Today we begin the journey that will lead us through Paul’s Epistle to the church of Colossae or the book of Colossians. In J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible Commentary of Colossians he writes the following, “The Prison Epistles include Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and the very personal Epistle to Philemon. These four are companion epistles and together have been called the anatomy of Christianity, or the anatomy of the church. We can see that the subjects of these epistles cover all aspects of the Christian faith:
- Ephesians is about the body of believers called the church, of which Christ is the head.
- Colossians directs our attention to the head of the body who is Christ. The body (church) itself is secondary. Christ is the theme.
- Philippians shows the church walking here on earth. Christian living is the theme; it is the periphery of the circle of which Christ is the center.
- Philemon gives us Christianity in action. We would say it is where the rubber meets the road … It demonstrates Christianity worked out in a pagan society.”*
This information from Rev. J. Vernon McGee is very valuable to us here this morning.
During today’s sermon and through the next few week’s sermon series I want all of us to focus on a few questions that will help us see this text better. During the week I pray you will be reading and studying through Colossians asking these questions found on the screen as you prepare for Sunday morning worship. Question 1 is simply: Why did Paul write to the church of Colossae? In all of Paul’s letters he is writing to address a specific need or specific problem in that church. This letter is no different — There was a reason concerning some event that is taking place in the church of Colossae or there is a need be addressed in this letter. Question 2: What is the major and background theme of this book? In other words can we find single theme that runs through this book that connects all the dots. Question 3 is simply: Who is the major character or characters in this Epistle and who are the minor characters? And finally Question 4: What can I learn from this text that will help my walk of faith to be empowered and move me to live more like Christ?
So let us join together as I will be reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible today. If you have a Bible I would ask you to read along even if it is another translation. It would be great if you brought your own Bible with you each week so you can take notes and mark in it if you so desire. However, if you don’t have a Bible with you, you can use one of the pew Bibles. Join me in prayer as we prepare to hear the Word of God given to us by our Heavenly Father! Let us pray…
Review:
Just to speak quickly to the first question concerning why Paul is writing this letter to the church of Colossae we need to look at what is happening in the area of the city of Colossae. Paul has learned from Epaphras that the church at Colossae of whom he is the minister has drifted away from the original Christian teachings. They had been mixing other religions such as the Jewish tradition of the church and the Gentile tradition of the church together, which had created a hybrid mixture of Christianity which did not at all adhere to the original teaching of the church. Now, we will address this further next week but that is happening today. One example is the way society is entering into the church and the church is oblivious it has become more like society than what the Scriptures teach.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:
Epaphras started the church at Colossae. When he comes to Paul explaining what is going on in the church Paul writes a letter to the church and the church takes note of this Apostle writing specifically to them. Many times a pastor can say something to the church and they just don’t receive it, but when someone else says it and it can even be the same thing it can have a major impact. (ex. Stan Hankins and I preaching the same text and using the same points a few years ago — we didn’t plan it but it just happened — and the people received Stan’s messages and not mine)
Apostle = divinely sent teacher
Doing God’s Will is also like a man leaving his father and mother and taking a wife and they become one. Not in an erotic way but they are now so interwoven and interconnected that they are seen as one by people they come into contact with. When we come to point of truly and totally living for Christ our life should reflect this same manner where people cannot see us without seeing Jesus living and working in us and through us. We should be one not only with Christ but live as one with Christ in such a manner that others see Christ in us!
The Will of God = Paul saw that the Will of God for His life was being an Apostle. God’s Will in this manner is that it is by the Will of God that Paul is called as an apostle. He is now a divinely sent teacher to the Gentiles first and others as well. We are called to seek God’s Will for our life as well. We all have gifts that we are to use within our life and within the life of the church? Not one person here today or joining those who are joining us online is without a gift to be used to glorify God! So I ask all of us are we using our gifts for the Lord or are we just letting those gifts remain dormant and not allowing the glory of God to be exhibited and seen in us — understanding that the glory is to go to Him and not us! The Will of God sometimes means that we will have to suffer for our Lord as found in 1st Peter 3:17: For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. Also we read in 1st Peter 4:16: Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. (In His Steps)
A simple question we should be asking ourselves individually and as a church is what are we doing to advance the Gospel in the world around us and within the church? Something our elders and myself need to spend some time on!
2 To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Paul is informed that these are faithful brothers and sisters in the faith. I like the fact that he doesn’t beat them up as if they are heathen or rebels of the faith, although they are drifting from the true Christian faith as it began, but he speaks to their faithfulness to God. We should not attack one another — we should strive to work together to bring glory to our Lord and Savior by spreading the Good News to the world!
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father” — This phrase from Paul as he has used in many of his writings is so amazing to me and one that we must not overlook. In this simple phrase, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” He is basically saying that I am writing or coming to you as a representative of Jesus Christ and God the Father. This is not me speaking of my own accord but of the Father speaking through me. Brothers and sisters we do not anything for the Lord of our own accord, but of His divine intervention into our lives. When we say, “That is not my gift,” or “I can’t do that,” and I have done that in my life — we are saying that God cannot intervene on our behalf to help us to reach out to others to find Jesus Christ or encourage others in their walk of faith! Paul always knew nothing he did was from his own doing, but directed and completed by the power of the Lord through the Holy Spirit. We need desperately to lay claim to this simple fact in our lives here today.
In addition, notice Paul doesn’t say, “God my Father” but “God our Father!” This simple word “our” is so key in that it is letting them know that he is one of them and not above them in the walk of faith! This is a very strong point of Paul to show his humility (compare this to when he was persecuting the church!). We must desire to be one (united in Christ) and also we need to be humble in our service to the Lord to each other!
As I close today I know many of you may be saying man if we only get through 2 verses a week we are going to be in Colossians forever! We will go each week where the Lord leads us and if that is 2 verses it will be 2 verses — if He leads us through 10 verses it will be 10 verses. We are going to go at His pace not ours! So as we leave here today we must remember these key points from today:
We need to be living out God’s Will for our life — using our gifts for Him in our individual life and in the life of the church!
We need to make sure our lives reflect that Jesus is living in us and through us!
We need to be seeking to use our gifts in our daily lives, but just as important living them out in our church life to give Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body (Church), all the glory and honor and not seeking the glory for ourselves!
And finally we need to be humble in all that we do — making sure that everything we do and how we live points to Jesus and others and not to ourselves!
Let us pray…
* J Vernon McGee - Commentary on Colossians
Scripture used is HCSB - The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ge 9:8–10). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
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