We're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise in Psalm 63.
! In the Scottish Psalter verse in Psalm 63, we're going to sing from verse 1 down to verse 8.
! The tune is Jackson.
Lord, thee my God I'll early seek, my soul doth thirst for thee, my flesh longs in a dry parched
land wherein no waters be. Psalm 63, page 295, we stand to sing to God's praise.
Lord, thee my God I'll early seek, my soul doth thirst for thee, my flesh longs in a dry
large land wherein no waters be.
Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
As I thy power may be whole, and brightness of thy face, as I have seen thee clear to
forth within thy holy face.
Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
Since Bethany's time of the light, my lips be patient near.
Psalm 63, page 295, verse 1.
Even as with marrow and with fat my soul shall fill it thee,
then shall my blood with joyfulness sing graces unto thee.
When I do thee upon my bed, remember with delight,
and when on thee I meditate in watches of the night.
Then shadow of thy wings I'll join, for thou my wealth must be.
My soul re-follows far than me, thy light hand doth sustain.
Amen.
Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.
Our gracious Father in heaven, we come in your name this evening,
thankful for an opportunity again this day to gather in worship.
Thankful for your word to us.
Thankful to be able to sing your praises as we come.
With these words on our lips just now, that we would come with that longing, that desire,
coming into your presence, longing like the dry parched land, to meet with you as our true and living God.
That we would know, Lord, the power of your name in our midst this evening.
For we know that if we are just gathered here by ourselves, if we just come as the people that we are,
just seeking to talk with one another, to say words that maybe just come from our own lips.
We know that in ourselves there is no good, and in us there is no power.
But we thank you that as we come, we come in the knowledge and assurance that when we gather in your name,
that you are in the midst to bless.
And that is what we seek in you this evening, to know your presence with us,
to know in the quietness of our hearts your voice speaking to us,
ministering to us in every need that we have,
ministering to us, Lord, knowing that you have every concern and care that we carry,
sometimes we feel by ourselves that you already know them.
And so that we are not alone, even if we are sitting by ourselves in a pew,
even if no one has said a word to us, even as we have come in.
We thank you, Lord, that your voice is there to speak to us.
And that through it, Lord, we know that you are God and there is no other.
And so we come, Lord, yes, to meet together and fellowship with one another.
But we come especially to meet with you as the living God.
And so, Lord, be pleased to come. Be pleased to be with us, Lord.
Be pleased to hear our prayers, even at this time, and to hear us and encourage us in our hearts as we offer up our praise to you.
And as we read your word and as we share from it, Lord, that your spirit would help us to understand and to hear what God the Lord is saying.
And we do thank you, Lord, that we come with that prayerful spirit, that even as we are gathered here just now,
that it is not just one voice praying, but many, and many in their hearts.
And so, Lord, even quietly just pleading with you and praying to you for so many different things, personal things, very private things to ourselves, perhaps,
but also for our congregation, for our people here, even those who are at home, Lord, tuning in in their own quietness of prayer just now as well,
that we can offer that up together as the fellowship of your people, and that we can come, Lord, with the prayers for all around us as well,
praying for those who would say to us quite naturally that they want no prayer from us, that they want nothing to do with us.
But yet we thank you, Lord, that we can come praying for them, praying for them just as we were, in ignorance and darkness,
and yet praying, Lord, for your light to shine into their hearts, shine the beauty of Christ towards them,
that they might be overwhelmed and overcome by the sense of God and the sense of your power all around us.
For we see it in so many ways. We see it in the creation, in all the wonder of it,
whether it's the beauty of sunny days or even the clouds that come with the rain, the clouds that water the ground and give growth.
We see that just now, Lord, as we see plants and trees and grass begin to flourish.
We see new life in the fields around us. We see a freshness in it in so many different ways.
We thank you, Lord, for every season that you give and give with a purpose, whether it's winter, spring, summer or autumn.
We thank you, Lord, that each of them have a purpose in our life and in our years.
We thank you, Lord, that you have ordained all, that you have created it by your power, through your word and for your glory.
And we pray, Lord, that you would help the world in which we live to know that you are its God, its maker.
For when we see how much we've turned away and how much we've rejected you,
how much we see it in our day, Lord, as we thought of this morning,
and yet thankful that your voice goes out, thankful that you still call people to you,
to all ends of the earth, that you have the word preached in every nation, through every tongue, to every tribe.
