MESSAGES
FROM THE
WORD
THE BIGGEST LITTLE BOOK IN THE BIBLE
SERIES: Colossians Message # 1
It is called "the biggest little town in the world". Reno, Nevada. It is situated in the Sierra Mountains, just over the California border, only a few miles away from Lake Tahoe. It is famous for its entertainment and skiing, but mostly for its gambling industry. It promotes itself as a little city that is far more important than would be expected for its size.
We begin this morning to study the book that could be promoted as "the biggest little book in the Bible". It is the book of Colossians and its significance is staggering. It only has four chapters with 95 total verses. Yet, these 95 verses are filled with doctrinal clarity, practical application, and spiritual insights. I can think of no book that is more important than is Colossians. In a culture that is confused on right and wrong; in a church that is confused about what it means to be a Christian; and in a world which is confused about Jesus Christ, the book of Colossians is a critical book to examine.
Just by way of introduction, let me just go over briefly some areas of confusion that will be addressed in this book. Even though it is several thousand years old, it is still very practical for us to look at in our time.
First, we see the problem of intellectualism. That is, in order to know God, you have to be able to grasp the deep meanings of philosophy and logic. The common man is much too inferior to grapple with the deeper things of God. Only the elite can understand these deep, hidden truths.
Second, we see the problem of legalism. The church is always in danger of becoming legalistic. Legalism is the belief that an individual can be right with God by doing certain activities. It can be spiritual activities like reading your Bible, getting baptized, going to church, or taking communion. It can be cultural issues such as having short hair, using a certain translation, or attending a certain denomination. Every group has their own little criteria. What it boils down to is you are right with God because you have done certain actions.
Third, we see the problem of ritualism. In some cases, this can be confused with legalism. The primary difference is this. In legalism, the individual is truly seeking to please God. They go about it by doing activities. In ritualism, the goal is to get through the activity. The individual may or may not have to believe in something. What is important is to get through the routine. It may be saying certain prayers, reading certain lines, going to a certain meeting, or going through a certain symbolic gesture. Belief is not the primary focus, making sure you do the routine is the primary focus.
Fourth, we see the problem of mysticism. This is a big issue in our world today. Whether it is Fung Shui in decorating, Kabala in the entertainment business, or reincarnation, the problem of the mystical is a part of the religious community. Mysticism basically states, "If I want to know what is, it will have to be explained in some supernatural act".
Fifth, we see the problem of relativism. This is not having your parents stay to long. Relativism has to do with a culture deciding right and wrong, good and evil based on popular opinion. This is the dominant philosophy in our culture today. How do we know if something is right? Take a poll.
Sixth, we see the problem of experientialism. You may talk to someone and say "the Bible says…" and have the answer come back, "but I experienced…" How do you know if something is right or wrong? I experienced it. Angels, demons, Heaven, Hell, God, salvation is all determined by what I have experienced. There is no outside source, only your experiences.
Into this world God sends His people with a simple message, "Thus saith the Lord…" What experiences, feelings, experiences and beliefs we may have all must be measured against the Bible. As we begin this study let me give you five issues over which our world is confused and are explained in this book.
FIRST, OUR WORLD IS CONFUSED ABOUT JESUS. There is no question that is more important than the question, "who is Jesus"? Some think that Jesus was a great teacher. Others feel that Jesus was the first socialist, going around spreading the wealth. I was involved in a panel discussion recently on the subject of homosexuality and marriage and one of the panelists believed that Jesus was the example of tolerance. We read, JOHN 8:1-8 Was Jesus an example of tolerance? I believe He was. However, the tolerance of Jesus also involved the demand to turn from sin. Jesus forgave sin, He didn’t sweep it under the rug, nor did He redefine it.
Who is Jesus Christ? We read, COLOSSIANS 2:9 The word used in this verse, is not used any other time in the New Testament. It is the word "Theotees" and it has to do with that which makes up God. The word "theo" is the Greek word for God, which is how we get theology. It is the study of God. The word is translated as "Godhead" in KJV and as "Deity" in NASV and NIV. It has to do with that which makes God what and who He is. Everything that makes God who and what He is, was in Jesus Christ. That means that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. This creates a problem for us, because we now have to try to understand how Jesus can be totally 100% man and 100% God. The solution is not to make Him 50% of each. This is called a mystery in the Bible.
The cults have a hard time with this, but let’s go back to the first century and see what they believed Jesus to be. We read, JOHN 5:18 When Jesus said that God was His Father, the Jews understood that He was claiming equality with God. We read, MATTHEW 26:63-66 We looked at this passage several weeks ago, but let’s remind ourselves of its significance. When Jesus said what He said, He knew exactly the response He would receive. As He made His claim, He quoted from both Psalm 110 and Daniel 7; both passages are referred to as Messianic passages. Jesus claimed that He was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament and the one who would receive the Kingdom from Jehovah. That is why the Sanhedrin reacted as it did, by accusing Jesus of blasphemy. They understood that Jesus was claiming equality with God.
Paul wrote this letter into a culture not unlike our own. There were those that stated Jesus was a great teacher, good guy, even God. But they were denying that He was God in the flesh. Those who believed that Jesus was God didn’t believe He was man. Those who believed He was a man didn’t believe He was God. Jesus was everything that makes someone a man. He was everything that makes God divine. This is not possible for us to totally come to grips with, but it is something we can understand. We can do that because this is what the Bible says. We may not understand how it is possible, but we can understand this is a Biblical truth. This is why we believe Jesus is God, because this is what the Bible claims.
