Please stand as you are able for the reading of God's word. The reading this morning comes from Colossians 2, verses 16-23. Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding 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. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations? Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, referring to things that all perish as they are used, according to human precepts and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom, in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. You may be seated. Let's explore the riches of God's word together this morning. Recently, there's been much talk about the UK's coronation of their new king. As I began preparing this sermon, the week after the event, I was struck by the parallels that can be found between the connection to the earthly king and the connection to the heavenly king and the rewards thereof. Now, as with most analogies comparing earthly things to heavenly things, this is an imperfect comparison. So please bear with me. The British monarchy is quite interesting. Recently we heard of the Queen's motto that led her to her lifelong success, never complain, never explain, The idea behind this was the monarchy is above the things of society. The royal family has done best when it has remained above the fray. There are family members who've been very successful at that, and there are others who have been a failure at that. And why do they fail? They fail because they take their eyes off the king and begin looking to the world. They live lives of great comfort. The monarch provides richly for all of their needs, and yet some of them still lust after the things of the world. The new king has two sons. One of them is loyal to the king. He's connected to him. He's provided for. He supports the king. He behaves according to the king's wishes. He works to further the kingdom. The second is not so loyal to the king. He has given up his good life and turned to the world to provide for his needs. the king no longer provides for him. He works to bring down the monarchy. He speaks about it publicly whenever people will pay to hear bad news. The kingdom of heaven is similar. It's considered to be like a vine. The grapes get their nourishment from the vine as long as they remain connected to it. They contribute to the health of the vine. They further the cause of the vine. They look to the vine for their provision. As Christians, we should be encouraged by the vine analogy When we become believers, we are grafted into the vine. We become connected to the giver of life. We're nourished, we grow, our needs are provided for. We cannot make our way without our connection to the vine. Like the prince, we can also take our eyes off the king and his provision for us. We can look to the world to provide for our needs. And when we do this, we turn our back on all that we have been given and look for something better. Why do we do this? Why do we turn our back on our King and look to other things to satisfy and to gratify our selfish desires? This question sets the stage for chapter two of Colossians. Let's pray together. Father God, you are the giver of life. You sustain us, you provide for us, we are lost without you. Please bless us this morning as we dig into the richness of your holy word. Open our eyes and soften our hearts as we examine the truths that are contained in it. Please free us from distractions, grow us in our understanding of your perfect plan, and grant that we will be forever changed by it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. So we heard last week that Paul wrote of being alive in Christ. He exhorted the Colossians to guard themselves. Paul said, as you have received Christ, so you should walk in him. In other words, receiving Christ is a big deal, and it must alter the path of your life. By the way, these words apply to each of us today. For believers, Christ is supposed to be more than just a nice feature in our life. He's supposed to permeate every area of our life. Paul further encouraged them to be rooted, built up, established in the faith, just as you were taught. They were to see to it that no one takes them captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Paul is saying to the Colossians that they need to guard themselves. They need to protect themselves from the world. He goes on to remind them of all they have received in Christ. The fullness of the deity dwells in you. You have been filled in him who is the head of all rule and authority. You have been circumcised supernaturally in Christ. You have been buried with Christ in baptism, raised with him through faith in God, who raised him from the dead. You have been made alive. He has canceled the record of debt against you with its legal demands and he nailed them to the cross. He has disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them. Look at all you have received. Look at all we have received. What miraculous works have been done in you and through you. So this leads us to today's reading from verses 60 to 23. People were trying to convince the Colossian believers that Christ was not enough for them, that they needed to do more. They were hearing that it wasn't sufficient to just have Christ. They were told that they needed Christ plus something else. There were various things that were needed to make up that insufficiency. Philosophy, which is based on human wisdom, legalism, ceremony, rituals, which are all based on human practice, Mysticism, which is based on human fascination with the spiritual realm. Asceticism, or self-denial, which is based on human works. The common thread that is woven through all of these is that Christ is not enough. You need other works to make yourself holy and acceptable to God. So in other words, their works will make up for what Christ lacks. Christ is insufficient. but there's a solution. Combine your good works with Christ's insufficient work, and the two of you can make your salvation sufficient. Seems so absurd to those that have a right view of God's grace and unmerited favor, and yet countless people have fallen for this lie. The Colossians had to live in the world, but they did not need to live as if the world had any power over their faith, and they did not need to give any regard to them. And yet they were doing just that. People fall into these practices for various reasons. Some do them because they're told that you must do them in order to be a true Christian. Some feel that they are the key to unlocking personal holiness. Some do them in order to appear more holy to others. They put their holiness on display. Some feel that by doing them, they will please others and live up to their expectations. Some even feel pride as a result of the strength of their devotion. The root cause of all this is a spiritual problem that we are all born with. It is sin. We've inherited the sin nature of Adam, passed down through our fathers from generation to generation. There is no human solution to that spiritual problem. We cannot do anything to make ourselves righteous