Class Lesson February 19, 2012

Hey Gang,


We are into our 3rd week of the series on, Christ the Center. Our theme is the centrality and sufficiency of Christ. Each study is from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. We live in a culture that doesn’t acknowledge the centrality and sufficiency of Christ. Some believers, because they do not have a firm grasp on the truths of the gospel, are easily shaken when the exclusive claims of Christ are challenged. Other Christians just don’t live Christ-centered lives, their lives are centered on other ambitions. The Bible warns us that what we believe will be challenged. 1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  

This week we look at what is at the center of my beliefs. For many, this becomes their worldview.

Worldview

By the time we become adults, we have a certain set of beliefs and assumptions on just about everything. These beliefs come from our upbringing, our experiences, observations and any formal or informal teachings we’ve had. These beliefs are important because they determine what we think, feel, say and what we do. How you look at God, this world, other people and yourself. It’s a foundation upon which you stand – Jesus said not to build your house on sand… In one sense there are as many worldviews as there are people.  In another sense, the Bible says that there are only two basic worldviews: the way God looks at things and the way we look at things. 

Our religion plays a major part in what our worldview becomes. 

There’s a common belief that all religions basically contain the same truth, only they present it in different ways. 

Shakespeare once said, “God by any other name is still God”

This belief says that God lives at the top of a mountain, and all the religions and belief systems in the world are like different trails that make their way to the top. Like every trail eventually reaches the summit, every religion eventually reaches God. Is this what you believe to be true? 

Different Ways to God?

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We have been talking about the false teachings that had turned the Colossian church the wrong way. Our lesson this week wants us to learn to recognize and guard against false teachings we face today. How do we do this?

Paul tells us four ways:

1. Know what you believe
2. Know what others believe
3. Reach out in love
4. Be ready to explain what you believe

As we look for false teaching, the best place to look is what the teaching proclaims about Jesus. Is He God? Is He human? Both of these things must be true. Does His death provide the only way to be reconciled with God?

Positional Truth: The doctrine of the believer's heavenly, spiritual, and eternal position in Christ. A person's spiritual position is united and identified with Christ in His person and work - past, present, and future. This truth is especially seen in the Pauline epistles where, over a hundred times, the apostle uses such phrases like "in Christ," "in Him," "with Christ," etc. These phrases draw attention; indeed, they put the focus on the secure position and many blessings that all believers are given through their union with Jesus Christ. The basis of these blessings is the finished work of salvation accomplished through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

What do Christians Believe?

Christian Beliefs

1. God created all that is seen and unseen
2. Jesus is the Son of God and is one with God
3. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary
4. Jesus suffered and was crucified
5. Jesus died and was buried
6. Jesus rose again (the Resurrection)
7. Jesus ascended into Heaven
8. Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead
9. Anyone can have salvation 
10. People who repent of their sins will be forgiven

Today, we are going to examine two (2) belief systems that encompass several religions. The first set of belief systems are the monotheistic religions and the second are the blended belief systems.


What are monotheistic religions?

I. One-God Religions

There are three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each one traces its faith back through Abraham, who lived about 4000 years ago. Remember that in Abraham’s day the belief system was mainly polytheistic – there were hundreds of gods – animals, weather, the Nile, and fertility. There were Greek gods as well. So for Abraham to profess “One-God” was as radical as we might suggest today with all the different belief systems in the world. Now just because Abraham was a key player in all three religions doesn’t make all three religions the same – yes there are some similarities, but their differences far out way their similarity. Just because they all believe in one God, don’t assume that they each believe in the same God. Let's take a closer look.



1. Christianity: It's All About Jesus 


C. S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

Christianity has a lot in common with many other religions we’re going to talk about. Christianity features just one God, like Judaism and Islam. Christianity emphasizes the importance of relationships and the family, just like Mormonism. The Christian Bible even talks also about meditating, hey... that sounds like Hinduism.


So what sets Christianity apart from all the other religions of the world?

