Final Greetings

PRAY

READING

Ok - so we have all these people mentioned - and the Collosiaons over here.

The question is, why is all this in the bible, and what’s it got to do with us?

1 - The Joy of spreading Jesus

Where is Paul? v18

(prison)

Good,

How would you feel if someone you cared about told you they were in prison!?

SO what is odd about v8

Why

Colossians 4:8 NIrV

I am sending him to you for one reason. I want you to know what is happening here. I want him to cheer you up and make your hearts strong.

Let me tell you about why they should be encouraged...

Becasue Paul has been making it clear in Collisions

that what is important in this life,

is not how comfortable,

or easy your life is -

but that the good news about Jesus keeps going forward.

That we keep spreading Jesus!

Just like a sandwich is no good if you don’t spread the jam right to the edge of the bread!

The bread will be dry and boring with out jam!

It’s the same with Jesus and the world.

We need to spread Jesus to he ends of the world!

Last week, the adults heard how Paul didn’t want to be freed from prison -

although I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded that -

but that they good news about Jesus would keep going forward.

Colossians 4:3 NIrV

Pray for us too. Pray that God will open a door for our message. Then we can preach the mystery of Christ. Because I preached it, I am being held by chains.

So, as Mark and Mands go to Gambia - let’s put them on the board..

They might write to tell us of some hard times they are facing and we can do 2 things.

We can pray for them to get trough the hard times,

But - more than that - that the good news of Jesus

would keep spreading to people who need to hear it.

When Ed, Nicci, Daniel and Ollie

pop in occasionally from Kent and tell us what the church is doing in Kent - we can rejoice.

Let’s put them on the board.

It is joyful to hear that the good news of Jesus is being spread.

2 - The Joy of looking up to Jesus

Wh

What is one of the other things that Paul wants the Colossians to know in v12

That Epaphras is praying for them. That they will stand firm in holding on to all that God has in mind for us!

What does that mean?

It means looking up! Look up to what God has ready for us in heaven.

Eternal life with Jesus!

Again, this is what Paul has been saying all the way through Colossians.

Colossians 3:1–2 NIrV

You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God’s right hand. Think about things that are in heaven. Don’t think about things that are on earth.

SO - let’s draw some up arrows on all these names, to show that they are looking up to Jesus and heaven with him.

And let’s put Jesus at the top of everything - where he belongs.

3 - The joy of belonging to Jesus

Now - we have learnt so far that it’s really encouraging to hear about the good news of Jesus being told to others.

We’ve heard how it’s important and joyful to look up to Jesus

And finally, I think this passage reminds us that we all are one big family and we all belong to Jesus.

Just becasue Paul and his friends are over here

And the Colossians are over here

Does not mean they are not connected!

They are connected by all looking up to Jesus.

In fact, this is another big thing Paul has been teaching us in Colossians.

col 1:18 NIrV And Jesus is the head of the body, which is the church.

Colossians 1:18 NIrV

And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything.

col

Well hang on - we’re the church as well!, So,

Let’s all stick our names on the board - becasue we are one big family under the head of Jesus.

Write you name and draw and arrow up!

xxxx

Colossians 2:10 NIV - Anglicised

and you have been given fulness in Christ, who is the Head over every power and authority.

Colossians 2:19 NIV - Anglicised

He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

xxx

something very normal about this last bit.

It is wonderful to be a Christian.

It’s Paul communicating - this is old fashioned facebook - or email.

We belong to Jesus.

Look at what Paul says right at the end...

Colossians 4:18 NIrV

I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. Remember that I am being held by chains. May grace be with you.

Being a Christian is so good that it is worth even being put in prison if that is what it means to follow Jesus.

It is worth it.

We are one body under Jesus.

And we can have JOY when we hear of the good news of Jesus being spread by a toe or an elbow!

Pray for those who have a hard time doing that.

all under the head

We can have JOY that we can look up to Jesus, even when things are hard.

Gospel is worth it

We can have JOY that we all belong to Jesus.

Grace is result

PRAY