Transcript

Thanksgiving For God's Glorious Gospel

Colossians 1:3-8
Sunday, September 23, 2001
Pastor Randy Smith

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The ancient world was indeed a large religious melting pot. Many believed there was safety in numbers- the more gods, the better. Every god was honored in fear that someone's god might be slighted. Acts 17 records Paul being confronted with "the altar to the unknown god". Or my paraphrase: "To whatever god we may have forgotten to honor, we are sorry. Don't hold this against us." It reminds me of the prayer I heard this week that concluded "…and we pray this in the name of Mohamed, Allah, God, Buddha, and Jesus, Amen."

In the context of such ancient pluralism, Jews and Christians stood out. They differed from everybody else by their unswerving allegiance to one God. Early Christians were labeled "atheists" by the religiously intolerant, because they did not believe in all the gods. Early Christians were labeled "haters of humankind" because they refused to participate in pagan temple rites and services. Early Christians were looked down upon for ignoring the gods who supposedly made the state strong…for greeting one another with a "holy kiss"…for partaking in the "body and blood" of a convicted and crucified villain and enemy of Rome. But they boldly proclaimed the truth in confidence. They proclaimed the truth about the one Living and True God. They proclaimed the truth that could only be obtained through Jesus Christ whom God raised from the dead.

Have the times really changed? Has pluralism in any way decreased? Is it any less offensive today for Christians to claim the exclusive truth in a society praised for its tolerance? How many times in the past week have we heard anybody quote Exodus 34:14: "for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." How many times in the past week have we heard anybody quote John 14:6: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" How many times in the past week have we heard anybody quote Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

I often wonder if the Christian community really believes these truths. I often wonder if we are ashamed and embarrassed by these truths. I often wonder if we really believe that Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation and apart from Him there is no way. I often wonder if we really believe that the Gospel is the best news the world could ever hear.

Paul believed it! "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom. 1:16). To him the gospel was not one of many truths; it was the truth. In thanksgiving he praised God for the glorious gospel, which changed lives, bore fruit and promised heaven. Specifically, all this was said without apology or explanation in the first 8 verses of his letter to the Colossians. I've entitled this message "Thanksgiving for the Glorious Gospel of God." Our objective is not only to have a better understanding, but also a better appreciation of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ-to transform lives and reconcile people with their Creator.

1. THANKSGIVING - THE METHOD (Colossians 1:3)

Paul begins verse 3 with thanksgiving addressed to God. We could say that everything for the next 5 verses is the content of that thanksgiving. Despite his hardships, Paul was a thankful man. He was thankful because God commands us to be thankful. He was thankful because he knew that God was in control. He was thankful for things most of the world doesn't even know exist. And yet according to the verse, his thankfulness is not in a vacuum. It is directed toward people like Epaphras and the Colossian church; ultimately it is directed toward God.

When we see things through the lens of God, we are able to see His handiwork and glorious actions. When we walk with God, we begin to appreciate the things He appreciates. When our heart is after God, we love to see Him glorified and His will accomplished. And when that takes place, the gratitude fills our hearts, and we express it back to Him with thanksgiving. The Christian's thanksgiving is not entirely for a bigger home and health and a raise, even the world is thankful for these things. The Spirit-filled individual is thankful for converts and righteous conduct and victory over sin, qualities that bring God glory by demonstrating His power in an individual's life.

The opposite is the fleshly individual. He sees God as a cosmic genie unconcerned and separated from the affairs of daily life. His mind is set on self and his actions are appraised as to how they affect him personally. God's glory is not desired and therefore is not recognized nor appreciated. Personal prosperity and security is of utmost concern. Gratitude is rare. If recognized, it revolves around self (health, family, money and possessions). If expressed, it does not go beyond people or an unknown source.

Paul was the former. "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you" (Col. 1:3). Paul will spend much time praising the Colossian church in this letter. They made great progress in the gospel, and he loved them dearly, but Paul knew that he ultimately owed the thanksgiving to God. The text says he gave thanks always in his prayers for the church. As we unpack this section this morning, we will learn that Paul had the right method, reason and source for his thanksgiving. All of these are fulfilled in the gospel with the ultimate source of the gospel being God.

2. THANKSGIVING - THE REASON (Colossians 1:4-5)

Let's take a look at Paul's reason (or occasion) for his particular thanksgiving. Col. 1:4 says, "Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus…" Paul had yet to visit the Colossian church, but in recalling the favorable reports about the congregation, he finds reason to give thanks for the believers' faith. In defining faith, one commentator said, "Faith is to be persuaded that something is totally true in as much as you can trust in it." I love the definition of faith once given by John Paton, the great missionary to the New Hebrides: "Lean your whole weight upon". Paul was initially thankful as the Colossian church practically demonstrated true biblical faith.

