Colossians 1:1-8 "Introduction to Colossians" - Jimmy Alexander

Well, good morning.

Today we will be in the Letter of Colossians.

This letter has four chapters, so it should only take me about a year to get through it.

But before we dive into the first eight verses, let's set the stage by understanding the context.

Who wrote this letter and why?

So the Apostle Paul penned this letter around the year AD 62 while he was sitting in a Roman jail cell awaiting his fate under the Emperor Nero.

So alongside him in prison is a guy named Epaphrus, a fellow servant who was the guy who shared the gospel in the city of Colossae.

And so his efforts bore fruit, resulting in the establishment of a church in the city.

So you can picture Paul and Epaphras, they're imprisoned, and they're concerned about the spiritual well-being of the Colossian believers.

How are they doing?

Are they okay?

Are they still a church?

And so finally they received a report that the church was flourishing, but there was a problem.

They were being exposed to false teaching.

And so this wasn't surprising, giving the city's unique characteristics.

And so Colossae was like a hub of trade.

It was a melting pot of diverse cultures, travelers and merchants and tourists from all around the world, they converged here in this city.

And they brought with them various philosophies and religious ideas.

And so therefore the Colossians were constantly being exposed to new thoughts and new beliefs.

And so, due to this diversity, the city embraced something called syncretism, the blending of various beliefs.

The motto, all roads lead to heaven, was the normal.

So in this letter, we can see Paul combating at least four different types of false teachings, including Jewish legalism, asceticism, pagan mysticism, and Gnosticism.

And so these teachings attacked the very nature of Christ, and it sought to reshape the Christian faith to fit in with prevailing ideas.

And so, in addition to all this, this false teaching, persecution was on the horizon.

So while the city accepted diverse religions, hostility towards Christians was starting to brew in the city of Colossae.

And so the Pharisees and the Romans, they held hatred for the Christians.

And so the pressure would have been for the Colossians to compromise the true gospel to avoid persecution.

So, in response to these challenges, the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he wrote this letter.

And his goal was to warn the Colossians about the heresies they faced and to help them be grounded in the doctrine of Jesus Christ, so that they might be alive in Christ, so that they may live for Christ.

So, in a culture that's trying to redefine what Christianity is, along with a movement that's trying to destroy it, Paul writes a letter to stabilize these Christians in both doctrine and behavior, so that they might be complete in Christ.

And so that is the heart of this letter.

And so this sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Our diverse nation emphasizes personal truth, tolerance, the acceptance of all religions.

And additionally, there's a sense that persecution is on the horizon.

And so, in many ways, we find ourselves here in America in the same boat.

And what we need, much like the Colossians, is a fresh understanding of who Christ is.

We must remind ourselves of his supreme authority over all things.

And we need encouragement to stand firm against false teachings, fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ, and to live wholly in a sinfully complex world.

And so Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he begins his letter with a greeting and a blessing in verses one through two.

He says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, in Timothy, our brother, to the saints and the faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, grace to you in peace from God our Father.

And so this is a typical Paul introduction.

Paul points to his apostolic authority.

He's acknowledging that it comes from God's will, it wasn't human choice.

And he mentions Timothy, his companion, and he addresses the Colossians as saints and faithful brothers.

And then he blesses them.

He says, May grace be unto you in peace from our God.

In that order, because you will never have peace until you have received God's grace.

And next, the first thing that Paul wants this church to know is how thankful he is for them.

He starts with an attitude of gratitude.

He says in verse 3, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.

And so thankfulness is a vital virtue in the Christian faith.

In the New Testament, thankfulness comes up 71 times.

It is the most natural expression of worship towards God.

When we realize how much we don't deserve and how much God has abundantly lavished His love and His gifts unto us, we cannot help but to be thankful.

Ingratitude or grumbling or complaining is one of the worst crimes we can commit.

It's the manifestation of pride and entitlement.

It's what got the Israelites in trouble in the wilderness.

According to Romans 1, ingratitude is a quality that leads a person to a depraved mind.

According to 2 Timothy 3:2, it's listed among sins such as pride, unholiness, blasphemy, and idolatry.

2 Timothy 3:2

And so gratitude, biblically speaking, it's a big deal.

And if anyone has a reason not to be thankful, it's the Apostle Paul, who's currently sitting in prison, falsely accused, as he awaits an unjust trial.

Not only that, but he keeps getting these reports from struggling churches and how they keep falling short.

He could have been fed up with their immaturity.

Don't they know?

Can't they just get along?

