 Anyway, Colossians chapter 2, we're going to be looking today at verses 11 through 23. In other words, we're going to conclude the chapter today beginning at verse 11. So what I'll do is I'll read from verse 11 to verse 15, give an introduction, as I normally do, and then move into this passage. So as we begin Colossians chapter 2 verse 11, Paul writes, in him, you are also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with him through faith in the worken of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. And so, let me begin again with a brief introduction to develop the foundation of what Paul is speaking about as we look at this passage here in Colossians chapter 2. As I've been mentioning to you as we've studied this book, in the early history of the church, the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ was being challenged, and false teachers were beginning to enter in, and they were saying that faith in Jesus Christ and faith in the word of God was just not enough. So false teachers were entering into the city of Colossians, and they were bringing with them a false message. Now, the message that they were beginning to infiltrate, that they were beginning to blend into the gospel, that message was a message that combined Greek philosophy, Jewish legalism, as well as mysticism, and Paul speaks of these things. The Greek philosophy that was beginning to infiltrate, it was called Gnosticism. It was a system of Greek thought that taught that material was evil, that spirit was good, and that Jesus Christ could not have been God in the flesh, because God is spirit, and therefore God being good would never inhabit material body. So that was beginning to infiltrate, there were two systems of Gnosticism, the one that we're speaking about would be called Dosidism, and so that was beginning to enter in. Then you had Jewish legalism. You'll see that in this passage today. The Jewish legalists were beginning to introduce certain elements and aspects of the Mosaic law, the law of Israel, and they were beginning to combine that with the grace of God, and they were doing a disservice to the grace of God by diluting the work of Jesus Christ. They also had the mystics, and these were people who were speaking concerning the fact that you should have a relationship with your other power, the higher being, and very often it came through the mediation of angels, and so you have this, and Paul's going to address that in this chapter in just a moment. But what they're doing is they're watering down the gospel, they're watering down Christian truth, and they're beginning to reduce Jesus Christ in their bad teaching to simply a Jewish philosopher, and so that's taking place in the early church as an attack on who Jesus is, who he is and what he has done. That is taking place, and Paul is concerned. He's concerned because their faith is going to be undermined by this kind of message. Now this isn't a concern he has only for Colossians, he has the same kind of concern for the church at large, and that's why you'll begin to read your Bible, and you'll see him making statements that are related to bad doctrine and bad teachers in many of the books that he penned. I think of 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, that Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, and he said, I fear, lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. And so he's pointing out that the battlefield that is, the war is being waged on is the mind. It's a message that's coming in to dilute the gospel of Jesus to change it, and in doing so you're changing the minds about who Christ is, and when you're changing the minds you also change the behaviors. And so Paul is greatly concerned about this, and so he's given an exhortation to the Colossians. He had said in verse 8 in chapter 2, 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. So he's already begun to broach that subject with them, and he said, beware, be on your guard lest anyone cheat you. Now the word cheat is a Greek word for taking something by violence. He's saying beware, beware that you are not led away as a captive and made a slave to deceit. You see the message of the cross is a message of salvation as well as freedom. It's entrusting the work of Jesus on our behalf that we ultimately are saved, and for us to trust Jesus requires humility, a humility that leads to repentance and the result is forgiveness through the grace of God. But false teaching undermines the joy that our freedom in Jesus gives to us. And when the church is infected, the church loses its ability to impact the world, and that's why he's concerned. Because if you dilute and change the message, then it's not going to have its work in people. The message has been changed, and it's the message that changes minds and lives. And false teaching undermines that message and steals joy. Someone once said, I do not think the devil cares how many churches you build. He simply wants you to have lukewarm preachers and lukewarm people in them. And that's what happens with the gospel, when the gospel is diluted, when it's polluted, when it's perverted, it no longer has a power to change your behavior, and it doesn't give you the hope of eternity. Peter spoke of the effects of believing lies. In 2 Peter 2, verse 19, he said, they promised them liberty, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for by whom a person's overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. And that's what happens. People are in bondage to bad doctrine, and Paul is concerned about the Colossian church because infiltrators are transforming the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they're