Jesus Is Enough Series

Colossians 2:6-15- “Jesus is enough”

By James Galbraith

First Baptist Church, Port Alberni

October 14, 2007

Text

Col 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Col 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Col 2:13 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 written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took 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

Introduction

- the JW’s knocked on my door a while ago (I always like seeing the look on their face when I tell them I’m a Baptist pastor)

- reminded me of the time they came a callin’ soon after I came to faith

- I was a 17 year old kid, knowing nothing about my faith then Jesus was cool and that through him I was God’s child

- they sat me down, explained their thoughts on the coming end of the world, and left me with a couple of well made, full of “God talk” books

- I shared this encounter with my youth group, and the leaders explained to me how different the JW’s beliefs really were,

- the most important difference being their view of Jesus himself

- they don’t believe that Jesus was fully God,

but rather that he is God’s creation – someone God made.

They think that Jesus is important,

but they do not believe that Jesus alone is enough for faith.

They think we need more than him.

This belief is one example of what Paul is talking about in our passage today.

For he too dealt with people who believed that Jesus was important,

but also thought that they needed more for real faith.

He starts his thoughts with a reminder of Jesus’ place in our lives:

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness

He longs that they will show the faith that is so strong within them

with a spirit of thankfulness that boils over into everything they do.

A pot over boils because the excitement, the agitation of the water that had filled it up and is now too big for the pot to handle

- the energy in the water makes the water too difficult to contain

And that’s what Paul wants to see in the Colossians,

and that’s also what God wants to see in each and every one of us!

Hearts overflowing with thankfulness simply because of his love for us,

which never ever dies away!

And this thankfulness is rooted not in our emotions, but in the presence of Jesus in our lives. We don’t get all bubbly and happy in order to encounter Jesus –we boil over with gratitude because he’s already in our lives!

When we continually reinforce the roots, the loving presence of Jesus in our lives, we are also much more protected from the theological errors and bad practice that can infiltrate our lives.

Paul begins to address some of these in the next verses.

8-9 - Rely on Christ, not the world

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

It’s so easy to go off course, and just a small error can make a big difference over time

eg. navigate a boat, and being just half a degree off course

can place your miles from your destination

One of the problems the Colossians’ had to deal with was allowing worldly traditions to get in the way of their relationship with Jesus.