48
Parliament of World’s Religions Chicago 1893
Jesus was ....• admired, quoted, &
revered• a revealer of God, • to be loved & followed• shows us the way• Master of Masters,
BUT only one enlightened man among many...• favorably compared to other religious teachers,
ancient and modern. • To be respected, • Honored ...• but not to be worshiped.
Jesus is not Lord at AllIf He is not Lord of All
THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS
Intro to Colossians
AUTHOR: • Paul, the Apostle.DATE: • Uncertain. • ?? between A.D. 60-63. • ?? during Paul's imprisonment
at Rome (Acts 28:16, 30-31)
Intro to Colossians
TO WHOM: • believers & faithful brothers
in Christ at Colossae (1:2)BY WHOM:• Tychicus & Onesimus (4:7-9)
Intro to Colossians
PURPOSE: • To combat wrong teachings
in the Colossae church espregarding the person & Lorship of Christ “Colossian Heresy”
(a) The CITY : Colossae
1. Lycus Valley with 3 cities – Hierapolis, Laodicea & Colossae
2. Laodicea (the lukewarm church of Revelations) the biggest only about 10 miles away
3. Colossae was the least important of the three.
(a) The CITY : Colossae
4. Ephesus - about 100 miles away5. Famous for clothing, dyeing of wool & minerals6. Population - both Jewish and Gentile. 7. Situated along the East-West trade route -
exposed to modern thoughts & philosophies
(b) The CHURCH
• May have met in the home of Philemon, who lived in Colossae (4:9 and Philemon 10).
• Paul mentions both Laodicea and Hierapolis (2:1; 4:13, 16).
• Primarily Gentile in membership
• Paul had never visited Colossae (2:1).
• Acts 19:8-10 Paul’s 3 ysministry in Ephesus, "all Asia" heard the Gospel.
• Founded by ?Epaphras(1:4-7; 4:12-13) who is from Colossae.
(c) The CRISIS• Epaphras – personally visited Paul in Rome
(4:12, Philemon 23)
Because of the crisis .... 3 Letters – Colossians, Ephesians
& Philemon Carried by Tychicus (Eph 6:21-22)
& OnesimusSummary :Colossians emphasizes Christ’s ... Supremacy Sufficiency
EPHESIANS • The Church - the
Body of Christ
COLOSSIANS• Christ - the Head
of the Body
(d) THE CORRESPONDENCE
Outline of Colossians
I. Chp 1 : DOCTRINE
Christ's Supremacy & Sufficiency DECLARED
II. Chp 2 : DANGER
Christ's Supremacy & Sufficiency DEFENDED
III. Chps 3-4 : DUTY
Christ's Supremacy & Sufficiency DISPLAYED
Colossians
I. Chp 1 : DOCTRINE
Christ's Supremacy & Sufficiency
DECLARED
A. Lessons in Discipleship 1:1-8
Colossians 1:1-8
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
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 the saints–
Colossians 1:1-85 the faith and love that spring from the hope
that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Church @ Colossians
* Not started by PaulBecause Paul has never
been there (2:1)
Church @ Colossians
Started by a ‘LOCAL’ ...• 1:7 “You learned it from Epaphras, our
dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ...”
• 4:12 “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, ...”
• Acts 19 Paul’s 3 year stay in Ephesus, 100 miles from Colossae...
• Epaphras was most probably ...converted in EphesusDiscipled of Paul, ? Commissioned
Church @ Colossians
1:7 “You LEARNED it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ...”
“LEARNED” : Gk manthano or emathete
“to learn" - mathetes - "a disciple“- a disciple is a learner
Paraphrase 1:7Epaphras our dear fellow servant and faithful minister in Christ DISCIPLED YOU ...
Church @ ColossiansThe Colossian Church was discipled by Epaphraspossibly also the churches at
Laodicea and Hierapolis (4:13)So Paul first discipled EpaphrasEpaphras then discipled the
Colossians Christians...What then were the results of Paul’s Discipling of Epaphraswho then Discipled the Colossians
Lessons In Discipleship1st Lesson in Discipleship :FAITH• Col 1:4 “... your faith in Christ Jesus ...”
* Ps Phua : “with Christ”• Colossians : “in Christ” 7X• Discipleship is all about being “In Christ”• Your relationship with Christ is what
mattersYou can only have a relationship
‘WITH CHRIST’ if you are ‘IN CHRIST’
Lessons In DiscipleshipFirst Lesson In Discipleship :
FAITH in ChristIt’s not even about Doing Quiet Time...Reading The Bible...Attending Sunday Church Service...Attending Discipleship Groups...Attending Prayer Meetings...Going On Mission Trips...Taking Holy Communion... Etc etc
faith !!
What do you
believe?
Whatever my church believe...
