“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
I have to begin by telling you where I got the title for this sermon, “Supersizing”. Because I normally come up with my own titles, and part of the fun of preparing sermons, for me, is thinking of a title that is catchy, and that relates to the main point of the message.
But while eating my lunch of canned ‘Beefaroni” today, I had the T.V. turned to the news, and watched an interview with a man named Morgan Spurlock. Morgan has entered his first feature film in this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Now, I’m not sure how anyone could manage to create a full length film on this subject and hold the viewer’s interest until the end, but the name of his film is “Super Size Me”, and I borrowed the idea from him (it would be stealing, except for the fact that I’m giving him credit; so it’s only borrowing), because of the subject matter of the film and the great illustration it gave me.
I offer my profuse ‘thanks’ to Mr. Spurlock.
You see, Mr. Spurlock said in this interview that last year, meaning 2002 Thanksgiving I surmise, he was relaxing, full and happy on his mother’s sofa, and on the news he saw a story of some women in New York who were suing McDonald’s for making them fat.
Of course, the fast food chain was aghast at the idea, since in their estimation, their food is all healthy.
So Morgan Spurlock had an idea. He decided that he would embark upon an experiment, using himself as the test subject, and film the whole process.
For 30 days, Morgan ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at McDonalds. And although I have not seen his film, I will assume at this juncture that he supersized everything, since that is the name of his film.
At the end of the 30 days, Morgan claims to have gained 30 pounds, felt terrible physically, and says that his cholesterol had ‘sky-rocketed’. He said his Doctor, after examining him, ordered him to stop the experiment immediately.
I finished my nutritious bowl of Beefaroni, washed it down with a glass of cold water, and beat it back to my study while everything was fresh in my mind, vowing to go for a long walk and do sit-ups later.
In the course of this interview Mr. Spurlock observed that over the past year it seems we can hardly turn our television on without hearing some commentary on the fat epidemic in our country.
Well, Christians, I’m afraid we have a fat epidemic in the church too.
Now I could, I think, without much opposition or criticism except from the ones doing it, indict the many liberal and worldly preachers in many liberal and worldly churches, who use the pulpit for a political platform, or simply tout their blasphemous, un-Godly form of religion, that leaves out the essentials and appeals to the prideful flesh of their congregations of nominal Christians.
I could do that.
But I think, instead of blasting those who are not going to change their ways, even if by some miracle they actually heard or had access to this sermon, we’d be better served today by taking a critical look, not at the place that dispenses the fast food, but at the choices we consumers make.
Just so you’ll know where we’re going, let’s break it down like this:
1. JUNK FOOD TASTES GOOD, 2. MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER, 3. FEED THE FLESH, STARVE THE SPIRIT, 4. STEP AWAY FROM THE FRIES AND NO ONE GETS HURT.
First then, let’s note that;
1. JUNK FOOD TASTES GOOD
I think most of us would agree with that general assessment. Some may not like certain types of junk food, but with very few exceptions I think that for each person, anywhere, there is some type of junk food that appeals to them.
Usually, while admitting that we like that kind of food, we’re saying it with a sheepish grin on our face; but we have to admit it, nonetheless.
Sadly, whether we realize it or not, what is appealing to our taste in those things is sugar and fat!
What Paul is warning against in the second chapter of his letter to the Colossians, is a sort of spiritual sugar and fat.
It sounds nice, and it sounds logical, and it appeals to the senses. It appeals to the flesh.
He calls it ‘philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men”.
I read an essay by David Keithley on this, and in it he is careful to point out that this is not a condemning of all philosophy, but a warning against ‘hollow’ philosophy. He says, “Not every idea is a good idea. Not every new thought is a true thought”.
I appreciated that, because over the past couple of decades it seems there’s been an ever-increasing number of folks coming out with things that sound new, and on the surface they sound wise and edifying. And many, unfortunately, are far too receptive of those things without stopping to think them through, compare them to scripture, and assess them accurately.
Like junk food junkies, they receive it hot across the counter, and wolf it down without ever reading the ingredients or questioning the spiritually nutritional value of what they’re swallowing.
I am very tempted to get specific and list names and book titles for the sake of clarity. But I want to avoid that, because I would only lose a large portion of my audience, in the same way I would offend a junk food addict if I say bad things about double fudge sundaes and triple thick strawberry shakes.
I hope it will be a help to you if I just say that God makes no promises to make us wealthy, or that we’ll always be healed instantly of infirmities if we have enough faith.
And the fact that God has answered one person’s prayer and blessed abundantly, doesn’t mean He is now obligated to bless us abundantly if we pray the same prayer.
And the fact that He has revealed His will and His leading to one person in a certain way, does not mean that He will manifest Himself in the same way to anyone else.
Junk food tastes good. But good flavor does not guarantee high nutritional value. In fact, the things that make it taste good are mostly detrimental to the health of the body.
