Refuge Church Byhalia is a new nondenominational evangelical church located in Byhalia, MS that exists to share the hope of Jesus, grow together, & love our neighbors in Byhalia, Marshall County, Lewisburg, & surrounding areas. Below is a sermon outline from a recent sermon in our recent series, ‘the Magnificent Jesus’ entitled Hoop Jumpin’ Part 2 from Colossians 2:16-23.
- Good evening
- Welcome to Refuge Church
- If you don’t know who I am, my name is Michael and I’m a beggar that has foundthe bread of life
- I have found the magnificent Jesus
- And when Jesus brought me to faith at the age of 9
- He began to change me and show me how he is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything
- And how he wanted relationship with me
- And I didn’t want it with him
- My willing sinfullness
- My willing rebellion
- Prevented me from being in right relationship with the Holy, Perfect, God of the universe
- But God wanted me to enjoy him, be in relationship with him, and know him so much
- That he made a way for me to have relationship with Jesus
- He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ
- And Jesus didn’t have a broken relationship with God the father
- He was perfect
- He was without sin
- His entire life
- And he did not deserve death, because death is what we earn through sin
- And yet
- Jesus, willingly faced death
- A horrid, painful, bloody, horrific death
- A death on a sinner’s cross
- And He died
- Not for his own sin or wrong
- But for my sin
- Demonstratiing a great love for me and everyone who would put their faith and trust in Jesus
- Jesus died that horrific death
- But didn’t pay the bill in full
- Like the relief when you’re card gets approved at the store
- We know our bill was paid in full, because Jesus rose from the grave
- And through his victorious resurrection, our bill that we owed, because of our sins
- Was paid in full
- And i first believed this at the age of 9.
- And there have been many times where I’ve tried to ignore that truth
- Tried to live life my way
- Figure it out on my own
- Ignore God
- But God, keeps his children close
- And he has always reminded me of his goodness
- And over time, i’ve fallen more and more in love with the God of th euniverse
- The God who saved me
- So much so, i can’t help but talk about God
- And His Gospel
- And the full counsel, revealed in the Word
- And so tonight if you are here
- I’m so glad you’re here
- But i just wanted to say, I’m a beggar, who found the bread
- Let me show you something I’ve learned a out Him
- So open your Bibles to Colossians Chapter 2 as we continue our series, the Magnificent Jesus
- THis is found on page __________________ in the Blue Bible
16 Therefore let no one gpass judgment on you hin questions of food and drink, or with regard to ia festival or ja new moon or a Sabbath. 17 kThese are a shadow of the things to come, but lthe substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one mdisqualify you, ninsisting on asceticism and worship of angels, ogoing on in detail about visions,4 ppuffed up without reason by qhis sensuous mind, 19 and rnot sholding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If with Christ tyou died to the uelemental spirits of the world, vwhy, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 w“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (xreferring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to yhuman precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in zpromoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are aof no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
- Let’s pray
- Now a few things we are going to dive into tonight
- Tonight we are going to discuss 3 hoops that were common in the days of the COlossian Church
- Judaisers
- Asceticism
- Angel Worship
- Judaisers
- We see this in the food and drink comment in verse 16
- Along with the festival and sabbath comment
- These Jewish rituals from pre-messiah meaning pre-Jesus times
- Pointed to Christ
- But Paul is clear here, did not have value to change a person’s position before God
- There was no spiritual benefit in going through the hoop of Old Testament Jewish ritual laws
- Not that we shouldn’t know of them, but rather, they will not change our position with God
- The next practice Paul speaks against is asceticism
- This was the practice of harming oneself to avoid sin
- Of discomforting oneself in order to avoid sin
- I heard about a practice of an ascetic person where they would purposely wear clothing with coarse hair on the inside
- And the idea was the discomfort would remind them regularly that they need God for peace and comfort and joy
- Some ascetics would whip themselves regularly as some sort of spritiutal ritual
- Really there is a false humility that was actually a level of pride in this, look how terrible I know I am, I’m so terrible I beat myself
- MacArthur in explaining the ascetic way says ‘These verses point out the futility of asceticism, which is the attempt to achieve holiness by rigorous self neglect, self-denial, and even self-infliction. Since it focuses on temporal “things that all perish as they are used,” asceticism is powerless to restrain sin or bring one to God. While reasonable care and discipline of one’s body is of temporal value, it has no eternal value, and the extremes of asceticism serve only to gratify the flesh. All too often, ascetics seek only to put on a public show of their supposed holiness.’
