Colossians 1:1-14 (September 26th, 2021)
The book of Colossians, it's a book that I really appreciated my whole life since I was in college. And so when Pastor Don said, you know, choose the topic take a passage. This is the first thing that has everything. So colossally in Colossians, it's a different sort of book because to me, it's a more encouraging book and some of the others when you look at talking with the Corinthian that when when Paul wrote the book of Philippians, a lot of that stuff was this is what you got to do this, what you got to do in and it was read out this morning already. This is a very more positive attitude towards things that I was looking for. Let's let's look for something positive. We've got a lot of negative things in our lives. Now obviously is going to be outside downs and what I have to say, but you just keep that in mind. So colossally if you know where it is classified, as a town on the river lysis, just east of east of us, has about 100 Mi. So if you think about it at the time, people walked a hundred miles is a long way. I travel 50 kilometers, just to go to work in the morning and vac and sew a hundred miles. You know, that doesn't seem that far to us, but in that time frame with a lot, and I'm about 10 mi from Leo to see you. That's Amore, name a man. That was there was another church plant in there during the time of the Persians and the Greeks. This is a very important Town. It was a town. It was right on the trade routes. So they would walk through there. They would travel through there with their trade goods. But then after the Greeks it became less important, as they changed the direction of the road and it went more towards after sis and away from closet colossi. So then it became a less or smaller town. So by the time this book was written, it was actually a real police small-town. It wasn't as important, but it was still there was not on the trade routes. So if we look at the first verse here and you look at it and go over Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, and we think nothing of that in as I was researching this, it crossed my mind that We need to remember, Paul didn't. Walk With Jesus, when Jesus was on Earth, every other Apostle did Paul had his own experience. He was specifically chosen. He was specifically given that experience on the road to Damascus that specifically chosen by Christ by God. To share his message and he didn't start sharing it like everyone else. He started by saying let's go inside of Jerusalem. That's go beyond the juice. It was a very different type of approach. So Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. God chose him specifically God gave him a mission. God gave him a job to do. And in the end. He sacrificed his life for that mission in for that. Direction that God has given him. An interesting thought that Paul was there at the stoning of Stephen, Stephen was a follower of Jesus. He was there and he approved of it. If you look in Acts 7 verse 57 through 81. It says, what they cried out, a loud voice and stops their ears and rushed together at him, who is Steven? Then they cast them out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning, Stephen, he called out. Lord. Jesus receive my spirit and falling on his knees. He cried out in a loud voice. Lord. Do not hold this sin against them. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And then verse 12 chapter and Saul approved of his execution.
How would you have felt if this is who came to preach to you? How would you have felt to realize it? This was the person who got changed?
Jonah didn't want to go. On his mission because he's like, God's going to forgive them and I don't want them to do that. Sure enough. Forgave them and they continue on. How would you feel if this was who it was? But this is who God chose. And this is who wrote most of the books in the New Testament. Most of the letters of the Epistles. The letters were into all these churches, consider that as we go through this,
And Timothy has our brother, Timothy was someone who traveled with him. He was a nice ahead, two different books, that Paul wrote, and he sent him out on his own, but specifically Timothy was there with him. If we get to the end of you, look at the end of the book, you'll see there was others as well. But he names Timothy as he doesn't several other books. He seemed to have a special relationship with Timothy. So this is who is teaching and supporting this newly found Church of Christians. Paul went out and he open his arms wide to the gents house outside of Jerusalem. The letter killeth of Colossians was probably written when Paul was in jail in Rome. This is after a lot of his life at pass by and usually is dated, as one of the last letters, which I think is part of why it's an encouraging letter. He's seen a lot. He's experienced a lot and he's gone. Wow, this church is something Paul seems in this letter to be pleased with the new church in class. I inverse one into Paul's greeting is very common Grace and peace to you. From God our Father not from him from God our Father. Grace referring to, the undeserving gift of kindness shown to Christians when they become Christians, they salvation. An eternal life that God is offering. Peace is referring to the Peace of Jesus bought with his death and Resurrection. This bought and brought the peace between God and man, but also between Jews and Gentiles, which was huge. Absolutely huge through the message of the Gospel. We can share the good news.
