What's Real? Verse By Verse Study of Colossians Chapter 1

ABC Messages featuring Pastor Ben Poole

What’s Real? The Church in Colossae. Colosse was located about 120 miles east of Ephesus, in the province of Asia (Now Turkey) When Paul was in Ephesus people from all over Asia heard about Jesus. Ephesus was like the capital of the area. Paul writes to the new church about some of the problems they were facing. 1. False Teachers who focused on lineage of spiritual rulers and authorities. And spiritual powers of the world. Demons, etc. Strict Observance of Sabbath New moon festivals Following rules about their bodies. Asceticism- Spiritual beings putting emphasis on self control and spiritualism. 2. They also had problems with idols that were there far before believer sin Jesus. If you stop worshiping the city or village god’s bad stuff could happen. A strong desire to add Jesus to the other gods. They are also on the highway to Rome. Which means every world philosophy and their religions are riding by everyday. The problem is you can’t follow Jesus and any other Gods. Jesus makes it very clear that while life is a journey he is the only path to the father. 3. So maybe some of them have it figured out. Jesus is first. But then they start making rules to keep Jesus first. Traditions, Religion, Paul talks about this in chapter 2. Asceticism- severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons. (Buddhism – the soul is trapped in the body) Gospel view- God made our bodies and souls not as something that can be divided in the here and now. (When we get to heaven we will be given new glorified bodies) In chapter 3-4 he writes about how to embrace the new Life with Jesus and turn from your sin. Then he concludes with an encouragement to pray. JESUS HAS TO BE OVER EVERYTHING!!! Colossians 1 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. Thanksgiving and Prayer 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[d] behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. (Paul didn’t start this church one of his disciples did. Paul most likely shared the gospel and taught Epaphras) 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e] (Jon Purkey… The Holy Spirit asked him to preach. When God speaks, we have to be like Isiah send me! Another brother in Christ was asking me about ordination. Someone had printed him documents to be a minister. He’s called. He knows he was called by the H.S. first. The problem can be we wait for permission. When God has already given us permission._ 1 Peter 2:5 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Supremacy of the Son of God 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[g] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Paul’s Labor for the Church 24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. The suffering doesn’t bring salvation. The suffering has reason in that it will help the church. We don’t have to suffer to bring salvation. Paul is writing this letter in part because he has the time to use his suffering to their advantage. I lost weight during COVID lockdowns. I took advantage of the ability to hone my diet in. I took advantage of the suffering. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, What’s the mystery the secret? Is their mystical knowledge that only the top ranking preachers and pastors and the people with the special handshake or divine ability to hear from God only have? (YES but I wont tell you….) Joking. No it was that prophecy was’nt completely clear. It was clear as day afterwards but before it was written to give hope but not a date. It was also hidden from the Gentiles. but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. Accept people where they are so that they will believe in Jesus and Care for each other!