Colossians 1:1-8 Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome to FCC where we worship God is Spirit and in Truth, one verse at a time.
As we begin this morning, I want to let everyone know that Richard and Janet Young have sold there home and we be headed to New Mexico in November along with Priscilla and the kids. So reach out to them and keep them in your prayers.
Prayer
Prayer
Read Colossians 1:1-8
Read Colossians 1:1-8
Review
Review
Last week we talked about that it was God’s will that Paul would be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, that God ordained him to suffer for his names sake.
We talked about Paul’s radical conversion. God had taken a legalist who murdered Christians and made him a vessel of mercy. God takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise!
We also learned about that we all want to know the will of God for our lives and what He has called us to do on this earth for his glory. We also learned form a few verses what the Word teaches about this very thing.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Church, if we do the things that god has laid before us in his Word regarding his will, His will, will manifest itself right before your eyes.
The will of God is made clear to us through a realtionship, right?
Pop Quiz
Pop Quiz
What books are included in the prison epistles?
Colossians
Ephesians
Philippians
Philemon
What two books is the book of Colossians between?
Philippians and 1 Thessalonians
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
When Paul traveled he almost always had a companion.
His companions were more than just traveling buddies, they were his disciples.
In Judaism, when someone became a disciple of a Rabbi, some would have their disciples live with them.
Jesus had the 12 boys for 3.5 years.
They did life together, they did everything together.
They ate together
They served together
They shared the gospel together
They cried together
Their relationships were not shallow or superficial, but deeply intimate
Intimate- to share your inner most self with someone. To feel safe
As time went on they learned to trust each other
They fished together
Do you see the depth of their relationships? Do you hear what the Lord is teaching us here about Paul and Timothy’s realtionship?
Timothy was like a son to Paul
Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Timothy was Paul’s disciple or pupil if you may.
What is a disciple?
Disciple- ma-the-tes- a pupil or student, an apprentice, one who is a follower, a learner, a believer
A pupil
An apprentice
A learner
A student
Looking back over your walk with the Lord, can you say I was discipled by ...... Or can you say you have discipled this person or that person???
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
It is never too late to be discipled or to disciple someone
Part of our vision and mission here ta FCC is to create a discipleship culture, so be praying about who the Lord may have you disciple or who he might have you be discipled by
The church has failed to make disciples church!
We have churched people for years, but have not discipled them
Paul was not alone in prison, he had Timothy with him to walk alongside him and encourage him in the faith. Timothy was also there to keep Paul accountable.
Timothy was another by-product of Paul’s ministry
See church, if we claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, then like Paul, we will reproduce
Disciples produce disciples!
When was the last time your discipled someone?
Why do you think God blesses us richly with life experience, with resources, with gifts, talents, and abilities church?
It is so we can pour into others.
Know that discipling will never happen, if we are not intentional about connecting.
Before I move on from Timothy, I wanted to share a fe more thoughts:
Paul poured into Timothy, and Timothy poured into others! But who poured into Timothy’s life before the Apostle Paul?
I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Did you catch that church? Timothy’s mother and grandmother poured into his life.
Lois and Eunice took the time out to disciple Timothy in the faith
Timothy was from the Lycaonian city of Lystra in Asia Minor, born of a Jewish mother who had become a Christian believer, and a Greek father. The Apostle Paul met him during his second missionary journey and he became Paul's companion and co-worker along with Silas.
Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.
They were Jews who came to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lois and Eunice did not know that they were training up a pastor who would walk with the Apostle Paul who wrote 13 books in the NT
So moms and grandma’s train up your children in the fear and the admonition of the Lord! Father’s do the same!
For you never know what God has planned for them!
This morning, I want to take additional time to show you that the Apostle Paul, the greatest disciple that may have ever lived did life.
All great people church, all great churches in communities are connected, they have great relationships!
When people talk about their success in life, they always point to those that helped them get there!
Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Did you see the list of disciples and friends that Paul had around him?
Do you think if Paul was a lone-ranger he would have grown into what he did?
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
Here is another
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
Here is little Timmy again church!
But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.
Did you catch that? Tychicus a beloved brother was with Paul!
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The same people were with him when he wrote 2 Thessalonians.
The list goes on and on church.
Let’s pause to think of the relationship that Paul had with Timmy:
Paul poured into Timothy, more than he did any other companion that he walked with.
Timothy was humble and teachable, and he knew he needed someone to teach him the ways of the Lord.
Timothy was available and willing to follow God’s will for his life.
Church, God’s will for our life is that we too, have relationships like Paul and Timothy.
When we are under , 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, we should step out in faith and mentor someone from the same gender.
We should pour into someone, what God has taught us in life and the Word of God.
We should allow others to pour into us
If we step out in faith like this, discipleship happens. Its a natural by-product of our relationship with the Lord.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Did you catch that?
The Word says that if we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another
And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sin.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
If we are disciples of Christ, we will abide in His Word
If we abide in his Word, not only shall we be his disciples, but we shall be free indeed church!
Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Have you left your nets? Those things that are comfortable or come natural for you?
Did you see the promise?
Jesus simple said come follow me!
Jesus said, I will make you fishers of men church!
We will not fish for men if we dont have a relationship with Jesus Christ!
The by-product of our relationship with Jesus, of us following Jesus, is we become fishermen/ women.
Fishing implies realtionship building
Fishing implies we must be patient with the fish
Fishing implies that we must be intentional about fishing or we will not fish
When is the last time we went fishing?
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
We become what we hang out with!
If you want to be like Jesus, we must hang out with Jesus!
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
To disciple, or be discipled, we must deny ourself
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
A by-product of our relationship with the Lord church, is love. And this means we love one another and the world will see!
We love Him because he first loved us!
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;
Did you catch that Church?
The saint at Colossae had faith in Jesus, which means they had a relationship with the Lord
And a natural by-product is a love for all the saints.
Let us work on the vertical realtionship, so our horizontal relationship will follow suite.
They loved God, therefore the love others.
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Church, Jesus gave us the command to love God and love others and do not doubt that you are doing that!
However, God is calling us higher, he desires us to begin to disciple and disciple others.
What is the Lord saying to you? Are you tired of living e mediocre Christian life? It is time church, to get in the game!
Remember, the fruit of the Spirit cannot be exercised or developed by our self, the gifts that God has given us cannot be exercised by themselves when we are alone, this can only happen in relationships.
God loves us through others.
Who is God calling you to love or pour into today?
Prayer
Prayer
Announcements
Announcements
Are there any announcements?
In the next few weeks, we will be calling a meeting to discuss how we can reach those that are at home because of Covid
Benediction
Benediction
Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
The Lord Bless you!
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