Colossians And Yoga

How do you live in the year 2017 that was the question I asked last week during Sunday school

How do you stay calm calm as a believer when there's so much news, and there's so much chaos in the news and chaos in society

Everyone appears to be stressed, and we looked at a few things that people are turning to to relieve the stress

Many are turning up. I'm focused on what Christians are turning to and then primarily we saw that they were turning to Drugs they were turning to the news they were turning to exercise

They were turning to even yoga, which is what I will talk about today Now not all of these things that people turn to is necessarily simple is it in and of themselves.

There's nothing wrong with them But When it becomes the only means and the primary means in a person's life

Then it becomes simple. Let's talk a little bit about exercise

What are some of your favorite kinds of exercise I know most of you do something

So what what is what do you like? What are the things that BBC likes to do? Anthony Ride a bike nobody else works out, right?

You ex Becky exercises her freedoms we must pray for her salvation

Right a lot of people like weightlifting running swimming jogging CrossFit karate math martial arts

What is becoming bigger what has becoming real become really big in the United States over the last 20 years?

yoga and Tai Chi Very popular very big like I said, there's nothing wrong with those in and of themselves

But that's not the case. Is it in? Many countries there are cults

Many countries have them a few years ago Scott Brown did a whole series on what a cult is and what are the different cults?

What is surprising is many cults disguise themselves? In a

Christian overtone They seem Christlike they seem to be focused on the

Bible, but they really are what it is It's it's they are a cult they go away from Christ.

They focus on a person They focus on man on man -made righteousness, and they tend to move away from the

Bible in Christ Examples of cults clearly Mormonism Jehovah's Witnesses and even

Catholicism Here's my question for you What is

America's national cult? as quoted by a

Few pastors if you've heard them, dr. John MacArthur has said it a few times. Dr. Albert Moller jr.

Has said it and they are spot -on if you look at statistics if you look at the country

This is clearly America's national cult Taylor Self self is very self is very good.

I have something even more specific than self It's that's right because that's where it ultimately is coming from But what is

America's national cult Brian more moralism good

Self -esteem Larry's a self -esteem good you guys are Environmentalism getting there little by little

Tolerance wow, that's a that's a good one But not but so clearly many of you believe that America is in trouble because there's a lot of wearied issues here, right?

Good, but you've not hit it yet So gratification good. Okay one last time and then

I'll give away the answer Anthony Humanism good, but no so America's national cult is health health getting healthy

Achieving health staying healthy at any means is the cult of the nation we live in Whether whether the practices are in are involved in getting healthy are pagan whether they are outside scripture whether they are a mixture of Religious beliefs nobody cares about you have one focus and that is to get healthy and whatever gets you there is

Good. I'm very happy, but because very few pastors call this out and Why I'm talking about it is not because it's a issue in the in just in our nation, but it's an issue inside the church

Attacking the very person and the very work and the very sufficiency of Jesus Christ There's nothing wrong with exercises.

There's nothing wrong with getting healthy. That's not what I'm saying is wrong All right, you don't just give up your gym membership after this class and no longer.

No, that's not what I'm saying but when that becomes the only goal and the only thing you live to and You look to attain that health at all means even if you sacrifice the word

And the person of Christ and the knowledge of Christ and obedience to Christ Then you're sinning and is idolatry

Last week we looked at the sovereignty of God and the supremacy of King Jesus from Colossians chapter 1

I would did 1 & 2 to to get our minds set Founded on what we learn about Christ from the book of Colossians We saw that he is preeminent in creation that is first supreme over all things created and above all things

But we also saw that he is sufficient for salvation and for the spiritual growth of the believer.

You don't need anything else Colossians attacks a lot of false teaching particularly false and bad philosophy and there were plenty of those and they had to stand guard

Turn with me to the book of Colossians chapter 2 we're 16 to 19 as we dive right into What people are?

turning to outside of Christ In arch in the churches today Now mind you

I have not defined the church here mind I'm not saying that the churches that are practicing this are all pagan

From my analysis. I've even seen reformed churches struggling to keep these philosophies out of their

Pulpits out of their congregations, that's why I'm addressing this Colossians chapter 2 verse 16 to 19

Before he gets here. He defines He exalts Christ. He talks about the sufficiency of Christ.

He talks about how Sinners have been rescued from the domain of darkness He has already

Exerted on his apostolic authority He has said in verse 8 be rooted in Christ your mind and your body rooted in Christ from whom the head from whom the body gets his nourishment and Now he comes to a very

Challenging portion and that is he's talking about what's what are some of these false teaching and false ideology that is affecting

Colossians and Colossi at the time Let's look at it together Does anybody want to read anybody has

Colossians 2 16 to 19 open Brian? Look what it says towards the end not holding fast to the head not holding fast to Christ Jesus to the purposes of Christ to the doctrine of Christ to the

Salvation that Christ alone brings they want other things that look good. Now.

Here's a question. There are two sets of False doctrines here in one sense one is

Jewish and one is Greek or Gentile so what do you think the false teachers are trying to tell here and False Jewish teachers are trying to say here

Or what is Paul trying to? Tell them not to lose their identity from they're telling them don't let anybody

Trick you don't let anybody judge you because of this action So what is he saying about against the fall against the

Jewish false teachers here? Legalism right specifically legalism that is acts that are outside of Christ That look to be sufficient for a person's salvation good are there any any more specific things that there's he's saying in this verse a festival

Rituals religious rituals and he clearly says that all Christ has come he is risen

He has finished the work so all of these things Including the new moon the

Sabbath which were all festivals in Israel and in the Jewish land are nothing but a shadow

But what the Jews were struggling with is they said okay good good good. Yes, I hear you Christ is good

Christ is sufficient, but he has some insufficiencies and Those insufficiencies need to be plugged by going back to the religious rituals, and that's false teaching

But what's happening after this that's Jews, but what's happening with the Gentiles? What does what do we have something here that talks about a

Gentile practice? specifically Greek We're 17 asceticism worship of angels visions

Controlled by the sensuous mind Asceticism was very very big in that day and believe it or not.

It's big today as well Self -denial so the Greeks were saying oh, we see what you're saying.

We like Christ. We like the resurrection we all of this makes sense But Christ is not sufficient.

He's insufficient and let's let's add on to his insufficiency by ascetic practices by self -denial

Let's worship these yes. He's good. He's powerful, but look there are some of these bad angels that need to be appeased

They need to be their wrath needs to be appeased so we need to worship them, too So both

Jews and Greeks are questioning the sufficiency of Christ They are questioning his authority and they're questioning his finished work on the cross in the 21st century there's no practice that represents asceticism as Perfectly as Yoga does

I would say that in if Paul were writing the book of Colossians in the year 2017

I would say that he might even rewrite that verse a little bit verse 18 He said he may say hey let no one disqualify you insisting on yoga and worship of angels and going on in detail about visions what is yoga a

Spiritual discipline it's a philosophy By which the person tries to have balance between body and mind

Now you may be asking why am I saying this here because not only is it in our churches most Christians are unable to Articulate what the problem is with yoga

Most Christians are unable to say it and therefore they are unable to stay away From things that sound like yoga, and there are lots of them that are coming in they're unable to defend the truth

They're unable to defend the sufficiency of Christ, and they're going full head headfirst into yoga and similar practices

So it's a philosophy and a spiritual discipline where? You achieve a state of ready for this super -consciousness of the divine super -consciousness of the divine and In order to do this you need to have what is and what they define as a cessation of the modification of the mind

It isn't as complicated as that sounds they like to make it sound complicated It's not essentially what that means is you need to empty your mind

And what they're saying is in order to be your the your best self In order to achieve salvation

I'll talk about what that means You need to get rid of all the thoughts about this world have equilibrium like chemicals in a tube and That way you can have peace with one of the 400 gods that is there in Hinduism The practice of yoga's claims that you will have mental stability health

