Colossians 1:1-12
Notes
Transcript
Colossians 1:1-12
Intro:
The church in Colosse was facing a challenge.
They had been given the truth of the gospel, by Paul.
They knew, how they should deal with the matters of the Law.
But in their midst, a heresy was on the rise… that told them, that they had a responsibility to the law..
That was different than what they had learned in the gospel.
They knew, that all matters of faith, resided in and around the person and work of Christ..
But in the doctrines of this pending heresy...
They were challenged to seek after philosophy… and find there a special, or deeper knowledge.
They knew, that worship was not intended for anything lower than the beings of the Godhead..
However, in this new heresy..
Worship was extended to angels.. and other mediators to God.
They knew, that they had been given the gift of unity..
No matter who they were, or what they were in like..
If they had Christ in common, they were family… and there was to be no judgment or discrimination.
However, they were facing different ideals in the heresy..
Ones that offered the temptations of status and elitism… to the special few who truly understood.
Most importantly… this church in Colosse.. knew who Jesus was.
He was, indeed, divine. He was indeed, the Son of God, and equal with God.
However.. even as the heresy identified Christ by name, it failed to identify Christ… in His deity..
What the Colossian people were up against..
is very similar to the stuff we’re up against.
Our culture has within it, philosophies and ideals that would intend to draw us away from a belief in the absolute.
Our culture has re-defined tolerance..
For no longer does this word refer to the act of.. respectfully allowing and enduring the philosophies that are different than mine..
But now it means, that I cannot believe in such a way, that my fellow American might find offense.
On a broad sense..
If we have a belief, according to our freedom of faith and free speech…
…that homosexuality is not approved by God.
We are called… intolerant.
However, in reality, even as we might believe differently about it..
We do tolerate it… we do allow and endure it’s existence in our midst.
if we have a belief, according to our freedom of faith and free speech..
…that the God of Islam originally derived from an isolated and exalted idol..
And bears no common identity to the God of Judaism or Christiantiy..
We are called intolerant.
Even though, this is what the story of Mohammed reveals..
Even though, we allow and endure the existence of this different belief..
On a broad sense, our faith is challenged.
We are being told.. by the great secular heresy..
That our God is too big to fit in any one religion..
That we should “co-exist” and that there is an intended unity amongst all the religions..
We are being told, that our absolute ideals are an offense..
And that we should abandon them, and embrace a more fluid and relative way of thinking…
These are the mentalities that permeate: our media, our universities, our press and our general public..
We are made out to be narrow minded, stupid, offensive, racist and… “key word”… INTOLERANT.
In fact, we are so intolerant.. that we are now being told what to believe..
that there’s a new mold of acceptability that we should fit ourselves into… if we truly want to be part of this brave new world..
Last summer, I had a full on conversation with one of these proponents of modern thought.
The whole conversation, was driven, to inform me of my wrong beliefs..
To inform me, that I should, if God is truly a God of love… embrace and accept as being true… these ideals and concepts that my Scriptures clearly say, are wrong.
And I kept asking… “Have I lost my right to believe a certain way?”
To which.. I was told.. “no”..
But, I should still abandon my convictions on these issues..
I should still, abandon my views on these doctrines..
I should still, change my ambition to recruit and evangelize..
Even as this person was striving.. with great zeal.. to recruit and evangelize me…
The thing I realized.. that night..
Is that I’m not the intolerant one.
I tolerate a world that wants to express ideals that are in conflict with mine.
It might not make me happy.
I might not agree with it, even in part…
But I recognize the reality of my world..
It’s driven by choices…
choices are driven by personal desire..
personal desire is driven by the hungers of the flesh..
the hungers of the flesh, are determined by one’s mental and emotional disposition…
and the mental and emotional disposition?
Well, they are subject to many things…
We could be born with conditions that affect this.
We could go through trauma.. – and our perspectives change..
Our manner of processing thought.. changes..
Our mental and emotional disposition.. could be a product, of outward influence, and manipulation.
For us.. hopefully.. there is a subjection to God’s Word, and the influence of His Spirit.