before a holy God. Scripture tells us that there is no solution for the sin except, sin problem, except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. This was prescribed by God. The solution is not found in human sacrificial behavior. Sin comes with a penalty that must be paid, and that payment must be in the form of a sinless sacrifice. God prescribed this. All that we need is found in Christ. There is nothing that is necessary for life and godliness that is not delivered to us by the Word of God and through the Holy Spirit. So philosophy, when you can wrap your brain around it, often sounds convincing. The person who speaks it usually sounds intelligent and is often persuasive. This is not a new problem. It was present in the times of the Old Testament, and we see it happening here in the New Testament churches as well. Men and women have opinions, and they are prone to share them eloquently. In the case of the Colossian church, outsiders were sharing their opinions about the sufficiency of Christ. To many, they seemed reasonable. If we think back to Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden, what did the serpent say? It asked the question, did God actually say you shall not eat from any tree in the garden? It also assured Eve, saying you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened. This is a very old problem, doubting God and using philosophical wisdom to justify it, or even using outright deceit. Adam and Eve became convinced that God was not sufficient, and his provision was not enough from them, and they sought out something else, which they reasoned would make them closer to and more like God, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And so the serpent was eloquent enough to fool Adam and Eve, and sin entered the world. This problem has carried on from generation to generation, to the young churches of the first century AD, and it even continues to this day. Let's doubt God's sufficiency. Surely it can't be enough for us. Philosophy sounds good, but it only gives basic answers when dealing with the things of heaven. In the realm of God and salvation, philosophy is really just opinion. Why would we settle for rudimentary answers or opinions when we have received the best, most complex answer through Christ? Philosophers tend to look down their nose at Christians. They view us as ignorant. They view us as unsophisticated. But how can this be when we possess the very mind of Christ? We already have the complete solution. The gospel brings us complete transformation from death unto life. We receive complete forgiveness for all of our sins. We have triumph over the spiritual darkness of the world. So if we have the mind of Christ, what sense does it make to let others convince us that we do not measure up? Verse 16 says, therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. This is legalism. You must do this and you must do that or you're not acceptable. The Jews were expert legalists. They had whole groups of people that were dedicated to following the law. They believed that true spirituality was found only in observing the law. The Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees had a very strong influence over Jewish culture. The Jews believed that external measures were what made them righteous. Paul, who wrote this letter to the Colossians, had been a Pharisee himself. He also wrote to the Philippians in chapter three, verses four, Beginning in verse four, he said this, though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also, if anyone thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and counted them as rubbish in order that I might gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. Well, Paul knew a great deal about attaining righteousness through legalism, and yet he turned his back on it when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, and he found true righteousness. He had previously been a rabid legalist, and now he was teaching that righteousness does not come from our actions, but only through Christ. The Jews in Colossae, and in other places as well, believed that they needed to work hard and to follow external practices in order to become righteous. They were often trying to live up to the standards of society of non-Christians. These people were trying to enforce their superstitious mystical beliefs on those that were new Christians, especially those that had converted from Judaism. They were promoting external measures like food, drink, festivals, new moons, Sabbath days. The law was something that they used to enslave people who knew that they could never be good enough When Christ died, he ended the law. God had intended the law to be a standard by which Israel was to measure themselves against. Israel turned their obedience to the law into their ticket to righteousness. It's understandable, given our tendency to view ourselves as insufficient. It is, after all, what our early life drills into us. We're taught that we need to behave, and in doing so, we'll make our father and our mother happy. For most children and teens, good behavior is seen to be the ticket to acceptance and love of their parents. But we know this is not the case. As parents, we know that we love our children because of who they are. We love them because of our connection to them, and nothing can change that. Unfortunately, that's not how they often view it. They tend to view God this way as well. If we can just keep God happy, then he won't punish me, and maybe he'll bless me. We also go on to think this way when we're adults. Many Christians believe that their behavior helps them to gain favor with God. On one level, it's always good to strive to do what God asks of you. On the other hand, it is completely wrong to think that you're being made more holy by your good behavior. You are not. As part of the membership process, the elders get the privilege of hearing the Christian testimony of those who are seeking to join the church. When we ask what makes them right in the eyes of God, occasionally someone struggles and gives the answer that they are trying to live a good life and that that makes them acceptable to God. It is a good opportunity when we have this to point them to the sufficiency of Christ. You already have everything that you need in Christ. Hallelujah. Regarding observing holidays, I know a man who is a Messianic Jew. He's a Jewish believer in Jesus Christ. He's what's known as a completed Jew. As we talked, he was kind to answer my many questions. I was surprised to learn that Messianic Jews still observe the Jewish holidays that were set forth by God in the Old Testament. When I asked him why, knowing that he's a Christian, He patiently explained to me that he did so because when God gave the special day to Israel, God had commanded them to be observed forever. So as an ethnic Jew, he was observing the feast because God had commanded it. He wasn't observing them to make himself more holy or to draw closer to God. He knew that Christ was sufficient for him. It's okay to be obedient. It's wise to be obedient. It's