Libera liberality you will have supernatural powers. You'll have great devotion capabilities and self transformation

Where does yoga come from? Easy right where does it come from? nobody

India Hinduism it's it's it's one of the cores of Hinduism, and I'll tell you why but yoga derives its

Philosophies from Aura's beliefs from the Indian metaphysical belief system just like Tai Chi Derives its belief from the

Chinese metaphysical beliefs in yoga comes from that It means merger yoga is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit is one of the Indian languages It means merger or union and essentially means perfect harmony between body and mind perfect harmony

It says that you need to attain self Enlightenment through mantra a mantra is nothing but Hindu verses

But it doesn't stop that it says you attain this self enlightenment through mantra through repetition through chanting and through physical exercise and through meditation

To achieve this state yoga uses

Breathing posture relaxation meditation in order to bring about a healthy and lively balanced approach sounds good doesn't it?

Now do you think if your God is health wouldn't you be attracted to this?

If you're in a cult and all you care about is health why wouldn't yoga be a religion? Why wouldn't yoga be the thing you go to?

But what does that have to do with Christ and what does that have to do with the Bible? And how is it coming into churches?

And how is our Christians unable to defend the gospel and the Word of God and the sufficiency of Christ?

How are you not able to defend it against this? What the reason

I'm so passionate about is because even though I'm Indian I didn't grow up in India But everybody knew that yoga was for Hindus it was not for anybody else and If you come to America, and you're shocked at how popular this is

And how it's gotten everywhere including schools workplaces and now hospitals as well where it is actually used

For medical purposes So how do Hindus use yoga?

Is that a good question to ask? Okay? What is the purpose of yoga for Hindus? Hinduism is focused on karma what goes around comes around Okay, they don't have any idea of sin really of eternal death.

They have no really idea of holiness nothing They have 400 gods and what do they believe they don't believe people die

They they believe that people transform forever from one form to the other So if you live a good life now

You'll come back as a prettier healthier person in the next time around you come rebirth come back into earth

And nobody will recognize you, but you'll meet this completely different person if you're good if you're bad

You come back as a cockroach as a cow as a bull I don't know they have a bunch of these and that's all based on how good you go

Right sounds crazy doesn't it? Hey, it's coming into our churches, so there's a reason why

I'm saying this Brian. They don't They they define they don't they don't have sin, but they define good

Solely by the way you behave with others and by the way you treat nature By the way you you know take care of the farm the trees.

That's how they define good They don't really have a definition for sin now It's so they know murder is wrong because it's harming another human being well.

I I don't they don't call it sin. I'm sorry They don't they don't do that now

Hindus do this state where they're very good And they're able to stay focused because the entire focus is being good so that in the next life.

They can come back prettier the better car with more money and the way they do this is by Yoga, it's their way.

It's their false way of being right with their 400 gods That's what it is is there we are being right with their gods

Never mind most of their gods are a mix with of elephants and humans And you know the half elephant half human half bull never mind all of that Yoga is a meditative physical posture

It's a philosophy that is completely antithetical to the

Christian worldview and to biblical Christianity Completely now

Why do Christians practice yoga? Sorry, I have a An uncontrollable smile on my face.

Why do Christians practice yoga, or do you guys know people who practice yoga? Are they

Christians? Why do you why would they do this? Yeah, that's right? That's right. They just see it as physical exercise.

There's a problem with that which I'll define good What else is there remember? I said that in the stressed out world right now in this chaotic climate right now people are turning to a bunch of things including news and exercise particularly yoga

So to relieve stress many Christians are not going to the Bible. They're not going to Pray or meditate on the scriptures.

They're going to this thing called yoga Most people are claiming that it's nothing but physical exercise, but let me help you understand that Anybody heard of this large movement, and there's a bunch of these movements in the country right now.

It's called yoga faith. Oh Yeah, I see some smiles there, maybe you guys have heard of it.