taking away the power to transform lives. So do not let anyone bring you into bondage through philosophy or vain deceit. Do not allow yourself to get caught up trying to become something and become captive by man's philosophy. In 2 Timothy 3, verse 7, Paul said, this leads to always learning and never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth. So this philosophy is built on the foundation of the traditions of men. When he says it's built on the traditions of men, it's speaking of human speculation. He speaks of the basic principles of the world. These principles that are really, the word principle really speaks of things being placed in a row. It's really what it would be referred to as philosophic ABCs. It's the ABCs of the heathen. And what are the ABCs of the heathen? What is it that you will hear from people if they're saying that if you want to have a life that is blessed and right with God? What do they usually say? Well, you'll hear this in so many different religious systems. They'll say, well, you need to work hard. You need to work hard to be a good person. They'll say you need to have outside attributes, things that people see that they'll identify as religious. And therefore, you need to pray. You need to do good things. You need to be generous. You need to care about other people. You know, that'll show that you're really a good person. That's the philosophic ABCs of the world, of the pagan. They say it doesn't matter what God you worship as long as you do these things. So make sure you pray. Make sure you take time to fast. Make sure you do good things. Be nice to people. That's your philosophic ABCs. But with that, you're taking away Jesus Christ. And there are people today, you know what I know, when we see it on TV, as well as people we work with or live nearby or are related to. They'll say it doesn't really matter what God you worship, they're all the same one. But you just have to be a good person. That's called the philosophic ABCs of the heathen. Because that takes away the need of Christ on the cross, his death barrier. That takes away his resurrection. That takes away the power of the Holy Spirit. That takes away the grace of God. And it becomes a system of works. And that's a system that will undermine your faith in Jesus Christ. And so Paul is speaking about that. That's why he said again in verse 8, be awareless anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit. And then he went on to point out how great Christ is. He said in verse 9, in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He is God in human form. And you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power. He is the head over all angelic hosts. He is the great one. And that's why he's speaking concerning this. We worship Jesus Christ, the one who made all things, and the one who is to be worship. He is God in the flesh. He has revealed himself to man. And he's pointing out he is better than any worldly philosophy. And in Christ we are complete. He's pointing out we need no one else. Nothing more than what we already have in him. And God's purpose in creating us is fulfilled when we are in him. And that's what he's saying as we come to verse 11, when he continues by saying, in him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. And so Paul reminds them now of their position in Jesus Christ. Remember the intruders are mixing Jewish legalism with Greek philosophy. And the Jews put a high value on circumcision. The false teachers were teaching that Gentiles needed to be circumcised to have a relationship with God. Now that's something that was taking place in another place called Galatia. False teachers were adding to the gospel of grace entering into the Galatian church. And we're telling the Galatians that the Gentiles need to be circumcised. And what they did is they added the law of Moses to the grace of God. And when you read the book of Galatians, Paul addressed this. He made it clear that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. In Galatians 5.6 he said, in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love. You see in the Jewish economy and the Jewish legal system and the religious system, and Jews were circumcised the eighth day after birth as a sign of belonging to the nation of Israel. You see circumcision mentioned in Genesis chapter 17 verses 10 through 14, and then later it's in the law found in Leviticus chapter 12 verses 2 and 3. To the Jews, circumcision demonstrated embracing the covenant relationship with God. And circumcision was a symbol of a need for a new nature. Why is that? Because in the removing of the male foreskin there's a picture of procreation. And the picture is that when a man's heart is uncircumcised, the only offspring that man can produce is sinful. And so circumcision was a picture of the awareness that procreation produces sinful people. That's why in Deuteronomy 10.16 God said, circumcise your hearts, therefore do not be stiff-necked any longer. That's why Deuteronomy chapter 30 verse 6 says, the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants so that you may love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, and live. Circumcision was always built on faith in God. It was not a simple religious ritual. We know that Abraham received the sign of circumcision before Moses gave the law. And he was given the right of circumcision after he had already shown faith in God. In Romans chapter 4 verses 9 through 11, Paul writes, faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also. So circumcision is really of the heart, though it was typified in a physical act. So Paul's point is that Gentiles