And yet we know, Lord, that still your word reaches out to people who have not heard it yet.
But we thank you that it never returns empty or void.
And so we pray that that word gone out today would be blessed by you and accomplish great things for you.
And we pray that for this evening hour as well, that you would help us to be still before you,
to know you with us, and to hear our prayers, Lord.
And we do pray for our people here, Lord, thankful for everyone, thankful for your goodness to us,
thankful as we look ahead to the week before us, Lord, that you are with us in it, that you go before us,
that every plan and purpose that we seek to put into place, they're all ordained by you and given blessing by you.
We do pray, Lord, that you will be pleased to meet with us in the week ahead,
when we think of all the different things going on, whether it's groups meeting in the hall or prayer meetings going on,
whatever is taking place, Lord, that you would be pleased to bless.
We think of the WFM, thankful again for them and pray for the meeting tomorrow evening.
We commit the prayer meetings during the week to you as well in Laxdale, here in the hall and in the seminary on Thursday,
Lord, thankful for these opportunities that we have to call upon the name of the Lord together,
to share from your word, to encourage one another and to meet with one another.
We pray, Lord, for the opportunities we have to reach out to our community as well,
to invite people through our doors, whether it's to these services during the week,
to our services on the Lord's Day or to the Friday, the free, the over 55,
so the youth groups, the toddler groups, Lord, we thank you for all of these endeavours
and just pray to see your spirit working in them.
Thankful for every encouragement that you give us, Lord,
and thankful for all who come through our doors and the connections that that builds,
connections that we see growing and developing in different ways
and connections that help us, Lord, to be alongside people in times of need as well.
And so remember those in need at this time.
Remember those who are unwell, some seriously unwell, Lord.
We pray that you will surround them and uphold them and bless them.
We ask, O Lord, that in every tear that's shed or every prayer that's offered,
that you will hear and be near to all who need you in these ways.
Remember, too, Lord, those who grieve and mourn.
We pray that you will comfort us as only you can.
For we thank you that in the midst of mourning,
we thank you that there are times when we know just the peace of God,
that peace that passes understanding.
For when we know the Lord and when we know those who are being called by him home
have trusted in you,
we thank you for the comfort and the peace that that gives.
And we pray, Lord, that those who mourn will continue to know that for themselves.
We pray for our nation as a whole as well, Lord.
We thank you for the wider church.
We thank you for every place that meets in your name today
that proclaims the name of Jesus Christ as Lord
and that calls sinners to repentance.
We pray that you would be pleased to build your church throughout our land
and that in the midst of our nation and all that we're going through at this time
when there's so much confusion and turmoil,
so much anxiety and fear,
Lord, may you hear our prayers.
We pray for leaders,
whether it's our prime minister, our first minister,
our royal family, our governments,
whoever it might be, Lord,
in positions of authority and power,
we ask for your blessing,
your mercy upon them,
to be able to know your goodness
and to be able to know your name as a name that's to be called upon,
a name that's the foundation of our nation and this world,
the cornerstone that is Jesus Christ.
We pray that his name would be praised in the corridors of power
and throughout all our land and to the ends of the earth.
So we think, oh, nations in conflict
and nations with so many different needs,
persecution and famine and drought
and so many atrocities going on
and so many nations around the world
where your people are being put to the sword
in so many different ways.
We ask, oh, Lord, for mercy and grace
in the midst of all of these things.
We do pray, Lord, that you will just hear us now
and continue with us as we worship you,
as we sing your praise
and as we seek your presence.
Lord, may you be pleased to bless all that we do
and we ask all acknowledging our sin before you
and you seeking pardon for all things,
whether it's what we have forgotten to do
or what we shouldn't do at all.
Lord, we pray that you would have mercy upon us
and hear us as we pray in the name of Jesus,
asking all things for his sake and his glory.
Amen.
We'll again sing to Psalm 44.
We'll sing from verse 1 down to verse 8.
Psalm 44, verse 1 to verse 8.
O God, we without ears have heard,
our fathers told us so,
what you accomplished in their days,
in days of long ago.
We'll sing from verse 1 to 8 to God's praise.
Psalm 44, verse 1 to 9.
We're going to read together in the New Testament
in Paul's letter to the Colossians.
Colossians chapter 1.
And we read from the beginning of the chapter down to verse 23.
Colossians chapter 1.
Find it around page 1182 of the church Bibles thereabouts.
Paul, we begin our reading of the church Bibles thereabouts.