But to the world?
Can we demand a compliance to our values?
Absolutely not.
Then why? Why does the world so often demand a compliance from us… to their values?
Because they can’t tolerate our views on truth.
For our views… stand… as a challenge.. as a conflict.. as a question… to their views..
On truth.
On a broad sense.. out there.. in the post-modern world..
a new truth is religiously adhered to.
And it puts pressure on the church.
We hear it… over and over again… being broadcast as that which is logical..
It just keeps coming.. telling us.. what truth is..
It just keeps being broadcast.. it’s on the t-shirts.. it’s on the bumper stickers.. the rock stars are saying it.. the talk show hosts are saying it.. the movie stars are saying it.. the professors are saying it.. politics is parroting it…
This is truth… this is what’s important.. this is what should be embraced.. and this is what should be opposed..
And then, we open our Bibles.. and we see a conflict..
We see ideals and concepts that provoke us and disturb us…
There’s pressure… to abandon the truth that is hard to accept..
And embrace.. the philosophies and ideas… that bid well with our emotional state.
Truth.. is not always easy..
it’s big.. it’s massive.. it’s sometimes.. beyond comprehension..
In comparison.. we could say.. that truth.. is like Mount Everest.
There’s no changing Mount Everest. It’s going to be there..
A big ol Mountain in Nepal, no matter what we think about it..
It’s huge.. it’s unmoving.. and it’s not easily conquered.
For.. conquering it requires commitment.. it requires stamina.. it requires determination..
The flesh, is not real excited about taking that mountain on..
So, the flesh might say..
That Bear Den Mountain.. over here between C’ville and Waynesboro..
That’s not really Bear Den Mountain.. that’s Everest..
And we’re going to conquer it..
But maybe Bear Den Mountain is too strenuous.. and maybe we don’t like bears..
So, we’re going to say, “Carter’s Mountain”.. over here off of Rte. 20..
That’s actually.. Mnt. Everest.. and we’re going to conquer it..
But, maybe we don’t like apples..
So, we’re going to get off of I-64 on exit 125.. drive up 250.. and say..
That Pantops Mtn..
Yea, that’s not Pantops Mtn.. That is actually.. Mnt. Everest..
And I went to Starbucks over there... so I have conquered… Everest...
You can’t re-define Everest..- and, you can’t re-define truth.
and.. you can’t re-define.. the commitment.. the challenge.. the stamina.. the endurance.. the sacrifice.. and sometimes.. the displeasure..
of conquering.. truth.
It will be, what it is.. no matter what we might think about it.
Now.. I’m obsessively repeating and re-hashing this stuff about truth..
because it’s something we all face..
and.. in a very real way..
It’s the challenge that was before the Colossian church.
Paul is encouraging them.. in this little letter..
To embrace truth..
In chapter 1.. he discusses the truth about Christ..
In chapter 2… the truth about the cults that were creeping in..
And.. in chapters 3,4.. the truth, about the Christian..
Col. 1:1-8
In typical Pauline fashion.. the letter starts out with an introduction..
In this case, Paul relays a message of encouragement..
Why? Well, good things are being said.. about the believers in Colosse.
When people re-count to us, our deeds and motives as being “good”..
We are often encouraged..
In vss. 4 and 5.. Paul recognizes their: faith, their hope and their love..
It was known.. it was spoken of them.. that they had a genuine and visible faith, in Jesus Christ..
Also.. it wasn’t hard to see, that these believers truly displayed love for one another.
And also.. their hope, which they gained through the hearing of the gospel..
Here in, is a challenge for any group of believers..
For if there’s anything we should be striving to display..
It’s this..
It’s not.. our casual and contemporary presentation..
It’s not.. our fancy clothes and impressive hair-dos.
It’s not.. our ornate cathedrals or our trendy café’s..
No way!..
It’s: faith, love.. and hope.
This is where this group was..
They were: Saved.. Loving.. and Looking Forward.. – and they didn’t hide it.
What is the community impression of this body?
Is it obvious to the world around us… that we are a people who have placed our hope and our security in Christ?