don't need to practice the right of circumcision. It is not the physical act of circumcision, but it is a heart of faith in Jesus Christ. That's why he wrote Romans 2.29. He is a Jew who is when inwardly circumcision is that which is of the heart. And so he's speaking concerning this when he says in verse 11, in him you are also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. And so he's making it very clear that God is the one performing the ritual. It's a circumcision made without hands. It isn't something performed by a priest at conversion. And he speaks in verse 11, noticed by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh. In physical circumcision outwardly the force can be stripped away and discarded. So that represents what Paul will later refer to as the old man and his deeds. This symbolizes the sinful nature that seeks to satisfy its own lust. And it makes friendships with the world. It rejects what it considers the foolishness of God. And so he's saying in Jesus we are now recognized as spiritually circumcised and that is pictured in water baptism. So he says in verse 12, buried with him in baptism in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. Buried with him in baptism. We have baptisms here in the fellowship as you know. We'll have another baptism during the summer. We normally have them during the summer. And baptism is really a picture of something that the Lord did within you. In baptism, Jesus inwardly performs a cleansing on the one who's being baptized. The putting off of the flesh is pictured in water baptism because water baptism symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection. So when we have water baptisms here, I'll share with the people, I'll say listen this is what we do. We have a study before just to encourage them to know what they're about to enter into. And we have a pool out there. And so I'll say when you walk into that water, the water is really a picture of your grave. And so you're going to step into a watery grave if you will. And then you go down. That's a picture of death and burial. And when you come out of the water, that's a picture of new life in Christ or resurrection. So you are dead and buried and raised in newness of life. And then I'll normally tell them, and some of you I'm going to hold down longer than others because I know you. You may be there for a while. I hope you can hold your breath. But that's what it is. It's been called an enacted parable. It's a picture. So when the watching world sees this, they're realizing that this person is crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, he lives in the life that he now lives in the flesh who lives by faith in the Son of God who gave himself for him. And so it's a picture of death, burial and resurrection. And so when you get water baptized, you are not being water baptized to be saved. You are water baptized because you are saved. And see, and you confess Christ as Lord and Savior, you turn away from your sin. And then you punctuate that with the performance of a water baptism which demonstrates, I know that I'm dead in Christ and yet I'm alive. Now, I've had people say to me, Pastor, do you baptize babies? And I say, no, I don't. Why not? Well, because that baby would have to tell me what a wretched sinner they are when they're a year old. And they probably didn't do anything, whether they may not even be able to tell me, you know, I'm really wretched. I keep my mom up all night by crying. You know, no, it's a person who knows that they've done something wrong well enough for the conscience to be giving them pain. And that is normally somebody who's lived for a while. And so when you were water baptized, if you have been, and you went into that water, it was a picture for the watching world to see death buried and yet resurrected dead. And yet now I'm alive because of Jesus Christ. And we have this new life. We put off that old flesh. And it's not the result of following a man's tradition or a man's philosophy. It's an entirely new life and should look like a new life because that old man is referred to as the old man, that old man is dead. In Romans chapter 6 verse 4, Paul said, we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. He went on in chapter 6 verse 6 of Romans to say, we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin. That old man is dead. Now when's the last time you heard of a dead man getting drunk or lying or stealing or getting into a fight or swearing at someone, committing adultery, fornicating, gossiping. When's the last time you ever heard of something like that? They don't. Why? Because they're dead. And that's the whole point. When somebody says that they know Christ, that means your old man is dead. That means that those things are not typifying your life anymore. You're not going to be known for those things. You're not going to continue in those things. Your life has been transformed. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live is what you're going to be saying. My old life is gone and that's something the church needs to awaken to because we have people who don't seem to realize that when you got saved, your sins were placed on Christ. Jesus Christ is dead, buried, resurrected, and He gave you His Holy Spirit to live within you so that your life could be forever transformed. So I used to be a drunk, but I'm not. I used to be a liar, but I'm not. I used to be into drugs, but I'm not. Why are you not? Because that's the old man. He's dead, but the alive man in me, Christ Jesus has made me alive and my life is different. That's what Paul is saying. And legalism will not bring you freedom. Legalism will not bring you freedom. It doesn't work that way. Dead men don't do certain things and believers are to understand that they're alive in Christ. And those kinds of things that used to be our old life no longer exist. We are now alive in Jesus. Now, on one hand, we know that we still sin. We fall short of the glory of God, but on the other, we by faith understand that the old is gone and the new has come. And by faith, we recognize that we have newness of life in Jesus Christ. And that is dramatically portrayed when we entered into the waters of baptism. I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live. And he says it. He says in verse 13, you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Not some trespasses, all trespasses. Everything. Man, can you get it? Rabbit. Everything. You did. Whatever it may have been, whatever it may have been, you know, sometimes we say, well, you know, I lied and I stole bird seed. That was my first sin. I stole bird seed when I was five. I didn't even have a bird, but that bird seed in that shopping, it looks so good. So I stole it. You know, my mom caught me, I had to bring it back. But I still remember the first thing I stole. Well, those are things that I can say openly, you know, but there are things I would never say openly because only God knows those things. They're not worth repeating. But guess what? From the bird seed to the worst thing, under the blood, washed and cleansed. Total new man. That didn't come because I tried hard. It came because he succeeded. I'm a Christian because Jesus died on the cross for me, paid my price that I could not pay. And I simply by faith said, God, thank you for being so kind to a sinner like me and I will follow you the rest of my life. You have been so good. And that's the heart of Christianity. And that's why Paul is so concerned. See we recognize that we have new life in Christ. Notice when he says you being dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh as he's speaking concerning that. He makes it very clear that he has made us alive together with him, having forgiven all of my trespasses. All of my sins are forgiven, not just some, but all. Psalm 103, verses 11 and 12, for as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far as he removed our transgressions from us. John 7, 18 asks the question, who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity, passing over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage. And he goes on to say he does not retain his anger forever because he delights in mercy. And John says in 1 John, chapter 1, verse 7, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses us from all sin. Not some sin or a few sins or the easy sins, but all of your sins. Now, isn't that something we should rejoice in? It is. It is something I am overwhelmed by to know that my sins have been cleaned. In verse 14, he says having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When he says having wiped out the handwriting of requirements, that word handwriting is a charge list. We would call it an IOU. We had IOUs. We owed God is what he's saying. Now when he says wiped out, paper was made of papyrus and ink at that time had no acid and would not bite into the paper. The ink would simply lie on paper. So to save money, the scribe would sponge the ink off paper that had been written on making it as good as new. God banished the handwriting that was against us by sponging it off with the blood of Jesus Christ. And he took the law, which was contrary to us, and he nailed it to the cross. The word contrary means to be hostile towards. Paul says the law was contrary to us. It was set against us. It was hostile. Somebody said the law changes. The law charges us with debts and convicts us as guilty so that we have nothing to say in our defense. It makes a legal case against us. It curses us, condemns us, and ultimately it kills us. So trying to keep the law was ultimately futile because no one can keep it perfectly outside of Jesus. And the law revealed to us what sin is and then judged us. In Romans 3, verse 20, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But it says in verse 14, he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. He has completely eliminated all our debts to God. We were in bankruptcy before the Lord. We had a mountain of debt and he wiped the slate clean. And that cross Jesus in John 19.30 said it like this, it is finished. It is paid in full. And that's what we enter into when we have a relationship with God. My debt, my sin debt has been paid. And he goes on in verse 15, having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it. And so having disarmed the principalities and powers. The principalities and powers that Paul is speaking of is the army of fallen evil spirits. And Jesus pillaged, Jesus ransacked Satan and his army. Jesus completely subdued all of our angelic enemies by his death. He won a total victory. Everything is subject to him and in him we are victorious. The enemy tries to keep you in fear. He's like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He roars but he can't harm you. The wicked one touches us, not John says. The enemy wants to use fear because fear is the opposite of love. And he wants you to be afraid constantly, to have fear constantly. And part of the way he does that is he gives bad doctrine to make you think that you have to do something to earn your salvation. And as long as you keep trying to earn your salvation, you're not able to combat him. But when you understand, when you realize and understand that in Christ I am more than a conqueror, that in Jesus Christ I can hold up the shield of faith. I have