Can't they just understand simple truth and stop being so gullible?

Paul could have complained about his circumstances, grumbled about these waffling Christians, but he doesn't.

He can't.

Because his gratitude is rooted in God's divine grace and mercy.

K.A., an author, once wrote, God is in control.

Therefore, in everything I can give thanks.

Not because of the situation, but because of the one who directs and rules over it.

And so Paul is thankful.

And it is directly connected to his prayer life.

Look at the text.

If you're anything like me, you quickly realize that you can't just muster up gratitude.

You can't force it.

But Paul's gratitude is clearly happening as he fellowships with God in prayer.

And so in 2009, there was this study done, it was a secular study on the Christian religion by a guy named Lambert who concluded that undeniably, Christians who prayed to God daily had a higher level of gratitude than those who were not praying.

And so, just objectively, the biblical principle holds true.

Because when we spend time with God in prayer, God has a way of changing our perspective.

He gives us his divine insight, he reshapes our hearts, he gives us compassion for things we would normally grumble about.

Because in God's presence we experience his love, his mercy, his grace.

And so as a result, every time Paul prays for this church, every time this church enters his mind, he cannot help but to look to God the Father and say, thank you, God, for this amazing body of believers.

And so what this teaches us is the connection between our prayer life and a thankful heart.

I don't know about you, but it's very difficult to complain about someone I'm praying for.

It's hard to criticize a church that I've been interceding for.

It's impossible to grumble against a friend whom I've been laying at the feet of God's throne.

Prayer and gratitude go hand in hand.

And what this also teaches us is what we should be thankful for.

In Christ we have a lot to be thankful for.

But look at the text.

Paul is specifically thankful for other believers, other churches.

We often take that for granted, don't we?

We forget how much of a miracle it is that a church has been formed and established.

A body of believers has been saved from eternal destruction.

They're gathering, they're exalting the name of Jesus Christ.

How can we not look to God and say, thank you for that?

But that is not often our first response, is it?

Our sinful tendency is to point out every flaw.

We are conditioned to see the worst in everything.

In our pride, we love to complain and focus on the bad.

And even worse, instead of thanking God for other believers, we complain about them to God or we view them as competition.

Just last month, someone new came into town and was asking about a church here in town, a gospel-centered, healthy church here in town.

And as I was sharing about that church to them, I found myself wanting, for whatever twisted reason, to paint this church in a bad light.

So, but here, despite the Colossians mistakes, Paul has an attitude of gratitude.

And it's rooted in his prayer for them.

And so, church, I must ask, are you defined as thankful?

Do you overflow with gratitude towards other believers in churches?

If not, that is evidence that your prayer life for others is probably lacking, which is why you are judging others through your own mind and not viewing people through God's perspective.

Now, the next question we need to ask is why?

Why is Paul thankful?

In other words, what's popping up in Paul's mind that is causing him to overflow with thanksgiving?

Well, he gives us three reasons in verses four through five.

He says, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

So Paul's not thanking this church because of their fancy strategies or how well they're doing in terms of attendance or how big their budget is.

His gratitude comes from something much more meaningful: their faith, their love, and their hope.

Paul is so thankful because these believers are showing real signs of genuine salvation.

Belief in Jesus Christ, love for all believers, and hope for everlasting glory.

And so let us start with the first: their faith in Christ.

Why is that a reason to be thankful?

Because it means that they've moved from death to life.

They've escaped the coming wrath of God.

And they are now God's children.

They have been radically saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Now that is worth being thankful for.

Sanctification is a process.

And we can focus on the bad all day long, but instead, why don't we recognize the genuine faith that is there?

Trusting that God will discipline them and conform them more into the image of Christ.

Can we be thankful for the genuine faith that is presently there?

Now, secondly, Paul is thankful for their love.

And this is not your average, everyday kind of love.

This is supernatural love.

It shows that Christ has been at work in these believers' lives.

They're spreading love to all believers.

Notice the word all, not just the ones that are cute and cuddly.

Don't get me wrong, we need love too, but this church isn't playing favorites.

They're not being picky.

They're not only loving those who are like them, they are honestly loving everyone, the weaker ones, the socially awkward, the nerds, the misfits.

And living in Colossae, by the way, they kind of had to.

This was a diverse city.

There were all kinds of differences: Jews, Gentiles, rich and poor, people who came from different cultural backgrounds, and yet they loved all the saints.

Their love wasn't selective.

These Christians are no longer living by the world's standards.

They're not interested in cliques, factions, judging people through cultural lenses.

