WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.620 I invite you to open up your Bibles to the book of Colossians this morning. We are starting 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:11.460 ! a new sermon series this morning through the book of Colossians. I'm excited about this. 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:16.699 After spending some time in the Old Testament, we are now jumping over to the New Testament, 00:00:16.699 --> 00:00:22.359 to one of Paul's epistles to the church in Colossae. If you don't have your own Bible, that's okay, 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:26.980 but you do need a Bible, so I would encourage you to open up one from the seat back nearby 00:00:26.980 --> 00:00:31.800 in front of you. You should be able to find one. It's there in the New Testament, Galatians, 00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:37.380 Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. If you hit Thessalonians, you've gone too far. Go backwards. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:43.079 But we're in Colossians chapter 1, and our passage this morning is the first eight verses, chapter 1 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:48.939 verses 1 through 8. And when you found that, let's stand together in honor of the reading of the Word 00:00:48.939 --> 00:01:01.820 of God. The letter of Paul to the Colossians. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:08.719 and Timothy our brother. To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, grace to you and 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:16.259 peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 00:01:16.260 --> 00:01:21.760 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that you have for all the saints, 00:01:22.260 --> 00:01:28.040 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, 00:01:28.460 --> 00:01:34.480 the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing, 00:01:35.020 --> 00:01:40.820 as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God and truth, 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:46.819 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of 00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:54.000 Christ on your behalf, and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. The grass withers and the 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:59.339 flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Would you pray with me once more? Father, 00:02:00.619 --> 00:02:07.219 as we open up a new book and begin a new series through another place in your word, we ask the 00:02:07.219 --> 00:02:12.659 same things that we always ask God. Would you take your word, and would you plant it deep within our 00:02:12.659 --> 00:02:18.639 hearts? And would you cause it to bear fruit? And would you open our eyes to behold the glory of God 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:24.520 and the gospel of Christ this morning? We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:41.460 Do you have enough? A recent Gallup poll found that 69% of non-retired Americans worry that they will 00:02:41.460 --> 00:02:48.560 not have enough for retirement. And fear of not having enough consistently ranks among the top of 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:55.740 anxiety-inducing worries among Americans, especially within the financial world. In fact, a separate 00:02:55.740 --> 00:03:03.400 study done by A Lion's Life. It says that for two out of every three Americans, the fear of not having 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:11.379 enough outranks the fear of death itself. Now, of course, the not enough message is pervasive in our 00:03:11.379 --> 00:03:16.960 culture. The message that you get on all sides at all times seems to be that you need more and more 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:22.219 and more and more. And then once you happen to get more, well, guess what? More isn't enough, is it? 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:29.700 And you can see and understand why so many are anxious and worried. But this message of not enough 00:03:29.700 --> 00:03:36.860 is not just a problem in the financial world. The message of not enough can also be pervasive in 00:03:36.860 --> 00:03:44.000 spiritual issues as well. We're starting in the book of Colossians this morning. And while they don't 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:50.599 have retirement on the mind, they are still wrestling with this issue, this problem of not enough. 00:03:51.460 --> 00:03:57.379 Paul doesn't know these saints and these believers in Colossae. He has never met them. Paul did not 00:03:57.379 --> 00:04:04.319 personally plant this church. In fact, Paul is sitting in a Roman prison cell and he receives a visitor, 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:11.180 his old friend named Epaphras. And Epaphras brings him this report of this church in Colossae. 00:04:11.180 --> 00:04:18.819 And he brings his old friend Paul some concerns. False teachers have crept into the church in Colossae. 00:04:19.180 --> 00:04:26.939 And they have come with this anxiety-inducing message of not enough. And they are spreading a message, 00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:34.319 a lie, that, well, what you have right now, that's a good start. Jesus Christ is a good place to begin. 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:41.740 The gospel is a great starting point. But what you really need is some of our information, some of our 00:04:41.740 --> 00:04:48.279 knowledge, some of our rules, some of our religious practices. And then, maybe then, you will finally 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:57.139 have enough. And so Paul writes this letter to the church in Colossae to teach them and to remind them 00:04:57.139 --> 00:05:05.120 what Epaphras had already delivered to them, that the fact is, if you have Jesus Christ, you have 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:14.919 enough. The gospel of Jesus Christ is enough. And this is the main message of our passage this morning. 