The Divide between God and man caused by sin has being breached and that this offering is to all people of the Earth. interesting, how Paul starts with this and it's such an important thing to say,
Call uses terms throughout all of this book like us. So it says here. Grace and peace to you from God. We always give, thanks.
Sorry, I lost my spot.
Pulver. This time was a follower of Christ for many years. He was jailed several times. He threatened the people threatened to kill him and he'd escaped or was set free. He was stoned and Left 4 Dead. He was on three missionary Journeys to spread the good news to the many cities and towns. He can found of the Jews in the synagogues, and we can go on and on and on about all the call did and what it happened to him. And yet, he includes the new believe is a class A with him. When he says that our father in Heaven. Our father is greeting him through our Lord. Jesus Christ. So it's our father. And as I was before I made a mistake there. He also talks about us being delivered in verse, think 13, transferred us to the kingdom of God in verse 13 as well. And our Lord Jesus Christ. That person who Persecuted the church who then turn around and follow Christ, who went through all that suffering. He's equalizing himself with you. And I with all the Christians in colossi and that's me of something very important. We always give, thanks. We always thank God the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We who is he referring to hear? He's referring to Paul, and Timothy. But as I said, if you look near the end of the book, you'll see that onesimus was there. Mark was there? Jesus? Who is called Justus? Luke was there and Several other people were there with him. It's them. They're all out there and they're all praying for Anna thanking God for these people. And they think the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, not just anybody? They give thanks and they pray and they think who got, and our Lord Jesus Christ. The first thing Paul says he's giving, thanks when we pray for a new the new church and the Believers in class I Paul in his friends started as soon as they heard about the new Believers in class. I see what it says. There is, we always thank God when we pray for you because of the Hope laid up for you and Heaven, think about how many times have you prayed for another church? We have missionaries out there. Do you pray for those churches? You prefer the church down the street. It's something that Paul did an ongoing Paces. He prayed for the churches that were around him. He prayed for the Christians are around him. It wasn't a question of if it was a question of when,
Prayers of huge and key part of the Christian Life is something. Our church is trying hard to bring back into the Forefront and it's often overlooked and neglected. As part of the, as an aspect of the Christian walk. Wendy mentioned some of the prayer in the, the ladies meetings. We're also increasing the prayer. If you recall last week, it was mentioned in our prayer meeting. Start on Wednesday nights. Again, we have a meeting on Friday morning. We have a prayer chain. That does it over the phone. We have another prayer chain that goes through the emails. Are you part of those? Do you know what's going on? Do you understand how this is important in our church? Paul dead. And he prayed for this church from the moment. He knew they existed.
And then we could look at it and say, what did Paul? Thank God for. Inverse for since we heard of your faith in Jesus Christ, and the love you have for all the saints because of the whole plate up for you, and heaven and of this, you've heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel. Faith. Jesus Christ, death. And Resurrection. We have faith in that they had faith in that, not a personal trust but a belief of things that are certain in true. We don't just randomly choose it. We don't just kind of almost believe it. That's what you said to me. Back years ago, belief is looking at that chair and telling someone else, they can sit in it. Faith is sitting in that chair and is not falling down. It's more than just a Whimsical thing. It's acting on the belief, not just saying One Believes. This is Faith is not just the acts of the Mind lion face, but I think Nala Judgment of the mind and acceptance that Jesus did. In fact, rise from the dead and was taken into heaven to prepare a place for all believers to join him. Then he says, there was love love for all the saints. Other believers. This love is not for those that are easy to get along with its for all believers as Paul. Spoke in 1st Corinthians. 13 love is part. A large part of the Christian Life. I'm sure you've heard this new member, but I'm going to read it again. 1st Corinthians 13:1. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love. I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal if I have prophetic powers and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge. And if I have all Faith, so that's remove mountains, but have not love. I am nothing. If I give away all I have and deliver at my body to be burned but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears. All things believes all things, hopes, all things, endures, all things.