There is a story told about a famous tightrope artist who stretched his wire across the Niagara Falls. He walked from one country to the next successfully pushing a wheelbarrow. When he returned to the original side to the great applause of the crowd, he began to question a particular man in the audience. "Do you think I could do this again?" The man responded, "Yes." After repeating the question a few times, he asked again, "Do you really believe I can do this again." The man, beginning to get frustrated, said, "Yes, I just witnessed the feat with my own two eyes!" To that response, the tightrope artist said, "Then get in the wheelbarrow!"

Biblical faith puts complete trust in the person of Jesus Christ. Biblical faith is unlike the faith of the world. Biblical faith is more than intellectual assent or emotional conviction. It involves obedience, a resolution of the will. Remember it was James who said, "Faith without works is dead" (Jas. 2:17). Biblical faith is not blind; it is grounded on evidence: the teachings of Scripture and a changed life. Biblical faith rests in the sphere of Jesus Christ as verse 4 teaches. Biblical faith is a gift from God.

We are saved through our faith. We serve God by faith that perseveres to the end. The Colossian Church had great faith in Christ. Is it any wonder that Paul began with faith in his praise to the church and thanksgiving to God? Verse 4 continues. In addition to their faith Paul commends the church for "the love which you have for all the saints". The Greek word is agape. It speaks of a self-sacrificial love.

After Watergate, Chuck Colson was sentenced to prison. He was saved in prison, but his new faith was severely tested. His wife did not understand the "born-again" business, his son was picked up on drug charges and Colson himself was despondent. Christian Senators Hatfield, Hughes and Quie began praying for him. Senator Quie discovered an old law that allowed an innocent man to serve a prison term for another and personally volunteered to finish the remainder of Colson's sentence. Colson turned down the offer, but was refreshed at such sacrificial love.

David Garland said, "(Agape) love seeks to be released by giving it (away) to others. It is not a vacuum that selfishly craves to be fulfilled by what others can give to us." We like to complain how loveless the church has become. As Christians, we are not accountable as to how much other Christians love us, but we are accountable as to how much we love other Christians. Biblical love goes hand in hand with biblical faith. They are two sides to the same coin.

First of all, faith enables us to love. The sacrificial love that Paul is speaking about is a fruit of the Spirit. Apart from a relationship with the Lord we do not have the Holy Spirit and therefore cannot love in a supernatural way. True saving faith transforms the heart to love in the way expected by our Lord.

Second, love validates the faith. Paul knew their faith was genuine, because their love was genuine. In other words, their love proved the reality of their faith. "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20). The church demonstrated an active, unselective concern for "all the saints." They loved all the saints, not just the loveable.

A soldier watching a nurse clean and dress the gangrenous wounds of those fallen in battle said to her, "I wouldn't do that for a million dollars." The nurse responded, "Neither would I." That's the sacrificial, unselective love God calls us to exhibit. The standard is clear. As Christians we are called to love each other with the love we have received from Christ. In John 13:34-35 Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Our love for a fellow Christian is a reflection of God's love for us.

Paul was thankful for the Colossians' faith; he was thankful for the Colossians' love and finally, he was thankful for the Colossians' hope, "because of the hope laid up for you in heaven" (Col. 1:5). Where we would normally think that hope is the by-product of the faith and love, Paul in verse 5 expresses that faith and love are actually the by-product of hope.

Let me explain. When asked, most Olympic athletes said they would take a pill if it guaranteed them the gold medal, even if that pill would take their life immediately after receiving the reward. I think this gives us a feel for the dedication and determination of such individuals. The coveted gold medal is such an incentive that most Olympic athletes would do anything to achieve it. Minimally, we know all of them conduct rigorous training consisting of the best diet, fitness regimes and teaching available. Every decision is carefully weighed and rejected or accepted based on its ability to help further achieve that goal of superiority. The motivation for such disciplined living is the medal. The perishable prize is the hope that is set before them.

Though we strive for an imperishable prize, the Christian life is no different. Paul said, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable" (1 Cor. 9:24-25). We have a hope set before us, a marvelous hope, a future reward with the people of God, called heaven. Heaven is our hope. And because of our future hope, we live in such a way to make our election sure. We don't work to achieve the hope of heaven; it's a gift. But our lifestyle verifies whether or not we've received the gift. We prepare ourselves for our future home with Christ. We are willing to sacrifice the present glory for the future glory with Christ that awaits.