Yes, don't you wish that you could say Lord come soon and just go I Do when

I when I hear things like this, it's it doesn't make any sense This is what the website says it's called yoga faith ready

We are we are here to reclaim and redeem numerous biblical principles such as chanting meditating

Complete surrender and whole worship as the Bible describes in him. We move and breathe and have our being

Twisted mother are these twisting scripture here are they mangling it to meet their own needs?

This is from their website They abuse scripture and this is by the way, this is many movements that are now going throughout churches and Pastors are advertising this and pastors are saying let's do this.

This is good. Let's not do the let's not do the chanting Let's not do the mantra. I say let's chant scriptures

Let's substitute this why because Christ is not sufficient. No, no crisis insufficient

Let's plug the gaps in Christ sufficiency by bringing a pagan practice in Which questions our

Lord and his kingship? They go on to say this some

Christians hang out with Jesus see This is on their website. And by the way, all of these guys say this.

I don't think we speak like this I'm not saying this in a proud way hang out with Jesus really The the

Son of God have these guys read the Christological hymn of the New Testament Have they read

Colossians 1 15 to 20 where you exalt Christ as King of all creator of all and ruler of all

I don't know if I want to hang out with Jesus on a couch watching Patriots. That's not what this is But this is the way they talk about Christ Some Christians hang out with Jesus on Sunday and then go about their lives for the rest of the week leaving

Jesus at church Yoga faith proposes that Christians keep Christ in the center of every part of life

The whole goal is wholeness mind body spirit and soul Okay, should should

Christ be the center of every part of our life yes, but should it be through yoga

No No, it's got nothing to do with that. What I just said is what most churches believe in America today

What I just read from their website is what many Christians I talked to say about About yoga and this practice, and I don't just beat them on the head with the

Bible I actually do give them the gospel and try to start there because I don't think they understand that That's what we need, but that's what we need to do

This is what dr. Albert Moller who has done a wonderful study on yoga so has

John McArthur There is a lot of resource out there. I encourage you to get it so that so you can understand.

What's wrong with this People think like Carmen said that's the biggest thing that is just a physical exercise that are just physical postures

But talk to any Hindu even many of my friends And they'll say you can never separate the philosophy from the physical exercise you can never in fact in order to attain

Those physical postures you need to chant not the scripture you need to chant the mantras in order to get those physical postures

You cannot get those postures really without that kind of Meditation or what

I kind I don't I want to call it meditation that kind of chanting You can never separate the spiritual from the physical in yoga

This is what dr. Albert Moller jr. Has to say There's nothing wrong with physical exercise and yoga positions in themselves are not the main issue

But these positions are teaching postures with a spiritual purpose Consider this if you have to meditate intensely in order to achieve or to maintain a physical posture

It is no longer Merely a physical posture, but Christians do not get this they do not understand this

They think it's just another physical exercise that is nothing wrong, but everything associated with this thing is

Is wrong now you can argue that okay lens and you're being very legalistic, and you're being very hard Maybe maybe just a little bit

But have you guys heard of the maximalist approach was the minimalist approach to? To living

Christian life anybody heard of those approaches maximalist versus minimalist approach not quite, but it's it's so the so the okay, so the minimalist approach says this

How much can I do and does it's not sin is it okay if I do this

But how close can I get to doing this thing and not being in sin? Have I ever heard of that?

Have I heard of that? What is a good example of usually people say in what kind of situations are usually people say that?

Excellent right is the first thing that comes to your mind. It's dating how Much can

I do this without actually sinning have you heard that from engaged couples you hear that a lot? It's a minimalist approach. It's a good example.

It says I want to do this in But I can't do it because I know the Bible says against it

So how far can I live on the fringe of the sin and not actually sin? What's wrong with this approach?

What's wrong with this approach You very good. It usually fails because we live we still live in in mortal

Fallen flesh even if even though we redeemed by Christ and Christ alone Charlie excellent If you're that much into the fringe you're probably in the circle itself.

