Colossians 2:1-7
As I was studying and preparing this week, the deeper I got into the text, the more I realized this bite would be too big for one morning of chewing. The original plan was to cover chapter 2 verses 1-15, but instead we will only be going through verses 1-7. The main reason is because there is just too much practical application for us to breeze through all of it.
Colossians 2:1-7
Big Idea: We must struggle with and for one another, providing encouragement and deep roots of faith.
Transition Between Chapters 1 & 2
Now I’m not sure who exactly was responsible for the chapter breaks in our English translations, but this is one of those places where it just doesn’t make sense. Chapter 2 begins with what seems like an additional explanation to Paul’s ending in chapter 1, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (2:1) 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.”
“Here’s my struggle,” Paul says in chapter 1. “I am in prison and suffering because I boldly proclaimed and continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.” And then in chapter 2 he zeroes in on the Colossian church and the struggle that they face from the false teachers. “And here is the motivation that drives me forward for you.” Also, an important note as he focuses in on them: The struggle that he speaks about is most likely burden-filled and intentional prayer. That’s about all he can do to currently and continually struggle on their behalf.
So let’s look at the motivation for that struggle.
Motivation for the struggle (2:1-5)
In typical Paul run-on sentence fashion, he provides the motivation by stacking thoughts on top of each other, like building blocks. He begins with:
1.. That their hearts may be encouraged
This is the beginning effect. Paul’s prayer is that when they hear how much he is struggling on their behalf, continually in prayer, heart-broken that he can’t come and be with them physically, painfully empathizing with their situation, that their hearts will be encouraged.
Have you ever had this happen to you? Someone who commits to praying for you? And you know it’s happening. They follow up with you. Continually asking how things are going. Praying with you in the moment. When that happens, we tend to feel uplifted and encouraged. Knowing that someone is making sacrifices with their time to take our needs to the Lord in prayer, it’s a powerful thing. And so what Paul aims to do is ensure them that he is fighting for them in prayer.
Paul, who I’m sure had gained some notoriety with the early churches, praying for me?! Paul, miraculously transformed by the power of Jesus, missionary extraordinaire, thinking of me and my struggles?
A few months before we launched Family Church, I was at a training in South Carolina with our planting network, and one of the men there doing the training was a very well-known name in the church leadership and discipleship world, prominent author and speaker. Before I left to come home, the GCC pastors that were there, the leader of a discipleship network, and this prominent pastor laid hands on me and prayed for myself, our team, and the launch of Family Church. Like, wow, these men who the Lord is using on a national level, praying for me, a local church pastor in Apex, NC. It’s encouraging, it’s empowering.
And as these believers are encouraged, as they are strengthened and invigorated to carry on, they begin to look at their brothers and sisters as those who share in the fight and who, together, can stand up for truth in the face of the false teachers.
2.. Being knit together in love
The way that they are knit together is by their love for one another. They care deeply about each other, and they want all of the believers to stand strong in the faith. There is unity that abounds. There is concern for the well-being of others. There is a desire to help those who are struggling to believe. There is a common enemy in the false teachers. So as they are encouraged and strengthened by Paul’s struggle for them, they band together in unity because of their love for one another, their love for Paul, and most importantly their love for Jesus.
When I was a student pastor there was a game that we played that was really fun. We would have all the students get in a huge clump and sit down, then link arms with whoever was near them. We would then release the leaders to pry the kids off of each other. Once there was complete separation, that student was out. It wasn’t a “last man standing” type of game, it was leaders vs. students. So naturally, us leaders would pick off all the smaller middle schoolers first, then find the weaker links, then join forces against the strongest high schoolers. Once the students caught on, the stronger high schoolers would start the game by linking up with the smaller middle schoolers. They saw the weaker links and came alongside them to ensure that the circle remained intact. This illustration falls apart when you put about 10 ultra-competitive adults against teenagers. I mean we were undefeated, but enough about my glory days.
But as this young church is strengthened and band together, they are reassured of the understanding and knowledge they have of Jesus and His work on the cross.
3.. To reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding AND the knowledge of God’s mystery (Christ)
Not only are they reassured, but they reach all the riches of that assurance. The riches of a knowledge and understanding of Christ are too great for just one message, in fact Paul says in Ephesians 3 that the riches are “unsearchable,” more truly “boundless.” Paul does, however, give us a few in Ephesians 1:
Redemption through his blood
Forgiveness of sins
Knowledge of the mystery of His will
Message of truth
Sealing of the Holy Spirit
Guarantee of our inheritance
There is an assurance of these things. There is a confidence that this is true!
