The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
\nJuly 10, 2016
\nColossians 1:1-14<\/p>\n
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n
Think of someone who means the world to you, someone for whom you would do absolutely anything without even giving it a second thought.\u00a0 Picture their face in your mind\u2014 whether it\u2019s your spouse or your child, your parent, your grandchild or your friend.\u00a0 Now imagine that someone is doing something that will most definitely harm them\u2014 not physically, but harm them nonetheless.\u00a0 Perhaps it is a teacher or a professor who is filling their mind with things that you know are wrong.\u00a0 Perhaps it is a co-worker who is teaching them how to manipulate other people at work in order to make themselves look better in the eyes of the boss.\u00a0 Perhaps it is a friend who is leading them down a path that will eventually do them great harm.\u00a0 What do you do?\u00a0 And, by the way, you live at a time when the only thing that tweets is a bird, when posting something on someone\u2019s wall still requires a tack, and when the only email anyone has ever heard of involves a man riding on a pony.\u00a0 You live way too far to go visit them.\u00a0 That pretty much leaves you with just one option\u2014 write them a letter.<\/p>\n
That is the situation in which the apostle Paul found himself.\u00a0 That is the situation which resulted in the letter which you and I call the Book of Colossians.\u00a0 False teachers had infiltrated the church at Colosse and were harming God\u2019s people\u2014 not physically, but harming them nonetheless.\u00a0 These false teachers were trying to fill the minds of God\u2019s people with the false teaching that denied the all-sufficiency of Christ and His saving work; the false teaching which said that if you want to be a \u201creal\u201d Christian, if you want to be a \u201cgood\u201d Christian then you have to follow at least some of the Old Testament ceremonies; the false teaching which said that if you want knowledge that goes far deeper than the simple message Paul was proclaiming, if you want wisdom that soars higher than the dusty, old, traditional wisdom recorded in the Scriptures then you need to turn to the angels and worship them.<\/p>\n
Paul heard about what was going on in the church at Colosse from his friend and co-worker, Epaphras.\u00a0 Epaphras had turned to Paul for guidance and for help.\u00a0 Of course, Paul wanted to help.\u00a0 Paul needed to help.\u00a0 The Christians at Colosse were Paul\u2019s beloved brothers and sisters in the faith!\u00a0 But Paul was under house arrest in Rome\u2014 some 1,000 miles away from Colosse.\u00a0 What could Paul do?\u00a0 Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit Paul wrote this letter\u2014 the book of the Bible we call Colossians.<\/p>\n
Over the course of the next few weeks we are going to study four different sections of this letter\u2014 all under the general theme of:\u00a0 When Guarding Against False Teaching\u2026.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 In each of these four sections we will focus on just one central truth, a truth which we are to emphasize as we guard against false teachings today.\u00a0 The first truth we need to emphasize, the truth which is brought out very clearly in Colossians 1:1-14 is this:\u00a0 When Guarding Against False Teaching\u2014 Always Emphasize the Power of the Gospel!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 There are three things we want to see this morning.\u00a0 First let\u2019s see that the Gospel has the power to change a person\u2019s heart.\u00a0 Then let\u2019s see that Gospel has the power to change a person\u2019s life.\u00a0 Finally, let\u2019s see that Gospel has the power to change a person\u2019s eternity.<\/p>\n Since the false teachers in Colosse were peddling a knowledge which they claimed was deeper than Paul\u2019s simple message, since the false teachers in Colosse were touting a wisdom that supposedly soared higher than the sacred Scriptures, Paul begins his letter to the Christians in Colosse by reminding them\u2014 and by reminding us\u2014 that he is \u201can apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Paul was not some self-proclaimed traveling preacher who went from town to town and from village to village telling people what they wanted to hear and sharing with them his own personal opinions.\u00a0 Paul was not some self-proclaimed preacher traveling around from town to town and village to village gladly collecting offerings from as many people as he could.\u00a0 Paul was \u201csent out\u201d<\/em> (which is the literal meaning of the world \u201capostle\u201d<\/em>) by Jesus Christ Himself.\u00a0 By the \u201cwill of God\u201d<\/em> Paul was \u201csent out\u201d<\/em> to proclaim the \u201cwill of God\u201d<\/em> in all of its power and in all of its purity.\u00a0 Therefore, the words which Paul has written to the Colossians need to be heard and read, they need to be believed and taken to heart for what they are\u2014 the holy inspired words of the living Christ Himself!