1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:06,166 Grace, mercy, peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 00:00:08,766 --> 00:00:14,633 As the Eastern Church start, we always start in the Trinitarian Salutation. 3 00:00:14,933 --> 00:00:20,566 So we say in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, one true God, amen. 4 00:00:22,633 --> 00:00:29,566 My text message today is not from what we read, sorry I sent the text message late after 5 00:00:29,566 --> 00:00:34,933 they printed the order of worship, they said it's too late, but you can preach still on 6 00:00:34,933 --> 00:00:36,433 the text message. 7 00:00:37,666 --> 00:00:49,366 So the message that I will be preaching on is from the letter to Colossae, chapter 1 8 00:00:49,366 --> 00:00:52,133 verses 1 to 8. 9 00:00:52,766 --> 00:00:58,633 For the last couple of months I have been teaching and preaching and studying in my 10 00:00:58,633 --> 00:01:02,166 personal devotion about this powerful letter. 11 00:01:03,166 --> 00:01:09,033 And so let me read it for you and if I think you have your Bible you can follow with me. 12 00:01:10,166 --> 00:01:18,566 Paul here starts, Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother. 13 00:01:19,866 --> 00:01:27,566 To God's holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and 14 00:01:27,566 --> 00:01:31,133 peace to you from God our Father. 15 00:01:31,933 --> 00:01:38,766 We always give thanks God to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for 16 00:01:38,766 --> 00:01:44,833 you because we have heard of your faith in Jesus Christ and of the love you have for 17 00:01:44,833 --> 00:01:46,733 all God's people. 18 00:01:48,166 --> 00:01:55,400 The faith and love that springs from the hope stored up for you in heaven and above which 19 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:01,600 you have already heard in the true message of the Gospel that has come to you in the 20 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:07,633 same way the Gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world just as it has 21 00:02:07,633 --> 00:02:12,866 been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace. 22 00:02:13,766 --> 00:02:20,966 You learn it also from Epaphras our dear fellow servant who is faithful minister of Christ 23 00:02:20,966 --> 00:02:27,666 on our behalf and who also told us of your love in the spirits. 24 00:02:29,433 --> 00:02:37,700 I know I'm speaking to a bunch of theologians and scholars in the New Testament that know 25 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:44,533 better than me but let me give you some background of this letter of this church. 26 00:02:44,533 --> 00:02:48,666 This is one of the church that Paul did not establish. 27 00:02:51,333 --> 00:02:58,933 The church was established by the guy we just read about Epaphras that if you look at different 28 00:02:58,933 --> 00:03:04,966 language they spell it in different way like I read it in Arabic and Arabic goes like Apiphras 29 00:03:04,966 --> 00:03:08,033 and Epaphras whatever it is Epaphras. 30 00:03:08,033 --> 00:03:16,866 This guy was listening to Paul while he was preaching in Ephesus together with Philemon 31 00:03:17,533 --> 00:03:26,433 and so he accepted the Gospel and he became the disciple and then he went from Ephesus 32 00:03:26,433 --> 00:03:35,900 to a small town Colossae and began like home Bible study and started this church. 33 00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:44,233 It's a small town that it's not even mentioned because later on the town was destroyed by 34 00:03:44,233 --> 00:03:47,133 a huge earthquake and never rebuilt. 35 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:56,166 However after Epaphras started and Philemon started this church in hometown and they gathered 36 00:03:56,166 --> 00:04:01,866 people around them challenges started in this church. 37 00:04:01,866 --> 00:04:11,466 So you have some kind of unorthodox teaching that was sweeping over the believers. 38 00:04:12,900 --> 00:04:20,133 One of the most important heretical teachings in the church was about the person of Jesus 39 00:04:20,133 --> 00:04:20,733 Christ. 40 00:04:21,766 --> 00:04:29,766 So Gnosticism, Arianism later on we study them that later on Islam took this teaching 41 00:04:29,766 --> 00:04:38,933 and put them in the Quran and so the letter has even implication in our 21st century in 42 00:04:38,933 --> 00:04:42,300 our cross-cultural ministry in interfaith dialogue. 