Col. 1:1-8 - The Pattern of Fulfillment

Introduction of Series

Good morning - It is good to see all of you

Guests, welcome - My name is Stefan and I am one of the pastors on staff here at Harvest

Let’s all get a copy of God’s word in front of us - If you didn’t bring a Bible…

We are starting a new series for this summer in the Book of Colossians

And we are calling the series “Fully Alive” because there is a type of life that is truly fulfilling because it is the life we were meant to live.

Thinking according to the words of Christ and living according to the commands of Christ.

That might sound strange to you - Following someone’s commandments is a fulfilling life? That actually sounds very unfulfilling to the current cultural mood.

Our current mood is that the best life is the individual expressing himself however he feels - You be you is the best life you can live.

But let me tell you - The current statistics on depression would suggest otherwise. And there is a reason for this - A truly free life is not one in which you live however you want to live.

A truly free and fulfilling life is one in which you live how you were made to live.

So we are going to see in this series through the words of the Apostle Paul how we were meant to think and live.

We live in a time with almost limitless opportunities to pursue things that we think will fulfill us.

Endless promises of fulfillment: “If you just have this thing, experience, etc.”

But the result is increasing emptiness.

There is a reason for that - You and I were not created to be fulfilled by lesser things. We were created to only be fulfilled in God’s good design.

This was captured so well by Augustine when he wrote,

“You have made us for yourself O Lord & our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

True living, being fully alive, is never going to be found in a new job, or a car, or a house, or a vacation, or some earth bound experience.

Being fully alive will always look like God’s people in God’s presence living in God’s purposes.

So as a church family, if we are to live truly fulfilled lives in 2024 in Phoenix, AZ, we must be changed in how we think and in how we live so that we will pursue God’s design and purposes for our lives.

Too often when we seek fulfillment, we turn to things like self-help books and the newest practices that we see on social media. And while there might be a few things that help for the moment, we continue returning again and again for something new that will hopefully finally work.

But the apostle Paul in the opening verses of Colossians is going to show us how God intends for us to be fulfilled in this life, so let’s give these words our full attention

[Passage]

Big Idea: The source of a fulfilled life is the truth of the Gospel.

A fulfilled life is not something that comes from within - It has a source that is outside of you and I.

The world would have you believe that fulfillment is a state of mind that you can arrive at when you focus on yourself. This has led to the most self-obsessed generation the world has ever known.

And what has it given us? The most depression, anxiety, and suicide the world has ever known.

And that is not a coincidence - When we as human beings know our condition, that we are desperately broken, and we long for something to put us back together, the idea that the solution is found within my own broken self is hopeless.

Maybe that’s you today - You have been trying so hard to find the solution within and you know all too well how hopeless that feels.

Let me tell you - There is a source of true fulfillment.

There is a place where it comes from and it does not come from you and me. It comes from the truth of the Gospel.

[Summarize the Gospel?]

And it is only in embracing that truth and letting it impact your life that you can know and experience true fulfillment in this life.

[BRIDGE]

So if this is the truth about the world in which we live and the way to be fulfilled is to find the source of our fulfillment in that truth, then the question before us this morning is:

How can we know that we are doing that?

What will be the markers of a Gospel-sourced life that is fully alive?

There are five indicators of a fulfilled life in this passage. 5 metrics that Paul will identify and that we should look for

Fulfillment is in my future when…

I Submit to Gospel Authority (1)

[Cultural issue]

In the age of the influencer, everyone wants to make claims to being an authority on a topic. In fact, the rise of social media has given everyone the perception that they automatically have a platform and a voice on a subject, even without having any credentials.

And all of the claims to authority leave us spinning

Who should we listen to?

Who can you trust anymore?

[Biblical correction]

Paul introduces himself in this letter in the same manner that he does in most of his letters - But while the form of the introduction is common, we would be wrong to reduce the content of the introduction to being common.

Paul claims authority by identifying himself as an apostle.

Apostle literally means “One who is sent” and there are two things you need to know about this title:

1. It was a unique title and office in the first century church.

There are no more apostles today - No one who lived after the first century could meet the requirements to be an apostle, therefore no one can claim this authoritative office anymore.

2. It was only given to a select few

Notice, Timothy is with him and Timothy is not identified as an Apostle.

So Paul is making a claim to authority, but on what grounds?

Of Christ Jesus - Owned by and servant to

By the will of God - It wasn’t Paul’s mission in life to become an apostle, it was God who appointed him.

[Summary]

Paul’s claim to authority as an apostle is not based in who Paul is, but who Christ is.

It’s not human authority, it is divine authority.

It’s not self-claimed influencer authority, it is God-given Gospel authority

And this Gospel authority from Jesus Christ means that the message Paul brings is not Paul’s message, but Christ’s message.

[Application]

Listen church family: Anyone on earth can claim some kind of special authority or claim that what they have to say on a topic matters more than others,

but when it comes to living a fulfilled life according to God’s good design, the only authority that we should listen to is Gospel authority.

Biblical, God-inspired, Gospel authority.

