Sermon Tone Analysis

The Gospel Truth

*Colossians 1:3-8*

     As we come to Colossians chapter 1, I want us to look at verses 3 to 8 ... Colossians 1:3 to 8. We're continuing our study of Colossians tonight and this is still kind of in the introduction, this is really very, very common to Paul's letters.

He begins with a simple salutation and then moves right in to a thanksgiving which is what he does in verse 3: "We give thanks to God."

This is a normal pattern for him.

First he greets them and then he thanks God for whatever salient qualities there are about them and then he proceeds into his message.

And what he really gets into here is a discussion of the gospel.

You will notice in verse 5, it says: "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven for which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel."

In the word of the truth of the gospel ... it could literally be translated "The message of the truth which is the gospel," or "The message of the truth namely the gospel."

Now, he says that he is thankful for what the gospel has accomplished and he calls the gospel the truth.

I often hear people say when they want to emphasize their honesty ‑ "And that's the gospel truth!"

Ever hear that?

Some people say it who don't even know what the gospel truth is.

I wonder where that comes from.

Why do people, when they want something to be believed, say ‑ And that's the gospel truth?

Why?

Because for all time, the gospel has been associated with the truth ... they're synonymous.

It is the truth.

And that's why people say that.

Even unwitting people who don't even know what they mean try to emphasize the veracity of their statements by calling them "The gospel truth."

Well, what is the gospel truth?

We who are Christians, we ought to use the term in its right sense.‑,

When we talk about the gospel truth, what are we saying?

Well, the word gospel, as it appears in verse 5, is the word euangelion from which we get evangelize, or evangel, it simply, really, is a technical term for "good news."

And it originally was a term used in relationship to a battle.

We find that in some non‑biblical records of the past, there would be occasions when a certain city would fight another city, and in Greece particularly the country was divided into city‑states and each city‑state would maintain its own army and everything like that.

So, they would be in battles.

And frequently there would be a great battle and everybody in the city would be waiting to hear news from the battlefield.

There weren't any telegraphs so there had to be messengers.

All of a sudden, on the horizon, the messenger would appear, returning from the city from the battlefield.

He would come flying into the city and usually by his appearance it would become very, very obvious what the news was.

If his face was shining, if his spear was decked with a laurel wreath, if his head had a wreath on it and he was swinging a palm branch then joy would automatically fill the city and he would cry out ‑ We had won.

And the word that is used to describe that is euangelion, the good news, the news of victory.

And that is indeed the gospel.

It is the news of victory.

Jerry, when he was praying, mentioned the fact that people who are saved have been delivered out of the bondage of Satan.

They have won the greatest* *of all victories, he said.

That's right.

And the word, then, came to mean the best news, the greatest news, and certainly the gospel is that.

The gospel is the word of victory.

Now, what do we know about this gospel?

What is it that we have to give to men?

What is the truth that we have to share with them?

What is the truth of the gospel?

Well, let's think about it.

What do we know, first of all, about how it is to be delivered?

What do we know about the spread of it?

Jesus proclaimed it.

In Matthew chapter 4 and verse 23, there's a simple statement, and not the only time it's stated, but in Matthew 4:23, Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom.

Jesus proclaimed it.

In Mark chapter 16, verse 15, it says: "And He said unto them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel."

We also are to proclaim it, whatever it is.

But, not only are we to proclaim the gospel, we're also to defend it.

Philippians 1:17, Paul says: "Knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel."

So, whatever this good news is, Jesus proclaimed it, He said we are to proclaim it and further, we are to defend it.

But, there's more even than that.

More than just defending it, we are to labor in it...we are to work at it.

Philippians 1:27: "Striving together for the faith of the gospel."

This is to be something we set ourselves to accomplish, this is an objective that demands discipline to reach, the communication of the gospel.

So, we are to proclaim it, and while we're giving a positive proclamation we are to be able to defend it against the attackers, and we're to work hard at it.

We also are to enjoy the fellowship of the gospel, Philippians 1:5, "For your fellowship in the gospel is cause for thanksgiving," in verse 3 ... "I thank my God," then to verse 5, "for your fellowship in the gospel."

We are to enjoy the fellowship that we share in common possession* *of the gospel.

Further, Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 1:8, he said this: "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel."

He says here we are to suffer for the gospel.

We are to preach it with such boldness and defend it with such strength and firmness and work at it so hard that we wind up even suffering in it.

And then, according to I Corinthians chapter 9, where we have been studying in our morning time together, we are to make sure that we do not hinder it.

He says: "Nevertheless we have not used this liberty, or right, but we bear all things lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ."

So, we're not to do anything to hinder it.

In Romans 1:16 we find out that we're never to be ashamed of it.

"For I am not ashamed," said Paul, "of ... what?... of the gospel."

\\      Paul told the Thessalonians something interesting.

"For our gospel."

chapter 1 verse 5, 1 Thessalonians, "came not unto you in word only, but in power and in the Holy Spirit."

And here we find out that we have been divinely empowered to preach it.

And so, here is a very important commodity.

Jesus proclaimed it.

He commanded us to ... to defend it, to labor in it, to fellowship in it, to suffer for it, not to hinder it, never to be ashamed of it and to realize that we've been divinely empowered and equipped to proclaim it.

But, what is the quality of this good news?

What is the source of it?

Well, what is it like?

Well, in Galatians 1:6, it's called "the only good news."

The only gospel, and Paul says if anybody comes along and preaches any other gospel, let him ... what?

...let him be cursed.

In Acts 20:24* *it's called the good news of the grace of God.

In Romans 1:9 it's called the good news of His Son.

In Romans 15:16 it's called the good news of God.

In I Corinthians 9:12 it's called the good news of Christ.

In II Corinthians 4:4 it's called the glorious good news.

In Ephesians 6:15 it's called the good news of peace.

And I love this, in Revelation 14:6 it's called the everlasting gospel, or the everlasting good news.

That's its character.

What do we learn from that?

It's from the grace of God.

It's the good news about His Son.

It's the good news about God Himself.

It's the glorious good news.

It's the good news of peace, and it's the everlasting good news.

This is a fantastic commodity.

That's a description of its character, of its essence, of its quality.

What is it content?