(#002) Colossians 1 - The Author of Colossians is “ApPAULling!”

Will you persecute the hater once you're fully awakened about him?

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

Good Morning!

Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. Welcome to this Bible lesson! Who is Jesus Christ? At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that JESUS CHRIST IS GOD. When He came to His own people, the Jews, they did not believe that He is their Messiah…John, Chapter 8, Verses 57 and 58…

JOHN 8:57

The Jews said to Jesus, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

JOHN 8:58

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM (I existed as the Lord…God the Son).”

The term I AM is a term that refers to Deity. The Lord is the exact same as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in essence, and as such, He has always existed, for all eternity, with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit. As the Lord He is God the Son…100% Deity…He’s fully God…He is also JESUS…the Christ…the Jewish Messiah…100% true humanity and fully man…and His two separate and distinct natures are combined in one Person. Nothing in the universe happens without the Lord’s permission.

Why does Barah Ministries exist? At Barah Ministries, we introduce people to the Lord. We make a difference by teaching the Word of God verse-by-verse from the Lord’s perspective and not from man’s perspective. Barah Ministries is provided by God for the benefit of unbelievers and believers. We give unbelievers the gospel message…the good news concerning Jesus Christ’s salvation offer. We teach believers the Word of God, the Bible, the inerrant Canon of Scripture so those who study can have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord. We encourage believers to gather themselves together with other believers and not to retreat to doing everything on line.

Why study the Word of God? The Bible is the only book in the world with accurate prophecy! First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 24 and 25…

FIRST PETER 1:24

“All flesh is like grass…and all the flesh’s glory is like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls off…

FIRST PETER 1:25

…but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached (as good news) to you.

We implore you to always compare what you learn, both at Barah Ministries and in the world, with what the Bible has to say.

God has an enemy…Satan…whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’ He is a deceiver who deceives everyone in the world, including you. Paul laments in Second Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 3…

SECOND CORINTHIANS 11:3

I (Paul) am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness (insidious deception) …your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Satan's temptations are directed at our egos. He wants to puff us up with arrogant pride so that we will rebel against God and His direction. Peter warns us in First Peter, Chapter 5, Verses 5 to 7…

FIRST PETER 5:5b

…God is opposed to the proud (the arrogant believer)…but He gives grace to the humble (believer).

FIRST PETER 5:6

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…that He may promote you at the proper time…

FIRST PETER 5:7

…slamming all your cares on His back…because He cares for you.

God considers your problems, including Satan’s temptations, to be His responsibility. Allow yourself to be humbled by Him!

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

The Author of Colossians is “ApPAULling!”

We have begun our study of the next biblical letter on our agenda, and we’re overviewing what we’ll be learning by answering several questions. You’ll remember last week we asked, “Who wrote the letter we are about to study?” The answer? The apostle Paul wrote the letter. The next question, “Who is the letter directed to?” The letter is directed to a group of first-century believers in Christ who live in a small town in modern-day Turkey…a nothing town in the middle of nowhere. The third question, “Where do the people live who are receiving the letter?” The believers live in Colossae, about one hundred miles inland from Ephesus.

COLOSSAE MAP SLIDE

In today’s lesson, we’ll answer the question, “What do we know about the author of the letter?” We’ll see what the bible has to say about Saul of Tarsus, also known as Paul, who wrote this letter. Christians tend to be really judgmental of the Pastors with whom they study…I wonder what they’d think if they knew that most of the New Testament letters are written by the worst person of all time…a man most people would find “apPAULling” … no pun intended. We look forward to learning about this person, one of the most interesting selections the Lord made when He chose apostles.

Happy Fourth of July! Today we celebrate freedom in the United States of America. Little did we know how easily we would be willing to abandon our freedom voluntarily in fear of a virus. As we celebrate America’s 245^th birthday, also known as Independence Day, I can’t help but think our founding fathers would be dissatisfied with what we have done with the country. We are anything but “independent” and we’re certainly not "united." However, as Christians, we don't lose heart, because we know that we make a difference in this world, and we know the Lord Jesus Christ still controls history. Hebrews, Chapter 1, Verse 3…

HEBREWS 1:3

And the Lord Jesus Christ is the radiance of God the Father’s glory…and He is the exact representation of the Father’s nature…and Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…

As we do every Independence Day, let us be reminded both of what this country stands for and how it began by listening to The Declaration of Independence.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY SLIDE

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America…

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind is more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object…evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism (tyranny)…it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies… and such is now the necessity that constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let the following Facts be submitted to a candid world.

In every stage of these Oppressions, we have Petitioned for Redress in the humblest terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

GOD BLESS AMERICA SLIDE

SONG INTRODUCTION

Let’s hear some music! Our founding fathers, despite their imperfections, despite their sinfulness, and with all of their failures as human beings on the journey of life, still penned one of the greatest treatises on freedom outside of the Bible. It’s easy to see how the Declaration of Independence was divinely inspired. As a tribute to our founding fathers let’s hear the Gaither Vocal Band sing the song…A FEW GOOD MEN.

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

A FEW GOOD MEN

Gaither Vocal Band

MUSIC AND REFLECTION