Go with me, if you would, back
to Colossians chapter one. Colossians one, we have some
very dear brethren. From all over. Who have started
helping us, they have started supporting us. For the building
that we are pursuing. and it endears them to me it
just endears them to me i i love them in christ have loved them
in christ but seeing their their love and their support of us
it is just it is endearing them to me i thank god for them i
really do i thank god for them I thank the Lord for what he
produces in his people. It is. It is something truly
wonderful and truly special. And I thank the Lord. For that
work that he produces and the Apostle Paul did too. He thanked
the Lord for the same thing. As he wrote to these churches,
he expressed his thanks to God for the brethren. for these very
types of things. He did it all the time. Tonight, I want us to look at
what he had to say to the Colossians. Specifically, in verse 3, he
said, We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, praying always for you. And then he goes on down to say
what it is that he gives thanks for. So I want us to line by
line go through these first eight verses, and I pray the Lord will
let us enter into it. Verse one says Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ. By the will of God and Timotheus,
our brother. The spirit of God produces humility
in his people. It produces true humility in
his people. God's children are humble people. The flesh by nature is very proud. The flesh by nature is very self
ish, very lifted up. in self and in pride. But when
God's spirit comes to a person, it humbles them. All of a sudden
they become sinners and they become low, low, humble in spirit,
meek. All of God's people are humble
people. Paul was an apostle. He was an
apostle, one of 12 apostles. That means he was called to preach
directly by Christ himself. The flesh of a man, you know,
who is called to preach. Tells him, oh, you're something
special, boy, you're really something special. What if Jesus Christ
himself called you to preach and said, you're a chosen vessel
unto me? He was an apostle called directly
by Christ himself. And that means he physically
saw Christ face to face. Paul had the word of the gospel
truth within him. We read the New Testament and
declare what the New Testament says. He spoke it. He had the the Holy Spirit Word
of God within him, the words that he spoke when he preached,
he stood up and he would address people. And the words that he
spoke when he preached were directly inspired by the Holy Spirit. That means when he said, God
says, God said. He was a direct messenger for
God. He had the ability to perform
miracles. Amazing, amazing miracles, and
the reason he had that was to confirm the fact that the word
he spoke was indeed of God. But he immediately acknowledged
right here by whose will it was that he was made to be these
things. He told them first thing, I am what I am by the grace of
God. Whatever it is that I am. It's
by the grace of God, he said in verse one, Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, by the will of God. By the will of God, and
he included Timothy in the instruction and the authority in the greeting.
Of the word, he said this is coming from me. And Timothy is
our brother. Timothy was not an apostle. He
was not an apostle. He was much younger than Paul.
But Paul said in Christ, we're all equal. We're all equal. We are all nothings. In Christ, all of us are nothing
and He's all. We're nothing and He's everything. It is His will. It is His work. It is all about Him. So He very
easily said, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will
of God, and Timotheus, our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren
in Christ, which are at Colossae. All of God's people are saints. They are all saints. They don't
feel like saints. None of them, not a one of them. They sure don't go around telling
everybody that they are a saint. Usually they do not act like
saints. But God says they are, and in
Christ they are. Saints, sanctified children in
Christ. All of God's people are saints. And he said, faithful brethren,
they're all faithful brethren. They are not faithful in themselves. Do you feel faithful? Do you
feel faithful to God's word and faithful to God's spirit and
faithful to God's worship and faithful to God's? Oh, I'm so
faithful. They are not faithful in themselves.
They are faithful in Christ. They are not faithful because
they are faithful. They're faithful because he is
faithful. It's the only reason. Look with
me, if you would, at first Thessalonians chapter five. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 24, it
says, faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. Faithful is He that called you,
and He'll do it. If God's people do anything,
it's because the faithful God called them to it and did it
for them, produced it in them. Whatever it is, whatever God's
people do, faithful is He that calleth you who also will do
it. Look with me at Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10 verse 23 says. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering. For he is faithful that promised. He is faithful that promised. That's why we hold fast the profession
of our faith. If God gave us faith. then he
is the one who exercises the faith, causing us to look to
him in faith and keeps us looking to him in faith. It's only because
he is faithful that promise, and that's why we hold fast our
profession all because of Christ, our elder brother. So go with
me back to our text in Colossians one. Verse 1 says, Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, which are at Colossae,
grace be unto you. and peace from God, our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. If we could ever really enter
in to what that word grace means, if we could ever really enter
in, that word flows so freely off of our tongue. You hear it
all the time. If we could ever enter in to
what that word grace means. But Noah found grace. All right, this is what happened
to the entire world. But Noah found grace, Noah received
a gift that saved his life. He deserved the same thing everybody
else got. But he received a gift that saved
his life. That's what grace is for all
of God's saints. Every soul in Christ has received
a gift that has saved his life. A free gift. What is the gift? It's Christ. It's Him. Every soul has received Him and
received His blood and received His work. He is the gift. God's people received the gift
by being put in the gift. When the gift comes, they're
placed inside that gift. It says right here, verse one,
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God and Timotheus,
our brother to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ. Which are at Colossi, grace be
unto you and peace. From God, our father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. Peace, peace, grace be unto you,
and peace. The song says, hidden in the
hollow of his blessed hand, never foe can follow. This is where
