April 25, 2024
Pastor Darin Youngberg
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Daily Bread
Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 by Bro_D
Daily Bread May 15, 2018
Colossians 1:3-7 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, (7) just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf
What is it that gets the servant of Christ “all fired up with excitement”? Paul gives it to us in verses 4-7. First, Paul heard of their conversion thru Christ Jesus. The Bible says the angels in Heaven rejoice over just one sinner that is saved. At FBCO we have a saying when we hear of someone’s salvation: “AMEN – PRAISE JESUS- HALLAWHOOOOPPIEIEIEIEIEEE!” It is a very good thing to be excited about! The Church ought to go nuts over the salvation of one that was lost, dead, enveloped in darkness and has now been found, made alive as is light! Second, Paul got excited when he heard about the love the Colossians had for ALL the saints. Not just their little group. Jesus said that when His Bride was united as one like He and the Father are one, the world will know that the Father has sent Jesus, the Messiah. (Jn. 17:21) When the church shows favoritism, when we are not united, when there are those in the Body who feel as though they are less than others, then the world does not see Jesus as the One sent from the Father. Thirdly, Paul was joyful simply because they understood where their hope lies – in the Gospel message. When the church relies on the Gospel message, people get saved, which in turn leads to the Bride being joyful. When the church relies on the Gospel and people get saved the love of God moves thru the church and joy is increased! When that joy is increased the people in the community in which the church is located are affected and again, the Gospel message in shared and ….. it becomes a glorious cycle! We see this cycle played out in verses 4-7.
When the local Body of Christ is not sharing the Gospel …. Well, it’s obvious …. Because there will be tension, envy, strife, jealousy …. All the things that rob the Bride of her joy.
Every born-again-blood-bought-believer (BBB) is called a minister of the Gospel. Every single one. Every single BBB will be being a minister of the Gospel. They will be presenting the Gospel in the way they live, work, speak…. They will be ministering the Gospel to this lost and dying world. Nothing will stop them, nothing will get in the way of them sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those around them. Sadly, too many church folk, year after year ( the statistics that are shared thru denomination levels show that 95 out of 100 evangelicals do not actively share their faith … year after year after year) --- they sit in the church, identify as Christians, yet don’t live out a Great Commission life. Either the Bible has mistakenly characterized the life of a believer, or those people who identify as a believer, yet don’t live as a believer are greatly mistaken (see Mark 12).
I love how Paul ends this letter to the Colossians ---- Colossians 4:2-4 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (3) At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— (4) that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. --- with the importance of continuing to find ways to share the Gospel. He wants the joy he is experiencing to be greater … not only in his life, but in the lives of all who are in the Body of Christ. Let’s be praying for each other, being thankful for the opportunity to do it. Let’s be praying that God would open to us a door (or many this Sunday as go out in to community) for the Word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ Jesus our LORD. Let’s be praying we are able to speak clearly, with humility and love --- Let’s be praying the His joy would be full in our lives!