The hope laid before us has motivated the people of God throughout the centuries. Jim Elliot was a missionary who lived out this truth as he was martyred for his faith. His motto, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Or consider Moses. Hebrews 11:24-27 says, "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen."

John Piper said, "Our future imperishable hope, unlike a perishable medal, is the motivation we need for faith and love and every aspect of godly conduct." We are enjoying the present (not worldly-mindedness), but ultimately living for the future, a future reality (heavenly-mindedness). The Bible says "our citizenship is already in heaven" (Phil. 3:20). The Bible says, "We have already been seated in the heavenly places" (Eph. 2:6). Or as this verse in Colossians says, "we have a hope laid up (stored, put away, reserved) for us in heaven." What greater incentive for action here and now could we need?

Faith, hope and love. People have wrongly concluded that faith is in the past, love is in the present and hope is in the future. That's wrong! Saving faith in ongoing in our Christian life. Love will never cease (1 Cor 13:13). And hope (in the objective sense) is a present reality.

3. THANKSGIVING - THE SOURCE (Colossians 1:6-8)

What is the source of these traits: faith, love and hope? What produced such wonderful fruit? After all, the Colossians church demonstrated all three! Look at the remainder of verse 5, "…of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel." John Calvin paraphrased it well: "The Word of truth, which is the gospel." The source of our faith, love and hope is the gospel; the source of the gospel is God.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has local and universal impact. "Which has come to you (local), just as in all the world (universal)…" (Col. 1:6). In addition to the obvious impact the gospel was making on the Colossian church, the gospel swept across racial and geographical borders to permeate the Mediterranean world. Paul wanted the Colossian church to know they were not alone. The gospel is intended to impact others in the world. The gospel is seeking to purchase for God, men of every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Revelation 5:9 says, "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from tribe and tongue and people and nation.'" "And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people" (Rev. 14:6).

The Gospel is alive and active. Verse 6: "Also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing." Though "fruit-bearing" will be applied to individual Christians in verse 10, here it is spoken of the gospel. Paul is speaking of the successful outward extension of the gospel. The gospel is living, moving and growing. The fruit being produced is converts. The gospel began as a little seed, but its growth has impacted the world. Church history scholar Kenneth Latourette said, "One of the most amazing and significant facts of history is that within 5 centuries of its birth, Christianity won the professed allegiance of the overwhelming majority of the Roman Empire and even the support of the Roman state. Beginning as a seemingly obscure sect of Judaism, one of the scores, even hundreds of religions and religious groups which were competing within the realm, revering as its central figure one who had been put to death by the machinery of Rome."

According to recent statistics, Christianity is currently the world's biggest religion comprising 1.9 billion followers, or 31% of the world's population. The universal gospel spread and still spreads like wildfire, primarily because it speaks to every language and every culture. Everybody needs Jesus for hope and meaning and direction and forgiveness. The ultimate success behind the gospel is God. Heresies eventually die, for they are of man. However, God's purposes cannot be thwarted and His Words will never pass away.

The gospel must be understood and preached by faithful messengers. "Even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit." (Col. 6-8). For the gospel to be effective, it must be understood (intellectually heard, understood, learned). People are not saved through another's faith. People are not saved by emotionalism. People are not saved by the theology they deem to be correct. Understanding the one and only true Gospel of Jesus Christ and then placing their faith in the God of that Gospel can only save people.

And from this premise we back up and conclude that in order for people to hear and understand the gospel, the gospel must be preached. "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?" (Rom. 10:14). "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom. 10:17).

The gospel can only bear fruit when people faithfully proclaim it. Salvation is totally of God's grace, but He uses human agencies as channels of that grace. As a Christian, you are called to dispense that grace. Are you sharing the gospel? God can use your inadequacies, but He cannot use your silence.

Are you like Epaphras who Paul praised in verse 7 for leaving his comfort zone and preaching the gospel to the Colossian community? God blessed his ministry and began a church in that largely insignificant city. In these verses Paul calls Epaphras beloved and a fellow bondservant and a faithful servant. These are rich terms that welcome further discussion which time unfortunately does not permit. Nevertheless, could Paul speak these terms of you based on your articulation of the gospel?

The gospel is so beautiful! What faith it imparts. What love it motivates. What hope it guarantees. It came at such a great cost - the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That's why the gospel is priceless. I pray that you will love, embrace and share it as much as our Lord wants you to. The gospel is the beautiful gem of God that bears magnificent fruit.