• One word – Jesus
• Every other religion acknowledges that Jesus was a great teacher, a prophet, or one of many sons of God. But only Christianity holds Jesus up as the Son of God, equal to God in every way, who came to earth to save sinners and to give them eternal life.
• Christianity is a religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
• Following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus in A.D. 30 in Jerusalem, the message of Jesus was carried throughout the known world by the disciples of Jesus, also called apostles.
• Because the first converts were Jews, Christianity was first viewed as a sect of Judaism. Like Baptist, Methodist or Lutheran.
• Gradually these new believers, instructed and encouraged by the apostle Paul, saw their faith as distinct from Judaism.
• The followers of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch, Syria (Turkey)
• When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70 they scattered the Jews and the Christians through out the world.
• Over the centuries Christianity has developed along three main lines: Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism.
• Today approximately 1.9 billion people practice some form of Christianity within these three groups.

2. Judaism: A Chosen People, Place, and Purpose 

• What do the Jews believe about… Jesus: Some recognize that He was a great teacher of morality. Most consider Him to be an imposter Messiah.

There are about 18 million Jews throughout the world. Contemporary names we know that are Jewish include: Albert Einstein, Henry Kissinger, and Steven Spielberg. The essence of this religion involves devotion and destiny that impacts daily life. Judaism is the religion of the Jews. It begins with Abraham, and is based all on a promise (covenant) made to Abraham by God.



God promised three things: 1. A People – God told Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. 2. A Place – God promised Abraham and his descendants a homeland – Israel and Palestine. 3. A Purpose – There was a reason behind God’s promise. It included the purpose of using Abraham and his descendants to teach all the people of the world about the one true God.


As a result of this promise with the descendants of Abraham, the Jews – originally referred to as Hebrews or Israelites, have been called “God’s chosen people.”


3. Islam: It’s All About Allah 

• What does Islam believe about… Jesus: Born of a virgin and sinless in His life, Jesus was a great prophet, but certainly not God. Muhammad, also a mere mortal, was the greatest prophet.

Islam is the second largest of the world’s religions. There are more than one billion Muslims in the world.



What event has brought so much attention to this religion?

• The September 11, 2001 attack on the trade centers
• Militant Muslims refer to Americans as infidels who must be wiped off the face of the earth in accordance with the teachings of Muhammad.
• Other Muslims say that Islam is a religion of peace and that the terrorist attack was the work of Islamic fundamentalists.

Let’s talk about Islam…


Who was Muhammad?

In A.D. 570 Muhammad ibn Abdallah was born into an aristocratic family in Mecca (Saudi Arabia). His father died before he was born, causing their family business to crumble. His mother died when he was six years old. Muhammad was sent to live with his grandfather, but he died shortly thereafter. So, Muhammad moved in with his uncle, who was the head of a Quraish clan. Muhammad at the age of 25 was also very disturbed by the idol worship and polytheistic rituals of his day. He is said to have retreated in solitude to a cave outside of Mecca and at the age of 40, received his first vision believed to have been delivered by the archangel Gabriel that there was only one true God and that idolatry was an abomination.

Muhammad became a prophet and began to preach of his visions from God. Muhammad’s God was known as Allah – a name which means “the God.”

Muhammad organized a small army and conquered the city of Mecca destroying every idol and shrine. After the conquest of Mecca, Muhammad was able to extend his control over most of Arabia by treaty or force.


Islam is an Arabic term meaning “submission” to the will of one God, Allah. The Arabic root word (much like the Hebrew root word for shalom) means “peace” – the peace comes from submitting to the will of God. Those who submit to the will of Allah are referred to as Muslims.


Islam has five fundamental doctrines:


Doctrine #1: God – Muslims believe in the existence and preeminence of God. There is only one God, and his name happens to be Allah. Allah is Omniscience: all-knowing, Allah is Omnipotence: all-powerful, and Allah is Omnipresence: everywhere at the same time. Justice is his more important feature. Muslims have “99 beautiful names” for Allah – each one memorized and they describe his characteristics. You might be surprised to know that LOVE is absent from the list. His character is defined more in terms of judgment than grace, and in terms of power rather than mercy. This isn’t to say that Allah doesn’t love. He loves those who do good deeds and adhere to the required daily practices of the “Five Pillars.” But Allah does not love the person whose bad deeds outweigh the good things he or she has done. The God of the Bible loves all humanity, none of whom are basically good. The “oneness” of his character prohibits the Christian notion of a Trinity or the divinity of Christ. Muslims take great offense at the notion that a person can know God. Allah doesn’t reveal himself, only his desires and wishes. The difference between Allah and God – love is the answer.


