Sunday Messages

Nurturing children is one of the toughest and most fulfilling jobs in the world—and the one for which we may feel the least prepared. Here are ten building blocks to developing child-rearing responsibilities that can help us feel more fulfilled as parents—and enjoy our children more, too.

1.  We nurture our children’s self-esteem.  Children start developing their sense of self as babies when they see themselves through their parents' eyes. Our tone of voice, our body language, and our every expression are absorbed by our children. Our words and actions as parents affect our children's developing self-esteem than anything else. Praising our children’s accomplishments, however small, will make them feel proud; letting our children do things independently will make them feel capable and strong. By contrast, belittling comments or comparing our children unfavorably with another will make them feel worthless.

We avoid making loaded statements or using words as weapons. Comments like "What a stupid thing to do!" or "You act more like a baby than your little brother!" cause damage just as physical blows do. We choose our words carefully and compassionately. We let our children know that everyone makes mistakes and that we still love them, even when we don't love their behavior.

2.  We catch our children being good.  Have we ever stopped to think about how many times we react negatively to our children in a given day? We may find that we are criticizing far more than we are complimenting. How would we feel about a boss who treated us with that much negative guidance, even if it was well-intentioned?

The more effective approach is to catch our children doing something right: "You made your bed without being asked—that’s terrific!" or "I was watching you play with your sister and you were very patient." These statements will do more to encourage good behavior over the long run than repeated scolding. We make a point of finding something to praise every day. We are generous with rewards—our love, hugs, and compliments can work wonders and are often reward enough. Soon we will find we are "growing" more of the behavior we would like to see exhibited in our children.

3.  We set limits and establish consistency with our discipline.  Discipline is necessary in every household. The goal of discipline is to help children choose acceptable behaviors and learn self-control. Children may test the limits we establish for them, but they need those limits to grow into responsible adults. Establishing “positive” house rules will help children understand our expectations and develop self-control. Some house rules might include: we watch TV only after homework is done, and we show respect through kindness or helping each other with chores around the house.

We may want to have a system in place: one warning, followed by consequences such as a "time out" or loss of privileges. A common mistake parents make is failure to follow through with consequences when rules are broken. We can't discipline a child for talking back one day and ignore it the next. Being consistent teaches our children what we expect.  We practice the “3 F’s.”  Be fair, firm, and be friendly in our discipline efforts.

4.  We make time for our children.  With so many demands on our time, it's often difficult for parents and children to get together for a family meal, let alone spend some quality time together. But there is probably nothing our children would like more.  We can get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning so we can eat breakfast with our children, or leave the dishes in the sink and take a walk after dinner.

Children who are not getting the attention they want from their parents often act out or misbehave because they are assured of being noticed that way. Many parents find it mutually rewarding to have prescheduled time with their children on a regular basis. We can create a "special family night" each week to be together, and let our children decide how we will spend our time together. We look for other ways to connect with our children—put a note or something special in their lunchbox.

Youth seem to need less undivided attention from their parents than younger children. Because there are fewer windows of opportunity for parents and teens to get together, parents should be available when their teens express a desire to talk or participate in family activities. Attending concerts, athletic games, and other events communicate caring and enables us get to know about our children and their friends in important ways. We don't feel guilty if we're working parents. It is the many little things we do with our children—making popcorn, playing games, shopping—that they will remember.

5.  We mirror a good role model.  Young children learn a great deal about how to act by watching us. The younger they are, the more cues they take from us. Before we lash out or blow our top in front of our children, we can think about this: is that how we want our children to behave when they are angry? We are constantly aware that we are being observed by our children. Studies have shown that children who hit usually have a role model for aggression at home.

So we model the traits we wish to cultivate in our children: respect, friendliness, honesty, kindness, tolerance. We exhibit unselfish behavior. We do things for other people without expecting a reward. We express thanks and offer compliments. Above all, we treat our children the way we expect other people to treat us.

6.  We make communication a priority.  We can't expect children to do everything simply because we, as parents, "say so." Children want and deserve explanations as much as adults do. If we don't take time to explain, children will begin to wonder about our values and motives and whether they have any basis. Parents who reason with their children allow them to understand and learn in a nonjudgmental way.

We make our expectations clear. If there is a problem, we describe it to our children, we express our feelings about it, and we invite our children to work on a solution with us. We are sure to include consequences. We make suggestions and offer choices. We are open to our child's suggestions as well.  We negotiate. Children who participate in decisions are more motivated to carry them out.

