(#014) Colossians 1 - God Wants You to Learn so You Can WinWe're undefeated when we have knowledge of the Father's will.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Evening!
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. The Bible affirms His Deity in Titus, Chapter 2, Verses 11 to 14…
TITUS 2:11 For the (gospel concerning the) grace of God has appeared to all men (it has been made obvious to all)…bringing salvation to all men…
TITUS 2:12 …instructing us (believers in Christ) to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, righteous, and godly lives in the present (evil) age…
TITUS 2:13 …looking (with absolute confidence) for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior…the Christ…Jesus…
TITUS 2:14 …who gave Himself (as a sacrifice) for us (at the Cross)…to redeem us from every lawless deed (paying for all of our sins)…and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession…a people zealous to do good deeds.
Who says the Bible never said that Jesus Christ is God? Says so right here! 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, to give them the gospel message, which is introducing the good news concerning Jesus Christ’s salvation offer. The Lord’s arms are wide open to the unbelieving ones! John, Chapter 6, Verse 37…
JOHN 6:37b …and the ones who come to Me to believe in Me…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) will certainly not cast them out (into the outer darkness…the Lake of Fire).
Barah Ministries is provided by God for the benefit of Christians as well, for those of us who want a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord through the study of His Word. In Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 18 the Lord commands His believers to…
SECOND PETER 3:18 …grow within the sphere of His grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Why do we study the Word of God? We study the Bible to allow God’s truth to shape our reality. The Bible contains His exact thoughts in the written word, developed specifically to edify us. Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 16 and 17…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching…for reproof… for correction…for training in righteousness…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:17 …so that the man of God may be mature…totally equipped for every good work.
God has an enemy…Satan…whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’ In John, Chapter 12, Verse 31, the Lord says…
JOHN 12:31 “Now judgment is upon this world…now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out (he will be dethroned at a future time).”
As we get deeper into Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he will warn us about false teachers and false teaching. Satan is the sponsor of these charlatans. They are counterfeiters of truth just like Satan. Second Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verses 13 to 15 says…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 11:13 For such men (false teachers) are counterfeit apostles…deceitful workers (liars)…disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
SECOND CORINTHIANS 11:14 No wonder! For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
SECOND CORINTHIANS 11:15 Therefore, it is not surprising if Satan’s servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness…whose end will be according to their deeds.
Keep your spiritual eyes open for Satan’s deceptions.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON God Wants You to Learn So You Can Win
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Everyone wants to be a winner…at least that’s what people like to say. Not everyone is committed to the EFFORT required to win. In today’s lesson the apostle Paul shares the components of a winning lifestyle…the Christian Way of Living...in the passage we’ll study as we continue our look at the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
SONG INTRODUCTION
It’s always good for believers in Christ to remind themselves that happiness is a choice. Psalm 34, Verses 17 to 19 say this…
PSALM 34:17 The righteous (believers in Christ) cry and the Lord hears them and delivers them out of ALL their troubles.
PSALM 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
PSALM 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous ones…but the Lord delivers them out of them ALL.
That’s why the group King and Country encourages us to have JOY!
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
JOY For King and Country
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
JOY For King and Country
OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, thank you for giving us the victory through Your Son’s work at the Cross…thank you for counting us worthy to share in the inheritance You have provided to the saints…us believers in Christ…who walk in the Light of Your presence…thank you for providing us with written wisdom in the Bible that gives us spiritual understanding so there is no need for us to be confused about You or about what You think…
Teach us to love our enemies unconditionally just as You do…show us how to spread the gospel message with confidence in this lost and dying world… give us the courage to press on in the face of the adversity of today’s world without losing hope and without losing our focus on You and on all the members of the Godhead including our Mentor and Teacher God the Holy Spirit…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's name...Amen.
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON God Wants You to Learn So You Can Win
The passage under study is Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 14. As we continue to go into the depth of the passage, it’s becoming obvious how deeply this letter reaches into the very bowels of Scripture. Like the connective tissue of the body, it keeps on reminding us that all Scripture is a magnificent whole…a single, excellent, edifying message God has for us about what works in this life.
