Products of the Gospel
Title: The Products of the Gospel
Text: Colossians 1:3-8
Theme of the book of Colossians: Jesus Christ: The pre-eminent and all-sufficient Savior
Theme of Text: Paul’s thankfulness to God and his purpose in life were based on the Gospel.
Proposition: The Gospel should produce change in our lives.
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;
7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
Introduction
One of my grandpa’s in Texas is a watermelon farmer. He has been a farmer for all of his life. He used to take me with him to the watermelon fields everyday when I was a kid. He used to teach me everything he knew about watermelons. I learned about the whole process of growing produce. There are many steps in the growing process, before you get a big watermelon. First, you have to have a field, and then you have to get the field ready to be planted. After it is ready, you have plant the seed, water the ground, fertilize the field, weed the field, and then after months of growing, you harvest the watermelon. You then put the watermelons on trucks to be delivered to markets and stores. Once the watermelon is at the store, people can buy the produce. The watermelon is the product of a lot of hard work. There is not just an easy step to get watermelons to grow. You can’t just stick a seed in the microwave and then 20 minutes later you get a watermelon. It is a product of the ground and man’s hard work. Today we will be talking about the products of the Gospel. The gospel has four natural products mentioned in this passage. The Gospel produces thankfulness to God, change in peoples lives, fruit, and preachers.
Definition of Gospel
What exactly is the Gospel? At the end of verse 5, the word gospel is used; the word in the Greek language is εὐαγγέλιον. What does Paul mean when he uses the word “gospel?” This word is used over 90 times in the New Testament; Paul commonly uses it in his epistles. We use the word “Gospel” a lot in church, but many times we use this “Christian” word without people knowing the meaning of it.
The word “Gospel” used as a noun literally means “a reward for good tidings.” In the New Testament times in secular literature, it is used as a technical term for “news of victory.” The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says, “The messenger appears, raises his right hand in greeting and calls out with a loud voice “news of victory.” By his appearance, it is known already that he brings good news. His face shines, his spear is decked with laurel, his head is crowned, he swings a branch of palms, joy fills the city, “news of victory” are offered, the temples are garlanded, an theatrical play is held, crowns are put on for the sacrifices and the one to whom the message is owed is honored with a wreath. εὐαγγέλιον is closely linked with the thought of victory in battle.” (2:722) For the believer, the “Gospel” does not mean victory in battle, but it does mean that Christ has victory over death, sin, and hell!
The way that the word “Gospel” is used in the New Testament is very broad. The gospel implies not only the historical event of Christ coming to earth, but it the total idea behind Christianity. We are Christians because of the Gospel. When I refer to the word “Gospel,” I will usually mean the good news of Christ’s coming to defeated sin, Satan, and death at the cross, and he has made it possible for men to receive grace, forgiveness, and eternal life through what he did at Calvary.
In his commentary on Colossians, John MacArthur says that there are 7 things that we should do because of the Gospel. They are as follows:
First, we should proclaim the good news, following the example of Jesus (Matt. 4:23), the apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and believers of all ages.
Second, we are to defend its veracity (truthfulness). Paul described himself as one “appointed for the defense of the gospel” (Phil. 1:16). Peter told his readers to “make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15).
Third, we are to work hard for the advance of the gospel. Paul admonishes the Philippians to “strive together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). The gospel demands of us discipline and strenuous effort.
Fourth, we are to pursue the fellowship we share with others who have believed the gospel. Devotion to the fellowship of the gospel characterized the early church (Acts 2:42). Paul often expressed his gratitude for those who had received the gospel (Phil. 1:3–5).
Fifth, we must be ready to suffer for the sake of the gospel. (2 Tim. 1:8).
Sixth, we are to make sure that our lives do not hinder the gospel. Paul told the Corinthians that he would waive his right to be paid for his ministry rather than cheapen the message of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:12).
Seventh, we must never be ashamed of the gospel. (Rom. 1:16).
Finally, we are to realize the gospel carries with it divine empowerment. (1 Thess. 1:5). The power of the gospel does not come from our cleverness or persuasiveness, but from the Holy Spirit.
1) The Gospel Produces Thankfulness v. 3-4
i.) What Paul gave: “thanks”
Paul writes in this first verse, “We give thanks.” He uses the plural and says we because in verse 1, he mentioned that Timothy was with him. It was probable that Epaphras was with him as well. We should suspect that Paul, Timothy, Epaphras, and any other Christians with them were praying regularly together for the church of Colossae.
