I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to Colossians 1:1-14
Colossians 1:1-14 (NIV)
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--
5 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.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may 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, and joyfully
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints 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.
-- 17,149
days -- as of this moment this is how long I have been alive -- and I tell you
that for a reason -- in Psalm 90:12 we are told to number our days -- to make
each day meaningful -- to make each day count
-- however,
as the author of "20,000 Days and Counting" points out, most people
sleepwalk through our day-to-day lives -- we don't think about living life to
the full -- we don't think about what we are doing in the moment -- but we
passively wish away our lives by counting down the days and years to major
events -- like your 16th birthday or vacation or retirement -- we just let time
slip away, and before we know it, it's gone-- but rather than living life like that, the author suggests we do what God told Moses to do almost four thousand years ago -- to start living life based on days and not years -- to count our days and then make them count -- each day we are to live our lives as if it were the last -- each day we are to live our lives in the moment with meaning -- the author suggests we celebrate daily milestones rather than yearly milestones
-- 17,149
days -- that is how many days I have been alive -- but that's not the important
number -- the important number for me is 13,533 -- assuming I make it to 84
years of age -- the average lifespan for a man in this country -- that means I
have 13,533 days left to be counted -- 13,533 days left to make a difference --
13,533 days to live a life with meaning -- with today being Day 1 -- lived like
it was the last day of my life
-- the
point of Psalm 90:12 and of the author of "20,000 Days and Counting"
is to make every day count -- to number our days and to be aware of the
fleeting nature of life so we will live intentionally -- so we will live in the
moment -- so we will live lives of purpose and meaning
-- this
morning I want us to look at the introduction to the Book of Colossians, where
Paul talks to the church at Colossae about this very thing -- about living a
life that has meaning -- as he puts it in verse 10, a life worthy of the Lord
and pleasing to Him in every way
-- so let's
look at this passage in the light of eternity and think about the days we have
ahead of us and how we will make the most of them
II. Scripture Lesson (Colossians 1:1-14)
-- look
back at verse 1-2
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.
-- if
you've spent much time in Paul's epistles, this greeting to the church at Colossae
-- and part
of that is form -- we know that in Paul's day, people put their names at the
start of a letter rather than signing at the bottom like we do in our day --
but Paul does more than just tell the Colossians who is writing to them -- he
tells them he knows who he is-- "I am Paul -- an apostle -- called by name by the living Christ -- on a mission from God to the Gentiles -- trying to live my life in such a way as to fulfill the will of God and please Him in all I do -- I am Paul"
-- I get
requests from various ministries like Voice of the Martyrs asking me to send
messages of encouragement and hope to persecuted Christians around the world --
much as Paul is doing here in this letter to the Colossians -- if you were
asked to write such a letter, how would you describe yourself? -- what words
would you use?
-- notice
that Paul doesn't focus on the past -- on who he was as a Pharisee among
Pharisees -- a student of Gamaliel -- a persecutor of the church -- Paul focuses on the moment -- "This is who I am -- this is what I am doing -- and this is how I am making a difference"
-- who are you? -- what are you doing? -- how would you describe yourself?
-- Paul
goes on to remind the Colossians of who they were in Christ -- a lot of times
we live our lives based on what the world tells us we are -- we live our lives
based on our titles or our positions -- we let others define us -- but Paul
reminds the Colossians of who they were in Christ -- holy and faithful -- set
apart saints on a mission for God in Colossae just as Paul was on a mission for
God in Rome
-- as we
start to think about counting our days and adding meaning to the moments of our
lives, we need to remember who we are -- we need to let God speak into our
lives the truth of our identity and not take our identity from the world --
knowing who you are is the first step in living intentionally with meaning
-- verse
3-6a
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-- 5 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.
-- Paul
begins this letter by telling the Colossians he thanks God for them in his
prayers -- too often we think our lives are meaningless -- too often we think
no one sees or cares who we are or what we have been doing -- too often we go
through life thinking we are invisible
-- but
Paul's prayer is a reminder of those who see -- whether you believe it or not,
others see you and are paying attention to what you are doing -- your life
always affects someone else, even if your interactions are brief and fleeting -- how are you remembered at the end of the day? -- did you show Christ to someone today? -- was your faith evident even in the trials and frustrations of daily life? -- did someone see Jesus through you?