PAUL INTRODUCES HIMSELF
COLOSSIANS 1:1 A letter from Paul…an apostle of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Jewish Messiah…by spiritual gift an apostle by means of the will of God the Father Himself…with Timothy our brother (who is with Paul as a co-worker and as a co-author)…
COLOSSIANS 1:2 …a letter to the saints…those who are believers in Christ and those who are the holy and faithful brethren in union with Christ who are at Colossae… grace to you and peace from God our Father.
PAUL GIVES THANKS FOR THE GROUP OF BELIEVERS IN COLOSSAE AND ITS SURROUNDING AREA WHO HAVE LEARNED THE GOSPEL AND RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO IT
COLOSSIANS 1:3 We (Paul referring to himself and Timothy) always GIVE THANKS to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…when we pray for all you Colossian believers …
COLOSSIANS 1:4 …because we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus (from Epaphras) and we heard of the unconditional love which all of you have for all God’s saints…
COLOSSIANS 1:5 …because the faith and unconditional love you have comes from THE HOPE STORED UP FOR ALL OF YOU IN HEAVEN…of which hope all of you previously heard in the word of truth…the true gospel…
COLOSSIANS 1:6a …the gospel which has come to you…just as also it is coming to others all throughout all the world…the gospel message that keeps on bearing fruit and keeps on increasing…
COLOSSIANS 1:6b …even as the gospel message also has been bearing fruit and increasing among all of you since the day all of you heard it and truly understood God’s grace…
COLOSSIANS 1:7 …just as all of you learned the gospel message from Epaphras…our beloved fellow bond-servant…who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf…
COLOSSIANS 1:8 ….and Epaphras also informed us of your unconditional love in the Spirit (en Pneumati).
PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS AND FOR ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST IS SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING FROM THE SOURCE OF GOD COLOSSIANS 1:9a For this reason, also, since the day we heard the report of your faith, we have not stopped praying for all of you Colossian believers…
COLOSSIANS 1:9b …and we have not stopped asking that all of you may be filled with the knowledge of God the Father’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…
COLOSSIANS 1:10 …so that all of you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord…to please Him in all respects…bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God the Father…
COLOSSIANS 1:11 …strengthened with all power…according to His glorious might…for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience…
COLOSSIANS 1:12 … joyously giving thanks to God the Father…who has qualified us believers in Christ to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
COLOSSIANS 1:13 For God the Father rescued us believers in Christ from the domain of darkness…and He transferred us to the kingdom of the Son whom the Father loves (the Lord…Jesus)…
COLOSSIANS 1:14 …the Christ…in whom we have redemption…the forgiveness of sins.
When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering, and then we’ll look at the third section of this passage verse-by-verse to see what God wants us to know about the winning lifestyle.
FIVE MINUTE BREAK NOBODY Casting Crowns
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON God Wants You to Learn So You Can Win
Tonight, my prayer is that God the Holy Spirit opens your heart with a spirit of generosity. Proverbs, Chapter 19, Verse 17 says…
PROVERBS 19:17 The one who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord…and the Lord will repay him for his good deed.
It is my sincere hope that the Lord gives you a burning to desire to provide your treasure to serve those who are spiritually poor…in fact, to those who are spiritually bankrupt. Your generosity is the means by which we can distribute the gospel message through this ministry so that it can be enjoyed all around the world.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of His always insightful and always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
JAMES 1:5 …if any one of you lacks wisdom…ask the giving One…our God and Father…who gives to all generously and not grudgingly…and wisdom will be given to you by God.
OFFERING SONG UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Donna Summer and the Musical Youth
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON God Wants You to Learn So You Can Win
Let’s take a look at Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 9 to 12 verse-by verse. What you will notice from this section of the passage are three things. First, Paul is PRAYING and ASKING regularly. Second, Paul is hopeful that believers will KNOW GOD’S WILL. Finally, Paul wants us to live a lifestyle that is in line with God’s will…A WINNING LIFESTYLE…the Christian Way of Living.