How about love?
Are we known.. by our deeds of love?
And I’m not just talking about.. us being out there, loving the lost..
That’s important..
But.. are we known, by our love for the saints?
Gal. 6:10 - ..as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith…
Rom. 12.10 – be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another..
I Cor 16:14 – Let all that you do be done with love..
Phil 2:2 – fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
When people look at us, as a church family… do they see love?
Do they hear, that we are being loving to each other?
Or, do they hear us badmouthing and dissing one another?
Do they see our deeds of love and sacrifice..
That reach, beyond our zones of comfort and convenience???..
Or, do they see unwillingness… inward focus… and disregard?
How about hope?
Specifically here.. it speaks of a hope that is in response to the gospel..
Remember.. hope is not “wishful thinking”
Hope is… rather.. – a positive anticipation..
It involves both; faith and expectation.. in what is yet to come..
Basically..
It means this:
We read the Word of God.
Be believe the Word of God.
And we live according.. to our belief.. in the Word of God.
Do our lives reflect.. a belief in the Word? Do our lives reflect.. a belief, in the promise of the gospel?
Apparently, the lives of those in Colosse did.
Displaying.. publicly, and obviously:
Their faith in Jesus.
Their love for one another..
And: Their hope.. in the word.. of the truth of the gospel.
In vs. 7 and 8.. Paul lets them know.. who’s been running his mouth..
who let the cat out of the bag?
Who has be saying things.. out and about.. concerning the Colossian church?
Who is going about.. speaking about the actions that are going on..
Amongst the fellowship… there in Colosse?
His name: Epaphras..
And what’s he saying?
What kind of news is he passing on?
… Folks.. Epaphras.. is spreading.. “good news”.
The kind of stuff, that is not so easily talked about..
No way.. bad news is easy to talk about..
Scandal… problems… issues… improprieties…
That’s the kind of stuff that is normally spread..
But good news? The people in that church..
Have faith in Jesus.. they love each other.. and they respond to the word w/hope..
That’s.. just kindof hum-drum..
Not.. news-worthy..
I disagree!
And I find encouragement from this guy..
When someone is doing good..
May we talk! May we spread the news! May we find encouragement and excitement.. in the positive.
Col. 1:9-12
Follow with me.. Paul’s trail of logic.
He has heard the report.. that these believers are excelling in: Faith, Love and Hope..
They have the heart stuff down..
They are: saved.. they are loving.. and they are looking forward..
But that’s not where it ends..
No way..
Saved, Loving and Looking Forward is great..
But, it’s not the end..
For upon that constant foundation..
We build out the issues of our faith..
Concerning this crowd… these believers who are young spiritually, and excited about their faith..
..Paul is praying.. that the next step is taken..
That discipleship happens..
That growth occurs..
That knowledge increases..
Here’s the list..
First: That they would be filled with the knowledge of His will.. in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Folks.. we introduced this study.. by addressing the theme of the book..
The theme.. has everything to do with “truth”…
This church was facing a threat..
One which was seeking to undermine the truth of God’s Word.
It’s the same threat that we face..
This is why it’s so important..
That we make a commitment to truth..
To not settle into the simplicity of being “a born again believer”
But to take the next step.. and grow..
To follow the counsel of:
Eph. 4:15 – by growing up in all things in to Him who is the head.. Christ..
II Pet 3:18 – to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.. Jesus Christ..
With salvation often comes the emotional wave of excitement..
But our emotions.. are not stable..
And if we are banking our faith.. on the way we feel..
Then we will soon go broke..
For this reason.. we need to build.. our understanding.. our comprehension..
Of not only… our salvation in Christ...
But our day to day.. life in Christ..
If we don’t grow in knowledge..
We are vulnerable..
And we are likely to be swayed.. emotionally.. and philosophically..
One of my burdens, for the body of Christ..
Is doctrine..
More specifically… the “importance of doctrine”
The importance.. of learning.. what you believe Biblically..
And why you believe it..
Testing the principles of His Word..
And embracing that which is to you… true.
