A Christ Worth Having

Colossians 2: 4-10

Intro: In these verses, Paul seeks to reestablish, remind, and re-

inforce the fact that Christ is supreme, sublime and suff-

icient to meet every need in the life of the believer. Like a

surgeon facing the malignancy of a cancer, He uses words

to express and expose the dangers and explain the doctrine.

I. A DANGER OF WHICH WE SHOULD BEWARE

vs 4 through vs 8 Paul throws up the danger sign to those who

could be affected.

A) The Enticement of False Teachers (vs 4)

"any man should beguile you with enticing words"

the word "enticing" speaks of persuasive speech". The word

"beguile" means "to speak beside". Has a reference to the

theives in those days that got caught and tried to fast talk.

Also has link to the legal profession in so much as lawyers are

fast talkers and slicked tongue. In Paul's day, Greeks were

subjected to persuasive speech. Traveling poets and orators

were common in Greece. Naive and gullible people were swept

off their feet. This is still a widespread problem today. We

need for some Christians to just grow up. Everything that

heralds the banner of Christianity is not Christian. All that

glitters is not gold.

B) The Entrapment of False Truth (vs 8)

Truth is always strong, no matter how weak it looks, and false-

hoods ae always weak no matter how strong they look. The

word "spoil" means "to take captive". It refers to the slave

trade of the day, which kidnapped and held hostage most of

it's victims. Then there were the "Gnostics", who believed

that a great mass of knowlege was necessary for salvation.

Remember, rat poison contains 95% good wholesome food for

rat, but the 5% poison will get him every time. One of the things

that harms us today and does great damage to fundamenta-

lism are the radio and television wolves in sheep clothing.

The faith healers, the prosperity teachers, and the name it and

claim it boys.

II. A DEVOTION OF WHICH WE SHOULD BE SURE

vs 6-7 the emphasis shifts from dangers to beware to devotion

to become. Out lives are to be marked, measured, and mani-

fested as committed and consecrated.

A) The Realization of a Past Decision (vs 6)

Paul makes the assumption that the decision to trust Christ

has already been made. The word "received" carries with it

the meaning of "completed in the past and continuing in the

present."

B) The Expectation of a Present Development (vs 6)

a decision that is made in the past, must develop in the

present. It is characterized in 3 ways:

1) Walk like a man ("so walk ye in him") Walk and keep on

walking. You began right, taught right, now walk right

2) Rooted like a tree (root has 2 purposes)

a. it anchors

b. it produces (roots in truth produce fruit)

3) Built up like a building

sign on our lives "under construction"

the biggest room in the world is the room of improvement
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