The Gospel that Grows

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Me

SHOW ZAKK NAME GRAPHIC HERE. WAIT TO USE MAIN SERIES GRAPHIC WHEN REQUESTED BELOW.

Before I was a pastor — I spent several years working as a counselor. And one of the greatest privileges of that job is getting to walk alongside people in some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Sometimes that looks like prayer. Sometimes it’s just being a safe presence. And sometimes — it’s looking somebody dead in the eyes — and saying “Dude — that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Please don’t do that.”

But I wasn’t always that confident in the therapy room. In fact — when I first started out — I was a nervous wreck.

I had just finished my degree. No supervisor looking over my shoulder. Just me — and a chair — and whoever would walk through the door. And I felt this pressure to be perfect.

So my very first client was a woman who had just completed rehab. She was newly sober — working to restore her relationship with her family — trying to get her kids back — and figuring out what a healthy life was supposed to look like. Heavy stuff.

So she sits down and starts telling me her story — everything she’s been through — everything she’d overcome. And it was equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring.

And somewhere in the middle of it — I had two realizations back to back.

The first one was — “Wow. She really needs to see a professional.”

And the second, more horrifying realization — “Oh no. I am the professional.”

Listen — I stumbled my way through that whole session. I probably said stupid stuff. She could absolutely tell I had no idea what I was doing.

And yet — she came back the next week. And believe me — nobody was more surprised than me!

But she did the work. She got her life back. I still hear from her every now and then — and she’s doing really, really well.

Here’s what I took away from that experience though — and I didn’t fully understand it until years later:

I didn’t have to be qualified — I just had to show up.

We

Because here’s the thing — that feeling I felt in the counseling room? I don’t think it’s unique to first-year counselors. I think it’s the feeling most of us carry about our faith.

We believe the Gospel. We love Jesus. We show up on Sundays. But somewhere in the back of our minds — there’s this quiet voice that says, “I’m not qualified enough. I don’t the Bible well enough. I’m too far from where I need to be to actually make a difference for God.”

And so we wait. We wait to feel ready. We wait to feel together enough — and mature enough — and bold enough. We figure that discipleship — really following Jesus and helping others do the same — that’s for people who have it figured out more than we do.

Can I just say something really honest? That’s most of us in this room right now.

We’re not waiting because we don’t care. We’re waiting because we don’t feel qualified.

But what if we’ve got it backwards?

What if God has never once waited for impressive people to show up before He moved? What if the Gospel — the real thing — doesn’t need a “somebody” to carry it? What if it just needs a willing “nobody”?

SHOW “THE REAL THING” MAIN TITLE GRAPHIC HERE

This morning we’re kicking off a brand-new sermon series in the Book of Colossians called The Real Thing. Here’s what I’ve come to believe — and really — what this entire series is going to come back to again and again:

“THE GOSPEL DOESN’T JUST SAVE YOU” GRAPHIC

The Gospel doesn’t just save you. It grows you.

That’s not a program — or a church initiative. That’s just what the Gospel does when you actually let it.

And today — I want to show you a guy in the New Testament who proved it — a guy whose name most people walk right past when they read Colossians. A guy who was — by every measurable standard — a nobody.

And because of him — an entire city heard the Gospel.

God

This morning we’re in the Book of Colossians — Chapter 1. And as you’re flipping there in your Bibles — here’s a little context for you:

Colossae (kuh-loss-ee) was not a major city. It used to be. But by the time Paul writes this letter — it had been overshadowed by bigger — more impressive neighbors. Think of it like the small town everybody drives through on the way to somewhere else. It’s kind of like anywhere in Posey County. Not exactly the place you’d expect a world-changing church to be born.

And here’s the detail that should stop us cold — Paul — who wrote this letter — had never been to the city. He didn’t plant this church. He’d never stood in their streets or sat in their homes or looked these people in the eyes. And yet — he’s writing them one of the most theologically rich letters in the entire New Testament.

Exposition

So the obvious question is — if Paul didn’t start this church — then who did?

Let’s find out.

v. 1-2

Colossians Chapter 1 — Verses 1 and 2:

Colossians 1:1–2 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother: 2 To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Paul opens this letter the same way he almost always does — with grace and peace. But don’t let the familiarity of that make you rush past it. He’s writing to people who already believe. This isn’t an evangelistic letter. It’s a discipleship letter. From the very first line — Paul is saying, “the goal isn’t just that you started. The goal is that you keep growing.”

v. 3-8

Now here’s where it really gets good. Look at Verses 3 through 8:

Colossians 1:3–8 CSB

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God’s grace. 7 You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has told us about your love in the Spirit.

