Colossians

Colossians wk 1

09-06-2020

Welcome

This morning we are going to dive into Colossians

We will work our way through this book

Before we dive in it is important to note that some people don’t think Paul wrote it but think maybe it was someone else and that Paul signed it because he agreed with it.

Either way it is in the Bible and everything written is good for teaching and preaching and good words to live by because they come from the mouth of God

So church this morning we are diving into Colossians

Colossians 1:1–2 NASB95

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Where is this place

Colossae is located in the southwestern part of present day turkey

Paul did not plant this church

Paul had not even visited this church

We will see later that Paul has heard about what this church is doing

One might think the church was doing something wrong for Paul to write a letter since that is what happens most of the time

But as we will see in a few minutes

Colossians 1:3–8 NASB95

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

Paul was writing to them because he had heard of them

They must have been doing somethings right in the early church and Paul wanted to encourage them

Sort of like if Billy Graham were still alive and had heard of some of the things Maranatha was doing and decided to write a letter of encouragement to us

It would carry some weight, Paul’s name carried weight with the early church because lets face it, apart from the church in Jerusalem Paul played some sort of role in the church

Wether he planted it himself, sent someone to plant it, or worked with someone who planted the church

That is the case for this church

Paul worked with Epaphras, and Epaphras must have reported back to either Paul or others about the work going on in Colossae

Much like when we go to meetings, we share what is going at Maranatha with other people

Colossians 1:9–12 NASB95

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Pauls purpose of the letter is to encourage the church in Colossae to continue their growth in their walk with Christ

Church you and I should be encouraged in our walk with Christ this morning

This morning this letter can be as an encouragement for us in our walk with Christ

It can be an encouragement for our church Maranatha this morning

Now we get the meat of the first part of the letter

Colossians 1:13–14 NASB95

13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul shares the Gospel right away with the church

Earlier when he talked about the hope that they have that is laid up for them in heaven this is the hope he is talking about

Paul is talking directly to believers in Jesus Christ

These are people who have already have a personal relationship with Jesus

Who have already repented and believed

Simple share Romans 10:9-10 out loud

Then Paul is going to some attributes about Jesus

Colossians 1:15–18 NASB95

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

What a great remainder for a church that is doing the work of Christ to get

That the God they serve is the God who created everything and the Savior they have in their heart is the Savior who by Him and for Him everything was created

This is going to deeper and deeper into the explanation of the hope they have as believers

Church what encouragement this is for you and I this morning

Not sure if you noticed but our world right now is difficult and things are tough right now

But for Maranatha, and for the Children of God at Maranatha was great joy and hope we have because Christ

Church we are reading a description of the hope you and I have

When the Bible says be ready to give a defense of the hope you have

1st this is the Hope you and I have, 2nd this is somethings you can share with them

Colossians 1:19–20 NASB95

19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

2 things

Jesus was fully God and Fully Human

Simply share Philippians 2:7 out loud

The 2nd thing is that Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross fulfilled sins requirement of death for you and I

Jesus’ blood covers you and I one and for all

What hope you and I have as believers in Jesus Christ

What hope you and I can and should extend to others because they no longer have to live as slaves to sin!!

Colossians 1:21–23 NASB95

21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

See at one point in your life you and I were enemies of God

We were set against God because of the sin in our lives

We were formerly because now we have Jesus in our hearts

That what Paul is saying to the church

We were formerly because we have been reconciled to Jesus through his death on the cross and through His resurrection from death

So that we would be presented to Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach

If we continue to walk with Him

They way we grow in our faith is by continuing to grow in our faith

They way we grow in our faith is by not be swept away by false teachers

This particular verse is not saying that you will continue to be reconciled if and only if you continue in your faith

You will be reconciled because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

You will continue to grow if you stand firm in your faith that which you heard from the beginning

If you are not swept away by false teachers meaning you take things you hear and run them through scripture

Colossians 1:24–29 NASB95

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. 25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Paul shares with the church at Colossae they they are all part of the Body of Christ and that He is doing his part and they should do their part by fulfilling their role

Paul shares a bit of his role in the body of Christ which is to preach the Word of God

And Paul shares that our role as believers is to share the Gospel message with everything

We are to proclaim Him to every man and teaching the wisdom to everyone

To do that church we have to stand firm in our faith

We have to be grounded in our faith

We have to know what we know and be confident of that

That requires we be in the word of God ourselves

That requires that we be a part of Bible studies

That requires that we run everything we hear through the word of God

This mornings message is to encourage you and I to do just that just as it was to encourage the church at Colossae

CLOSEING

As we call the musicians up

And as we move into the time of invitation

The invitation this morning is to repent and believe in Jesus

Maybe you are here this morning do not have a personal relationship with Jesus

If thats you and you want to begin a personal relationship with Jesus

We want to invite you to the front where someone will meet with you and share with you how Jesus loved you and died for your sin and how you can begin a new relationship with Jesus through repenting from your sin and believing in Jesus

Or maybe this morning you simply need to spend sometime in prayer

The altar is open