Firmly Fixed on Christ

Good evening. How are y’all? I’m actually loving the crowd; smaller the crowd, less pressure, right? We found out the speakers were speaking for the series a couple of weeks ago. And so I knew this was coming, but the nerves are still there, obviously. But as I was prepping this week, it wasn’t too bad because, at the end of the day, it’s not so much different than what we do with small groups, right? We’re studying the word of God; we’re learning it together. So that’s kind of how I’m going to go through it, okay? But when I’m nervous, I talk fast and stuff, so just bear with me.

So before we start, let’s go into a little background and the context of why the book was written. In week one, Patre Sanil kind of talked about this, and so this is just a little refresher, but Paul didn’t actually start the church of Colossae, right? He had never been to the city of Colossae. Epaphras was the one who started the church. He heard the gospel through Paul when he was in Ephesus, and then he went back to his town in Colossae, spread the gospel there, and started a church there.

Now, as time passed, since the church had been formed, false teaching had crept into the church. I don’t know if the church started believing in the false teachings, but there was enough false teaching around the city where the fear of it being influenced into the church was made. Epaphras went back to, at this point, Paul who is in Rome, under house arrest. So Epaphras goes to Paul and asks for advice like, “Hey, what should I do? How should I encourage the church? How should I talk to the church about this issue of false teachings?”

And the things that they were being taught that aren’t true are:

1. Jesus was created by God, so he came out of God. This questions Jesus’s supremacy. We know that Jesus was there at creation and Jesus is God himself. But the false teachings were saying God created Jesus.
2. Angels are superior. We know that’s not true. Angels were created by God to worship God. But the teachings were saying angels had the same authority and power as God, so they can be worshiped.
3. Gnosticism, which is basically saying you need a secret religious knowledge that was required for salvation, saying that to know more about God, you need to have a direct revelation from him. Certain people, if you want to know about God you would have to go to them directly because only they have the direct revelation to God. But we know that’s not true. Jesus came so everyone has access to God.

These ideas were floating around in the city and even the neighboring city of Laodicea, which is 9 or 11 miles away from Colossae.

Paul writes these letters to the church to combat these false teachings upon Epaphras’s request. 

So far, we’ve covered chapter 1. That’s where Paul begins to talk about who Jesus is and reaffirms to the church of Colossae what they already know and believe in Jesus. In chapter 1, we talked about how Jesus is a supreme being, the Son of God. He wasn’t created from God but was there at creation, from the beginning. Jesus dwells within the Father and in us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus reconciled for us so that we can have a relationship with the Father. Jesus is the head of the church, and we, as the church, are in his body. Any suffering on earth is for Jesus Christ’s glory. We are not alone; Jesus is with us. And last week, Renson mentioned how to continue growing in the maturity of Jesus, which goes with this week as well.

Keeping all that in mind, let’s move to the passage Colossians 2:1-5, and I’ll read it for y’all:

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged being knit together in love to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ. In him, all hidden are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”

To fully understand the first verse, we need to refer back to chapter 1. So I’m going to read again from 1:28 to 2:1.

“That we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this, I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those in Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face.”

Remember, Paul is in Rome right now, in prison. He’s writing to the church in Colossae because he needs to address the false teachings that were creeping into the church. In Chapter 2, he already established, as we said, who Jesus is in c hapter 1 and defines who Jesus is. Now, he’s writing that he says, “I toil. I’m struggling. How great of a struggle that I have.” And another version reads as “agonize.”

We have to wonder, why is he using such strong language? In Greek, the word for “struggle” or “conflict” is “agon,” which in English translates to “agonize.” It’s usually described in the context of an intense athletic competition. So, in our world, what’s the most intense, epic athletic competition there is? Yes, the Olympics. That’s just to give you an example of why Paul uses that word.

A quote I like from Usain Bolt is, “I’ve trained four years to run only nine seconds.” That’s crazy to me. He’s trained four years for just nine seconds of his life. So, if you think about it, that means he went day in and day out for four years, putting an excessive amount of weight training, lifting weights, and training his body. He probably had many days of dehydration from running so much, causing so much pain. That’s just the physical he had to go through. Imagine the mental pressure he faced. It’s not a team sport. Only he can win. The whole country is counting on him to run as fast as he can to get that gold medal, and he has to do it in just nine seconds. Every single day, for four years, just for those nine seconds. 

