Sermon Tone Analysis

Pray

I. His Striving for the Christians.

Pray

Col

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

1.

What is the most important characteristic of a pastor or minister?

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

1.

What is the most important characteristic of a pastor or minister?

intelligence, education, leadership ability, boldness, holiness, or speaking ability

Most of the established men of the church will say the most needed quality of the pastor, next to his love for Jesus is his love for the church.

The New Testament teaches us the concept of the church not only as Christ body but also as His bride.

Turn to

Paul gives us this picture of husbands loving their wives to paint a beautiful picture of not only how we ourselves must sacrifice things for her but to impress on us how Christ sacrificed Himself for church.

Giving ourselves up for her

You see Christ sacrificed Himself for church

Eph 5:25-

Marriage in the single most celebrated image in the bible.

A wedding was the greatest celebration and social event in the ancient near eastern Hebrew.

These celebrations lasted for days and getting ready for the wedding might go on for months or years.

This picture is clearly given by the apostle John of the marriage of the bride to the Lamb in the book of Revelation

The reason God gives us this image is not so apparent to us today as we continue to defile the picture of marriage.

We live together, celebrate the relationships of homosexuality, we have common law marriage and the list goes on.

The beauty, celebration and glory this picture brings has been lost in the secular world.

People look at marriages like a BIC lighter.

When the gas runs out I’ll just toss it and buy another one at the 7/11.

You can not love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ without loving His bride

So as we apply this image of marriage to the church - - there is no wonder the church seems to be failing.

Paul charged the members and elders of the church in Ephesus

The pastor is the shepherd of the flock and he must love the flock as much as he loves the owner the flock.

The pastor is the shepherd of the flock and he must love the flock as much as he loves the owner of the flock.

He charged the members and elders of the church in Ephesus

Acts 20

Paul greatly loved the churches not only those he visited and planted but those he never even saw face to face.

Christ died for His church and the Apostles would die for it also.

Christ died for His church and the Apostles would die for it.

Christ also commanded that we love God and our brothers and sisters.

Christ also commanded that we love God and brothers and sisters.

1 John

If we just say we love Jesus and don’t love those who are the church we fall completely short of serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Greek word for sin was a term used in archery, which meant to “miss the target.”

Not loving those who love the Lord no matter how hard it is sometimes to love them is missing the target.

It is sin to fail to love others in the church

This is another good example as to why scripture reads:

This is why Christ came and died for our sins, if we reject Him our sins will count against us and to reject His church is also a rejection of Him.

This is why we need Christ, if we reject Him our sins will count against us and to reject His church is also a rejection of Him.

Paul told of his love for the church so many times in his epistles that we would be here all night if I were to cover all of them.

I. His Striving for the Christians.

A. The magnitude (v. 1)

Paul was constantly working to build the church for Jesus.

He wrote about this in chapter 1

Col 1

Col

We are going to look at several points to Paul’s striving and we should find some application for our work in the church,.

We should find some application for our work the church, This of course is the body of Christ.

This of course is the body of Christ.

A. The magnitude (v. 1)

How important was this struggle for those who would read this letter?

2. Why was it important for Paul to express his struggle for those who would read this letter?

It is not enough to say it was great, yes that are the words used but it goes deeper than that.

The word agōn is the word where we get the English word agony.

This is translated as struggle.

It is different from of the word used in verse 29 which is best translated strive.

There is striving with the Lord’s power and energy from within.

Here in verse 1 of chapter 2 he is expressing his agony for them even though they were not likely going to meet face to face.

His agony for them came from his deep love for them as part of Christ church.

agōn

William Barclay writes “Here is a brief lifting of the curtain and a deeply moving glimpse into Paul’s heart.

He is going through a struggle for these Christians whom he had never seen but whom he loved.

William Barclay writes “Here is a brief lifting of the curtain and a deeply moving glimpse into Paul’s heart.

He is going through a struggle for these Christians whom he had never seen but whom he loved.

The deep love Paul had for the church was what made him give his life for it.

Executed under the order of Nero, only because he was a roman citizen was he beheaded and not crucified.

He gave his life in service to Christ and His church.

Here is a brief lifting of the curtain and a deeply moving glimpse into Paul’s heart.

He is going through a struggle for these Christians whom he had never seen but whom he loved.

B. The recipients (v. 1).

Paul, too, had a deep love for the church and gave his life in service to it.

He frequently expressed his love in his epistles.

To the Corinthians he wrote, “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men” (2 Cor.

3:2); “Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide” (2 Cor.

6:11); “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls” (2 Cor.

12:15).

He told the Philippians, “I have you in my heart” (Phil.

1:7).

In almost all his epistles he expresses this deep love for fellow believers.

William Barclay, The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 3rd ed.

fully rev.

and updated.,

The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), 148.B.

The recipients (v. 1).

To the Corinthians Paul wrote, “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men” (); “Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide” (); “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls” ().

He told the Philippians, “I have you in my heart” ().

Men inspired by God did not write these things lightly.

These words were breathed out by God and we should learn from them and express the love we have for all the believers in the church.

What can we do as believers when it comes to all the churches in our community?

Had Paul simply wrote this letter and never expressed his fight for the church and his deep affection I can only imagine that this letter would never have been seen again.

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Had Paul simply wrote this letter and never expressed his struggle and deep affection I can only imagine that this letter would never have been seen again.

Paul’s love for the whole church was the cause of the great struggle he had.

He wrote this letter not only to the Colossians but to the church in Laodicea and Hierapolis.