Truth that brings life — Col 1:1-11

  • In this remarkable passage we see a vivid image of the New Creation that links back to the old,
  • but also points forward to how we can spread the Gospel,
  • and the source of growth and fruit in our lives.

Play Audio:

Please open the handout showing this passage by Clicking here,
or download the PDF of the page here.

Goal

  • To give us all confidence in the power of God’s Word
    to bring life and light and hope
    to us and to those we speak to

Truth that brings life — Col 1:1–11

  1. Focus on Colossians 1:1–9
  2. What the passage is telling us
  3. The prayer at the end (9–11)
  • We have been doing a series on Evangelism, and last time I asked the question

What is faith?

  • Not a leap in the dark, or belief without evidence
  • It’s trusting a person, based on the evidence you have that they are trustworthy
  • Salvation comes from trusting Jesus by giving him your life and following his teachings.
  • Faith in Jesus grows as we exercise it and see him proving faithful

1. Focus on Colossians 1:1–9

Colossians 1:1–9

  • note “hearing”,“learning” or “preaching”
  • see with these lines highlighted:

Col 1:1–9 highlighted

  • This is an amazing piece of writing that Paul has done
  • Actually it is a precision work
    • Didn’t use bullet points
    • A “mirror” style of writing (the second half mirrors the first half)
    • Not just a casual letter—he realizes that this is something of lasting importance, and they are to pass it on...
    • I don’t like to bring technical stuff into my sermons just for the sake of it, but if God has put something there, we have a responsibility to find it.
    • I’m going to show you Paul’s literary style, which is very poetic, and beautifully intricate

Structure of 1:3–9

Structure of 1:3-9
  • If the Holy Spirit caused Paul to write it like this, then we should pay attention
  • At the center of this passage is the phrase, “bearing fruit and growing”
    • This image is taken from the creation account in Genesis,
      • where God told the new creation to bear fruit and grow and fill the earth
    • The image is of a seed, growing and spreading
  • What is the seed?
    • the word of truth, the gospel, the grace of God
  • How did it get planted?
    • It “came to them”, they “recognized”/accepted it
  • What fruit has this word of truth produced?
    • faith, love, hope
    • Faith in Jesus Christ
    • Love for one another
    • Hope —not a vague hope, but the certainty of their destiny
  • So think of it. Simply because of this truth coming in, there is now
    • a people of Faith in Jesus
    • a people who are radically loving one another
    • and a people secure in their destiny
      • It has transformed them!
    • the rest of the letter expands on these
    • we will see that in these coming weeks
  • What does this news cause Paul to do?
    • pray for them
  • What does he pray?
    • see in a minute
  • Why does Paul put it in this inside out way?
    • He actually does follow this logical sequence
      • from (in the word of truth) back to the start (so it is in reverse order)
        • and then
      • from (the grace of God) to the end normal order
    • This style of writing it twice, once in each direction, was a common one.
    • That way, the most important thing was right in the middle
      • That the gospel was bearing fruit and growing

2. What the passage is telling us

Seedling

Seedling
  • This is similar to our Newlife church image
    • and in fact this is what our name as a church is all about!
  • Do you believe this can happen?
    • Tony page 34.
    • Story of girl from Tehran
  • If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, then this is such good news for you.
    • You don’t have to work up enough trust to believe him
    • You simply need to take it in with an honest heart
    • Jesus told a story to explain this:

Luke 8

  1. A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds devoured it.
  2. Other seed fell on rock, and when it came up, it withered because it had no moisture.
  3. Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up with it and choked it.
  4. But other seed fell on good soil and grew, and it produced a hundred times as much grain.”
  5. …The seed is the word of God.
  6. Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
  7. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing fall away.
  8. As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
  9. But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing the word, cling to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance.

3. The prayer at the end (9–11)

Truth that brings life — Col 1:1–11

  1. Focus on Colossians 1:1–9
  2. What the passage is telling us
  3. The prayer at the end (9–11)

Paul’s prayer: Col 1:9–11

and asking that you may be:
filled with the knowledge of his will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding

so as to walk worthy of the Lord:

in all ways to please him,

in all good work bearing fruit and increasing
      in the knowledge of God,

in all power being empowered,
      through his glorious strength,

in all endurance and patience
      with joy, giving thanks to the Father

  • Note the structure: 4 things are flowing out of this knowledge wisdom understanding
  • So what is this truth, that produces these dramatic changes?
    • Essentially is it Grace, but grace can become a very empty word if we talk about it a lot
    • words get “devalued”, like “awesome”

Romans 8

  1. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…
  2. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
  3. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
  4. nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Do you believe that the “word of truth” is life-changing and brings fruit?
    • If so, then spend some time reading it this week

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