Evening Sermon

January 27, 2008

To the Saints

Text

Colosse was a small, relatively unimportant city about 100 miles east of Ephesus. The kingdom of Jesus Christ had come to the city, however, and the church was established, probably during Paul's lengthy ministry in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, as recorded in,

Acts 19:10 "And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks."

We can't say with absolute certainty when this particular book was written, or from where, but the indications are that he wrote from a Roman prison in the early 60s AD, concluding the book with the words, "Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen." It seems that he wrote to Philemon at the same time, communicating that letter as well through Epaphras, and his freedom to receive visitors during his Roman imprisonment is perfectly consistent with that. That period is when the inspired and recorded apostolic historic ends in the book of Acts.

Acts 28:30 "Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him."

Paul seems to tell us in this book that he has never visited the Colossian church, and thus he knows the people only through the very faithful and reliable second-hand testimony of Epaphras. And so, near the end of this book, we read,

Col. 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis."

Yet Paul's lack of personal a introduction to this church does not keep him from writing to them as "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." We read further,

Col. 2:1 "For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

So troubles in the church will be addressed, particularly doctrinal troubles regarding the doctrine of Jesus Christ. But Paul begins with much affection, and with his characteristic grace and pastoral greeting. v.1-2

He writes to the saints, and I won't spend much time on this introduction tonight because we have studied similar words in other books, but notice how he addresses the church. To the saints. Those set apart by God, those set apart as holy. And therefore Paul begins, as he often does, with thanksgiving.

I. THANKSGIVING IN PRAYER. He is praying for the church, this body of people whom he has never met. And it is such a marvelous example of how to pray for others, how to give honor to others while actually retaining all the honor and glory to God. His prayers are focused upon and addressed to God. He is offering,

A. Thanksgiving to God. Thanksgiving to God, for God's people. But not just any god. Not just a common god or a generic god. Not the god of a polite, civil religion, some god that represents all god. But rather Paul prays to one specific God, the only true God, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Listen to this essential interconnection, even this unity, between the Father and Son.

John 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father."

And, Mat. 11:27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

It is grievous to have so many references to God in our day, in our culture, that have no reference to Jesus. God is a trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And any other god is a false god, no god at all. Allah is not god, nor the god of Mormonism. Not the god of modern Judaism nor the god of new age, scientology, Bahai or whatever the popular religion might be. God is the unity of God the Father Jehovah, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son whose name is Jesus. And there's the offense today. It is Jesus' name. It is the offense of the cross, the offense of the gospel.

Paul prays to God the Father of Jesus Christ. And that is the only God to whom prayer can actually be made, because that is the only God who actually exists. And so we pray "in Jesus name." We pray to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But notice the content of the prayer, the subject of his thanksgiving. It is,

B. Thanksgiving for God's people. In verse 2, he calls them "faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse." What a marvelous identity, faithful brethren. Faithful, loyal and trustworthy. Brothers in the faith, brothers in Christ. Brothers, and sisters, in God's family. That's why he is thankful. That is why is writes with such affection.

And with that affection, he draws them to listen to what he has to say. As Calvin writes, "He allures them more winningly to listen to him."

Let me draw this up to our own experiences for a moment, and let this relationship Paul identifies be an example, and a challenge for us. Learn to imitate this practice, specifically and personally. The next time you pray, give thanks to God for others in the church. And do it personally. Mention people by name the next time you pray. Thank the Lord for someone else that is here. And maybe begin with someone you don't know too well. Or even someone that you might be tempted to have a difficulty with. How much easier it will be to be forbearing, if you thank God for the presence of those people most trying to you.

And, of course, give thanks for those others in the church most endearing to you as well. Such that as brothers and sisters, the bonds of affection would abound all the more strongly among us. It's such an easy thing to do. And so practical. When you go through that prayer list of people in the church, begin your prayers with thanksgiving. And as you have opportunity, express that to one another. What a good habit to get into, to express to someone else that you have thanked God for them and for their presence within the church.

Beloved, that is edifying. And it takes the focus off us and puts it where it belongs, upon the goodness of God. Again Calvin, "We must always take notice that he makes use of thanksgiving in place of congratulation, by which he teaches us, that in all our joys we must readily call to remembrance the goodness of God, inasmuch as everything that is pleasant and agreeable to us is a kindness conferred by him. Besides, he admonishes us, by his example, to acknowledge with gratitude not merely those things which the Lord confers upon us, but also those things which he confers upon others."

Let me express in a very personal way that thanksgiving, though in the context of preaching the word to you I won't mention anyone specific by name. But as Paul writes, I preach, and I do so with specific reasons for my thanksgiving to God for you, thankful especially, as I have expressed at the congregational meeting, for your willing reception of the preaching of God's word and for your love not merely to me, not even primarily to me, but the love you give to my family. I am profoundly thankful to God for that.

Well, look at the reasons Paul identifies here.

II. REASONS FOR THANKSGIVING. Why? Very profound answer. For their faith. Their hope. And their love. v.3-5

We'll begin with faith. Paul gives thanks to God for,

A. The faith of God's people. It's the same for the Ephesians.

Eph. 1:15 "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers."

What a wonderful thing to be known for. "We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus." That's what you ought to wish for yourself, what others would know of you and think of you. And let that be a motivation as you live with one another even in this church, that other people might look at you, and give thanks to God for your faith.

