Colossians 1.1-
Colossians 1:1-
Colossians 1:1-2,1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Simple pharses and single works in the Bible can means so much to us and I would like to look this morning at a couple of them
I. By the will of God
A. Paul was in the will of God
1. Paul was a Apostle and that is what God wanted him to be
B. We need to examine to see if we are in the will of God
1. Are we serving God?
2. Every believer is called to function in the body of Christ, just as Paul did
a) The body of Christ is everyone who is saved and knows Christ as personal savior
b) We need to make sure that we don’t copy others and that we seek what God wants for us.
(1) We see what other are doing and we like that and want to do it
(2) We first must seek God's will, is this what you want me to do or is it something else.
(3) Ask God to open the right doors and close the ones we don’t need to go through
(a) It is hard to know at times which door to go through
(b) We can also do what Paul did when he went on one of his missionaries journeys
(i) God did not tell him which way to go
3. Being busy for God does not mean that we are in the will of God!
a) We all can’t be a head or a arm in the body of Christ
b) We each have different talents that God can use if we seek God's leading
(1) 1 Corinthians 12:13-24,13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many./ 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?/ 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him./ 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you./ 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:/ 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
(2) Each of us need to find out which part of the body we are
(3) Once we find out what part you are, be proud of that and look to God on how He will use you in that compasitiy
(4) I have a friend who ownes a bussness and tell people that is his ministry
C. When you are in the will of God, there is a deep sence of satisfaction, a deep sence of peace in ones life.
1. Just like when you got saved and had that peace in your life knowing that if you died you where going to heaven
Wait
Desperately, helplessly, longingly I cried,
Quietly, patiently, lovingly He replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate.
And the Master so gently said, “Child, you must wait.”
“Wait! You say wait!” my indignant reply,
Lord, I need answers - I need to know why.
Is Your hand shortened, or have You not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I’m claiming Your word.”
My future and all to which I can relate,
Hangs in the balance and You tell me ‘wait’?
I’m needing a ‘yes’—a go ahead sign,
Or at least a ‘no’ to which I can resign.
And Lord, I’ve been asking and this is my cry,
I’m weary of asking, I need a reply,
Then quietly, softly I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied, once again, “You must wait.”
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut.
And I grumbled to God—”So I’m waiting, for what?”
He seemed then to kneel and His eyes met with mine,
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.”
“I could shake the heavens, darken the sun,
Raise up the dead, cause the mountain to run.
All you seek, I could give and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.”
“You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint.
You’d not learn to see through clouds of despair.
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.”
“You’d not know the joy of resting in Me.
When darkness and silence was all you could see.
You’d never experience that fullness of love,
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove.”
“You would know that I give and save for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart,
The glow of My comfort, late in the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
“The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask,
Of an infinite God that makes what you have last!
And you never would know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
Yes, your dreams for that loved one,
One night would come true.
But oh the loss if you lost what I’m doing to you.
So be silent, my child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft may My answers seem terribly late,
That My most precious answer of all is still ‘wait’.”
Russell Kelfer
[1]
II. To the Saints and faithful believers
A. There are two groups of people here
1. Saints and believers are the same people
a) Notice that both are in Christ
2. We who are saved are Saints. We are saints by positions not by what we do
a) Saints means = to be set apart for God
B. Both groups are the same, it is as if Paul uses two names to describe the same people.
III. Grace unto you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ
A. We must know the grace of God in order to experience the peace of God.[2]
B. How can one have peace with God without seeing God work in ones life?
1. When we see God bless when we don’t deserve the blessing (that is Grace)
2. When we experience God's Grace over and over again we develop peace that God is in control
3. God blesses because He loves us and not what we deserve it
4. Grace is unmerited favor. It is something we don’t deserve
C. Grace comes from all of the Godhead.
1. Grace was the first gift given to us by God
a) Grace must be given before God can give us faith, mercy, salvation, answered prayers. The list go on and on
b) Eph. 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
c) Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
2. We don’t get Grace until we have accepted Christ as savior.
a) God's first act of grace was to make a way for us to get to heaven.
b) Than when we accept this act of grace and get saved, God starts to work in our lives and keeps on working until the day we die
(1) Grace is the source of all blessings
(2) Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men
(3) Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
3. Everything we are or can be is because of Grace
a) I Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
b) II Thess 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
C. S. Lewis
What makes Christianity different from all the other religions of the world? Years ago that very question was discussed at a conference. Some of the participants argued that Christianity is unique in teaching that God became man. But someone objected, saying that other religions teach similar doctrines. What about the resurrection? No, it was argued, other faiths believe that the dead rise again. The discussion grew heated.
C. S. Lewis, a strong defender of Christianity, came in late, sat down, and asked, “What’s the rumpus about?” When he learned that it was a debate about the uniqueness of Christianity, he immediately commented, “:Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”
How right he was! The very heart of the gospel is the supreme truth that God accepts us with no conditions whatever when we put our trust in the atoning sacrifice of His incarnate Son. Although we are helplessly sinful, God in grace forgives us completely. It’s by His infinite grace that we are saved, not by moral character, works of righteousness, commandment-keeping, or churchgoing. When we do nothing else but accept God’s total pardon, we receive the guarantee of eternal life (1 Tim 3:4–7).
Good news indeed. What a gospel! What a Savior! - VCG
Source unknown
[3]
IV. Colossians 1:3,3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
A. Giving of thanks to God
1. Paul was always giving thanks when he prayed for the Colossians
a) Notice that Paul is not thanking the people of the Colossian church
(1) It would be like if I would tell you what great Christians you are
b) He give God the glory and praise for what He has done to the Colossians
(1) Some churches were not following the true Gospel
(2) Galatians 1:7, Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ
c) Paul was giving praise and honor to the one who did all the work
(1) Christ does the changes, He gives us the victory that we need, He gives us the Grace we don’t deserve
(2) Ephesians 2:8-9,8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
B. Paul had a list of churches and people he prayed for reguarly (praying aways)
1. Paul did a lot of praying, this was an important part of his life
V. Colossians 1:4,4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
A. Paul talks about their faith
1. Faith rests upon Historical fact
2. It is based on the Past
3. It is based on what you have heard
a) From the Bible
b) Which lead to Romans 10:17, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
4. Faith is not a leap into the darkness
a) But it is believeing God
b) Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
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[1]10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.
[2]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:334). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3]10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.