Empty and deceptive philosophy according to the traditions of men may be very appealing to the ear. But they are mostly detrimental to the spiritual health and growth of the Christian.
Some general rules for recognizing junk food for what it is:
If it focuses on you more than on Christ; glorifies the flesh instead of Christ, it is junk food.
If it does not call for commitment to Christ and God’s Word and the building of the Kingdom, it is junk food.
If it promises to lead you to self-sufficiency, it is junk food. Remember, Paul says here in Colossians 2 that “…in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form”. He is our sufficiency; He is all we need; He is the one who is to be glorified in our lives. And that can only be accomplished by His Spirit, as we commit to Him, absorb His word, submit ourselves for His use.
2. MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER
In an episode of “Frazier”, Frazier Crane is writing a speech, and as is usual with his character, he is getting very wordy and very flamboyant in what he is saying. So his brother, Niles Crane, tries to get him to tone it down a little by saying, “Remember Frazier, less is more”. To which Frazier responds with, “Well if that’s true, then more is even more, isn’t it?” Then he goes back to writing.
Now I go to MacDonalds once in a while. And I occasionally patronize Wendy’s, or Sonic… that is, when my wife can’t steer me toward Subway.
I don’t supersize any more. Around Christmas of 2002 I was wearing pants that were size 38 in the waist, but I really needed size 44. The problem I was running up against, was that apparently manufacturers have a conviction that fat men should also be short. Because whenever I could find slacks with a 44 inch waist, I could not find them longer in the inseam than 30 inches.
Bound and determined that I was not going to shop at a Big and Tall shop for slacks, and weary of not being able to tie my shoes and breathe at the same time, I determined that right after the holidays I was going to put myself on a strict diet, start exercising, and get control.
I did. And one of the things I stopped doing was supersizing. But I said all that to say this to you. I wouldn’t condemn the occasional outing to your favorite fast food place. It’s a treat.
However, out of concern for your health I would caution against making it a regular thing, and I would suggest only getting what you need to take the edge off hunger, not provide the manager’s kids with a college education.
By the same token, there is a place for picking up the occasional fluff book, if you just want some light reading, or maybe you’re curious about what brought that famous basketball player to the Lord, or you want to know why this person believes the rapture will happen in 2007.
And maybe it won’t hurt you to occasionally turn on that religious talk show and listen to the man rant against Tele-Tubbies, R-rated movies and Country Western music.
But if you make a steady diet of it, at the expense of diligent study of God’s Word and time in devoted prayer, you will suffer spiritually, and you will not grow.
You cannot discern the value of what you are hearing, whether it be from the latest book, the sincere-looking television host, or the preacher in your own church, unless you are significantly in the Word of God, and seeking Christ in your daily life.
Pick up that occasional “Christian novel”. Tune in to that occasional T.V. preacher. But don’t supersize. And don’t ‘swallow’ every good sounding doctrine without testing it against the scriptures.
3. FEED THE FLESH, STARVE THE SPIRIT
I can never remember if the adage goes, “Starve a cold, feed a fever”, or “Feed a cold, starve a fever”.
But I do know that if you concentrate on feeding the flesh, you will starve the spirit, and if you feed the spirit, you will starve the flesh. You cannot do both at the same time.
Do you know that you cannot sneeze with your eyes open? In fact, if you can concentrate on keeping your eyes open, often you can stifle the sneeze.
It’s like that with the flesh vs. the spirit. You cannot cater to both at the same time. One or the other will have your attention, and the one not getting your attention will suffer. You make the choice.
When I decided to put myself on a diet, this is what I did. First, I waited until after New Year’s day. There’s just too much good stuff going around during December, to go on a diet during that time. I was fat; not stupid…
Then, right after the New Year, this is what I had for lunch every day.
A carrot, cut up with just a little ranch dressing to dip it in. Two stalks of celery, cut in short pieces with peanut butter. Eight ‘Wheat Thin’ crackers. Not seven, not nine; eight. Either an apple or an orange, and a small can of V8 juice.
This followed a breakfast of either hard boiled eggs and juice, or cereal and juice.
I also walked 2-3 miles every day.
Now I tell you all this, not to brag about my will-power and determination; like I said, I couldn’t bend and breathe at the same time. I simply decided not to leave my wife a young widow.
But here is my point. Once I had myself thoroughly entrenched in this new life-style, I discovered that my desire for desserts and junk foods was greatly diminished.
Often, when the kids had ice cream in front of the television in the evening, I wasn’t interested. And when I did drink soft drink or eat a piece of cake, I found that a much smaller amount than usual satisfied me.
Christian, the more you focus your time and efforts on things of Christ, the less you will feel the pull of the world. He is not of this world, and He says that you are not of this world; and the closer you are to Him, the less attraction the world and the flesh will have for you.
Proverbs 23:7 says that as a man “…thinks within himself, so he is”.
