Counsel from a Concerned Apostle, Part 3

Today from Chuck Swindoll stay with Christ, keep them in the center you supreme years are all in all, four in Christ lives all fullness God in human body. You are complete through your union with Christ who is the head over every room run up already.

Referring again to the demonic. He is head over all by having Christ you have the fullness of God. Welcome to Insight for living featuring the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll by Bill Meyer your new program host grateful to be stepping into Dave Speicher's role. Dave's been a good friend and colleague for many of today's program.

Chuck continues teaching from Colossians chapter 2. This section contains practical wisdom from a seasoned brother in the Christian faith. One of the Colossians to experience the fullness of their union in Christ. In the event you missed Friday's program will begin with helpful highlights Chuck titled his message counsel from a concerned apostle. Nothing else. I hope you will pick up from this message today that people matter. Your relationship with others is far more important than anything other than your relationship to Christ.

We need each other. Paul begins this second chapter of Colossians.

Continuing with the thought of Christ's power that works within me. He says I want you to know how much I've agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea doesn't even know if I go to copyrights.

I've agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea for many other believers who have never met me. Personal Paul cares about these people living in Colossae so you want to deceive you with their well-crafted arguments for though I am far away from you. My heart is with you. Those words of love by the way I'm not near you I got you in my heart, I rejoice that your living as you shorted your faith in Christ is strong. I wanted to stay strong fact while I'm on the subject of warning have you marked some warnings, verse four, so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. Verse eight there's another one. Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies of high sounding nonsense of the word capture wrist to take you captive to march you into their their place where they will hold you. It's like an addiction.

You can't get free of some of the call sometime your life is in danger. Verse 16. Don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbath at the list of legalistic things that the leader is saying you need to start doing or stop doing. If you don't you won't know the pleasure of God to give you the list last biblical list so he warns them about falling in the trap of the legalists.

Some of you have lived there. You could stand and speak on your own to tell others around you. What you went through not only trying to live up to the list, but when you decided to break free from. You were shunned, you were ostracized and perhaps still are still going on 18. Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels.

This the whole asceticism that he's emphasizing. Don't let anyone rob you of your prize or disqualify you see now why we need one another.

What if Paul weren't there to warn them that fall into the trap.

It's very appealing if I'm living in isolated life chances are great that I'll be sucked right into you check it out. You check out those that get drawn into calls are often isolationist, who's gotten a little bit disillusioned in life and this new teaching sounds very attracted someone no one deceive you with well-crafted argument. I rejoice that your living as you should let your faith in Christ, a strong affirmation. Fabulous.

Don't you love that he says to them.

I commend you for living as you should, and your faith in Christ is strong. Notice how we put your faith in Christ is strong. Each of these is a slap in the Gnostics face they're not hearing that their faith in Christ is important there hearing the opposite is not really that important. Although the apostle says you're strong because your faith in Christ is strong never get far from the person of Christ. When you do your headed for trouble.

Now having affirmed them. He gives the basic rudiments of Christianity look at them in verses six and seven. You talk about versus worth memorizing. There they are, Colossians 2, six and seven should be on the lips and in the mind of every believer in Christ.

Those are two verses that are worth your memorizing this into the and now just as you accepted Christ Jesus is the Lord that salvation. That's the new birth.

Christianity begins for each individual by our putting our faith and trust in Christ by our accepting him.

The Lord Jesus Christ.

That's that's the first part no notice for the wrong, you must uses the word. You must continue to follow him, just as you have trusted in Christ given him your soul for eternity.

So you must "with him.

Others more as you began to master this walking, you begin to put your roots down this fun it was great getting to what you have now been birthed.

You have now begun to walk so you grow in Christ, and you begin to deepen your roots.

Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on here, not on some high sounding philosophy not on some slick wording in the pickup from the false teacher were birth, we begin to walk. We put our roots down and then we start to produce and what we produce thankfulness that you pin ready to give your verse of Scripture to put in the margin of Colossians 2, six and seven. It's Hebrews 1315.

