Sermon Tone Analysis

Colossians 1:1-14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 1999

How Do You Pray For People In Trials

 

The story is told of a gifted church secretary who was going through a series of difficult trials.

She had a stroke, her husband had gone blind, then he had to be taken to hospital where they were sure that he would die.

The pastor saw her on Sunday and assured her that he was praying for her.

" What are you asking God to do, " she asked him?

The question startled the pastor.

He replied, " I' m asking God to help you and strengthen you.

" " I appreciate that, " she said, " but I would like you to ask God for one more thing, Pray that I'll have the wisdom not to waste all of this.

"  This lady understood God's promise in *James 1:5.* /If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him./

[in trials.]

Introduction

/ /

/Have you ever wondered how you should pray for other believers?

How should you pray for people who are suffering?

How do you pray for believers who live far away, that you have never met?/ Paul gives us a good example of how to pray for fellow Christians.

Paul emphasizes the spiritual aspect of intercession, not the physical!

Epaphras Ministry

 

*Colossians 1:3-4, 7-8*

/We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith.....

As you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, Who also declared to us your love in the Spirit./

Paul didn't start the church at Colossae.

Most Bible students believe that it was started while Paul was ministering at Ephesus for three years.

Paul lead Epaphras to Christ during this time.

He in turn carried the gospel back to his home town of Colossae and proclaimed the good news.

A few years later Epaphras carried news of the church to Paul in Rome.

He declared to Paul how the Colossians had obeyed the gospel.

He also shared his concerns how false teachers had moved into town and were spreading heresy.

So Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians to encourage them and correct the false teaching that they had received.

Up until now Paul had nerver seen them.

*/Firstly/* Paul Gave Thanks For Their Fruitfulness

 

*Colossians 1:3-6*

/We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,/ /since we heard of *your faith in Christ Jesus* and of *your love for all the saints*; 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, which 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; /There are at least three reasons why Paul was thankful for the Colossian believers./

*Firstly He was thankful for*/* /Their faith in Christ Jesus/*

1.

They heard the Gospel

 

Epaphras declared to Paul how the Colossians*/ heard/* the gospel of Christ and received it.

The gospel they received was centered in Christ Jesus.

Paul said to the Corinthians that he determined to make nothing known unto them but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

These Colossian saints had heard the same gospel message proclaimed by Epaphras and recognized its truth.

In *Romans 10:17* we read,/ So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing, by the word of God.

/The Gospel they heard was complete, it was all that they needed to know regarding salvation.

Contrary to the the false teachers Christ was all they needed.

2.

They Believed The Gospel

 

But hearing the gospel is not enough to save us.

We must obey it too.

Again *Romans 10:16*/ But they have not all obeyed the gospel.

For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”/

And this is just what the Colossians had done.

They heard the Gospel and obeyed it.

They believed in Christ Jesus and were saved.

Because of this they experienced first hand the grace of God in their lives.

The gospel bore fruit in their lives as it does wherever it is obeyed.

Paul said this Gospel is for all the world.

/Paul gave thanks for their faith in Christ, *but he also commended*/   

 

*/b.

Their love for all the saints/*

/ /

The Colossian Christians/ /demonstrated their faith through love for all the saints.

The love they had for all the saints was simply their faith in action.

It is a healthy sign when Christians love one another.

Jesus* *said that people would know* *His disciples by their love for each other.*

*These Colossian saints didn't show favoritism or have cliques.

They practiced their faith.

Love is not just a feeling.

Love is a verb.

Since love is active it must be demonstrated.

*Colossians 1:8/ /*/Epaphras also declared to us your love in the Spirit/.

The Colossians love was empowered by the Holy Spirit.

This is how they could love all the saints.

The Holy Spirit enables us to love people that rub us up the wrong way.

He helps us to love the unlovely.

People that are usually neglected.

The New Testament is full of commands to love our neighbor.

Often we mistake this for warm fuzzy feelings.

But that is not it at all.

*1 John 3:16-18* /By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.

And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

/For our love to be real it must be active.

God shows His love by giving./

Can we do any less?

God gave His only begotten Son to us, what are we giving to others?

Paul commended the Colossians for their faith and Love.

*Now he commended*  /

 

*/c.

Their hope laid up in heaven/*

/ /

/What is this hope laid up in heaven?

/Paul talks about it in more detail in the following verses.

V 12 says that God has qualified us to partake of the inheritance of the saints in light.

In chapter 3 verse 4 Paul speaks of Christ's return for His people.

This then is their hope.

/ /*1 Corinthians 13:13*/ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

/

These three graces of the Spirit, should be seen in the lives of all believers.

In fact they work in harmony together.*

Romans 5:1-5* /Therefore, having been justified by *faith*, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by *faith* into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in *hope* of the glory of God.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, *hope.*

Now *hope* does not disappoint, because the *love* of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

/

/ /

Application

 

The Colossians had /faith in Christ Jesus/.

They had */heard/* the Gospel and */obeyed/* it./