The word for thanksgiving is closely related to the idea of praise. Paul was basically offering up praise and thanksgiving. Paul was grateful to God for what the Gospel did, so he offered praise and thanksgiving
ii.) To Whom Paul gave “thanks”
The thanks was not offered to the Colossians; it was offered “to God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Gospel was a gift from God because he sent his Son to the cross for us. We are not thankful for what we have done (Eph. 2:8-9), nor are we thankful for what another man has done, but we are thankful for what God has done!
iii.) When Paul gave “thanks”
Paul says that he was “praying always for you.” He said he was “always” praying for them. This was a common way to talk of prayer in ancient letters. We would think that this means continual unceasing prayer throughout the day, but Paul was not talking about an unceasing prayer. The idea here is that he remembered to give thanks to God and remembered the Colossians in his prayers when he prayed. He means that he regularly remembered them in his times of prayer: morning, noon, and evening (the customary three hours each day), and whenever else he prayed (O’Brien 10). It is true that we should be always thinking about the Lord and praying to him, but here it is talking about regular scheduled times of prayer. We must have regular times of prayer each day. [TAKE TEN CHALLENGE]
iv.) Why Paul gave “thanks”
Paul was giving thanks to God because of what the Gospel had done in the lives of the Colossian believers. Paul had “heard” the good reports of the believers at Colossae. The Gospel had changed the people at Colossae. It had given the Colossian believers faith, love, and hope; this is reason to praise God. The Gospels power to change men is a reason to give praise and thanksgiving to God.
Paul was thankful to God during his regular times of prayer because of the Colossian believer’s faith in God and love for all the saints. Thankfulness is the result of the Gospel. When one understands the Gospel, they will thank and praise to God. The Gospel produces thankfulness to God, and it produces change in peoples lives.
2) The Gospel Produces Change v. 4-5
The Gospel produced change in the lives of the people at Colossae. Before the Gospel, the people did not believe in God, they were hateful, and they were hopeless (Titus 3:3). Anyone that has not been changed because of the Gospel can be described by these conditions. Once a person understands the Gospel and is saved from their sin, they will have faith, love, and hope. These three things are the result of saving faith! (Rom. 5:1-5; Gal. 5:5-6; Eph. 4:2-5)
i.) Faith: Looking up God
Paul was praying for the Colossians because he had heard of their “faith in Christ Jesus.” Their faith is mentioned first because without faith, there would not be any love or hope. Faith comes before a person can have love and hope. Faith is to trust that something is true and then to act or obey because of that trust. Faith gives assurance and certainty about unseen realities (Heb. 11:1). Faith involves obedience. Faith causes a person to obey by repenting of their sin. Faith leads to repentance; repentance leads to a person changing their life to be more like Christ. A true believer will allow Christ to be the Lord of all of their life. We must be willing to allow Christ to control every part of our life! The believers at Colossae had faith that was based in Christ. Christ was the object of their faith. They allowed Christ to control their life because he was the foundation for their faith. Their faith was directed upwards to their God and Savior.
Illustration/application: Each of us has faith in something. When I go to the light switch, I have faith that the light will turn on. When I go to sit down in a chair, I have faith that it will hold me up. Before we came to Taiwan, we had faith that there was a church here called Cornerstone Baptist Church. People told us about the church, but we had never been here ourselves. We had faith that the Hanna’s were telling the truth that there was a church here. We acted in obedience to that faith by coming here to the church. When we got here, our faith became knowledge. We have faith that Christ died for us and rose from the dead. We have faith that Christ will take us home to heaven. We should have faith that God can and will direct our life if we let him. Because of the Gospel, you can change from an unbelieving person to a person that has faith in Christ.
ii.) Love: Looking to Others
The Gospel had changed the people of Colossae from hateful people to that have “love for all the saints.” This drastic change from hate to love was another reason for Paul to thank God. (1 John 2:10-11) Believers will not hate their brothers and sisters in Christ, but they love them and care for them in every possible way. In John 13:34, Christ tells his followers that they should have love for each other like his love for his children.
Application: You may not necessarily be emotionally drawn to particular person, but you are still to love them because Christ loved you. You might not like the way someone acts or someone’s personality, but you must still love them. Love is not an emotion that you will feel towards everyone you come in contact with, but you must love them in spite of your feelings. Do you love someone that is not like you? What about the drunk or poor person that comes to the church or asks you for money? Do you love them enough to give the Gospel to them? You should!
iii.) Hope: Looking towards the Future
The faith and love that the believers have is “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” Hope is based on that which is unseen in the future. The hope here is based in heaven. Believers can rest assured that their hope is kept for them in heaven. (Remember, hope here is really a confident expectation.) As God’s children, you have hope (or confident expectation) that you have eternal life and your reward awaits in heaven. Our hope rests in the most secure place in the universe: in heaven with our God and Savior Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:4).
