Colossians Ch1v1-8 - A New Beginning

The first eight verses together, let's read.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

to God's holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ,

grace and peace to you from God our Father.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

because we've heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you have for all God's people.

The faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven,

and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you.

In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world,

just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Well, follow along with me, you can see the headings on the screen.

Well, something wonderful and beautiful has happened in this city of Colossae,

which is in modern-day Turkey.

The gospel has come to their town.

Look at the end of verse 5.

The true message of the gospel has come to you.

Well, where did they hear this gospel message from?

Well, look at verse 7.

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,

who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf.

Epaphras.

It's a great name, isn't it?

I think we should reintroduce it to children as they're born.

I don't know any Epaphrases living today, but here we have him.

He lived in Colossae, and he heard the gospel from the Apostle Paul.

He was on his third missionary journey,

and he stopped in Ephesus.

And as we read other scriptures in parts of Acts,

we learned that the message from there spread out to other places.

And it seems that Epaphras heard the gospel when Paul arrived.

And he believed it.

And he couldn't contain it.

And he had to teach it to his friends and to the community in which he lived.

Epaphras shared with the people in Colossae the true message of the gospel.

Now, we're familiar with the word gospel.

We use it all the time.

We've read it here this morning.

And it simply means good news.

And in this context, it's the good news of God's salvation through Jesus.

And we have a lovely summary of it in verse 13,

if you just jump ahead to verse 13.

Here, if you like, is the gospel in summary form.

For he, that is God,

has rescued us

from the dominion of darkness,

a kingdom

of utter emptiness

and hopelessness.

He's rescued us

from the kingdom of darkness

and has brought us

into the kingdom

of the Son he loves.

And what is it about this kingdom?

Well, it's the kingdom of his Son

in whom we have

redemption.

We've been set free

from all our guilt

and shame of the past

and we receive

the forgiveness

of all of our sins.

A move from darkness

into light.

A kingdom without hope

to a kingdom of redemption

and forgiveness.

How wonderful

and how beautiful is that?

And so this is the message

that Epaphras received

and he has passed on

to his community.

And so a church

was started

in that city.

Now the problem is

there were other gospel

messages

that were also being taught.

Other so-called

good news messages.

And Epaphras is concerned

that this new church

in Colossae

is going to get

pulled away

from the true gospel.

In fact,

he sends a report

to Paul

to tell him

what has happened.

So if you jump ahead

to chapter 4

verse 12.

Epaphras has taken

a journey it seems

to Paul

to tell him

what is going on

in the church

and the help

that they might need.

Chapter 4

verse 12.

This is Paul writing

to the church.

He says,

Epaphras

who is one of you

and a servant

of Christ Jesus

sends greetings.

He is always

wrestling in prayer

for you

that you may

stand firm

in all the will

of God

mature

and fully

assured.

So Epaphras

has gone to Paul.

he is concerned

for them

he is praying

for them

that they will

be strong

and he is telling

Paul all the things

that are happening.

He gives a report

and as Paul

receives this report

he now writes

this letter

to the church.

So let's go back

to chapter 1

and verse 1

where it tells us

that Paul

an apostle

of Christ Jesus

by the will

of God

and Timothy

our brother.

This is who

it's from

he's writing

to the church.

And his whole message

the message

that he gives

to the church

can be summarised

for us

in chapter 2

and verse 6.

This is the big

theme

of the letter.

He says to them

So then

just as you

received Christ

Jesus as Lord

continue to live

your lives

in him.

He's saying

to the church

you started

with Christ

now I want you

to continue

on with Christ

and to

finish

with Christ.

You received

him

now continue

in him.

But there's

something else

he has to

tell them

verse 8

See to it

that no one

takes you

captive

through hollow

and deceptive

philosophy

which depends

on human

tradition

and the

elemental

spiritual

forces

of this

world

rather than

on Christ.

You see

this is his

message

make sure

that you

keep to the

true gospel.

You started

with Christ

now finish

with Christ.

Don't get

sucked in

by these

empty

philosophies

and these

human traditions

that have

nothing to do

with Christ.

Start with

Christ

and finish

with Christ.

And this

is the message

to Carigaline

Church as well.

We start

with Christ

and we

continue

with him.

Be careful

of other

so-called

gospel

messages

that are

just human

tradition

and empty

philosophies.

