the greatest life hack (Colossians 2)

Today, as we really read Colossians chapter 2, um, we're going to understand that there's no greater instruction, there's no greater system than Christ. And in the age of intellectualism— now, I'm, I'm a very intellectual person. I like, I like things to make I like, I like logic. I like reason. I appreciate math. And if I'm not too careful, that could be a hindrance to my faith because, you know, our faith doesn't make sense. The only reason our faith makes sense is because God gives us the wisdom to make sense of it, right? But the gospel, the Bible talks about the gospel being folly, right? Or it's foolishness to the wise, right? Because how can you, in your big understanding and all your degrees and all your studies, how can you make sense that Jesus was born by a virgin? Now, you can't be a Christian if you don't believe this. But if you went to school, if you did any sort of biology, you will understand in order for a child to come through a woman, that woman can't be a virgin. But in order— and we have the wisdom, we know why there needed to be a virgin birth. Why? One, because it was prophesied. Two, because Jesus cannot be tainted with the sin of man. So he had to come from a lineage, meaning that his father had to be Christ, or God rather. And he had to pass through a woman who has never been passed through before. Now, we understand why this makes sense because we have the wisdom of God. But if you go to an unbeliever and said a virgin gave birth, they would tell you you're foolish. So this is why when we think about the Bible, when we read about the Bible, we can't rely on our own intellect. We can't rely on our own understanding. That's why when you read the book of Proverbs, he teaches— this is the wisest king in all the land— he says, lean not on your own understanding, because every time you lean on your understanding, it's like leaning on a tall heap of grass, right? There's no structure, there's no integrity. It will wither, it will pass away. But the Bible says heaven and earth will pass away, but not a single iota of his word will. So we don't lean on our understanding, we lean on the understanding of Christ. And when you read Paul's teaching to the church in Colossae in Colossians chapter 2, he's teaching that there should be no other philosophy but Christ. Now, just like America today, when Paul was teaching and preaching the gospel, he was teaching it to some of the most intellectual people in the world. I mean, when you study the Roman Empire, even our numbering system, right, it was derived from the Indian Sanskrit letters and numbers, and then that came to become Roman numerals, and those Roman numerals gave birth the number system that we have now. Like, the Romans were intellectuals. So every time he would teach and preach to people in Rome or in Ephesus or in Colossae, all they brought together was their books and their knowledge and their wisdom. And then Paul had to say— he had to come to them and says, all I know is Jesus Christ and him crucified. I did not come to you with the intellectual, with good words, with good language and vernacular. I didn't come with you with anything. I just emptied myself and allowed Christ to fill me up, and what I know now is him crucified. That's all that I know. So when you come to God and you, you come to his presence, you must take off your understanding. When you read in the end of Luke, in Luke 24, I believe, Jesus resurrected and was going about all of his disciples, and the Bible says that he opened up their understanding that they may comprehend the scriptures. These are people that were students of the Torah. Yet Jesus had to open up their understanding, meaning as much as you know about the Bible, you will never know everything that you need to know outside of Christ knowing it for you. The Bible says that if the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwelled inside of you, then ye are sons. You have the right to call him Abba Father. So the Spirit of Christ coming inside of us is what gives us the understanding. Like, how many of you, without studying something, without reading something, all of a sudden knew the right decisions to make? That's wisdom. And now I almost have to go back to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1, let's read, um, verse 9. Think about the prayer that Paul was giving to the church in Colossae. Colossians chapter 1, verse 9: For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. So if you want to increase in the knowledge of God, if you want to be fruitful in every work, if you want to be pleasing to him, then you need that wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that only Christ can give. So basically, what am I saying here? If you want to know Christ, then you need to have Christ. That's the way. The more you have of him, the more you are able to have of him. So now let's go to Colossians chapter 2, where we are going to be spending some time here today. Um, Colossians chapter 2, I'm going to read verses 1 all the way to 10. Read with me if you can. Colossians chapter 2, verses 1. Ready, go. For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say, lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power. Praise the Lord. Now As I'm beginning to read Colossians chapter 2, verse 1, one of the important aspects of going to church, or why we go to church, is similar to why we go to school, right? It's funny how people would be like, I don't need to go to church to be a Christian. I don't need to go to church. I have a relationship with Christ alone. I don't need to go to church. I'm a Christian. Now imagine if people took that same philosophy and applied it to school. I don't need to go to school to be a doctor. I don't need to go to school to be a lawyer. I don't need to go to school to be an engineer. Now, what do you think is more difficult, becoming a doctor or having the fullness of Christ dwell in you and you having to walk that out daily. Now let's be sincere, being a doctor is incredibly difficult, but I guarantee you entering through the narrow gates to heaven is far more difficult than passing an MCAT. Now, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. I guarantee you there will be very many intelligent, intellectual, smart, bright, rich people that end up in hell. It is far more difficult— the Bible