Doctrine #2: Angels – good and bad angels. The good angels are messengers of Allah, and the top angel is Gabriel who gave the revelation to Muhammad. Shaitan is the fallen angel, and his fellow angels are called jinns (demons). Each human being has two recording angels who keep track of his good and bad deeds in his life. These two angels play an important role on Judgment Day when they tell who has been naughty or nice.


Doctrine #3: Sacred Scriptures – Muslims are known as ‘people of the book.” According to Islam, Allah has revealed himself through four sacred writings:

• The Torah – the books of Moses
• The Zabur – the Psalms of David
• The Injil – the gospel of Jesus Christ
• The Koran – the revelations that Muhammad recited to his transcribers. The Koran is also viewed as the final revelation from Allah to his people. If there is any conflict with previous writings, then the Koran prevails.

Doctrine #4: Prophets – the Koran mentions many of these such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jonah, John the Baptist, Jesus. It’s blasphemy to suggest to a Muslim that Jesus could be God and the Koran emphatically denies it.


Doctrine #5: Future Judgment – Any afterlife is based on the good deeds done during life on earth. There is one loophole that would allow a Muslim and only a Muslim to avoid judgment. Those who die a martyr’s death in defense of the Islamic faith or in a “holy war’ ( a jihad) go directly to heaven and avoid the uncertain outcome of waiting to see which way the scales tip.


Muslims rely on their good deeds gaining them eternal favor with Allah. These good deeds center on what they call the five pillars of their faith.


The Five Pillars

1. Recite the Creed – it’s called the Shahadah, which literally means to bear witness. Every Muslim is expected to publicly recite it. Its English translation says, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.”

2. Pray the Prayers – prayers show obedience to Allah and its carried out five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, after sunset, and at night. Prayers must be said facing the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

3. Give the Alms – each Muslim must give 2.5% of their income to the community to benefit the widows, orphans, the sick, and travelers.

4. Start the Fast – observance of an entire month during Ramadan. The Muslim abstains from food, drink, and pleasures from sunrise to sunset each day during the month.

5. Make the Pilgrimage – every Muslim dreams of making the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Koran requires it at least once in a lifetime.


Even Islam has divisions within their church…

 

The Sunni – Shi’ite Split

The Shi’ites believe that the leadership of Islam should follow the bloodline of Muhammad. The Sunnis believe the leadership of Islam should be elected and there should be a sort of separation of church and state.

II. Blended Belief Systems

4. Mormonism: The One True Church? 

Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet are Mormons. They are dedicated to family, observant of a strict moral code, and very involved in community. So what makes this a false teaching?

Mormon Video 

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What do Mormons believe about…

• God - Mormons believe that God is not the eternal, self-existent, all-powerful God of the universe. God is nothing more than a man who became a god. God was created by another god who existed before the Father God, who rules the universe today. The current Father God was once a mortal man, but he “progressed” to become God. This is called “eternal progression.” Not only do Mormons believe that the present Father God is descended from an eternal progression of other gods, but they believe that any Mormon can become God, too. (Polytheism)
• Jesus – After the current Father God was created, he grew up as a man on another planet and then became God. He then had sex with the Mother God and had “millions” of spirit children. The firstborn of these spirit children was Jesus, and the second-born was Lucifer. The Father God came up with this plan for the rest of his spirit children to populate and live on earth and be tested, only to return to him after death. Jesus was chosen to be the Savior, which ticked off Lucifer, so he rebelled. The armies of heaven defeated Lucifer and banished him to earth, which in the meantime had been created by Jesus and other spirit children. The way Jesus was born on earth happened this way: the Father God had physical sex with Mary. Jesus grew up, got married, and had several children. He died on the cross, was resurrected with a new body, and returned to heaven, where he is waiting to take the place of the Father God, who will progress to even greater realms.

Our lesson says that we should deny any thinking or practice that denies the centrality of Christ.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith. He was greatly bothered by the conflict between Baptist, Presbyterians, and Methodists.