Hebrews 1315 listen to it by him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of lips giving thanks to his name by him. None other than the Lord God let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually. The fruit of lips giving thanks to his name naming the name the name of Christ, giving thanks to his name and right on the heels of that, there's another warning.

That's why we need each other. We need people who warned us look at it. Don't let anyone capture you that is the idea of lead you away captive with empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that come from human thinking from the spiritual powers of this world. It is a subtle reference to the demonic power calls are fed by demonic power.

False teachers get their energy from false God's there's a whole system of demonic authorities that operate in realms, all of which are invisible and insidious.

You cannot see them. You will not hear them unless they're speaking through the vocal cords of a false teacher. He speaks of them as those that come from human thinking and spiritual powers rather than what look at the University rather than from Christ.

There we are again stay with Christ. Keep him in the center. He is supreme. He is are all in all, rather than from Christ. For in Christ, and he decides he will just go a little deeper and test their mettle when it comes to the ability to grasp in Christ lives all the fullness of God in the human body and keep us busy for a while.

Look at it in Christ. And no other, or he would've told us there are others, but in Christ alone lives the fullness of God in a human body and to make it even better.

Verse 10 you are complete through your union with Christ who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Referring again to the demonic realm he is head over all by having Christ you have the fullness of God.

One man put it this way it represents the essence of God, undivided in its whole fullness dwelling in Christ, in his exalted state so that he, Christ is the essential and adequate image of God, how magnificent. Must've been the experience of the disciples who walked alongside the one who was full of grace and truth. John admits we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace under their lives were transferable.

No wonder they lost interest in fishing in Galilee and selling our involvement taxing other. Everything focused on the fullness of what they had in Christ, you are complete through your union with Christ. Would you never forget it.

You don't need more if you have Christ you're not missing anything because with Christ you have the very essence of God. He represented him in human flesh through your union with Christ you have him.

I like the way Kent Hughes describes this from his book on Colossians.

Listen to this illustration. My wife and I once stood on the shore of the vast Pacific Ocean to finite dots alongside a seemingly infinite expanse as we stood there we reflected that if I were to take up tight jar and allow the ocean to rush into it. Internet start my jar would be filled with specific fullness of the Pacific in that jar, but I could never put the fullness of the Pacific Ocean into my jar thinking of Christ. We realize that because he is infinite he can hold all the fullness of deity, and whenever one of us finite creatures dips the tiny vessel of our life into him. We instantly become full of his fullness agreed that will take up your lonely nights and fill it with thoughts like you've rarely had. When you have Christ you carry within you the very essence of the living God. That's how the Lord sees you complete in Christ complete nothing like before I'm through. I need to get into verses 11 and 12. Even though there were little delicate because you they use a word that is not usually used in public and rarely, if ever, from a pulpit.

This is a word that appears in medical places or eight days after birth. Among the Rabbi's who were trained to do the work of circumcision but isn't referring to a physical circumcision. Think read, listen when you came to Christ, you were quote circumcised, but he quickly adds, not biophysical procedure, Christ performed a spiritual circumcision.

The cutting away of your sinful nature was that mean say with me. It means this when I turn to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and I trust him and him alone for eternal life.

At that moment sin no longer dominates my life until I came to Christ. I couldn't say no every temptation was just a matter of time before you, but now that I have Christ and the fullness of God within me. I can say no because the power of Christ working through my mind and through my life. It enables me to resist the old nature was circumcised in the sense that it lost its power it once had over me. Let's read on for you were buried with Christ when you were baptized in with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God raised Christ from the dead River Galatians 220 I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live. I live with the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I've been co-buried co-resurrected co-ascendant with Christ so that I am now completing him having the same power he had over sin. I have it within me and because of that, he becomes all important to me now. How does all of this apply what could we say that could get you something to walk away with and remember you listen so carefully and it hasn't been an easy section to explain, but I think you began to get it. Let me give you three thoughts one has to do with something you will do once a week. The second has to do with something I suggest you do everyday, and the third has to do with something you do.