Paul is not the only one to claim this. We read, II PETER 1:1 The Greek grammatical construction of this verse is important. When Peter says "…GOD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST…" he is not referring to two people. He is not talking about God and about the Savior. He is talking about our God and Savior, who is Jesus Christ. The term for God and for Savior refer to one person, not two. Which means Jesus is God.
The Apostle John taught this same truth. You will remember that after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room. For some reason, Thomas was not there. Because of this, Thomas doubted. We read, JOHN 20:26-29 Thomas called Jesus God. If this were not true, Jesus would have picked Thomas up and set him straight. Instead, He accepted Thomas’ praise. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. This is why we read, JOHN 14:6 Why can Jesus claim exclusive right to be the entrance into Heaven? It is because He is God and every other religious leader isn’t.
SECOND, OUR WORLD IS CONFUSED ABOUT TRUE SPIRITUALITY. Take out the newspaper on the weekend to check out the religion page and you will find all sorts of bizarre groups. Some of them claim the name of Jesus. Some claim Him as a sort of mystical guru. Others reject Him and follow some other sort of leader. Some believe in reincarnation, mystical abilities, crystals, secrets in where furniture is placed, or some man who they feel has insight to life. I remember reading several years ago about a group of people in Philadelphia who got together to form the first church of Presleyterians and worshiped Elvis. We laugh at that, because we know that there is a form of jest in that. However, the rejection of Christ and the following after some "spiritualism" is a major movement in our culture. All of us have talked to people who have stated, "I’m not into organized religion, and I just want to be spiritual". What that means is they want to create God in their own likeness.
Paul writes, COLOSSIANS 2:16-23 There were people seeking to influence people in the church by claiming to be really spiritual they had to go through certain rituals, have certain mystical experiences, and perform certain actions. Paul writes this letter to remind them that they are right with God, in other words truly spiritual, because they are rightly connected with Jesus Christ.
In other words, you are not right with God because you do certain things, but because you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship with Christ obligates you and pushes you to do certain things, but it is because you are spiritual, not to make you so.
Our culture wants to re-define spirituality, because true spirituality has certain obligations attached. Let me give an illustration. We read, JAMES 1:27 In other words, true religion requires that you do good deeds to those in need. Our culture loves the appearance of spirituality with none of the obligations. This is nothing more than phony religion. God always prompts His people to godly behavior. He will always lead His true believers to serve without acclaim and for His glory.
THIRD, OUR CULTURE IS CONFUSED ABOUT CHRISTIANITY. One of the reasons our culture is confused about Christianity is because Christians are confused about Christianity. Many believe you are a Christian if you were born in America, were christened as a baby, joined the church as a teen, go to church on Easter, or even go to church every week.
All of those are good things. However, just like you aren’t married by wearing a wedding dress and putting on a ring, you are not a Christian just because you do certain things.
In Colossians Paul lays out for us what it means to be a Christian. We read, VERSES 1:13,14 It in not religious actions that make us a believer, it is a total transference from one Kingdom to another. In the Old Testament times, there were three ways a victorious army could deal with a vanquished foe. They could scatter the vanquished people to the winds. They could place an army in the region to keep the people in line. They could take the conquered people and bring them back to their home territory. This is what took place in the life of Daniel.
With that in mind, re-read the passage. VERSES 1:13,14 What was our situation? We were all in the Kingdom of Darkness. This is one of the primary differences between the Bible and other religious movements. The Bible claims that we are in the Kingdom of Darkness and need to be freed. This is why Jesus stated, LUKE 19:10 We were lost and Jesus came looking for us. How did He do that? It is the very focal point of the cross. The reason we were in the wrong Kingdom was because of sin. God had to design some means of dealing with sin. We could pay the penalty ourselves, or God could take care of it Himself. Because God requires perfection, there is nothing we can do to pay the penalty ourselves. God then designed a plan for us. His Son would live a perfect life and offer Himself as the sacrificial lamb to take all of the sins of the world upon Himself. We read, COL. 2:13-15 God nailed your sins to the cross and gave you forgiveness instead.
When you come to Christ, repent of your sins and turn your life over to Him, He pulls you out of the Kingdom of Darkness and places you in the Kingdom of His beloved Son. This is what the Bible calls conversion. Conversion means change. You change your loyalty. Last year my sister-in-law became a U.S. citizen. She came to the United States in 1973 from Vietnam. There were classes she had to take. At the swearing in ceremony, she had to renounce her allegiance to her former country and pledge allegiance to the United States. We understand that concept. Why is it hard, then, for people to grasp the notion that becoming a Christian involves renouncing allegiance to our former kingdom and swearing allegiance to our new king, Jesus?
We read, LUKE 18:18-24 This is one of the most remarkable stories in all of the Bible. This man would have been welcomed by almost every congregation in our nation. He was wealthy and he tithed. He was influential and he was loyal. He would have made a great chairman of the board. There was only one problem; he worshiped his own self-interests more than he worshipped God. That is what Jesus called him on. Jesus knew that the most important issue in his life was the bottom line and He called this young man to give everything away and follow Him. He was a stones throw from the Kingdom of God and he refused to give up that which was slowing him down. The result? He stayed in the Kingdom of Darkness. Here is what I know. When an army comes in and defeats you, you do not get to negotiate what you will do and where you will go. You are at the mercy of the victorious king. At the cross, Jesus defeated the king of darkness and has now grabbed hold of those in that kingdom and offered to those who will follow Him a kingdom of light. The only qualification is they must follow Him. That is what it means to be a Christian.
Colossians is a great book in a small package. For those who will listen, its message is life transforming.
This message is from the teaching ministry of Pastor Glen Jackson.