7.  We’re flexible and willing to adjust our parenting style. If we frequently feel "let down" by our children's behavior, it may be because we have unrealistic expectations. Parents who think in "shoulds" (for example, "He or she should be potty-trained by now") may find it helpful to do more reading on the matter or to talk to other parents or child development specialists. We may also feel “let down” by developing our parenting styles with works-based motivations, instead of grace-based intentions. [See Parenting Styles Chart].

Our children's environment has an impact on their behavior, so we may be able to modify that behavior by changing the environment. If we find ourselves constantly saying "no" to our 2-year-old, we look for ways to restructure the surroundings so that fewer things are off-limits. This will cause less frustration for both parent and child. As our children change, we will gradually have to change our parenting style. Chances are what works with our children now won't work as well in a year or two.

Teenagers tend to look less to their parents and more to their peers for role models. But we continue to provide guidance, encouragement, and appropriate discipline while allowing our teens to earn more independence. And we seize every available moment to make a connection!

8.  We show that our love is unconditional.  As parents, we are responsible for correcting and guiding our children. But how we express our corrective guidance makes all the difference in how our children receive it. When we have to confront our children, we avoid blaming, criticizing, or fault-finding, which undermine self-esteem and can lead to resentment. Instead, we strive to nurture and encourage, even when we are disciplining our children. We make sure they know that although we want and expect better next time, our love is there no matter what.  God calls us to give unconditional love to imperfect people!

9.  We’re aware of our own needs and limitations as parents.  Let’s face it—we are imperfect parents. We have strengths and weaknesses as family leaders. We recognize our abilities—“I am loving and dedicated." We vow to work on our weaknesses—“I need to be more consistent with discipline." We try to have realistic expectations for ourselves, our spouse, and our children. We don't have to have all the answers—so we are forgiving of ourselves. And we try to make parenting a manageable job. 

We focus on the areas that need the most attention rather than trying to address everything all at once. We admit it when we're burned out. We take time out from parenting to do things that will make us happy as persons (or as a couple). For example, we plan a weekly “date night” with our spouse.  Focusing on our needs does not make us selfish. It simply means we care about our own well-being, which is another important value to model for our children.

10.  We build our children’s spirituality and need for God.  Religious and spiritual beliefs are an important part of how many people deal with life's joys and hardships. When families face tough situations, including health, financial and relationship problems, their religious beliefs and practices can help them fight feelings of helplessness, restore meaning and order to life situations, and promote regaining a sense of control. As stated earlier, a parent’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ can be a powerful and important source of strength for our children.

Attending church regularly as a family helps us connect with spiritual values.  It helps children and parents begin their personal quest for spiritual purpose and meaning in life. To foster the spirituality of our own families, we may want to examine our own values. We ask ourselves questions: What is important to me? How well do my daily activities mirror my values and faith? Do I neglect issues that matter to me because I'm busy spending time on things that matter less?  The bottom line is this: faith in God can provide our children with a sense of purpose and guidelines for living.

The gospel declares a dramatic way to live, for the test of our relationship with God will be in the relationships we have with people.

Paul continues his instruction to the church in Colossae by moving from who Christ is, what Christ has done, how we are to respond to this reality, and how our relationships should be ordered by these incredible truths. He moves from the doctrinal to the practical. Everything said in this passage maintains centrality in Christ. Paul sends out a clarion call in preparation for instructions to Jesus-followers with the statement…17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Having spoken about being dressed in Christ-like virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, the apostle Paul now puts them into a context, in which we all can relate— the home, the family, the workplace. After all, this is where we spend the huge majority of our time, of our lives--husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees.

Questions to consider: How will we as Jesus-followers actually live in Christ’s grace and goodness at home and at work? How will the “peace of Christ rule in our hearts?” How will the “word of Christ dwell in us richly?”

When it comes to living the Christian life, God’s Word constantly shows us that life is all about relationships. Mutual responsibility puts everyone into the proper place in an ordered lifestyle. Christian marriage involves mutual submission to Christ and each other. Children are handled with care as parents are respected. Workers work honestly as bosses treat workers justly and fairly.

How these relationships worked was just as important in the ancient world as they are today. Aristotle regarded the household as the basic unit of the state. Seneca wrote about how a husband should deal with his wife, how a father should bring up his children, and how a master should rule slaves. Paul takes these concerns to a new level as he reflects on what it means to be a Jesus-follower.