So as

Paul writes

he's reminding

us of the

true gospel

and it's

all about

new beginnings.

Three things

we're going

to take

from these

first eight

verses of

chapter one.

A new

community

to live

in,

a new

priority

to live

by

and a

new

reality

to live

for.

New

community,

new

priority

and a

new

reality.

This is

what happens

when the

gospel

comes.

First,

a new

community

to live

in.

You see,

it's the

gospel

that forms

a new

community

of people.

Look how

they are

addressed.

Verse two.

To God's

holy

people

in

Colossae.

Now to

be holy,

well,

we might

think of

people who

are holy

as those

who are

kind of,

oh they're

very saintly

kind of

people.

They stay

indoors all

day and

wear dark

clothes and

pray on

their knees

and read

their Bibles

all day

long.

Nothing wrong

with praying

and nothing

wrong with

reading your

Bible at

all,

but is

that holy?

Well to

be made

holy,

to be

God's

holy

people,

is to

be made

pure

and right

before God.

This is

what happens

when we

believe and

trust in

Christ.

jump ahead

to chapter

1 verse

22.

Well it's

telling us

because of

what Christ

has done,

verse 22,

he has

now reconciled

you to

God by

Christ's

physical

body through

his death

to present

you

holy

in his

sight,

without

blemish

and free

from

accusation.

isn't

that

extraordinary?

Isn't

that

amazing?

That

because of

what Christ

did,

you now

stand,

if you are

trusting in

him today,

you now

stand before

God

as holy,

blameless,

free from

any accusation.

God

God cannot

point his

finger at

you and

condemn you

for your

sin.

God's

holy people.

But God's

people are

also a

family people.

You see,

if we're God's

people, that

doesn't mean we

just live in

isolation,

doing our

own little

thing as

holy people.

people.

No, when

God saves

us, he

saves us

into a

family.

Look at

verse 2

again.

To God's

holy people

in Colossae,

the faithful

brothers and

sisters in

Christ.

You see,

God's people

are a

family people.

We're

brothers and

sisters.

In other

words, we're

not living our

lives in

isolation and

independence from

each other.

We are

dependent on

one another.

Look at the

rest of

verse 2.

Grace and

peace to

you from

God, my

Father.

Now, I

don't have a

different Father

to you.

We have the

same Father,

Father God.

We share in

and have

access to

the same

generous

Father who

gives his

good and

great gifts

grace and

peace to

his

children.

You see,

we're not

here as

individuals doing

our own

thing.

We are

gathering

together as

his family.

Now, all of

this shapes how

we view

ourselves and

how we treat

each other.

Maybe you're

here this

morning and

you're thinking,

well, I'm

just a mess.

I'm ashamed.

If you could

only see the

things I've

done this

week, no

way can

you say

I'm holy.

Or maybe

you come

reminding

yourselves of

promises that

you made last

week that, yes,

I promise I'm

going to pray

and I promise

it's going to

be different

this term and

already this

week you

failed in the

promises you

made to

yourself.

There's no

way that I

could be

called

faithful.

Well, listen

again to how

the gospel has

changed you if

you are trusting

Christ.

Listen to

this, to

God's

holy

people,

faithful

brothers and

sisters.

brothers.

That is how

God sees you

and that is

how we must

see ourselves.

In fact, the

gospel demands

that this is how

we treat each

other.

We treat each

other in exactly

the same way.

We're gathered

here this morning

with no one

thinking they

are inferior

and nobody

thinking they

are superior.

we are the

same family.

We have the

same father

who has made

us holy

and faithful.

So we don't

come in here

this morning

looking across

at another

seat and

thinking they're

awful people.

Desperate.

You should have

heard what they

did.

You should have

heard what they

said.

No, we

look at each

other as

God looks

at us and

treats us

holy and

faithful.

Now this

family also

has a

double location.

We have a

physical location

and a

spiritual

location.

Again, maybe

you picked it

up already

in verse 2

to God's

holy people

in Colossae.

And we can

say exactly

the same

thing, can't

we?

We are God's

holy people

living and

located in

Carigaline.

That's what a

church is.

We're not

living isolated

individual lives.

We are a

local gathering

of God's

people set

apart to

represent God

and reflect

God in

Carigaline.

This is who

we are.

We don't do

our own

thing.

But more

than that

is our

spiritual

location.

