søndag 1. juni 2014

Col 1:1-14 The gifts of GOD and our life in gratitude

Col 1:1-14

Intro:

Have you ever met a Christian who makes you think, what is different about this person?

To answer my own question: I have.

Like my friend Robert we’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. There is really something in the way he speak and behave towards others: That really reflect the Gospel in his life. I see it in the way he treat and loves his wife and children. It’s something about the way he root himself, in the word of GOD. It makes me think, that this man, he is something special, he even looks like Jesus, with his long hair and unruly beard.

So the question becomes:

“Is it something about Christ that makes Robert special, or is it something about Robert that makes Christ special”?

If Robert knew that I had asked that question, he would been quite offended. He makes it clear that he lives a live reflecting what he believes. So if he didn’t believe the Gospel, his life wouldn’t reflect it.

We’re going to have a look at the generous gifts GOD has given us in verses 1 to 14. In the same text we’re also going to have a look at how our lives reflect our beliefs. We’re going to do this through to points. The first one I’ve called The gifts of GOD, the second point I’ve called Our life in gratitude.

The gifts of GOD

1.State the point:

Reading todays passage we see that; GOD gives us everything we need. Everything from ministers of His word, to salvation from our sins! Just have a look at verses 3-5.

2.Show it in the text:

3 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to GOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of GOD’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what GOD has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

3.Explain the point:

If Paul’s letter stopped a verse 4, it could be understood as the Colossians were justified through their fantastic works in v.4. This is exactly why we go through books of the bible and why we read things in context. Because when we continue in verse 5 we see the reason for the Colossians faith in Jesus and their love for all GOD’s people. It is the confident hope of what GOD has reserved for them in Heaven. Basically they look forward to Heaven.

Where did this hope come from? It came from the truth of the Good News, the Gospel. So looking at verses 3-5 we see that GOD is the provider of the faith, the love and the hope. What was it the Colossians did that made them special? Nothing, at best they “accepted” GOD’s generous gifts.

As we continue to reading through the verses from 1-14 we see that GOD doesn’t even stop there: He is the giver of faith, love, hope and the Gospel. Through the fruits of the Gospel our lives are changed, from the day we hear and understand it.

Who is responsible for us hearing the Gospel? Have a look at verse 1, GOD chose Paul as an apostle of Christ. Why did GOD do that, because He wanted to. GOD gives us ministers of His word. Their job is to teach the word of GOD. By sharing the Gospel through the preaching of the word, bible studies, and praying that hearts and mind may be opened to His word.

GOD is responsible for sharing the Gospel, and giving us the complete knowledge of His will, spiritual wisdom and understanding.

In all things, GOD provides for us. He gives us all the strength, patience and endurance we need. He wanted us to be saved, so He transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His son Jesus. Jesus loved us so much that He purchased our freedom and forgave our sins, through His death on the cross.

What did we do to deserve this? Nothing! Jesus wilfully died for our sins, beaten, whipped, and crucified. He paid the ultimate price for our freedom and forgiveness. GOD knew that no other sacrifice would heal the wedge between man and Him. In all His wisdom and love for mankind, GOD sacrificed His only Son. So that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. All the blessings GOD has given in verses 1-14, are gifts we have done nothing to deserve.

So what I see in Robert, and everything you see in other Christians that are makes you think, what is it about these people that make the special. Well it Is GOD, they are simply working out the gift GOD has already worked into them.

4.Illustrate the point:

If a rich man decided that he felt like giving you 10 million kroner. Polite as you are you accepted this generous gift, and became a millionaire. The rich man gave you 10 million of his hard-earned money, whilst you said thank you and danced all the way to your bank.

5.Apply the point:

GOD gives you these gifts because He loves you, Jesus died for you because He loves you, He gave you His Spirit, The Holy Spirit because He loves you.

So no there’s nothing we can do to deserve God’s gifts and love. When a Christian does something well it’s because of what GOD gave them. Not because they’re brilliant.s

There are no super-Christians, but there are people GOD works stronger through than others. Not because they deserve it but, because the way they live their lives, allow the fruits of the Gospel to grow, and be made more obvious. GOD’s gifts never stop being just that, gift!

So or all we can do is to gracefully receive His generous gift and live a life in gratitude, where we let the fruits of the Gospel be made obvious in our lives. Where we create as good a soil as possible for His gifts to grow. This brings us to my second point that I’ve called Our life of gratitude.

Our life of gratitude

1.State the point:

Do you think that there a link between the Gospel and behaviour?

Yes there is, because a faith is living and a faith without good fruit is not a real faith

2.Show it in the text:

Let’s have a look at verses 6 – 8.

“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about GOD’s wonderful grace. You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf.”

3.Explain the point:

In these verses, we really see the power of GOD’s Word; If we start by having a look at verse 6

“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about GOD’s wonderful grace

Those of you coming to our bible study might remember that to start with the Gospel was shared only in the town of Jerusalem. When the persecution of the Christians started. It went from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and then to the ends of the earth. The Gospel spread all over the world. Not only was the gospel shared all over the world. People all over the world received the Gospel and believed it. Just look at the Word of GOD. It has been translated into 518 languages. The result of this is that a lot of people have, heard, was taught and understood the Gospel.