In the end, faith in Christ is all about relationships: relationship with God and relationships with each other. Let our beliefs work themselves out in real life in the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience of Christ. So Paul’s words to the early believers put the emphasis on the value of persons in relationships.

Centers of Caring

To be a place for relationships, the home along with the workplace must be centers of caring. Paul specifies each person in the home and workplace as he gives specific instruction. It is in the caring relationship that we are sustained. How desperately we all need to care.

• Because we care, we notice.
• Because we care, we listen.
• Because we care, we are honest.
• Because we care, we share.

1. The home as a care center

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

It is interesting to note that the word used for the attitude of wives in relation to the husband is different from that of children in relation to the father. Wives are to submit, children to obey. For the wife to respect her husband’s position in leadership of the household does not imply lordship—an inferiority of status. Submit implies a “covering of protection,” not a “smothering of the person.” There is no reservation about “submission” if the quality of love in a relationship prohibits either partner from using the other selfishly, if love in the relationship is not only patterned after but is made possible by our response to the love of Jesus for us.

Discipline may become a harsh system which embitters and discourages our children. Paul was aware of this, so he cautioned children and fathers. Obedience is the key word. But we must see obedience in the context of the all-encompassing love of God. We trust God and can obey him because we know God wills our ultimate good. As parents we may be able to demand obedience from our children—but that will be short-lived unless our children can trust us. Parents’ relationships with children shape their personality and especially influence how they relate to themselves and others.

The home, then, is a place for relationships—not just a place to eat and sleep, to watch TV, to rest from our work; not just a place where our lunches are fixed and our laundry done; not just a place where we park our cars and husband and wife are sexually gratified in an “acceptable” sort of way. The home is a “nesting place;” not a “bus stop.”

When I was growing up, whenever we’d hear that someone was a “PK”—a preacher’s kid—there was an unspoken stigma that went along with it: Wow, I bet this kid is really messed up. Unfortunately, not much has changed today. That stigma—whether fair or unfair—still follows children of pastors and church leaders. Even so, parents are not powerless when it comes to their children’s faith. Parents matter. They really matter! The faith of my three delightful daughters is proof! Parents, whether they are pastors or plumbers, are far more influential in a child’s faith development than most realize. To a great extent, they are the number one defining factor in a child’s ability to embrace God. Parents and children are so intimately linked spiritually that we cannot talk about a child’s faith without also talking about the faith of the parents. Bottom line: Spiritually aware parents help a child’s shape to faith more than any other factor.

2. The workplace as a care center

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Those who do wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. 1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

This next section of Paul’s relational message deals with people who work for us or for whom we work. He uses terms which are foreign to many of us. Our problem is not “slaves and masters.” Paul was concerned about how Christian slaves related to pagan masters, but also how Christian masters treated their slaves. What can this section possible have to say to us in the 21st century? A great deal. All we have to do is interchange the words employer and employee for master and slave.

The person in Christ is to be distinguished for his or her conscientious, industrious integrity. The Lord is our true Master. We are to do our work as if we were working for him. When our work is done “as working for the Lord,” it takes on a new perspective, but also a new excellence. At the end of each day or project, we should be able to say, “Lord, I’ve done my best because I did it for you.” We have no other purpose than to please the Lord.

It was in an office just slightly bigger than a cubicle that Scott Adams transformed tales of idiotic bosses and meaningless empowerment teams into Dilbert, the chinless comic-strip hero to millions of cubicle-confined workers. He had endured 17 years with the employment he finally left after six years of Dilbert syndication. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget what it feels like to sit in a cubicle and realize you’ve been there for eight hours,” he said. And everything you did today will become unimportant in the next reorganization.”

The popularity of cartoons like Dilbert suggests that many identify with workplace dysfunction. This is not work as God intended it. As Jesus Christ redeems us from the curse of sin and death, he also offers us vocation that can make a difference not only in the value, purpose and joy of our work, but it will also make a difference in people’s lives as well as our culture. When employers and employees care about and for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, amazing things will happen. The Christian worker (or slave in Paul’s time) gives wholehearted service for the Lord. And those who find themselves in positions of control or leadership always seek to preserve the dignity, fairness, and respect for those under them. It would be interesting to see what Scott Adams would do with such a redeemed life and redeemed workplace.

