Empty Hearts Find Fullness in Christ

Empty Hearts Find Fullness in Christ

Pastor Pete Metzger

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Colossians 2:6-15

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Empty Hearts Find Fullness in Christ

I’ve observed a particular phenomenon in the Metzger household. Tension is highest and moods are lowest at around the same times every day: 11:30am, 5:30pm. Do you know why? Empty bellies. Empty bellies negatively effect moods. Poor emotional regulation makes for poor company.

If this sounds like your life, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that it’s a simple solution: eat something! We all feel better when we’re properly fed. The bad news – this ain’t going away. You’re going to have to deal with this multiple times a day for the rest of your life. Systems, preparations, strategically stashed snacks can go a long way. But one missed meal, one delay, one abnormal day can send you or a family member into a hunger-induced spiral of emotional dysregulation, e.g. anger, frustration, sadness, anxiety.

Now, I realize that I sound like a walking advertisement for Snickers, but I bring this up because what’s true for us physically and emotionally is also true spiritually. An empty heart or a starved soul does no one any good. In fact, it does many people much harm. And just like in real life, spiritual Snickers bars – shortcuts and Band-Aids – are temporary solutions at best. More likely, they’re unhealthy habits that make for unhealthy Christians.

If this sounds familiar, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that there is a solution and it does you more good than a properly balanced (and well timed) diet. The bad news is that our condition is worse than hanger, and the road to recovery is technically out of our reach.

The Apostle Paul warned the Colossians against the threat of hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.[1] I could tell you the whole history behind the “Colossian problem,”  but what it boils down to is this. There were people in Colosse who suggested that you’re not a “real Christian” unless you obey the Old Testament ceremonial laws and until you’ve engaged in some way with the spiritual realm, e.g. receiving special revelations from God or worshiping angels. Unless you do all those things, you’re not a “real Christian;” you’re a “partial Christian,” “immature,” “half-baked.” In other words, they’re suggesting that you’re not complete. You’re not full. You’re missing something.

And isn’t that exactly what we heard in Genesis 3 today? “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”[2] And after the devil said that, Eve looked at the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and not only did it look good to eat, but it was suddenly desirable for gaining wisdom.[3] The devil’s grand tactic here was the same as the “Colossian problem,” i.e. suggesting that you’re missing out on something, that God’s holding out on you.

And when does that tactic work best? Consider our Gospel: After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”[4] That temptation doesn’t work after dinner. It’s not particularly effective if you have a protein bar in your pocket. But after fasting forty days and forty nights, it’s a different story.

So what does all this have to do with you? I said it before: an empty heart and a starved soul do no one any good. That’s when you’re most susceptible to temptation, to buying the lie that Jesus and the Word that reveals him are not enough, that you need more.

I know from painful personal experience that when I am irregular or downright unfaithful in my personal devotion and Bible reading, that’s when I am most likely to make poor spiritual decisions. The line between what is good and what is sin doesn’t seem so stark. Whatever goodwill toward other people I had in my heart shrinks to the margins that remain (if any do). I begin to shift my focus off of Christ and onto whatever hollow and deceptive philosophy makes me feel good about myself at the time, whether that’s the outward display of a stereotypical Christian life or the internal self-assurance that comes from feeling like I know things other people don’t.

An empty heart and a starving soul is a breeding ground for temptation and sin. The question is what do you when you feel empty? Where do you turn to feel full? Do you try harder and force yourself into a lifestyle you think will bring you fulfillment, but is entirely based on your own effort that inevitably flags and fails when your energy does? Do you turn to podcasts and pop psychologists on social media for the perspective you can only find in the Bible?  

It’s the same thing human creatures have done since the Garden of Eden – being taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy that depends on anything other than Christ. And the end result is often either that we grow proud about how far we’ve come or how much we’ve done (to the neglect of what Christ has done for us), or we despair that we still haven’t done enough, i.e. that we aren’t enough, which is closer to the truth, but still only halfway there.

Paul described our natural condition as dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of [our] flesh.[5] Not only have we not done everything we should, but we can’t, because by nature we’re dead in sin. That’s the bad news I reference before – that the road to recovery is technically out of our reach. I can’t think myself into maturity. I can’t behave myself out of the grave.

But that’s what makes the good news so good. I don’t have to, because of everything that Jesus did for me. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. [6] God did it all!

He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.[7]

It’s amazing how Paul stacks up these word pictures of forgiveness for us. “He forgave us” means that God showed grace to us when we trespassed against him. When you crossed a line you never should have gotten near, God didn’t relish the idea of striking you down even though you deserved it. Instead, he gave you something you didn’t deserve – his love, a second chance, a clean conscience, because you’ve been cleansed by Christ.

“He canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness.” Whatever outward appearance of righteous living we might maintain, God knows the weakness in our hearts, the evil in our minds. He has an entire book of life that records all our sins. But he cancels the charges by nailing them to the cross as evidence that his death more than pays for your sin.

