Title: Completely Full
Text: Colossians 2:8-15 & Romans 6:3-6
Opening: {Pass out Prayer Cards}
It’s been a few weeks since we have studied Colossians so I want to review
before moving forward: Colossae was a suburb city outside of the Great
City of Ephesus. Ephesus sat on the edge of the Aegean Sea and was home
to – the Temple of Artemis/Diana
The Temple was larger than a football field - Inside stood the multibreasted female fertility idol - Circling the edges of the temple were tourist
shops and prostitutes - each trying to make a sale. Ephesus was a
spiritually dark place. Full of magic spells, secret sayings, crystals, idol
worship, astrology, sexual perversion and greed.
And what happened in Ephesus never stayed in Ephesus…..its spiritual
darkness spilled over into surrounding suburb cities like Colossae.
We know from Acts 19 that Paul on a Missionary Journey Paul came to
Ephesus. Every day, for 2 years, Paul taught Bible classes and lives were
transformed – called out of darkness and into the light. One of the practical
challenges Paul faced with his new converts was – though they welcomed
Christ, it was difficult for some to let go of their mystical beliefs. --- This
“Syncretism” – this merging of belief systems, saying you trust in Jesus yet
holding onto mystical beliefs is not hard for us to imagine……
ILL – President Ronald and his wife Nancy were members of a
Presbyterian Church in CA. Yet I will never forget in 1980’s when
newspapers reported how Nancy consulted an Astrologer in order to
plan the President’s schedule. The Chief of Staff described it this way:
“The astrologer set the time for summit meetings, presidential debates,
Reagan’s cancer surgery, State of the Union addresses and much more.
Without an O.K. from the astrologer, Air Force One did not take off.”
Letting go of mystical beliefs is a challenge in every culture - Listen to
Paul’s prayer to combat this “Syncretism”
Eph 3 -“ I pray that you…may have power to grasp how wide and long
and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that
surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the
fullness of God.” --- Paul prayer was these new believers would fill up
with the massive fullness of God……which he knew would empty out
every competing belief.
Transition: During Paul’s two year Bible study a young man named
Epaphras was transformed by the Power of the Gospel. When Epaphras
heard the Gospel he immediately wanted to take the news back to his
home town: Colossae. -- Apparently the practical challenge of religious
Syncretism spilled out of Ephesus and into Colossae as well…You sense
Paul battling against it in Ch. 2:
- (vs. 6-7) – “Walk in Him” ….. Colossians - you have new foundation,
walk in a totally new direction.
- (vs. 8) – “Don’t be taken captive by empty philosophies or mystical
practices………..like astrology” - Paul’s concern was religious
counterfeits would infiltrate the church and take them captive.
**The Religious Counterfeits two pronged attack on Christianity was
either: Christ wasn’t Supreme (or) Christ wasn’t Sufficient
- In (vs. 9-10) We see Paul’s counter attack (READ)
 (vs. 9) – “In Him….(Jesus) the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”
**Essentially this is a one sentence summary of 1:15-19 – READ. Jesus
wasn’t simply a good example to follow, Jesus wasn’t like God (NO)
Jesus was God. He said it himself – “I and the Father are one” – “When
you have seen me you have seen the Father”
**Jesus is Supreme
 (vs. 10) – Truly, a stunning verse -- “And you…….you have been filled
in Him” --- If you have trusted in Jesus you are full of his fullness.
Jesus isn’t only Supreme – His is Sufficient. If you are filled with Christ’s
Supreme fullness……you don’t have space for anything else.
Jesus, as the God/Man, He alone can uniquely hold all of God’s fullness –
we can’t….but Paul wants us to hold as much as we can…….Paul wants
the congregation in Colossae and in Wilmington to – He wants us to be
ever expanding to – “Grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the
love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — and be
filled with all the fullness of God….”
ILL – This reality is impossible to illustrate: Imagine your standing on
the beach, right at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. You have a 16 oz cup
in your hand – a wave rushes forward, you reach down with your cup
and immediately it’s full of the Atlantic Ocean…Yet, you and I know –
although our cup is full of the Atlantic Ocean - it can never contain all of
the Ocean – Same with Jesus: You are full of his fullness….yet there is so
much more to know – And, as you grow in your knowledge of Him –
You are ever expanding your capacity to absorb more….which begins
now and continues throughout eternity…..!!!
Song: From the first Chronicles of Narnia movie – Can’t Take it In:
“Empty my heart….I've got to make room for this feeling
It's so much bigger than me…..”
As the reality God’s fullness crashes like a tidal wave into your Heart
..He is so much bigger….& He empties out all Religious Counterfeits.
Transition: WOW – what a review. Now as we move forward to (vs. 11-15)
Paul is basically answering the question: What has happened in our lives
that we get to experience the fullness of Christ? He answers in 2 Parts:
1. (vs. 11-12) – We are full because we participated in the Death,
Burial and Resurrection of Jesus.
2. (vs. 13-15) – We are full because we have been freed from
Bondage and Accusation
1. (vs. 11-12) – We are full because we participated in the Death, Burial
and Resurrection of Jesus. (Repeat)
Notice Paul’s choice of words: “In Him…You were circumcised” (ref. to
crucifixion) – “You are Buried with Him” – “You were raised” – Paul
describes a reality requiring quite an expansion in your thinking….
(You are going to need a bigger cup by the time the sermon is over) ….
Paul informs the Colossians that they and every believer have participated
w/Christ in his Death, Burial & Resurrection - Paul describes each
 Circumcision – When Paul uses the phrase: (end of vs.11) “The
circumcision of Christ” – He uses it as a metaphor for Jesus’ crucifixion.
In actual circumcision – flesh is cut away….it’s a painful and bloody
event. **It’s a small picture of the Cross where Christ’s body was in a
bloody manner very painfully cut away….
(Beginning of vs. 11) Paul says: “In Him we were circumcised --- our
body of flesh” – meaning: At Christ’ crucifixion our old sin dominated
self was cut away. Important: “Not by human hands” --- Paul makes it
crystal clear - Faith in Christ is all that is needed to obtain salvation – it
can never be accomplished by human effort….You don’t need anything
else other than Jesus…. He is Sufficient!
Paul says the same thing in Galatians: Gal 2:20 – “I have been crucified
with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
 Baptism and Burial – There is wide disagreement on exactly what Paul
is referencing with this word “baptism” – I think he does not use the
word to refer to the ritual of baptism but to the concept of being
completely immersed in or engulfed in the burial of Jesus. Jesus’ body
was circumcised, cut away on the cross…then he was completely
engulfed by a tomb at his burial. **It’s a way of saying Jesus was
completely dead….on the Cross Jesus took on all my sin…….and in His
death, he once and for all, put my sin to death…..I was buried with Him
 Resurrection – (vs. 12) The powerful work of God which raised Jesus
from the dead…Raised you also…. Again: Incredible!!
If you trust in Jesus as your Savior then Paul is saying: The death of
your old sin dominated self, your old body of flesh has died – it has
been buried and now, because of Jesus and God’s power - you have
experienced Resurrection ……. II Cor 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is
a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!.....(vs. 18) All this is
from God….” AMEN!
*We don’t have time to review but I think Paul is saying the exact same
thing in Romans 6.
APP: Let’s circle back to “Fullness” – If you have trusted in Christ then
your death, burial and resurrection (in one important way) has already
occurred--Because of that Reality--Sin no longer has dominion over your
life - because sin no longer has dominion, you & I are (not perfectly) but
we can truly begin to live a rich full resurrected life.
Last Monday morning -When Liz Hunter passed from this world into
the next – she didn’t start her eternal life…NO – Her life started at the
Cross …when IN HIM – her old self was cut away, it was once and for
all time buried, and because of her faith, and while she was on this
planet, she experienced the resurrection power of God – On Monday…
what Liz received was a much bigger capacity to enjoy and glorify
God….but it didn’t begin on Monday – It began at the cross……..
2. (vs. 13-15) – We are full because we have been freed from Death and
Accusation
(vs. 13) – “And you, who were dead in your trespassess….” Paul describes
the previous condition of the Colossians……he describes the current
condition of everyone who is disconnected from Jesus…..Not wounded,
not imperfect, deficient, damaged or defective….. NO – We are Dead.
**You see - if you don’t correctly understand your condition – you look in
the wrong direction for a solution.
ILL – Like in I Kings 17 when Elijah came to the Widow whose son had
died….Elijah prayed and stretched out his body over the cold corpse…
as if to say – God let my heart beat begin his heart to beat….and it did.
In order for your heart to beat, God must stretch out his life completely
over yours and his heart beat must become your heart beat. …. And
when that happens……..You are full.
(vs. 14) – Jesus has canceled your record of debt. **Have you ever seen
the National Debt Clock --- Currently 18 Trillion…..and the pace it
increases every second is frightening! That’s like your sin clock before
knowing Jesus……..It’s a debt impossible to pay off and increasing at a
frightening speed………..
And Jesus took all those IOU debt receipts and he cancelled them all by
nailing them to the Cross… and now – You and I have no more record…
…..there is not even one more payment to be made…Jesus paid it all….
ILL – It is Well with My Soul
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
If Jesus is God then He is Supreme……If Jesus paid your record of debt, if
he forgives and provides resurrection power to begin to live your eternal
life today………..then He is Sufficient……..When you are filled with the
fullness of Christ then he completely washes out every idol, every
counterfeit.
Conclusion:
Prayer Cards – Maybe one of your requests should be for increased
capacity to know God.