Christ Over Religion

Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever been to a victory parade? Anybody ever remember this one?

! This was the Dallas Mavericks back in 2011, the last time they won the NBA championship.

Usually a victory parade, for those of you who don't know, is after your team wins the league championship.

And then at the end of the season, they get to come back to their home city.

And they get to throw a big bash, a big parade.

And go through the streets and everybody cheers and claps.

And it's a great time.

Taking pictures.

Usually they're playing, we are the champions, my friend.

I don't know if Queen knew that was going to become the official song of victory parades when he wrote that.

But listen, yeah, 2011, about 200,000 people lined the streets of downtown Dallas, climbing light poles, hanging off of overpasses.

It was great.

Then the Rangers, it was about two years ago when they won the World Series.

Wasn't that great?

We're getting a little more excited about that.

Okay, good.

Packed half a million people along the parade route in Arlington.

It was awesome.

I didn't get to go because I valued my life.

But had a great time and got to watch it online.

And then for the Dallas Cowboys.

I think I was 11.

It was great.

You should have been there.

Look, I'm mad too, folks.

All right?

Dak's going to get us there, maybe.

All right.

Anyway, that's not what this is about.

But wouldn't it be great if it was?

Wouldn't it be great if life was more like a victory parade?

No matter what happens, a flat tire, somebody cuts you off in traffic, somebody's passive aggressive to you at work,

a cold goes through your house, doesn't matter, man.

Your team won the championship and everything else just doesn't compare.

How great would that be?

Well, let's dive back into Colossians.

Paul's letter to the church at Colossae.

And let's see what in the world victory parades have to do with what he's teaching us in Colossians chapter 2.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

This is our series, Christ Over All.

When you take a whole book of the Bible and you reduce it down to the main theme,

this is Christ Over All, our study of Colossians.

Two weeks ago, we learned that in him, Jesus Christ,

all things hold together in this grand cosmos, this ordered universe in which we live.

Jesus is holding it all together and he holds us together.

And then last Sunday, we looked at the end of Colossians 1.

We saw that once we were alienated and now we are reconciled.

God has brought us into the family as his children

when once we were considered his enemies because of our sin.

So, this Sunday, we're going to look at Colossians chapter 2.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

Colossians 2 verses 1 through 3.

Colossians 2:1–3

Let's go ahead and read.

For I want you to know how greatly I'm struggling for you,

for those in Laodicea,

for all who have not seen me in person.

I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love

so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding.

Wouldn't it be great to have complete understanding of God?

Someday we'll have it.

Right now, we get bits and pieces as his spirit reveals them to us through his word.

But that we would have complete understanding

and have the knowledge of God's mystery.

What is that mystery?

Christ.

Jesus Christ.

He is the mystery that we're beginning to have revealed to us.

In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

So, before we pick it up in verse 4 here,

I wanted to get through these three verses because Paul sets it up here.

And he says,

If you understand who Christ is,

if you understand who Jesus is,

and who you are in him,

then you'll never settle for religion again.

And that's what the theme is today.

Colossians chapter 2.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

Christ over religion.

Let's pray together.

God, I pray that you would open up our minds to the teaching of your word today.

That through this letter from Paul to this church in Colossae so many years ago,

that this church in Henrietta

would by your spirit have our eyes open to see that you are so much bigger

than what we call religion.

That you would free us from its shackles.

Show us the freedom we have in you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Alright, so we're picking it up in verse 4 now.

I am saying this, Paul says,

so that no one will deceive you

with arguments that sound reasonable.

Has anyone,

if you're not ashamed to lift your hand,

is anyone willing to admit

that you've been deceived by arguments that sounded reasonable?

And then later you found out they weren't.

Yep, me too.

I got both hands up.

There have been times in my life

when I was deceived by something that sounded really reasonable.

Yeah, that makes sense.

And then later I found out it was a bunch of crock.

It was absolutely false.

So, he says,

I don't want this to happen to you.

So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord,

continue to live in him.

Being rooted.

Make note of that word.

Rooted.

And built up.

So did you get the contrast there?

We're going down deeper in our roots.

And we're going up,

built up in him

and established in the faith.

This is how you are established in the faith.