God has done it all, in Jesus. Which means, my hope and my confidence don’t depend on how good of a Christian I can be. My prospects of entering heaven aren’t dependent on how faithful I am in reading my Bible. They all depend on Christ, and he is more than sufficient for my hope and confidence in salvation and eternal life.  

So, whatever temptations are out there to look beyond Jesus or the simple words of Scripture that reveal him to us – whatever temptations come to try to convince you that you have to try harder or be more in order to qualify as a “real Christian” – remember what Paul said at the start: Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.[8]

You have received Christ Jesus as Lord. That’s what the Bible tells us he is. He is everything you need, and because you have him, there is nothing you lack – even if your family member is ill or your financial status is less than ideal. It’s not as if you’re in that situation because your faith is weak or you’re somehow less than complete as a Christian. We live in a sin-filled world with sin-filled problems. But Jesus is the answer – the forgiveness for our sins and the hope of a life that extends beyond this world and into his home of righteousness. And just as Jesus is the fullness of the Deity… in bodily form,[9] because of Jesus and in Jesus you have been brought to fullness.[10] When you have Christ, you aren’t missing anything.

So, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught. There are such strong words to describe the Christian life here. Rooted in Jesus. That means more than a tangential relationship with him, more than just an occasion interaction with him. You have been made to depend on him for strength and life, and you are constantly connected to him. Built up in him. That means that your Christian life isn’t stagnant and it doesn’t plateau. You continue to grow from him and find your strength in him. Strengthened in the faith as you were taught. You don’t need some special revelation. You already have everything you need in God’s Word, and it establishes you as standing on firm ground.

So, dear Christian, continue to live in Christ. When you feel empty be rooted in Jesus. Spend your days in the Word that reveals him to you. Build on what you hear and read and learn, and I promise you – because God promises you – you will not feel the need for more from somewhere else. You will be brought to fullness in Christ and you will overflow with thanksgiving for all the many good things he has done for you, continues to do in you, and will give to you because of his triumph over sin, death and the devil by the cross.

When obstacles come, when you feel empty, live in Christ as he lived, died, and rose again for you. Amen.

[1] Colossians 2:8

[2] Genesis 3:4,5

[3] Genesis 3:6

[4] Matthew 4:2,3

[5] Colossians 2:13

[6] Ibid

[7] Colossians 2:13,14

[8] Colossians 2:6,7

[9] Colossians 2:9

[10] Colossians 2:10

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God's Word: Life-Giving and Life-Changing

God's Word: Life-Giving & Life-Changing

Vicar Owen Eubank

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1 Peter 1:18-25

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

God’s Word: Life-giving & life-changing

How familiar are you with grass? Over the past three summers, I worked on the grounds crew at my seminary in Wisconsin. I became very familiar with grass during those years: spending hours every week on the mower, adding soil and seed and fertilizer to dead patches, watering dry spots day after day. I put a lot of effort into maintaining the grass of our 80-acre campus and making it look beautiful and green all summer. But none of that mattered by the middle of November. Inevitably, a blanket of snow would come and cover the fields of grass. What was once green and lush would wither and die. If you take care of your own yard, then you know what I’m talking about. Grass sprouts in the spring and grows during the warm summer months. It’s so nice to look at and to feel under your feet, but it doesn’t last. There’s no permanence with grass. What thrives for a season eventually will die. 

                Do you ever feel like grass? Are there moments when you get hit by the impermanence of life, when you feel just how temporary everything is? In our second reading for this morning from Peter’s first epistle, he compares human beings to grass. Like grass, we were all born of “perishable seed,” as Peter calls it. We spring up and grow green for a season, but eventually the time will come for us to wither and die. We can try our hardest to prolong life, to watch our diet and exercise our bodies, but such efforts are futile. There’s no real hope that we can somehow evade death, that sickness and disease won’t get us in the end. All we have to do is drive past a cemetery, and we quickly realize that we’re all headed for the same grass-like fate. 

                This was not how life was supposed to be. God made mankind far better than grass. Humans were created to live forever, to flourish in the sunshine of God’s loving presence. But sin disrupted the tranquility of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve rebelled against God. They chose obedience to themselves and their own desires rather than obedience to the truth of God. They wanted to gratify themselves rather than serve each other or the God who made them. Because of their sin, they became like grass, perishable and temporary. And so began the long and dreadful heritage of mankind: each generation, passing down an empty way of life to the next, a life apart from God, a life lacking sincere and lasting love. Like Adam and Eve, we often do what we think is best for us rather than what God wants us to do. We’d rather look out for our own needs than show love or concern for those around us. We have rebelled against God, and for this, we deserve to die. Like Adam and Eve, our sins have made us like grass: our bodies will wither and die, and our souls are in danger of hell fire. 