Look again

at verse 2.

We are the

faithful brothers

and sisters

in

Christ.

To be

in Christ

is to be

united to

Christ.

so that

all that

Christ has

achieved is

now ours to

share in and

to enjoy.

That is why we

can say we are

holy and faithful

because it's his

holiness that has

been given to

us.

It's his

faithfulness that

becomes our

faithfulness.

All that we

have and all that

we ever need is

found in

Christ.

This comes all

the way through

the letter.

Let me just

give you one

little hint of

what we are

going to be

seeing.

Chapter 2

verse 3.

Chapter 2

verse 3.

In whom

or in

Christ

are hidden

all

the treasures

of wisdom

and knowledge.

This is our

spiritual

location.

We are in

Christ.

We have all

that we need

in him.

So let's

try and put

all this

together what

we have

looked at in

the first

couple of

verses.

When we

hear and

believe the

true message

of the

gospel,

we are now

God's holy

and faithful

family,

children of

the same

Father God

who generously

gives us

grace and

peace.

who have

everything we

could possibly

need for

our Christian

life in

Christ,

gathered

together to

live out our

lives in

Carragalline.

This is who

we are.

This is the

new community.

This is the

true message

of the

gospel that

we are to

start with

and to

continue with

and not

move from.

This is the

new community

that we

live in.

Second,

then,

there's new

priorities

to live

by.

When we

become part

of God's

family,

there is a

certain way

to live.

We have

new priorities.

Let's read

verse 3

and 4.

We always

thank God,

the Father

of our

Lord Jesus

Christ,

when we

pray for

you,

because we

have heard

of your

faith in

Christ Jesus

and of the

love you

have for

all God's

people.

So the

first priority

is that we

would be a

people of

faith in

Christ.

We've

heard of

your faith

in Christ

Jesus.

Faith in

Christ is

where it

starts and

it is faith

in Christ

where it

continues.

As a

family,

we live

each day

by faith

in the

promises of

God.

So,

will I

trust that

all I

need for

my Christian

life is

found in

Christ?

Or will

I go

looking

elsewhere?

Will I

trust that

when God

calls me

holy and

faithful,

I am

holy and

faithful,

even when

I don't

feel it?

Will I

trust what

God says

about me

is true?

Will I

trust that

what God

says about

gathering

together is

best for

me, even

when I

think other

things are

more important?

You see,

faith isn't

just a ticket

into heaven.

It's not

just where we

start.

Faith is

about trusting

God's

promises to

us,

promising or

obeying

his word.

It's the

way God's

family live.

Our

second

priority

is love

for others.

He

reminds them

of the

love you

have for

all God's

people.

love.

You see,

love isn't

a choice.

It's a

command.

Love isn't

something I

do when I

feel like it

or when it

suits me or

when I think

the other

person deserves

it.

No, love is a

command from

God to his

family, love

one another.

In fact, it's

not a selective

love, it's

actually an

all-inclusive

love.

Did you pick

it up in

verse 4?

The love

you have

for all

God's

people.

You see, we

are a family

of brothers

and sisters,

so we don't

get to choose

which members

of the family

we love and

we don't

love.

And I

recognise that

that's hard,

isn't it?

because like

our families

that we may

live in, we

fall out with

each other and

it's no

difference within

the church

family.

Brothers and

sisters can

have fallings

out.

Sometimes

there's

arguments and

disagreements.

Sometimes

people will

frustrate you.

Some people

will let you

down.

And the

easiest way

to respond

and say,

oh well I've

been hurt by

them.

And the

response is

not to

love.

Perhaps not

by being

vindictive,

but by just

taking the

position,

well I'm

just going to

avoid them,

I'm not

going to

talk to

them anymore,

I'm not

going to

engage,

not going

to send

them messages.

But that's

not love.

Love is

seeing each

person as

God sees

us and

treats us,

remember who

we are in

verse 2?

We are

holy.

We're

holy in

his sight.

God

treats us

as faithful

brothers and

sisters.

And that's

what we're

to do with

each other.

Love doesn't

hold grudges.

Love doesn't

hold sin

against each

other.

Love

forgives.

Love

continually

moves out

to one

another.

It gives

and it

gives and

it gives

because we're

family.

Never saying

it's easy,

but this is

our priority.

So faith

and love

are the way

we are to

live.