And it is our only authority because the truth of the Gospel comes from God himself, so it carries his power and authority.

Not only that, it is applied to our lives by his Spirit.

Therefore, I cannot find fulfillment in this life through any other truth claim.

No other book, no other influencer, no other message has the same authority.

If their message disagrees with the Gospel, it is they who are wrong.

The Gospel is the power of God - Nothing else. Therefore, if fulfillment is to be in my future, I must submit to the authority of the Gospel message, seeing it as authoritative over me.

This is the starting place for Paul to the Colossian church and this is the starting place for us as Harvest Bible Church.

Amen?

Second, fulfillment is in my future when…

I Embrace my Gospel Identity (2)

Identity is a very prominent theme in our world today.

But if we get identity wrong, then everything that is downstream of our views on identity will also be wrong.

So we need to get identity right if anything about our lives is going to be right.

Most people think and act as if your identity is defined by you and based in what you feel.

Think about it: What phrases and words do people use to tell you what they identify as? Feelings and perceptions and no one else gets to speak into that identity.

But this is problematic because:

(1) It is inherently self-defeating.

If I define myself by what I do and what I feel, then my identity changes as often as my actions and feelings.

(2) It is inherently self-centered. I am the one defining me.

And how are you supposed know that your identity is accurate? If people validate who you say you are.

So I get to define me and you have to validate it - And if you don’t, it is an act of psychological violence against me.

Does that sounds accurate to the world today?

It is no wonder we have such a broken view of the human person today - We have a broken view of ourselves and where our identity comes from.

[Illustration]

Think of a compass - It is based on magnetic north and not matter where you turn, the needle will always point north.

Because it has a fixed reference point outside of you, it is trustworthy in your hands.

Well the world’s view of identity being what you feel and defined by you is like a compass that always points back at you.

It has no fixed reference point and so you have no way of knowing that you are going in the right direction.

You can only base it on how you feel.

and what will happen if you have a compass that always points back at you and the only way to know you’re going in the right direction is based on how you feel? You will be lost.

We are getting identity wrong in this cultural moment and it is having a disastrous effect on people’s lives.

[Biblical Correction]

But the Apostle Paul gives us a better view of identity in v. 2

“To the Saints and faithful brothers”

What is a saint?

We hear saint and often think of people who are put up on a pedestal, like super-Christians.

But that is not what it is.

A saint is one who is holy - Able to enter God’s presence and set apart for God’s purposes.

So Paul is saying that those who belong to the church, who follow Jesus by faith, are saints.

How can that be? Turn in your Bible to Hebrews, chapter 10, v. 14

Hebrews 10:14 ESV

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Three words you need to know:

Positional

Progressive

Perfected

The truth of Gospel tells us the truth about who were are

If you have trusted in Christ for your salvation, You’re not a saint because of what you do - You’re a saint because of what Christ has done for you.

His life, his death, his resurrection, all credited to your account.

Your sin, your rebellion, your brokenness, all paid for by him.

Listen Christ-follower: You are what God says you are.

You are not what others say you are.

You are not what you do.

You are not what you feel.

You are not what others have done to you.

The truth of the Gospel says that who you are is defined by him. No one else.

And if you are in Christ, your identity is “Saint”

And when that is your identity, you live it out.

He says, “Faithful brothers” which in the greek is a generic masculine meant to refer to the whole church, men and women.

He doesn’t say, “ You’re saints because you’re faithful”

No, the order matters: You’re faithful because you are saints.

Obedience to Christ does not produce you saintly identity

Obedience to Christ is the outworking of it.

And when you embrace a true, Gospel identity, letting God’s word inform who you are and how you live, what is the result? Grace and peace from God our Father

When I experience grace toward me, it means that by God’s kind favor nothing prohibits me from being near him and enjoying his goodness and kindness to me.

And when I experience peace, it means enjoying how things are meant to be.

Paul truly believes, and under the inspiration of the Spirit God is truly communicating, that the more that you find your identity in the Gospel, the more you will experience grace and peace.

Do you find yourself far from God and filled with anxiety?

It is no doubt in part because of what you have believed about who you are.

If you’re in Christ, you’re a saint.

The more that you see yourself in Christ, the more that you live your life in Christ.

Not striving after the wind. Not the hustle and grind of a materialistic culture.

Just grace and peace. True fulfillment in life.

Third, fulfillment is in my future when

I Reflect on Gospel Security (3-5)

[Cultural Issue]

Hope is not a word that I would use to describe the state of our world today.

When you talk to the average person or watch the news, hope is not at the top of the list of sentiments.

And when you don’t have hope, you will:

Depend on yourself for what you need

Ignore the needs of others

We have seen countless examples of this in the last few years

Fear of the unknown driving people inward and becoming more self-focused.

[Biblical Correction]

But look at what Paul says in v. 5 [READ]

Paul is thankful for their faith in Christ and their love for one another.

Faith = Dependence, not simply intellectual understanding

Love = Toward others

Why? “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.”

The word Paul uses here is literally reserved or secured. It isn’t going anywhere.

