sitting at the right hand of the Father, and guess what he's doing? 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:42.559 Praying for you. 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:44.640 Praying for us. 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:47.519 Sojourn Church North in Koshen, Kentucky. 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:51.839 Of all of the stars in the universe, he's praying for you by name. 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:54.640 He knows us as a church. 00:27:54.960 --> 00:28:01.440 This is the beauty, the chains that held us down, that we were destined to die because of our sin and rebellion. 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:05.359 The cross overcame even our worst offenses. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:09.680 Even the things that you don't think are forgivable, they are in Christ. 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:11.359 That's the sufficiency. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:12.880 Christ is above your sins. 00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:14.160 He's above your rebellion. 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:16.400 He's above your doubts and your fears. 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.640 He's above everything. 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:22.720 There is nothing that you can do to make yourself right with God. 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:24.079 Nothing. 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:27.519 But Christ did everything. 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:32.480 We as Christians know this, but sometimes we forget it. 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:38.880 Sometimes we're deluded by earthly wisdom and ideas and fail to see the sufficiency of Christ. 00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:40.559 Now we are called to do good works. 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:41.920 I'm going to go ahead and tell you that. 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:45.279 But those works flow from a new faith, from a renewed heart. 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:46.799 This is the message of James. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:52.880 This is the message of Paul in Ephesians 2, 8 through 10, that it's the sufficiency of Christ and what he has done. 00:28:53.119 --> 00:29:00.960 But we're all tempted, believers and not, to rely upon ourselves, especially as Christians, our old self and our old ways. 00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:02.960 We try to make up for where we fall short. 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:08.400 We try to do enough good to be made right to restore those broken relationships in our life. 00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:13.759 But in his life, in his death, and in his resurrection, Christ has triumphed over all. 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:27.440 Your sin, the beauty of what we're getting here at the very end, is the sin, our sin, our trespasses, this record of death that stood against you, and it was real debt, has been nailed to a cross. 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:33.680 I love when the Spirit works and we sing a song like we did earlier that Brian led us about being nailed to the cross. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:35.440 You're just like, yes and amen. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:37.200 That's the whole point here. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:42.960 Christ's authority and his majesty goes way beyond earthly wisdom and ideas. 00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:48.079 It goes way beyond our ability to save ourselves, to make ourselves right. 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:49.440 It extends to all of life. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.079 And guess what? 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:59.039 That authority extends to all of life, not just us and our families, our communities, but even to the rulers, principalities, and powers of this world. 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:02.799 The third section here as we start to wrap up. 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:14.160 Christ is not only above earthly wisdom, he's also above our sins and our trespasses and made a way when there was no way, but he also is above all authorities. 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:28.640 It can be tempting for all of us, given the fear, given the anxiety, given many of the challenges of our day, to run to some higher authority, a very earthly authority at times, even the government itself, to fix this. 00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:29.279 Guess what? 00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:30.880 The government can't. 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:33.119 It never was designed to. 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:40.079 It's actually the whole purpose under the lordship of Christ, the sovereignty of Christ, is to point us back to him in many ways. 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:48.720 Not the government does that itself, but to us as believers, it points us to the sufficiency of Christ and how Christ rules over all authorities. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:59.839 Not only is this self-this false teaching, this self-justifying religion can't stand against Christ, but nothing in all of creation, whether rulers, authorities, or principalities, can reign over Christ. 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:01.839 Christ is indeed above all. 00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:06.720 This is the expansiveness of Christ's reign and his rule to the very ends of creation. 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:08.240 This is verse 10, by the way. 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:10.559 Paul already told you what he's doing in verse 15. 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:11.759 He told you in verse 10. 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:14.640 Christ is the head over all rulers and authorities. 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:23.359 Then you pick up in verse 15, he disarmed those rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly by triumphing over them in him. 00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:26.960 Christ is over all. 00:31:48.480 --> 00:32:05.200 It's tempting when things hit the fan, amen, to start to run to things to give us hope, to alleviate our suffering, whether it's ourselves, it's other earthly wisdom, or even to rulers and authorities, even to that of the authority of the local church at times. 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:11.839 As I've told you, friends, as a pastor, as a church, we sit under the authority of this word, under the authority of Christ. 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:16.160 Christ, in some sense, we've said throughout the history of Sojourn, is our lead pastor. 00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:18.799 We are one of the pastors. 00:32:19.599 --> 00:32:27.519 I have the responsibility to lead us in understanding and knowing God's word to live in light of that, but it's all about Jesus. 00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:33.920 Despite the immense and overwhelming sufferings and challenges that some of you are facing this very second. 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:37.119 Maybe you haven't acknowledged that. 00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:44.000 But what you are facing, Christ, is inviting you into a deeper and richer relationship than you could ever imagine. 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:46.079 A richer and deeper peace. 00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:47.440 Doesn't that sound good? 00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:50.240