Colossian Gleanings

March 19, 2017

Colossians 1:9-14

 

Abstract

When this message is completed River Church will have a refreshed vision of the goodness and greatness of Jesus Christ, especially as it applies to redemption and forgiveness

 

Introduction

1. Lord’s Supper
   1. Much of what I will be doing this morning is leading us to consider the grandeur and the goodness of Jesus Christ, especially as it is seen in His redemption and His forgiveness
   2. If you are new to River, let me explain how we take this supper which Jesus gave His disciples.
      1. Around the room we have tables situated, with the cup and the bread.
      2. At the close of this study we will have a period of time in the service for you to step to one of these tables, and to take the cup and bread in remembrance of what Jesus has done for us by dying for us.
         1. You are free to take the supper on your own, as a group of friends, as a family.
         2. You are free to take the supper quietly and reflectively
         3. You are free to take the supper with a degree of excitement
      3. If all of this is new to you . . . consider watching and reflecting on what these people are doing
         1. In your bulletin there is an article you may want to read
         2. The prayer may be one that you want to pray and express your faith and repentance

 

Pray

 

Between now and Easter I am going to draw observations from a short letter Paul wrote to a group of young Christians in the Asia Minor city of Colossae.

1. In a sense, this is a very dense letter, and it comes out of a blend of deep joy as well as deep disappointment.

 

The news from Epaphras

1. It must have been good to see Epaphras!
   1. Epaphras is one of Paul’s ‘key men’, ‘faithful and beloved and well trained’
   2. From what we can gather from Paul’s letters Epaphras had either asked to go home to the inland city of Colossae, or, Paul had assigned the challenge to him to go home and start a church.
      1. Epaphras has been ministering to these dear people for a while and has been seeing encouraging results.
   3. So, it must have been good to see Epaphras when he returned with news of his work.
      1. Some of the news was great to hear.
         1. Paul is grateful that these people (1:3)
            1. He calls them ‘faithful’ (1:2)
            2. He commends their Faith (1:4)
            3. Love (1:4)
            4. Hope (1:5)

 

1. Some of the news was very, very concerning.
   1. Epaphras has done the best he knows how to do. And still there is a kind of ‘captivity’ that these dear Colossians are slipping back into.
   2. Colossae, like most of Asia Minor, was full of what Paul calls ‘philosophy’ and ‘elementary principles of the world’

 

Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

 

1. These are not academic ‘philosophies’
   1. Like our smart friends might major in

 

2. These are street forms of
   1. Folk religions
      1. Full of notions of spiritual powers and beings

 

1. Jewish notions
   1. Some of which are an effort to keep Christianity attached to the law of Moses

 

1. Elements of Greek and Roman religious ideas

 

3. These ‘philosophies’ seem to have a promise common to all of them . . .
   1. “fullness” and “completeness”

 

• The Colossians are confused by all of this.
  1. They tend to be trying to add Jesus to these other traditions
     1. Epaphras has taught and taught them, but it hasn’t done much good.
     2. So he comes to Paul for help
     3. Paul writes a letter, that is both gentle and stern.
     4. His goal is clear

 

Colossians 2:9–10

⁹For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

¹⁰and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

 

1. Over and over in this letter Paul will present Christ as supreme,
2. And, our experience in Him as full and complete.
3. Paul is trying to get these Colossians to shove all the teaching and false promises of these philosophies into the trash, and to put Jesus on the counter, with nothing competing with Him

 

Tychicus (4:7) – the currior – must have been breathless as he arrives with this letter.

 

He unrolls the parchments and reads, first the words of thanksgiving.

Then, a prayer, that he had undoubtedly prayed along with Paul several times.

 

Colossians 1:9–14

⁹For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

¹⁰so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹¹strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously

¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

¹³For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 

Unpacking this prayer

Colossians 1:9

⁹For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

1. “filled” “fullness” “completeness” may have been themes these false teachers emphasized
   1. Paul is emphasizing to these Colossians, and to River Church, “fullness” is found in Jesus.
2. “the knowledge of His will”
   1. this is not the sense of “what should I major in” or “who should I marry” or “should I take this new job offer’
   2. This is the idea of “knowing Christ as fully as possible” so that I can discern how to live with Spirit provided wisdom and understanding
3. Notice this word “all . . .”
   1. Paul will use the words “all” and “every” again and again in this letter.
      1. “all” – 6 times in this prayer
      2. “every” – once in this prayer

 

Colossians 1:10-11

¹⁰so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹¹strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;

 

1. “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects”
   1. Notice this word “all . . .”
   2. “walk” is the idea of faithfully following
      1. Paul is talking here about a Spirit filled life

 

1. The philosophies and traditions stressed pleasing God with . . . (Col 2:16-23)
   1. Food
   2. Drink

• Festivals

1. Holidays
2. Sabbaths
3. Self-abasement

• Worship of angels
• Visions

1. Academic or religious arrogance
2. Don’t taste this, don’t touch that, don’t handle those
3. Self-abasement

• Severe treatment of the body

 

Paul is praying that they simply, faithfully walk with Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit. As they do, they will . . .

2. “bearing fruit in every good work”
   1. Notice the word “every . . .”

 

3. “increasing in the knowledge of God”
   1. as the Holy Spirit is working in us, we come to know God as fully as possible

 

 

4. (Col 1:11) “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might”
   1. There is another “all . . .”
      1. The Holy Spirit is giving us the strength that we need.
   2. “according to His glorious might” may better be translated “according to the might of His glory”
      1. “glorious” may be how we describe a sunset
      2. “glory” is how we describe God and His essence

 

5. “for the attaining of all steadfast and patience”
   1. “steadfast” is how we endure difficult circumstances
   2. “patience” is how we endure difficult people (according to some commentators)
   3. notice again the use of the word, “all . . .”

 

 

6. (Col 1:11b-12) “joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”
   1. “joy” and “thanks” are not part of these ‘philosophies’ and ‘human traditions’

 

 

 

Colossians 1:13-14

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

1. Rescued us
2. Transferred us
3. We have redemption
4. “forgiveness of sins”

 

Paul is being emphatic here!

Philosophies and traditions cannot forgive sins!

Jesus can forgive sins because His death on the cross is sufficient to pay for our sins!

 

 

 

We will conclude by reflecting on forgiveness and allowing this to stir joy and gratitude in our hearts!

1. There is no need to accept some of His forgiveness so that you can feel good enough to enter the kingdom, while refusing the rest of His forgiveness.
2. He wants you to be fully rescued, fully transferred, fully redeemed, and fully forgiven.

 

I have selected 7 passages.

1. Feel free to . . .
   1. Confess sin you need to confess
   2. Weep
   3. Kneel
   4. Stand
   5. Clap
   6. Cheer

 

 

 

Psalm 32:5

⁵I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;

And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

 

Psalm 103:11–13

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

 

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are as scarlet,

They will be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They will be like wool.

 

Isaiah 43:25

“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.

 

Micah 7:18–19

¹⁸Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity

And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?

He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in unchanging love.

¹⁹He will again have compassion on us;

He will tread our iniquities under foot.

Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.

 

Ephesians 1:7

⁷In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

 

Colossians 2:13–14

¹³When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

¹⁴having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

 

1 John 1:9

⁹If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.