You've already sinned Okay, so that's the question so what's the maximalist approach?

Hint it's it's a biblical approach Avoid even the appearance of sin

You're running so far away from that thing because you your question is will this thing make me love

Christ more or is it? Gonna affect my relationship with him will it make me love The brothers and sisters in Christ more or is gonna affect my relationship with those

Christ has redeemed The question is not how far I can get to that sitting the question is how far can

I run away from the sin? So that it does not affect my holiness Sound biblical as long as it's not legalistic.

Yes, of course. This is primarily a way of obedience, right? It's not so this to the engaged couple doesn't ask the question.

Okay, how long how much can I stay away from? How can we stay away from each other so that we exalt

Christ even at this time? So it's how far you stay away So if you take keep that in mind the minimalist approach was just a maximalist approach and You're saying that yoga is just a physical posture, and it's just a physical exercise.

What would you do? What would you do is it is it minimalist or maximalist if you do yoga, which one is it

I? Think it's pretty clear. It's minimalist is it isn't it you want to get as close to it and Think it's not sin my argument is the question is how holy can you be and This does not help your holiness because at the very onset of the very behind yoga the very truth behind yoga philosophy behind yoga is

Antithetical to Jesus Christ and his work on the cross and it should it should scare us and cause us to run away

But that is now what's happening. Dr. John McArthur goes on to say yoga involves chanting a word of phrase continuously until One transcends mind and emotion in order to achieve super consciousness

I Should stop right there, but I'll finish This is done.

This is John McArthur goes on to say this is done with physical exercise as well You cannot do the exercise or maintain the pose without the chanting

Douglas Gruthius professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary had this to say By the way, this was back in 1985

All forms of yoga involve occult or occult assumptions He warns even

Hatha yoga, which is often presented as merely as a merely physical discipline while most adherence of yoga avoid the more exotic forms of ritualized sex that are associated with tantric yoga and here's the danger and Ruthiest is a very good job defining it.

Here's a problem with it virtually all forms of yoga involve an emphasis on channeling sexual energy throughout the body as a means of spiritual

Enlightenment. There's an excellent book called How yoga came to America written by Stephanie Simon.

She's done a phenomenal work. She is a Christian who became a Hindu and Is is a 20 -year devotee of yoga what she does is she walks through the last 30 years in America and talks about how this came into being and how even

Indians in India are shocked that Yoga has had such a huge success in this nation.

And if you if you're interested, you should read it. It's it's a book On I think it was a called the path of yoga is remind me

I can send you the title. It's by Stephanie Simon This is what she says This is molar talking about her analysis

Simon describes yoga as a varied practice But she makes clear that yoga cannot be fully extricated from its spiritual roots in Hinduism and Buddhism She's also straightforward in explaining the role of sexual energy in virtually all

Forms of yoga and all and of ritualized sex in some yoga traditions she explained that yoga is one of the first and most successful products of globalization and It has augured a truly post

Christian spiritually polyglot country She's describing America Truly post

Christian spiritually polyglot country We embrace a mixture of philosophies and ideas here today and That's okay

But again, why am I addressing it today at BBC because those mixture of ideas are now infiltrating the church and the pulpit

Mora goes on to say to a remarkable degree the growing acceptance of yoga points to the retreat of biblical

Christianity in the culture and the church Yoga begins and ends with an understanding of the body that is to say the very least at odds with Christian understanding

Christians are not called to empty the mind or to see the human body as a means of connecting to and coming to know the divine

Believers are called to meditate meditate upon the Word of God an

External word that comes to us by divine revelation not to meditate By means of incomprehensible syllables questions comments

Does it make sense? Does this give you weapons and things to think about as you talk to perhaps

Christians who are going to yoga for stress relief? rather than the

Word of God and rather than Christ yes, that's an excellent point

And it's I said a little bit about that in the beginning and I summarize it to towards the end no no That's that's a very good point.

