January 15, 2023
Pastor John Hering
Colossians 2:6-15
Colossians 2:6-15
6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 by being rooted and built up in him, and strengthened in the faith just as you were taught, while you overflow in faith with thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, which are in accord with human tradition, namely, the basic principles of the world, but not in accord with Christ. 9 For all the fullness of God’s being dwells bodily in Christ. 10 And you have been brought to fullness in him. Christ is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in him, with a circumcision not done by human hands, in the putting off of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with Christ in baptism. And in baptism you were also raised with him through the faith worked by the God who raised Christ from the dead.
13 Even when you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ by forgiving us all our trespasses. 14 God erased the record of our debt brought against us by his legal demands. This record stood against us, but he took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 After disarming the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them by triumphing over them in Christ.
There’s something missing! Where there should be a sense of completion, comfort, and stability there’s just something missing. Like being taught the first 10 letters of the alphabet and the last 10 letters—what happened to KLMNOP! It’s incomplete! Or like visiting Grandma’s house, but Grandma is in a casket in Watertown, WI in stead of standing in the kitchen making her wonderful muffins, fruit and eggs for breakfast. Where’s the comfort? It’s like climbing up a 12 rung ladder with three rungs in the middle missing—where’s the stability? That’s what it was like for the people who were living in Colossae, for the people living in the DFW area and for you and me every time we look in the mirror. The people in Colossae tried to fill the gap in their lives with the latest spiritual talk: “Get connected to the forces around you as you listen to philosophers and spiritualists.” But, when that left them confused and still empty they listened to the ones who said, “You won’t have any gaps in your life if you follow the ancient traditions and old rules. They were good enough for our ancestors, they’ll be good enough for you.” But, you know that following theoretical ideas to fill the gaps in your life is like eating smoke from the grill, but never eating the meat. The world hasn’t changed! People today are working to hard to fill their lives with these needs:
Certainty It’s a need to feel in control, to know what’s going to happen next, to feel secure.
Variety – LOL! The opposite of certainty! We need it, without it we would be bored to death.
Significance – people want to feel important and special, like you matter in this world. Of course we all have an ego, bigger for some than others. It can be achieved in many ways, earning a billion dollars, being a director of a company, being a celebrity/ public figure.
Connection/ Love – When we love and feel loved there is an incredible feeling. Don’t worry, if you have not found the love of your life yet then you can get a similar feeling from family, friends, pets etc.
Growth – You’ve heard this before: “If you’re not growing, you’re what? You’re dying”. This can be frustrating when you give it your all, and you’re just not growing.
Contribution – “The secret to living is giving” People want to help others change their life to make a difference in the world!
There was a young man from Eisleben, Germany who tried to fill the gaps that were in his heart, too. He even entered into a monastery to try and figure it out. But, he kept coming up empty. There was a gap. There was something missing. That’s because he had not yet discovered the message that St. Paul wrote to the Colossians. It is the message that brings completion, comfort and stability. He wrote to them and writes to you and me:
This Is Your Full Life
Fullness because of Jesus FOR us
It’s been a long day and you’re driving home and happen to catch the news to listen to what happened that day. Let’s see, “Secret Documents Found in the house of a president!” Or “There’s a village in China where people are dying from a new virus!” and you think to yourself, “Should I go get the next vaccine or not?” More research is done by the CDC out of Atlanta and they say, “You catch this virus one day and have a runny nose, cough and a little headache. But, on day 4 – Boom! It hits you like a ton of bricks and you’re dead! You drive home in a panic what will become of your life and the lives of your family members. Scientists are working as hard as they can to find a vaccine and nothing is working. Then, all the sudden a lab tech makes a discovery that a perfect vaccine can be made, but it will take the blood of someone who hasn’t been infect at all by the virus. Everyone is told to go to the hospital and get tested to find someone who doesn’t have the infection and you head their with your family. While returning to your car the technician comes running out the door yelling, “We found someone who’s blood is pure! It’s your son’s blood!” and everyone is so excited to hear the news as the hug each other. Until the doctor walks up and says, “Your son’s blood is exactly what we need to save everyone. But, we need all his blood. Here, sign the consent form!” Could you sign it? Would you sign it? In order to return people to a Full Life, would you offer your son’s blood FOR them? God the Father signed the consent to offer his Son—the Lamb of God who gave his life for the world!
This pictures for us what happens to people who are looking for a full life. In Colossae some teachers with big credentials had shown up among the believers. Their message was different from the one they heard from St. Paul. They said, “Getting into a close relationship with God can’t be as easy as the apostles of Jesus say—a free gift from God. There’s something missing.” And what did they say was missing? “A little something you do to get right with God. God wants you to eat only certain foods, or observe religious rites like circumcision, or stay away from people and places that are marked, ‘unclean.’” But, this message left people empty. They wondered, “If following rules offers a full life, have I kept all the right rules? Have I done enough?” It still leaves a feeling of being a gap!