the sword of the Spirit. I have a helmet of salvation. My loins are girded with truth. I have my feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. When I understand that I am equipped for service and equipped for warfare, then I know that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. And that Jesus Christ is the conqueror and he is battling on my behalf. That's what Paul wants us to know because the enemy wants to keep you in bondage to think you've got to do a little bit more, a little bit more. And that's why Paul's so upset because he's saying they're creeping in and they're adding things to the gospel of grace. But you need to know that Jesus disarmed them. Jesus sets the captive free. You see, he won the total victory. Everything is subject to him. As he was hanging on the cross, his greatest moment of apparent weakness was in reality the moment of his greatest triumph. His death was his means of disarming them and subjugating them and he sets the captive free. Not only that, verse 15, he made a show, a public spectacle. This is the victorious troops and conquered enemies that would be marched in Rome with the victorious general and the spoils of war behind them, the captured princes and the kings and all would be behind the victorious army. And interestingly in scripture, we're pictured as being part of the spoils of war. In 2 Corinthians 2.14, Paul said it like this. He said, thanks be to God who always leads us in Christ's triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. He set the captives free and he's triumphant in showing these were once prisoners that I have set free. And not only are we set free from the guilt of sin but also the power. But also the power over sin. You need to understand that today, a lot of Christians don't. A lot of Christians are fighting a war that's already been won. The battle's already over. And a lot of Christians are fighting that. Romans 6.14 says, sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace. God, thank you. Thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the work that you've done on my behalf. Thank you for giving to me victory in Christ. Thank you that I am more than a conquer because Jesus loved me. Thank you Lord that all things work together for the good of those who love God. To those who are the call according to his purpose. Thank you Lord for the spirit who dwells in me because greater is he who is in me than he's in the world. Thank you that my name is in your Lamb's book of life. And Father, the only thing I added to my salvation is the sins that you have, that you've forgiven me for. Thank you for that Lord. Thank you for your work. And now, Father, I just want to rest in your grace. I just, I can be so tired of trying to be good and I need to remember there's none good, no, not one. But you are good and in you I can do all things and therefore transform my life and help me to keep my eyes on things above and not things below. Help me to keep my heart filled with your promises knowing that you will never leave me, knowing that you'll never forsake me and knowing that in you I am victorious. You see, that's what the church needs to understand and in a lot of ways we don't. We're still trying to earn our salvation and in fact it's a gift that we received by faith. We simply need to live it out and to trust God, to walk in his spirit and love his word and to do those things that he's called us to do because sin will not have dominion over you. Yes, you may have been an alcoholic as I. Yes, you may have abused drugs as I and all the other things but guess what? Those things are not dominating my life anymore. What dominates my life now is the power of the spirit and the word of God, the love of Christ and the peace that he gives, the joy of the spirit and the hope that God gives to me through Christ and that's what Paul is pointing to why because false teachers will steal all of that from you and will put you into a system of bondage. Notice what he says in verse 16. Let no one judge you in food or in drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the substance is of Christ. Because you are free, do not let false teachers pressure you to follow their rules. Jesus took God's law and fulfilled it. He set you free from bondage to it. So he's speaking about that. Now notice he says, let no one judge you in food or drink or regarding a festival. So food and drink speaks of Jewish dietary laws. Festivals speak of Jewish festivals or their holy days. They had several that they observed. There was Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. There was Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles, the Feast of Dedication and Purim. Let no one judge you concerning these things. They had what they called a new moon. The new moon is the beginning of the civil year which is October and special sacrifices that were offered at that time. He speaks of Sabbaths, not only the actual Sabbath day but other days that were mandated as rest. He said, don't let false and legalistic people pressure you into following the rules. Jesus took God's law, fulfilled it and set you free from it. Salvation is made possible by the grace of God and not by human effort. He says in verse 17, all these things are a shadow. They're a type of things to come but the substance is of Christ. The purpose of the law was to prepare you for the incredible grace of God in salvation. When you got to the point in your life where you said, I just can't do this anymore. I just, I can't do it. I got to that point before I got saved and I remember the prayers because I prayed the same prayer over and over again for a short period of time and it was simply this. I would say, God help me, I can't do this anymore. God help me, I'm so sick of me. I'm so sick of me, what I am, what I've been, how I've hurt my family, how I hurt my parents, how I've hurt girlfriends, how I've hurt my brothers, people I love God, help me. I can still remember that. God help me, God help me. And it was at that time that God answered my prayer because that's when a friend of mine began to invite me to go to church and that's when I heard the gospel and ultimately that's how I got saved. Well, the purpose of the law is to prepare you for the incredible grace of God. In Galatians 3, 24 through 26, it says the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Now notice verse 18. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. Let no one defraud, let no one rob you of the prize that the judge has rewarded to you. Now when he speaks of the reward, that's what it's called an illusion, an illusion to the Olympic and Isthmian games. The Olympics have been going for a long time and it's speaking of those competitions. He's saying the Colossians had fought and conquered under the direction of Jesus and that he as the sole judge in this contest assigned to them a prize. Now how can you be defrauded of this? Well he says it in false humility and worship of angels. So these false teachers had every appearance of humility and holiness but it was false. Speaking of their humility, this speaks of their lowliness the way they acted, the lowliest of mind. He speaks of the worship that would be reverence. He's saying false teachers very often afflict their souls with fasting and walk around in false humility. And you've seen that and I've seen it where they sometimes adorn themselves with certain clothing and you'll see them as they walk by. And I've seen plenty of that. Sometimes they would go to airports, they don't allow them anymore and they'd give you a little flower and then ask for a contribution and you'd look at them and you'd say well look at that person, he looks very humble or she looks very humble. That's what he's referring to. He's speaking concerning people who adorn the outside, who have this appearance like they're really worshiping and that they're so humble. And so that's appealing but it's also deceiving because you can't measure up to their selfless lives. And the problem is is you can't see the real motivation. Their real motivation Paul is pointing out is pride and selfish efforts. So instead of humility, he says their fleshly minds are puffed up with a feeling of superiority. So they have a long fast or perhaps they knock on doors, they go on missions and you'll never measure up to them. And he goes on to say and some are practicing the worship of angels. Now these false teachers may have seen angels as a type of mediator. They're higher than human beings they would say and thus you go to them first and then maybe you can connect with God. So they would present our prayers to God. We need to remember we have a mediator. When I grew up and now I don't wanna offend anybody here not intentionally forgive me if it does but I can speak of my own and I'm speaking of my own testimony, my own upbringing, you have a different one than me. But I can tell you this, I was raised in the Catholic church and so my mom taught me things as a dutiful mama wanted her son to have a faith in God even though mama didn't know the Lord herself but she was a religious person and I can still remember my mom teaching me prayers and one of the prayers that my mom would teach me was to St. Anthony, please come around for there is something that cannot be found because when I got older I was loaded so much that I would come into the house and put down my keys and I couldn't remember where they were the next day and it became a ritual with my mom when I was about 18 or 19 that every morning before she went to work she would wake me up and then try and help me find my keys because I was loaded a lot and I would just walk in and drop the keys somewhere and it became a joke to her she didn't realize it was because I was smoking so much pot I was losing my memory, she didn't realize that she just thought it was a game but mama would say, well you know St. Anthony so every morning, oh St. Anthony please come around for there is something that cannot be found it was always my keys when I was real little, when I was six or seven my mom said, you know son I want to teach you something about prayer and I said okay she said, you know how sometimes you want your dad to do something for you or get you something but he's not here because he's at work and I said yeah she says, what do you usually do? I said, I ask you she said, right so when you ask me, what do I do? I said, you hit me no, shut up Brad no, you go to dad and you ask dad for me that's what my mom did she said, well that's how it is with Mary she said, you ask Mary and Mary takes it to God so if you have a prayer need always go to, this is my mom's words always go to his blessed mother and she will bring your request to God because God is busy but Mary is always listening for your prayers I was taught that at the age of six or seven years old but that's not what the Bible teaches the Bible says there's one God one mediator between God and men and that's the man of Christ Jesus and I go to God through Jesus Christ nobody else and it isn't the worship or veneration of angels they are created by God to be ministering spirits to those who are heirs of salvation Hebrews chapter one verse 14 that's what they are so I don't go to an angel why would I when I can go to Jesus Christ who is the mediator who died on a cross so that he could