Richvale Community Church
Sermon Deep Dive

  • Colossians

    Good evening… This past Sunday we began our series in Colossians: Rooted and Rising.
    And we said something that really matters:
    The most important things in life are often below the surface—unseen, unnoticed… but absolutely essential.
    Roots determine everything.
    Tonight, we’re going to take that a step deeper.
    Our structure is simple:
    Three teaching movements
    Group discussion after each section

    start going behind the text…

    Colossians is one of Paul’s Prison Epistles—along with Ephesians, Philippians and Philemon…
    Colossian said to be written 62-68 AD — towards the end of Pauls life..
    Paul is under house arrest in Rome. He’s not in a dungeon—he’s in a rented space, chained, waiting trial.
    He’s paying his own rent
    People can visit him
    Ministry is still happening
    And this letter? It’s not written to a church he planted.
    Paul has never met the Colossians.
    The closest he got was Ephesus, about 100 miles away, where he spent nearly three years teaching.
    The founder of the Church of Colossae.. was.
    Most, a man named Epaphras:
    Heard the gospel under Paul
    Took it back to Colossae
    Helped start the church
    But then something happened… This was reason..
    Epaphras travels to Rome for some help…. on one hand..
    There is real encouragement:
    Faith was strong and growing.
    The church was full of Love
    On the surface everything looked fine..
    But there is also concern:
    Confusion was creeping in
    False teaching was impacting the church…. mixed teach of the law and philosophy…
    The clarity of the gospel is being challenged (what we often refer to as the) Colossian heresy
    What Was Colossian… Heresy?
    Dr Jay Kim gives us some insight what Heresy was and how it still impacts us today.. culture to day…
    The book of Colossians is a Response to Epaphras visit..
    We going to see in our text that Paul — doesn’t focus at what is missing but what is present… What God is doing…
    It is easy to pull on threads… have you ever done that pulled on a stand… and everything unravels..
    Paul approach is to anchor it in truth.
    .—He Praise what is good..

    Teaching Movement #1: Rooted Identity (1:1–3)

    Read
    Colossians 1:1–3 ESV
    1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
    Paul begins:
    “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…”

    Paul sees himself and the church as those who are called..

    —- This important to understand —
    I was reading John Stott comments on this verse…
    Cecil Rhodes who responsible for expanding the
    british empire ( who was not a believer) once said:
    “If God exists, the most important thing in the world is to discover His will and do it.” Rhodes
    And Paul shows us something important:

    Two Dimensions of God’s Will

    God’s will shows up in two ways in the Christian life: a general calling and a particular calling.

    1. General Calling (For All Believers)

    This is God’s will for every Christian.
    We are called to:
    Belong to Christ (be “saints”)
    Grow in Christlikeness
    Love others
    Obey God in daily life
    Paul calls this:
    “Walking in a manner worthy of the calling…”
    (Ephesians 4:1
    Ephesians 4:1–3 ESV
    1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
    It includes:
    humility
    gentleness
    patience
    love
    unity

    Simple idea:

    God’s general will is who we are becoming in Christ.

    2. Particular Calling (Your Unique Assignment)

    This is God’s specific direction for your life.
    It includes:
    How God has wired you ..
    your gifts
    your personality
    your experiences
    your opportunities

    Biblical examples:

    Paul → missionary to the Gentiles
    Jeremiah → prophet to the nations
    David → king of Israel

    Today it might look like:

    teaching children or adults
    serving in ministry or missions
    using your gifts in a specific place or people
    God’s particular will is how you serve Him uniquely.

    Putting It Together

    This is how works..
    God first shapes who we are through His general will. Then He directs what we do through His particular will.

    Group Questions

    How does Paul introduce himself—and why does that matter?
    What stands out about how he addresses the Colossians?
    Why is identity (calling) the starting point for spiritual growth?