But sadly,

and I think

we can all

identify with

this,

our faith

and love

can very

often grow

cold.

instead of

a burning

fire that's

easy to

live out,

it just

fizzles down

to little

spark or

a flame.

How do we

reignite our

faith and

our love?

Well, look at

the third

priority.

The hope

to come.

Look at it

in verse

five.

It's talked

about the

faith and

love and he

says,

now this

faith and

love that

spring from

the hope

stored up

for you

in heaven

and about

which you've

already heard

in the true

message of

the gospel.

Here we

have motivation

which sets

our faith

and love

on fire.

It rekindles

us and

gives us

motivation

and encouragement

to live

as we

should.

God has

stored up

for us

an eternal

glory,

hasn't he?

Verse five.

Heaven awaits

all his

family.

His children

have a

glorious

future.

One writer

explains our

hope like

this.

This is a

quote.

There is

total

shalom.

That is a

sense of

sheer

well-being.

Every

need is

met.

Every

longing is

fulfilled.

Every

goal is

achieved.

Every

sense is

satisfied.

We see

him.

We are

with him.

He holds

us and

hugs us

and whispers

this is

forever.

forever.

This is

our hope.

This is

the glorious

hope that

death has

been defeated.

And I

need reminded

of this and

you need

reminded of

this.

You see,

faith will

mature and

love will

grow as

we begin

to speak

the gospel

hope into

each other's

lives.

As you

tell me

the gospel

hope,

hope and

remind me

of what's

to come,

it encourages

me to

keep on

in my

faith because

one day I

will receive

the goal

of my

faith,

our eternal

home.

And as I

tell you and

as I share

with you the

gospel hope,

it will

encourage you

to keep on

loving all

God's people

because one

day we will

experience the

fullness of

love because

we will be

with Christ

and like

Christ.

So this is

our priority

as a

family.

We're to

tell each

other not

what the

weather is

like,

what you

can do.

You can

talk to each

other about

the match

yesterday and

who played

well and

who didn't

and where

you're going

to be and

what you're

going to do.

but please

can I

encourage us

that we

would speak

gospel hope

to each

other?

Because when

we do,

it will

mature our

faith and

it will cause

our love to

grow.

That's why

we're here

today.

That's why

we gather

on Wednesday.

We come

to talk to

each other

over tea

and coffee

to remind

each other

of the

true message

of the

gospel.

These are

the priorities

that we

live by.

So a

new community,

new priority

and a

new reality

to live

for.

You see,

the true

gospel not

only forms

a new

community of

people who

have new

priorities to

live by,

the gospel

reveals a

new reality

in which

we live

for.

It gives

us a

purpose,

it gives

us a

meaning for

waking up

every day.

The gospel

is effective.

It has a

power to

change and

transform our

lives and

the lives of

others both

locally and

globally.

power to

power.

This is the

gospel we

have.

It is a

gospel of

power.

Look at

verse 6.

We'll pick

it up at the

end of verse

5.

The true

message of

the gospel

that has

come to

you.

In the

same way,

the gospel

is bearing

fruit and

growing

throughout the

whole world

just as it

has been

doing among

you since

the day you

heard it and

truly understood

God's grace.

As the

true gospel

is heard and

believed,

people are

declared by

God to

be his

holy people,

to be his

brothers and

sisters in

Christ.

The gospel

seed is

bearing fruit.

When that

word is

planted,

something

takes root

and something

begins to

grow and

there is

fruit.

the word

that is

explained and

taught is

powerful and

effective.

It leads to

a brand new

beginning.

That's what

happens at

Rock and

Rooted.

That's what

happened to

over 50

children.

Yesterday,

on Friday

afternoon and

evening,

the powerful

gospel went

out.

Seeds were

planted.

wanted.

You see,

we don't

make the

gospel powerful.

It already

is.

We simply

declare it

and God

does his

work by

his spirit

in the

lives of

those who

hear.

But it's

not just

bearing fruit

in individuals

coming to

faith.

It's

growing,

we're told.

Not just

new life,

but there

are new

churches.

Have a

look at

chapter 4

verse 12

again with

me.

Here we

get an

insight to

what has

happened.

We have

already seen

that Epaphras

heard the

message.

He told

it to the

people in

Colossae.

And then

in verse,

let's read

verse 12,

Epaphras,

who is one

of you and

a servant

of Christ

Jesus,

sends

greetings.