They are viewing each Christian as a child of God and loving them despite their social status, their skin color, their criminal record, their bank account, or their background.

And lastly, Paul is thanking, thankful because of their hope.

Because again, this is evidence of genuine salvation.

This isn't wishful thinking.

I've heard Christians talk like that.

You know, I really hope God lets me into heaven when I die.

That's not biblical hope.

Okay, biblical hope is anchored in the promise that God, in the promise of God, that there is future glory awaiting them in heaven.

It's complete surety that God has reserved for us an eternal dwelling.

That one day we'll be with him forever.

And so this church is eagerly longing for the new heaven and the new earth.

And so these are the things that made Paul grateful.

If he only cared about their mistakes, their problems, situations, successes, forget about it.

But what truly matters to him is the authenticity of their faith, their love for fellow believers, and their anticipation for eternal glory.

Perhaps the reason so often we are Debbie Downers and negative Nancy is because you're simply not viewing other Christians properly.

You're not praying for them, focusing on their faith, love, and hope.

You are so focused on what another person or church isn't doing or what they should be doing that you can't even thank God for the great grace that He's lavished on them.

You are dragging your mind to focus on the bad of every situation rather than focusing on the goodness of God and his power to rescue.

You're not meditating on that which is pure, lovely, praiseworthy.

Instead, you're just eager to criticize every failure and flaw.

As followers of Christ, we should be the most thankful people on earth.

And it's a real tragedy, a terrible reflection of our faith when we complain and grumble about other believers.

And so let us learn from Paul's perspective and let gratitude fill our hearts.

Gratitude for what he has done in our life and those around us.

Next, Paul points to the origin of all this.

Where did their faith, love, and hope come from?

How did they receive it?

Well, Paul explains this in verses five through six.

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

And so, how is any of this possible?

How is it that someone who once rejected God, hated people, and had no hope, now has faith in Christ, love for people, and hope for all eternity?

All this was made possible through a message that God has given us through the word of truth, the gospel.

God could have just announced his message from a microphone, from heaven.

God could have just given everyone a personal vision and told them directly about Jesus.

God could have sent out an army of angels to tell everyone.

But God, in his sovereignty and in his wisdom, has chosen to write down his message and have it proclaimed throughout the world through his people.

Church, this is why we proclaim Christ to ourselves and to others and to strangers.

This is why we are called proclamation church.

Because we believe that this message, it's not a fable, it's not a myth.

Rather, we believe it's the inerrant, God-breathed, canonized scripture that has the power to change hearts and transform lives and reconcile people to a holy God.

That is why Paul says in Romans 1, he says, I am not ashamed of the gospel.

He's not ashamed of it.

For in it, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

So this is why I'm not a big fan of the famous quote preach the gospel and if necessary, use words.

And I get it.

The quote is trying to emphasize that actions speak louder than words.

But words are important.

In the last 2,000 years of church history.

History.

God has redeemed millions of people, not merely through the actions of his people, which is a witness.

Jesus even says they will know us by our love, but through the verbal declaration that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was resurrected forevermore as Savior and as redeemer, and that it's through him that we can be saved.

And so the primary method in which God reveals himself is through his word, which is communicated by his people.

So many people are caught up in this circus, chasing after flashy methods, trying to convert people obsessively with just dreams and visions and miracles and resurrections and healings.

And no one denies that God can do these things.

He certainly does.

But God's primary way of communicating to us is through his word.

Trying to shortcut this process by seeking extra-biblical revelations.

It's not only unscriptural, but it opens us up to the deception of our own fallen nature.

If you recall the story of Lazarus and the rich man, I don't know if you guys remember, but do you remember what the rich man said when he was in Hades suffering?

He cried out to Abraham, he said, I beg you, resurrect Lazarus and send him back to my family.

Surely if they see a resurrection, if they see a miracle, they will believe.

And do you remember what Abraham said?

He said, If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, God's word, they will not be convinced, even if someone is raised from the dead.

Abraham pointed out the fact that they had God's word.

It was sitting on their bookshelf, all dusty.

But Abraham knew that God's word was the primary source of salvation.

A miracle wouldn't convince them.

As Jesus says in Matthew 16, 4, only an evil, adulterous generation demands a miraculous sign.

And so our commission then, church, is to preach the gospel.

That's our focus.

God will and can work through miracles and give dreams and visions if he so chooses to.

But that's his decision.

We can't manufacture that stuff.