Illustration: The idea of the world is to live for today; people say “Buy what you can right now, pay for it later.” Look at the story of Moses. Moses was willing to forsake the riches and glories of being in the palace of Pharaoh. Instead of living in nice comfortable conditions in the palace, he obeyed God and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. It is so easy to fulfill our desires and wants right now by not serving the Lord, but we must realize that our reward is in heaven!
Application: The hope and reward that is laid up in heaven should motivate us not to waste our lives living in the pleasures of this world. We should be willing to forsake everything in this world for Christ. This live here on earth is temporal. We only have a short time to live; do not use your life trying to get wealth or position. Some of you need to reevaluate how you are spending your time, money, and life. Do not worry about your retirement, bank account, or your position in society; worry about serving the Lord with your life. Your reward is in heaven! Use your life for Christ; your reward will be in eternity.
The Gospel produces changed lives. An unbelieving, hateful, hopeless person can be changed into person that has faith in Christ, loves other Christians, and has hope for eternity. Not only did the Gospel produce change in the lives of the people at Colossae, but it also produced fruit throughout the world.
3) The Gospel Produces Fruit v. 5b-7
Paul said, “The gospel, which has come to you as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing.” The gospel has the power to change people for eternity. The fruit that we are talking about is not fruit like the ones we get off a tree. The fruit that we are talking about is changed lives because of Christ. A person that hears the gospel, then believes, and repents of his sin is called the fruit of the gospel.
i.) In Colossae
The Gospel had come to the people in Colossae through the ministry of Epaphras. They heard him teach and preach, so they were changed. Their change was not a fruit of Epaphras, but it was fruit of the Gospel. Epaphras did not change them; the gospel had changed their lives. The message of the gospel was producing fruit in the lives of the Colossians, but it was also producing fruit throughout the world.
ii.) In all the World
Christ commanded his disciples to take the gospel to the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20). The gospel had been taken to the known world and it was producing fruit. People throughout the world were having their lives changed by Christ. (Matt. 24:14; Rom. 1:8, 16) This has continued until today. They gospel has continued to bear fruit by changing peoples lives for 2000 years. It has spread throughout the world.
The task of spreading the gospel throughout the world is not finished. We must continue to spread the gospel to all people throughout the world! Are you giving the gospel out to the unsaved? Maybe the Lord is calling you to take the gospel to somewhere else in the world. Maybe the Lord is calling you to preach the gospel to people here in Kaohsiung. The gospel not only produces fruit throughout the world, but it also produces preachers.
4) The Gospel Produces Preachers v. 7-8
Paul wrote that the Colossian believers had the believers had heard the gospel from Epaphras. He was “a faithful servant of Christ.” Epaphras had taught the people of Colossae about the gospel and they “understood the grace of God in truth.” If Epaphras had not gone to them to teach the gospel, they may not have heard of the gospel. Epaphras was saved under the ministry of Paul. Paul says in verse 7 that he is a fellow servant of Christ. The gospel changed his life and produced fruit in his life. This change resulted in him being burdened to preach the gospel to those people in Colossae. The Gospel produces preachers and ministers of the gospel. God uses the gospel to call people to serve him (2 Thessalonians 2:14). Paul says in Romans 1:1 that he was set apart for the gospel of God. Paul was saved because of the message of the gospel, and he was called to preach the message of the gospel.
Application: Every person here should be a “minister” or “preacher” of the gospel! This does not mean that all of you will be a pastor, a missionary, or an evangelist, but it does mean that we should be declaring the gospel to everyone around us. All of you saved by Jesus Christ are called to be servants of God. This makes each one of us responsible to declare the gospel to other people. God uses preaching to reach people with the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:21). God may be calling some of you men to be preachers of God’s Word. There is no higher calling than the calling of serving Jesus Christ. Kaohsiung needs preachers, Taiwan needs preachers, and the world needs preachers! There is a great need for preachers. Romans 10:14: “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” The preaching of the gospel produces thankfulness, it changes lives, it produces fruit, and it produces preachers. Please listen to God and give the gospel to other people!
Conclusion
Remember I talked at the beginning about the watermelons that my Grandpa grew. That was a product of his hard work and the Lords goodness. The products of the Gospel are even greater than the product of the farming that my grandpa did. The Gospel has great power to change people. God has given us the responsibility to give the gospel out to people. Are you doing your part by giving out the gospel?
The gospel produces thanksgiving to God.
The gospel produces change in peoples lives.
The gospel produces fruit in the world.
The gospel produces of salvation.
Are you praising and thanking God for what he did to change your life? Are you thankful that you can spend eternity in heaven? Thank him today for his great gift of the Gospel.
Have you been changed by the Gospel? If you have not, you need to be. Don’t wait another day to be saved!
Are you helping the Gospel bear fruit? Are you spreading the Gospel to friends and family? We don’t have long to live on earth, spread the Gospel!
Are you supposed to be a preacher? Is God calling you to preach?