says— for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. Do you know how hard it is that we are supposed to live our life like Christ every day? And the reason why we go to church, the reason why we go to Bible study, is because we are trying to perfect our craft in tearing down our understanding and mindset and the philosophies that have indoctrinated us in the world so that we may know more of Christ. If you will go to school to become an engineer, then you must go to school to become a Christian. Being a Christian is hard, and we've trivialized it, making it seem that all you have to do is say a few words— I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior— now you're saved forever. Now you— like, the Bible says faith without works is dead. So Paul is cultivating an aspect in the church in Colossae that you need to know, know more of Christ, be hungry for him, seek him every chance you get. The Bible says seek him while you can find him. So Paul is reiterating over and over as you read verses 1 all the way through 3, he's mentioning Wisdom, knowledge, understanding. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Because what you know about God is what's going to protect your faith. The Bible says those that know their God, they shall be strong, they shall do exploit. Your knowledge of God is going to determine how much you're able to stand in the day of trouble. The Bible says in the day of adversity, if you fail, then your, your, your strength is little. Jesus, while he was in the wilderness, you know why he was able to stand in his place? He knew about God. He knew about his word. Every time the devil came and attacked him, he had a knowledge of God and his word to respond with. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Man shall not live off of bread alone. So all that we come to study, to church, while we spend time in fellowship, while we do all of this, is so that we can know more of him. And Paul is reiterating that. Remember, let's go back to verse 1. He says, for I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea. For as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged being knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding. Now, what the Bible is teaching us here is that understanding creates an assurance. I've defined what the difference between wisdom, knowledge, and understanding is, right? I'll explain that again. Knowledge is you knowing something. Wisdom is you applying it. Understanding is you being able to teach it. I'll say it again. Knowledge is knowing 1 1. Wisdom is being able to apply it in a timely fashion. And understanding is being able to teach somebody why 1 1 2. So when you are thinking about your faith, You know you truly understand something when you can teach it to somebody. That's why the Bible teaches us that at this point that we should have become teachers of the word. You can't just stand in the position of, oh, I know the Bible. Every single person in this Bible study should be able to teach. Maybe you can't teach Revelation. Maybe you can teach John chapter 3:16. At least know that your understanding of it is being able to communicate it to somebody else, to be able to impart knowledge. So Paul is saying that understanding creates an assurance. When you understand something, the security that you have in it is going to be far greater. When you understand how you are saved, somebody from outside is not going to tell you that you're not saved. And the reason why Paul is teaching and telling the church that you need to get to a level of understanding is because if you don't have this understanding, then doctrines from outside will infiltrate the the church. And Paul is trying to tell the church, protect yourself from everything that is going on in the outside, everything that you are learning on Instagram and TikTok. If you don't have an understanding of the Bible, one day you're going to wake up and find yourself following a false doctrine, a false gospel. And many people, because they lack this understanding, have fallen into the traps of the prosperity gospel. You think every time you give, you're supposed to get. No, you think every time you come to church you're supposed to fall under the anointing. If we don't understand— you don't understand what the purpose of church is or why we church. Let me, let me take a moment and teach something. Remember that we are the church, we are assembly. Right, we are a governing body. And one of the things that happen in church is supposed to be this idea of a marriage ceremony with the body and the head, with the bride and the groom. So every Sunday, whether it's at your church, somebody else's church, every Sunday, by God's grace, Somebody is being reunified, reconciled back to Christ, and a covenant is being established when somebody says, I will take Jesus as my husband, following him all the days of my life, to death do us part. I pray that every Sunday in somebody's church, somebody is coming from darkness to light. That while we gather, we are now coming to the understanding that this is the establishment of a covenant. So when you understand that that is the purpose of church, you won't be coming to church and be like, man, the livestream's not working. Or you won't be coming to church and saying, man, worship wasn't that good today. Worship wasn't that good? It wasn't for you. You can come to church and be like, man, and can I be honest, I've fallen into this trap before where I was just like, man, you know, it's that the beat is off, or it seems like somebody is off-key, and all of a sudden I begin to think about things that don't matter when I should be like, God, I hope you are enjoying this. I hope you are hearing somebody sing off-key, but they're singing with all of their heart, their mind, and their soul, and they are finding themselves broken, and they're seeing that you are making them whole again. I hope that worship is what you are accepting. I hope that you are hearing your daughter repent of their sins over and over and over, and you are finding joy and gladness that the lost one has found their self back to the 99. But if we don't understand the purpose of church or why church exists, then every time we go to church, we will go to get and not go to give. Church is a place where we all bring everything that we have, all that I know about Jesus, all that you know about Jesus. We bring all of our