    Teaching Movement #2: Rooted in the Gospel (1:3–8)

    After Paul preaching — He gives thanks and praise for what God has done in the Church
    Colossians 1:3–8 ESV
    3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
    He gives thanks before he gives correction.
    He saw…that ..The gospel came to them. They heard it. They understood the grace of God in truth.
    And over time, it has begun to bear fruit.
    He sees the unfolding work of Grace in the lives in the church…
    The gospel is alive. It is growing. It is bearing fruit
    He highlights three things:
    Faith in Christ
    Love for the saints
    Hope laid up in heaven
    This sound family… because..
    The triad of faith, hope, and love appears throughout Paul’s letters … and it is foundational Christian virtues, each functioning distinctly within the believer’s spiritual life
    In the Chapter on Love Paul… says.
    1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV
    13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

    Key Insight:

    Healthy roots produce visible fruit.
    But Paul goes deeper:
    The gospel is “bearing fruit and increasing… in the whole world.”
    This is not a static message.
    It grows
    It spreads
    It transforms
    And it had done that in them.

    Important Tension

    Paul is not going to let continue in Error..
    Is Christian virtue enough?
    Not by itself.
    Because:
    You can be sincere… and wrong
    You can be loving… and deceived
    Some of the kindest people in the world believe things that are not true.
    Truth is what guards love from drifting.
    That’s why Paul anchors everything in:
    “the word of truth, the gospel”

    God put Epaphras in the church as a guardrail to truth.

    Colossians 1:3–8 ESV
    7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
    Paul calls him:
    “Beloved fellow servant”
    “Faithful minister”

    Group Questions

    Why does Paul start with thanksgiving instead of correction?
    What does this passage teach us about the nature of the gospel?
    Why must truth and love stay connected?

    Teaching Movement #3: Rooted for a Worthy Walk (1:9–14)

    How does Paul handle confusing and complex situation…
    He prays..
    Charles Stanley once said.
    Remember, the shortest distance between a problem and the solution is the distance between our knees and the floor. Charles Stanley Handle with Prayer (1987)
    Charles Stanley
    Paul teaches us how to Pray..
    Colossians 1:9–14 ESV
    9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
    Paul’s prayer..
    He prays that they would:

    1. Know God’s Will

    Not vaguely—but:
    With wisdom
    With spiritual understanding
    Know General will… called to be believers
    God desirse that all people come to him.
    2 Peter 3:9 ESV
    9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
    her prays..

    2. Walk Worthy of the Lord What does that look like?

    Metrics of Maturity..
    Bearing fruit
    Growing in knowledge
    Strengthened with power
    Enduring with patience
    Filled with joy
    That’s a full picture of spiritual maturity.
    Paul Prays that they ..

    3. Remember What God Has Done

    Colossians 1:9–14 ESV
    12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
    This is crucial.
    Paul roots their present life in past grace:
    Paul anchors them in five realities:
    – God made you fit to belong. Not by achievement, but by grace.You were qualified 
    – rescued from the rule and grip of darkness.You were delivered 
    – moved into a new kingdom, under a new King.You were transferred 
    – bought back at the cost of Christ’s life.You were redeemed 
    – your debt has been fully canceled.You were forgiven 
    You didn’t earn your place—you were brought in.
    You don’t live worthy to become His— you live worthy because you already are.

    Kingdom Shift

    “Delivered from the domain of darkness… transferred to the kingdom…”
    That’s not improvement—that’s relocation.
    New authority
    New identity
    New allegiance

    Group Questions

    What stands out about Paul’s prayer?
    What do we learn about how to pray for 0thers.?
    What does it mean practically to “walk worthy” this week?
    How does remembering what God has done strengthen your faith?

    Closing Challenge

    Who could you encourage this week?
    Paul took time to write to people he had never met— because encouragement strengthens roots.
    Take a moment this week to:
    Write a note
    Send a message
    Speak life into someone
    Because rooted people… help others grow.

      • Colossians 1:15–17ESV

      • Colossians 1:15–17ESV

      • Colossians 1:18–22ESV

      • Colossians 1:3–8ESV

      • Colossians 1:24–29ESV

      • Colossians 1:24–29ESV

Richvale Community Church
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