\u00a0 When we know that truth, my friends, then we will know that one of the first things we need to remember when we are guarding against false teaching is that we always <\/strong>need to emphasize the power of the Gospel! \u00a0Why?\u00a0 Because only <\/strong>the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to change a person\u2019s heart!\u00a0 Only <\/strong>the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to change a person from the inside out!<\/p>\n What does this mean?\u00a0 It means that the Gospel has the power to remove the cynicism from a person\u2019s heart and replace it with faith.\u00a0 It means that the Gospel has the power to quench the hatred and the animosity that once ruled our hearts and fill it with love.\u00a0 It means that the Gospel has the power to fill our hearts to overflowing by giving us hope\u2014 the hope that comes from knowing that no matter how difficult or how easy our life is here on this earth, the life that we can expect to receive and enjoy in heaven goes far beyond anything we can imagine, far beyond anything we could ever deserve.\u00a0 The fact that the Gospel has the power to change a person\u2019s heart, the fact that the Gospel has the power to change a person from the inside out means that the Gospel will be doing what only<\/strong> the Gospel can be doing everywhere it is faithfully proclaimed\u2014 whether here in northern California or all across the world.<\/p>\n Could your heart use a little bit of help, my friends?\u00a0 Could your heart use a little more faith, a little more love, a little more hope?\u00a0 Then examine how often you are allowing your heart to come into contact with the power of the Gospel.\u00a0 How often are you here in God\u2019s house?\u00a0 How often are you in God\u2019s Word?\u00a0 How often do you receive God\u2019s holy Supper?\u00a0 If we are not maintaining regular contact with the message of the Gospel as it comes to us through God\u2019s holy Word and God\u2019s holy Sacrament, it should not surprise us when our heart becomes frail or frightful.\u00a0 If we are not maintaining regular contact with the Gospel as it comes to us through God\u2019s holy Word and God\u2019s holy Sacrament, it should not surprise us when false teachings start to find a home in our own heart.\u00a0 So let the Gospel do what only the Gospel has the power to do\u2014 change your heart!<\/p>\n Once the power of the Gospel has changed our heart it is only natural that this inner change of heart will be open and visible in the way that we live our life.\u00a0 What does this mean?\u00a0 It means that the Gospel has the power to motivate us to do \u201cgood works,\u201d<\/em> to bear the \u201cfruits of faith\u201d<\/em> that our heavenly Father fully expects to see in our life.\u00a0 Like the Good Samaritan (our Gospel reading for today, Luke 10:25-37) we will help other people\u2014 because the Gospel (Pointing to the cross) reminds us of how much Jesus helped us!\u00a0 We will use our gifts, talents and abilities in service to our Lord\u2014 because the Gospel (Pointing to the cross) reveals to us what God\u2019s own Son was willing to do in order to serve us.\u00a0 It also means that the Gospel has the power to motivate us to \u201cgrow\u201d<\/em> in our knowledge of God\u2014 who He is, what He has done for <\/strong>us and what He has revealed to <\/strong>us here in His Word.\u00a0 It means that the Gospel has the power to strengthen us when we are weak, to give us endurance when we are in danger of giving up and to give us patience when our plans and our timetable don\u2019t line up with God\u2019s plans and with God\u2019s timetable.\u00a0 It means that the Gospel has the power to fill our lives with joy\u2014 joy that leads us to openly give thanks to our heavenly Father each and every day!<\/p>\n Could your life use a little bit of help, my friends?\u00a0 Could your life be filled with a few more \u201cfruits of faith,\u201d<\/em> a little more \u201cgrowth\u201d<\/em> in your knowledge of God, a little more strength and endurance and patience and joy and thanksgiving?\u00a0 Then examine how often you are allowing the power of the Gospel to motivate and guide your day-to-day life.\u00a0 If we are not allowing the Gospel to be the <\/strong>motivating force in our life then we should not be surprised when the ever-changing prevailing winds of society influence and direct the way that we live our life.\u00a0 Only <\/strong>the power of the Gospel has the ability to change our lives so that our outward actions line up with the gift of saving faith which the good Lord has created in our hearts.<\/p>\n That leaves just one more truth to look at this morning.\u00a0 When we are guarding against false teaching by emphasizing the power of the Gospel then we will always have the confidence that comes from knowing that the Gospel alone <\/strong>has the power to change a person\u2019s eternity.\u00a0 By nature we were all blindly following Satan\u2014 swallowing all of his lies hook, line and sinker; gladly heeding his advice to live our life however we wanted to live it.