Untitled Sermon (11)

INTRO

Today is Trinity Sunday… Can I tell you that when I started to look at that fact and started praying about how to explain it, I came to the conclusion that the best way to do that is to treat it the way the Bible treats it?

The theology of the trinity, in order to be taught, you have to start in Genesis 1 and end in Revelation.... to describe what is basically impossible to really get.

We serve 1 God in 3 persons.

The Father is not Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but is God.

Jesus is not the Father or the Holy Spirit, but is God.

The Holy Spirit is not the Father or Jesus, but is God.

And when you start looking through the Bible that are hundreds of proofs, but the lines blur when we try to figure it all out. And in this setting, at this moment that’s all I want to say about that.

But in my study of the trinity I reviewed Colossians and got REALLY excited about how desperately we need the words in this book.

EXP

In Colossians, we see the trinity working together mostly through the sufficient work of Christ in His ministry death and resurrection, that the Spirit may dwell with and in us, and point us to be the persons that the Father created us to be.

But today I want to jump to the 2nd verse to describe for you God’s intent for this book. I mean don’t get be wrong there are many things taught in this compact little book, but verse 2 reads....

Colossians 1:2 ESV

2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

We live in a crazy world these days. I’ve been saying that since I was 17 years old. Truth be told, I’d like to stop. The problem is, it keeps getting crazier an crazier.

But GRACE and PEACE are ours from God our Father.

Paul Heard Something

From Epraphas

Paul never went to Colossae

So Epraphas was a minister at Colosse that traveled to where Paul was imprisoned to testify of what God was doing, and probably gain some wisdom

So What did he hear?

The Church has faith.

The Church Loves the saints

This faith and love came from hope

Hope in heavenly things vs worldly things

The hope they had came from the word of truth.

This dedication to this heavenly hope...

leads to more fruit

The fruit that looks and tastes like love.

The fruit that looks and tastes like faith.

Watch - this fruit started growing as soon as they understood grace.

Upon Hearing Paul Began to Pray

Always Thanks v. 3 and again in v. 12

Filled with the knowledge of His will as comparison to our own fleshly desires.

Filled with His wisdom… vs. worldly wisdom. God chose the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. (1 Co 1:27)

Filled with understanding.

View these in comparison to the typical prayer list… based in circumstances.

Why did Paul Pray these things?

Walk worthy v.10

Because he deserves it v. 10

Bearing fruit v. 10

Know God more. v. 10

We become strengthened with power

according to his might - not ours or anyone else’s

His power demonstrates itself in endurance…

Because our hope is on things above.

His Power demonstrates itself in patience

Because our hope is on things above

His power demonstrates itself in joy.

Because our hope is on things above.

The Real Reason for Thanksgiving

God the Father qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints.

He has delivered us

from darkness

to the kingdom of the beloved Son

in whom we have redemption

The redemption from the forgiveness of sin.

In Closing

Grace and Peace