How do you see yourself? Do you really believe the Holy Spirit when you read Colossians 3 and see that you are seated with Christ in the heavenly places? Do you think of yourself as a redeemed child of the King?
The first day I put away my size 38’s and dug out an old pair of 36’s, it sure changed the way I had been thinking of myself. I had grown to the point of wearing nothing but large shirts that could be worn un-tucked, so no one could see the contour of my waistline. Now I know that sounds vain, but I didn’t feel good physically, and I didn’t feel good about myself.
And Christian, we cannot experience the excellent sense of the Spirit of God working in our lives; we cannot maintain a sense of the peace of God in our hearts, when we are gorging ourselves on the things of the flesh and letting the spirit starve.
We cannot have the spiritual ‘muscle’ and power in our walk that comes with dedicated study of His Word and daily submission in prayer, if we’re letting ourselves be led away by men’s empty philosophies and traditions, and thinking that just because they sound good and they use a handful of scripture verses to prove their point, we’re being well-fed and needn’t pursue spiritual nutrition on our own.
And Christian, the more diligently we pursue Christ and seek to be satisfied by Him only, the more readily we will recognize the false teachers and charlatans for what they are.
There was a period of time in my younger days that I was drinking soft drinks during lunch and dinner on a daily basis. But when my eating habits changed and I did not have soft drink for a while, one day I opened one up, and by the time I had downed about half the can, my tongue was numb and I felt like I was going to o.d. on sugar.
When we focus on the things of the Spirit, it does not take long before the things of the flesh and the deceptions of the world are exposed for what they are in our sight. On the other hand, when we focus on the flesh and feast on men’s philosophies, we soon grow numbed to the things of the Spirit.
Starve the spirit, feed the flesh; starve the flesh, feed the spirit. Your choice.
4. STEP AWAY FROM THE FRIES AND NO ONE GETS HURT
Let’s back up and read verses 6 and 7 of Colossians 2
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”
Now I know that I said earlier that I wouldn’t criticize you for the occasional treat.
But I have to qualify that. I say I won’t criticize you, because I am a man beset with weakness, just as you are.
My understanding of my calling, is that I am to point you and lead you to Christ, and as I do that, I will automatically be leading you away from those things that harm. That is, if you follow.
So I will not tell you not to listen to those other voices at all, any more than I would presume to order you to stop smoking or going to R-rated movies.
But I am duty-bound to tell you this, if you are a Christian.
The farther you remove yourself from the fluff and the ear-candy, and the perversions of truth that spew from the mouths of the charlatans, the better off you will be; the stronger you will be spiritually.
But hear this. There is only one route away from them, and it takes you directly to Christ. All other routes bring you full circle, right back up to the drive-up window.
Paul makes that distinction here in our text verse, when he warns us to see to it that no one takes us captive by these things, and then says, “…rather than according to Christ”.
He offers no other options. Not according to Christ and… but simply, according to Christ.
Christian, as you have received Christ, so walk in Him, who is all the fulness of Deity in bodily form.
Watch your diet, and walk with Him daily, and maintain your spiritual health. In truth, He sees you as having died to those things Paul is warning against. They have no power over you unless you surrender yourself to them.
Step back from the fries, and no one gets hurt. You have to do it. You have to step away. You have to run to the Word and devour it. Let it richly dwell in you. And the more of it you have, the closer you are to Christ, the less appeal the voices of vanity will have for you.
My friends, the churches in our culture are inundated with fat babies. If the structures were required to be built according to the general spiritual condition of our country’s congregations, many of them would have sanctuaries that are 10 feet by 10 feet,and the nurseries would have vaulted ceilings, rows upon rows of cribs and state of the art changing tables lining the walls.
People have been pampered and catered to in their tendencies toward laziness, and doted on when they wanted to have their ears tickled, for so long, that many, many professed believers in Christ fall easy prey to the false teachers who cleverly twist the scriptures to their own end, because they don’t have the spiritual insight and maturity to recognize the dangers and avoid them.
I don’t know where you are in this. You may see it yourself, or you may think I’m way off base, or you may not understand a word I’m saying.
But I will leave you with this today; and I promise you great results if you will adopt this ‘diet plan’.
Pray and ask the Lord to give you an insatiable hunger for His Word. Ask Him to open the eyes of your understanding, and reveal Himself to you through His Holy scriptures, and diligently seek Christ in every area of your life.
When you hear good sounding doctrines, if they make you feel good about things that are not of God, or they promise you wealth, health, or personal gain of any kind, raise the red flag and run to the scriptures to weigh them out.
Remember that Christ is all the fulness of Deity in bodily form. He is all you will ever need,. Find your satisfaction in Him, and you will walk in great spiritual health.
Just go to your private place every day, and say, “Lord, fill me up with you today. Give me your Holy Spirit in full measure, and I will be satisfied. Oh; and…please,
Supersize. Amen”