There’s a lot of great examples of how hearing and understanding GOD’s word changes lives.

One is the Methodist minister William Booth and his wife Catherine. Who wanted to share the, Gospel with those who were living on the outside the acceptable Christian lifestyle. They preached the Gospel, to prostitutes, drunks, the poor and the homeless. They took care of their physical needs, such as food, clothes, somewhere warm and safe to stay as well as the preaching of GOD’s word. Doing this they lived and shared the Gospel. The founded the Salvation Army.

Do you want to honour and please GOD with your life? Do you want to live a life so close to the Lord, that people will see you’ve been with Jesus?

The only way for us to honour and please GOD with our lives, is to be filled with knowledge of His will, spiritual wisdom, and understanding. To do that we have to hear, learn and understand the Gospel.

The best way I know of to do that is: To make a conscious decision every week to go to church, to go to bible study, to read the bible daily, and to pray daily.

I am not telling you to go to church so that I can tell you how to live your life. I’m saying just like Jack and Robert told me. Come to church so that you can; hear, learn and understand the gospel, and grow in Christ. That is the reason you should go to bible study, read the bible and pray daily, the source of godliness is rooted in the bible.

How do I know that I understand the Gospel, you might ask? Have a look at verse 6. When we understand the Gospel our lives will be changed and some of the signs of a changed life is: v.4 faith in Jesus, love for all GOD’s people, v.6 fruit of changed lives, v.8 love for others, v.10 every kind of good fruit.

in Galatians 5:22-23: Paul writes that the fruits of The Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-controll. For anything to bear fruit it must be alive.

What is the most common reason for a tree not bearing fruit? To put it bluntly, it’s more than likely dead. Then what do you think is the most common reason for faith not bearing fruit? A faith without fruit is a dead faith. A faith bearing fruit is not something you can muster up yourself, so dare to ask yourself:

Am I bearing fruit, Am I growing in Christ, have I heard and understood the Gospel?

A faith without actions is not a faith, neither would actions without faith be faith, it would be a statement.

Saying I am a Christian without leading a Christian life, is like saying me saying that I am the world’s tallest man. I can say it, you can hear it, but it wont make it so.

But when my friend Robert tells me that he is a Christian, I don’t doubt it for a second. Why? Because I’ve seen how he treats his wife and Children. I’ve seen and heard how he can talk to complete strangers about Jesus. I’ve seen how faithful, and gentle and self-controlled he is. Robert’s witness is that he say’s that he is a Christian, and he act’s like someone who is in Christ.

Living a life in close fellowship with GOD, will do something to you! When He is the one who feed and nourish you. He enables you to grow closer to Him in faith, and to bear much fruit. When you spend time in His word and with Him it will do something to you. As it did to Robert, and not just him.

4.Illustrate the point:

Look at Nelson Mandela - he spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island, and in those 27 years never missed one church service or one Bible study. Week in, week out for 27 years the bible made an impression on him. Now we don’t know if he actually bowed the knee to Jesus, that’s between him and GOD - but the impact that Jesus had on him was seen in his remarkable transformation from the terrorist/freedom fighter founder of umkonto we sizwe (ANC military wing) to the man who said “we need to forgive, we need to reconcile” and lived it. The man who stepped down from power, the man who was humble and gracious. GOD’s Word affects us.

5.Apply the point:

Just like the church in Colossae, we need to live a life that reflects our living faith. Showing our faith in Jesus, our love for all GOD’s people bearing fruit everywhere. Even if we’ve done all this, and live in that way, we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to commit to spending time in GOD’s word, , study the bible, pray, listen and obey GOD, and humble before Him. That will smack our tomatoes so that we’ll be deeply rooted in Him.

I don’t think anyone will disagree that my second point today, about how we live our lives has been especially challenging and offensive. I’m preaching it, and let me tell you, I feel judged. While reading and preparing this I thought,

“ oh boy I’m in trouble” And I have a feeling I’m not the only one reacting like that. Why because I am not drowning in fruit, but to rest of you who feel the way I do I want to say this: Sanctification the process of becoming more like Christ, growing in Him, and for the fruits of the Spirit to take hold. It is a life long process, and for most of us, It doesn’t happen over night. As long as you see that something is happening in your that is a good sign.

If you don’t feel that you are growing, come talk to us one of the Elders in the church. We will pray for you, and help you as best we can. Sometimes there’s little adjustments you can do in your life, and other times there’s more complex situations that has to be dealt with. The best advice I can give you is simply, think for second. Who has given you all the gifts I’ve been talking about today? Yes it is GOD, so turn to Him, come to Him in Jesus’ name, and ask Him to help you. He will. Remember Jesus died for your sins back when you were an unforgiven sinner.

Conclusion:

GOD is incredibly generous, He keeps giving, and He gives us everything we need. Everything; Ministers of His word, Faith, Hope, the Gospel, understanding of His word. Therefore lets live a life in gratitude close to Him so that we stay deeply rooted in His word, reading the bible, going to bible study, hearing His word preached, praying to Him. All this will create Good soil where all good fruit will grow. Our Faith will grow, our love for Jesus, for all GOD’s people will be made visible.

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