PAUL PRAYS FOR SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING AMONG THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS
COLOSSIANS 1:9a For this reason, also, since the day we heard the report of your faith, we have not stopped PRAYING (in intercession) for all of you…
COLOSSIANS 1:9b …and we have not stopped ASKING (in intercession) that all of you may be FILLED BY GOD WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FATHER’S WILL… with all the spiritual wisdom and understanding (that God the Holy Spirit gives)…
COLOSSIANS 1:10 …so that all of you will (have a Christian lifestyle of purpose)…to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord so as to please Him in all respects…to bear fruit in every good work and to increase in the knowledge of God the Father…
In the Christian Way of Living, God does the work and we get the benefit. As a result of knowing God’s will for mankind and God’s will for your life through the study of God’s word…
Our life journey is conducted on a road. That’s why the Christian Lifestyle is called a “walk.” Sometimes we walk…sometimes we are carried by God…sometime we run…Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verse 2 exhorts…
HEBREWS 12:2b …let us believers in Christ run with endurance the race that is set before us…
What is a walk worthy of the Lord? It’s a lifestyle that is powered by and is strengthened by the Lord. That means we will be…
Pleasing to the Lord
Bearing fruit for the Lord
Doing good works for the Lord
Increasing in the knowledge of the Lord
What is Paul’s wish for the Colossians? What does Paul wish for us? That we remember Philippians, Chapter 1, Verse 6…
PHILIPPIANS 1:6 For I (Paul) am confident of this very thing…that God the Father…who began a good work in you…will keep on perfecting it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Paul wants the Colossians and all believers to finish what God started. How do we finish what God started? We don’t QUIT!!! Because of God we are…
COLOSSIANS 1:11a …being strengthened by God with a (divine) power (the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit which is absolute and totally complete…almost unimaginable)…
COLOSSIANS 1:11b …according to His glorious might (divine omnipotence…God has all the power)…so you might have the greatest possible endurance and the greatest possible patience…
God’s power allows us believers to demonstrate the implanted fruit of God the Holy Spirit! Paul’s letter to the Ephesians echoes a similar sentiment for us believers. Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 18 to 20…
EPHESIANS 1:18a I (Paul) pray that the eyes of your heart (your spiritual eyes) may be enlightened… so that you will know the HOPE to which He called you…
EPHESIANS 1:18b …so you will know the riches of the inheritance He gives to His saints (believers in Christ) through His glory…
EPHESIANS 1:19 …and, so you will know the incomparably great power He gives to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might…
EPHESIANS 1:20 …which He brought about in Christ…when God the Father raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…
The gospel in our lives accomplishes things…like steadfastness and patience. We are filled by God the Holy Spirit to all the fullness God has to offer. As a result, we are…
COLOSSIANS 1:12 … giving thanks with joy to God the Father…who has qualified us believers in Christ to have a share…(our own personal portion)…of the inheritance of the saints (the holy ones who are) in (union with the) Light (our amazing God).
The problem is that the lifestyle God had provided is attacked and distorted with a “world view” from Satan’s kingdom. False teachers introduce destructive and seductive heresies. Unfortunately, we adopt parts of this Satanic, worldly lifestyle and we construct a do-it-yourself life which does not work.
False teachers take advantage of complacent Christians. Are you one? God combats complacency in those who want the truth…to those who expose themselves to truth with Spirit-given insight through the Word of God.
All truth comes from God. ONLY truth comes from God. Do you hear it? Do you discern it? Do you make your decisions based on it?
GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
When you hear the words GOD WANTS YOU, they should hit you like a ton of bricks. You are special to God. If you decide to become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are even more special according to First John, Chapter 3, Verse 1…
FIRST JOHN 3:1a See how great an unconditional love God the Father has given us believers in Christ…that we would be called children of God the Father…and in fact, we are children of God the Father…
This message is your invitation to become a child of God as well!