- There is no spiritual value in the ascetic ways
- Another item Paul spoke against was the Angel Worship or praying ot Angels
- And the important thing ot remember here is
- ‘For cthere is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man1 Christ Jesus, 6 dwho gave himself as a ransom for all, which is ethe testimony given fat the proper time. ’
- And to go elsewhere is sinful, it’s wrong.
- Warren Weiersbe says ‘Trying to reach God the Father through anyone or anything other than His Son, Jesus Christ, is idolatry.’
- So whether it be Mary or some Angel, we should not talk to, look to, or seek out that type of conversation
- Now some balance
- What this is not saying is
- Do what you want
- Your life shouldnt be more and more holy
- More and more disciplined
- John 14:15 makes it clear – if we claim to Love God – something should change
- It says ‘5 b“If you love me, you will ckeep my commandments. 1’
- Spurgeon on the balance of seeking after God because we love HIm and not to change our position before God says: ‘A little matter of neglect brings you to ruin, but our Master’s words are “Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for many, I say unto you, shall seek” merely seek “to enter in, and shall not be able.” Striving is needed more than seeking. Let us pray that God the Holy Spirit would always enable us to be in downright, awful earnest about the salvation of our souls. May we never count this a matter of secondary importance, but may we seek first, and beyond everything else, the kingdom of God and his righteousness. May we lay hold on eternal life; may we so run that we may obtain.’
- Romans 6:1-7 says ‘What shall we say then? mAre we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can nwe who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us owho have been baptized pinto Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were qburied therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as rChrist was raised from the dead by sthe glory of the Father, we too might walk in tnewness of life. 5 For uif we have been united with him in va death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that wour old self1 xwas crucified with him in order that ythe body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For zone who has died ahas been set free2 from sin. ’
- So yes, your behavior
- Our actions
- Our choices matter
- But they aren’t hoops to jump through to get into right relationship with God
- The practice of Jewish RItual Law
- The self denial of asceticism
- The worship of Angels
- Will not get us into right relationship with God
- BUT
- Our lives do change in response to what Christ has done for us
Commercial Break
- On November 19, 2006 Nintendo released the Nintendo Wii and changed video gaming.
- I have always been and still am a fan of Nintendo
- What was fun about the Wii was the incorporation of movement into the game play.
- Steering when playing mario kart
- Punching with 2 hands in boxing games
- The non tiring bowling round after bowling round
- I loved the Wii
- Well then Wii introduced the amazing wii fit board
- And the nintendo creators actually pushed the idea that using the wii could help your physical fitness
- Help you get into shape
- And let me tell you I need it, If I get on the wii fit board and it ‘confirms’ my identity it gasps as if an elephant has stepped on it
- With that being said, there were many fun, and heart rate raising games you could do on the wii fit
- And for the joy and laughter of my wife, I have played the hoola hoop and obstacle courses levels of some game we have many times
- Let’s just say I cannot do either well
- And it’s good for her laughter
- Now I have a sister & brother in law that are some of the most in shape people I know
- THey are strong, they workout, they actually eat right
- So if we were to put people into buckets, they would be in the (bring box out)
- They would be in the fit bucket. They exist today, in a position of physically fit and in shape.