possessions, our passions, we bring our families, We bring our networks and we bring them all for the glory of God and said, Father, here we are. We've come to tabernacle with you. So Paul is trying to set a foundation. Mind you, he's not in Colossae physically, so he's using these words. This letter is what he was using to set the foundation of that church. So this is rich, this is sufficient. If it was sufficient enough for an entire church in Colossae, for Paul to write these letters to establish doctrine, truth, principles, and protocols, us reading it right now can set our foundations. And in chapter 2, he is saying that understanding, if you attain to these riches, let's read it, verse 2, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, love, love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding. That if you understand these things, there's an assurance for you, and you'll see why he emphasized this. Again, let's keep reading. Full assurance of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery of God. If you go back to chapter 1, you will see the mystery that he is talking about— Christ in us, the hope of glory. That's the mystery. Of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Again, we see wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. And if you want any of this, the Bible says if any of you like wisdom, then ask the Father. If you want to know, if you want to understand, if you want to be wise, you can find all of this inside of Christ. And Paul is teaching the church, go there. Verse 4, this is why, why he say this. Now this I say, lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. Now, this is very important because once you come to Bible studies like this, when you come to church, you may not be persuaded of anything. Like, we're not trying to sell you anything. We're not trying to hand you all flyers and tell you to come to our— we're not— the church is— when the church knows who she is, she won't try to sell herself. When the church knows her true worth, her true value, when the church knows the riches and the role that she plays in this entire world, she would not prostitute herself. We would not allow our church, we would not let the body become a harlot. So the church is not always going to be there to persuade you. Or to convince you. We just preach the Bible and let the Holy Spirit do the convicting. But you know who will always try to persuade you? The world. You see, there are some things that you don't have to persuade me of. You don't have to persuade me that when it's 2 degrees outside that I should wear a jacket. So when you know what's good for you, nobody should be begging you to read the Bible or begging you to come to church or begging you to come to study. When you know what's good for you and the wisdom of God that has been placed in you when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you would do it. And this is that contention with the world trying to persuade you otherwise. If you're not careful, the world and its marketing schemes will have you convinced that you don't need to go to church to be a Christian. Where have you ever read that in your Bible? Hmm. And you see how Paul is coupling deception with persuasion. May the Lord give us understanding. Verse 5: For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Now remember the context that we are talking about the assurance of understanding, understanding allows you to be steadfast. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies endureth forever. They are new every morning, new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The steadfastness, that means that your faith won't fail, your fasting won't fail, your prayer life won't fail, your study life won't fail. You won't get tired of these things because you understand what they do for you. You see, the moment I began to understand what fasting does for me, I began to fast a lot more. Some is prayer, some is worship, some is studying. Me? Fasting. Like, when I mean I could fast, I could spend 3 days no food, no water. And what that does for me, because I understand it, it makes it easier for me to do it. Some of you don't understand prayer yet because you don't do it enough. You don't understand study. You don't understand fast because if you understood what it did for you— you understood what it means to go to the doctor and get surgery. Hmm. If you understood what this Bible would do to you, you will go to it every day. May the Lord give us understanding in the name of Jesus. Verse 6: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. Verse 7: Rooted and built up in him. Mind you, all of the things that we're doing in him, and we must be very conscious that everything that we do, we do it in him. If you're not doing it in Christ, you're doing it in the world. And one of the barometers to figure out whether you are in Christ or not is what you do. If you are doing some things and you were to imagine, can I do this in Christ? Now think about Jesus being a strong tower, Jesus being an entity that you can enter Would you enter into Christ and do the things that you have been doing for the last 7 days? Oof. Would you enter Christ and use that same language that you have been using? Would you enter Christ with this same relationship you've been having? Would you enter Christ with this attitude? And I want you to know, inside him is holiness. The Bible says in him is light, there is no darkness at all. So one of the things that is keeping you from doing it in him is the things you're trying to bring in him. It's not allowed. So this is why, and I'm taking this moment right now to do it for myself. When I wanna pray, when I wanna study, when I wanna worship, I just need to just be conscious that I'm looking to find myself in the presence of the most holy, most righteous, most just, and most good entity who was, who is, and forever shall be. And I'm not worthy, but because of the righteousness of Christ in me, I lean on the precious blood of Jesus, and I understand what the blood of Jesus did for the atonement of my sins. It washed me away. It gave me access. It presents me as holy And because I'm presented as holy, I can now stand before him naked and unashamed and make requests and ask and worship and pray. As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, established in the faith as you have been taught. Huh. The Bible