• Mormons are known for their missionary zeal. From an early age, Mormon children are told that it is their duty to the church to go on a two-year mission immediately after they graduate from high school.
• Mormons resist the label of cult, because the term effectively separates them from orthodox Christianity. Mormons consider themselves Christians, and they will tell you that they believe in the Bible, God, and Jesus Christ. By all outward appearances, Mormons appear to be Christians, but their beliefs tell a much different story.
• The Mormon Church was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith. He was born in Vermont in 1805 and he grew up in upstate New York. Smith grew up a very spiritually sensitive person, and he was bothered by the conflict he saw between the Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist denominations. It is said that one day in 1820 while Smith was praying in the woods near his home that he received a vision in which two “personages” – God the Father and God the Son – appeared to him. They told him that all the churches and their beliefs were wrong. A new church was needed, and they wanted Smith to start and lead it. On September 21, 1823, Smith claims he asked for and received another vision by an angel named Moroni and he told Smith that there was a book inscribed on gold plates buried somewhere near his home. The gold plates contained information about the former inhabitants of America, along with an account of the true gospel, which had been given to the ancient inhabitants by the “Savior.” The Book of Mormon is Smith’s translation of those gold plates. He began gaining converts to his “one true church,” and from 1831 to 1844 his church grew throughout Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Smith faced great opposition especially in the state of Missouri, some Mormons were jailed and even killed causing many to move to Nauvoo, Illinois. Smith became mayor of this little town and even commanded a small army there. It was here that he came up with new revelations about the Godhead, the origin, and destiny of the human race, eternal progression, baptism of the dead, and polygamy. It was this practice of polygamy that caused outsiders and many Mormon converts to seriously question this new belief system. Smith had more than 30 wives. Smith was arrested for rioting and charged with treason and conspiracy. While in jail on June 27, 1844, a mob of 200 stormed the jail in Carthage, Illinois and killed Smith.
• Brigham Young who was a Mormon apostle replaced Smith as prophet in 1844. There have been 15 prophets since Smith. Brigham Young is noted for the move across the Great Plains in 1847 to the Great Salt Lake in Utah, where he established Salt Lake City, “the new Zion.” Polygamy flourished here until 1890 when with pressure from the United States government threatened to confiscate the church’s temples and property and deny Utah the opportunity for statehood if the polygamous practice continued.

The Mormon Scriptures – Four Standard Works

1. The Book of Mormon – Joseph Smith once called the Book of Mormon the most correct book on earth. Thousands of words and entire chapters from the Book of Isaiah have been taken directly from the King James Version of the Bible.

2. Doctrines and Covenants – Smith also claimed that the Book of Mormons was the most complete book written. Three years after writing the Book of Mormon, Smith wrote the Book of Commandments. Two years later he revised the book and called it Doctrines and Covenants. It includes many well-known Mormon beliefs, such as eternal progression, polygamy, and the ability of humans to become God.

3. The Pearl of Great Price – This sacred Mormon book, Smith also wrote to correct the translation of the Book of Moses and the Gospel of Matthew, along with the Articles of Faith.

4. The “Inspired” Version of the Bible – Smith believed and taught that every translation of the Bible was corrupt, so he did his own translation. The Mormon version includes a passage in Genesis 50 that predicts the coming of Joseph Smith.




Unless it is Girl Scout cookie season that knock at your door on a Saturday morning is likely to be two of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their zealous door-to-door evangelism has made them one of the fastest-growing religions. There are currently over 6,000,000 Witnesses in 230 countries of the World. In the United States, there are approximately 988,000 Witnesses. Their growth is largely due to the door-to-door evangelistic practices.



They evangelize for two reasons:

1. Your spiritual condition – why they want to introduce you to their beliefs.

2. Their spiritual condition – the door-to-door witnessing fulfills one of their most important requirements for their own personal salvation.