By digging your roots deep in Christ

and then letting him build this building on top of those roots.

Just as you were taught

and overflowing with gratitude.

So Paul's saying,

don't fall for reasonable sounding religion.

Instead,

choose Christ.

Don't settle for religion.

Save that for Jesus.

What are we talking about?

A reasonable sounding religion.

The kind that says,

if you just try harder,

do more,

follow all the rules that we've given you,

by the way,

then God will love you more.

God will value you more.

God will choose you

if you

follow what we say you should do.

But that,

in a nutshell,

described most religions

in the ancient times

and it still describes them today.

So when we say religion,

I want to be very clear about this up front.

When I say religion,

in this sermon today,

I'm talking about

the man-made construct

that often takes the place

of what Jesus

was coming to institute

on this world.

And if you look at Jesus' time

walking around on this earth,

much of it was spent

fighting against religion.

Fascinatingly enough,

most of it was spent

fighting against

the Jewish religion

that God had founded

and then man

had co-opted.

Man had

hijacked.

Jesus was coming

to turn the page

and do away

with what they had done.

So,

if you just

try harder,

if you do

what we tell you,

then you can have victory.

then you can have

what you're striving for.

But there's a truth here

that Paul is teaching

all through

Colossians chapter 2

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

that runs

totally counteracted

to that.

And it's this truth

that we don't fight

for victory.

We fight

from

victory.

We're going to dive

into that a little bit more

and flesh it out.

But I want to lay that out there

as where we're trying

to get to.

This is the point

we're trying to arrive at

today, okay?

We don't fight

for a victory.

We fight already

from the place

of victory.

So,

as we discover

that today,

let's look at

number one.

From rules

to roots.

We're going to look

at what Paul

just taught us

in verse 7

being rooted

and built up

in Jesus.

So,

we're shifting

from the rules

of religion

to our roots

in Christ.

What do we mean

by roots?

How are we rooted

in Christ?

Well,

don't you just love

roses?

Aren't they beautiful?

Lovely,

aren't they?

Wives,

would you accept that

as an anniversary gift?

It's roses, man.

It's the roots

of roses.

roses.

How many of y'all

like apples?

Aren't they tasty

and delicious?

Don't you just want

one right now

looking at that picture?

That's an apple tree,

folks.

It's the roots.

One of my favorite

things in all the world

is a nice,

crisp,

juicy,

green grape.

Don't they look appetizing?

It's the roots.

roots.

But I can promise you

that roses,

apples,

and grapes

would not exist

without these three things.

These things

cause the fruit

to appear

that we then enjoy.

But the roots

are the most important part.

Without the roots

digging deep

into good soil,

we don't get to enjoy

the roses

or the apples

or the grapes

or you substitute

whatever you'd like to.

You don't grow

by pretty fruit.

You don't grow

by making your fruit

prettier.

How do you grow?

By making

your roots

deeper.

You grow

by getting

your roots

deeper.

That is what

produces fruit.

That is what

produces something

that you would enjoy.

Something of value.

So just like

a plant

or a vegetable

or a fruit

that we enjoy,

it comes

from the roots.

So,

the fruits

only exist

because of the roots.

Jeremiah 17

produces a principle

here.

The more

we're rooted

in Christ,

the stronger

we will be.

The more

we're rooted

in Christ,

the stronger

we will be.

The person

who trusts

in the Lord,

whose confidence

indeed

is in the Lord,

is blessed.

Anybody ever

seen somebody

on social media

put in

hashtag blessed?

Usually when they

get a new car

or a new house

or something great

happens to them,

hashtag blessed.

It's great.

Kind of seems

a little shallow.

I don't know,

like they don't

maybe understand

exactly what

the blessings

of God are

because they

don't always

manifest themselves

in something

of monetary value.

Something that

would be

only for the

wealthy

or only for

those in

the financial

place to be

able to do it.

That's not

always how

God's blessings

manifest themselves

in our lives.

Sometimes they're

in joy

in the midst

of a storm.

Sometimes they're

in peace

when everyone

around you

is losing

their minds.

Often that is

how God's blessings

manifest themselves.

And so it says

when you trust

in God

and your confidence

is in Him,

you will experience

God's blessings.