We begin our reading at verse 1.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother,
to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae,
grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,
and of the love that you have for all the saints,
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth,
the gospel which has come to you,
as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing,
as it also does among you since the day you heard it
and understood the grace of God in truth.
Just as you learned it from Epaphras,
our beloved fellow servant,
he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,
and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
And so from the day we heard,
we have not ceased to pray for you,
asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him,
bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God.
May you be strengthened with all power,
according to his glorious might,
for all endurance and patience,
with joy, giving thanks to the Father
who has qualified you to share
in the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we are redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.
All things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things.
And in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body,
the church.
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind,
doing evil deeds,
he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death,
in order to present you holy and blameless
and above reproach before him.
If indeed you continue in the faith,
stable and steadfast,
not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard,
which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven,
and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
And so on.
And may God bless that reading from his word.
And before we come back to this passage,
we're going to sing again to God's praise in Psalm 81.
The Singed Psalms version, Psalm 81,
page 109 of the psalm books.
We're going to sing from verse 8
down to the end of the psalm.
Psalm 81 at verse 8.
Hear, my people, let me warn you,
if you would but listen now.
No strange God shall be among you.
To a false God do not bow.
We'll sing from verse 8 to the end of the psalm,
to the tune Stuttgart we stand to sing.
To a false God do not bow.
I do not do love from Egypt,
your own God, the Lord, and I.
Open wide your mouth towards me,
and your food I will supply.
But my people would not listen,
would not do what I require.
So I gave them up to follow
what their stubborn hearts desire.
If my people would not heed me,
Israel followed my command.
I would soon,
I would soon subdue their enemies,
and against them turn my hand.
For to it the Lord would power,
and their doom would never end.
But with finest we die,
I feed you,
and me from the rock I send.
Amen.
We can turn back to our reading in Colossians.
Colossians chapter 1.
We're going to focus on verse 3 to verse 8
together this evening.
Colossians chapter 1.
We just read at verse 3.
We always thank God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when we pray for you,
since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,
and of the love that you have for all the saints,
and so on.
As you read through the Bible,
as you go to the different parts,
whether it's the letters,
as we look at Paul's letters here,
or the Gospels,
or even back into the Old Testament,
do you ever think to yourself,
there's a place,
if I had a choice,
if I could do it,
I'd love to go back,
and be in that place at this very time,
and just see what it was like.
Maybe you've had the privilege of visiting
some of these places in your own time,
whether it's the Middle East,
or different parts of Turkey,
as we see Colossae here,
as part of modern day Turkey,
or Rome,
places in Italy.
Maybe you've seen it as it is now,
but as you're there,
you've thought,
I wonder what it was like to be there
in the days that we read of in the scripture.
Well, I'm sure there's some places
that would maybe be up on the top of your list
of places you might want to go to Jerusalem.
It'd be fascinating maybe just to walk up,
as it is,
up to Jerusalem,
as we read of in the Old and New Testament,
as you see just what it would be like
to go back to those days
and walk up with a crowd
making their way up to the festivals
in Jerusalem.
Or to go to Corinth,
a city that was busy and bustling
in so many different ways,
where the gospel had come,
and yet there were so many challenges in it.
Or Rome,
another fascinating place to see,
and it would have been
to see the Colosseum
and all of these different things
in the day
that we read of in the scriptures.
You can't but wonder
what it would be like.
But where would Colosse come
on your list of places to go?
I'm sure it's maybe not up there
in the top places you'd like to see,
but it's interesting to think
of what these places were like at the time,
because it helps us to understand
the way Paul is writing
and the things that are going on.
And that's why we want to just begin
by looking at this evening,
is just to think of Colosseum,
what kind of place it was.
Paul was obviously writing to them,
but it's a place he'd never even been.
And yet the gospel had come to them
and was bearing fruit in their midst.
And Paul is writing to encourage them.
But what kind of place was it?
Well, if you go back
in the history of Colosseum,
the time of Paul's writing to it
was a time when that place
was very much in decline.
It wasn't as vibrant
as it had once been.
And in many ways,
it may sound strange,
but you could almost compare it
to Stornoway.
Colosseum and Stornoway
have things in common.
And what are they, you might ask?
It may not be the weather,
but they've certainly got other things
in common.
Colosseum, when it was founded,
it was founded on industry.
And it was a textile industry
that it was founded on.
It was famous for wool,
and especially purple wool.