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:22.699 And I wonder, church, if we believe this truly. Now, this letter was written by the Apostle Paul 00:05:22.699 --> 00:05:29.240 several thousand years ago, around AD 61. But it could just as easily have been addressed to us 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:37.939 here in 2026, because we, too, constantly wrestle with this temptation and constantly have to defend 00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:43.360 ourselves against these false messages from the outside that lead us to think that the gospel of 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:50.699 Jesus Christ is not enough for us. And we constantly wrestle with the temptation to leave the gospel 00:05:50.699 --> 00:05:56.000 behind and move on to bigger and better things. We can be prone to wonder whether our little church 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:01.860 here in Allendah really has enough to survive. And not just survive, but whether we have enough to 00:06:01.860 --> 00:06:09.419 thrive and be all that God has called us to be. Paul writes to remind us this morning, 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:18.659 see we may, if you have believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have everything you need. 00:06:18.660 --> 00:06:26.620 Do you believe it? He shows us that this incredible gospel message can do what nothing else can. The 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:34.040 gospel is the power of God to accomplish the plan of God. And he shows us this in three clear ways in 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:38.100 these eight verses this morning. This will be our outline if you're taking notes. We're going to ask 00:06:38.100 --> 00:06:44.900 the question, well, how do we really know that the gospel is enough? What proof is there that the 00:06:44.899 --> 00:06:50.839 gospel is enough? And we have three answers to that question. The gospel is enough because the gospel 00:06:50.839 --> 00:07:01.039 alone can produce a new man, a new manifestation, and a new mission. This will be our outline this 00:07:01.039 --> 00:07:08.899 morning. First, we see the gospel is enough because the gospel alone produces a new man. And we see this in 00:07:08.899 --> 00:07:14.719 the first two verses of our passage this morning. Look there with me. Verses one and two. Paul introduces 00:07:14.719 --> 00:07:22.699 himself here in the first verse. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, meaning as an apostle, he is one of 00:07:22.699 --> 00:07:29.279 the few men who has been appointed to this foundational office in the early church. These men were 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:36.679 eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ. They were specifically appointed as direct representatives of the 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:43.060 Lord in the early days in the foundation of the church. Paul wrote 13 or 14, if you include the 00:07:43.060 --> 00:07:51.079 letter of Hebrews, 14 to 13 books of the New Testament. When Paul speaks, he is speaking the 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:56.579 very word of God himself in these words of scripture. This is a big claim that he's making, isn't it? 00:07:57.420 --> 00:08:02.759 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. But you know, it wasn't always that way for Paul, was it? 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:11.899 Do you remember what Paul used to be? Paul was not always a defender of the faith. He did not always 00:08:11.899 --> 00:08:17.199 give his life away for the sake of the gospel. It's a bit ironic that he's writing this from a Roman 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:23.279 prison cell because guess what? Paul used to be the one throwing men and women, throwing Christians 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:30.219 into jail for saying that Jesus was the Christ. Paul used to be the one persecuting the church of 00:08:30.220 --> 00:08:36.259 Christ. He used to spend his time arresting and persecuting and silencing the spread of the 00:08:36.259 --> 00:08:43.480 gospel. But now he's an apostle of Jesus Christ, giving his life away to build up the church. What 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:53.259 in the world happened to Paul? He encountered the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and 00:08:53.259 --> 00:09:00.180 his entire life was changed upside down. His entire identity was changed. So the disciples said of him, 00:09:00.220 --> 00:09:07.019 he who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy. How do you 00:09:07.019 --> 00:09:18.480 explain a change like that? The gospel, the gospel has made Paul new. It's not just the apostle Paul 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:23.680 who's different. Look what he says about the Colossians, those believers there in Colossae. You see, 00:09:23.740 --> 00:09:29.160 these Colossians, again, they were facing these lies from these false teachers who were saying that 00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:35.659 if you really want to be new, if you really want to be of service to Jesus, if you really want to make 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:41.000 it and arrive as Christians, well, you need more than the gospel. But look what Paul says. 00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:51.980 He says, you Colossian believers, you are saints in Christ. Every last one of them are saints, 00:09:51.980 --> 00:09:59.620 meaning they are holy in the sight of God. They are set apart and made distinct from the world in the 00:09:59.620 --> 00:10:06.580 eyes of God. They are his, not only this, but they are faithful in Christ. Now Paul, again, he doesn't 00:10:06.580 --> 00:10:12.379 know these people. He has no knowledge of their religious performance, of their track record, 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:19.100 of what they've done today from nine to five. All he knows is that they are in Christ, but that's enough 00:10:19.100 --> 00:10:25.440 for him, isn't it? If they are in Christ, they are saints and they are counted faithful. In other words, 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:31.560 right off the bat, you see it? He tells them, you don't need to add to the gospel in order to be enough. 