As Martin Lloyd Jones once said, my favorite preacher, he said, you never find the apostles announcing beforehand that they're going to hold a healing service in a few days' time.

Why not?

Because they never knew when it was going to happen.

They did not decide, and it was not within their control.

Our job is simple.

Faithfully proclaim God's word to people, and God will do extraordinary things through this ordinary means.

God will give the increase, God will bear the fruit, but our job is to faithfully proclaim the gospel.

And just in case someone says, well, that won't work, that's insufficient.

Well, Paul begs to differ.

Look at the end of verse 6.

He says, the simple proclamation of the gospel is effective.

It is spreading and bearing fruit all over.

And so we shouldn't be surprised that God moves when we exalt his word.

God's word is powerfully effective.

And Paul broadens our perspective here.

This isn't an isolated event.

The salvation that we have experienced, it's happening all over the world.

You know, too often we get caught up in our own little minds.

We view our local church as just this small rural hometown thing.

And the rest of the world out there, it's crumbling and compromising.

But Paul here, he broadens our perspective.

We are just a small part of something worldwide, cosmic even.

The gospel, it's not just increasing here.

It's not just growing in our own lives and here in Mount Vernon.

It's exploding over seven continents, over seven thousand different cultures.

God's word is penetrating hearts and transforming lives and establishing healthy churches.

And this is what Jesus taught us in the parable of the mustard seed.

The point of the parable is that something big, something blessed, the kingdom of God, it had humble beginnings.

How significant could three years of Jesus' short ministry be?

He had but a handful of followers.

He was a man of no rank, without means.

He lived in what everyone considered a backwater region of the world.

Then he decides to save people through a written message.

Surely this won't work.

But it has.

The church has experienced an explosive rate of growth throughout the centuries.

It is found worldwide and it is a source of shelter for all who seek its blessing.

Despite persecution, repeated attempts to stamp it out, the church has flourished, and we're just a small part of that.

God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as great as the sand on the seashore.

It's happening.

God's family, it's growing.

Heaven will be filled.

Revelation 7.

Behold a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and people and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, crying out with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.

And here's the kicker of all this.

Not only does salvation come through God's word, but it is delivered through his people.

And in this case, an individual.

Let's look at verses 7 through 8.

And you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant.

He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love and spirit.

So this massive, everlasting, life-altering message, the one that has completely changed your lives, freed you from the clutches of sin, and has the incredible power to save our souls and unite us to a holy God.

Who brought it to you?

Who did God choose to deliver this message?

Angels?

Heavenly beings, right?

No.

It was Epaphras.

It's like, can you believe it?

It's like, what?

You know, that weird little guy who passed through our town?

It's like, it was through a brief chat that Epaphras had with the Colossians that they were introduced to Jesus.

And here's what I love about this verse.

And I'm inferring a little bit here, but if I had the guess, Epaphras was just an ordinary, common nobody.

He had issues like the rest of us.

He probably had back pain, warts, and moles like the rest of us.

There was nothing special that we know of about him.

I highly doubt he was elegant with his words or trained in rhetoric or had a PhD.

The only thing special about him, says Paul, is that he was a faithful minister on behalf of the Colossians.

He was faithful.

Personally, this gives me a lot of encouragement.

It shows me that God uses people with flaws, the Gideons, the Moses's the Peters, to achieve his plans.

God used a conversation Epaphras had with the Colossians to accomplish his purposes and to apply his salvation.

Church, does this not provide comfort?

Never think that you can't be used by God.

Don't believe that you're not capable.

Don't believe that you can't share about Jesus because you're not naturally charismatic.

You stumble over your words, or you struggle with social anxiety.

God can use any of his children.

The only requirement is faithfulness.

You don't need to be an expert in apologetics.

You don't have to give a flawless presentation or attend seminary.

All you need is a willing heart to share Christ and to be faithful in doing so.

You know, we often, like Moses, we look for excuses.

We say, Lord, I'm not gifted.

I'm not a good speaker.

Or like Peter, we totally reject Christ's call and say, you can't use me.

I'm way too sinful.

Or like Isaiah, we point to our past and say, Lord, I'm a man of unclean lips.

There's no way I could talk about your goodness after years of speaking corruption.

But what if God uses broken vessels and broken people to bring himself even greater glory?

When people protest and say, I'm weak and I'm pitiful and I'm insecure, what if that's precisely the point?

God isn't looking for prideful individuals who think they're incredibly talented.

He wants those who acknowledge their weakness and depend entirely on him.

He wants people who understand that without Christ, they can accomplish nothing.