And what do your church
believe?
What I believe...
QUESTION :Do You Know
What You Believe ?
Faith !!What’s FAITH ?Quote Heb 11:1‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’
Story of 8 years old Wesley Parker
Martyn Lloyd-Jones : "Faith ... is not merely an intellectual awareness of the truth, or even an intellectual acceptance of the truth. You can have that and still be without faith. Faith means a real trusting in Him and what He has done on our behalf and for our salvation. . . .
Faith !!
The man who has faith is the man who is no longer looking to himself.... He looks entirely to the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work, and he rests on that alone."
Rev Edmund Chan sharing on FAITH esp in the area of healing...4 Possible Responses ... God ‘Can’ An Oxymoron
God ‘Will’A Presumptuous Faith
God ‘Must’ Acting as a spoiled brat
God ‘Is’ True Faith TRUST + RELATIONSHIP
Faith = Trust + ?
Quotes:
Isaiah 7.9If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all .
Dietrich BonhoefferFor faith is only real
when there is obedience,
never without it, and faith only becomes
faith in the act of obedience
Most church is an unreal mefollowing an unreal Him;discipleship is the real me
following the real Him.Roy Baylis
Lessons In Discipleship
2nd Lesson In Discipleship :
LOVE ... for all the saints
Col 1:4 “... the LOVE you have for all the saints...”
‘agape’ love Gk“ALL” the saintsThe Colossian church must
have been a very loving church
Lessons In Discipleship
2nd Lesson In Discipleship :
LOVE for all the saints...
• But even though they are called ‘holy’, ‘faithful’ & ‘saints’ ...
they are all still very human ...
• John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another."
“They have something special. I want what they have. I want to be like Christians to be able to love others… I want to have the joy that Christians have. I want to continue my
faith journey even when I go back to China and help others in China to receive this peace and
joy only Jesus can provide.”
“I was deeply attracted by the church life and the peace and joy the Christians had. I was also attracted by how they lived in harmony with one another.”
“I am impressed by the attitude of their everyday life, the attitude when they are confronted with difficulty. Also, they are always willing to help others.”
“From them I saw the image of Jesus Christ. Without them I could not know God.”
Nie HengSheng
What is it ?
•
A113 • classroom number at the California Institute of
Arts, where many talented animators studied.
Lessons In Discipleship
3rd Lesson In Discipleship :
HOPE ...Col 1:5 “... the hope that is stored up for you in heaven...already heard about in the word of truth, the Gospel ...”Heavenly ...Word of TRUTHGospel – ‘Good News’ ...
Lessons In Discipleship
3rd Lesson In Discipleship :
HOPE ...Col 1:27 “Glorious Hope”1 Peter 1:3 “Living Hope”Titus 2:13 “Blessed Hope”1 Tim 1:1 “Christ Jesus our Hope”
Survey ...
Q 1 : WHAT IS THE KEY TO GETTING INTO HEAVEN?
65.5% Living a good life
26.7% Having connections to someone at the top.
2.7% Helping old ladies cross the street.
1.9% Slipping St. Peter $20.00.
1.2% Making a deal with the devil.
0.5% Having a strong letter of reference.
0.5% Telling a really good lie.
Total votes 121,836
Q2 : Are you going to heaven? Yes. 89.8% No. 10.2%
Total votes 143,309
Lessons In Discipleship
The local church is the hope for the
world.
Bill Hybels
Lessons In Discipleship
1st : FAITH2nd : LOVE3rd : HOPEMore Lessons In
Discipleship ....
Akan Datang ....
Lessons In DiscipleshipApplication:As Paul Discipled Epaphras ...
Epaphras in turn Discipled the Colossian converts ....
Result : Paul commended the Colossian Church for their ...FAITH, LOVE & HOPE ...
Cf 1 Thess 1:3b “... your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Lessons In Discipleship
Application :Christians & Disciples !!‘in theory’ : Christians = DisciplesBut ‘in reality’ ...NOT all Christians are Disciplesbut all Disciples are Christians.& WE ARE ALL CALLED TO BE DISCIPLES of JESUS CHRIST...
Lessons In DiscipleshipTake-Home Points :1. Jesus is still calling for DISCIPLES...2. Call is to ‘Make Disciples’...
‘Last Command our 1st Priority’3. Disciples & Discipleship ...DO NOT JUST HAPPEN...Discipleship must be INTENTIONAL
4. Discipling & Discipleship cannot be done ALONE ...Discipleship is all about Relationship...Being Discipled & Making Disciples
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ
Moving forward ...Think Big,
START SMALL, Build Deep
Conclusion
In Closing...Col 1:3 “We always thank God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,...”
“We give thanks” - Gk eucharisteoRoot word : Eucharist
- ThanksgivingAnother term for Holy Communion