43 00:04:42,966 --> 00:04:48,566 If you read my book "Shining the Light of the Gospel" eight chapters only about the person 44 00:04:48,566 --> 00:04:55,533 of Christ in the Quran. Christology how important it is this subject and if you study here the 45 00:04:55,766 --> 00:05:01,866 book of Colossae you see that Paul was dealing with the same heretical teaching that is in 46 00:05:01,866 --> 00:05:06,200 the Quran that is being challenging Christian faith. 47 00:05:06,533 --> 00:05:14,933 So this is how important it is this small letter four chapters 95 verses very powerful 48 00:05:14,933 --> 00:05:19,833 deep theological study and also I see it as an encouragement. 49 00:05:20,366 --> 00:05:31,100 I haven't started the sermon, yet. I'm just giving you so my focus today is on just verses 50 00:05:31,100 --> 00:05:41,933 three to six. Despite the fact that Paul was correcting an error in that church he was 51 00:05:41,933 --> 00:05:47,933 kind of angry that did not and they did not understand who is Jesus Christ. The identity 52 00:05:47,933 --> 00:05:55,366 of Jesus Christ. He did not start by yelling at them telling them how full you are or you 53 00:05:55,366 --> 00:06:04,933 don't understand etc etc. He started by you know giving thanks and praise for that church. 54 00:06:05,466 --> 00:06:15,900 You can see here we always thank God the Father of Jesus Christ when we pray for you okay. 55 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:27,466 So Paul here he started by praising them praising this church so he celebrated first their faith. 56 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:34,433 We can see here in verse four Paul began by celebrating the face of the faith of little 57 00:06:34,433 --> 00:06:42,433 church he wrote since we heard of your faith again here in Jesus Christ. He is focusing here 58 00:06:42,433 --> 00:06:52,433 your faith in Jesus Christ. So the members of the Colossi Church they did not just have faith they 59 00:06:52,433 --> 00:07:01,600 had faith in Jesus Christ. When people say they are people of faith which we have it now all over 60 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:11,966 the world yes I am a man of faith but what kind of faith okay. So we have the right to ask them 61 00:07:11,966 --> 00:07:20,966 to tell us about the object of their faith. Faith in itself is worthless the Colossian had faith in 62 00:07:20,966 --> 00:07:30,866 Jesus Christ and if we go deep into our Lutheran theology we see that Martin Luther in the large 63 00:07:30,866 --> 00:07:38,733 catechism talks about that each one needs a God to worship isn't it but what kind of God are you 64 00:07:38,733 --> 00:07:49,433 worshiping okay. Are you believing in the nice guy and in the beautiful story of Jesus in the 65 00:07:49,433 --> 00:07:57,366 Quran. Beautiful there is nothing negative about the story of Jesus in the Quran. But when it comes 66 00:07:57,366 --> 00:08:06,666 to Jesus Christ as our Savior who died on the cross who is God incarnate they said this is 67 00:08:06,666 --> 00:08:12,866 blasphemy they did not want to tell who almost allah boo who there should be a long they did 68 00:08:12,866 --> 00:08:21,933 not kill him they did not crucify him it was appeared to them. So is that a saving faith or 69 00:08:21,933 --> 00:08:26,966 not? See here Paul is is dealing with the same issue that we have been dealing and we will be 70 00:08:26,966 --> 00:08:35,500 dealing until Jesus comes back again with this kind of teaching. And so he's celebrating their 71 00:08:35,500 --> 00:08:43,633 faith in Jesus Christ. Second he is celebrating also their love he continued in verses 4 and of 72 00:08:43,633 --> 00:08:51,233 your love for all the Saints. On the eve of his crucifixion Jesus gave His disciple this 73 00:08:51,233 --> 00:08:59,000 instruction a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you that you 74 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:07,266 also love one another. The Apostle John was with Jesus that night and he later became the last 75 00:09:07,266 --> 00:09:15,933 surviving apostle his great topic was love. He featured his love in the gospel and love 76 00:09:15,933 --> 00:09:24,666 dominated his first and second and third episode okay. And we know the whole gospel again I'm 77 00:09:24,933 --> 00:09:32,700 to scholars in New Testament and exegesis and commentary more than me but you know that the 78 00:09:32,700 --> 00:09:43,600 topic of John was light and darkness light and darkness and love. So history tells us that you 79 