Where is the Fruit

Good Morning:

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

If you are new with us this morning would you please take the time fill out that little flap on the side of your bulletin. If you put it in the black boxes by the back door we will make a donation in your name to a local charity and send you cookies. Church can we show our guests some love this morning.

Flocknote:

Coffee

Family Meal Night September 1 at 6:30PM.

Today we are going to start a New Series that will run several weeks. We are going to be Studying the Book of Colossians in depth.

In this world full of endless avenues for information. Studies are showing that Biblical illiteracy is on the rise and less and less Christians understand the Bible.

When we don’t understand the Bible we tend to be led astray by whatever teaching comes our way.

The Book of Colossians was sent to the church at Colossae which is near Laodicea and was likely written about around A.D. 58-62. This is actually a letter. A personal writing of instruction from Paul to the church at Colossae.

Paul is writing from Prison in Rome and writes this letter after a receiving a report that the church was struggling with Heresy. A group o f false teachers had infiltrated the church and were teaching that Christ was not actually God, that there were other ways to heaven, and that you need extra stuff in order to be truly spiritual.

This is a Church that Paul had not yet visited. Paul writes a pretty lengthy intro because he is attempting to connect to the church personally before he starts laying out his message to the church.

Today we are going to dive into his introduction.

Before we start would you pray with me.

Colossians 1:1–2 ESV

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

Paul starts out by introducing himself. He announces that he is only an Apostle be cause God chose it. This is important.

He introduces them to Timothy and then addresses the church.

Colossians 1:3–5 (ESV)

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

Paul has been visited by Epaphras, Most like the church planter of this church. He has reported to Paul that The Colossians have a

Placed their Faith in Jesus,

Love All Saints,

Laid up Hope in Heaven,

There are a lot of people that claim to have faith in Jesus, however they do not show love towards fellow saints, and the walk around as if they are hopeless.

Colossians 1:5–8 (ESV)

Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,

7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf

8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

The Colossians have got to a place of Faith, Hope, and Love because the have grabbed a hold of truth.

Grab A Hold of Truth.

News Versus Truth. K-Love

Colossians 1:9–14 ESV

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered 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 then begins to list the attributes that He wants the Holy Spirit to establish in the Church Members of Colossia

1. A Knowledge of God’s Will

Your success is not always due to God’s will. Sometimes the enemy is helping you be successful in order to distract you from God’s work in your life.

Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding is different that than being successful in Earthly endeavors.

2. To Walk in a Manner Worthy of the Lord.

Our goal as Christians should be to live in such a way that Jesus says “Look at what I suffered and died for” not “Look at what I suffered and died for.”

We should be seeking to Please Jesus.

I am a people pleaser.

3. To Be Bearing Fruit.

Jesus Grafted us into the tree to be fruit bearers not life suckers.

A tree that bears fruit.

4. To Increase in Knowledge.

Knowledge with by itself is useless but knowledge applied in the strength of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit bears the fruit.

Colossians 1:11 ESV

11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

Some of us are walking around powerless because we are hooked to the wrong source.

Some of us don’t have any endurance because we never exercise our Faith.

Some of us don’t have any patience and when we do there is no Joy in it.

Paul ends his prayer in a powerful way.

Colossians 1:12 ESV

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Some of us need to realize who qualifies us. Jesus is the one who accepts us and places his name on us.

Colossians 1:13–14 ESV

13 He has delivered 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.

Some of us have not yet stepped out of that Darkness.

Some of us are still hanging out in the shadows.

Some of us just need to be reminded how good it is to walk in the Light.

Stand Pray.

Holy Spirit what do you want me to take from this message.