You will be

like a tree

planted by

the water.

Notice that

word water.

And then in

verse 8 it says

it sends its

roots out

toward a stream.

There it is

again.

The water,

the stream.

It doesn't fear

when the heat

comes.

Why?

Because it's

near the water.

Its foliage,

its leaves

remain green.

This is what

a life looks

like when its

roots are deep

in Christ.

Because who's

the water?

Who's the stream?

It's Jesus.

It's God's

spirit.

That's where

we draw our

strength.

So when the

heat comes

and it threatens

to dry you up

and those around

you are getting

dried up,

you remain

productive

because your

roots are deep

and moving

toward the

water.

Moving toward

the stream.

So this is

what Paul's

encouraging this

church to do.

Move your

roots toward

Christ.

let them

grow deeper

down.

I can promise

you there are

so many people

who come to

church on

Sundays

and they live

relatively upright

lives in society

and they say

they're Christians

but when the

storm comes

their house is

built on sand.

when the heat

comes

their roots

are not

deep.

They're not

digging toward

the water

of Jesus

and they dry

up.

Their house

falls.

They can't

last

because it

wasn't real.

It wasn't

faith.

it was

something else.

So Paul's

saying don't

be like

that.

Dig your

roots down

deep.

Continue to

live in

Christ Jesus

being rooted

and built up

in him and

established in

the faith.

So from

rules to

roots.

Before we go

on to number

two I want

to make this

last point.

Religion is

all about

rules.

Jesus is

all about

roots.

You say

what makes

our church

the Baptist

church

different from

the Methodist

church or

the Christian

church or

the church

of Christ

or the

Catholic

church or

whatever else.

When you

nail it down

it comes down

to whatever

rules that

we have

decided to

believe

or teach.

The sign

on the

church

usually

distinguishes

that church's

set of

rules from

a different

one.

But that's

not what

it's about.

And I'm

not telling

you that

there's no

difference between

the churches

sometimes there

are.

But the

real difference

between whether

a church is

right or

wrong.

You ready

for this?

It's going

to be a

controversial

statement.

You can put

it out on

Facebook and

say that

preacher's

lost his

mind if

he ever

had it in

the first

place.

Here we

go.

The

difference

and how

you decide

whether a

church is

right or

wrong is

whether Jesus

is more

important than

the rules.

Whether its

roots go

deeper than

the rules

that they've

decided on.

That's the

difference on

whether a

church is

right or

wrong.

So we're

not going

to pick on

a particular

denomination

or say this

one, there's

no way that

that's the

case.

You have to

let the

Holy Spirit

guide you

in that.

But there

are many

that it's

pretty obvious

from the

outside looking

in that

their rules

are more

important than

Jesus himself.

And I

pray, literally

every day, I

pray that our

church would not

be one of

those.

That we

would not be

one that

says our

rules that we

decided on,

because I can

promise you

this, you

take a passage

of scripture

and you get

ten different

people in the

room and they

can all read

it and they

can come away

with ten

different opinions

on what it

means.

The Bible

is like

that.

Why?

Because the

Holy Spirit

of God is

supposed to

guide each

of us

individually.

So we

can come away

with ten

different opinions

and ten

different set

of rules based

on what we

think the

Bible teaches

in this

passage.

So who's

right?

Which one

of the ten

is right?

That's where

God's Spirit

has to guide

you.

and you

have to

hold some

of those

rules loosely

and say

my roots

are going

to go deep

in Jesus

and that's

going to

guide me

more than

my interpretation

of this one

particular set

and how it

disagrees with

hers or his

or his or

hers.

But that's

not how the

church has

operated.

For centuries

splits have

happened.

Christians have

gotten mad at

each other.

They say I'm

done with this

kind of church

because they

believe these

rules and I

don't believe

this is what

the Bible

teaches.

So I'm

going to go

over here

and we're

going to

start our

own church.

And that

happens time

and time

and time

and time

again.

Why?

Because the

roots were

not as deep

as their

belief in

their rules.

The truth

is we ought

to be able to

set aside

some of those

things.

Say well in

this church

we do this

kind of music.

In this

church we

believe in

this and

we absolutely

do not

believe in

that.

You say no

you do.

Truth is the

person on the

other side of

the sanctuary

from you may

not believe

that like you

do.

And that's

all right as

long as both

of your roots

are digging

down into

Jesus.

That's what

it's about.

So I'll

get off that

soapbox now

and we can

move on to

number two.

It's about

the roots in

Christ.

It's not about

the rules and

how good you

are or bad

you are at

obeying them.

It's about

how deep your

roots go in

Jesus.

Number two,

religion's about

the flesh.

Jesus is about

fullness.

We're moving

from flesh to

fullness.

Look down in

verse nine.

the entire

fullness of

God's nature

dwells bodily

in Christ

Jesus.

And you

have been

filled by

him who

is the

head over

every ruler

and authority.

You were

also circumcised

in him with

a circumcision

not done with

hands.

Does anybody

need to pause

here and try

to figure out

why Paul's

talking about

circumcision?

Does that

strike any

of you as

odd?

Because that's

something that's

a procedure,

a medical

procedure that

happens to

little baby

boys right

after they're

born.

What is it?

A week or

ten days or

two weeks after

they're born?

Something like

that, right?

You take him

back in, you

get him

circumcised.

Why is Paul

talking about

this?

Because it

was a big

controversy.

Because the

Jews back

then were

pretty much

the only ones

circumcising

their baby

boys.

Now are

you ready

for this?

Men, are

y'all ready

for this?

Back then, if

you were going

to be a

follower of

Jesus, a

lot of those

early churches

were telling

the men that

they had to

get circumcised

if they were

going to come

join their

church.

Like adult

grown men.

I'm sorry,

that's not

pleasant to

think about.

Ow!

Especially with

the relative

lack of

anesthetic

back then.

Tough ask.

Here we just

tell you to

give a bunch

of money and

I'm kidding.

We don't

really put any

obligations on

you, restrictions

on you if you

want to join the

church other

than do you

believe in

Jesus?

Have you been

saved, baptized,

and we welcome

you into our

fellowship as a

follower of

Jesus?

But back

then it was

yeah man, you

got to go under

the knife.

It's not going

to be fun.

Well Paul's

fighting against

that.

He's saying no,

absolutely not.

You are so

focused on the

outward, the

flesh, saying

well they've got

to look like us.

Well first of all,

who would even

know?

You know, I

mean come on

folks.

No, that's

not what it's

about.

It's not about

whether on the

outside physical

appearance you

fit in.

But that's what

these early Jews

who had chosen

to follow Jesus

but they couldn't

get past their

rules.

They couldn't get

past their

regulations.

They couldn't get

past their

traditions.

Say you've got to

do it how we do

it.

you've got to

look like us.

It's all about

the flesh.

God says it's

about so much

more than the

flesh.

I'm here to

offer you

complete fullness

in me.

So verse 9

he says

the entire

fullness

of God's

nature

is available

to you

through Jesus.

it's so much

better

than your

religious

restrictions.

So

he says

this is about

a circumcision

that's not

done with

hands.

Putting

off the

body of the

flesh.

The circumcision

is done

in Christ.

This is how

we are united.

This is how

we are made

right.

it's all

in Jesus

not through

any physical

procedure.

And then he

continues

when you're

buried with

him in

baptism

which you

were

in which

you were

also

raised

with him

through

faith

in the

working

of God

who

raised

him

from

the

dead.

Paul

says

you don't

need

external

religion

to make

you

right

with

God

because

everything

that needed

to be

done

has

already

been

done

by

Jesus.

We

can't

add

anything

to the

gospel.

In our

starting point

class

this morning

we talked

about the

gospel.

We talked

about the

good news

what it

is

what it

isn't.

And I

can promise

you

circumcision

had no

part

of the

gospel.

That was

never a

requirement.

Neither

was faithful

church

attendance

every

Sunday.

Now you

ought to be

faithful in

your church

attendance

every Sunday.

Why?

Not so you

can go to

heaven when

you die.

Not so you

can have a

good relationship

between you

and God.

The relationship

is there

regardless.

It's

for your

own

benefit

and the

benefit

of the

body

of

Christ.

It's

because we

are good

for each

other.

It's

because we

need each

other.

And the

Holy Spirit

in me

communes

with the

Holy Spirit

in Bonnie

Hoff and

we can

fellowship

together

because we're

faithful in

attending the

gatherings of

the body

of Christ.

When the

body's

missing a

part it's

not whole.

But that

doesn't

affect our

standing in

God's eyes

whether we

miss a

Sunday or

not.

But we

choose to

gather because

we love each

other as

Jesus first

loved us.

That's what

fullness is.

That's what

God's offering

you.

Romans chapter

Romans 3 · chapter mention

3.

Romans, I'm

sorry, chapter

8 verse 3.

Romans chapter

Romans 8 · chapter mention

8 and verse

3.

I don't have

it on the

screen.

It's a little

bit of a

passage so if

you wouldn't

mind turning

there real

quick.

Romans chapter

Romans 8 · chapter mention

8 and

verse 3.

It would

have been a

lot of

flipping through

slides if I

put it all

up there.

So I just

thought we

could look at

the Bible

together.

Look on with

somebody next

to you if

you don't

have a copy

but there

should be a

copy in

front of

you.

If you

need to

look at

your phone

or tablet

that's fine

too as

long as

you're on

the Bible

app and

not checking

Facebook.

Alright?

Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 and

verse 3.

What the

law could

not do

since it

was weakened

by the

flesh,

God did.

Remember a

few Sundays

ago when we

looked at

the law

and then we

looked at

grace.

These are

two opposing

forces.

God established

the law to

show us how

we couldn't

keep it and

to bring us

to the place

where we

needed his

grace.

And all of

us are there.

We're all in

the same boat.

So he says

what the law

could not do

since it was

weakened by

the flesh,

God actually

did it.

He condemned

sin in the

flesh by sending

his own who?

His own son.

In order

that the

law's

requirement

would be

fulfilled in

us.

But wait a

minute, how

could the

law's requirement

be fulfilled

in us?

We don't

walk according

to the

flesh but

according to

the spirit.

That's how.

When Jesus

forgives your

sin and makes

you his

child, then

you move from

under the law

to under

grace.

So now we

don't walk

according to

the law

anymore.

Am I doing

okay today?

Well, yes,

because I

fulfilled the

law mostly.

No, that's

not how we

judge our

day anymore.

It's am I

walking by the

spirit today or

am I walking

according to my

own thinking,

my own

understanding?

All right?

So for those

who live

according to

the flesh,

in parentheses,

the law,

they have their

minds set on

the things of

the flesh.

But those who

live according to

the spirit,

have their

minds set on

things according

to the spirit.

So when you

have your

mind set on

the flesh,

you're thinking,

am I doing

all the

rules right?

Am I doing

all the

circumcision?

religion?

All the

things that

man-made

religion has

placed above a

relationship with

God.

They say as

long as you're

doing that,

long as you're

not wearing your

hat in church,

long as I

didn't hear a

cuss word come

out of your

mouth.

For me growing

up, as long as

you didn't go to

the movies.

Is everything in

the movie theater

wrong?

No, but people

might think you're

watching one of the

bad ones.

What?

Do you have a

TV?

Isn't that the

same?

Anyway, the

rules can change

and they do

depending on the

church you go to,

depending on the

person you hear,

how they see

things, how they

think, the rules

change.

That's why it's

never going to be

about the rules

because you can't

follow everybody's.

You certainly

can't follow

God's.

It has to be

about our

listening and

being guided by

the Holy Spirit.

That's the new

creation.

That's the new

way.

That's the new

command that

Jesus gave to

us.

Some of us are

still stuck in

the old one.

That's called

religion.

So, the

mindset of the

flesh is death.

Verse 6.

The mindset of

the spirit is

life and peace.

In case that

wasn't clear enough

for you, verse 7,

the mindset of

the flesh is

hostile to God

because it doesn't

submit to God's

law.

Your flesh will

never submit to

God's law.

It won't.

You're wired

differently.

You're not going to

obey God.

You're going to take

every chance you

have to disobey

God.

That's what we

all want to do.

God's the one who

makes us different.

So, the mindset of

the flesh is hostile

to God.

It doesn't submit to

God's law.

Verse, the end of

verse 7, it's

unable to do so.

You think you're a

good guy without

God?

You're not.

I'm not a good guy

without God.

Trust me.

And I'm not just

picking on the guys.

You think you're a

nice lady without

God?

You're not.

None of us are.

We are unable to

be so.

Verse 8, those who

are in the flesh

cannot please God.

So, I don't care how

good you look on the

outside.

This reminds me of

the passage where it

says there's going to

be people who get to

heaven someday and

stand before God and

they say, God, we did

all this in your name.

We went to church

every Sunday.

We gave our tithe.

We were good,

upstanding citizens in

the community.

And he's going to say,

depart from me.

I never knew you

because I never had

your heart.

You were doing it in

your flesh.

You were doing it under

the law.

You were trying to earn

it yourself.

And God says, get out.

You have no standing

here.

You have no place

here.

You never humbled

yourself and accepted

my grace as a

substitute for your

religion.

Those who are in the

flesh cannot please

God.

Verse 9, you,

however, are not in

the flesh.

You are in the

spirit, if indeed the

spirit of God lives in

you.

And that's what we

got to remind ourselves

of every day.

Does the spirit of God

live in me?

Then I am not under

the flesh.

I'm not under the

rules.

I'm not under the

law.

I have a real

relationship with God.

I'm family.

I'm family.

Let me live like it.

Let me live like God

loves me.

And because he loves

me, I can love

others.

That's the new way.

The law could expose

sin, but it couldn't

erase it.

The law was unable to

do so much that Jesus

instead did for us.

The law could diagnose

the problem, but it

could never deliver a

cure.

Your religion can

expose sin, but it

cannot erase it.

Your religion can

diagnose a problem, but

it can never deliver a

cure.

So where does that

lead us?

Religion is no

substitute for

relationship.

And Jesus' forgiveness

is no substitute for

his fullness.

You see, it doesn't just

start with his

forgiveness.

Oh, your sin's gone.

You get a blank check.

You get a get into

heaven free card.

That's not what it's

about.

It's about experiencing

the fullness of God.

God, we have unlocked

the fullness of God.

His forgiveness was

just the path to his

fullness.

It was what opened the

door.

Now we can experience the

fullness of God, not

hollow religion.

Finally, from chains to

change.

religion offers you

chains.

Jesus offers real

lasting change.

Look back at verse

eight.

We skipped it a minute

ago, but I want to go

back to it.

Colossians chapter two

and verse eight.

Be careful that no one

takes you captive

through philosophy and

empty deceit based on

human tradition.

Does that sound like

religion to you?

It does to me.

Taking you captive

through philosophy and

empty deceit based on

human tradition, based

on the elements of the

world rather than

Christ.

Now skip down to verse

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.

These were the

controversial topics for

them back then.

Insert your own

controversial topics

that religions argue

about and people argue

about.

Should I?

Shouldn't I?

Don't let anyone judge

you in regards to

these controversies.

These are a shadow of

what was to come.

The substance is Christ.

Is your religion a shadow

or does it have the

substance of Jesus?

Because most of what we

get in arguments about

and we go online and we

bash each other about,

it's a shadow.

It's not the substance.

Jesus is not a real part

of any of that.

It's just people getting

caught up in silly,

vain arguments.

So, let no one condemn

you by delighting in

ascetic practices.

I'm not going to get

into asceticism and all

that.

I preached a sermon about

a year and a half ago

that talked about

asceticism and how they

were trying to be more

holy than everybody else

by renouncing all the

pleasures of life.

They wouldn't allow

themselves any earthly

pleasures in saying,

I'm more like God

because I've done all

this.

It's not at all what

Jesus ever asked them

to do.

The worship of angels,

claiming access to a

visionary realm.

Such people are inflated

by empty notions of

their unspiritual mind.

He doesn't hold on to

the head from whom the

whole body, nourished and

held together by its

ligaments and tendons,

grows with growth from

Christ.

I'm not saying that you

can't, God doesn't

sometimes give you a

vision of something.

He certainly did that

in the scriptures and

he could certainly, if

he chose to, do that

again today.

But it has to be based

on the substance of

Christ.

It can't ever run

counteractive to the

teaching of Jesus or

lead you someplace that

Jesus doesn't lead us.

