Advent In One Chapter, Part 1: Pay It Forward

Colossians 1:3–5 M:BCL

3 Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can’t quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! 4 We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. 5 The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken over time.

Introduction

Illustration: Pay It Forward (sjtarring Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, & Kevin Spacey

Trevor McKinney begins 7th grade in Las Vegas. His social studies teacher, Eugene Simonet, assigns the class to put into action a plan that will change the world for the better. Trevor calls his plan "pay it forward", which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for three others rather than paying it back. However, it needs to be a favor that the recipient cannot complete themselves. Trevor implements the plan himself, forming a branch of good deeds. His first deed is to let a homeless man named Jerry live in his garage, and Jerry pays the favor forward by doing car repairs for Trevor's mother Arlene, though Jerry later disappoints Trevor by moving out and returning to drug use.

Trevor’s 7th grade class project

Think of an idea to change our world and then put it into action!

The realm of possibilities exist in each of you

This is my kid, you don’t know him. If you tell him he’s going to do something, he is going to believe you.

I cannot pay you back for the car. “So Pay It Forward.” You accepted the offer so you are obligated to follow the instructions.

Help 3 people. It must be big, something they cannot do for themselves

Requires an extreme act of faith and the goodness of people.

Trevor head made an attempt to interact with the world

4 months later…

Jesus Christ did something for you that you could not do for yourself

Isaiah 53:4 ESV

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:5 ESV

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

You cannot pay for it, all you can do is pay it forward

Transition To Body- Crisis is Colossae

Colossians 1:9 ESV

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Colossians 2:8–9 ESV

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

Colossians 2:16–19 ESV

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

Colossians 1:3 ESV

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

People are praying for you

People thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Body- Hope

Hope Inspires Steady Faith (in Christ Jesus)

Colossians 1:4 ESV

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,

Colossians 1:9–10 ESV

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Colossians 1:23 ESV

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Steady faith in our LORD Christ Jesus- faithful acceptance of the Gospel

Paul commends not faith in general but faith in Christ Jesus

Faith

BDAG faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment; assurance, oath, troth; proof, pledge; trust, confidence, faith; body of faith/belief/teaching LSJ trust; faith; persuasion; confidence, assurance; persuaded Louw-Nida to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust

Hope Inspires Continual Love (for the Saints)

Colossians 1:4 ESV

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,

Continuously loving all Christians (Saints)-

Faith is proven by tangible demonstrations of love for the saints

Love

BDAG esteem, affection, regard, love; fellowship meal, a love-feast LSJ love Louw-Nida to love, to regard with affection, loving concern, love

All

BDAG each, every, any; any and every, every; all; whole; every kind of, all sorts of LSJ all; the whole; every Louw-Nida all, every, each, whole

Saints

BDAG dedicated to God, holy, sacred; holy; pure, perfect, worthy of God; that which is holy; sanctuary; the holy one; the holy ones LSJ devoted to the gods Louw-Nida God’s people

Hope Reveals Future Expectations

Colossians 1:5 ESV

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

Hope

BDAG hope, expectation; (foundation of); hope; hope, something hoped for LSJ expectation; hopes; expectancy; the hope of; in; anxious thought on the future, boding Louw-Nida what is hoped for, hope

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Hope Inspires Faith

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Safely Kept In Heaven

Reason/Motivation/Inspiration for Colossians Faith and love?

Hope stored up in Heaven? How do you store up hope?

Hope kept safe in Heaven

Layed up

BDAG reserve; it is certain, one is destined LSJ to be laid away from; lie beyond Louw-Nida to exist, to exist for, to be set

Transition To Close

Their active love is a sign of a genuine faith based on a solid hope

A sure hope is the source of faith and love

Colossians 1:21–23 ESV

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Close

1 Peter 1:3–9 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.