Let’s look at a mindset dealing with slavery. Slavery was not a racial phenomenon in the Roman world. Slaves were usually people who had been defeated militarily. One of the awful things about slavery in this country is that it has left its scar on a particular race. The remnants of racism have done horrible damage and continue to do so. But in this context we're not addressing the issue of racism. In the ancient world slaves were quite likely to be people of the same social status and race as masters. It was just that they had lost the war and had become the slaves. But rather than call for revolution to overturn the institution of slavery, these verses bring about change from the inside. The whole world ended up changing as a result. The Roman Empire ultimately lost its commitment to slavery because the gospel penetrated farther and farther, and more and more masters and slaves started treating one another as family, as brothers and sisters in Christ.

We have a heavenly Master. Everything we do in the home, or in a working environment; and in every conversation we have in whatever setting, we have as Master over us, and we must please Jesus Christ. He will reward us for our service to him. That is the only basis on which life makes sense. Because we have a Master whom we're serving, our attitude ought to be one acting to benefit other people, and being a servant to someone else, whether through love or submission, through leading or following. We do that joyfully because there is one greater than whom we long to please.

Building Blocks for Healthy Relationships

The reason most of us have problems in our home and workplace relationships is because we lack the time and the knowledge to building healthy relationships. And we don't do anything about it... and then we think it's too late. Guess what? Many times, it is not too late! The key is to get started right now and find what we can do to enjoy the life we’ve always wanted with others.

How can we build healthy relationships at home and in the workplace?

Building healthy relationships take an investment of time and effort. The requirements of a successful relationship are openness with each other; mutual trust; consideration for each other; and a willingness to extend ourselves to one another in action-oriented service.

These requirements are carried out in four practical ways:

1. By committing ourselves to building each other up.

The Bible instructs us to make “building up” of others our goal. Life is tough, and there are enough discouraging people in the world. We need a whole band—a cadre—of encouragers. Can we imagine a home or workplace committed to building up everyone they came in contact with?

2. By recognizing the value of every person.

When we start to get upset with someone in the home or workplace, we just remember: Christ died for that person. They may be obnoxious; they may be immature; they may be disagreeable, but Christ died for them. That shows how valuable and important they are to God. What right do we have to hurt people for whom Christ died?

3. By keeping our focus on what’s really important.

We focus on the things that are eternally important. When we do this, we can then put up with a lot of quirks and faults in people. We’re not sidetracked over minor issues. When the world looks at Jesus-followers, they ought to be able to see righteousness, peace and joy flowing from the Holy Spirit out of them. “We can be straight as a gun barrel doctrinally, but shoot blanks spiritually.” We can avoid that by focusing on what’s really important—the eternal over the temporal.

4. By keeping disputable matters privately before the Lord.

As long as I am the senior pastor of Christ First, we as Jesus-followers will not make disputable issues a test of fellowship. We will not force our opinions on others. We will not say, regarding disputable matters, “Believe as I believe, think as I think, do as I do—be like me! Only then can I fellowship with you.” This means we do not institute a dress code, or monitor breath tests at the doors of our worship center. On these disputable matters, we keep them between ourselves and the Lord. We can practice our freedom without parading it.

The result of building healthy relationships promotes a spirit of unity that glorifies God. When Jesus-followers are divided, it’s a bad testimony to the world. When Jesus-followers are united, it’s a beautiful testimony. That’s the kind of home and workplace we want to be a part of.

So when the home and workplace are places for building healthy relationships, they become centers of caring. Centers where Christ’s love is communicated through husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees. In that caring context of love, they all care for one another.

Geese teach us lessons on building healthy relationships. When we see geese flying along in "V" formation, we might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone - and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are. When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What messages do we give when we honk from behind?

Finally - and this is important - when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that in healthy relationships.

The test of our relationship with God will be in the relationships we have with people. These caring centers of home and workplace call for allowing the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, since as members of one body we are called to peace. And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. The process of building healthy relationships calls for honesty of communication, transparency of character, and the willingness to risk the pain of conflict which is necessary for health and happiness. Amen!

Nothing can more fully secure a better freedom and totally deliver Jesus-followers more fully from our sins than Jesus’ completed work on the cross.