I think of doctrine.. as the manner in which we tune our engine..
You have your engines.. that are fine tuned and putting out their maximum horse power..
And, you have your engines.. that are wasting gas.. low on power, and slugging their way along on 2 of the 6 pistons.
Folks.. we are an engine.. created by God.. to run powerfully and wonderfully for His glory..
And His Word.. is given to us.. so that we can learn to operate at our maximum potential..
Moving forward.. w/faith, peace, understanding and discernment..
If doctrine.. if Biblical knowledge isn’t important to us..
It reveals.. a lack of concern.. for what God has called us to be..
To the saved, loving. Looking forward believers in Colosse..
It was the first thing that Paul prayed for..
Grow in knowledge.
Learn God’s wisdom.. His truth.. His direction..
I know that it’s not a big concern in the body of Christ..
For I’ve seen people bounce, from one doctrinal extreme to another…
Looking… in a church, for other things which pose a higher priority…
Social status… better programs… nicer facilities.. more people.. etc..
But what about doctrine? What about the way the engine is tuned?
Does that part matter?
As Paul prayed it.. I do to..
I pray, that it does matter..
Second: That they may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him..
Think for a moment..
What do we look to… to find pleasure?
A good book? Something on T.V.? Sports? Games? Music?
Now, with that in mind.. consider this:
God looks to us.. to find His pleasure..
He wants to see.. pleasing hearts.. pleasing activities.. pleasing behavior..
In us..
Third: that they would be fruitful in every good work..
By “good work”.. we must assume, those works that are done, in service and worship to God..
Fourth: that they would increase in the knowledge of God..
Not just.. the knowledge of His will..
Which was the first thing..
But.. the knowledge of Him, personally.
Remember.. this is what we were created to do..
To know Him. To walk with Him… to have a relationship with Him..
And when you have a relationship w/someone.. you get to know them.
God wants us.. to get to know Him.
Fifth: that we would be strengthened.. according to His power..
This speaks.. obviously.. of His Holy Spirit..
That we would seek His strength.. to empower us.. to be witnesses.. and servants..
As we do those good works.. as we strive to be pleasing to Him.. as we walk… worthy of Him..
Sixth: that we would know and learn: both: patience, and joy in patience.
He isolates this characteristic…
Patience..
For if we don’t get a hold of patience..
We will almost always.. and inevitably.. –miss out on God’s plan… His purpose.. and His timing.
Seventh: that we would be a people.. who give thanks.. for what we have received through Christ.
What have we received?
Well, we have received the right and status.. of sainthood..
And with that.. we also have received an inheritance..
God.. is passing on to us.. –not only the riches of eternity..
But also.. the riches of knowledge.. experience.. opportunity.. and immeasurable joy.
Conclusion..
Starting in vs. 13.. Paul goes into his explanation of Christ..
with great detail and repetition.. He emphasizes the deity of our Savior..
confronting the heresy.. the false truth that these folks were up against..
But.. before all that begins..
He lays the groundwork..
Encouraging them.. for their excellent example..
Of faith, love and hope..
Encouraging them.. for being… saved, loving.. and looking forward.
And upon that foundation..
He let’s them know.. what his prayer for them is..
It’s the next step..
Now.. it’s time to learn.. it’s time to grow.. it’s time to mature..
It’s time, to move beyond the vulnerable state.. of an emotionally driven faith….
It’s time.. to move on.. from milk… and take between your choppers… the true meat of the word..
If I could lay any challenge on your hearts today..
it would merely echo the challenge that Paul gave to the Colossians..
Step one..
Be a people.. who display to the world around you..
That you have: faith, love and hope..
But not only that..
Step two..
Grow in the truth..
grow in the knowledge of His Word..
grow in patience..
grow in the knowledge of who He is..
grow in serving..
grow in pleasing..
grow in the power of the H.S.
be that engine.. the one that is tuned up.. hitting on every cylinder, not leaking oil.. not wasting gas.. putting out your maximum horsepower..
powerfully and effectively driving.. the joy.. the peace.. the purpose.. of your intended purpose.