Love of the Saints was what was brought to Paul love of the Saints by the claw size. That was crucial for him. And if that's not crucial to you, you're missing a big part of the Christian life. So we have faith and we have loved. And then the last is hope, hope for internal place with in heaven, with God, this, I think would be crucial at the time. And even at this time, his people are always wondering what's happened to me. What's the purpose in life? Where am I going? How am I getting there? Hope would be a drawing point for much of the Pagan world as they were looking for those answers. They were looking for. How do I get there? How do I do something to make it better for me in the future? How do I make it so that I can continue on and be something more than I am? This is the hope that uses crisis offering. This is the hope that the Colossians Fount this is the hope that we are offering as Believers in Christ. Are we sharing with those around us? This gospel was shared with them. If you look in verse five in the word of Truth, The Gospel. This is in contrast to the false teachings that were all around them. Some of them within the church, some of them without the church. You think about it. Paul even went in and sat in amongst a bunch of statues of other gods to preach the gospel. It was so much going on in the world around them. There's so much going on in the world around us. We may not even recognize it. Did you know that evangelicals are less than 5% of the Canadian population?
If you look at the statistics, they will tell you that over 50% of Canadians are Christians. but, Only 5% of them, believe the Bible. Our world has changed things have changed. The Church of place. I was in a world that was changing becoming more Christian, but it wasn't Christian at the time.
All of this was emphasized by the testimony given to them and the gospel teaching that is alive and well in class. I people around them as a group. They were growing together the world as it is spreading and growing the gospel. That's what was happening at the time which is evidenced in the bearing of the fruit. Same verse there. It says end as indeed in the whole world. It is very fruit and increasing. Pastor Don's really locked on to the fruits and the roots of a tree.
What's something interesting? One of the commentaries that I read that tied back to that and it was that if you consider it, what's the fruit of a corn stock? That's the kernel of corn? Fruit of many vegetables and such things. The plant itself dies. But in the tree, the tree doesn't die, it continues to grow. And that's what we're talkin with here at the vine, a tree, it grows and produces more fruit. It produces offspring. That's what we should be doing. And that's what's happening here to Road. All of the world that fruit is being born and increasing from the gospel, the Holy Spirit from the time of Pentecost is working with the spread of the Gospel throughout the known world at the time Faith. Love, and Hope are the keys to the gospel. Not optional. All three are keys to the gospel. Not optional.
Fall comments in verse 6. As it also doesn't mind you since the day, you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. They didn't only hear the truth. They understood the truth of the grace of God, the undeserving forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ. It wasn't a whim. It was an understanding. We need to be sure that we're not only sharing the gospel with others, but then we have a chance to understand it. Discipleship is a key part of the Christian experience. Jesus had several disciples that he taught specifically so they can go out and preach without him Paul was doing this as well. Timothy is one example of this. He became a Christian on Paul's first missionary journey and then join them on a second. Timothy is named in several letters like the Colossians and given more specific guidance in letters that bear his name for some 2nd Timothy. I always remember back to when I was in school and I had an apologize class. That's the class where they teach you, how to share your face, how to argue for the gospel. And I had someone in that class that was there just for the credit people telling me. How, how do you know that? Well, he was asked. So if you were to share your face with somebody, how would you prove to them? That it was true? And his response would be. I'll read them. The Westminster Confession and they can choose to believe or not to know what the Westminster Confession is. It's a 90 plus page documents, put out by the reformers that laid out the total doctrine of the church. So that you knew whether or not you're believing the right thing, that makes dr. Carter's book look a little small. That's what he said and he honestly believed it. He believed that all he had to do was read it all out. It's all good. I don't need to convince you at all. That's God's job. God is in control. And God does make the choice and God does guide us. And he does with his Spirit bringing us to faith in him, but I think are responsible is a little higher than that. If you look at Paul, he think so. We need to share it and we need to disciple people.