Several times a day. Here we go once a week at firm and encourage someone you love. Just like Paul tells them you are you are strong and and I rejoice with you because your faith in Christ is strong at firm at least one other person every week. That's one more than you've affirmed for a long time so I realize it's a new thought, but how valuable it is.

By the way, when you affirm someone you may want to write them something.

Don't send them a text. Don't put it on the computer you got fingers right with your own hand. Something happens when it's a hand written statement of affirmation. I'll risk a little inside part of our lives. Every once in a while I'll send Cynthia a love note what it says is none of your business work on and I put the wording together in just such a way that that I want her to remember it and I'll write it and then I usually don't assign ice to sonic Chuck Swindoll submits she realized she knew the handwriting and so on. To sign J what's funny is when the get once in a while to see him take one of the love notes and put it on the mirror in the bathroom. We share little mirror in front of our sinking and there will be and I'll read it right. But what's funny is when the kids walk in oh sweetheart you mean so much to me how wonderful dad that you would write that most kids have no business reading love notes and I write to Mike my have a little fun with you, but I urge you to write a love note, not just to your partner.

Pick someone you really love and the family.

When you kids may add a little glycerin tablet because of shock. I'm almost to death when they get it. Some of you can't remember the last time you affirm the kids after all you been given to criticize really I can find that the Bible about being remembered for your affirmation and encouragement about the kids when you're finally gone saying the thing I miss most or the notes used to send me or not be a phone call you on your way somewhere or maybe you are a long ways away. Just thinking of you today want you to know how much you mean to me how grateful I am for whatever once a week once a week. Affirm and encourage someone you love is the second once a day once a day.

Think of something for which you are grateful, until the Lord. Thank you once a day. Think of something for which you are grateful something will prompt you to think that happened to me today when I drove onto the church property. It was 10 minutes until seven this morning I drove on.

There was another car to hear, but I saw three American flags fly, I hadn't asked anybody to put up the American flags on all three pole but are very thoughtful custodial staff went ahead and put a big flag on this sin, did you notice if you didn't, you need your eyeglasses change in his huge and I saw the flags and I said thank you Lord that I live in this country. Thank you. It may be a little thing Bruce Martin wrote sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things I'm tempted to think, there are no little thing before you let your head now sunk into the pillow for a night sleep, find a reason to say thank you Lord for telling this passage says you will be overflowing with thankfulness. Every day several times every day. Here's your third assignment little simple project through the hours of the day. Paul is on occasion and remind yourself I am complete in Christ, tell yourself that I am complete in Christ.

I'm fully accepted by you and your father because of Christ.

I'm freed from the domination of sins control because of what he did for me on the cross absolutely secure now and forever, and my salvation because of Christ. I'm completed got it. See how your week looks about a week from now that with me.

Would you so much fun to be together, Lord, and in such a delight to open this magnificent book as we see black print on white pages. We realize it is and just print just truth to live by truth, if necessary, to die for. Deliver us from a frivolous shallow indifferent spirit in a day in which all of that is so popular in for someone to care for to care about free us to say so catch us up short when we resist being vulnerable with words like I love you I need you. You're important to me. Finally, Lord. Thank you for Jesus loved us and gave himself for hours.

He is are all we need nothing else. When it comes to eternal worship screen. Everybody's a that's the title Chuck Swindoll assigned to this brand-new study of Colossians and this is insight for living. If you're keeping track, you'll notice we reach the middle of our teaching series. Chuck's message today is the fifth of a 10 part study to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insideworld.org well over the years we discovered that inside for living listeners are learners. This program attracts an audience that wants to know more about the Bible. So in addition to these daily visits inside for living offers a wide variety of Bible study tools. For instance, Chuck is audit a complete commentary on Colossians. This book, which also includes his commentary on Philippians and Philemon can be purchased right now when you go to insight.org/offer or call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888.

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Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 807 seven 288 or give online@insight.org/donate that's insight.org/donate. Thank you for generously supporting the nonprofit ministry of insight right here on insight for living. The preceding message counsel from a concerned apostle was copyrighted in 2014 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited