Who will you trust your future to?
I initially wrote this sermon for Homiletics class, but I have revamped it for Old Stonington Baptist Church. Preached on March 14, 2010.
December 31, 1999. December 21, 2012. Horoscopes. Self-help books. Nostradamus. Buddhism. Fortune Tellers. Psychics. What do all of these things have in common? Well, let’s see, two of them are dates that the world will possibly end. Horoscopes, Fortune Tellers and Psychics are all mechanisms for attempting to see into the future. Buddhism is a religion. Self-help books are numerous, pushed by media, and tell us how to fix our problems. Finally, Nostradamus is probably one of the most famous people in History for his “world event predictions”. The one thread through them all is that they are manufactured by man, and therefore faulty.
A friend of mine, who was raised in the Catholic Church, and a very spiritual person, went to this area psychic to have her future read. I thought this was a little corny, but thought, hey whatever floats your boat. She came back with a few predictions including one that told her she should stay away from stairs, railroad tracks and that she would marry and be happy again. Her brother would be a success, her dad would never remarry and be miserable. For the next few years, her life was bent on remembering these predictions.
December 21, 2012 is the date that the Mayan calendar ends. Lately, it has been the subject of an end of the world prophecy. One of my co-workers earlier this year came to me scared out of her mind, shaking because she had heard this and thought it to be true. She is a very intelligent person and claims Christ as well. I had to work on her for a week to convince her that it was more than likely not going to happen and that directly in scripture it says in Matthew 24:42 that, “42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” She was still uneasy, but had a little more confidence that it was not going to happen on that day.
You see, both of these examples illustrate how vulnerable we all can be to the various, as it states in our text for today, deceptive philosophies. Numerous as they are, and some of them, such as self-help books, are actually designed to help us get through various issues we face.
Our text today speaks to this effect. If you would, open your Bibles to Colossians 2:6-15. It is in the New Testament before 1 Thessalonians and after Philippians. A small book of the Bible, yet packed with great information. Read along with me.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Back in the first century, Colosse was a major textile hub in Asia Minor, now modern day Turkey. With all of the people flowing in and out of the area from the commerce, there were many different religions and teachings circulating the area. Most importantly, as the NIV Study Bible commentary states, “2:10-15…Paul declares that the Christian is complete in Christ, rather than being deficient as the Gnostics claimed.” The Gnostics were claiming that Christ lacked the power to complete people.
Today we know that we must have Christ in order to be complete. However, the world is ever more subtle about taking away our trust and faith in Christ. This is where horoscopes, self-help books and all the other things I mentioned earlier come in to play. Added to this, the media loves to tell us as Americans what we should be doing, talking about, caring about, and most importantly, what we should believe. We have the same problems as they did back then, just different types of attacks. As our world adapts, so do the types of attacks we face. We must be ever on guard because as our lives go on, the enemy will try newer ways to separate us from the truth that lies in Christ Jesus. All that we do must be grounded in Christ in order for us to remain in Him.
We are told by the world today that we need more. More cars, more money, power, success, self-help and on the list goes. We have come to a point that we rely more on ourselves that we are self-helped to death and forget Christ. We must realize that when we are baptized, we are set free from the bondage of sin, free from the bondage of worldly human traditions and philosophies. Christ indeed makes us whole and unless the things of this world are grounded in Christ, we have no need for them, for we have everything we need already.
In the text of the letter to the Colossians, Paul outlines five things that we need to realize that we have received when we were baptized in Christ. First, we must put off our sinful nature. As was the original covenant with Abraham, circumcision was the mark of God’s people; Paul compares this to being circumcised by Christ spiritually to mark in us that we are chosen for God.
When we were circumcised, we come to the second thing we must realize; we were delivered from a second death, a spiritual death. Worse than a physical death, a spiritual death means we would be forever cut off from God. This is what it truly means to be delivered from death. Even though all humans must face death physically, when we are in Christ, when we die, our spirit will live on with God in Heaven.
By this, our third point comes out in that if we gain entrance into Heaven, then that means we are forgiven of our sins in Christ. Only the blood of our Savior, Jesus, covers our sins. As John 14:6 says, “6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We must have Christ in order to gain entrance to Heaven.
The fourth item is that we are not bound to the legal requirements of the Mosaic Law. Naturally, this does not mean we can go and do what we want, we must obey the governmental laws, but we are bound by a higher law than any government can impose. God’s rule supersedes government rules. God’s rule supersedes human philosophies and traditions. Christ puts all of this to death. Included here is our fifth and final item; we are freed from evil spirits. All we have to do is call upon the name of Jesus, and evil spirits run from the very mention of His name. In the text, it says that He has nailed human regulations and evil spirits to the cross, making a spectacle of them, and defeating them.
So, where does all this fit in with end of times prophecies, self-help books, psychics, horoscopes and such? Do you remember the story of my friend going to the psychic? In this instance, she lived her life bound by what the psychic told her. Perhaps if she had sought advice from a source grounded in Christ, she would have been freed from this line of thinking. She may not have known everything that was going to happen, but she would have been freed from bondage of the mind. The truth is the predictions were so vague that it only seemed like it came true. Most of what she told my mom did not happen that way or even at all. That is why their predictions are vague, so they can cover everyone, while covering no one.
God grants sight to those whom He wills. Two weeks ago, God granted me a dream. Unusual as it may be, this dream was very odd indeed. I do not remember much of it, but what I do remember, was significant. It was of a “grandmother” type figure from my past that I had not seen for over 10 years. At the end of the dream, she passed away. Sunday evening that week, as I was driving home from a Christmas party, I found out from my dad that she had passed away. This had never happened to me before. God had not granted me a dream telling me of what was to happen. Frankly, it scared me to death so badly that I dropped the phone and everything stopped for a minute or so. Once I came around, I realized that God was preparing me for what was going to happen to lessen the shock, maybe not the pain, but at least the shock. If we seek out Christ, God will speak to us through whatever means He reaches us. It may not be in a dream, but maybe by our conscience, through music, worship, studying God’s word, helping others…whatever means He reaches you.
If we stay grounded in Christ, we will be built up in the body of Christ by other believers. We must remain, grow, and be thankful always for the circumstances we are in…whether good or bad. It is very hard for me to be thankful to God in the midst of sorrow and grief. However, the thought of a loving God so loving, that He thought highly enough of me to see to it that I had as little shock to my grief as possible makes me smile and love God even more.
So, now you are asking yourself what I can do to rely more on God instead of the worldly supplements that trigger our minds away from Him. Instead of reading your horoscope every day, take that time to thank God for allowing us to wake up that morning. Instead of taking time out to go to a psychic, read a portion of God’s word instead. Instead of worrying over December 21, 2012, pray that God give you peace and hand your worldly cares to Him. Instead of always hearing how Christianity is dying and other religions are growing, tell others what Christ has done for you. Give your testimony to them. Give them a reason to believe, learn, get baptized, and share Christ’s love with others. Only when we are full of Christ can His light shine out of us. Our world today is full of darkness. We have the option to decide whether it is changed. Together, we can accomplish Christ’s mission for us.
God knows you. God loves you. God wants a relationship with you so badly that He sent His Son to the cross to free us from the evils of the world. We can be alive and full in Christ, and have all of the answers we need. So, when the world comes knocking with its cares, next time tell it that you have no need for it; I have Christ.
When we go out to eat, most of us indulge until our eyes pop out, especially at buffets. Although we should not, we do and end up miserable after. Let’s fill up on something that will not make us miserable if we over indulge…Christ.
Now the only question left is this: where would you rather go to be full: to the world or to Christ? I want to urge you to come, dine with our Savior, and be full of Him.
December 31, 1999. December 21, 2012. Horoscopes. Self-help books. Nostradamus. Buddhism. Fortune Tellers. Psychics. What do all of these things have in common? Well, let’s see, two of them are dates that the world will possibly end. Horoscopes, Fortune Tellers and Psychics are all mechanisms for attempting to see into the future. Buddhism is a religion. Self-help books are numerous, pushed by media, and tell us how to fix our problems. Finally, Nostradamus is probably one of the most famous people in History for his “world event predictions”. The one thread through them all is that they are manufactured by man, and therefore faulty.
A friend of mine, who was raised in the Catholic Church, and a very spiritual person, went to this area psychic to have her future read. I thought this was a little corny, but thought, hey whatever floats your boat. She came back with a few predictions including one that told her she should stay away from stairs, railroad tracks and that she would marry and be happy again. Her brother would be a success, her dad would never remarry and be miserable. For the next few years, her life was bent on remembering these predictions.
December 21, 2012 is the date that the Mayan calendar ends. Lately, it has been the subject of an end of the world prophecy. One of my co-workers earlier this year came to me scared out of her mind, shaking because she had heard this and thought it to be true. She is a very intelligent person and claims Christ as well. I had to work on her for a week to convince her that it was more than likely not going to happen and that directly in scripture it says in Matthew 24:42 that, “42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” She was still uneasy, but had a little more confidence that it was not going to happen on that day.
You see, both of these examples illustrate how vulnerable we all can be to the various, as it states in our text for today, deceptive philosophies. Numerous as they are, and some of them, such as self-help books, are actually designed to help us get through various issues we face.
Our text today speaks to this effect. If you would, open your Bibles to Colossians 2:6-15. It is in the New Testament before 1 Thessalonians and after Philippians. A small book of the Bible, yet packed with great information. Read along with me.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Back in the first century, Colosse was a major textile hub in Asia Minor, now modern day Turkey. With all of the people flowing in and out of the area from the commerce, there were many different religions and teachings circulating the area. Most importantly, as the NIV Study Bible commentary states, “2:10-15…Paul declares that the Christian is complete in Christ, rather than being deficient as the Gnostics claimed.” The Gnostics were claiming that Christ lacked the power to complete people.
Today we know that we must have Christ in order to be complete. However, the world is ever more subtle about taking away our trust and faith in Christ. This is where horoscopes, self-help books and all the other things I mentioned earlier come in to play. Added to this, the media loves to tell us as Americans what we should be doing, talking about, caring about, and most importantly, what we should believe. We have the same problems as they did back then, just different types of attacks. As our world adapts, so do the types of attacks we face. We must be ever on guard because as our lives go on, the enemy will try newer ways to separate us from the truth that lies in Christ Jesus. All that we do must be grounded in Christ in order for us to remain in Him.
We are told by the world today that we need more. More cars, more money, power, success, self-help and on the list goes. We have come to a point that we rely more on ourselves that we are self-helped to death and forget Christ. We must realize that when we are baptized, we are set free from the bondage of sin, free from the bondage of worldly human traditions and philosophies. Christ indeed makes us whole and unless the things of this world are grounded in Christ, we have no need for them, for we have everything we need already.
In the text of the letter to the Colossians, Paul outlines five things that we need to realize that we have received when we were baptized in Christ. First, we must put off our sinful nature. As was the original covenant with Abraham, circumcision was the mark of God’s people; Paul compares this to being circumcised by Christ spiritually to mark in us that we are chosen for God.
When we were circumcised, we come to the second thing we must realize; we were delivered from a second death, a spiritual death. Worse than a physical death, a spiritual death means we would be forever cut off from God. This is what it truly means to be delivered from death. Even though all humans must face death physically, when we are in Christ, when we die, our spirit will live on with God in Heaven.
By this, our third point comes out in that if we gain entrance into Heaven, then that means we are forgiven of our sins in Christ. Only the blood of our Savior, Jesus, covers our sins. As John 14:6 says, “6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We must have Christ in order to gain entrance to Heaven.
The fourth item is that we are not bound to the legal requirements of the Mosaic Law. Naturally, this does not mean we can go and do what we want, we must obey the governmental laws, but we are bound by a higher law than any government can impose. God’s rule supersedes government rules. God’s rule supersedes human philosophies and traditions. Christ puts all of this to death. Included here is our fifth and final item; we are freed from evil spirits. All we have to do is call upon the name of Jesus, and evil spirits run from the very mention of His name. In the text, it says that He has nailed human regulations and evil spirits to the cross, making a spectacle of them, and defeating them.
So, where does all this fit in with end of times prophecies, self-help books, psychics, horoscopes and such? Do you remember the story of my friend going to the psychic? In this instance, she lived her life bound by what the psychic told her. Perhaps if she had sought advice from a source grounded in Christ, she would have been freed from this line of thinking. She may not have known everything that was going to happen, but she would have been freed from bondage of the mind. The truth is the predictions were so vague that it only seemed like it came true. Most of what she told my mom did not happen that way or even at all. That is why their predictions are vague, so they can cover everyone, while covering no one.
God grants sight to those whom He wills. Two weeks ago, God granted me a dream. Unusual as it may be, this dream was very odd indeed. I do not remember much of it, but what I do remember, was significant. It was of a “grandmother” type figure from my past that I had not seen for over 10 years. At the end of the dream, she passed away. Sunday evening that week, as I was driving home from a Christmas party, I found out from my dad that she had passed away. This had never happened to me before. God had not granted me a dream telling me of what was to happen. Frankly, it scared me to death so badly that I dropped the phone and everything stopped for a minute or so. Once I came around, I realized that God was preparing me for what was going to happen to lessen the shock, maybe not the pain, but at least the shock. If we seek out Christ, God will speak to us through whatever means He reaches us. It may not be in a dream, but maybe by our conscience, through music, worship, studying God’s word, helping others…whatever means He reaches you.
If we stay grounded in Christ, we will be built up in the body of Christ by other believers. We must remain, grow, and be thankful always for the circumstances we are in…whether good or bad. It is very hard for me to be thankful to God in the midst of sorrow and grief. However, the thought of a loving God so loving, that He thought highly enough of me to see to it that I had as little shock to my grief as possible makes me smile and love God even more.
So, now you are asking yourself what I can do to rely more on God instead of the worldly supplements that trigger our minds away from Him. Instead of reading your horoscope every day, take that time to thank God for allowing us to wake up that morning. Instead of taking time out to go to a psychic, read a portion of God’s word instead. Instead of worrying over December 21, 2012, pray that God give you peace and hand your worldly cares to Him. Instead of always hearing how Christianity is dying and other religions are growing, tell others what Christ has done for you. Give your testimony to them. Give them a reason to believe, learn, get baptized, and share Christ’s love with others. Only when we are full of Christ can His light shine out of us. Our world today is full of darkness. We have the option to decide whether it is changed. Together, we can accomplish Christ’s mission for us.
God knows you. God loves you. God wants a relationship with you so badly that He sent His Son to the cross to free us from the evils of the world. We can be alive and full in Christ, and have all of the answers we need. So, when the world comes knocking with its cares, next time tell it that you have no need for it; I have Christ.
When we go out to eat, most of us indulge until our eyes pop out, especially at buffets. Although we should not, we do and end up miserable after. Let’s fill up on something that will not make us miserable if we over indulge…Christ.
Now the only question left is this: where would you rather go to be full: to the world or to Christ? I want to urge you to come, dine with our Savior, and be full of Him.
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