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:49,466 know John was old he was ninety years old and they were carrying him also anywhere to churches preach 80 00:09:49,466 --> 00:09:55,766 and encourage the churches and everywhere he go he would say a new commandment I give you love one 81 00:09:55,766 --> 00:10:04,066 another. And so some believers would come and tell him you know John you just preached about that 82 00:10:04,066 --> 00:10:11,033 yesterday can you preach something else and so John will look at them you say very well and your 83 00:10:11,033 --> 00:10:18,966 commandment I gave you that you love one another. He continued to preach about the love one of the 84 00:10:18,966 --> 00:10:30,666 powerful citation I read about the love for all saints is this and apply it it applies to our 85 00:10:30,666 --> 00:10:39,166 culture. When we have this love for all the saints there will be no more church politics no more 86 00:10:39,166 --> 00:10:47,466 pampering of the rich at the expense of the poor no more respect for people according to their skin 87 00:10:47,466 --> 00:10:56,133 color. When we have love for all saints and then also you can see another another word here Paul 88 00:10:56,133 --> 00:11:03,200 he is celebrating their hope their hope if you look at at verses 5. Because of the hope which 89 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:09,133 laid up for you in heaven of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. 90 00:11:09,133 --> 00:11:20,733 Some said faith rests on the past love works in the presence but hope presses toward the future 91 00:11:20,733 --> 00:11:30,966 hope presses toward the future. So not only is this hope being kept for us as Paul mentioned 92 00:11:30,966 --> 00:11:38,966 here but we ourselves are being protected by God's power so we can be certain to enjoy heaven 93 00:11:38,966 --> 00:11:46,233 one day. And this is what Peter also talks about the hope in his first letter chapter one he said 94 00:11:46,233 --> 00:11:52,400 blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abandoned mercy 95 00:11:52,400 --> 00:12:00,433 has begotten us to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 96 00:12:00,433 --> 00:12:08,033 to inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away reserved in heaven for you. 97 00:12:08,033 --> 00:12:15,500 Who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last day. 98 00:12:16,033 --> 00:12:22,633 So the hope that presses toward the future and the hope that protect us also. 99 00:12:23,766 --> 00:12:31,666 And then the most powerful thing here he is also celebrating their growth their growth. 100 00:12:32,633 --> 00:12:42,766 In verse 6 he said I thank God because the gospel is bringing forth truth as it is also among you 101 00:12:42,766 --> 00:12:51,900 since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth. The Colossians through only though 102 00:12:51,900 --> 00:13:01,166 only a small church in a small city were part of a great and a growing work do you think any of the 103 00:13:01,166 --> 00:13:08,733 members of their church in the Lycos valley could have imagined that 2,000 years later we would be 104 00:13:08,733 --> 00:13:16,333 studying their church and the small letter addressed to them? As time passes our world grows 105 00:13:16,333 --> 00:13:23,633 stronger and it keeps on going after we are in heaven also. Yes, Paul was under arrest 106 00:13:24,466 --> 00:13:30,933 while he was writing this letter we know that Colossian was one of the prison letter okay. 107 00:13:33,566 --> 00:13:43,766 And false teaching were sweeping in that church however the kingdom of God was growing through 108 00:13:43,766 --> 00:13:51,633 that challenges. So along the same line Paul was celebrating the church the growth of the gospel 109 00:13:51,633 --> 00:13:58,233 around the world also. Listen to this he doesn't say only to you but also which has come to you 110 00:13:58,233 --> 00:14:06,833 as it is also in all the world and is bringing forth fruit. So he's celebrating despite the fact 111 00:14:06,833 --> 00:14:13,800 that I am prison in prison okay. And I am being challenged so here he is encouraging those 112 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:19,666 believers because they were scared they said look at the Paul he is in prison and he is going to be 113 00:14:19,666 --> 00:14:26,566 killed. It's better for us to go and hide and go home and this is what's happening now in 14 114 00:14:26,566 --> 00:14:33,233 windows. We are not in United state of america