I have weightlifting I actually have a little bit about CrossFit in and of itself. There's nothing wrong with CrossFit But there's an interesting trend that's coming in the culture as a with CrossFit Which we should which we should avail which we should talk about And I wanted to say one thing about the there's a false medical claim of yoga many people

Are not just saying that it's just a physical posture But there were many even many yoga practitioners and teachers say that it has tremendous medical benefits

Here's what the both the Center for Disease Control as well as multiple

MDs who have been studying this over the last 30 years has to say Many studies have tried to determine the effectiveness of yoga as a complementary intervention for cancer schizophrenia asthma and heart disease

The results of these studies have been mixed and inconclusive with cancer studies suggesting

None to unclear effectiveness and others suggesting yoga may reduce risk factors and aid in patient psychological healing process

So there's not only is there no data in this people are really exalting yoga in every sphere in the culture

Every sphere even abandoning doctors and hospitals Exercise is great.

First Timothy 4 8 for while body training is of some value Godliness is a value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come

But again, if we're following the American national cult of health Everything is about health health health and nothing to do with Christ likeness holiness

Godliness, but even in the church Is but is that the goal of the Christian? What is the goal of the believer?

To please Christ in all of our dealings in everything, but that's not what's happening

To love Christ and love his people I'm not sure how yoga will help you do that or even lifting weights alone

So let me jump to CrossFit as I look to Wrap things up here today so CrossFit is

It's it's an exercise. I what would you call it as an exercise routine started probably in 2001 Based on varied functional movements of extreme intensity

It is wonderful. It is a great workout There is nothing wrong with it. There's no spiritual ties with cross of for cross.

There's no philosophy behind CrossFit Okay, let's be clear. You can't really compare the two in any way Okay, yoga is pagan.

It's absolutely unbiblical CrossFit has nothing like that CrossFit involves Gymnastics weightlifting running rowing and more it is really a great way to stay in fit and stay fit

It is an excellence excellent and well composed system of exercise but such as human depravity that even something good like CrossFit can be twisted and morphed into something else

CrossFit runs on franchises It's a franchise based off to operation So what is happening?

What do you think is happening with CrossFit right now anybody? I know I gave a hint last week Did anybody Google? CrossFit and the

Kind of the religious thing that's happening behind it right now anybody seen

Following it molar caught up on this again and MacArthur is on it on it as well Even Even there's another pastor.

I forgot his name. He's he's got got the trend as well as a matter of fact. They have themselves They have a

I wouldn't say I wouldn't say it's the official name, but they've called themselves a church of CrossFit Okay in one way where essentially that's the that's the that's the goal is you're holding each other accountable to such a large extent

This becomes the they call themselves a very large family nothing wrong in and of itself

Nothing wrong enough itself, but they call themselves a large family you hold each other accountable when you don't come

You're you're not good They they do take it very seriously, but what's happening is now there are certain franchises, which are saying

Why would you go to socialize in church on Sunday when you get even more in CrossFit?

At a CrossFit gym on Sunday and now this is starting to take steam because Guess what's been happening the last 10 years non -religious people are getting more and more lonely.

They're complaining of loneliness in America non -religious people Now CrossFit has given them a perfect place to go to on Sunday mornings where they can now and I just Sunday morning throughout

The week where it's a four five -hour workout, but you have all these people who are you know encouraging you on and And pumping you up, and they even call they even call spreading the word about CrossFit as What do they call anybody knows what they call?

Winston said evangelism Yes, they called evangelism.

Yes, it does sound good, so so I'm not saying if you're doing CrossFit Please quit now and go into a monkish behavior.

No, that's not what I'm saying, but what's problem What's the problem with what CrossFit is not necessarily

CrossFit? It's certain franchises and certain people are doing. What's wrong with this especially if you're skipping church which we celebrate as the resurrection and ascension of Christ and And you know now this has become this huge thing among Christians, too.