What do we do that? In our society? Haven't you seen the sign? This is John 3:16, or maybe the billboard that says for God. So loved the world. And nothing else. Are we doing the same thing? Or do we invite people to the church on Christmas and expect Pastor Don to do all the work? He'll share the gospel. He'll disciple them. Or maybe the greeter should do that because of the ones at the front door, but wait a second. They're your friends. They're my friends. They're my family to your family. Don't we want to see them in heaven? Don't willingly offer them, the gift that we have, the hope that we have, the love that we have.
Life should be lived out to show who God is, not just a statement made and they should understand it. Was interesting experience when my wife walked up to me last week and she said that one of her neighbors walked up and said, pray for me, doesn't seem that all until you realize that there are Muslim family. We've never outrightly told them we've never pushed for it. Their kids were friends with our kids when they were young. I'm there, one daughter is just got to the point now that she's wearing her head covering. She's not old enough for that. We don't know what the friend request is for, but we do know that they felt comfortable enough with us knew that we believed in God and they came to us and ask for prayer.
We can make a difference and not even know we're making a difference. I've had the same experience at work when something goes wrong. Someone walks up to me and says I need help. Linking. Why you coming to me? I run the office. All right, that's before that I was I was the maintenance guy. But they knew there was something different. They had seen something different. They knew that I cared. Are you doing the same thing? Are you shining your light around you? Or are you locking yourself down to keep yourself? Safe? I know it's a risk. I get land. AC that work to with, I got another guy who was completely an atheist and he chooses ever talk opportunity. He can come at me and say, you know what? This isn't true. That isn't true every election. Oh, I know who you're voting for. You know, he has no idea what I believe. But he knows that I believe in God and he knows that I don't agree with him and that when it comes down to the fat, when he hit end up with a cancer treatment and a cancer diagnosis, who did he come to? He came to me. He will, they will come to you. You can shine that light and you can be out there. That's what the colossian church was doing. That's what Paul was doing. He was out there our church, first started using the story. I don't know how you feel about the story pamphlet that the back pasture, Don's talked about it several times. He keeps bringing it back up. You remember why we switched to the story. Do you remember why we're using that particular program?
The reason we're using is because we live in a small world, our world in the church says that everyone knows who God is. But the world outside of us, don't even know who got is. They think they do. But they also believe that the root of all evil of all the root of all evil is money. And that's not what the Bible says. Why does many things that they believe? They know? The Bible says that it's many things. They believe that they know that the church teaches and Jesus teaches, but they don't know the truth and they don't know what actually is in the scriptures and they don't know what a true Christian is. It's all supposition. And the story changes the approach. It doesn't start with you. No telling someone will you know, you've done something wrong. I remember this as a kid, we were told to go to your friends and say just think about it, you know, you've not a perfect life is always something you've done and you go. Yeah, you know, I lied to my mom wants, you know, that's, you know, whatever. And then you can start from there, you work through that, you know, well, then you're a sinner and and God loves you and he can't abide within and and we work our way through. The problem is today, is that you can go to someone and say do you think even need anything, you know, wrong? No, I'm good. You go walk. Come on. It's got to be something. But when your bases the truth is subjective.
And you are the one who chooses. What's right and wrong then, I guess you did nothing wrong. And so when Pastor Don introduced the story to our church, that was the key behind. It was Everybody wonders, where we came from, everybody wonders. How we got here? Everybody wonders, where we going, and we start with the basics, God, created the heavens, and the Earth. God created everything that you see around you, God created Who You Are. And because of that, he has understandings and we work our way through and share the gospel through that. It's a brilliant plan. It's well put together and I would encourage you take it. Look at it. There's brochures of the back. You can type in your Google the story. It has a video there. You can show them short on your phone. You don't even have to talk but you can share it. Why? Because you have a light, you have a hope that they don't have and you want to share it. Wesley is also hosting another thing. I mean, we're starting so many things this year is amazing. But Ryan, Thompsons hosting an alpha group. If you work all the youth did Alpha that we pray for them for a year. You did Alpha every Friday nights. Believe it or not. I thought they had more kids coming out that night those nights than they have in a long time. Maybe it was the food but then again, they got to hear the gospel and they got to hear the truth. If you want to look at that, there's a link on the website. There's a email on the website or just Alpha twice and got sick. You can invite a friend, you can go with them. You can go through the experience together, help them to know how them to understand. It's not as simple as we used to be. They really truly, don't understand even what they're missing sometimes. But we have a hope. We have something special, and it's worth sharing.