Which is extremely crazy to me, but it’s also motivating, its very encouraging. That’s why we like athletes. They go to the extremes to reach a goal, they make  us believe that if they can do it, we can too.

So, am I saying that Usain Bolt is our generation’s Paul? No. But I am saying that with the image Paul uses with the word “struggle,” he wants the church to understand, “Hey, I have this great struggle for you. I’m praying for you. I’m thinking about you. I care about you. It weighs heavy on my heart and mind. I want you to truly know and depend on who Jesus Christ is to the point where my body and my mind are not at rest.”

Another thing to remember, like I said, is he’s doing this while he’s in prison. So he has other priorities and things he needs to consider, but he sets those aside to focus on the church. Secondly, he’s doing this for a church he hasn’t even met—two churches: Colossae and Laodicea. At the end, he mentions, “for all who have not met me face to face.” So, we have to wonder, what’s his reasoning for this great struggle?

Going on to 2:2, “That their hearts may be encouraged, be knit together in love to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.” Paul, once again, likens his care for the church to someone training for the Olympics, so that they may be encouraged and knit together in love. The first reason he brings up his struggle is, as I said, Usain Bolt. His dedication is immense, yet also motivating. That’s why we admire athletes. Like I said before, their determination motivates us. We think, if Usain Bolt can run in nine seconds, we can run nine seconds. Obviously, I don’t run, so I can’t do it. But, in the same example that Renson shared last week, how did he manage to run that 10k? Because Justin was there along with him. If it wasn’t for his brother next to him, encouraging him, he wouldn’t have finished. Justin was right there, struggling with Renson, caring for him, and he was with him the whole way.

In the same way, Paul is saying this to encourage the church. Even though I am not physically there, I’m with you. I have my hurdles. I’m in prison right now. But that does not stop me and hurdle me in speaking the absolute truth of who Jesus Christ is. So don’t be discouraged.

The second reason is to be knit together. Knit together in love. What does that mean?

Let’s look. Paul brings it up again in Colossians 3:14: “And above all these things, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

So, love knits us together, binds everything together. How does love do that?

Let’s go to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. We all know this verse, right? Love is patience, kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It’s not proud. It does not dishonor. It’s not self-seeking, not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrong and delights in no evil. Love rejoices in the truth. It protects. It trusts, hopes, and perseveres.”

So if that is what love is, and in love we are all knit together, we are bound by each other. We can’t be separated. What does that mean for the church and the body of Christ? Let’s go read 1 John 4:7-12. We read this earlier: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves, has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love. Not that we have loved God, but that he loves us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.”

So after reading those two verses, what is God saying back in chapter 2:1-2? Being knit together in love. The church cannot be unified without love. Unity within the body can only happen in love. And love comes from God, like we read in 1 John 4. God is love, and he sent his son, who in all his supremacy and power into this world that we might live through him, dwelling within us, and that in love according to God’s word. So like I said, Paul is saying this to encourage them and to unify the church and saying be knit together, be unified only through Jesus Christ.

So in summary of one and two so far, Paul lets the church know that he’s struggling as an encouragement, saying I am with you, my love and care is for you, even though I’m not physically there. I haven’t lost faith and hope in Christ in my struggle. You shouldn’t either, take courage. And he also reminds the church that through Jesus, we, including Paul, are unified because Christ is love and love binds us together.

Moving on to the end of verse 2-3: “To reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” So again, he’s saying I am struggling for you, the church, so you can be encouraged that you’re knit together in love. Why? So that you may continue to grow with full assurance in your understanding and knowledge of the truth, which is Jesus, the source of all wisdom.

This is Paul’s main point, his whole point of the letter, that their assurance and confidence should be in Jesus and Jesus alone. Not in any other teaching, not in a different version of Jesus or the ideas coming from false teachings being presented in their city. But it’s the Jesus he discusses in chapter 1, the Jesus who is God Himself, revealed to everyone. Christ isn’t hidden. He is who he says he is. There’s no reason not to place your full assurance in Him.

Continuing on, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one may delude you with enticing arguments. Although I am absent in body, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”

So he’s saying again, put your full confidence in the knowledge of understanding that God has revealed to you, which is Jesus Christ, which again is talked about in chapter 2, which is Jesus Christ. Which again is talked about in chapter 1, because Jesus holds all the wisdom. And if Jesus holds all the wisdom of the world, then you know that nothing else can be plausible. There’s no interference from the outside world, any other arguments, right?