                As a worker on the grounds crew, I didn’t cry over dead grass. There was 80 acres of the stuff! Besides, I could always spread more seed to replace what had died. Dead grass is no big deal. Do you think that’s how God feels about us? Why would he care about me, a single sinner, when there’s billions of other people on the planet? Why would he value me, when I’m the one rebelling against him and causing my own death? Shouldn’t he just let me die and move on? 

                As small and unworthy as we seem because of our sin, God still values us. He created us to live with him forever, and even though we ruined that, he’s still determined to make it happen. He’s so devoted to us, he values us so much, that he gave up his own Son for us. Through Jesus’ death, we have been redeemed from our empty way of life, rescued from the fate handed down to us from our ancestors. Jesus paid the price needed to save us from sin and death—not with gold or silver, but with his blood. His sinless blood removes our sinful stain. The blood of the eternal Son of God grants us eternal life. That’s how much God values you: he sacrificed his own Son for you! Your parents handed down a worthless life, but your heavenly Father has filled your life with value through Jesus’ death. 

                What good news! We have a God who values us, who wants us to live with him forever and has already done everything to make that possible. That’s what makes the Bible so important! It’s how God tells you all that he’s done for you. Without the revelation of Scripture, we wouldn’t know that our way of life was a problem. We need to hear how empty our lives were, that we were headed for eternal death because of our sin. Without the revelation of Scripture, we wouldn’t know where to turn for help. We need to hear just how much God is devoted to us, to receive the good news of redemption in Jesus’ blood. It’s as if we have been born all over again through the Word of God. We were originally born from our parents, born into a perishing, empty life. But God’s Word gives us rebirth, birth into an enduring, valuable life. As you came to church with your parents all those years ago, sitting through the service, attending Sunday School, you were reborn as Jesus was revealed to you. Your life completely changed as you walked through Bible Basics for the first time and dove into the Scriptures on your own. Even today, as I stand here and proclaim Christ to you, the Word of God is at work in your heart, making you alive in Christ, giving you birth into eternal life. 

                God’s living and enduring Word has given you life, dear Christian, but it also changes how you live your life. Think of a bedridden patient, who’s been confined to the hospital 24/7 for over a month. The doctors are doubtful she will ever recover, and she’s given up all hope of ever making it out of the hospital. One day, her family comes to visit her, and as she is tearfully saying goodbye to them, not sure when or if she’ll ever see them again, all of a sudden a doctor bursts into the room and tells her not to worry: her latest test results are off the charts! She’s going to make a full recovery in no time. Her husband won’t be a widower; her children will still have a mother! What will she do with that news? Will she keep lying in the hospital bed, saying sad farewells and fixating on death? No! Tears of sadness are replaced by tears of joy. She can’t wait to get out of the hospital, to be the best wife and mother that she can be with the time she has left. Because of the doctor’s news, her life has completely changed. 

                That’s what the Bible does for all who hear it and take it to heart. It’s the good news that dying sinners needed to hear! God’s Word doesn’t give us rebirth into the same empty life we were living before, but into a new life. We take this good news, this new life in Christ, and we live lives of faith that reflect the truths we have learned from God’s Word. The Bible tells us that Christ has cleansed us from our sins. In response, we purify ourselves from all sinful behaviour. We were redeemed from our empty, sinful lives, and we never want to go back. The Bible shows us the immense love of our heavenly Father for us and for all people, a love that moved him to give up his Son. In response, we love one another in the same way that God loved us—freely, deeply, sincerely. We share the love of God with others so that they too may see how much God values them and what he has done to save them from their empty lives. Purified Christians living purified lives, beloved children of God showing love to each other—that’s the life changing power of God’s Word! 

                As human beings, born from sinful parents who passed their sinfulness to us, death is still our fate, and we will pass death to the next generation. In that respect, we are still like grass. But as Christians, we also pass on something far greater: a heritage of hope, drawn from the Word of God. The death we die is not a permanent one—Jesus’ resurrection assures us that we too will rise. Though death brings us grief and trouble, we can find comfort and hope in God’s Word. It’s all we need to make it through this grass-like life to eternal life. It will always be there to strengthen and support us through the hard times. From age to age, the Bible has survived as the source of hope for God’s people. Thank God that he has preserved his Word for us today! No one can take it away or destroy it. The Word of the Lord endures forever, and with it our hope stands secure. 

                So cherish your Bible. It is God’s very own Word, living and enduring forever! He has given it to you as a heritage, so that you pass it on to the next generation. It has life-giving power, as it reveals your redemption through Christ’s blood and gives you rebirth into eternal life. It has life-changing power, prompting you to purify your heart, to love one another, and to put your hope in God. Through all the changing seasons of your life, whether the grass is green or starting to brown, cling to God’s Word. Know it well, live according to its truth, and put your hope in its promises. It stands forever, and by God’s grace so will you. Amen.