A Christian needs to not only hear and accept the gospel. But to some extent understand it without understanding will,, desire to share it with those around. And we can see, they don't understand when we can see that they don't understand and are without hope.
As Christians are we like this? Do we share the gospel? Do we understand what the gospel means? Have? We shared our life change or why? Or only once did we do it? When we first became at 4? Most of us when we first become a Christian world, they're telling the world. How long does that last for you didn't last long for me, but it didn't change my responsibility. We need to be out there and sharing the gospel. And In this passage here, we have several different things were talks about this fruit, being spread the fruit growing. The fruit being out there and that's important. Hannover 7. We find out where this all came to class. I'll get back to the passage now that I've been on my soapbox.
A good demonstration of how the gospel is shared with colossae and verse 7. It says you learned this from Epaphras. Our beloved fellow servant. Polynesian call Timothy that. Our beloved fellow servants, something special in that relationship. It appears that some
He was converted somewhere along the way with, with Paul one of his missionary Journeys and then he went back to colossi, which is where he was from. If we look back, we can see that in 4:12. It appears that he was from KSI and that he was, obviously out in the boat and maybe was at taught by Paul on one of his journeys and then he came home and share the gospel. But then when you read it, you find out that it wasn't just sharing the gospel and colossi. He also shared with Leo to Sia. Coraopolis and who knows how many other places he was a missionary? He was out, sharing the good news in a world that stone people who share that news, but he was out and about insurance. And then he went back to Paul and he said, look, what's happened. This is great. This is wonderful. And Paul prayed for the church is along with his fellow Believers that were with him. What a wonderful experience. What a wonderful thing to have happen. Paul was able to duplicate himself in a 1050 in your window. He was able to duplicate himself with not only this person but Timothy, he works for Silas. He worked with Barnabas. It's amazing. What happened in the changes that those few people need to change our world as we see it today? He came back to Paul and he shared the results of his kingdom work to encourage Paul and to encourage everybody that was around him as a church. We have missionaries to go to I'm sure you're aware of that. We talked about it before but think about what we have this going on in the world around us. So we have missionaries that leave they go out side of Canada. They make friends. They work in regular jobs. They plant churches, they built hospitals. Plant Farms to feed the hungry, share their faith, through all the other doing, translate the Bible into languages. What a wonderful thing to do languages of people that don't even have writing. And the Christian missionaries are able to go in there and write a book and all of the government has to do is just write a book, write it down and they said you care which one they say. No just get it down. And so they write the Bible and people are changed and people are are seeing these people are giving up a lot. They're giving up their world to come and visit. Do you have any missionary friends that have been home? I do. They don't even know how to come home to Canada. There's so life has been so changed. You know, that's what they're sacrificing and what are they doing it for to share the gospel? To get the news out there.
Paul was traveling around, I can't imagine the life, it would have been. He was a Tent Maker. How did how do you make a living making tents and traveling from town to town? There was lots of them, but he did it.
And he had some support and he grew the church. Locally. We have people to surprises me so much. But even back when I was in Bible College, I gave my wife had a teacher. They were a missionary from Great, Britain to Canada. Consider that they're sending missionaries here now. Right. We need to help, but wait a second. We got 200 people in this room. But we need help. Step out, take a chance. Share your faith. We have people that are deal and helping with homelessness. I got no some people that go down every weekend to hand out food and share the gospel because people that are helping single mothers. People facing unplanned pregnancies students, in college and universities. I heard just last week, that there are a lot loud to get back into the school. That's wonderful. They can get in there and they can share these people. Need the gospel. They need us to share. These students are just spreading their wings. How many choices they have to make? Someone needs to be there. To help them to understand what's coming and share the gospel of Hope with them.
As Christians, we need to be sowing and growing. We need to be sharing the gospel and growing in our faith.
We have the answer to the Cry for Help. The people have everywhere and are feeling everywhere around us. We shouldn't keep it to ourselves.
That's a few verses out of Colossians. Then we move on to the next and so from the day we heard I have not ceased praying for you and asking for something. What's the asking for? They're already out there, preaching the word. They're already out their learning and what is Paul pray for. And so from that day. We have not ceased to pray for you. The Colossians asking that you be filled with the knowledge of his will, that's first name? What pulse starts with is and so because you're already a good Christian because you're good. Christian church. Now, let's move on from there. Let's make it better. Let's fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Now the average North American Church says, okay, this is great. I'm going to get a pen. I'll write it down. I'm going to do God's will cuz that's what it says. I read it. But unfortunately, for you and for me, it's a process. That's how I see it. Anyways. So, step one. There's is where the church in Claus is right. Now. They know the gospel. Jesus came to save them and make them part of the people of God. Hoping for the future, in heaven, with God knowledge, that all praise for the Colossians. Is a deep and thorough understanding of who God is, that's what he's hoping for. It starts with basic, understanding faith in Jesus. Hope in heaven, love for the Saints cautious class. I said that this knowledge has provided by the Holy Spirit, and he is the one to help them to understand. That's the spiritual wisdom and understanding that step one. They're there to look at verse 10 says, walk in a manner, worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to him as followers of Jesus Christ. They are to be applying what they already know about. Jesus. Increasing their faith in Jesus understanding better their hope for the future and continuing to love and show love for the Saints which is pleasing to Christ. That's easy enough. Apply? What you already know. Check yourself out as possible. I will tell you self-examination. You need to know where you are. You need to know you're doing the right things. You need to know. You're moving forward. And then step 3 says in verse 10 as well goes on to say bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. That's the key right there. Increasing in the knowledge of God. This producing fruit is done by Good Works living to become more christ-like and learning more about, who Jesus is what he's taught and what God wants his people to be like which can be found in the teaching of the Apostles and in the word of God throughout which we call the Bible. First 10 says, Where do we get this from being strengthened by All Power in accordance with his glorious. Might all these steps are empowered by Christ, not by the believer, completing them. It doesn't matter. What you do, God's not behind you, in Christ isn't behind you, it, you can waste, you can read as much scriptures, you want. There's many, a Bible teaching class in many, a school. That isn't a Christian School. I've heard of people teaching classes on the New Testament that aren't even Christians. They don't believe they've read it. You can increase your knowledge, but if God's not behind it, it doesn't matter.
Paula knows letters to the church takes a significant amount of time, teaching the doctrine. Usually, the first part of his letters Doctrine. And the second part is this is how it applies to you. This is talking about who God is what it means and how to apply this to a person's life. This letter that were looking at was specifically written to the Colossians and will probably be taking him to the extra importance for them. Jesus is Central to the gospel and the source of all the strength that is needed to walk in the Christian life. So if we look at the versus following, the ones that were read by Carlin, it's almost like a resume for Jesus. Kind of surprised me how specific it was but this is what it says versus 15 to 22. Christ. He is the image of the invisible, God. Okay, that's a pretty significant claim firstborn of all creation for by him. All things were created in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible weather, Thrones. so even our prime minister or dominions, that would be Whether Angela demons rulers or authorities, all things were created through him. And for him. That's a pretty big statement. We're not done. He is before all things. Okay. In him all things, hold together. He's the head of the body, the church. He's the beginning. The first one from the dead that everything. He might in everything. He made me. Pray on it. For in him all fullest of God. The fullness of God, was pleased to dwell and threw him. He wrecked to reconcile to himself all things. Whether on Earth or in heaven, Making Peace by the blood of us crossed. And then the results and you who once were alienated and hostile in mind doing evil Deeds. He has now reconciled his body of the Flesh of Flesh by his death, in order to resent you, holy and blameless and above reproach before him the father. If indeed you continue in faith in the face, stable and steadfast not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard which is ring for claims in all creation under Heaven of which I Paul became a minister. Don't you wish you had that kind of resume image of the invisible. God first, one of all creation. Everything was created by you. And for you, you're the head of the church. You were before everything. Wow, that's something. Imagine getting this in your personal letter to help, you understand who Jesus Christ is.
And then you realize that that's who's giving you the strength to know, that's his giving the ability to grow. That's who's telling you you need to know more about him. And there's your starting point. That's phenomenal. That's your starting point.
There is here, a need for personal and Community growth in the ways of God, and his son, Jesus Christ, both and communal, exploration and personal study for each. And every Christian. We can do personal study in the ways of a regular time in the scripture with him daily or every other day or is weekly, that would be called your devotions reading. The Bible. Praying to God, we can walk with God and personal in a personal way in so many ways. We have the ability now to listen to sermons in our cars, listen to scripture reading. You can't argue with me and say that is not possible. It's because we're too lazy to do it.
But then you also need to be working as being in a community part of the church's being committee. Party me. A Christian is being part of the Christian family. We need to get out. So we need to get involved. Whether that's on a zoom Bible study, or an in-person Bible study with us in a zoom for a meeting, or an in-person framing where that's joining the family. The church picnic weather. That's just being part of the worship teams. All those things have the same effect. You need to be together. You need to be growing. You need to be sharing. Not just talkin about a baseball game, talkin about life, because God impacts all areas of our life.
If you notice the step three is back to knowledge. That's growing back to Step One. It's not a circle if you think of it a circle you think I'm wasting my time. It's a stagnant and I'm going to die in that situation. It's not a circle. It's a spiral think of it as a spiral staircase. You learn you share, you grow, you, learn you share, you grow and you move up and up and up until finally. We're taking to be with our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ in heaven.
As a Christian, who knows more. We're better at living and walking in a manner worthy of the Lord and as they as we live and walk more like Christ, the fruit we produce increases and it becomes stronger and then we're going to learn more and become more christ-like christ-like which leads us to a better living and walking in a manner worthy of our Lord. Jesus Christ. It's a spiral staircase. You're on your way up. Start the stairs starting joining the process.
Paula Springs of the Colossians will take what they already have, applied to their lives, and will therefore be walking in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. By doing this, they will be producing fruit of more knowledge, and understanding of producing more followers of Christ by sharing their hope in Christ and the Forgiveness of sins and the hope of the future. With God. This will also produce the desire to know more and seek the Holy Spirit and the scriptures for more knowledge of who got is what that means for life and what it was meant and how it was meant to be. Lived, first 11 says being strengthened, with all power, according to his glorious night. Emphasized that being strengthened and all power according to his glorious. Might, this is so important. The strength for Change and growth is not found in you. It's not found in me, not found them. Paul is not found in any of the Colossians. It's found in Jesus Christ. It's found in God. He also provides us endurance and patience with joy. If we look at the life of Paul, we realize it's not simple and it's not easy. He was stoned. Think about it. He was stoned. They tried to kill him and he still comes out of it saying life is a joy. I'm doing what God wants. That's all that matters to me. Can we feel that? Can we say that it's not easy to continue on the road that we are being called to follow that? God is calling us to, but it's worth it because you can have it. Jesus gives us the strength. Not only does he provide the strength and power to grow, but then Paul goes on to say, giving thanks to Our Father. God, who qualified them to share in the inheritance of the Saints. This is the process, we take to become part of the Christian World. This Is What It Takes that God chooses us, he qualifies. As it's not us, there's nothing that you and I can do. That's why? I got Paul got chosen. If we looked at Paul's actions. He would have never been chosen to follow Christ. But God. Chosen God qualified him and God created in him, the ability to teach somebody who then went to the colossian church and created a church there. Who then went out and started another church, then to other cities to close by. This is what Jesus does. This is what God does. There's nothing anyone can do to make themself more qualified to be a Christian or to encourage God, to accept them. What a glorious truth Christians are to give, thanks for the fact that they were qualified and the Christ gives them the strength to do. What they could not do on their own and being more like him. And being more, like they were meant to be from the beginning of creation. Thank you to God that you provide the strength that you could do. What we could not do. We could never make ourselves like Christ, you can but we can't.
