1211. An Introduction to Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

Welcome to The Daily Platform. Our program preacher sermons from Chapel services at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Every day students are blessed by the preaching and teaching of the Bible from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform were beginning a study series entitled seeking things above, which is a study of the book of Colossians.

This study explores and applies the timeless truth that Christ is our sufficiency in all relationships, responsibilities and circumstances. If you would like to follow along in the study booklet you can order a printed copy from the Bob Jones store website shop.BTU.edu. Let's listen to today's message for Steve will walk us through an introduction to Paul's letter to the Colossians.

Well, today we began our discipleship series that we will be working through this semester and Chapel from the book of Colossians chapter 3. Our theme being seeking things about which actually comes from the opening verse in chapter 3 in verse one. If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above and so that's going to be our study. Throughout the semester. In verse one of chapter 3 way down to verse 16. But today what I'd like to do is to establish and layout today and next basically a foundation so that when we go in the chapter 3 we feel like we have at least a decent grasp on the book and a couple things that you can do to benefit your own self in the study were to study and it's going to take at least 10 messages. It'll be a part of your discipleship group took couple simple things. Number one. I would encourage you read through the book of Colossians once a week. It's only 95 versus you can actually read through it in one sitting. Doesn't take that long, but I would encourage you to do that. Number two I would encourage you to take notes and Chapel whether you bring your book with you or you put them on your cell phone or you handwrite them out the lease you have notes to follow so that when you take time to have discussions those thoughts are better in your mind. II know my experience if I write things out that it actually sticks better in my mind.

So this morning.

What I like to do is to take your Bibles and turn with me please to the book of Colossians.

During the first couple of verses and today were just going to take time to try to understand the book of Colossians, and especially the practical value of studying the book we read in verse one. These words Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus are brother to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, which are at Colossae best the city gracefully had to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ of the book is called the epistle of Paul to the Colossians or to the Colossian believers. So, what's the value of studying this book and basically the value is found in grasping to understand the overall reason why Paul wrote this letter as you understand the reason then you grasp it and that's what I want us to look at Celeste again.

First of all with the altar of the book clearly as Paul writes his letters in the first century, when they would write a letters different than us. We always write to the person first dear Samuel and we sign it sincerely and you put your name in the bottom in difficult times is to reverse the writer starts out so he says Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ, and where was Paul wrote this letter where we find out in chapter 4 in verse three when he read it to you at the same time. Pray also for us, that God may open to us and for the word to declare the mystery of Christ's own account of which I am in prison. This letter is one of four prison epistles, including Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, in the letter called Philemon and Paul was in a Roman prison and we know it was somewhere between the years 60 and 62 A.D. it was during this time that Paul wrote these letters. So what were the circumstances was setting surrounding this letter. This is so important, and it was based on a visitor who came to see Paul in prison because when Paul was imprisoned in Rome. The first time he was there two times in prison the first time he was under house arrest.

You could say he actually had a small apartment where he was guarded by Roman soldiers and he could entertain. So here he was in prison and a man comes to visit him from the city of Colossae. Colossae was 1200 miles away from Rome so you can imagine the trip. It took for him to get there and the man's name was path for us now who was a path for us. Well, we know that he was a convert to Christianity and basically most believe it was under Paul's ministry, but Paul never preached in Colossae and he never went there likely, it was under Paul's ministry as he was preaching in the city of Ephesus, which was 110 miles away. Ephesus was a port city on the Aegean sea and Colossae was inland in the Valley there's another short city nearby called Laodicea branch. Remember that from the book of Revelation. So Paul is is with this man name Pam Chris traveling from Colossae to come and see all and apparently Pam. Chris had gone back to Colossae and he was the one to preach the gospel to the community and as a result of his evangelistic church was planning. So what is Paul doing the beginning of his letter to the Colossians he says something very important and that is he validates ministry of a path for Schleswig in verse five of Colossians 1 pieces for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, where you have heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel which is commonly used as it is in all the world and brings forth fruit as it does also uses the day you heard it and knew the grace of God in truth.

As you also learned that is you learn the, the gospel path for us, our dear fellow servant who is for you and faithful minister of Christ that when Paul wrote that he was doing something very important. He was validating as legitimate. The messenger of pathways and the message that he was preaching wise.

This important because it helps us to understand the problem in the church of Colossae. So here's the question why pathways travel all the way to Rome to see Paul. It wasn't a vacation and it wasn't just to see him.

He came to see Paul because he was facing real huge problem in the church and the problem it we can see it this way a path for spell wasn't out of his league. It was it was above his head. It was a problem that he didn't know how to answer. And so we came to Rome seeking the wisdom of the great apostle Paul. By the way, in the New Testament almost all the letters that Paul wrote were centered around church problems and generally there's one of three if not all three problems that churches face. The first is a doctrinal problem.

What is tall.