I can't understand it absolutely It is idolatrous because the image is you and you and you

But as in in Christianity when we look at Colossians Even if you even if you're not give you all the other verses in the

Bible look at Colossians 1 2 and 3 it's it's you you you understand what

Christ has done and You worship him as God out of that love for him you obey

And you don't look at yourself for all of this identity and for all of this garbage excellent

Excellent that is so true. I'm not saying we stop swimming. We stop exercising or we leave CrossFit That's not what

I'm saying, but when the goal is just that and you don't you do understand

Exercise is important. It's very important for the same purposes exact same reasons what

I work out, too I'm not not as old sorry to say that but even then even then

Even then we need to exercise we need to take care of what God has given us So that we can take care of our wives and our children and yes

So we can minister the word and you can't do it if you're not healthy and exercise is a way that God has given us to relieve stress it is

But that's not the only way and we don't exalt yoga and all of these to do that Excellent.

I can't summarize it the way you did but that was that was excellent And I want to conclude in the same line of thought and I have to conclude

Jesus Christ is the creator of all he's a redeemer of all He's a ruler of all and he is the goal of all

We have we as believers living in this chaotic world and we're turning to all of these things because we are stressed

We have nothing to worry or fear or fear about we have nothing We can trust that the gospel truth will stand the test of time

All of these things will go come and go away But gospel truth will always last and Christ's work is sufficient and the way we're sanctified is by his word, which is truth

Colossians 3 16 to 17. I can't leave you without leaving a verse in your minds Colossians 3 16 to 17

This is after he's dealt with all the asceticism and all the false teaching going on in Colossae.

Look what he has to say Let the word of God Christ word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God and Whatever you do and whatever you do in word or deed

Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the

Father through him The focus is Christ We do read all of our earthly Responses are governed by our hearts and minds that are set on Christ on his purposes on his work and on his truth

Not on anything else So you may ask this question. Okay, Linton, you need to tell us.

Okay, how do we find peace? I'm troubled I've been going to yoga and CrossFit and to relieve my stress, but you've not told me as a

Christian How can I be calm when you know when Donald Trump is saying all these things and his

Retractors are saying all of these things and I have all these co -workers who are saying this. How do I be calm?

Well, we have ultimate peace with God because of forgiveness of sin So that's there but how do we and forgive me for going fast because we're out of time

How do we find peace? Well, we have to read the word Colossians 3 16 says that the word of Christ dwell in you richly it can dwell in you richly if you're not reading the word

It can't it can't control your thinking and control your acting if you don't have a high view of Christ So you have to read the word regularly meditating on the

Christ if you want something to meditate on here's Colossians 1 15 to 20 The greatness of Christ the

Christological hymn of the New Testament Read it meditate on it think over it

That should help Trust the Word of God and his promises Trust the

Word of God and his promises and lastly as Paul says three times the book of Colossians pray

Pray with a heart that is abounding in thanksgiving We spoke about being thankful last week and how it is even among other things

It's even a safeguard against false teaching But if you in order to be peaceful and calm in this world, we read the word we trust the promises of God we know we have peace with God to the finished work of Christ and Very important and not last it's not last

You pray continually steadfastly Overflowing with thanksgiving, you know, it sounds like a quick solution

But it's what the Bible says and that's what we turn to not to anything else Anything anybody else wanted to add comments concerns

Let's pray Lord Jesus.

We thank you for our salvation We thank you for you have rescued lost sinners from the domain of darkness and brought into the kingdom of God we thank you for you are the only one who undid the last work of the work of the first Adam and It is in you and you alone that the

Christian is redeemed and that the Christian can grow spiritually day by day

Help us so Lord in the world we live today to be light and salt Help us not to bring into our minds and hearts

Lord what? What what the non -christians and what unbelievers are saying but help us to?

meditate on your word to pray steadfastly to watch carefully and Because you've already finished the work and because you've already loved us

For your out of your own glory and for your own purposes help us to rest in you and to obey you

Bless the baptism today bless the preaching today I pray that you'd be with us even for the rest of this fellowship in Jesus mighty and risen name.