says that faith come by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. All that we are doing, the reason why we gather, is because we all need teaching. And the moment that you get to a place where you think that you can teach yourself— man, I— there are so many things that I've learned from other people. Paul is saying that you have been taught things. He is speaking to people who have studied the Torah all their life and saying no matter how much you know, you must still have a teacher. If you've ever get to the point in your Christian walk where you don't have a teacher, you have entered into a grave error. Every pastor still has a pastor. Hmm. So if you see all these fathers of faith talk about their spiritual fathers or their lineages or all of these reputable and respectable people that still submit to authority, who are you to, to be such an unsubmitted person? You're not submitted to any church. You're not submitted to any pastor, you're not submitted to any authority, yet you say that you are Christian. May the Lord help us. Rooted and built up and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Verse 8: Beware Now this is the second warning that he gave. The first warning was about deception and persuasive words. The second warning was, beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Now, this is something that I want us to put in practice. Anything that you are taught in this world, anything that you are taught on Instagram, on social media, anything that you are taught in church, anything that you're taught in this Bible study, measure it with Christ. Measure it with Christ. Now, I give you— I'll give you something that has helped me so much in my professional career. One of the fruits of the Spirit is kindness, and I made up my mind that in my work I will be kind to every single person that I meet. I will be kind. Now, when I was applying for this job— oh, thank you, Jesus— When I was looking through the job description and qualifications, kindness was not there. But I know I have a better job description and job qualifications in the Bible. And one of the job qualifications of becoming a Christian is bearing fruits, and one of those fruits is kindness. Now, because my description in Christ supersedes my description in my workplace, all the kindness that I exhibited in my workplace led to so much breakthrough. So much breakthrough. It's gotten to the point where I spent 2 and a half months without work. Wanting to leave my position, by the time I got back to work, they had a new position and role created and made for me. It's because I understood that what God asked me to do is more important than what my boss asked me to do. So, if my job is taking away from my kindness, my patience, my long-suffering, my goodness, my faithfulness. I may get promoted in the workplace, but I would get demoted in the spirit. So Paul is saying that do not do anything according to the tradition of men, according to basic principles of the world. But do everything according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power. I don't care how powerful your boss, your job, your government is. There is one who dwells inside of you that is more powerful than any principality and power, and you must submit yourself to that authority before you submit to any other authority. We learned about it last week and the week before. Christ being preeminent in our lives means before we ask anybody else for a solution, we ask Christ. Before I ask my boss for a promotion, I ask Jesus. Before I ask somebody to marry me, I ask Jesus. Before I ask somebody if I can buy a house, I ask Jesus. Because if Jesus tells me yes, huh, men will have a hard time telling you no. Hm. So with this understanding right now, I want you to begin to go to God, go to Jesus, and make him preeminent in your life right now. Think of situations and circumstances and say, Father, I put you first. If I've already went to others before I went to you, Father Lord, I repent and I correct it now. You are preeminent in my life. Take the stage, have your way. I make you first, I make you first, I make you first, I make you first. Before tomorrow gets here, Father, I'm going to ask you for permission to go out into the tomorrow and to excel and to take all that belongs to me and to be fruitful and to multiply. Father Lord, I ask your permission. If in any way that I have put you second If there's any interview that I've done without you, if there's any request I've made without requesting it from you first, Father Lord, I repent now and I correct my ways. I'll put you in front. Before I turn the ignition of that car, Father Lord, I will ask that you drive me. I will not do anything on my own, under my own power. I will do everything in you, for in you dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and I am complete. You complete me. So if I'm feeling incomplete, if I'm looking for a spouse to complete me, a job to complete me, church, I'm telling you that you can keep looking for these things to make you whole, But the only thing that can make you whole are his stripes. By his stripes we are made whole. So Father Lord, I acknowledge that without you I am incomplete, and with you I am complete. So Father Lord, that gap in my life, that void in my life, that hole in my heart, I am complete in you. I am whole. Now, can we pray this prayer for our neighbor? Father, can you complete my neighbor? Can you make my neighbor whole? I stand the gap for my friends, for my family, my auntie, my uncle, my cousins, my nephew. Father Lord, all the incomplete people in my life that are looking to be made whole in drugs, looking to be made whole in alcohol, looking to be made whole in sex and pornography, searching for things that they will never find. Oh Father Lord, but they can seek you and find you. So Father, make us whole. That void that was left in us when our father left, when our mother left, that void that was put inside of us and that relationship ended. Father Lord, we still have you in the Fullness still exists. May we be completed in you. May our neighbors be completed in you. May our churches, our churches, mandazka, may our churches be complete in you. May there be nothing missing from our churches. May there be nothing missing from our pastors. We thank you, Father God, for in Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen, amen, amen. In Jesus' name.