with this beautiful building and worshiping and calling 115 00:14:33,233 --> 00:14:40,733 people. In some countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan if you hold bible study in your home 116 00:14:40,733 --> 00:14:47,333 you'll be you could be arrested,. So it's the same thing Paul here he is encouraging this congregation 117 00:14:47,333 --> 00:14:54,133 do not be afraid. Yes, I am in prison yes Epaphras in prison yes we are facing challenges 118 00:14:54,133 --> 00:15:02,766 but the gospel is growing okay. This is what David Garland, David Garland the new testament scholar 119 00:15:02,766 --> 00:15:08,633 commented about about that. David Garland was the president of Baylor University while I was 120 00:15:08,633 --> 00:15:15,533 teaching their interim president and now he's I think retired. So this is what he said the gospel 121 00:15:15,533 --> 00:15:21,666 was bursting for in small group of Christian not only in such vital center of the Roman Empire such 122 00:15:21,666 --> 00:15:30,666 as Rome, Corinth, Ephesus but also in declining towns such as Colossi in the hearts of slave 123 00:15:30,666 --> 00:15:38,466 owners such as Philemon and in a runway slave such as Onesimus and then he gives us this beautiful 124 00:15:38,466 --> 00:15:45,966 analogy about a plant. He said the gospel is growing the way kudzu take over in some part of 125 00:15:45,966 --> 00:15:55,900 american south originally imported as ground cover kudzu overrun everything the difference is that 126 00:15:55,900 --> 00:16:04,766 the gospel is not some alien import or a noxious infestation but something deeply rooted in human 127 00:16:04,766 --> 00:16:13,033 need and in God's purpose for the whole creation. Powerful so just as the tree without fruit and 128 00:16:13,033 --> 00:16:19,033 growth would no longer be a tree so the gospel that does not bear fruit would cease to be the 129 00:16:19,033 --> 00:16:25,766 gospel. However the good news is the power for change and growth doesn't come from us 130 00:16:25,766 --> 00:16:29,033 third article of faith i'm trying to be lutheran here you know. 131 00:16:31,033 --> 00:16:36,933 But from the message we proclaim that's why pail could say in the book of Romans 132 00:16:36,933 --> 00:16:44,166 for i am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Because it is the dynamos 133 00:16:45,033 --> 00:16:52,000 the dynamic that the power of God to salvation for everyone who believe for the Jew first and also 134 00:16:52,566 --> 00:16:59,933 for the Greek. This reminds me of the story also i read about the Bella Vista prison 135 00:17:00,733 --> 00:17:08,333 in Medellin, Colombia. For many years it was one of the worst prison in all of Latin America. 136 00:17:08,333 --> 00:17:15,766 Bella Vista death toll run as high as 60 a month as rival group extended their warfare into the 137 00:17:15,766 --> 00:17:24,766 prison. In 1990 inmate rioted after daily violence prompted prison guard to walk off the job local 138 00:17:24,766 --> 00:17:34,066 leader called on the colombian army to intervene. But days into the standoff Oscar Ozorio a former 139 00:17:34,066 --> 00:17:39,533 Bella Vista convict, who became prison chaplain, gathered a handful of Christian volunteer 140 00:17:39,533 --> 00:17:47,266 associated with Chuck Colson Prison Fellowship Iternational. Singing hymns and carrying white 141 00:17:47,266 --> 00:17:54,933 flag Ozorio and his volunteers marched in procession through the prison gate unsure 142 00:17:55,600 --> 00:18:01,866 of their life would be spared. Ozorio found that the prison public address system was still working 143 00:18:01,866 --> 00:18:11,900 so he boldly called prisoners to repent. Stunning prison authority the inmate laid down their weapon 144 00:18:12,533 --> 00:18:19,466 the riot was over but more than that the killing stopped and the gospel swept the Bella Vista like 145 00:18:19,466 --> 00:18:27,866 holy fire. Brothers and sisters ladies and gentlemen in prison in refugees camp in 146 00:18:27,866 --> 00:18:36,433 restricted nation and in all over the world it is the gospel that's making the differences. 147 00:18:37,233 --> 00:18:44,433 You and I are in the victoria side. You and I are part of the greatest redemptive 148 00:18:44,433 --> 00:18:52,066 movement in the history of the earth. And i think that's something for which to praise God. 149 00:18:52,966 --> 00:18:56,233 And now may the grace of God who surpasses all understanding 150 00:18:56,233 --> 00:19:00,766 keeps your heart and mind into everlasting life amen.