\u00a0 Following Satan, however always leads to only one eternity\u2014 suffering forever in the fires of hell.<\/p>\n The Gospel had the power to change our eternity!\u00a0 By changing our hearts and filling them with faith and love and hope, by changing our lives and motivating us to bear the fruits of faith, to grow in our knowledge of God, to have endurance and patience and joyfully give thanks to God, the Gospel has the power to guarantee that we will<\/strong> \u201cshare in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light,\u201d<\/em> to guarantee that we have been <\/strong>\u201crescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son he<\/em> loves,\u201d<\/em> to guarantee that we have <\/strong>\u201credemption, the forgiveness of sins.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Only <\/strong>the Gospel has that kind of power, my friends.\u00a0 Therefore, I urge you to maintain regular contact with the power of the Gospel so that no false teachers, so that no false teachings, so that not even Satan himself can rob you of the glorious eternity that God\u2019s Son won for <\/strong>you on the cross of Calvary\u2019s hill.<\/p>\n As I was working on our sermon for today I could not help but connect the dots between these inspired words of our Savior-God and the tragic events we have seen unfolding on the news the past few days.\u00a0 No matter where one stands on the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, to deliberately target the police for death is not only inexcusable and unacceptable, but it is also irrational and counterproductive.\u00a0 How can assassinating police officers help any \u201ccause\u201d in any way whatsoever?\u00a0 If only there were a way to get rid of the anger and the hatred that seems to fill the hearts of some people.\u00a0 If only there were a way to change how people choose to react to events that anger them.\u00a0 Ah, but there is a way, isn\u2019t there my friends!\u00a0 In fact, there is only one <\/strong>way\u2014 faithfully sharing with people the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!\u00a0 No one who knows the love of God\u2014 the love that led God the Father to send His only Son into this world as our true Brother, the love that led God the Son to live a perfect life for <\/strong>us and the suffer and die as our <\/strong>Substitute to pay the penalty of our<\/strong> sins, the love that leads God the Holy Spirit to create and sustain saving faith in our hearts through His holy Word and His holy Sacraments\u2014 no one who knows the love of God will allow their heart to be filled with so much hate that they are willing to do the kinds of things we have seen unfolding on the news.\u00a0 No one.\u00a0 You have the \u201ccure\u201d for what is ailing our society.\u00a0 You have the \u201cantidote\u201d for the poison which that venomous snake Satan continues to inject into the hearts and souls and lives of people right down to this very day.\u00a0 It is\u2014 the Gospel of Jesus Christ!\u00a0 (Pointing to the cross)<\/p>\n My prayer then this morning, my friends, is that whether you are guarding against false teachings or whether you are striving to have a positive impact on the world in which we live that you will always remember to emphasize the power of the Gospel.\u00a0 Only<\/strong> the Gospel has the power to change a person\u2019s heart.\u00a0 Only <\/strong>the Gospel has the power to change a person\u2019s life.\u00a0 Only <\/strong>the Gospel has the power to change a person\u2019s eternity.\u00a0 Listen to how the apostle Paul emphasizes the power of the Gospel in Colossians 1:1-14,<\/p>\n \u201cPaul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:\u00a0 Grace and peace to you from God our Father.\u00a0 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints\u2014 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.\u00a0 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\u2019s grace in all its truth. \u00a0<\/sup>You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.<\/em><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 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, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, \u00a0<\/sup>in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Always emphasize the power of the Gospel!<\/p>\n To God be the glory!<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost July 10, 2016 Colossians 1:1-14 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Think of someone who means the world to you, someone for whom you would do absolutely anything without even giving it a second thought.\u00a0 Picture their face in your mind\u2014 whether it\u2019s your spouse or your child, your parent, your grandchild or your friend.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=696"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":697,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696\/revisions\/697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}