And that's what it had thrived on,
that business of textile.
And yet, that was about
three or four hundred years
before Christ came.
But by the time Paul is writing to them,
it's a place that has seen decline.
That vibrant industry
is no longer there.
It's dwindled in many ways.
And people,
as we would see in our own town,
a textile town, if you like,
a place that was vibrant,
has seen a bit of decline.
And you think of many young people
having to go away from here
to the mainland for work
and different things.
Colosse went through that
itself as well.
Places nearby,
Laodicea was a more thriving place
that attracted people away,
that brought work away from Colosse.
They went away to work.
And all of these things were going on
because trade had moved around.
But as Paul is writing to them,
as if he was writing to ourselves today,
these aren't the things
that he's interested in.
What's important to him
is not the economy
or the politics of the place,
but the very fact that
God is in the midst.
That God was there
when the place was thriving and busy.
And that even though
there's a time of decline,
God is still in the midst.
These people are still there.
And so that's why
Paul is writing to them.
And he's writing to them,
even though he's not been there,
he's writing to them
because he's heard about their faith.
Epaphras had come back,
I think from Ephesus it was,
and come back,
shared the gospel with them.
And the gospel had borne fruit
in this place.
And the church was established.
And the people of God
were positive in so many ways.
And yet there were challenges.
There were challenges.
And that's the reality
of the Christian life, isn't it?
When we think of history,
there's always been challenges.
And when we think of our own day today,
even our own town today,
as we look around,
we see vibrancy that was there once,
decline that's there now.
Even in the church,
we see it's so different
to what it once was,
but yet still with the hope
of God in our midst.
And so Paul,
as he's writing to them,
he's writing to encourage,
even though he's in prison,
even though he doesn't know
what the future holds for him,
he's writing to encourage them
because they have something
in common together,
the gospel.
The gospel is in his heart,
it's in their hearts.
It's in the place of Colossae
as it is in Paul's prison cell
as he writes.
We often speak about people
that can be in two different ways
described.
One person can be described
as a glass half empty person.
Somebody else can be described
as the glass half full person.
And we can know ourselves
where we maybe fall into that.
We know the glass half empty
is things are looked at
a little bit more negatively.
The glass half full,
it's got a more positive outlook.
But Paul wasn't either of these.
He wasn't just half full glass.
He was the fullness
of the glass entirely
to overflowing.
And that's what he was seeking
to encourage the church,
whatever it was to be like.
To be a people who knew
God is with us.
Therefore, we don't have to look
at things glass half empty
negatively and think,
well, God can't do.
Or just to be just half full
where we're looking more positively,
but still only halfway.
But to be overflowing.
To be overflowing with that hope
that God is with us.
And that's what we want to think
about this evening.
It's this fullness
that Paul speaks of here.
And when we think of the word full,
it can be looked at both positively
and negatively as well.
It can be looked at
being full of the joys.
We can see that,
but we can also be full of sorrow.
Or we can think of it
full of love
in a positive sense
or full of hate
in a negative sense.
There's this fullness in life.
It's an overwhelming experience,
whether it's in a positive way
or a negative way.
But when the Lord Jesus
is in our hearts,
we have that fullness
that goes beyond anything else.
An abundance of good things.
An abundance that the psalmist
speaks of in Psalm 23,
when he speaks of
the table being set
in the presence of an enemy.
And yet even so,
what does he say?
And yet my cup overflows.
My head, he does anoint.
And my cup overflows.
What springs up from the hope
that we have in the gospel,
it speaks of here
in verse 5
of the hope of the gospel,
this foundation
that's laid up in heaven for us,
that we have heard
the word of truth,
the gospel.
That's what helps us
to remain full
and to have that focus
on the fullness of Christ
that you see running
throughout this first chapter
as you read
the preeminence of Christ.
There's so much imagery
there for us
as Paul writes to them.
He is the image
of the invisible God,
the firstborn
of all creation
for by him
and all things were created.
This richness here of Christ,
and that's the fullness
that he's speaking of
in these verses as well,
verse 3 to verse 8.
So there's three fullnesses
that we want to know.
That's a word, fullness.
The fullnesses
that we want to speak of,
thankful, boastful, and faithful.
And that's the fullness
that we see in these verses,
verse 3 to verse 8.
So we think first of all
of thankful.
Being thankful.
And you see that in verse 3.
We always thank God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when we pray for you.