It is good to note that faith itself is the work of God in you, God enabling you to believe in the gospel to the salvation of your soul. God enabling you. Don't miss that.

Eph. 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Faith isn't a good work you perform. It is the reception of the gift that God offers you. You believe it to be true. You receive it yourself. You receive and rest upon Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. That's faith. You believe God's word to be true, and the promise of the gospel to be true.

And you live accordingly. You live by faith not by sight.

Ga 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

That's the testimony for which others should remember you, and give thanks for you. And that's the ground upon which you ought to give thanks for one another. Along with,

B. The love of God's people. Perhaps this is easier to understand, and so it should be. Paul gives thanks for people he has never met because he heard of their "love for all the saints." He heard about their love. Their demonstration of love. Their commitment of love. Their outward expressions of love. Their actions of love. This church in Colosse was known for the love which the people had for one another.

What a testimony and a witness that is.

John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

What an assurance that is for us, as well. 1John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death."

And so, people of God, love one another. That's the evidence of your salvation, and the testimony of it to the world in which we live. Love one another.

Rom. 13:8 "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." 1Pet. 1:22 "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart."

I could read probably a dozen other verses with the same command. Love one another. That's our calling as a church, an inescapable calling. And the ground upon which we ought to give thanksgiving to God.

May it be so among us! May such love abound all the more among us, even as it already exists. It is a debt you will never repay, and a delightful obligation upon which you make payments daily. It's not hard and its not complicated. This is the description of a healthy church, a church of people known for their faith and their love. And hope. Paul gives thanks for,

C. The hope of God's people. v.5

Hope means waiting, with confident expectation, for something that you do not yet see!

Rom. 8:24 "For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance."

Hope means that you walk by faith, not by sight. Hope means that you live with the certainty of the future, the certainty of your heavenly inheritance.

1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The application and evidence of such hope is immediately obvious in that context.

1 Peter 1:6 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls."

That's hope. You live in the present, with all its hardships and trials, with you gaze set upon the future. Just like Jesus.

Heb. 12:1 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."

That's how we live. With the joy of our hope set before us. The incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven for us. That's the hope.

So, how does that hope affect your life? Do you live with such a focus upon your eternal inheritance in heaven as to cause others to give thanks to God for your hope? Oh, beloved, do so! Let your light shine. Let your faith direct your life. Set your hope upon your eternal glory. And then set about living your life here in this world.

And even as your give thanks in your prayers for the hope you see in others, you can also pray for that hope itself to increase.

Eph. 1:15 "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places."

Pray for one another. Pray for others, that they may know what is the hope of their calling. Pray for one another to know, to really understand the riches of the glory of the inheritance which we have in Jesus Christ.

So put all of this into practice, in your own prayers, that God's blessing might be ours as a church in rich abundance. But with one more greater focus. A focus that transcends one another, that goes beyond mere man. It is,

III. THANKSGIVING FOR THE GOSPEL. Don't just give thanks to God for people, one another, as good as that is. Give thanks to Him for,

A. The truth of the gospel. v.5 "...because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world."

Give thanks to God for the powerful, effective working of the truth. The truth that sets a man free.

It is gospel that it "is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes." It is the gospel, the very explanation of truth, that brings light and life to this dark and dead world in which we live. And that's what you ought to be the most thankful for.

Turn with me to, 1 Thes. 2:13 "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."

That's why the apostle was thankful. That's what makes me thankful as a preacher as well. You welcome the word of God as the word of God, as the truth of God. And therefore, Paul had written to this church,

1 Thes. 1:2 "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake."

With that reception of the truth of the gospel something else is immediately obvious in all these verses, and that is the effect that the truth has upon your life. The gospel comes with power! Power to change and transform your life.

As Paul puts it to the saints at Colosse, the truth of the gospel...

v.6 "...has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth."

That's what made Paul the most thankful. The work of the gospel was bring forth fruit in the lives of the people. What I would call,

B. The increase of the gospel. Actually, in verse 6, after the words "bringing forth fruit," the most reliable transcripts have the word, "increase." To grow, to become greater. So there is increase of the gospel throughout the whole world, then and now. But more personally, there was an increase of the gospel in the faith, hope and love of the people themselves. An increase of faith. An increase of hope. And an increase of love.

Theologically, we would call that sanctification. It is the initial transformation of conversion, and then it is the ongoing transformation of your life. The evidence of the power of the gospel at work.

I can say honestly, truthfully, that I am thankful for such increase among you, the saints who are part of this church. And I thank God for that. Fruitfulness of ministry is what makes the labor of ministry not only bearable but enjoyable. And I labor in the word among you with that joy.

And with the ever-constant burden of ministering the Word of God in such a way as to see the power of God at work in your increase and growth in grace. Indeed, believing that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," we therefore believe that that Scripture...

2 Tim. 3:16 "...is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

And so the calling God has laid upon my heart is the charge that follows immediately to Timothy,

2 Tim. 4:1 "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."

Beloved, I thank God for you, I thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying for you with thanksgiving. And praying that the word I preach would come to you and continue to be received by you as the word of God, a word which effectively and powerfully works and brings forth fruit in you who believe.

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