Tucked into Paul’s thanksgiving — almost like a footnote — almost like Paul assumes you already know who this is — it’s a name. Epaphras. (epp-a-frus)

Paul says the Colossians learned the Gospel from him. And later — in Chapter 4 — Paul calls him “one of you” — meaning he wasn’t an outsider who came in. He was from Colossae. He was local. He was one of them.

Here’s what we can piece together about Epaphras. He was almost certainly a convert of Paul’s during Paul’s extended missionary trips. He heard the Gospel there — was changed by it — and then — he went home. He went back to the mid-tier city everybody drives through. Back to the place that wasn’t impressive. Back to the people he already knew.

And he told them. No special title. No platform. No theology degree hanging on his wall. Just a guy from this town — who had been genuinely changed by the Gospel and couldn’t keep it to himself.

And an entire church was born.

Now look at what Paul says in Verse 6. He says:

Colossians 1:6 CSB

6 It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world,

I want you to feel the weight of that for a second.

“AUXANO” GRAPHIC

The word Paul uses for growing here — in the original Greek — is auxano (awk-ZAH-no). It’s a living word. It’s the word you use for something organic that is expanding — like a tree putting out new branches — or a seed pushing through soil. Paul isn’t describing a doctrine being distributed… he’s describing something alive.

See — the Gospel isn’t a receipt. It’s not a transaction record you file away in a drawer somewhere. It’s a seed. And seeds — when they land in good soil — they grow. They bear fruit. And eventually — they produce more seeds that grow somewhere else.

That’s exactly what happened with Epaphras. The Gospel landed with him in Ephesus. It grew. And then it grew through him all the way back to Colossae — to a city Paul had never visited — and it kept growing there too.

And you know what that tells us about God? He doesn’t wait for the right person with the right credentials before He moves. He finds people who have been genuinely changed by the Gospel — “nobodies” from mid-tier cities — and He grows His Kingdom through them anyway. And He can do that with each of us — too. He’s been doing that since the beginning — and He’s still doing it today.

v. 9-14

Now look at what Paul prays for this church that a “nobody” built. Because this prayer is one of the most loaded prayers about what true discipleship looks like in the entire New Testament. Verses 9 through 14:

Colossians 1:9–14 CSB

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul prays very specifically for these people that they would be:

“FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE” GRAPHIC

Filled with the knowledge of God’s will

Walking worthy of God

Bearing fruit in every good work

Growing in the knowledge of God

And being strengthened with all power.

And notice — Paul isn’t praying for people who need to get saved. He’s praying for people who already have a relationship with Christ — and who need to keep growing. Every single request in this prayer is about ongoing transformation. About discipleship. About a life that doesn’t just start well — but keeps moving forward.

Because that’s what the Gospel produces. Not just converts. But disciples. The Gospel doesn’t just save you. It grows you.

And in verses 13 and 14 — he lands the foundation of all of this.

Colossians 1:13–14 CSB

13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

That’s the Gospel in two verses. That is the seed.

But look at what the seed is designed to produce: a life of walking worthy — of bearing fruit — growing in God — and making disciples. Rescue isn’t the end of the story. It’s just the beginning.

The Gospel didn’t just save the people of Colossae and leave them there. It grew them. And because it grew in them — it grew through them. And it kept going. Because that’s what the Gospel does. It doesn’t just save you — it grows you.

You

So here’s where this lands for each of us. For us. Because the story of Epaphras isn’t just a historical footnote. It’s an invitation. And I want to make sure we don’t walk out of here today having learned something without actually doing anything with it.

So there are three honest invitations:

“STOP TREATING THE GOSPEL LIKE A RECEIPT” GRAPHIC

First — stop treating the Gospel like a receipt.

A receipt proves a transaction happened. You hold onto it for a little while — maybe stuff it in your wallet or your glove box — and eventually it fades and you throw it away. It served it’s purpose, right? Transaction complete — move on.

The problem is — a lot of us have done that with the Gospel without even realizing it. We prayed a prayer. We got baptized. We made it official. And somewhere along the way — without ever meaning to — we filed it away, too.

