Just Jesus
“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 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. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him” (Col. 2:6-10 NKJ)
Hello Saints,
Yesterday, while on my way to church, I drove by the ever-growing Shuh Orchards, a large apple farm that keeps adding on to its size. It has more fields of apple trees than ever before, and the methods used to attract people to purchase those apples have grown as well. As I drove by, I noticed a field full of cars, tractor-pulled wagons to bring people, including lots of young families out to the trees to pick apples, a maze and many other fun activities to hopefully, get people to buy the apples, which by the way, are not cheap. I have watched this somewhat obscure apple farm go from a hardly noticeable field of apples, to a ‘hustling and bustling’ commercial enterprise which now sells tickets to its ‘amusement park’ like venue, with a petting zoo, a “tire mountain”, “bubble barn”, live music, and food trucks. I guess it is a marketing success story, the whole family can enjoy. Friends…it’s an apple! I can buy a bushel at the market for around 15 dollars but will drop well over a hundred dollars for a couple hours of frolicking in the apple orchard, just so we can say, “we picked our own!” It works! Who hasn’t enjoyed picking apples fresh off the apple tree in their lifetime? Childhood memories of doing so abound in my mind. But honestly…it was never about the apple, for I could not even tell you what kind we picked. The apple got lost in the entertainment value of the activities side show – the apple was not the main event!
Almost immediately, while driving by, the thought came into my mind… “Is this is the way we do church?”. Honestly, with all the peripheral distractions, we can miss the main reason we are gathered – Jesus! As a pastor, I want it to be about Jesus, not the side show, which in many cases becomes the worship style, the eloquent or funny speaker, the activities for my family, the comfortable chairs, the fellowship afterwards, etc. Those are all fine and good, but what we have really come to church for, according to the passage above, is to be “rooted and built up and established in our faith” isn’t it? Don’t we want to know Jesus more? Don’t we want to sing songs about Him, connect with Him, grow in our understanding of how magnificent a Savior, Lord and King He is so that we can “abound in thanksgiving” for all He has done to redeem and save us. Don’t you feel “cheated” (literally ‘taken captive’) when you went to grow in your faith, but just got “empty” ‘deceitful’, ‘worldly’ human marketing and not Christ. “But that’s the way it’s always been done!”. That is what Paul calls “the tradition of men”. It’s a tradition to go yearly to an apple orchard, not necessarily because of the apple, but because of the fun value attached to the event. The apple is not the main event, it’s the ‘thing’ that gets us to the party. Lord have mercy! May Jesus never be the side show and not the main attraction! “How come you go to that church?” I ask. “I like the music” or “they have a great kid’s program”, or “the pastor makes me laugh”. I think I can honestly say, when I’ve asked that question, I’ve never heard someone say, “Because I know Jesus more and get closer to Him”.
Paul wrote Colossians to a church that was being invaded by all kinds of distractions and false teachings. Have you read the first chapter? He brings everything back to Jesus – He is the main attraction! If you are looking for God…Jesus is He! If you’re looking for church…He is the Head and in all things He should have “preeminence”, that is “first place in everything” – He’s not the side show…He’s the main event! (Col. 1:17-18) If you’re looking for meaning and purpose and life itself, you will find that “you are complete in Him”! He who has the Son has life (1John 5:12). Christ is our life (Col. 3:4); He is all and in all (Col. 3:11). Let’s never be deceived by the ‘bells and whistles’. Anything that doesn’t draw us closer to Jesus is not worth pursuing or investing time and money in. Just give me Jesus!
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:1-3)
Peace
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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