take one hand and grab his fathers and the other hand grab mine and bring us together why would I go through a different bridge when Jesus is the bridge to God he is the latter he is the one who connects heaven and earth and that's what Paul is saying this is a voluntary humiliation he says they are practicing the worship of angels and he says in verse 19 not holding fast to the head from whom all the body nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments grows with the increase that is from God they're not holding they're not faithfully clinging to you they're not holding fast or depending on Jesus Christ because they're getting turned away to go and do something different therefore verse 20 if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world why is the living in the world do you subject yourselves to regulations? do not touch do not taste do not handle which all concern things which perish with the using according to the commandments and doctrines of man these things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion false humility and neglect of the body but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh and so this alludes to our being baptized with Christ we have died, we're buried, we're raised with Him so if you have received Jesus why do you subject yourselves to regulations? false teachers are saying God is so great you cannot come to Him without our help you need to come through keeping food regulations or through an angel sounded reasonable but was really false humility in verse 22 these rules appear to make you righteous but they have no power to change the heart they only deal with things that perish with the using things that aren't permanent and in performing these rituals you enter into religious bondage he said in verse 23 these things have an appearance of wisdom they seem to make you righteous because they only deal with outer appearance but they have no power to change the inner person because the heart remains corrupt as much as you may desire to be free of your flesh the works will not set you free false religion is the appearance of righteousness years ago I was sharing in a Sunday morning with our church and I was wearing a sweater and as I was speaking to the church I still remember saying this I was wearing a sweater and you could see my t-shirt and I said you know this as you're looking at me I said it looks like I'm well manicured right I said but what you don't know is this this t-shirt I have under the sweater it's really wrinkled it's really wrinkled bad what I did is I had pulled it out of the drawer and uh... I just put it on so it's all wrinkled like that but I said all you can see is the collar the collar looks good because all you gotta do is some of you guys know this is just pull your t-shirt down tighten your belt it kind of straightens out the wrinkles and people think yeah but I said nah I didn't iron these these are wrinkled I said because appearance you're only seeing the outer but you're not seeing what's inside and that's how false religion is guys you only look at the outside so the guy fasts and he prays and she gives and serves and you say within yourself man what makes you that way so you ask him how is it that you became what you are I'll be honest with you I get up at six every morning and I pray on my knees you ought to see my knees are all calloused then I just kind of go through the day and I look for good things to do well why do you do that well because I want to one day be worthy to see Jesus Christ and so you say really what else do you do oh well I go door to door and I hand out tracks and I I give to the poor and they give you this whole litany of things and you know God is so great and I am so little I just try my best and somehow well I don't even speak to him personally I speak to others and like angels and they give you this story and before you know it you walk away saying I've got to change everything about me but the one thing that doesn't change is you is your heart your heart stays the same you can take a monkey and put them in a tuxedo it's still a monkey you dressed up the monkey still a monkey it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to give you a new nature and that's why I got and you got if you're a believer you must have gotten to the point where you said God I can't do this I can't do this I need your help God I need your help I'm tired of coming and saying God help me and not changing but I've tried I've tried to be kind I've tried to be nice I've tried to be humble I've tried to be good I am none of those things and God without your help I'm gonna fail at those things and that's how I got saved and that's how you get saved because God made a promise of any man being Christ is a new creation old things are passed away behold all things are become new I need to be born again I need a new life not just a new appearance I need a new heart and God promised that in Ezekiel 36 he said in verse 26 a new heart also will I give you a new spirit will I put within you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh I will give you a heart of flesh and that's what happened when you got saved he said I took that rock out and I put in a living heart and you have been transformed because of Jesus Christ that's what Paul's concerned about because when the false teachers come in they will get you doing things to make yourself right with God steal the joy, steal the hope, undermine your faith and ruin the gospel and that's why Paul is so concerned and that's why we should be concerned too may we stay faithful to God's word because the truth is what sets us free we need to understand that today