He talks in detail in verse 8 of the same chapter. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. According to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ.” This is important to tell the church. Why? Because as I mentioned before, the influence of false teaching is spreading in the city. One of which, like I said, was gnosticism. Yeah. Saying that if you want all the wisdom of the world, then listen to us. Listen to what we have to say. Listen to this. Listen to that. Knowing Jesus, the one God himself has revealed to you, that’s not enough. Jesus himself isn’t enough. Follow us. Follow us. Follow our philosophy. Follow our human tradition. But back again to the verse, Paul is reminding them, warning them really not to pay attention to that.

You know who Christ is. God’s already revealed that to you. This is a church. It’s not like they rejected God or lost their faith. They know who God is. It’s exactly what Paul said in chapter 1. They believe in those things. So don’t pay attention to something else. You already know what’s true. Keep the faith in Christ. And Paul acknowledges that when he says he’s rejoicing to see the good order and the firmness of your faith. So he knows that they have it. He’s just encouraging them to keep believing in who they already know who Christ is, that God’s revealed to them.

So how does this apply to us? The first application: Paul’s goal of his struggle was to encourage and unify the church. Paul went to great lengths, enduring physical and mental turmoil for a church he had never met. What are we doing as Restoration Church for each other? Paul underwent so much for people he hadn’t even met. I don’t think he ever sees before he dies. What are we doing as a church? We sit with each other every week. We eat together. We enjoy each other’s company. We spend time with each other. But like Paul, are we being knit together in love? Are we carrying each other’s burdens? Are we caring for each other well? Is our love coming from the truth of Jesus or from our own ability? And if not, if we’re not loving that way, if we’re not being unified, if we’re not encouraging each other, why not?

The next one is, is my wisdom coming from the knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is or is it coming from something else? But what I’m trying to say is, are we making choices and looking at the world and living our life in the lens of who Jesus is or are we doing it in what we want to do? When we have the knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is, our choices, our decisions are different, how we view the world is different. The world’s beliefs don’t affect us because we know the absolute truth. But if it’s coming from something else, why is it? And if it does come from something else, what does that really look like? Or if it comes from something else, it might look like this. So I have a video.

So if you know me, you know JP’s my favorite speaker, after Pastor Sonal, of course. So I have to include him in my message. So in the video, you might be, what does drifting have to do with what we just read?

He talks about drifting in the sense that as a believer, or when you’re at the ocean, if you know how to swim, most of us don’t. If you know how to swim, when you go into the ocean, someone who’s with you, if you’re a kid, if a parent always says, don’t go too far from the shore, right? Stay close to the shore. But when you’re in the water, and you’re spending time in the water, and you’re comfortable, and you’re enjoying the water slowly, without you even noticing, drifts you away. To the point where when it comes too late, you notice you’re like three miles away from the shore. You have to work extra hard just to get there. And if you are not a good swimmer, you might not make it back to the shore.

So what does that have to do with what we just talked about? As a believer, that’s the most dangerous place to be, drifting away from God, because you don’t notice it. And for an unbeliever, it’s usually when we think about these things, it’s either you believe in God or you don’t believe in God. You follow God, you don’t believe in God. But no one thinks about the middle where I do believe in God, I know who Jesus is, I put my trust and faith in him, but he’s in the background. He’s not a priority. He’s secondary in my life. Other things are a priority. But my faith is still there. I believe who he is. I know what he’s done on the cross. Iif I have struggles, if I have needs, I go to him. He’s right there.

But when it comes to my day-to-day activities, when it comes to my goals, when it comes to my priorities in life, what I want to achieve, he’s not the forefront. He’s not who I am firmly fixed on, right? And that’s when the position when you’re comfortable is, and it feels good, is when you slowly drift away from Christ without realizing it. And like JP says, it’s not until you crash into something that you notice that you’re far away from God. And in the same way, Paul is kind of warning the church a little bit. Don’t let false teachings drift you away and influence you away from Christ. You know who he is and what he’s done. Don’t let it creep into your faith. Jesus, in all his supremacy and authority, is enough. Nothing can be added to that or subtracted to what Jesus did all that cross. And through him, all the treasures of wisdom and understanding comes from. So to be firmly fixed on Jesus, so be firmly fixed on Jesus so that you don’t drift away.