Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Colossians 1:15-

Introduction

Illustration

Not many people enjoy going to the doctor, but according to Reuters, in 1994, one London accountant took that to an extreme.

The sixty-three-year-old man knew he needed bladder surgery but he could not overcome his fear of doctors and hospitals.

So he self-reliantly did what had to be done: He tried to perform the surgery on himself.

Tragically he got an infection from the self-surgery and later died.

The coroner [medical examiner] said, “Unfortunately, [his] drastic remedy went wrong.

A simple operation would have solved the problem.”

Just as this man didn’t trust doctors or hospitals, many people don’t trust God.

In their self-reliance, they destroy themselves.

Church, just like Paul’s prayer for the believer in Colossae, we need to be filled “with the knowledge of His will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding” for us to be able to stand the offering and deception of this world through human knowledge and philosophy, self-imposed religion, and ways of the world.

We have to grow in our knowledge of God so we can trust Him in all things and every aspect of our life.

For us to have a little background about the context of what we are about to study:

Author - ‘Colossians’ epistle was written by Apostle Paul along with Timothy during his imprisonment.

Thus, they called this letter as part of the prison letter.

Date and Place of Writing - Some scholars believed that the letter was written during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome around AD 60-62.

Among the letter written was Ephesians, and Philemon.

Recipients - The original recipient of the letter was the church in Colossae founded by Epaphras - Paul’s companion in the ministry.

It appears that Paul never visited Colossae (); his primary knowledge of the Colossian church likely came through Epaphras.

Most of the believers likely were Gentiles, although cities in that region featured “a substantial Jewish minority”.

[See MAP] Colossae sat on the banks of the river Lycus, about 100 miles inland from the major coastal city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).

In earlier centuries, Colossae was an important crossroads of two major highways and a center for manufacturing woolen textiles.

But during the first century AD, Colossae was an insignificant town; the nearby cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis were more prominent.

False religion -

False Religion - Imposing of strict regulations, Self-imposed religion, Angel worship, Reliance on human wisdom and knowledge.

They say, Christ is not the only way.

He is one of the way.

(Show Map of the Lycus Valley)

Paul’s motive in his writing is to encourage the church in Colossae to continue to grow in their knowledge of God so they will not be persuaded by the false teachings that surround them.

Though this is a great challenge for the Church, knowingly, that the church is situated in a place where there are many religion and different kinds of beliefs, Paul maintained in his letter that nothing can ever preceded Christ.

Christ is supreme and above all things.

In our study today, we will take a look on this area of Paul’s letter, The Authority and Sufficiency of Christ.

How do you think your knowledge affects you and your way of life?

Growing in the knowledge of God is important and vital in our daily living.

This is because our knowledge and understanding of God determines our attitude and action towards facing life problems and challenges.

Ultimately, this is the very way that we can combat Satan, the enemy of God.

We have to grow in our knowledge of God.

Just imagine a person who is driving a car without any knowledge or very ignorant about the road and traffic laws.

How terrible this person would experience in his first drive.

The deficiency of our knowledge of God detracts us from the truth and from the reality of our relationship with God.

OUR PREPOSITION

Christ’ Authority Above All

From verse 15-20, “All things or everything” was mentioned 6 times repeatedly.

Showing us the importance of the truth being laid out to us.

Let’s go back to the basic.

How much do we know Christ?

How much do we know of what Christ can do for us?

The authority of Christ in all things is sufficient for us to deal and face anything that challenges our faith and position in Christ.

This knowledge is so important so that we may know and able to discern what is right and wrong, and good and bad in the light of the Scripture.

This is Satan’s strategy even from the beginning, he challenges our knowledge of God to deceive us.

What did Satan asked about God to Eve when they are in the garden of Eden?

Genesis 3:1

Genesis 3:2-4

Our knowledge of God with wisdom and understanding, is the basic of belief and fundamental in our daily combat with the deception of Satan.

Now let’s take a look about this great hymn or some said a confession of faith about Christ in the letter.

This is Christ:

Colossians 1:15

1.

He is God-Man (100% God, 100% Human) (v15) (v19)

He is the Creator (v16)

2.

He is the Creator

All things were created through Him and for Him

3.

He is in control of everything (v.17)

And in Him all things hold together.

4.

He is the head of the Church (v.18)

He is the head of the Church (v.18)

He is the beginning (He eternally exist)

5.

He is the beginning (He eternally exist) (v.18)

He is the ultimate sacrifice to reconcile us through the blood of his cross (v.

20)

6.

He is the sacrifice that reconcile us through the blood of his cross

Meron pa bang papantay sa buhay ni Kristo?

Christ’s Authority

Paul begins his letter with a prayer for spiritual wisdom and understanding for the believers and follows with his confession of Faith about Christ.

That Christ is above all and everything else.

After knowing who is Christ and His authority above everything, it also important for us to understand the WHAT.

What Christ has done for us.

Christ’ Act of Grace

Thats it.

In verse 20.

(The Good News Translation)

Colossians 2:

Colossians 1:2

We were reconciled to God because of the blood of Christ.

The problem solved by reconciliation (Why we need reconciliation?

What is the problem of man?)

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

Hostile in mind

Hostile in mind

Doing evil deeds

Doing evil deeds

Colossians 3:

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

2. The purpose of reconciliation

The purpose of reconciliation