Colossians 2:13-23

I have a confession to make. I hope you’ll understand as I unburden myself and admit the scarlet letter that weighs on my chest, the letter F. Whenever it is revealed in today’s society; the conversation comes to an abrupt halt. Enough said. There’s nothing more to discuss. The letter F: as soon as the accusation is hurled, extremist fears discredit everything that precedes or follows. Here’s my confession: I’m a Fundamentalist. There, I’ve said it. It’s out in the open now. But here’s what I mean: this word started out as a perfectly good description of someone who holds to the fundamental, essential beliefs of the Christian faith.

In the 19th century, various scholars began to question the nature of truth and belief. Philosopher Hegel, evolutionist Darwin, and psychologist Freud were among many influential people who abandoned most or all of historic, orthodox, Christian teaching. In 1910, a group of Christian scholars wrote a series of books entitled The Fundamentals. They reasserted their commitment to “five fundamentals”:

(1) belief in the one true God (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit)

(2) the Bible’s unique inspiration and authority

(3) Christ is God that he died to pay the penalty for our sins

(4) Christ rose from the grave

(5) the second coming of Christ

These are still among the fundamental teachings and beliefs of Christianity. Accepting them, living them, believing them, sharing them still makes us a Fundamentalist, no matter what evangelical persuasion we belong to.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossian church, he urges all Jesus-followers to be Fundamentalists in the best sense of the word. God disclosed to us from his Word in our last message the truth that Paul’s counsel to us is to live in Christ Jesus as Lord, rooted and built up in him and to avoid being taken captive again through hollow or deceptive philosophies or other powers and authorities that deny the gospel of grace.

In essence, Paul’s counsel is: God is calling us to be the combatants of false teaching—and to be the teachers who teach others.

Therefore, a Christian Fundamentalist is a person who is deeply rooted, well-constructed, and knows one’s way around faith in Jesus Christ, to always be on the offensive in deeper discipleship. A Christian Fundamentalist watches out for people who try to dazzle us with big words and intellectual double-talk, always on the defensive refuting the latest attempts to compromise, reinterpret, dismiss, or deny Christ.

Psychiatrist Giles Croft did an experiment to find out whether people who believe in the reality of the ‘Monday blues’ are more likely to feel badly on Monday. He divided volunteers into three groups. He gave one group a “professional” report that said Monday blues are for real. He gave the second group another “clinical” report that denied their existence. The third group received nothing to read. When the study was completed, it turns out that the first group was overwhelmingly more likely to rate Monday as the worst day of the week. How people expect to feel affects how they actually do feel. What we believe is crucial. Beliefs affect not only what we expect and feel, but what we think and do and become. Beliefs are the grid we use to interpret life. Right thinking most often produces right living.

However, in today’s culture as well as in the first-century, people’s minds are “dazzled by double talk.” In the motion picture Chicago, there is a song entitled “Razzle Dazzle.” Let’s note a portion of the lyrics…

Give ‘em the old razzle dazzle. Razzle dazzle ‘em. Give ‘em an act with lots of flash in it. And the reaction will be passionate. Give ‘em the old hocus pocus. Bead and feather e’m. How can they see with sequins in their eyes? What if your hinges all are rusting? What if, in fact, you’re just disgusting? Razzle dazzle ‘em. And they’ll never catch wise! Give ‘em the old Razzle dazzle.

Freedom Versus Falsehood

Most of us give at least a passing thought to the value of our freedom as a country. But have we ever given much thought to our freedom in Christ? We have a right and even a responsibility to speak up as bigotry toward Christianity becomes more and more acceptable.

But we should be less concerned about restrictions on Christian practice than about the threats that Paul talks about in this portion of his letter to the Colossian believers. The threats to our spiritual freedom are so subtle that they threaten the very fabric of the gospel. Before we look at these threats, it’s important to look first at the fabric of the gospel—it’s woven in freedom through forgiveness.

Lives set free by forgiveness

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Paul says that God has forgiven us. Even when we were dead in our sins, God made us alive with Christ. Let’s notice what Paul is not saying. He is not saying that we were handicapped. He did not say that we were sick. He did not say that were misguided by our social surroundings. He says we were dead! We were without any spiritual life at all!

Do we grasp Paul's point? We were not only unable to return to God, we had no desire to turn to God. This is what theologians call total inability or total depravity. It means we are unable and unwilling to do anything to affect our own salvation. We are unable to come to Christ unless he first does something in us. So God makes us alive with Christ. How is it possible to experience this freedom? Paul tells us that God canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness that was against us.