5. Jehovah's Witness: A View from the Watchtower 




What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about…

• God – They believe that there is one God – Jehovah. There is only one correct name for God – Jehovah. They interpret the Bible to say that the exclusive use of the name Jehovah is a mark of the only true religion. There is no Trinity, which was a lie originated by Satan. There is a Holy Spirit, but it is just another name for God’s active force - kind of like electricity.
• Jesus – They don’t consider Jesus to be the Son of God. Instead, Jesus is actually Michael the archangel, who was the first of God’s creations. When Michael came to earth, then he was called Jesus. After his resurrection, when Jesus returned to heaven, he was back to being Michael the archangel. Because Jesus isn’t God, The Witnesses can’t pray to him. It would be heresy to do so. Anyone found “guilty” of such a transgression is disassociated from the organization in disgrace.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a tightly organized religion. While Witnesses meet in local “Kingdom Halls,” strict guidelines on issues of structure and doctrine are dictated from the “Governing Body” at the global headquarters located in Brooklyn, New York.


The Jehovah’s Witness movement was founded by Charles T. Russell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1872. A decade before Russell’s birth, there had been intense interest in the return of Christ, and His return was predicted to occur in 1842 by a man named William Miller. When 1842 came and went without Christ’s return, Miller adjusted his prediction to 1844. that prediction was also wrong and Miller was discredited, but some of his followers went on to form the Advent Christian Church and others formed the Seventh-Day Adventists.



As a child, Russell grew up believing in the traditional notions of Christianity. As he grew older, he became increasingly skeptical of the existence of a literal hell. At the age of twenty he met some members of a Seventh-Day Adventists group and was intrigued by their belief in the imminent return of Christ to establish the millennial era. Russell established his own International Bible Students’ Association and predicted himself that the millennial age would begin in 1914. By 1881 Russell’s organization was known as Zion’s Watchtower Tract Society, and he printed the first edition of the magazine now known as the Watchtower. In 1888, 50 people were involved full-time in this upstart religious movement. Russell’s skills as a communicator helped stimulate much of the interest. In addition to his published sermons, he wrote a seven-volume series, Studies in the Scriptures that became the doctrinal foundation for his followers. Russell said that it would be better to read his writings than the Bible. His prediction for 1914 didn’t happen like he predicted and he had to adjust his prediction, but his subsequent predictions never happened either. Present-day Jehovah’s Witnesses readily admit this, but they attach great significance to the fact that World War I began in 1914, which changed the course of history. Charles Russell died in 1916. His successor was Joseph Rutherford and he became the “new oracle of God’s message for this age.” Rutherford expanded the written literature by writing an average of one new book each year. His writings became the new standard for doctrinal and scriptural reinterpretation. Whenever they contradicted Russell’s writings, Rutherford’s writings were considered consistent with the current progressive light.


Rutherford:

• Introduced another magazine called The Golden Age – now known as Awake.
• He reinforced the emphasis of door-to-door witnessing.
• In 1931 the group was named Jehovah’s Witnesses

Afterlife – Russell was determined as a young man that Witnesses deny the existence of hell. There is no eternal punishment. All non-Witnesses are annihilated immediately upon death – no prolonged pain or torture in an afterlife, just evaporation. For the Witnesses there is an afterlife. There will be an elite ruling class of 144,000 who actually get admitted to heaven. The rest of the Witnesses will live on a new and improved earth, which Jehovah will establish in the millennium. Until then, the spirits of the faithful Witnesses who die will remain in an unconscious state until they are resurrected in the millennium.



Salvation – Because Jesus is not considered to be God, he doesn’t play a very significant role in the salvation process. His death on the cross cancels out Adam’s sin. Since we don’t have that sin nature hanging over our heads from our original ancestor, we have a chance to be righteous on our own. Your righteousness is accomplished by being a Witness and testifying for Jehovah.

Catholics & Baptists - Differences

1. Virgin Mary – Roman Catholics believe that Mary was perfect in word and deed; they believe that she was sinless and pure, and can consequently act as a mediator between God and us. Baptists on the other hand, believe that Mary was a faithful servant of God, but deny that she was sinless. Baptists also stress that there is only one mediator between God and us, which id Jesus Christ.
2. Salvation – Roman Catholics believe that God grants salvation based on faith, works and participation in the Holy Sacraments, like Communion and penance. Baptists believe God gives salvation to anyone who gas faith in Him. Baptists stress the doctrine of “Sola Fide,” which says we are justified by faith and not works. Both believe that faith is necessary, Roman Catholics don’t believe that it is the only aspect of salvation.
3. Security of Salvation – Baptists believe the traditional Evangelical phrase, “Once saved, always saved.” They believe that one you are joined with Jesus Christ in the spirit, nothing can remove you from His presence. Roman Catholics believe that you can lose your salvation by dying without confessing a mortal sin.
4. Role of the Church – Baptists believe that churches are to be fully autonomous and separate from one another. They believe that the church does hold authority, although they believe this authority is limited. Roman Catholics believe that the church holds ultimate authority, because they believe in apostolic succession: the belief that the papacy has been passed down since Jesus Christ appointed St. Peter as leader of the church. Roman Catholics and Baptists therefore see the roles of the church in completely different ways.