God isn't interested in what you have, what you can provide.

Because here's the reality: you have nothing to offer.

He's interested in your willingness and your faithfulness to rely on him while you do what he's called you to do.

You know, consider the old show McGyver.

In almost every episode, McGyver would break out of prison with nothing more than a toothpick or dental floss, a match.

He would use some rubbing alcohol.

He would use the worst materials to bring about the best results.

Some people would rather see McGyver use like a key and a machine gun and grenades to break out of prison.

But by using scraps, McGyver showed his brilliance in a way that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

And so, in the same way, when all the dust settles, God will have used the worst people possible to bring about the greatest possible result.

And for that, he alone gets all the glory.

First Corinthians chapter 1 puts it like this: think of what you were when you were called.

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many of you were influential, not many of you were born into privilege, but God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.

God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things, the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one can boast before him.

So you might feel inadequate, but God's grace is more than sufficient.

You might carry around mistakes, but Christ has cleansed you and still wants to use you.

You might think you're lacking, but the Holy Spirit has empowered us, and He makes us adequate ministers of a new covenant.

Our mission isn't to measure up to worldly standards.

Our mission is to simply be loyal to Christ, and it's through these ordinary means that God will accomplish through us extraordinary things.

So our only call is faithfulness.

Listen to Romans chapter 10, verses 14 through 15.

Romans 10:14–15

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?

And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?

And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?

That is why Scripture says, how beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring the good news.

We are not all evangelists, but we are all called to share Christ in some capacity.

How is it that there's an underground church in China?

How are lost tribes in the rainforest that practiced paganism for centuries now worshiping Jesus?

How are ex-drug dealers and prostitutes and murderers and staunch atheists now believers in Jesus?

Countless people have been spared from the impending judgment of God all because someone, like Epaphras, put their trust in the Lord.

And they believed that God's word had the power to save.

And they shared it.

So, church, what do we do about all this?

What do we learn from this?

First, may we learn from Paul on how to be thankful towards other believers?

Realizing that gratitude doesn't just magically come, but it's cultivated through prayer and time with God.

Are you praying for other believers?

Are you interceding for other churches?

When you think about God's people, do you get excited?

Do you say, thank you, God, for their faith, love, and hope?

Or are you just a prayerless critic who tears down the bride of Christ?

Who loves to throw stones at Christ's wife, even though you have flaws as well?

There is a time to call out false churches.

There's a time to expose heresy and error, but that's not what I'm talking about here.

That's a different discussion.

Are you genuinely grateful for people in churches who bear the marks of faith, love, and hope?

And secondly, may we realize God's primary way of reaching lost people?

It's through his word.

It is the gospel message that has saved us and has borne fruit throughout the ages.

Are we highly esteeming the Bible?

Do we believe, as Hebrews 4 says, that God's word is alive, it's active, it's sharper than any double-edged sword.

Do you believe that?

Are you convinced of that?

Or are you chasing after other methods that are more appealing to the flesh?

Have you discovered another way to convert people?

Because if so, you have nullified the sufficiency of God's word and its power to save.

And lastly, like Epaphras, are we delivering this message?

Are you faithful in this matter?

You don't have to be a full-time minister to share the gospel.

You have a testimony, you have a Bible, and you have a circle of influence.

You have family members, friends, co-workers who need to hear this message.

And God has called you to be faithful.

1 Peter 2, verse 9 says that you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession.

1 Peter 2:9

And for what purpose?

That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you.

Are you doing this?

Or are you abdicating that responsibility in the name of fear, personality, or thinking someone else surely will do it?

And here's the reality: someone will do it.

But why would you want to miss out on such an amazing blessing?

After all that God has done for us in Christ Jesus, why would we not want to share the message that snatched us from the flames of hell?

And so don't be afraid to tell others about Jesus because as we learn today, God just might want to do something totally unexpected and really cool.

So, church, let's pray.

God, thank you so much for your word.

Thank you that we can read it, Lord, that we can learn from it, and that we can grow by it.

And so, Father, I pray this morning that you would write your word on our hearts.

Help us to remember and meditate on it.

Help us not to just be hearers but doers of your word.

Help it to bear fruit in our lives, that we would be thankful, Lord, especially towards other believers.

And that we would, Lord, recognize how awesome and amazing and powerful your word is.

And lastly, that we would be faithful, Lord, in sharing it with those who you've placed in our lives, Lord.

May you make this real to us this morning, Lord.

We love you and thank you.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.