If you look at the Old Testament, you can see how other failure is really happening. I had three examples. I wrote down. Samsung. He was strong. He was handsome. He was called from birth. And yet. He can pull it off. He fell for the girls. He's kept on falling David. King David, a man. After God's Own Heart, we all know what happened with him. Can't do without God. Once we start focusing on ourselves. We lose. And the final example have a Solomon. Think about if he was the first. When he first became king of Israel, he went out to sacrifice to God because he followed him because he loves God. And in 1st Kings 3:5, Solomon was asked by God, what God wanted him to be given. Tell me what you want. I will give it to you. And Solomon said, understand and understanding mine to govern. Your people that I may discern between Good and Evil. I was first 9 of 1st, Kings, chapter 3, and God gave him what he asked for and so much more. He gave him riches, he gave him all kinds of things and yet, In 11:4. It says. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned, his heart away away after other gods. And his heart was not wholly, true to the Lord, his God. As was the heart of David, his father. God gave him understanding God. Gave him the ability to discern, good and evil and even he couldn't do it. We need Christ. We need him to show us the way, provide us the strength, God provides the knowledge, the wisdom, and the wisdom. He does the work and provides the power. Chris. The Christians part is putting one foot in front of the other self-examination repentance and looking to God, to be strengthened and wisdom and knowledge that he offers and applies to our lives with his help. We keep walking the spiral staircase to christlikeness in heaven. It is a long life path. Only achievable of God strength, but it's worth it. Almost continuously praying for the growth of the colossian church that they've become more christ-like and stronger in their faith. Giving them the ability to share the gospel, more confidently and faithfully and verse 13. He says he has delivered us. He's back to talking in the inclusive us being Paul and the Colossians but it also includes us as Christians today. He delivered us from the Dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In whom we have Redemption the Forgiveness of sins. Paula Deen is using the inclusive language here. This action has already happened at the time of conversion. We have moved from Darkness to the kingdom of the son of Jesus Christ. And we are continually growing more and more like Christ as they as we seek to fill ourselves with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom, understanding through God's power, God, school and teaching and preaching is to reclaim Jesus Christ that we met. Percent everyone returned Christ. That's at the end of the chapter verse 28. Paul's golden teaching is to Proclaim Jesus Christ and that we may present everyone mature in Christ. This coming, this comes of toiling of struggling with Christ energy that he powerfully works in him. That is Paul. I pray for each of you that this isn't your Epitaph that you want to Proclaim Christ that you wanted for his that everyone that you know as mature in Christ. We know it comes the struggles, but Christ is the one who gives us the energy, he makes it and he's the one who was powerfully on us. What a Blessed assurance that we have the Christ wants to serve with us that he wants to be with us, but he wants to leave with us. How do we get that by walking that spiral staircase? We start the process grow mature, share grow mature, share produce fruit. That's what it's all about. The situation we find Wesley Heights at right now as we're starting up all our programs again. We got new ideas. We're trying to grow a church in the knowledge of who Jesus is through many opportunities for prayer and fellowship as well as discipleship and fellowship, but it seems to me that now is a great opportunity to become like the Colossians. Let us all decide to join the spiral to heaven and grow in knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we can 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, the string comes from God, from the power, he promises to provide, it is not going to be easy. It wasn't for Paul. But in the end, the joy of our salvation and the joy of service to our Lord and savior should be worth the trials that are coming or have come to us already. He's already delivered us from the Dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of Christ. Let us choose to live here as Christ intended. Faith in Jesus Christ. Love for the Saints, and hope for that, which he has laid up for us in heaven.
Let's pray.
Thank you, Father God, that you've given us the witness of the colossian church. The encouragement you presented to them that they are something special that they are followers of yours and that you're willing to work with them. And with us. Thank you for the way that Paul includes Us in the story. And then we can see who you are. And that you were wanting to work with us and teach us and guide us to become more like you. Give us the desire to be that with you. Lord that we can grow our church, but only because it benefits. You help us to be honoring to you. Lord. Jesus in your name. I pray.