unwise to think you'll get something out of that obedience. I know others that believe that it's wrong to celebrate the Christmas and Easter holidays because of their origins. Can we be Christians and not celebrate Christian holidays? Of course. Does celebrating the holidays make us any holier? Of course not. Christ is sufficient. It is Christ who makes us holy, not our actions. Moving on to verse 18 and 19, let no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism in worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind and not holding 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. Mysticism has to do with certain human practices that make one appear to be more holy and more committed to God. Examples of this include speaking in tongues. Some Christians believe that they have a private spirit language, which is evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, like what happened at Pentecost. Others believe in opening oneself up to higher experiences, often with the help of drugs or bodily deprivation. We do not need drugs, we do not need bodily deprivation, we do not need special languages to take us to a higher state of mind. Some believe in having conversations with angels or with the Lord. Some love to say, the Lord told me this or that, or I have received a message from the Lord. God speaks to us through his word. We speak to him through prayer. Christ is sufficient. These human behaviors can often give others a sense of how we are better than them. In verse 20, we read, if with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as you are still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations, do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, referring to things that all perish as they are used according to human precepts and teachings. Asceticism is extreme self-denial, and it is oddly quite prevalent in our world. We see this extreme behavior present in monasticism, where people live lives that often include extreme deprivation for the sake of becoming holier. Some take a vow of celibacy and live in small communities of like-minded believers. Other monastics take this to a higher level by not just sheltering from the world, but also living alone, not bathing, starving themselves, exposing themselves to the discomforts of heat and cold. Picture the monks sitting on top of the mountain in the wintertime, wrapped in a blanket. We've all seen it. Some do things to cause them pain all of the time so they can focus on God. Some whip themselves or cause other bodily injury to their bodies. as signs of their commitment to God. Some even stick narrow swords through their bodies to demonstrate their faithfulness. Some even have themselves nailed to a cross at Easter to prove their devotion. For most, it's much less extreme, but it's still widely practiced. Over 1.4 billion people observe the Lenten practices of self-denial of certain foods, sweets, alcohol, et cetera. They also believe that it is wrong to eat fish on Friday during Lent. 1.7 billion people observe a whole month of fasting during the daylight hours. They believe that doing these things brings holiness and demonstrates their holiness to others. At the Cross and the Wood Shrine in Northern Michigan, there exists the second largest crucifix in the world. It's 55 feet tall. A crucifix is a wood cross that has a statue of Christ hanging on it. The shrine includes 28 stairs that lead up to the base of the cross. Only the very faithful will climb these steps on their knees, one at a time, pausing to pray at every step. They may often even weep while doing it. Now, to be sure, climbing the steps on one's knees is an unmistakable demonstration of commitment. But regrettably, this often happens in front of the other visitors to the shrine, and they may stake these actions for holiness. External practices usually draw attention to the perceived holiness of the person who's doing it. Celebrities and popular athletes have discovered darkness retreats where they live in a cave for three to five days. Others spend time in Native American sweat lodges. There is much written about their deep wisdom as a result of this. Closer to home, there's many that believe that their plant-based diet is what makes them holy, that their care for the earth makes them holy, or having less possessions makes them more holy. or that regimens of exercise and care for the body make them holy. Some even believe that spending time in nature communing with God is what makes them holy. We read in verse 23, these have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. If Christ is sufficient, then none of these behaviors serve to make people any better. This was true in the time of the Colossian church, and it remains true today. If you are pursuing more holiness in order to improve your standing with God, you should know that you do not have to do that. It does not work. All that ascetic practices do is make people appear to be more spiritually wise, but they are all useless acts. Now, let me say this, we also have freedom to do much in Christ. Christians are free to do what their conscience dictates, to eat or not to eat, to observe sacred days or not to observe them. Choosing to abstain from certain foods, fasting, exercising, or other reasonable ascetic practices is strictly a matter of personal preference. However, we must avoid being overly scrupulous in imposing our regimen on others. We have freedom to do much, but we also need to be mindful that we must avoid going against scripture's teaching. What we eat or drink does not make us any more or less holy, but we are commanded to avoid gluttony and drunkenness. Prayer is essential, but praying to appear holy is wrong. Humility is good, but using it to set oneself apart from others is not godly behavior. False humility causes us to be puffed up with pride and pride is not good. Reflection is good, but too much me time will give us an inward focus, while God is calling us to look outward. Wallowing ourselves out from the world may help improve our focus on God, but it also prevents us from fulfilling the roles that God has ordained for our life. We're called to engage with others. We're called to live life with them. We're called to share the good news of the gospel with them, and we're called to disciple them. And so we conclude, while some ascetic practices may be good, and they may have earthly value, doing them in order to gain holiness is behavior that is out of accord with God. The Israelites struggled with this. The first century Christians struggled with this, and the struggle continues today. Anything that we add to Christ to improve our holiness and enhance our standing before a holy God is destined to perish. It has no heavenly value. Remember that it is through Christ alone that we receive complete salvation. Through Christ alone, we are forgiven. Through Christ alone, we receive victory over sin and death. Through Christ alone, we are made holy. Christ is sufficient. We do not need anything else to improve our standing with Almighty God. We already have it. Hallelujah.