He is

always wrestling

in prayer

for you that

you may

stand firm

in all

the will

of God,

mature and

fully assured.

I vouch

for him

that he

is working

hard for

you and

those at

Laodicea

and Hierapolis,

which were

two other

little towns

very close

by.

So Epaphras

has been

there to

proclaim the

good news

as well.

And there

are churches

in those

places.

You see,

our reality

is so

often based

on our

experience.

Perhaps we

don't expect

anyone to

believe the

gospel anymore.

I mean,

it's an ancient

message.

Who needs

to hear it

and who

will even

listen?

Maybe we

don't expect

anyone to

believe it.

We don't

say anything

because we've

come to think

the gospel

is powerless.

But look

what it

says in

chapter 1

verse 6.

The same

way the

gospel is

bearing fruit

and growing.

When Paul

wrote to the

church in

Rome,

he says

this,

I am not

ashamed of

the gospel

because it

is the

power of

God that

brings salvation

to everyone

who believes.

This is our

new reality.

The gospel

is powerful.

The gospel

is bearing

fruit and

growing.

But not

only is it

powerful,

there is a

gospel expansion

taking place,

both locally

and globally.

That's the

message of

verse 6.

It's growing

throughout the

whole world.

just as it

has been

doing amongst

you.

The gospel

is at work

in the

world.

In Paul's

day and

all these

centuries

after,

it continues

to take

effect.

Here in

Ireland and

across Europe,

there are

gatherings of

God's holy

people,

just like us

today meeting

now.

Holy people,

brothers and

sisters in

Christ,

in a

particular town

or city.

family.

I spoke

to our

partner

Mickey this

week.

He shared

of one

lady in

a very

difficult

situation,

sharing with

her the

good news

of Jesus

and praying

and trusting

Jesus,

but having

to keep it

quiet for fear

of what her

family might

do.

the gospel

taking effect.

I got a

message from

Raj, my

friend in

India this

week,

talking about

the pastors

that he had

recently visited

in Bhutan

and Nepal,

representing

hundreds of

small village

churches.

They've heard

and believed

the gospel

is growing.

In 1979

in Iran,

there were

an estimated

500 local

believers.

Today,

there are

hundreds of

thousands.

Andy shared

with us last

week that

40 are

attending his

church in

Sheffield.

In China,

one of the

most closed

and restricted

countries in

the whole

world,

the estimated

number of

believers are

68 million.

in house

churches.

The gospel

is bearing

fruit and

growing throughout

the whole

world.

This is a

reality.

But it's

not just a

local global

expansion.

It's a

local one

too,

verse 6,

as it was

amongst you.

The gospel

was bearing

fruit and

growing in

the church

at Colossae.

This new

community,

who were

living out

their new

priorities,

had this

beautiful and

wonderful reality

of gospel

fruit and

growth.

And this

is what

Carigoline

Baptist Church

is called to

live for.

This is our

vision.

This is our

truth.

This is why

we wake up in

the morning,

because there

is a gospel

message to

tell.

and when

it is told

and when

God works,

it leads

to new

communities

with new

priorities

and new

realities.

God's

holy people

gathering as

brothers and

sisters in

Christ,

encouraging

each other

with gospel

hope,

resulting in

fruitfulness

and growth.

You see,

our gathering

here today

is a

reminder of

fruitfulness.

Every one of

you who is a

Christian has a

story to tell of

God working in

your life.

each one of

us can tell

how God is

working in

us,

making us

more mature,

of churches

being planted

in the

surrounding

areas.

It's a

reality.

Live by

it.

So here

we have our

introduction to

the church

at Colossae,

which reminds

us of who

we are,

God's new

community,

living lives

of faith

and love,

and speaking

gospel hope,

and as a

result,

seeing fruit

and growth

throughout the

world and

in our own

lives.

Let's pray.

Father God,

we thank you

for the true

message of

the gospel,

for its

power,

for its

effectiveness

to change

and transform.

form.

We thank you

that if we

believe,

we thank you

for that gift

of salvation.

And we ask

if we do

not believe,

that you would

give us faith

that we might

trust you,

that we too

might become

part of your

holy people,

part of your

family,

living a

new way.

Father,

please would

you use us

through this

week in all

that we do

individually and

corporately

together to

share of your

good news.

We pray this

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.