Untitled Sermon (3)

The Text

Colossians 1:3–8 NKJV

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

I. Thanks and Prayers

a. Basic everyday activities of saints

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. εὐχαριστέω

to show that one is under obligation, be thankful, feel obligated to thank. This mng. is common in diplomatic documents in which the recipient of a favor reciprocates with assurance of goodwill (e.g. decrees of the Byzantines in Demosth. 18, 91f, concluding: οὐκ ἐλλείψει εὐχαριστῶν καὶ ποιῶν ὅ τι ἄν δύνηται ἀγαθόν =the people of the Chersonesus ‘will never stop being grateful and doing whatever they can’ (for the people of Athens);

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. εὐχαριστία

the quality of being grateful, with implication of appropriate attitude, thankfulness, gratitude (an important component of Gr-Rom. reciprocity

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. εὐχαριστία

Origen, equates εὐχαριστία w. εὐχαριτία=‘the mark of fine training’).

b. Always

At all times , on every occasion

II. Faith and Love

a. Basic everyday character qualities of saints

love (affection) n. — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection. This is the Divine love, not the natural variety or friendship. We believe and therefore we act on our beliefs. God is love and has expressed His great love towards us…and we are becoming like him because we trust in Him.

b. Faith produces action

trust (faith) n. — strong confidence in, and reliance upon, someone or something; often with the object of trust understood.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

substance - title (deed) n. — a legal document to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it.

convicting evidence n. — evidence that makes someone fully agree, understand, and realize the truth or validity of something; especially based on argument or discussion.

III. Hope and Truth

a. Laid up for you

hope (object) n. — someone or something on which expectations are centered.

to be laid away (state) v. — to be or become saved up or stored away as for future use.

b. Word of Truth

Logos-message (communication) n. — a communication that is most often spoken, but can come through other means. A computation, reckoning

truth (quality) n. — conformity to reality or actuality; often with the implication of dependability.

IV. Fruit

a. Gospel comes and changes us

gospel of Jesus n. — good news concerning the now present reality of Jesus’ divine dominion and way of salvation by His death and resurrection.

Has come - to be present v. — to be in a specified place or in near proximity to something else.

b. The produces fruit

to produce consequences ⇔ bear fruit v. — to produce actions and natural consequences befitting one’s nature; conceived of as a tree bearing fruit according to its kind. Produce a crop

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 13.86 ποιέω καρπόν; καρποφορέω

an idiom, literally ‘to make fruit’); καρποφορέωb: to cause results to exist—‘to produce results, to cause results.’