Living to Serve
Colossians: It's All About Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
I have a trash can in my office that is stainless steel and has a lid on it. The lid is operated by a pedal that you step on and it flips the lid up. My two and a half year old grandson was in the office with me the other day and discovered how that thing worked. He became fascinated that he step on that pedal and the lid would come up. The problem was that on order to step on the pedal, he had to stand in a way that put him very close to the lid coming up. While looking down at the pedal, he would step on it, and the lid would come up narrowly missing his nose. He found it quite humorous and to be honest I did too! The danger was in that lid while springing up, could smack him right in the face and it would hurt him. While part of me thought that would be a funny thing to see, I definitely did not want to see him get hurt, so I wisely steered him away from playing with it. I washed hands real good to make sure that he wasn’t any longer in danger of germs as well as a lid that smack him in the face.
Paul didn’t have a grandson playing with a lid of a trash can, but he did have spiritual children in the faith that could possibly experience pain and turmoil in their Christian walk. We learn that even though he had never met them personally, he was very aware of the difficulty and danger lurking before them. outline for us several things that we can utilize for our church today to help us overcome the potential difficulties and dangers that we might face.
Colossa
I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Prayerful Purpose
Prayerful Purpose
Paul is quick to share from his heart. He has a special concern for the people of Colosse and that area. He is concerned for their well-being. As a pastor, I can understand and relate as I am concerned for your well-being. Paul says “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you.” How can a person struggle over a group of folks that he had never met? Remember, Paul penned these words in prison so that could indicate part of his struggle. As one studies the other works of Paul, one can see the use of the word struggle as associated with prayer. For example says:
I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
Paul being physically absent from the people he has written, realized that all he could do was to pray for them. That causes one to struggle as well as the pressures Paul faced in his chains to deny Christ.
Paul shows a special care and compassion for this church and gives you and me an example to follow. We would do well to care about our fellow brothers and sisters and their well-being. We should be active as a church praying for our brothers and sisters not only in our church in our sister churches in our community. I regularly pray for the churches and their pastors. I try my best to encourage them as I hear about things going on with them.
Paul indicates that his “purpose is that they be encouraged in heart .” The word translated as encourage is from parakalein which is the idea of enabling a person to meet some difficult situation bravely and with confidence. Throughout the Bible, the heart signifies the inner person, where the will and decision making processes exist. Paul wants to clarify that he wants his readers to be encouraged in heart. There is great satisfaction when one’s inner being is at peace and they have confidence. Are you able to say this morning that the confidence of God rests fully in you?
Paul adds to this to be “united in love.” Without love, there is no real church. Jesus said in
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
The mark of the a real church is its love for God and each other. When love dies, the church dies. Let’s ponder that for a few minutes. What would you rate our church in how we love? How would you rate yourself in how you loved? Based on that rating, is our church growing or it is dying?
Paul’s prayerful purpose is that his readers may be encouraged in heart and united in love. I would think that if we were united in love, we would be encouraged in heart! Notice what happens, we experience the “full riches of complete understanding, in order that (we) can know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.” You and I can find all that in the Messiah by placing our faith and trust in Him. It has been said that “Great knowledge and strong faith make a soul rich.” You and I are rich when we say yes to Jesus and begin to understand the mystery of the Gospel. says
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
2 Thessalonians 5
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
2 Corinthians 5:14
Paul reminds us that in Christ we have hidden all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge. This is a reminder of the prolific provision God gives us.
Prolific Provision (vs 3)
Prolific Provision (vs 3)
Jesus is God’s secret in that all of God’s treasures are hidden in Jesus.
You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not admit them?
“From now on I will tell you of new things,
of hidden things unknown to you.
This is the prophecy of the mystery revealed in Jesus Christ.
By joining our hearts with Him, all that God has in Jesus is ours. The treasures are no longer hidden from us but are for us in Christ.
The word for hidden is apokruphos and it means removed from the common gaze and therefore secret. But when Christ comes into your life, we are able to see and comprehend the mystery of God and gain wisdom and knowledge.
but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Wisdom is from the word sophia and knowledge is from gnosis. Gnosis is the power, intuitive and instinctive, to grasp truth when it is seen and heard. Sophia is the power to confirm and commend the truth with wise and intelligent reasoning. Gnosis that by which people grasp the truth and sophia is that by which people are enabled to give a reason for the hope that is in them! Paul wanted his readers to know that Jesus was the Son of God and to take that knowledge and develop it into the wisdom that Jesus being the Son of God also meant that He provides for us direct access to the Heavenly Father Himself!
A group called the Gnostics were very influential in the teaching at the church of Colosse. They believed a great amount of knowledge was needed for salvation. Incidentally that is a common theme in today’s world. But the truth of the matter is that it is not what you know that saves you, it is WHO you know, and His name is Jesus. If you do not have Jesus you cannot know God. You can know about God, you can know of God, but because of Jesus, you and know the mystery of God and His salvation He offers through Jesus!
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 10:4
He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The truth of Christianity is not a secret which is hidden but a secret which is revealed. The prolific provision that we receive is that secret being revealed to us in Christ! Paul wanted to protect the church from the deception that there was any other means to come to God but through Jesus.
Passionate Protection
Passionate Protection
Paul has never met the people of Colosse, but he knows that they are people that will come under the influence of those that think you can find salvation in ways other than Jesus Christ. Paul doesn’t say that the Colossians have been deceived, but his experience shows that a work of grace is followed by an attack from the enemy. So in , we see his demonstration of passionate protection.
I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
The Gnostics were very capable of delivering fine-sounding arguments. I have seen this happen in many instances. The arguments are near enough teaching that they appear to be truth and apparently respectable. However, they are far enough away to be devastating. Paul is emphasizing here clear and straight thinking. Our arguments must be based on the centrality of Jesus Christ.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
2 Corinthians
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Romans
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Paul is reemphasizing here the need to protect the church against the lies of the devil.
Paul shows his unity with the church of Colosse in sharing with them a privileged presence.
Privileged Presence
Privileged Presence
When people are united, they are stronger and they are focused.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
This is a concept carried over into our passage today:
For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Colossians 2:5Paul, again even thought he has never met the Colossians, is assuring them of his presence with them. While Paul is absent in person, he is saying he is there in spirit. He is present because the Colossians and Paul have the indwelling Spirit of God. The word for orderly
Paul, again even thought he has never met the Colossians, is assuring them of his presence with them. While Paul is absent in person, he is saying he is there in spirit. He is present because the Colossians and Paul have the indwelling Spirit of God. The word for “orderly” is taxis and the word for “firmness” is stereoma. Together they take on the imagery of preparedness for conflict and their loyalty to the commander. Paul is using this idea and saying in essence, “we are together serving the Lord Jesus Christ, and as a result, we shall overcome! We are in it to win it!”
If you and I take that same wisdom, we can realize that can be ready to the spiritual battles we will face because God indeed is with us. I am reminded as we close, of the great truths found in :
Romans 8:37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