But the Gospel wasn’t meant to just be thrown to the side. It’s designed to be the daily source of everything: our identity — our courage — our compassion — and our purpose. It’s the seed that’s supposed to keep growing in us.

So here’s the honest question I want us to sit with this week — not in a condemning way — just an honest one?

Is the Gospel actually growing in me right now? Is there fruit? Is there movement?

If that answer is no — that’s not a reason for shame… it’s just a seed that needs water. And the good news is that the water is still available.

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A SOMEBODY” GRAPHIC

The second invitation — is that you don’t have to be a “somebody” to carry the real thing.

Epaphras went home. That’s it! That’s the move. He didn’t launch a ministry. He didn’t start a podcast. He didn’t wait until he had a platform or a theology degree. He just went back to the people he already knew — in the place he already lived in — and he told them what changed him.

And here’s what I want you to do this week:

Think of just one person who doesn’t know Jesus — or who has walked away — or who’s asking questions they don’t know how to answer. Maybe it’s your “One” that many of us chose earlier this year. It could be a family member — or a co-worker — or a neighbor. Somebody in your circle. And commit to praying for them — honestly — and earnestly — every day this week.

See — Epaphras wasn’t impressive. He was just available. And available is enough.

“PRAY LIKE A DISCIPLE” GRAPHIC

The third invitation — is to pray like a disciple this week.

Paul’s prayer in this passage today is more than just a beautiful passage to underline and move past. It’s a template. It’s Paul showing us exactly what a disciple prays for. So this week — every day this week — I want you to pray this prayer over your own life. And personalize them:

“God — fill me with the knowledge of your will. Give me wisdom and understanding. Help me walk in a way that’s worthy of You. Let me bear fruit in every good work. Grow me in my knowledge of You. Strengthen me with Your power.”

Pray that in your car — or even before your feet hit the floor in the morning. And then watch what starts to move.

Because here’s what I’ve learned — you don’t stumble into discipleship. You don’t accidentally grow. Growth is intentional. It’s chosen. Every single day.

The Gospel doesn’t just save you. It grows you. But you have to let it.

We

Now — just take a minute and picture what The Turning Pointe could be — and what I genuinely believe God wants it to become — if this room full of “nobodies” actually takes the Gospel seriously.

Think about what happened at Colossae.

Just one person. From a city that nobody was paying attention to. After he heard the Gospel — he couldn’t keep his mouth shut about it. He was just a changed person — in a regular place — telling the people he already knew.

And Paul wrote one of the most important letters in the history of the Christian faith to the church that a “nobody” built. And we’re still reading that letter today. That’s what the Gospel does when ordinary people stop waiting to feel qualified — and just start being available.

This is not a room full of “somebodies” — and I mean that as a compliment. This is a place full of regular people — people with real lives and real jobs and real struggles… real doubts and real histories — who have been touched by something genuine.

People who know what it’s like to sit somewhere — like I did in that counseling office — and feel completely in over their heads. People who have their own version of that moment where they thought, “They’ve definitely got the wrong person.”

But you’re here. And the Gospel is in you.

This place is our Colossae. The West Side of Evansville. Posey County. USI across the road. We may not be the most impressive or glamorous place — even though we all think we’re pretty awesome — but it’s our place. These are our streets. Those are our neighbors — and our co-workers. Our family — and our friends — and they’re all sitting in their own version of a hard season. Trying to get through life. Trying to get back on track.

And they need somebody to go home to them. Not somebody impressive — just somebody who’s been genuinely changed by the Gospel and can’t keep it to themselves.

That’s been the whole point of our path through discipleship this year as a church — not to become a church of people who know a lot about Jesus — but a church that is so genuinely changed by Jesus that the Gospel keeps growing — in us — and through us — and in this area.

Epaphras was a “nobody”. And because he was available — an entire city heard the Gospel.

And the only reason any of this is possible — the only reason a “nobody” can carry something that changes everything — is because of what Jesus did on the Cross for the “nobodies” like us. That’s the seed. His death. His resurrection. His grace available to anybody who will receive it.

We are all “nobodies”. And because God’s grace is the real thing — because this Gospel is actually alive — actually moving — actually growing. Then we can rest in the promise that the Gospel doesn’t just save you. It grows you.

And what God grows in you — He intends to grow through every relationship — every conversation — every ordinary moment in your life — until this place looks different because we’re here.

That’s the real thing, friends. And it’s available to every single one of us.

Prayer

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