- Now how crazy would it be for me to run up to them and say ‘guys guys, I’ve got this wii fit and it is an amazing way to get in shape and get stronger and raise the heart rate for a few minutes each day. It will change your life and bring you to a spot of better physical fitness’
- Look I know you’ve got your fitness routines, but this is going to change your position of physical fitness
- This would be crazy
- They would reject my offer
- Now similarly
- It is important for us to see that in Christ we are positionally secure
- Recall what Paul said in Colossians 1:21-23 21 zAnd you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, adoing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled bin his body of flesh by his death, cin order to present you holy and blameless and dabove reproach before him, 23 eif indeed you continue in the faith, fstable and steadfast, not shifting from gthe hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed hin all creation7 under heaven, iand of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
- Let me turn my box of physical fitness around
- It says ‘In Christ’
- You see when we get saved (step into box)
- We are ‘in Christ’
- And Paul here says in Christ, IN his perfect life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection
- In that – we have been reconciled
- We have had our broken relationship made right
- And before God we are Holy, blameless, and above reproach
- This is our position
- And nothing can change that
- Romans 8:38-39 says ‘or I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
- We can’t improve upon this
- We cannot get out of this box
- John 6:37-40 says ‘37 zAll that athe Father gives me will come to me, and bwhoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For cI have come down from heaven, not to do dmy own will but dthe will of him ewho sent me. 39 And fthis is the will of him who sent me, gthat I should lose nothing of hall that he has given me, but iraise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who jlooks on the Son and kbelieves in him lshould have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”’
- So as it is foolishness for me to say to the physically fit people – do this ot be physically fit
- It is foolishness to listen to the ascetics or judaizers or other people trying to make you or encourage you to jump through hoops to get to God
- When positionally you are in Christ, upon your salvation
- Warren Wiersbe says ‘The basis of our freedom is the person and work of Jesus Christ… He canceled the debt and the dominion of the Law. As believers, we are under grace as a rule of life and not under Law.’
- This is a safe, joyfull, special place to be
- We are clothed in the righteousness of God
- No dietary rule
- No self discipline or self harm
- Can positionally improve us from being in Christ
- We are Justified before God
- Meaning it is just as if I never sinned
- Charles Spurgeon on this says ‘Let no man deprive you of the present comfort which your faith should bring to you… Dear brethren, you and I, if we are believers in Christ, are this day completely pardoned. There is no sin in God’s book against us. We are wholly and completely justified. The righteousness of Jesus Christ covers us from head to foot, and we stand before God as if we had never sinned. Now let no man rob you of this reward. Do not be tempted by anything that is said to doubt the completeness of a believer in Christ. Hold this, and, as you hold it, enjoy it’
- This is what Paul is trying to, with great struggle, convince the COlossians of
- They do not need to work or jump through hoops, in order to positionally change their location
- But for the non-believer in the room
- I want to draw your gaze
- To Christ
- You don’t have to jump through any hoops
- See the perfect work of Jesus
- And believe in Him
- Believe his work is sufficient
- You don’t have to be good enough to say, ‘Yes Jesus, I trust you.’
- You don’t have to be clean enough to come to Jesus
- You don’t have to have your life figured out
- The Magnificent Jesus has paid the bill in full
- Confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart, God raised Jesus from the grave
- You will be saved
- And God will put you ‘in Christ’
- He will pick you up from the humble state, of I can’t do this
- I’m not good enough
- I need Jesus
- God will pick you up from there
- And gently put you into the perfection of Jesus
- And what do you find when you are in Christ?
- You find a bunch of other beggars who have found the bread
- The bread of life
- The way
- The truth
- That is other beggars who have found the magnificent Jesus
- And though they may know God, be closer to him in relationship
- They are in Christ just the same as you
- And will celebrate God putting you in Christ
- Will celebrate your new position
- And will invite you to grow with them
- And see Jesus as beautiful
- See God more rightly
- And find peace, and comfort, and joy and security, and find refuge
- In Christ
- DO it today. Jesus is calling.
- Let’s pray.