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:38.180 The gospel is enough. And if you believe it, the gospel makes you enough in the sight of God. 00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:46.360 Church, do you realize this is true for all who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ? 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:54.539 Christ, not just then and there, but here and now. If you are in Christ by faith, if you have heard 00:10:54.539 --> 00:11:00.500 and understood the grace of God and truth and the gospel of Jesus Christ, you too are a saint in the 00:11:00.500 --> 00:11:09.340 sight of God. You too are counted faithful in the sight of God. Your past matters not. Your performance 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:17.720 matters not. All that matters is if you are in Christ by faith in the gospel. If anyone is in 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:25.700 Christ, he tells us in 2 Corinthians 5, 17, he is a new creation. The old has gone. Behold, the new 00:11:25.700 --> 00:11:33.740 has come. The very fact that Paul is writing this letter is a testimony to the fact that the gospel 00:11:33.740 --> 00:11:40.659 message is actually enough to radically transform even the greatest sinner into a completely new 00:11:40.659 --> 00:11:49.180 creation and use them in powerful ways in the service of God's kingdom. That's not all. 00:11:50.060 --> 00:11:57.680 We see also that this gospel message, it also gives us a new family. Paul doubles down here on these 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:03.199 first two verses. He wants us to see that we're not just saved as individual Christians and then 00:12:03.199 --> 00:12:09.959 left to figure this all out on our own. No, he wants us to understand that we are then brought in to this 00:12:09.959 --> 00:12:16.759 brand new belonging and this brand new family of God. And so he writes this letter, he says, with his 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:24.859 brother, Timothy. They're not biologically related, are they? They are spiritually related in Christ. 00:12:24.860 --> 00:12:32.240 And he writes to this church, again, that he does not know, but he calls them what? Brothers and sisters 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:39.220 in Christ. Why? Because they share the same God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are brought into 00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:49.139 this spiritual family in the household of God. And all of this, all of this, he says, is because they are in 00:12:49.139 --> 00:13:04.120 Christ. How can someone be made new? They must be in Christ. And when you look at the address on the front of this 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:11.819 envelope here, it is directed to the believers in Colossae. And if you know anything about Colossae, you know that 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:20.100 Colossae was not much. It used to be, historically, in fact, it used to be this large, busy, bustling city. 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:26.660 It was world famous for this Colossian red wool and this clothing that they would produce. But by the time 00:13:26.660 --> 00:13:33.420 that Paul writes this letter, guess what? Everything had changed. The Romans had developed this new highway 00:13:33.420 --> 00:13:39.860 north to south. And instead of going through Colossae, they bypassed Colossae entirely, went through 00:13:39.860 --> 00:13:47.960 Laodicea instead. And so almost overnight, this populous, thriving, metropolitan city was now an 00:13:47.960 --> 00:13:56.139 afterthought. They were has-beens. Socially, they were what used to be important, what used to be 00:13:56.139 --> 00:14:01.460 special, what used to be valuable. You can see how this lie of not enough might appeal to them. 00:14:01.460 --> 00:14:13.340 But Paul reminds them, and us, there is a much more significant location to consider. Far more 00:14:13.340 --> 00:14:22.879 important than them being in Colossae is the fact that they are in Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:31.040 has taken these men and these women who were socially second-rate, and it has given them a brand new value 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:38.860 and status before God. Their past doesn't matter. Their performance doesn't matter. Their place doesn't 00:14:38.860 --> 00:14:42.620 matter. It only matters that they are in Christ. 00:14:44.620 --> 00:14:51.939 Friend, there is no other message in the world. There is no other power in the world that can do this. 00:14:51.940 --> 00:15:03.460 every other world religion. It will sell you a path of self-improvement, a way to climb the ladder and better 00:15:03.460 --> 00:15:09.760 yourself. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can transform you into a new creation. 00:15:11.640 --> 00:15:16.160 The gospel doesn't just make you a better man. It makes you a new man in Christ. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:24.299 And with this new man comes this fruit of a new life. I want you to look at what Paul says the gospel 00:15:24.299 --> 00:15:30.519 has already begun to produce in and through these believers in Colossae. This is the second point 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:38.159 this morning. Second, the gospel is enough because the gospel alone produces a new manifestation. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:47.539 A new manifestation. You see, the gospel is not just information only. The gospel is a message of 00:15:47.539 --> 00:15:54.259 transformation. And once the gospel seed is planted in your heart, and once that message begins to 00:15:54.259 --> 00:16:00.539 take root in the heart of a believer, you're going to begin to see this seed bear fruit. It's going to 00:16:00.539 --> 00:16:06.399 manifest itself here. We see at least three clear ways that the gospel is manifesting itself here. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:15.379 One of those manifestations is in verse three. Paul says, we always thank God, the father of our 00:16:15.379 --> 00:16:20.019 Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. Now stop right there and think about that for a minute. 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:28.039 Again, remember, Paul does not know these people. He's never seen their faces. He can't even do what we 00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:34.639 do today and follow them on Facebook or have a Zoom call or a FaceTime call with them. All he knows is 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:41.580 what Epaphras has shared with him. And yet here in prison, what is he doing? He is bowing his knees, 00:16:42.439 --> 00:16:50.159 praying for them, giving thanks to God, the father for them. The gospel and what it's done in their lives 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:58.860 has overflowed with thanksgiving and praise to God miles and miles and miles away from this little 00:16:58.860 --> 00:17:05.400 church in Colossae all the way to a prison cell in Rome. The gospel has borne the fruit. It has 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:13.380 manifested thanksgiving in the heart of a stranger, but a brother in Christ. This is one manifestation. 00:17:14.539 --> 00:17:18.960 But we see what is it in particular that he's thanking God for. He says, verse four, 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:26.620 we always thank God since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all 00:17:26.620 --> 00:17:33.720 the saints. These are our two more manifestations of the gospel, faith in Christ Jesus and love for 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:41.960 the saints. These are undeniable fruits, manifestations, results of the gospel bearing fruit in their life. 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:51.039 It's this vertical faith in Christ and horizontal love for one another. He says, we've heard that you 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:58.539 have faith in Jesus. Don't you understand that's a miracle of God's grace? Don't you understand you 00:17:58.539 --> 00:18:06.380 can't produce this in yourself? Don't you understand that no amount of religious performance or secret 00:18:06.380 --> 00:18:11.240 knowledge or law keeping or whatever else these false teachers would add to you, 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:17.599 none of that can produce genuine faith in Christ? Only the power of God through the gospel can do that? 00:18:18.759 --> 00:18:24.539 But I see it at work in you. It is proof that the gospel has taken root. It is proof that the gospel is 00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:31.500 enough. And not only that, but you also have this horizontal love for one another. That doesn't come 00:18:31.500 --> 00:18:38.559 from this list of rules, does it? This is obedience to Jesus's command. Love one another. By this will all 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:44.159 men know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Where in the world did that come 00:18:44.159 --> 00:18:53.980 from? This too is a work of God's grace through the gospel. The gospel is bearing fruit in you. It's 00:18:53.980 --> 00:19:03.639 working. I see it. And what's driving all of this? He says, verse five, it is all because of the hope 00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:10.720 laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the word of the truth, the gospel. 00:19:12.180 --> 00:19:20.360 This new faith and this new love and this new identity, it's the overflow of this new hope. Now, I want you to 00:19:20.360 --> 00:19:29.320 please understand that the Christian hope, this hope is not how we talk about hope in the world. It's like wishful 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:35.419 thinking, like we just hope that this will work out. Right? I hope that this is going to go my way. 00:19:35.659 --> 00:19:44.299 That's not the Christian hope. The Christian hope is an absolute rock solid certainty. Now, what is our 00:19:44.299 --> 00:19:54.819 hope? Our hope is what Christ Jesus has purchased for us in the gospel. We believe that his perfect life 00:19:54.819 --> 00:20:02.039 has earned all the rewards of perfect obedience and it is credited to us who believe. We believe that 00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:09.480 his sacrificial death has perfectly removed the wrath of God that was due to us. So now by faith in him, 00:20:09.559 --> 00:20:15.859 we are reconciled to God. We believe that his victorious resurrection from the grave is the first 00:20:15.859 --> 00:20:23.359 fruit of a new resurrection life that belongs to all who are united to him by faith. And so we have this 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:30.879 certain hope ahead of us of eternal life, enjoying the glory of God. What more can you need than that? 00:20:32.199 --> 00:20:40.759 What can you possibly add to that? What else do you need to be added to that for you to be happy and 00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:49.359 secure and certain of your life in Christ? Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. I mean, let me ask 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:55.219 you something. Think back to those stressed out Americans I mentioned earlier. Those people who are so anxious 00:20:55.219 --> 00:21:01.159 that they won't have enough in retirement, so they worry. They do these little side jobs. They pick up hours at 00:21:01.159 --> 00:21:07.740 Starbucks as a barista. They don't sleep well at night. How do you think it would change things for them if they knew 00:21:07.740 --> 00:21:14.959 without a shadow of a doubt that they were secure? How would it change things for them if they knew that it didn't 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:21.920 depend on their working or their effort, that they had this large, untouchable inheritance waiting for them? 00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:32.920 Paul acts like a spiritual financial advisor here for the Colossians. He pulls out the balance sheet. 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:39.840 He looks it over and he says, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Have you forgotten about the 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:46.039 inheritance that you have waiting on you? You couldn't spend this away in a million lifetimes? 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:52.000 And for all your working and all your laboring and all your stressing, you couldn't add to it if you tried. 00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:58.619 Friend, if you are in Christ, you don't need to worry that you don't have enough 00:21:58.619 --> 00:22:07.659 or that you aren't good enough or that the gospel isn't enough. The gospel is the good news that there is a 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:13.800 certain hope of eternity with God ahead of you who simply believe in Jesus Christ. 00:22:16.320 --> 00:22:22.820 Peter says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, 00:22:22.820 --> 00:22:29.600 he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the 00:22:29.600 --> 00:22:37.560 dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:43.799 God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 00:22:43.859 --> 00:22:45.200 Does that sound secure enough to you? 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:50.019 Paul says, how can anybody say you don't have enough? 00:22:51.399 --> 00:22:58.799 I see the gospel bearing fruit in you. This is proof positive that it's working. It's bearing fruit 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:04.379 in you. I see your faith in Christ. I see your love for the saints. It's all because of the certain 00:23:04.380 --> 00:23:09.620 hope that you have in heaven. It's all anchored in what Christ has already done in the gospel. 00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:16.220 You cannot add a thing to it. Don't listen to anyone who would lie to you in that way. 00:23:17.780 --> 00:23:24.800 The gospel is already bearing fruit in you, but not only in you. This is the third and final proof. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:32.500 Paul says, third, the gospel is enough because the gospel alone produces a new mission. 00:23:33.399 --> 00:23:39.819 A new mission, and that's a mission of both global and local significance. 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:50.799 Paul says this glorious hope of a sin-free, joy-filled, eternal life and a brand new creation 00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:58.200 in the presence of God who made you. This hope came to you in the form of a message. 00:23:59.819 --> 00:24:01.339 It's almost too simple, isn't it? 00:24:02.619 --> 00:24:03.980 It is almost too simple. 00:24:04.220 --> 00:24:10.980 Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you. 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:14.079 It's breathtakingly simple what the mission of the church is. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:22.259 Churches and Christians can really make things a lot more complicated than they need to be. 00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:24.379 Let's simplify things just a little bit here. 00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:33.439 Our mission, see we may, our mission is the mission given to us by King Jesus. 00:24:33.639 --> 00:24:34.159 What is it? 00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:37.899 Go and make disciples of all nations, 00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:42.679 baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 00:24:42.680 --> 00:24:46.299 teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:49.920 Our mission is the message of the gospel. 00:24:51.660 --> 00:24:54.160 Our mission is the message of the gospel. 00:24:55.680 --> 00:25:02.600 Paul says this simple message of the gospel that was spoken and declared to you in words, 00:25:02.660 --> 00:25:06.259 it came to you here in this little forgotten town of Colossae. 00:25:06.360 --> 00:25:08.740 It's made its way all the way to you. 00:25:08.840 --> 00:25:09.759 Can you believe it? 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:15.319 And so now you, Colossians, simply by believing this message are in Christ, 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:18.400 now you are citizens of the kingdom of God, 00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:21.480 and now you know what it means to have your sins forgiven, 00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:25.319 now you know what it is to have this certain hope of eternal life, 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:29.319 now that you have this power within you to truly love one another. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:30.019 Why? 00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:32.339 Because the gospel has come to you. 00:25:33.180 --> 00:25:36.039 The word of the truth has come to you. 00:25:36.680 --> 00:25:40.440 And by God's grace, you understood it and you received it. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:43.339 It has come to you, but not only to you. 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:49.240 He says it came to you as indeed in the whole world. 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:52.400 It is bearing fruit and increasing. 00:25:52.400 --> 00:26:00.380 This same gospel that came to you and has done this incredible work in your hearts, 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:01.100 well, guess what? 00:26:01.320 --> 00:26:06.300 That same thing is happening all over the world right now. 00:26:07.140 --> 00:26:09.800 It is spreading all over the world. 00:26:09.799 --> 00:26:15.819 This is the way that God is accomplishing His purposes in all the earth. 00:26:15.899 --> 00:26:16.559 You know what it is? 00:26:17.159 --> 00:26:23.500 God's plan to bring glory to His name is through the church. 00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:24.240 That's His plan. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:26.319 And how does that happen? 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:27.259 How does He do it? 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:28.259 How does He do it? 00:26:28.500 --> 00:26:30.619 The gospel has to be spread. 00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:35.159 The word of truth is what forms the church. 00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:38.560 And then the church is what proclaims the word of truth. 00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:41.100 So that more believers are formed. 00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:43.140 And more churches are formed. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:46.440 And as more believers are formed and more churches are formed, guess what? 00:26:46.580 --> 00:26:48.019 The gospel is proclaimed. 00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:50.680 And as the gospel is proclaimed, guess what? 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:51.920 I'm talking in a circle. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:52.360 You see it? 00:26:54.279 --> 00:26:56.779 As the gospel is proclaimed, the church is built. 00:26:56.779 --> 00:27:02.320 And as the church is built, God is praised for His glorious grace in the gospel of Christ. 00:27:02.580 --> 00:27:03.860 This is His plan. 00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:06.180 This is His mission. 00:27:07.940 --> 00:27:10.900 Church, we can't grow tired of this message. 00:27:11.040 --> 00:27:15.340 The temptation is to think, well, maybe that message was enough then. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:17.259 But maybe it's not enough now. 00:27:17.340 --> 00:27:20.820 What does our culture need to hear now in 2026? 00:27:21.080 --> 00:27:22.920 What do we need now? 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:26.980 How do we reach these people here now in 2026? 00:27:27.220 --> 00:27:28.019 How do we do it? 00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:30.900 We reach them with the simple message of the gospel. 00:27:30.900 --> 00:27:37.019 Maybe you say, well, that message may float in South Carolina. 00:27:38.420 --> 00:27:38.900 All in all? 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:41.080 What about New York, right? 00:27:42.120 --> 00:27:43.420 What about New Jersey? 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:46.019 All in all's approach might not work up there. 00:27:46.060 --> 00:27:47.360 Or California, right? 00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:49.660 Maybe we need a different approach there. 00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:52.200 And Paul says, no. 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:55.800 What Colossae needs is the same as what Rome needed. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:57.779 The same as what Ephesus needed. 00:27:57.960 --> 00:27:59.800 The same as what Philippi needed. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:00.420 And Crete. 00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:01.620 And Thessalonica. 00:28:01.880 --> 00:28:02.700 And Jerusalem. 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:03.620 And Judea. 00:28:03.779 --> 00:28:04.600 And Samaria. 00:28:04.820 --> 00:28:06.380 And the uttermost ends of the earth. 00:28:06.380 --> 00:28:09.180 We don't need a new and improved message. 00:28:10.300 --> 00:28:12.600 We need to proclaim the message we got. 00:28:13.900 --> 00:28:15.700 We need the gospel. 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:18.700 And the world needs to hear this gospel. 00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:21.220 This is the mission of the church. 00:28:21.340 --> 00:28:22.400 For every generation. 00:28:22.700 --> 00:28:23.780 In every place. 00:28:23.980 --> 00:28:25.120 For every Christian. 00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:28.580 Our role is the proclamation of the gospel of Christ. 00:28:28.579 --> 00:28:28.619 Christ. 00:28:30.619 --> 00:28:33.460 I had the privilege of going to Scotland a couple years ago. 00:28:33.619 --> 00:28:37.319 Amanda and I went to the Pillar Network International Conference. 00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:43.159 And we gathered there with brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the world. 00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:44.079 I mean, it was awesome. 00:28:44.259 --> 00:28:46.599 That's where I met Yvonne from Ghana. 00:28:46.599 --> 00:28:48.939 Who's one of our partners now. 00:28:49.079 --> 00:28:52.000 But I also met brothers and sisters from France. 00:28:52.259 --> 00:28:53.799 And from Amsterdam. 00:28:54.339 --> 00:28:55.199 And from Kenya. 00:28:55.579 --> 00:28:56.759 And from Qatar. 00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:58.159 And from Germany. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:28:59.320 And from Poland. 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:00.980 And do you know what we shared in common? 00:29:01.940 --> 00:29:03.120 Not much. 00:29:05.019 --> 00:29:06.259 But one thing. 00:29:08.140 --> 00:29:10.640 The gospel had come to us. 00:29:11.380 --> 00:29:14.060 The gospel had changed us. 00:29:14.360 --> 00:29:20.860 And then the gospel had moved us out to share this powerful message with others. 00:29:22.080 --> 00:29:26.240 The gospel is the origin story of every Christian church. 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:29.180 It is the origin story of every Christian. 00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:33.180 And then it is the ministry of every Christian church. 00:29:33.299 --> 00:29:36.339 And it is the ministry of every Christian. 00:29:36.339 --> 00:29:41.659 And we see some of that local gospel ministry there in verse 7. 00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:42.000 Don't we? 00:29:43.619 --> 00:29:48.379 Paul says the gospel is bearing fruit and increasing in the whole world. 00:29:48.539 --> 00:29:51.099 This big global perspective worldwide. 00:29:51.659 --> 00:29:55.639 As it also does right there among you in Colossae. 00:29:55.640 --> 00:29:58.020 Since the day you heard it. 00:29:58.020 --> 00:30:01.960 And understood the grace of God in truth. 00:30:02.080 --> 00:30:03.240 But ask how did they hear it? 00:30:04.620 --> 00:30:06.160 How did they understand it? 00:30:06.320 --> 00:30:07.860 How did the gospel come to them? 00:30:08.120 --> 00:30:10.080 When they had never heard this message before. 00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:11.140 What happened? 00:30:11.500 --> 00:30:11.960 Verse 7. 00:30:13.100 --> 00:30:15.500 Just as you learned it from Epaphras. 00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:17.660 Our beloved fellow servant. 00:30:17.660 --> 00:30:21.940 He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. 00:30:22.600 --> 00:30:26.040 And has made known to us your love in the spirit. 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:27.019 Now think about this. 00:30:27.560 --> 00:30:31.120 Paul is probably the most famous missionary in the history of the world. 00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:31.380 Right? 00:30:32.180 --> 00:30:33.440 We all know Paul. 00:30:34.340 --> 00:30:36.820 Now Paul is this famous apostle. 00:30:37.080 --> 00:30:39.360 He's got this dramatic conversion story. 00:30:39.480 --> 00:30:40.400 He's well known. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:42.840 Raise your hand if you know much about Epaphras. 00:30:42.839 --> 00:30:47.199 And we don't know much about him. 00:30:48.619 --> 00:30:49.179 Except. 00:30:50.459 --> 00:30:53.199 That he is a faithful minister of Christ. 00:30:53.480 --> 00:30:55.720 And he has taken it upon himself. 00:30:55.899 --> 00:30:58.619 To proclaim the message of the gospel. 00:30:58.919 --> 00:31:00.619 And look what's happened because of it. 00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:03.480 Church. 00:31:03.579 --> 00:31:04.459 I pray. 00:31:05.799 --> 00:31:08.000 That from Seawee Bay Baptist Church. 00:31:08.220 --> 00:31:10.399 Maybe there will be a few like Paul. 00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:12.699 Who will go on to have these. 00:31:12.700 --> 00:31:12.940 These. 00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:13.580 These. 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:14.640 Incredibly. 00:31:14.779 --> 00:31:16.519 Unusually powerful ministries. 00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:17.440 This influential. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:18.840 Worldwide reach. 00:31:19.100 --> 00:31:19.779 But I pray. 00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:21.180 Even more than that. 00:31:21.440 --> 00:31:22.380 That Seawee Bay. 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:24.279 Would be filled with men and women. 00:31:24.279 --> 00:31:25.180 Like Epaphras. 00:31:27.380 --> 00:31:28.759 Who would be faithful. 00:31:29.120 --> 00:31:30.559 Ministers of the gospel. 00:31:32.100 --> 00:31:33.600 On behalf of your family. 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:35.980 With your children. 00:31:36.120 --> 00:31:37.000 Around the dinner table. 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:41.000 Faithful ministers of the gospel. 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.359 Who take the gospel. 00:31:44.039 --> 00:31:45.359 To the neighborhood. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:47.279 On behalf of your neighbors. 00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:49.440 Who take the gospel. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:50.380 To the ball field. 00:31:51.140 --> 00:31:52.039 On behalf of. 00:31:52.599 --> 00:31:53.240 Your teams. 00:31:54.200 --> 00:31:55.079 Who take the gospel. 00:31:55.319 --> 00:31:56.619 To your places of work. 00:31:56.680 --> 00:31:58.140 On behalf of your co-workers. 00:31:58.700 --> 00:31:59.799 And your friends. 00:32:00.019 --> 00:32:01.000 So that the gospel. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:02.200 Might come to them. 00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:03.700 And by God's grace. 00:32:03.700 --> 00:32:05.100 They might understand. 00:32:05.100 --> 00:32:06.480 The grace of God. 00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:07.640 In truth. 00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:10.279 You know. 00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:10.740 The greatest. 00:32:11.059 --> 00:32:12.400 And most important thing. 00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:14.100 That the church can do. 00:32:14.220 --> 00:32:15.100 That this church. 00:32:15.360 --> 00:32:15.680 Can do. 00:32:16.700 --> 00:32:17.920 Is emphasize. 00:32:18.759 --> 00:32:19.519 And share. 00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:20.680 And give. 00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:21.480 The gospel. 00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:22.779 Of Jesus Christ. 00:32:23.019 --> 00:32:24.819 We cannot improve upon it. 00:32:26.180 --> 00:32:27.039 And we. 00:32:27.380 --> 00:32:28.299 Can't grow tired. 00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:29.240 Of it. 00:32:29.240 --> 00:32:31.299 The message. 00:32:31.299 --> 00:32:32.079 Of the gospel. 00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:33.200 Is enough. 00:32:33.319 --> 00:32:34.539 It is more than enough. 00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:36.319 To captivate. 00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:37.440 All of God's people. 00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:38.160 For the rest. 00:32:38.259 --> 00:32:38.900 Of eternity. 00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:40.559 And to motivate us. 00:32:40.620 --> 00:32:41.099 Here and now. 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:41.680 To live. 00:32:41.779 --> 00:32:42.380 For the glory. 00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:42.920 Of God. 00:32:43.180 --> 00:32:43.700 Together. 00:32:44.059 --> 00:32:44.900 As a gospel. 00:32:45.180 --> 00:32:45.500 Shaped. 00:32:45.900 --> 00:32:46.259 Family. 00:32:46.700 --> 00:32:47.059 So I. 00:32:47.500 --> 00:32:47.880 Return. 00:32:48.079 --> 00:32:48.400 Again. 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.000 To the question. 00:32:49.099 --> 00:32:49.680 I asked you. 00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:50.960 At the start. 00:32:51.099 --> 00:32:51.319 Church. 00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:52.400 Do you have enough? 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:56.039 Do you have enough? 00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:56.799 For your standing. 00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:57.720 Before God. 00:32:57.720 --> 00:33:01.039 Do you have enough? 00:33:01.140 --> 00:33:01.600 To be. 00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:03.400 Spiritually secure. 00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:04.160 Before him. 00:33:04.259 --> 00:33:05.039 Does this church. 00:33:05.079 --> 00:33:05.620 Have enough? 00:33:05.700 --> 00:33:06.460 To be a faithful. 00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:07.700 Vibrant. 00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:08.539 Body of Christ. 00:33:08.660 --> 00:33:08.980 Here. 00:33:09.460 --> 00:33:10.360 In this community. 00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:11.000 Do you. 00:33:11.220 --> 00:33:11.660 Have. 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:13.039 Enough. 00:33:13.339 --> 00:33:13.980 The good news. 00:33:14.019 --> 00:33:14.600 Of the gospel. 00:33:14.980 --> 00:33:15.319 To us. 00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:15.880 This morning. 00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:16.940 If you. 00:33:17.100 --> 00:33:17.819 Have Christ. 00:33:17.940 --> 00:33:18.240 Jesus. 00:33:18.380 --> 00:33:18.620 Friend. 00:33:18.720 --> 00:33:18.980 You. 00:33:19.420 --> 00:33:19.779 Have. 00:33:20.100 --> 00:33:20.559 Enough. 00:33:21.819 --> 00:33:22.759 Your spiritual. 00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:23.220 Account. 00:33:23.360 --> 00:33:23.860 Is full. 00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:25.579 Your future. 00:33:25.700 --> 00:33:25.980 Hope. 00:33:26.420 --> 00:33:27.079 Is secure. 00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:28.339 You can live. 00:33:28.339 --> 00:33:29.399 In the freedom. 00:33:29.919 --> 00:33:30.639 And the joy. 00:33:30.980 --> 00:33:31.579 Of joining. 00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:32.220 Christ. 00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:32.799 In his. 00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:33.439 Mission. 00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:33.859 And work. 00:33:33.939 --> 00:33:34.379 In the world. 00:33:34.740 --> 00:33:35.740 Sharing the good news. 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:36.339 That Jesus. 00:33:36.699 --> 00:33:37.059 Christ. 00:33:37.240 --> 00:33:38.019 Is enough. 00:33:38.139 --> 00:33:38.339 Amen. 00:33:40.779 --> 00:33:41.259 Father. 00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:42.099 We praise you. 00:33:42.179 --> 00:33:42.359 That. 00:33:43.359 --> 00:33:44.099 We can. 00:33:44.179 --> 00:33:44.599 Rest. 00:33:44.699 --> 00:33:45.119 In the finished. 00:33:45.199 --> 00:33:45.379 Work. 00:33:45.419 --> 00:33:45.980 Of Christ. 00:33:47.539 --> 00:33:48.339 That Jesus. 00:33:48.339 --> 00:33:48.919 Has done. 00:33:49.339 --> 00:33:49.659 Everything. 00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:50.339 Needed. 00:33:50.460 --> 00:33:50.639 For. 00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:51.539 Us. 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:52.179 For our life. 00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:52.899 And salvation. 00:33:53.619 --> 00:33:54.199 And God. 00:33:54.279 --> 00:33:55.240 Because of that. 00:33:55.299 --> 00:33:56.159 And out of that. 00:33:56.160 --> 00:33:56.400 Lord. 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:57.040 We pray. 00:33:57.420 --> 00:33:58.160 That from. 00:33:58.160 --> 00:33:58.900 This position. 00:33:58.900 --> 00:33:59.519 Of fullness. 00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:00.220 And from. 00:34:00.220 --> 00:34:00.860 This position. 00:34:00.860 --> 00:34:01.519 Of acceptance. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:02.300 Before you. 00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:03.140 God. 00:34:03.180 --> 00:34:03.640 That we would. 00:34:04.320 --> 00:34:04.740 Live. 00:34:04.740 --> 00:34:05.340 For the glory. 00:34:05.340 --> 00:34:05.840 Of God. 00:34:05.940 --> 00:34:06.500 And proclaiming. 00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:07.000 The gospel. 00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:09.180 Would we rest. 00:34:09.659 --> 00:34:10.139 Secure. 00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:10.900 And work. 00:34:11.139 --> 00:34:11.500 Hard. 00:34:12.019 --> 00:34:12.380 Lord. 00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:13.019 To make your name. 00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:13.320 Known. 00:34:14.019 --> 00:34:14.460 We pray this. 00:34:14.500 --> 00:34:15.059 In Jesus name. 00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:15.900 Amen. 00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:16.059 Amen. 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.059 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:18.059 Amen.