peace is. Never foe can follow, never traitor
stand. Not a surge of worry, not a shade
of care, not a blast of hurry can touch the spirit right there. Grace and peace from God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he tells them who exactly
the thanks is to and what the thanks is for. Verse three. He
said, we give thanks to God and the father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Praying always for you. We give thanks to God and the
father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything is of God. Every single
thing, wisdom, righteousness. That means our, our perfection,
sanctification, our cleansing, the cleansing of this bill. Our
redemption, that's our payment, salvation, faith, hope, love,
all those things, everything comes from above. Every good
and perfect gift, all spiritual blessings. To quote Paul again,
we are what we are by the grace of God. What do we have that we haven't
received? So he said, we give thanks to God. All of our thanks
goes to God. All of our thanks for any good
gift. Even any good gift that we see
in our brethren. He's thanking God for the brethren
and thanking God for what they've done. Even the gifts we see in
them. All of our thanks goes to God
for. All of it, all of our thanks, it belongs to him. Turn with
me over to Psalm 103. I love this Psalm. Psalm 103 says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord,
O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgiveth all
thine iniquities. Does that line grab you? Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. Which ones are left out in the
word all? all, who healeth all thy diseases,
who redeemeth thy life from destruction. who crowneth thee with loving
kindness and tender mercies, who satisfieth thy mouth with
good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles. The
Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are
oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses,
his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will
not always chide, neither will He keep His anger forever. He
hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according
to our iniquities. You know why? He dealt with Christ
after our sins and rewarded Him according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy
toward them that fear Him. As far as the East is from the
West, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like
as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that
fear him. That is. That's just wonderful. He knows our frame. He remembers
that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass,
as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind
passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know
it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and
his righteousness unto children's children, to such as keep his
covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom
ruleth over all. Verse 20 says, Bless the Lord,
ye His angels that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening
unto the voice of His word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye His
hosts, ye ministers of His that do His pleasure. Bless the Lord,
all His works in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord,
O my soul. Bless the Lord me. Everything. Including me. All thanks goes
to him. All thanks belongs to him. Go with me back to Colossians
chapter one. Verse three says, We give thanks
to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praying always
for you since we heard of your faith in Christ, Jesus faith
in Christ, that's what God's people rejoice in. That's what
God's people rejoice in. That's what God's people truly
give thanks for. that he would create faith in
another center. That honestly is what God's people
rejoice in. If you want to see God's people
just become thrilled, just overwhelmed with joy. Show them another center
that God has produced faith in Christ. Just show them another
center where God put faith in Christ and they will be thrilled.
That's what they rejoice in. That's what they give thanks
for. That He would cause another center
to cast His all on the blood of Christ. When people become
successful, I am happy for them and scared to death for them. When certain worldly good takes
place, I'm happy for them and scared to death for them. Kids
get into their dream college and they move away from the gospel.
That's great and all. I don't I don't know. But you
show me another center who becomes flat and broken, falling on his
face, crying out for mercy. I need the blood of Jesus Christ. Woe is me. You got it all, buddy. You have it all. You just hit
the lottery. You have it all. He said, We give thanks, verse
4, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love
which you have to all the saints. He thanked God for their love
to all the saints, and I do too. I thank God for the love that
he puts in his people for each other. It's real. It's not fake. It's not phony. It's not self-righteous. How you doing today, brother?
It's real. I mean, it's real. It is real
family blood love. Our Lord said, by this shall
all men know that you are my disciples. If you have love one
to another, true love, sacrificing love, giving love, forgiving
love, the same love that Christ has for us. That's what he puts
in his people. The same love he has for us,
he puts in his people for each other. Greater love had no man
than this. He laid down his life for his
friends. Look with me at 1 John 3. First John chapter 3, verse 16. Hereby perceive we the love of
God. Because he laid down his life
for us. And we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. That's what our brethren are
doing for us right now. That's what they're doing for
us right now. With all of this generosity and all of this love
and all of this support that they're sending to us. Verse
17 says, But whoso hath this world's good and seeth his brother
have need and shut up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in him? My little children, let us not
love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. That's what God's people do for
each other. Why do they do it? For Christ's sake, they do it
for Christ's sake. Look at 1 John 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God. And every one that loveth is
born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son
into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love,
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son
to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another. And we do. We do, we
thank God for it to go with me back to Colossians one. Verse three says, We give thanks
to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always
for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of
the love which you have to all the saints for the hope which
is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel. Our hope. Is an inheritance that
we've heard about. Our hope is this inheritance
that we've heard about through the preaching of the gospel.
It's an inheritance that is being safely kept for us, laid up in
store. Peter said it's incorruptible,
it's undefiled, it will never fade away, and it is reserved
in heaven for you. What is the inheritance? What
is the hope? It is a perfect robe of righteousness. It is the sinless image of Christ. It is complete redemption. Our Lord said it's all things,
all things with him. all things in him. Paul said
we were notified of it and we received a hope in it through
the preaching of the gospel. Verse six says, which is come
unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit
as it does also in you since the day you heard of it and knew
the grace of God in truth. It's come unto you. He said it
came to you. You didn't come to it. It came
to you. You didn't come to it. It came
to you. God sent it on purpose to you. The Lord God said in Isaiah 65,
I am found of them that sought me not. I said, behold me, if
a man goes seeking the Lord. Seek the Lord while he may be
found. Seeking the Lord. If a man goes
seeking the Lord, then it means that the Lord has already sought
him. If a man goes searching for Christ,
it means Christ has already searched him because no man can come to
the Father. No man can come to Christ except
the Father draw him to Christ. And if he goes seeking, then
it means Christ sought him. He said, I'm found of them that
sought me not. I said, behold me. That's a that's
a great thing when it happens. Paul said, when it pleased God,
he revealed his son in me. And I thank him for it. I thank
him for revealing Christ in me, and I thank him for revealing
Christ in my brethren, creating faith in him, creating hope in
his promises, creating love for the brethren. That's the fruit
that he gives thanks for in verse six. which is come unto you,
as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it does
also in you since the day you heard of it, and knew the grace
of God in truth." He said, as soon as you truly heard about
the grace that had been freely bestowed on you, when that seed
of mercy and grace was planted in you, it immediately started
producing fruit. And it has continued since that
day, and it will continue for all eternity. Paul said, I thank
God for that. I thank God for that. Hearing
of Christ's love and his joy and his peace and his long suffering
and his gentleness and his goodness and his faith and his meekness
and his temperance produces the same thing in the people of Christ.
That's what the word says is the fruit of the spirit. It produces
the same thing. Hearing of his sacrifice makes
his people want to sacrifice. hearing of all that he gave makes
his people want to give. And it's all because of him.
Verse seven, it says, as you also learned of Epaphras, our
dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ,
Paul said, we give thanks to God for the faith in Christ he's
given you. We give thanks to God for the
love that he has caused you to have for all the saints. We give
thanks to God for the hope that he has confirmed to you. We give
thanks to God for the fruit he has produced in you. And he said,
we give thanks for the minister that he has provided for you.
He said, you learned these things from Epaphras, our dear fellow
servant who is for you a faithful minister of Christ. Paul said
he has been faithful to teach you these things from the word. I thank the Lord for the men
that God has raised up in these other places that has faithfully
taught the word of Christ to these our brethren who are being
so loving toward us. I do. I understand that I'm called
to this position, but I can't help it. I love those men. I
thank the Lord for those that just men are not special. We're
all zeros. But I thank the Lord for those
men that he that those men would just preach Christ and just preach
the word of Christ and tell people this is what he said in his word. Because verse 8, Paul said, Epaphras,
who also declared unto us your love in the spirit. Paul said
he's the one who told us about all this. He said, I've been
talking to Epaphras. And he's the one who told Timothy
and I. What God has done for you and
God has done in you so far. We have received a very loving
and a very generous gift from three congregations, and I mean
in the mail, in hand. I have been communicating with
the pastors of those congregations. I haven't been talking to the
brethren in those places. I've been talking to the pastors.
Paul said Epaphras is the one who told me about you and told
me about this heart that God has given you this heart of love
and this heart of faith and this heart of giving. Well, all three
pastors. Told me and and I did not tell
them that the other two said the exact same thing, all of
them told me the exact same thing. All three of them, when a number
was presented, they have sent us some money to help us with
a down payment. When a number was presented to the brethren. In each congregation, the response
was. Can we do more? Each pastor was so thrilled.
By the brethren, they preached to. Each one, they went to the to
the family there and they said, what do you think? What if we
give? Anyway, we can get more. All three of them told me that. The last pastor that I talked
to. He called the brethren, he said, this is the number I'm
thinking. He said, every person he talked
to said, oh, let's do more. I talked to a pastor yesterday
who said, we have something coming to you. We haven't received it
yet. Not one of the three. He said, we have something coming
to you. And he said, this has just blessed my heart. He said,
I presented a number to the men that I felt was a generous number
for you all. And the men's response was, Can
we double it? That is blessing my heart. I
don't care if it's $5 and they double it to 10. I don't care
what it is. That heart is blessing me. And I thank God for it. I thank
God for them. I thank God for these dear fellow
servants and faithful ministers of Christ. I do. And I thank
God for the dear brethren they preach to. I thank God for what
He has produced in them. And I honestly, sincerely pray
that He will produce that in me. He has already produced it
in you. You have it. I'm being serious. I would like to have it too.
I'd like to have it too. I pray He'll produce that same
thing in me. We thank God for Christ, don't
we? And we thank God for the brethren. And we thank God for
the love that He's put in them. The generosity. Oh, the love
of Christ. It just flows through His people. And we thank God for it. All
right, let's all stand together.