Series in Colossians - The End to Fake Worship

 

The End to Fake Worship

Col. 2:20-23

If you are a genuine believer, then you will be able to distinguish the fake from the real. Before Christ, did you ever follow the rules only because you were required too. And did you go with the flow, bow the knee, or the head in order to be perceived as a true believer? You aren’t the only one who faked worship.

Or did you agree to do a ritual or sign a covenant in order to belong to a church?  

This is Paul’s fourth and final warning against asceticism, the imposing of man-made rules as a means of gaining favor with God. 

So let’s read the first portion of the text of the lesson. “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:  “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.”

In this feigning of spirituality to look more pious and spiritual, many people gave into the acts of asceticism. As they may have bowed to pagan altars or mouthed the words of a hymn or spiritual psalm but deep inside they were posturing in the hopes of pleasing God or placating Him. Paul had seen his share of ascetics as a pharisee. For Isaiah had revealed this in a prophecy that Jesus quoted with the disciples, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” (Isa. 29:13)

Paul told the Colossians to die to the basic principles of religiosity and the ascetic ruse of worship. By death, Paul meant that their old way of life was ended and their new life was found in abiding in Jesus. At conversion, they stated that Christ is Lord and that they demonstrated this by baptism that they had died to the flesh and were raised up in a new life in Christ, and indwelled by the Holy Spirit through whom they were being regenerated (the process of sanctification). All of this was not the act of man, but of God. They couldn't do anything physically or spiritually to earn salvation but to just enter into fellowship with the Father through faith in the Son. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)

But there were many who choose the acts of asceticism, the man-made acts or rules in order to gain favor with God. And the more that they feigned religiosity or buffeted their bodies by denying its most basic desires (lengthened fasting, the self-abasement, self-flagellation, and abstaining from certain foods) they got farther away from Him. Their mantra was “Don’t do this or that! Don’t handle or touch it!” 

Application - My life before Christ was fake at best, and abhorrent at worst when it came to worship and believing in Christ Jesus for salvation. I was a product of the world, and the god of the world. But when I truly believed in Christ Jesus, there was a huge transformation in my heart, head, soul, and spirit. God literally transformed me into a new man, I was baptized in water, but it was the baptism of the Spirit that really set me apart for Christ’s purpose. 

It was easy to fake worship, all you had to do was to be rote, learn a few songs, learn the schedule of the service, and smile. Otherwise act. But when I saw a genuine believer, I realized the phoniness of my actions and knew that I was fake. Many people today have experienced this or are still doing it. I’m not saying that in judgment, but in fact. One of the latest polls shows most people who call themselves christian don’t read their Bibles or pray daily, it is less than 9 percent. So if their actions away from church are next to nil, wonder what their actions are like in church?

Bottom line, God loves us and He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins and reconcile us with the Father through the atoning work of Jesus’ blood on the cross. The work of salvation through Jesus is all sufficient, there is nothing we need to do or add to in order to be saved. We don’t need acts of asceticism to appease God or prove our salvation is real. It is simply a gift from God, who tells us to believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, to confess that he came to earth, die on a cross for the sins of all mankind, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven and will one day come back to rapture (to be caught up) His Church to be with him. (John 14:1-2; 1 Thes. 4:13-18) 

Last, Paul explains the ineffectiveness of asceticism, it leads to masquerading before God. Isaiah again exhorts the Jews people, “the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden. Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, ‘Who sees us? Who knows us?’”

 So let’s read the last portion of the text. “Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

Paul finished with three human regulations that seem godly but have their origin in pride. 

First, Paul addresses the appearance of wisdom. Paul had seen this from his days as a pharisee and in the pagan world of Greece and Rome. The wisdom of this world has its base in pride, selfishness and envy. All of this seems humanly sensible and reasonable, but it was all the works of man, and inwardly the works of sinful flesh. These ascetic rules of wisdom had their expressions in self-imposed worship and false humility. 

Second, Paul addresses the issue of self-imposed worship, it was the feigning of humility and lack of holy reverence for God in their worship at the altar and the heart was far from the true worship that God desires. Jesus had addressed the acts of true worship with the Samaritan woman at the well. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

The Colossians were given to the acts of giving to God without truly worshiping God from a sacrificial heart of repentance through adoration of God. It was wrapped around the self-image. Remembering the offerings in the court of the women, Jesus commended the poor women for her giving, while the rich were jingling their bags of coins so that others would notice their piety and importance. (Mark 12:41-44) or the giving before others (Matt. 6:2-4). The ascetic want to be seen by others for their religiosity.

Third, Paul addresses the harsh treatment of the body as a form of worship. Paul knew that it didn’t have any spiritual value, it only enhanced the sensual indulgence and self-gratification of the flesh. Just as the prophets of Baal cut themselves as an act of worship and appeasement to their god, “They limped around the altar that they had made…And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation.” (1 Kings 18:24c, 28-29)

Paul knew that God looks at the heart of the worshiper, he knows the true worshiper comes to him contrite in heart and broken “Declares the LORD. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (Isa. 66:2; Psalms 51:17) It is in humility that God will see and exalt the person.  

Application - I’ve never been to a place where people cut themselves as an act of worship, but there are many who will do acts of fasting in public, or dress in such a way to draw attention to their piety. These are a few ways today we see asceticism in churches. I remember being at a church where we brought street kids to church, there were some who found it offense. And one time when a skateboarder stood in the parking lot at church watching the people coming in, I asked him if he would come in with me. The response shocked me, for he said that he didn’t have the right clothes to go into this church! Ouch! The physical should have anything to do with our worship of God, He wants us as we are so that He can show us His love through His Son and His bride the church. God isn’t into being ascetic, he wants to reconcile mankind back to himself. And the only way is through the love He has shown us through the Son.

So let’s put to death the flesh, the sensual-indulgence, the self-gratification of narcissism. God wants us to come to Him because we need Him, want Him, and honor Him. He is truly worthy of all praise and honor.

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com