St. Paul wrote this letter to fill that gap with Jesus. Listen:
“6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 by being rooted and built up in him, and strengthened in the faith just as you were taught, while you overflow in faith with thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, which are in accord with human tradition, namely, the basic principles of the world, but not in accord with Christ.”
Colossians 2:6-8
The false teachers were trying to convince their listeners that to have a close relationship with God you were at least a little bit responsible. It is no different than the lie of the devil to Adam and Eve that said there was something they could do to be like God, knowing good and evil, just take a bite! But, that doesn’t fill the gap. Actually, it makes the gap even larger! It’s like an astrophysicist calculating the exact path of a space rocket with a tape measure! It just won’t work! It was a lie in Eden and it’s still a lie today. You and I can’t do anything to fill the gap in our hearts and lives to gain a perfect relationship with God. It has been and always will be a gap, an empty spot in the hearts and lives of people.
Or will it? Praise God St. Paul didn’t stop here. He doesn’t leave a gap for the Christians in Colossae or for us.
“9 For all the fullness of God’s being dwells bodily in Christ. 10 And you have been brought to fullness in him. Christ is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in him, with a circumcision not done by human hands, in the putting off of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with Christ in baptism. And in baptism you were also raised with him through the faith worked by the God who raised Christ from the dead. 13 Even when you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ by forgiving us all our trespasses. 14 God erased the record of our debt brought against us by his legal demands. This record stood against us, but he took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 After disarming the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them by triumphing over them in Christ.”
Colossians 2:9-15
You can’t have a full life with God unless the penalty of all your sins are paid for. So, God took the debt we owed him for our sins (our lives), ripped it out of our hearts and nailed it to the cross with Jesus Christ where he perfectly and completely restored the status between God and us. Jesus did it all. He closed the gap between God and us. Sinful hearts were nailed to the cross with Christ. Empty hearts were buried with Christ in baptism. New hearts filled with his forgiveness, love and life are raised with Christ from the grave. The Life We Have in Christ is Complete and Full Because of the Full and Complete Life Jesus Offered for Us all! And it didn’t stop there. We have a Full Life With God When God Fills Us with what Jesus Did For us!
Fullness Because of Jesus IN us
Why are Sarah’s friends no longer hanging around with her? Why do Sam’s co-workers give him the cold shoulder? Why does Billy feel like she’s being pushed away in her marriage? Because there’s a gap. There is a gap in the hearts of people that raises its ugly head and pushes Jesus’ obedience, love and forgiveness off the edge. You know what happens when Jesus is pushed aside. Then certainty is out the window, then it doesn’t feel so important or special to live as a child of God, then love grows cold and even when giving it your all, you’re shrinking instead of growing. Then the mouth speaks awful words, insecurity flourishes driving people away and causing a gap. Sound familiar?
The false teachers that came to Colossae had raised questions in the minds of their listeners. I’ll paraphrase: “Why are worried about others—family, spouse, co-workers, neighbors—you need to work on you.” Working on you is not the solution, but leaves you banging your head against the wall, empty with a big gap in your heart. St. Paul brought the answer, “6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 by being rooted and built up in him, and strengthened in the faith just as you were taught, while you overflow in faith with thanksgiving.” “Continue to walk in him” is not just a beautiful picture of footprints in the sand! It’s reality when God not only gives us a full life in Christ promised forever, but he promises it to us now! “10 And you have been brought to fullness in him. Christ is the head over every ruler and authority.” Christ has completed his work of saving us all, and his salvation has been fully brought to you. Christ rules and has authority over all things for the salvation of your soul. In Christ the gap is closed. And Christ living in us seals the deal.
Now what are we going to do with Christ living in us? St. Paul said, “Continue to walk in him.” You can stop the grumpiness and gumbling. You can bury the hatchet, forget the grudges, stop the back-biting, back-stabbing and bitterness. You can love and be nice to your family and friends as you offer a kind work to fill the gaps in your relationships. Luther said, “This is a great mystery, that God hides his majesty in humanity.” We love, serve and give because we are “rooted and built up in him, and strengthened in the faith just as you were taught, while you overflow in faith with thanksgiving.”
For so many years there was something missing. The Jews were waiting for the promised Messiah. Then the day came. John and Baptism pointed to Jesus and said, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The gap was closed. Jesus came to fill the gap for us all by restoring the perfect relationship with our Father in Heaven. People today are still looking for so many things to fill the gap in their lives—certain/variety, significance/love, or contributing to society to find fulfillment. Then Jesus comes to them and to you through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament and lives in you. What a joy to know and believe the gap between God and you is closed. How? It is all about Christ FOR you and Christ IN you. Christ Is Your Full Life! Believe it! Live it! Amen!