-- Paul
knew about the faith of the Colossians, even though he was not there -- word of
it was brought to him by those who were touched by the Colossians in some
little way -- the Colossians weren't just waiting for Paul to show up to
demonstrate their faith in Christ -- they weren't just waiting for Sunday to
live it out -- but their faith and love was on display every moment of every
day
-- as I was
studying this passage, I found it interesting to note the "Big Three"
of the Christian life -- the three virtues of a Christian life -- mentioned
here by Paul -- everyone here is probably familiar with the last verse of 1
Corinthians 13 -- "and now these three remain -- hope, faith, and love --
but the greatest of these is love"
-- notice
Paul mentions the three virtues in these verses -- Paul says he thanks God
because of the Colossians' faith and love that spring from the hope they have
in Christ-- but Paul tells us more about the working out of these virtues in our lives here than he does in Corinthians -- faith comes from hope -- and love flows from faith -- who we are and how we live is based on these three: hope, faith, and love
-- if your hope is in heaven, as Paul tells the Colossians here in verse 5, then your faith will lead you to share God's love with others
-- what is our hope in? -- what drives our faith? -- what leads us in love? -- your actions will follow your beliefs
-- look
back as the second part of verse 6b-8
6b. 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.
-- Paul tells us our belief and
actions should be based on the good news of Christ -- the hope of heaven -- the
hope of salvation and redemption through His blood
-- this
message of hope, Paul says, continues to bear fruit and grow-- he reminds the Colossians of where they first heard it -- from the person who brought the good news to their ears -- why? -- why does he remind them of Epaphras, who Paul describes as a faithful minister of Christ?
-- it's because this passage is about doing -- it's about being -- it's about living in the moment
-- it was not enough for the Colossians to have hope, faith, and love -- they had to put feet to their faith -- they had to share the love beyond their small community of believers
-- as Christians we are called to go and plant the seed of the gospel, just as Epaphras did with the Colossians -- we are called to go and bear fruit -- to carry the message of hope and life and love to others -- to live our lives with purpose so we might bring meaning to the lives of others
-- Paul was telling the Colossians to be the Epaphras for others -- to carry the message to those around them -- that it might continue to bear fruit and grow and change the lives of those around them
-- think about your life -- think about your faith -- who told you about the gospel? -- where did you first hear the good news about the hope we have in Christ?
-- and now ask yourself, what you are doing with what you heard? -- who can you be that person to? -- is someone this morning sharing the good news of Christ with others saying they first heard it from you?
-- verse
9-14
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have
not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of
his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy
of the Lord and may 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, and joyfully
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints 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.
-- Paul
prayed that the Colossians might know God's will -- that they might live out
God's will in their daily lives -- he says the knowledge of God's will comes
through spiritual wisdom and understanding -- the knowledge of God's will comes
as we listen for His voice through prayer, the church, Scriptures, and
circumstances -- the knowledge of God's will comes as we hear His voice and do
what He calls us to do and share His love with others
-- we come
to know God's will as we experience Him in our lives -- by hearing and by doing-- when we know God's will -- when we understand that He wants us to share our lives and our love with others -- regardless of the cost -- we live lives worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way
-- Paul points out to us here four aspects of God's will for our lives -- things that God has called us to do that will give our days meaning and purpose
a. Bear fruit in every good work -- there's a
principle here that we shouldn't miss -- we know that Christians are called to
bear fruit -- we all know that Jesus said we would know a true Christian by the
fruit they bear -- but if you are not planting, then you can't bear fruit
-- we have
to get intentional about watering the ground and sowing the seed and working to
bear fruit in every good work-- I think we do a lot of watering the ground here at Koinonia -- the outreach to the homeless -- giving food and school supplies to the needy -- we may not be intentionally sharing the gospel with those people, but we are watering the ground -- we're getting the soil ready for others to sow the seed -- and we share in the fruit that will be harvested
-- we need to start thinking of our actions in that way -- we need to start thinking about what we are doing today to water the ground and prepare the soil and sow the seed -- we need to start living each day with the thought, "Today I will do a good work for Christ -- if nothing else, I will at least water the ground by sharing my love through faith to others"
b. Grow in the knowledge of God -- when Paul
tells us to do this, he's not talking about facts -- he's talking about relationship
