Colossians 2:4-8

We are so glad that each and everyone of you have joined us for this special Sunday. Two of our brothers in Christ have decided to be baptized: Mike Swenson and Jacob Owens today!

Here at FCC we go through books of the Bible one verse at a time. We are currently in Colossians and we will pick up where we left off last week.

Prayer

Read Colossians 2:1-10

We will not cover all of these verses, but they need to be read together or you might be a little confused.

Over the last few weeks we have learned that the Apostle Paul had a struggle, a conflict (agon) we get our word agony form this word. He was agonizing in prayer for the churches of Colossae and Laodicea even though Paul did not start this church, even though he was not the pastor of this church, even though he never met the people form these churches, other than (Epa-Phras), he was still praying for them.

Why was Paul agonizing in prayer for them? Because of the Gnosticism, because of the Jewish legalism, and because of the Eastern Mysticism that was pouring into the church.

2. Paul prayed that these churches would be encouraged and knit together in love.

Here church we learned that the Holy Spirit often encourage us through one another and if we are not in fellowship, but isolating, rather than be encouraged, we will become discouraged and even depressed.

So when your discouraged, disconnected, and depressed, take inventory and ask yourself the question, “Am I in fellowship, am I allowing the Holy Spirit to encourage me through others.

Much of the time you will find your isolating!!!

Proverbs 18:1 NKJV

A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

We also learned that we cannot be knit together in love without being in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Love is exercised in relationship and the fruit of the Spirit functions in relationship church.

Remember that the Greek word picture for being knit together in love means to unite, to mend a broken bone.

We all have broken bones that need mending and much of the time church, it happens in relationship!

Pop Quiz

What is the number one thing in your life that causes you the most pain, apart form yourself?

Relationships

Next to the Lord, what is the number one thing in your life that brings or causes healing?

Relationships

When we allow God to knit us together in love, when we allow him to encourage us through others, we often begin to deal with our woundedness and heal church.

So if your isolating, STOP IT!

3. Then last week we learned that in Jesus are hidden all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom.

In verses 2 and 3, we see Gnostic buzz words. Words like full, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

The Gnostics believed that they had secret knowledge church, that it was Jesus plus their secret knowledge, their secret wisdom and understanding.

Remember, that all cults, all other religions, attack the Deity or the Supremacy of Jesus Christ.

It is not the Bible, plus this book or that book! It is Jesus Only!

The Bible is our only source of divine revelation about the person and work of Jesus Christ and the Bible is Christ-centered.

So if a church is not centered on the Bible, it is not centered on Jesus Christ.

If a church does not teach the Bible on a consistent basis, you will not be equipped to withstand the deceptive schemes of the devil.

Sometimes, sound teaching will confront where your life is not in line with God’s revealed will. Don’t dodge that! It’s easy to find churches that tell you what you want to hear to make you feel good. You need a church that, like a good doctor, tells you what you need to hear for spiritual health and growth!

Colossians 2:4 KJV 1900

And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Beguile- (pä-rä-lo-ge'-zo-mi)-means to mislead, delude, deceive, cheat, seduce, and lead someone astray.

Note: how the seduction takes place: by enticing words (pithanologiai), that is, by words that are persuasive, appealing, eloquent, flowery, and attractive.

Believers can be seduced by the persuasive and eloquent words of false teaching. People are easily influenced by …

• eloquence

• reasoning

• persuasiveness

• arguments

• logic

• thought processes

Colossians 2:4 NASB95

I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

Note: That Paul says I say this< What is he saying? He is saying that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge our found in Jesus Christ.

Hidden does not mean that it cannot be found church

Hidden means that it is not on the surface, that you must search for it, just like a priceless gem.

Enticing or persuasive words means — using language effectively to please or persuade. Discourse leading others to error...

This is the used car salesman trying to lure you into a car through persuasive words that decieve

What these false teachers say, and how they say it is really convincing, they are great speakers who can sell snow to an eskimo

James 1:13–14 NKJV

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Do you see the word enticed here in James?

Enticed- de-le-ä'-zo- to bait, catch by a bait

metaph. to beguile by blandishments, allure, entice, deceive

There are two word pictures here:

Drawn away is a picture of a hunter setting a trap. He places a piece of flesh under a cage and then props it up with a stick. When we are allured into the trap and take the bait, guess what??? We are caught!