There’s this progression that Paul lays out here. See how I struggle for you, be encouraged and strengthened by it, as you are strengthened come alongside and strengthen one another in love, and as you do this you will have clarity of understanding around Jesus. You will have assurance, confidence in what you know to be true about Jesus.
But why? What is the motivation for this desire? Read vs. 4.
Delude: to reason beside or alongside truth. More truly in the Greek it means to wreckon wrong, to reason falsely, and so to deceive by false reasoning. But, the way in which it is done has a certain charm about it.
Plausible: seeming reasonable or probable
The false teachers weren’t just lobbing outrageous teachings about Jesus at the Colossian believers, they were taking the truth of Jesus, and explaining away His deity in a way that seemed logical. How can God be contained in a man? Why would God leave glory to come to this earth? Why would God place Himself at the level of a servant? If Jesus were God, why didn’t He come down off the cross? Surely there was another way!
They were using logic and reason to explain away the deity of Jesus. And Paul says “enough is enough! You aren’t alone in this! I am struggling for and with you! Stay strong. Stand together. Remind yourself and one another of what you KNOW to be true about Jesus. That conviction that brought you to repentance. That awe of belief that reconciled you to the Father.
I think it’s important that we pause here for just a moment. When we talk about this, there may be something that comes to mind. A church that you know of that has abandoned the truth of Scripture to stay relevant and attract more people. A belief that has become prominent but that is based on emotions more than it is on Scripture.
Delude with Plausible Arguments
I was reading an article this week called “The Gospel of Ear-Tickling” by Joe McKeever. In it he uses this illustration:
In the Peanuts comic strip, the children were writing an assignment about their summer vacation. Linus was hard at work. He wrote something like, “Even though I had a lot of fun this summer—at the beach, going to movies, playing ball and vacationing with my family—I could not wait to return to the hallowed halls of learning. I missed my amazing school, my wonderful books and my outstanding teacher. I’m so happy to be back.”
He handed in the paper, then stood there while the teacher read it. He says, “An A-plus? Thank you very much, ma’am.” As he leaves the room, he remarks to another child, “As the years come and go, one learns what sells.”
Many a pastor has figured out what sells and has determined to offer a steady menu of that to their congregations.
And I would add, even if it means twisting the truth of the Scriptures to make people feel better. Let me just give you one example this morning:
Rob Bell, a prominent pastor in the early to mid-2000s, wrote a book years ago called Love Wins. In it, Bell says (quote), “The gospel is exclusive - but also inclusive in that people worldwide will be saved even if they have not professed Christ.” He continues, “Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”, What [Jesus] doesn’t say is how, or when, or in what manner the mechanism functions that gets people to God through him… What Jesus does is declare that he, and he alone, is saving everybody. And then he leaves the door way, way open. Creating all sorts of possibilities. He is as narrow as himself and as wide as the universe.” Bell also claims in his book that hell is not a real place, but a metaphor for the extreme difficulties we face on this earth. And the thing is, Rob Bell is a really good writer. I own and have read a few of his books. He uses Scripture to defend his points, albeit misinterpreted and often times heretical. But it sounds good! In the end, Jesus saves everyone no matter what!
Even though this book was written in 2012, this is a growing and commonly held belief called universalism. The belief that all human beings will eventually be saved. Taking the truth of Scripture, deluding it with plausible arguments. Jesus did say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” But he also said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Which feels better? That Jesus will save all of humanity no matter what? Or that only a relative few will walk through the narrow gate into eternal life? But which is the truth?!
So how can we be sure that we aren’t swayed by the feel good ear tickling gospel messages that are growing in our world?
Read vs. 6-7
Encouragement (2:6-7)
Therefore, because of your firmness of faith, because you have received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him. How do we stand firm and fight against the false teachings? Let verse 7 paint a picture for you this morning:
Rooted. Built Up. Established. Abounding. Think about a tree.
Psalm 1:3 - He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 92:12-14 - The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green.
Jeremiah 17:8 - Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.
Rooted. Built Up. Established. Abounding.
But how do we get there?
Sunday mornings - committed to preaching truth
City Groups - Sharing. Praying. Encouraging.
But, that’s only twice a week. How else are we getting there as a church? How can we be sure that we stay strong together?
How about:
Bible App - COMING THIS WEEK. Church account. Reading plan. Providing a way to stay engaged in the word together.
We must be intentional in our pursuit of Jesus privately. We must be intentional in our pursuit of others relationally. We must be intentional with sharing in the struggles of our brothers and sisters, with lovingly correcting when we notice someone drifting off-course. We must be diligent to hold fast to the truth of the gospel, being rooted, built up, established, and abounding in thankfulness towards God.