It's rich in thanksgiving.
Not just this verse,
but really throughout the letter
there's so much thanksgiving
that Paul gives for them.
Imagine, or maybe you've had this,
you've had work done
in your house.
Perhaps it's been a major work
that's been done,
a whole rewiring of the house
or a whole new heating system
put into the house.
There's always a little anxiety
that comes with it.
The old is taken out
and the new is put in,
and you're wondering,
will it work?
Will it be efficient?
Will it be as good
as they say it will be?
And I'm sure
if you've had it done,
there'll be others
who will come and say,
oh, you should have done it this way.
You should have gone with that instead.
There'll be all of these
different opinions
coming in.
When does it get to the point
where you know
that it's working?
Only when it's up
and running
and put to the test.
Checking,
double checking,
making sure that
everything's working all right.
And then you get to the point
where you have peace of mind
because you know
it's all working.
Well, the church at Colossae
had gone through a renovation.
It had gone from having no faith
to being a people
who were in darkness
to being a people
who were in light.
A people who had heard the gospel
and they were transformed
by the gospel.
But remembering the kind of place it was,
a place that wasn't as vibrant
as it once used to be,
a place that was in decline,
it was also a place
that hadn't totally abandoned
other religions.
And so those who had been converted
by the gospel
who had come to faith
they faced many challenges.
And the biggest challenge of all
was people saying,
you may have that gospel
but that's not enough.
You need more.
You need more than just that gospel
of Jesus Christ.
You need to bring other things in.
And there's so many different opinions
that are being offered to them.
And so Paul is writing
with this sense of
thanking God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that he is with them.
That he is in their midst.
That through their relationship
that they have in Christ,
that they have
the fullness of Jesus,
the fullness of Christ
in their hearts.
And there is nothing else
that they need.
There is nothing else
that is going to make
a difference to them.
And this is what is so
in giving thanks
to Paul himself
and that he's encouraging them
in their thankfulness
with a swell.
So in the midst
of all the problems
and Paul could have
come down hard on them
in the fact that
they were being swayed
away from the gospel,
but instead he comes
alongside
to encourage them
and to give thanks
for them.
We always thank God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus,
when we pray
for you.
There is this bond.
There is this relationship.
And that's a challenge
to ourselves today as well.
As we think of our own sense
of thankfulness,
are we glass half empty
or glass half full?
Or are we overflowing
with thankfulness?
Do we look at things
with that negative sense?
We have those days,
we have those times,
but do we look around
and give thanks
that God is working,
that God is with us?
Is that our attitude
that we are always
full of thanksgiving
to God
and what he is doing
in our midst,
in our congregation,
in our friends,
in our families,
in our denomination?
Do we have that sense
of thanksgiving,
that sense of thankfulness?
Even as we think
of joining together
on Wednesday evening,
a time of thanksgiving
for God's goodness
to our denomination
over these last number
of years,
there's been reasons
for encouragement.
Yes,
we can look at things
and think,
it's not what we would want,
we can look at it
in a negative sense,
but let's come together
in thanksgiving
that God is with us,
that God hears
his praying people
and God is able
to answer
his praying people.
If we see what Christ
has done for us,
and that's what Paul
goes on to describe
so wonderfully here
in this chapter,
how he has
his beloved son,
as he says in verse 14,
in whom we have
the forgiveness of sins,
if we see what we have
in Christ,
if we see what we have
in him,
there is reason
for thanksgiving.
Otherwise,
we just miss out
on so much.
I was reading
a sad story
about a sportsman
just the other day
who had made millions
during a sporting career,
a short career,
being a footballer it was.
He had got on
so well,
he had earned
so much money,
and during
those great days
when he was making
so much,
he had helped
so many people,
being so generous
to them,
family,
friends,
even strangers.
He had helped
out so many people.
However,
over the years,
addiction
took a hold
of him.
Gambling addiction,
and then drinking,
and all his money
was gone.
He hit rock bottom.
He lost
everything.
And some people
would say
it's his own fault.
And that's the way
many people
looked at him.
But one of the saddest
things he said
was,
of all the people
that I helped
when I had plenty,
not one of them
was there
when I was in need.
Not one of them
came back
with a sense
of thanksgiving
to him
that he had helped
them in their time
of need.
No one.
No one came.
And that's
a challenge
to us
as we think
of our own
thanksgiving
as well.
Are we
thanking the Lord
for all that
he has done
for us?