He is the head.

He is what guides

everything else.

That's what Paul's

teaching here.

And so verse 20, if

you died with Christ to

the elements of this

world, why do you then

live as if you still

belong to the world?

Folks, he's not just

talking about going out

and getting drunk and

living like a heathen.

He's saying, why do

you live as though you

belong to this world by

submitting yourself to

all these rules of the

law?

And not just submitting

yourself, but trying to

bring everybody else under

it with you.

That's the context of what

he's talking about here.

Why instead don't you

release that and live with

open hands and say, God,

teach me.

You guide me now.

I'm not going to be stuck

in my tradition, my

expectations, what I'm

used to, what I grew up

with.

I want you to reprogram me.

Change the way I think.

Why do you submit to

regulations?

Don't handle.

Don't taste.

Don't touch.

Anybody ever heard that

before?

Don't.

Don't touch this.

Don't be around this.

Don't taste this.

Why do you submit to

these things?

All these regulations

refer to what is destined

to perish by being used

up.

They are human commands and

doctrines.

Although these have a

reputation for wisdom,

isn't that true?

Some of this stuff, oh

yeah, man, that's the way

to live right there.

You see how that guy, he

doesn't do anything wrong.

They have a reputation for

wisdom.

But why?

Verse 23, by promoting

self-made religion.

Y'all, if we had to focus

on one verse in this

entire chapter, in this

entire sermon today, it's

verse 23.

Promoting self-made

religion, false humility,

and severe treatment of

the body.

These are not of any value

in curbing self-indulgence.

You know why?

Because you end up faking

it.

You end up focused on the

outside.

You end up focused on the

flesh, and your heart is

far from God.

That's what religion offers

you.

Chains.

Jesus instead wants to

change you, not what you

do.

Hello.

The wasp enjoyed the

preaching too.

He's just like, hey, I

got to get a closer look at

this.

All right, anyway.

Y'all, we got to do

something about these

wasps, all right?

It's the devil fighting

right there.

Jesus wants to bring real

change, all right?

And the wasp wants to

fight against that.

That's our final point

today, from chains to

change.

Religion will chain you to

performance, but Jesus

changes you by his

presence.

Are you more interested in

performing according to

religious expectations than

you are basking in the

presence of Jesus?

Galatians 5.

Christ has set us free.

This means we're really

free.

Stand firm and don't get

tied up again in the what?

Chains.

In the what?

Chains of slavery.

Time and time again, this

imagery is used.

And then in verse 4, he

says, if you try to be made

right by the law, you cut

yourself off from Christ.

That's strong language, isn't

it?

The only thing that counts is

faith working through love.

Don't cut yourself off from

Christ.

But you do that when you get

out from under his grace and

you go try to live according to

the law again.

That is not what that's about.

That's not how this life is

meant to be lived.

Religion is a cage, but Jesus

is the key.

That sounds strong, doesn't it?

How many of you said when you

came to church this morning, I

bet he's going to call religion a

cage today.

When I was writing this last

week, I'm thinking, man, how's

that going to go over?

Religion is a cage.

But Jesus is the key.

And until he unlocks the cage

for you, can I tell you

something?

Then religion ceases to be a

cage.

Once Jesus unlocks the door and

he lets you out and he says,

you don't have to live here

anymore.

You don't have to live according

to these harsh rules and

regulations.

I have now freed you by my

grace.

Then religion becomes a house

that can be built up.

And Jesus is the foundation of

it.

And then he's building this

house and he says, true

religion, undefiled by God, is

to visit those who need help.

It's to be a blessing to

those.

It's to keep yourself unspotted

from the world.

It's to not be like everybody

else, think like everybody

else.

Why?

Not because we're trying to

obey a list of rules.

Not because we're trying to

check a bunch of boxes.

It's because Jesus is making

us different.

It's because he's changing

us.

And we're not looking at each

other like, huh, that guy, I

saw him drinking a beer the

other night.

No way he's saved.

No way he's going to heaven.

That's not the religious, the

religion that Jesus is talking

about.

That's the cage.

And maybe the Holy Spirit's

telling you drinking alcohol

would be a terrible thing.

Do not do it.

Then you listen to that because