There are people in the world, and you may be one of them, who describe themselves as atheists. An atheist is a person who says there is no Supreme Being. After hearing these opening comments, an atheist might say, “There is no god. God doesn’t exist.”
Philosopher Blaise Pascal, in what is known as “Pascal’s Wager,” says that human beings bet with their lives that God either exists or He does not. Pascal is right, so if you are an atheist, you would do well to at least consider what the Bible has to say about this issue. Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23 says…
ROMANS 3:23 …for all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10…
ROMANS 3:10 …as it is written, "There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…"
Even though people think the Bible is “just a bunch of stories,” the apostle John makes the function of the Bible crystal clear…John, Chapter 20, Verse 31…
JOHN 20:31 …these things written here (in the Bible) have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Jewish Messiah)…the Son of God (in human form)…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life in His name.
The Bible is a guide designed to give you the truth. Since atheists are created creatures…human beings…they would do well to be curious about exactly what the Bible is proposing. In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22, the Bible says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a …all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…
That’s horrible news for an atheist! The good news is that the Lord has an interesting attitude toward ALL of His creatures…even those who think there is no god. Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…
SECOND PETER 3:9a The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead, He is patient toward you unbelievers (including atheists)…
SECOND PETER 3:9b …not wishing for any of you to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
It is not God’s plan that any of His creatures would perish. What IS God’s plan for the unbeliever, especially the atheist? The Bible claims that God exists and that God lives in heaven. How can you get to heaven? If you’re an atheist, and you think Pascal was right, then there is no downside to believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Right where you sit, RIGHT NOW, you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you. God’s plan for the unbeliever is outlined in Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is an atheist’s acknowledgment that if there is a God, it might be smart to have faith in Him. John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation)… and I am the truth (through the Word of God…the gospel message)…and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”
No creature can do anything to get to heaven on his own. Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says…
ROMANS 11:6 But if salvation is by grace, and of course it is, it is no longer based on works…otherwise, grace is no longer grace.
God’s grace makes your salvation a free gift to you. If you have to work for a gift then the work makes you deserve the gift. In salvation, there is no way for you to impress God enough that He would allow you to save yourself. It’s very wise to let God save you because once God does something, He never changes His mind. So, heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…
JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in God the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
Who is this God who saves you? He is the only Being ever resurrected from the dead. The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…
The apostle Peter reminds us of the words of Old Testament prophet Joel in Acts, Chapter 2, Verse 21…
ACTS 2:21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.’
If you’re an atheist, I encourage you to keep on investigating to see if you’re right about there being no god. And if you’re not right, and you think there may be a God, believe in Him because there’s plenty of room for you in heaven!
SONG INTRODUCTION
The promise our Almighty God made to the Jewish Race applies to all of His believers as well…Deuteronomy, Chapter 4, Verses 30 and 31…
DEUTERONOMY 4:30 When you (The Jewish Race) are in distress and all these tribulations have come upon you…in the latter days (near to the time of the Millennial Reign of Christ) you will return to the Lord your God and obey His voice.
DEUTERONOMY 4:31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God…He will not fail you…nor destroy you…nor will He forget the covenant He made with your forefathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) which He swore to them.
Here’s June Murphy to remind us in song what to do when we face similar tribulation…COUNT IT ALL JOY.
CLOSING SONG COUNT IT ALL JOY June Murphy
CLOSING SONG COUNT IT ALL JOY June Murphy
CLOSING DOXOLOGY
Words of Praise to Our God
Let’s acknowledge the magnificence of our Almighty God.
PROVERBS 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge Jesus, and He will make your paths straight.
DEUTERONOMY 31:8 “For the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you…He will be with you…He will not fail you or forsake you…so do not fear or be dismayed.”
ISAIAH 30:18 The Lord longs to be gracious to you…He waits on high to have compassion on you…for the Lord is a God of justice…blessed are those who wait for Him.
FIRST PETER 5:6-7 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may promote you at the proper time…slamming all your cares on His back… because He cares for you.
God considers your problems to be His responsibility.
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening! |