The second is a practical Christian living problem. For example, we read this in the book of Corinthians in the third is a leadership problem. So churches will have 12 or all three problems in the church. So what was the problem in the church of Colossae well in one way that supported the problem because when you read the book. Paul never comes out directly and tells us exactly what the problem is, for example, if you read the book of Galatians. It's really clear what the problem is and that is they were preaching a false gospel in the book of Colossians wasn't quite so clear. So what is suggested in this way it's like listening to another person have a phone conversation ever done that before. Maybe your mother, your dad's on the phone or maybe your eavesdropping and your listening to them and you know there's a problem going on but you can't hear the person on the other side of the line and perhaps you hear any answers. But you don't really get the issue will in a way it's a little bit like what you find in Colossians, but as we read the book, we can deduce enough of the problem to be able to discern what teaching or doctrinal problem was. And here's what we know about the doctrinal problem. It was a problem that arose in that church. You could say it was homegrown and the main idea of the teaching was was affecting the way believers were bidding out the Christian life. So, understand this.

All behavior is rooted in your belief. When people have behavior problems as Christians. Generally, it's rooted in what they been all their doctrinal issues. So behavior is affected by our belief. So here's the problem and that is there was a certain kind of teaching that was rising up in the church that was creating if I can say a new kind of spirituality, a new mood that was very different than the teaching of a path for us and they were using similar words but it was creating a different feel, and it was starting to divide the church so the purpose of Paul's writing is to provide the resources that the Colossian believers needed to recognize and deal with this kind of teaching and I teaching you this because the problem that we find in the church of Colossae has been a part of church history.

That's the value that's ready of the New Testament letters.

It's not like the people in that they are different today, so the problems that arise in the New Testament are the same issues we face today so was the major emphasis of the teaching that was rising up in the church. Two primary things.

Number one. The first is this the false teachers offered a spiritual fullness not previously experienced in the gospel that was preached to them by a path risk so I focus on the word hopefulness.

Let me put it this way, they were saying something like this.

Okay you guys in the church have right now is all I it's a good start. It's a good foundation pay a path for his his taught you the basics by it's not enough there was something more hollow man. There is something so much more than we can help you experience the Christian life you've always wanted. You can be completely fulfilled. Total satisfaction guaranteed issue question. Who would want me who doesn't want a full experience as a Christian. So they made the claim that they could incur fact or they can complete this simple elementary message of a path for us that they were by their statement saying is inadequate. They all their offer included a deeper knowledge of God and a greater experience of power and by the way does that sound to you if somebody came to you and asked you the question, if you want to know God better.

What would you do, what would you say flashlight? You want to know God better. Adrian okay same question how many of you all the power and the ability to overcome the problems of your lifetime. If you want that raise your hand. Okay obviously that's what we all desire. So what was the problem we all need and want something more in our Christian life.

That's not the issue.

The issue was the source of that fullness. So here's a question. When a Christian say when a believer is saved is a given everything he needs at the moment of salvation in order to live the Christian life yes or no or is there something that you need subsequent to your salvation in order to live the Christian life.

That's the question that's the issue, and here's the error one and receiving Christ and salvation as they were teaching that is what a path for us told them was not enough they needed some additions they needed some bad things they needed something to happen to them beyond their salvation that would elevate them to a higher or to another spiritual level the gospel that was preached by Paul and a path for us which was the same gospel teaches us that Christ and through the gospel.

We already have every thing Christ is more than enough key is small sufficient.

We are complete in him, he is are all in all, so how do we live the Christian life.

We grow in the knowledge of Christ and understanding him and then we grow in living that out and experience what God is in our hearts through his power at the moment that were say has to be lived out on a daily so hot the Colossians, however, were subtly learning a wrong view of you to say this way of the insufficiency of the gospel message that was brought to them and whatever the additions were they were actually becoming subtractions because when you try to add to Jesus you take away from Jesus and what we find in Paul's teaching in this letter, you can basically see throughout history and even in contemporary teaching in the day and age in which we go with in which we are experiencing today. So the first problem was the teaching of a spiritual full. Second, the false teacher spoke of a spiritual freedom for those who follow them in again. It appeals to what we all feel as Christians we want we want to know the Lord better and we want to have greater victory in our lives the teachers.

It seems like as you read the book appear to offer a deliverance of some kind. That was different from what the Colossians experienced in their salvation. For example, we just share a few of them that we find, especially Colossians 2, so Colossians 2 really lays out a lot of the error you can go back and read it. Colossians 3 which were to study really shows how to live out the Christian life according to the gospel. For example, there were teachers who appear to have claimed a particular insight into the powers of evil and the ability to give believers special protection from demons. In contrast to Christ defeat of all demonic powers on the armor years ago. Being out in Denver Colorado and there was an evangelistic Bible preaching gospel preaching evangelist who had shifted in his ministry and his whole ministry was on dealing with demons, especially Christians who are being attacked by demons. And as I sat there not listen to them. I cannot help but think about Colossians 215 basically says that Jesus stripped all the demons in their power and their already defeated. Why would I focus on the demons.

Why would I not focus on Jesus who defeated the passing this in foreign countries, where I go, especially when there's a lot of spiritism and believers are delivered from the power of demons at the very moment that there say there was also teaching in the church that if you follow the Jewish legal codes that you would experience a more complete spiritual life.

In other words, if you go back to the law live under the wall. It will actually give you there was also the book of Colossians a very strong emphasis on basically getting victory over temptation through severe self-discipline body.

The problem is that whenever you deprive your body deny yourself. For example, like the monks used to do hundreds of years ago. It may make you look strong, but it doesn't really combat the strength of the sin of your own heart. In other words, you conduct yourself of the externals but doesn't overcome your sin nature. If you're not careful, it can lead to vanity and pride and self-confidence and, potentially, you can fail in the realm of the flesh because the only thing that deals with the flash ultimately is the cross of Jesus Christ. Only Christ and his cross has the power. So throughout Colossians Paul reminds us that deliverance is already ours in Jesus, and following these teachers to freedom, but it will lead to slavery so let me sum it up in this false teaching. There's a form of Christian perfectionism that is becoming complete. That can be reached outside of Christ and his work by way that's why he read in chapter 1. What is he do he exalts Jesus and those could be for example legalistic observances some form of intellectual elite knowledge, some mystical experiences or severe discipline that we call asceticism and that's what you find in chapter 2, legalism, intellectualism, mysticism and asceticism and the focus is on gaining some kind of knowledge outside the Christ doing some kind of action that is not based on the work of Christ and going through some kind of experience that is outside of the presence of Christ, any teaching that questions the sufficiency of Jesus Christ in his work of grace in your life not only salvation but for your spiritual growth fall under the critique of Colossians.

I want to say this kind of discernment is a little slippery is little harder because you're talking about people who are professing Christians, but there teaching a wrong view of sanctification all man centered messages will ultimately fall into two categories number one works oriented category.

What I do to obtain the blessing with a primary focus on either the steps for the rule. The second is a higher level tiered spirituality that seeks for blessing outside of seeking and it seems that the false teachers were leading believers to find their sense of security and identity and something other then Christ.

Christ is everything for us. So what did Paul then emphasize and when you read the book of Colossians.

Again, let me exhort you to do that is very clear that there are two words that jump out throughout the whole book. The first word is the word Christ in the New Testament. Paul and the plot in the apostles were overwhelmed with the greatness of Jesus and his gospel. Think about it, but not many people are doing it is a you stupid if you were to go to Christian bookstore use when you walk in a Christian bookstore they'll always put the most popular books out front if you look in the most popular books out front. How many of them deal directly. Jesus, if you look in the bookstore for six section on Jesus, you might have to go way back in the corner and you find this little's fan section with a handful of books and often times the Christian books are how to book search experience this or get your best life now but in the New Testament. They were all over well with who Jesus Christ was and so Paul mentions the name Christ 25 times and he referred to it in various ways, 65, we are told that Jesus is the image of God he is the head of the church. He is the creator of the world. He is the preeminent one was to have first place in our lives.

Christ, I that's the emphasis and then there's a second word is the word all a LL Greek word PAS process is mentioned 30 times all speaks to the fullness and completeness that we as Christians have in Christ. For we are complete in him, Christ is all in him. 12 for this of the Godhead bodily. Could it be today and I think this is something that we could all say amen to that instead of being overwhelmed with the greatness of Jesus on a daily basis.

We are underwhelmed. I don't say this to be harsher mean I'm standing with you in this, but especially in the world of technology where your life is fun.

Soon, with all some greatness of your cell phone or your computer or your access to knowledge where is it that you were over wound with Jesus Christ. Because of this, I believe we are all susceptible to some kind of spiritual add own to some kind of additive to some kind of secret that will help me to know and to grow and overcome.

But the answer my friend is found in the overwhelming surpassing greatness that is in Jesus, and should we not pray for all of us here that we would know Jesus and a far greater way it goes back to what Paul is saying over and over. Christ is the heart of the message he is the source of the Christian's life. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in him and all the fullness of God is in Christ and I are complete in him 20 centuries of past since Paul wrote this letter, but the but the necessity of focusing on Christ is real like my hope and prayer is it over the semester you will grow and that grace and that knowledge of Christ and what he has done to enable us to have victory and to overcome. Would you stand with me this morning as we pray and ask the Lord's blessing.

I'd like to pray a prayer this morning that I heard years ago from a preacher. It was a prayer that he prayed of an old St. I think this is a prayer that is worthy of all of us praying for ourselves and for one another. Would you bow your heads with me as we pray a gracious heavenly father I pray this morning that we would see Christ more clearly and I pray this morning that we would love Christ more dearly in Lord and I asked that we would follow Christ more nearly and we all ask all of this for the glory of Christ in his name. Amen.

You've been listening to a sermon from the study series in the book of Colossians by Dr. Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University. For more information on Dr. Pettit series, visit the Bob Jones University store website shop .be GU.edu where you can get a copy of Steve's study booklet entitled seeking things above. Thanks for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue the study and Colossians on The Daily Platform