Enticed is a picture of a fisherman baiting his hook. He throws it in the water and guess what? The fish only sees the bait and not the hook. When the fish bites onto the hook, the fisherman pulls on the fishing line and guess what? You guessed it, they are caught.

Now even through the Greek words for enticed here are different, they have the same concept to decieve, to trick, to play on words church.

The basic attack of all false systems throughout history has been to deny either Christ’s deity, His sufficiency to save and sanctify, or both. Any group or person doing so is guilty of teaching “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). As purveyors of another gospel, they are accursed (Gal. 1:8). Believers need to have a settled conviction about Christ’s deity and sufficiency to be able to withstand the onslaughts of such false teaching. ~John MacArthur~

The only defense we have is to know the Word of God!

To sit under the teaching of the Word of God.

Colossians 2:5 NKJV

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Remember, Paul was not with them, he was in prison is Rome.

It is clear here that Epa-Phras not only shared with Paul about the false teaching that was coming in, but also that the Colossians and Laodiceans had good order and steadfastness.

Although absent in body due to his imprisonment, Paul was present with them in spirit.

Their good order/ discipline) and the steadfastness or stability of their faith in Christ caused him to rejoice.

Taxis (good discipline) and stereōma (stability) are both military terms, perhaps suggested by Paul’s close contact with Roman soldiers during his imprisonment .

Good order- (taxis)-refers to a line of soldiers drawn up for battle.

Steadfastness- (ste-re'-o-mä)-refers to a solid formation of soldiers.

Taken together, they express Paul’s joy that individually and collectively the Colossians and Laodiceans were standing firm against the attacks of false teaching.

His desire for them is that they be:

1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Colossians 2:6 NKJV

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

How did they receive Christ Jesus the Lord?

By grace through faith, just like the men that will be baptized today church.

Just like you and I!

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Paul gives that church an imperative here to walk it out!

If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then your strut should be different.

If you said a prayer, but nothing has changed regarding how you walk, then I would allow God to search your heart to see if you are saved!

Walk- peripateo- ( our behavior) v. — to live or behave in a specified manner.

This is written church in the present continual tense in Greek.

Do you know what that means???

It means that it is something we must be doing presently in our lives.

And we are continually to be walking it out!

Can a person walk without making forward progression? Ok, only on a tread mill.

This means are daily conduct church!

Ephesians 5:15–16 NKJV

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Circumspectly- akribos- exactly, accurately, diligently in a careful, mindful and deliberant manner.

We get are word acrobat from this word

Do you know what happens if an acrobat is not careful and accurate?

Paul is giving the church and us a command to walk it out church!

Colossians 2:7 NKJV

rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

This is where we will finish today and we will pick up in verse 8 next week!

It is taken us a while to run the plow through these verses, but I think it is crucial that we get what Paul is teaching us because we are surrounded by Gnosticism, Legalism, and Eastern religion on every side.

Remember, Jesus plus anything else is a lie!

Here we see Paul give us four Greek word pictures:

Rooted- this is a picture of a tree being rooted and grounded.

Do you know what happens to a tree if it is not rooted and grounded church?

It will blow over.

It will not produce fruit.

It cannot grow.

Psalm 1:1–3 NKJV

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.

2. Built up- this is a picture of a building with a firm foundation.

Do you know what happens to a building if is not set on a firm foundation?

It falls.

Isaiah 28:16 NKJV

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.

3. As you have been taught- this is a picture of a student church.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you must be a student of God’s Word.

We are forever students of God’s Word.

4. Abounding with thanksgiving- this is a picture of a river overflowing its banks

Over flowing with gratitude church

Gratitude=Attitude=Altitude

If we are rooted, grounded, and built up in Jesus Christ, we will be overflowing with thankfulness and guess what?

We will not fall victim to the false teachers of today!

And we will be growing in Grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Prayer

Announcements

Are there any announcements?

I have one, Mike and Jacob will you please come forward

If there are any family and friends, I would ask that you move to the front pews as our baptismal is in the floor and it might be difficult to see.