Think of it as if we owned a business. We know that income must meet or exceed expenses. If the debit side of the ledger gets too high we are in great danger. We could lose our business; we might have to declare bankruptcy. We could lose everything. Now suppose we were running at a $100,000.00 deficit. The creditors want their money but we have no reserves. Everything is sunk into this business. We are in trouble and see no way out. Now suppose someone came in and handed us a check for $250,000.00 as a gift. What would happen to the debt? It would be canceled. And we would have $150,000.00 of working capital to help us get the business up and running.

Let’s apply this illustration to our spiritual lives: all the sins of our lives are on the negative side of the balance sheet. There is nothing on the positive side of the ledger. When it is totaled up we see that the debt of sin makes the federal deficit look like pocket change. We are responsible! We incurred the debt. We deserve the punishment. The law condemns us. But . . . God makes us alive. He pays off the debt and guarantees our operating capital.

How does God pay off our debt? God pays for our sin in Christ's life and death. It was common practice for the ones who were condemned to die on a cross to have their crimes posted above their head. Above the head of Jesus we can imagine a listing of our sins. Jesus died in our place. His goodness was applied to our account. Our debt was canceled by nailing our sins on the cross.

God not only took care of the law . . . he also took care of those who were so eager to accuse us. The powers and authorities of the world (Satan and his cohorts) are those who are always telling us that we are unworthy. They were quick to say, "Anyone who loved God would never act the way you do." But God broke their power. They can only talk; they have no power over us. We are set free. We can respond to these scoundrels, "You are right, Satan, I do not deserve to be called one of God’s children. And I am so glad that my hope of eternity is not based on my efforts but on what Christ has done for me!"

Lives held captive by falsehood

Now one of the greatest hindrances to keeping the freedom of the gospel central in our lives is our creeping tendency toward legalism. It’s an age-old foe to God’s plan of salvation through faith alone without merit. From the earliest days of the church, legalism has thrown Jesus-followers off course and sidetracked them all over the place. And it’s just as active and destructive today as it ever was.

Legalism =“seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God.”

A legalist is anyone who behaves as if he or she can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance. If legalists experience freedom in Christ through their obedience to the law, then they merit praise, honor, and glory. Legalism means the glory goes to people rather than God.

Now the dangers Paul lists could all result from legalism. They can be identified as the threats of humanism, mysticism and asceticism. However, these terms do not readily communicate to most people. So we will call them the threats of: those who judge by externals; those who advocate a different authority; and those who enslave by their restrictions. Each of these is prevalent and acts like a cancer in the body of Christ. These things arrive unnoticed and often when they are noticed . . . the damage is irreparable.

1. Those who judge by externals

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Paul says that one of the perennial problems of the church has been the problem judging each other by external behavior. As always, the "Therefore" at the beginning of the text means it is a conclusion drawn from what has come before.

In the verses preceding these verses we were reminded that Christ has done what was necessary for our salvation. God changed us, he made us alive, and he has forgiven us in Christ. The job is done. We have received his fullness. So, Paul says, don't let other people evaluate our spiritual lives by their external standards. We are not saved by externals. We are saved by the internal work of God in our life.

This is the way Jesus-followers judge others around them when they spend all their time talking about rules. They portray Jesus as someone who is more like a Drill Sergeant than a Savior.

He is concerned that we: "Stand up straight, cut that hair, put out that cigarette, turn off that ipod, cut that cable TV, stay away from those people, don't read that book, sing this song, read this version of the Bible, give this much money, pray this way, seek this experience."

Is it any wonder that many people want nothing to do with the Savior? Those who judge by externals make it impossible for people to see Jesus. No one is going to get to heaven by keeping rules. They can only get there by trusting the Savior who loves them and has set them free from the drudgery of rule keeping.

2. Those who advocate a different authority

18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such people also go into great detail about what they have seen, and their unspiritual minds puff them up with idle notions. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Paul moves on to a second threat to our spiritual life: the threat of those who advocate a different authority. We must notice the stern warning that is given here. Paul says, "don't let these people "disqualify you". The word for disqualify carries the idea of an official who is banning us from a race because we have not obeyed the rules.

What is happening in some churches today is that some "prophets" are encouraging people not to evaluate and weigh their teaching. These people are told instead to simply take these truths "by faith" (which is a synonym for without evaluation.) Anyone who questions is considered to be a skeptic and a non-believer. It is impossible to evaluate what these people are saying without being called a non-believer. They have removed any check by a subjective bias. They have removed themselves from Christ, the head.