Remember what Paul said:

1. Know what you believe
2. Know what others believe
3. Reach out in love
4. Be ready to explain what you believe

Our beliefs should reject any thinking or practices that deny the centrality of Christ.

I. CHOOSE FULLNESS OVER EMPTINESS – COLOSSIANS 2:8-15

8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. 9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in Him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah. 12 Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.



Paul encouraged the Colossians to remember that “the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ” and that they “have been filled by Him.”



What doctrines should be included in a full portrayal of who Christ is and what he did?



Why is the doctrine of Christ crucial to combating false doctrine such as the heresy opposed by the Colossians?

• Through Christ we have died to the old way of life and awakened to life in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who enables us to interpret Scripture (John 14:26). He is called the “Spirit of Truth” (v. 17). The Spirit continually testifies of Jesus (15:26). We cannot understand the Scriptures or know Jesus fully without the Spirit’s assistance, and until we come to Jesus by faith, we will not have the power of the indwelling Spirit to help us interpret truth and identify error.

II. CHOOSE SUBSTANCE OVER SHADOWS – COLOSSIANS 2:16-19

16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his unspiritual mind. 19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.



What is it that makes people often afraid of shadows?

• Shadows often appear much larger than the reality that created the shadow. They also are dark and do not enable you to see all the detail of the thing that cast its shadow, leaving too much room for interpretation.

What are some of the shadows that Paul mentioned in these verses?

• Paul mentioned food and drink, holy days, ascetic practices (denying their body its necessities), worship of angels, supernatural visions. Note that some of these are legitimate pursuits: pleasing God with one’s diet, celebrating holy days. Others of these practices were illegitimate: worship of angels, visions that inflated the mind of those who interpreted them. Shadows can be cast by both legitimate and illegitimate pursuits.

Why should we choose substance over shadows?

• Shadows may remind us of the object that cast the shadow, but they could never benefit us like the real object. Paul revealed that the “substance is the Messiah.” Jesus is the One that all other shadows should reflect. Whatever is not a reflection of Jesus should be rejected. Likewise, we must never worship the shadow, even if it reflects Jesus. Our worship is reserved for Him alone.

III. CHOOSE RELATIONSHIP OVER RULES – COLOSSIANS 2:20-23

20 If you died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men. 23 Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.






What happens when people value rules above relationships?

• Paul described our relationship with Christ as beginning at the time we “died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world.” This does not mean that those who know Christ have no rules but that life is more than keeping the rules. Those who keep the “rules” of the Bible but do not know the God of the Bible have not experienced life.

Why do some people think that it is easier to keep the rules than maintain a relationship with Christ?

• The rules give us the appearance of wisdom (v. 23), but they do not establish the relationship. We should obey God because we love Him (John 14:15). Just because a person obeys does not mean that he loves. However, if a person truly loves, he will primarily obey.

What blessings does a relationship with Christ bring that dutiful obedience may never bring?

• Keeping the commandments does not bring the warmth of fellowship with God. Obedience is critical in our maintaining fellowship with God, but it can never replace the relationship.

Conclusion: How do the empty philosophies of today’s society hold people captive?

• They blind people to the truth of who Christ is and what He came to do. We cannot break free from a philosophy that we do not see as erroneous. We must constantly measure our beliefs by Scripture and by Christ, the written and living Word.

 

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, deliver me from the deceptive snare of false teachings and the powerful influences of false teachers. Amen

This is another great lesson on the centrality of Christ. You won't want to miss this lesson as we will explore several of the differences out there that challenge our belief.

Hope you have a blessed rest of the week and we will see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan