Sermon Passage: Colossians 2:11-23
Matt Dirks
Confronting the Colossians on the man-made rules and regulations they thought would make them more holy, Paul said these things were a “shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” I love this metaphor about the things that may be a reflection of Christ, may even point us toward Christ, but ultimately are still just dark patches compared to the glory of Christ himself. They can sometimes keep our eyes focused on the ground rather than heaven.
For the Colossians it was food restrictions and holiday celebrations that kept their eyes pointed down. The shadows they settled for were rooted in overdiscipline and self-denial. The thing is, I don’t know too many people who are overdisciplined, and the idea of self-denial is something most Americans would laugh at. So what are some of the shadows we settle for?
Religious Rituals
Saying prayers before meals… reading a chapter a day out of the Bible… going to church every week… celebrating Christmas and Easter… all of these are great things, but when we allow our relationship with God to exist solely in checklist rituals, we’ve allowed the shadow to overtake the substance. Next time you pray, notice the words that are coming out of your mouth. Are they pretty much the same words every day? You might need to take some time to prepare your heart before you pray, or go to church, or celebrate a holiday.
Second-Hand Knowledge About God
It’s easy to let others do the work of studying Scripture… easy to let them tell us what God is all about, and what he wants from our lives. It’s easy to have a vicarious relationship with God, living it through a preacher, a small-group leader, an author, or even the study notes in our Bibles. Back when I was in college, I noticed that sometimes during my devotionals I would read the notes under the scripture text and never read the text itself! For my own growth I had to stop using Bibles with any notes in them, just to keep myself from relying on second-hand knowledge. Are you settling for the shadow of a second-hand relationship? Spend some time in God’s word and in prayer so you can move beyond hearing about God to truly knowing him.
Spiritual Mysticism
The Colossians went on and on about the angels they encountered and spiritual visions they were given. It looks like they allowed these mystical experiences to overtake the divine revelation God had already given. In our individualistic age, it’s easy for us to do the same. As one preacher put it, many Christians believe God talks like a “junior high girl on a cell phone with unlimited minutes.” I know God is speaking to me all the time through the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, but most of the time it’s to point me toward things he’s already said in his written word. The next time you hear God’s voice, just ask two simple questions: 1) Does it conform to Scripture? 2) Does it glorify me, or him?