In the same way, the church is no longer the church when we drift after these false teachers. We begin seeking an experience rather than holiness. We look to people rather than to God. We ignore our minds rather than check out everything that is said. We begin to look inside ourselves rather than look outside ourselves to the Savior. This was the argument at the time of the Reformation. The Catholic Church said the Bible, the Pope and the Church had equal authority. The Reformers responded with the conviction that Scripture alone is the standard and the measurement for everything else. We have come full circle today! Now some believers are claiming that they have authority equal to the Word of God. This is deadly.

3. Those who enslave by their restrictions

20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Paul speaks against another threat to our Christian freedom. These rules focus on personal denial. They were telling people not to handle, taste, and touch in order to cut back their appetites. The thing is, this sounds really good on the surface. Certainly we are called to "deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus." We need some discipline in our lives. But these false teachers were after something different. They were telling these people that these disciplines were necessary for fellowship with God. They urged a rigorous introspection.

We need to listen to Paul's reasons for avoiding this kind of extreme prescription. Paul says we have a new perspective. Paul reminds us that we don't belong to the world anymore. We don't try to get to God the same way as the rest of the world does. We aren't trying to earn our place in heaven. We have received the gift God has given in his Son. We are children of heaven. We live by grace, not by works. The false teachers may sound spiritual but we see through them . . . we know we cannot earn God's favor. We can only receive it.

Paul also says we have a new value system. Paul tells the Colossians that we shouldn't sweat the stuff the false teachers were concerned about because "these are destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings." We understand with a new attitude that the things of this earth are temporary and the only things that last are the eternal. We can deny ourselves all we want in this life but it will make no eternal difference. Rather than the constant introspection and always seeking to stamp out anything fun in our lives, we now rejoice in the Lord. God has given us this life to teach us, to prepare us and to delight us.

“The church has spent so much time building into us the fear of making mistakes that she has made us like ill-taught piano students: we play our songs, but we never really hear them because our main concern is not to make music, but to avoid some flub that will get us in trouble.” –Robert Farrar Capon.

Let’s consider the question, "What is your Christianity like?"

• Is it focused on yourself, others or on Christ?
• Is it focused on sin and failure or grace and forgiveness?
• Is it anchored in personal experiences or in the Word of God?
• Has it set you free or tied you up?
• Does it make you cry or rejoice?

We must not as Jesus-followers be “dazzled by doubletalk.” Whenever other people suggest that we have to do something to achieve God’s approval or eternal progression or add to what Jesus has already accomplished, we certainly must be loving and respectful. But, we reject it out of hand. We must be aware of the dangers of being hijacked by secular legalists of our day who deny the existence of God for all practical purposes and yet use a form of religious humanism to take over people's lives; from the well-known cults that have existed for most of the twentieth century; from the New Age thinking that has thrown up any number of new cults around us---any kind of religious language that would appeal to the spirit of human beings but in fact take the place of Christ. We must heed the warning sounding throughout this second chapter of the book of Colossians.

Nothing will deliver us more fully from our sins than Jesus’ completed work on the cross. Nothing or no one can more fully secure a better freedom than the promises of the gospel offered in the Bible, God’s word. So as we come to the Lord’s Table, we confess our faith in Jesus Christ. In the bread we see the free gift of God’s forgiveness in the broken body of our Savior. We accept all that Jesus has done and accomplished for us. In the cup, we realize that Jesus shed his blood in our place. His sacrifice washes away all our sin that would otherwise keep us separated from God and all goodness forever.

Nail sin to the cross. I invite you now before we receive the Lord’s Table to ask yourself whether something is attempting to take the place of Christ at the deepest level of your life; whether something else would make you obey it; perhaps frighten you into serving it; or claim advantages that are more quickly available to you than learning to freely walk in love, pray, and follow Jesus. If there are captivating, deluding influences or voices that have reduced the joy of your Christian life, then I invite you to face them, deny them, draw near to the Lord, and give Jesus back first place in your life. Take the card in your bulletin and write on it the sin that has reduced the joy in your Christian life. Come forward and place it on the cross.

Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God… We take and eat; we come and drink. Fundamentally, let’s affirm that God through Christ has nailed our sins to the cross, by triumphing over them on the cross! Amen.