They have a hope that is different from other people and while everything in the world might be changing, that hope does not change.

Peter writes about this hope in 1 Peter 1:3-9 - In fact, turn there so you can see it.

1 Peter 1:3–9 ESV

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, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 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. 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, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Things in this life will change - Their will be bad news. There will be more diseases, wars, economic crisis - And if the object of your hope is the absence of those things, your life will not be marked by faith, hope, and love.

But Listen: When the object of your hope is the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading hope of your salvation that is kept in heaven for you, it will change how you live today.

You will depend on Christ for all that you need

You will love one another like Christ has loved you

You will live differently than the world because you have a hope that is secure

And they will see it. And God will be glorified as you live with hope.

Church family: There is a lot going on in the world today and there is more that is coming this fall… You will speak volumes about where your hope lies when you talk about all of it

Reflect on your secure hope and engage the conversations in a way that shows that your hope is secure.

Stockpiling ammunition and dehydrated food will not cause people to ask for a reason for the hope that is in you.

Living in dependence on Christ and having love for one another will.

A life of fear is not a fulfilled life.

A life of faith, hope, and love is.

And regardless of the circumstances - We can experience fulfillment in Christ when we reflect on our secure hope in heaven.

Fourth, fulfillment is in my future when…

I Pursue Gospel Sincerity (5-6)

Paul gives us a very important descriptor of the Gospel - He calls the Gospel, “The word of truth” and says at the end of v. 6, “since the say you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth”

Two things I want you to see:

First - The Gospel is inseparable from the idea of truth. There can be no such thing as a Gospel that fits everyone’s preferences.

The Gospel is truth that you submit to, not an idea that you make submissive to your preferences.

Too often, people say things like, “I don’t think God is like that” or “ My Jesus would never…” or “I like to think of Jesus as…”

That is really just a way of saying that God is just like you, which is to say that you formed God in your own image, which is to say that you worship a carved image, which is to say that you have broken the second commandment.

The truth of Gospel tells us who God is and we submit to it

Second: This true Gospel will produce something in my life.

Colossians 1:6 (ESV)

which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you…

Near or far, no matter where you go, the Gospel will produce something.

And not a different something, but it will always look the same - “In the whole world… as it also does among you”

He is saying, “It’s doing the same thing with you that it is doing in the whole world.”

So what is this fruit? How can I know that I am pursuing Gospel sincerity, pursuing a knowledge of the truth and letting it impact my life?

Fruit in Scripture is ultimately the results that Scripture says should be there.

Listen, friends: The fruit that is produced by the truth of the Gospel is nothing less than life-change - That as we pursue Gospel sincerity, embracing and living according to the truths of the Gospel, we would be changed from one degree of glory to another.

“I used to be one way, but Jesus is changing me to look more like what his word says.”

I can assure you that if you claim to know Christ, but your life in no way reflects Christ, you have actually never met Christ.

Because the truth of the Gospel produces fruit in those who have embraced it.

And when we pursue Gospel sincerity, we will be changed to look more like Jesus

Perhaps you are here today knowing lots of things about Jesus but never actually living for him

That was me: I had entire books of the Bible memorized at 12 years old and could answer many questions about the Bible and Christian truth.

But at 13 years old, as God worked in my heart, I became very aware that I knew lots about God, but did not know him.

That can be your story too - I knew about him, but one day in June of 2024, I realized I needed to know him.

And when we pursue that truth, it will always result in our lives being conformed to the image of Christ.

And lastly, fulfillment is in my future when…

I Participate in Gospel Community (7-8)

The Gospel is inherently relational - It impacts our relationship to God and it impacts our relationships with one another.

We share the Gospel with nonbelievers in relationship and we share the reality of the Gospel with believers in relationship.

We see both in this passage:

Epaphras had brought the Gospel to the Colossian church - v. 7, “just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf.

And Epaphras told Paul and Timothy of the Colossian love for them - v. 8, “and has made known to us your love (for us) in the Spirit.”

The Christian life is meant to engage and involve relationships with other people. So let me ask you:

Who are you in sharing the Gospel with as a part of your relationship with them?

Paul said in Romans 10, how will they hear if no one tells them?

Who will believe the Gospel because they learned it from you?

Who are the people that you love in the Spirit? Who are the people who are encouraged by your participation in their life? Who are you encouraged by?

Their is a special affection that God’s people have for one another - We are not just friends, but we are a community of faith.

The language that the Bible uses for the church makes clear that we are tied together by God himself - The bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, the family of God.

Are you engaging in Gospel community? Or are you avoiding Gospel community, hoping to still reap the benefits?

Since we are made for relationship, we can only be fulfilled when we are participating in Gospel community.

[Conclusion]

The world promises all kinds of fulfillment through all kinds of things. And it never delivers.

C.S. Lewis once wrote that “Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

But when you and I together:

Submit to Gospel Authority

Embrace my Gospel Identity

Reflect on Gospel Security

I Pursue Gospel Sincerity

I Participate in Gospel Community

We will be a church that is fully alive.

Because the source of a fulfilled life is the truth of the Gospel.