-- we've got to keep in mind that the Christian life is not about knowing the
right things and answering a test at the Pearly Gates -- it's not about a creed
or a motto -- it's about a personal relationship with Christ
-- think
about dating your spouse, for those of you who are married -- when you first
start a relationship with someone -- when you first go out on a date with them
-- what do you do? -- you learn about them -- you learn who they are -- what
they like -- what they do -- what excites them about life-- but you don't do that just to collect facts -- you do that so you can know them -- so you can enter into a relationship with them
-- it's the same way with God -- we study God's word and we come to church and we listen to sermons and Christian music, not so we can know more about God, but so we can know God -- so we can understand who He is and so we can share in His life
-- that's what Paul is talking about when he tells us it's God's will that we grow in the knowledge of God
c. Demonstrating endurance and patience through
the power of God -- just this week we
started a new Bible study on Tuesday nights in the Book of James -- and in
James 1:2-4, James writes that we should count it all joy whenever we face
trials of any kind, because we know the testing of our faith develops
perseverance and matures us in Christ
-- that's
what Paul's talking about here when he says we should have patience and
endurance through God's power and strength in our lives -- learn to walk
through the trials of each day -- learn to trust in God -- to lean on Him --
when things get hard -- and trust in the hope you have for eternity
-- faith is
demonstrated more in times of adversity than in times of blessing -- and others
see that when you persevere and endure in faith and hope
d. Thank God who has saved us "qualified us
to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light" -- the Westminster
-- we
glorify God when we praise Him for what He has done -- when we offer up prayers
and hymns of thanksgiving for who He is and what He has done-- every day we should thank God for our salvation, our redemption -- for the forgiveness of sins -- it is because of these mighty acts of God through Jesus that we have eternal hope and enjoy the inheritance of the saints
-- we need to thank God for the blessings He pours out on us and seek His blessings in the midst of what we call adversity
-- as Paul says here, we need to thank God for rescuing us from dominion of darkness and for bringing us into His kingdom
-- God's will is for us to glorify Him and thank Him for all that He has done and to share His blessings with others
III. Closing
--
let me bring this to a close
--
a few years ago, I watched a movie called "Pay It Forward" -- it starred
Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and the little boy from the Sixth Sense -- in this
movie, Kevin Spacey is a 7th grade teacher, and he gives his students the
following assignment -- he tells them to "Think of an idea to change our
world, and put it into action"
--
the rest of the movie is about what happens when one little boy does what the
teacher says -- he comes up with a plan called "Pay It Forward" where
he does a good deed for three people and then they have to each do a good deed
for three people and then it just continues on and on -- the idea is that
instead of paying each person back for the good deed, they pay it forward to
someone else-- I'm been in Bible studies where we were asked to do something similar -- to do one anonymous good deed every day for a different person every day -- to make that day have meaning
-- think about it for a minute -- what impact could you have on this community if you put into effect the "Pay it Forward" concept? -- what lives could you touch for the Kingdom if you would just serve as Christ's hands and feet to reach out to others in this way every single day?
-- in the movie, one little boy changed his community when he decided to make a difference in the life of someone else
--
that's what the book, "20,000 Days and Counting," is all about --
that's what Psalm 90:12 is all about -- that's what this passage is all about
--
living each day intentionally -- living each day with meaning and purpose --
living each day so that it counts and the ground gets watered and seeds get
sown and fruit gets harvested
--
you've probably all heard the story of the man picking up starfish on the beach
-- he walks along and every time he finds a starfish stranded by the waves, he
would throw it back into the ocean -- someone saw him doing that and said,
"Look at this beach -- look at all these starfish -- there's no way you
can put all those starfish back -- you can't make a difference"
--
the man looks at him for a moment and bends down and picks up one last starfish
and tosses it back into the ocean and replies, "I made a difference for
that one"
-- Saint
Chrysostoam wrote, "If only ten among us be righteous, the ten will become
twenty -- the twenty fifty -- the fifty a hundred -- the hundred a thousand --
and the thousand will become the entire city
-- "As
when ten lamps are kindled, a whole house may easily be filled with light -- so
it is with the progress of spiritual things -- If but ten among us lead a holy
life, we shall kindle a fire which shall light up the entire city."
-- one day
-- what difference does one day make? -- one day out of 13,533 days -- what
does it matter?
-- it
matters a lot -- it matters for eternity
-- let us
pray
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