Are we
thanking the Lord
for his goodness
and mercies
new each day?
Or are we
choosing
to ignore
his goodness
to us
and therefore
in that
ignore others
in their need
as well?
Coming to faith
is not the
end of our
journey
and that's
what Paul
is so encouraging
with here.
He's encouraging
them to grow
in their faith.
They have
learned the
gospel as we
see in verse
7 there
just as you
learned from
Epaphras,
our beloved
fellow servant.
They learned
the gospel
from him.
And then in
verse 10
to walk in a
manner worthy
of the Lord
fully pleasing
in him
bearing fruit
in every good
work
and increasing
in the
knowledge of
God.
It's about
going on.
And
thanksgiving
is what
helps us
to go on.
I think it was
one of the
old Puritans
that had said
the thankful
heart has a
continual
feast.
The thankful
heart is a
continual
feast.
In other
words the
more we are
in thanksgiving
to God
the more we
are thankful
to him
the more
we are feasting
on his
goodness
to us.
So the
first thing
we see here
is Paul
is this
thankfulness.
The second
thing we see
is to be
boastful.
To be
boastful.
And this
immediately
thinks
surely that's
a negative.
Surely that's
a negative
to be boasting
in anything.
Because boasting
is often seen
as something
that's not
good to do.
And we can
think of people
who are boastful
in so many
arrogant ways.
Think of
these people
who boast
in their
riches or
boast in
what they've
done in
life.
They're boasting
in themselves
in so many
ways.
It can be
irritating.
And that's
not the kind
of boasting
that we want.
But what
Paul is
boasting
in is about
something
that for the
people of
God in
Colossae
would not
irritate
them at
all.
But really
encourage
them.
That's
what we
see in
verse 6.
Paul is
full of
thanksgiving
but then
there's
this
thanksgiving
because of
the hope
laid up
in heaven
in verse
5.
Of this
you have
heard
before
the word
of truth
the gospel
which has
come to
you as
indeed
in the
whole
world
it is
bearing
fruit
and
growing.
What is
he boasting
in?
He is
boasting
in the
power of
God.
That the
gospel
is
bearing
fruit
not
just
in
them
but
in
the
whole
world.
And you
can imagine
what it would
be like
for the
people of
Colossae.
They would
have been
thinking about
other places
maybe like
Laodicea
or Ephesus
where
Epaphras
had come
from
and hearing
these great
things that
were happening
Paul has
been there
but he
hasn't come
to us.
Or these
places that
there's so
many more
people in
them.
So many
more things
going on
and yet
Paul is
here coming
to them.
Maybe they
are feeling
discouraged
to remember
what you
have in
your midst.
You have
that same
gospel that
is bearing
fruit in
the whole
world and
you have
it here in
your midst.
And that
is something
to be
boastful
in.
To
rejoice
in.
And they
could have
easily just
focused on
themselves and
become so
insular in
so many
ways and
just have
no thought
for anybody
else.
It's always a
danger when
you're feeling
discouraged or
glass half
empty that
we just
focus inwardly.
Let's just
look after
ourselves.
but what
Paul is
doing here
in
thanksgiving
and then
coming with
his boastful
side as
well,
remember
God is
working in
your midst.
And we
live in a
place, a
location and
even a
culture where
family is
important,
where friendship
is important
and very
strong and
is a great
thing.
But it
can also be
a barrier,
a barrier
to going
beyond
ourselves
and to
loving
others.
We can
be so
comfortable
loving our
own family,
loving our
own friends,
loving the
people that
we've grown
up with or
gone to
school with
or work
with.
We can
be so
comfortable
in these
things and
forget
others.
Those who
come through
our doors,
who we
don't
recognize or
are different
to us,
or those
who don't
even darken
our doors
at all.
We think
that we
have nothing
in common,
that we
have nothing
to say.
And yet
the gospel
is what
they need.
And Paul
in many ways
is reminding
the church
at Colossae
of what
they have
in their
midst.
The gospel
that has
come to
you as
indeed in
the whole
world,
it is
bearing fruit
and growing
as it
also does
among you.
He's saying
to them,
you are not
alone.
That I
have people
everywhere,
all over
the world,
who are your
brothers and
sisters in
Christ.
We can
boast in
this, in
the greatest,
in the right
sense of the
word, that
we rejoice
with thanksgiving
and boasting
that this
gospel is
bearing fruit.
do we
rejoice when
we hear
as we
have
updates,
even within
our own
denomination,
as we
are given
updates of
what's
happening in
other places,
as we
hear of
conversions,
as we
hear of
new members
in our
own
presbytery,
our own
islands,
we rejoice,
we boast
because God
is working
in the right
sense of
boasting.
or boasting
when we
hear of
new churches
being planted
or elders
and deacons
being made
or new
students coming
into the
seminary or
whatever it
is, it's
boasting in
the right
sense of
giving thanks
to God
that he is
in our
midst, that
the gospel
is bearing
fruit.
But it's
always with
that caveat
as Paul
says to
the Galatians,
may I
never boast
except in
the cross
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
That's
where boasting
comes from,
that Christ
has done
it.
We boast
in his
finished work
because that
is the
work that
is bearing
fruit.
There's
always a
danger of
jealousy or
a negative
attitude coming
through in
all that we
do.
It's been
there down
through all
the generations.
You find it
in Scripture,
you find it
in every
generation of
God's
people,
the danger
of jealousy
and rivalry
and all of
these things.
But what
Paul encourages
here is that
boastful nature
of rejoicing
that the
gospel is in
everything,
that we see
glory for
God in.
Whether it's
here,
whether it's
in our
nation,
whether it's
to all the
ends of
the earth,
to all
different people,
we can rejoice
that the
gospel is
bearing
fruit.
We boast
in Christ.
So we
have thankful,
we have boastful,
and then
finally we
have here
faithful,
being faithful.
And what
we see
here is
faithfulness
is at the
heart of so
much here
too.
We see
the
faithfulness
of Paul,
who is
remembering
the church
at Colossae,
who is
giving thanks
as he's
praying for
the church
at Colossae.
There is
that faithfulness
of him.
There is
the faithfulness
of Epaphras,
as it speaks
of in
verse 7.
Our
beloved
fellow
servant,
he is a
faithful
minister
of Christ.
on your
behalf.
And they
have the
people.
In verse
2 it
says,
to the
saints
and faithful
brothers in
Christ at
Colossae.
There is a
sense of
faithfulness
right throughout
all that is
taking place.
And
faithfulness is
such a key
feature for
any Christian's
life.
Faithfulness
towards God,
towards his
word,
towards prayer,
towards his
people.
It is a
life of
faithfulness.
And no
matter what
is going
on around
us, we
remain faithful
and sure
and steadfast
in the
Lord.
When you
look at the
Old Testament,
you find so
many of
God's people
who were
faithful in
the midst of
very challenging
periods.
We think of
Jeremiah we
were looking
at this
morning.
So many
of the
people are
turning away
from God
and yet
Jeremiah was
faithful,
faithfully
proclaiming
the message
that God
gave.
And you
see it
as you
look in
the book
of Hebrews
chapter 11,
that great
book of
faith,
and those
who were
faithful to
God in
the midst
of all
kinds of
situations.
Situations
that seemed
absurd,
situations
that seemed
crazy to
others around.
You think
of Noah
building an
ark when
there was
no sign
of water
or rain
or anything
and yet
he was
faithful,
he listened
to God.
You think
of Daniel
and his
faithfulness
in the
midst of
great
challenges
when he
was being
told to
bow down
to the
king
instead
of God
with the
very threat
of his
life and
yet he
was faithful
to God
and was
blessed.
Faithfulness
is so
important.
Epaphras,
it wasn't
easy for
him and
yet he
was faithful.
He was
faithful with
the gospel
that he
had heard
himself and
he brought
it to his
beloved brothers
and sisters
here in
Colossae that
they might
hear of the
wonder of
this Christ.
He was
faithful and
all our
faithfulness is
built on the
fact of Jesus'
faithfulness to
us and what
he has done
for us.
we can be
faithful because
he was
faithful for
us.
He did
all for
us.
And so
as Paul is
writing to
this church
at Colossae
to be
thankful,
to be
boastful,
to be
faithful,
it's all
for Christ.
It's all
for him
that he
might get
glory and
that the
gospel would
go on
bearing
fruit.
And that's
what it is
for us
too, to
remember what
we have in
Christ and
that we
would be
thankful for
all of that,
that we
would be
boastful,
that we
would be
encouraged that
God is in
our midst and
that we would
be faithful in
serving him
and in all
that we do
for him.
There was a
story told
about a
man who
was a
clerk in a
small hotel
in a
town in
America.
And this
night, a
stormy night,
heavy rain
outside, an
elderly couple
arrived at
the hotel.
They came in
through the
door and
they came up
to the
clerk at
the reception
and asked
if they
could have
a room.
And the
clerk at
the desk
said,
I'm sorry,
but we're
full.
And I
know for a
fact that
all the
towns,
all the
hotels in
the town
are full
as well.
Then he
said,
but I
can't
send you
back out
into the
rain.
How about
would you
stay in
my room?
He had
his own
room in
the hotel.
You can
stay in
my room
and I'll
stay out
at the
desk
through the
night.
The
couple
hesitated,
but the
clerk insisted
that they
would stay
in his
room.
The next
morning,
when the
couple were
leaving,
the man
came and
paid his
bill.
He had
stayed a
night in
the hotel,
therefore he
was wanting
to pay
for the
room.
And the
man said
to him as
he was
departing,
you're the
kind of
man who
should be
managing the
best hotel
in the
United States
has to
offer.
Someday I'll
build you
one.
And the
clerk at
the desk
just laughed
it off,
thought nothing
else of it.
Until a
couple of
years later,
a letter
arrived from
this elderly
man.
outlining
and remembering
that he
had been
so faithful
to them
as a
couple and
letting them
stay in
his room
that night,
inviting him
to come to
New York,
that he had
something to
say to
him.
And so
the man,
the clerk,
the ticket
was there,
he took it
and he went
to New York,
he was met
by this elderly
man who
took him
to this
brand new
building,
a brand new
hotel,
and said,
that's mine.
And I
want you
to manage
it.
He hadn't
forgotten the
kindness of
that man
when he
needed him
and he
invited him
to be
the hotel
manager.
And so
he did.
Well,
remember who
it is we
are to be
faithful to.
Even in the
least of
these things
as the
scripture
describes it,
the least
of these
things you
have been
faithful to
me and
there is
great reward.
When we
are faithful
to Christ,
even in the
least of
these things,
we remember
who we're
serving,
we remember
what he's
doing,
that he is
building not
a hotel,
but a
kingdom,
his kingdom,
and that
people are
being called
into his
kingdom,
to be part
of his
kingdom.
Through the
least of
the things
that we
do for
him,
we are
to be
faithful.
And when
we are
faithful,
he
blesses.
That's the
encouragement
that Paul
is giving to
the church,
to the people
at Colossae.
They may be
small,
they may feel
discouraged,
they may have
their challenges,
they may not
know where
things are
going,
but he is
reminding God
is with them.
And with
God, we are
to be thankful,
thankful for
all of his
people, for
all that he
is doing.
We are to be
boastful,
boasting in the
right sense,
that the
gospel is
bearing fruit
all over the
world, that we
are part of
that, and
to be
faithful, to
be faithful in
all that we
do for him,
even the
littlest of
things, seeking
his blessing
in all.
So may we
be a people
who are
thankful, giving
praise to
him, who
are boastful
that God is
with us, and
who are
faithful in
all that we
do.
Let us
pray.
Lord, our
gracious God,
help us
to be
encouraged by
your word,
help us to
be a people
who don't
just see our
glasses half
full, but
that see it
overflowing,
for you are
the fullness
of all, you
are the
richest of
all things,
and we
thank you
that you,
when you
are with
us, Lord,
help us
to know
your glory
and your
power.
And so,
Lord, we
ask that you
would bless
all that we
seek to do
in your
name, help
us to be
thankful, help
us to boast
in the gospel
of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
and help us
to be faithful
in all that
you ask us
to do for
it.
And so, we
pray, Lord,
that you will
guide us and
help us, and
that we would
give all glory
to you, that
your kingdom
would come in
power, as we
ask it all in
the precious name
of our Lord
and Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
we're going
to conclude
by singing
in Psalm 26,
and let's
sing Psalm's
version,
page 31,
Psalm 26.
We'll sing
from verse 7
down to the
end of the
psalm, the
tune is
Balerma.
I'll tell of
all your
awesome deeds,
proclaiming loud
your praise,
your glory
fills, your
dwelling place,
I love, I love
your house
always.
from verse 7
to the end
of the
psalm, we
stand to
sing.
Amen.
sing.
Amen.
After the
benediction, I'll
go to the
door to my
right.
We'll close
with the
benediction.
now may grace mercy and peace from god father son and holy spirit rest upon and abide with you all
now and forevermore amen