Sunday Notes: Colossians 1:3-8
- (Col 1:3 ESV) We always thank _______________, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we _______________ for you,
- Paul often writes of his _______________ for the saints in other books
- It is more than _______________ – Paul lives out that thankfulness
- For what God has done and is doing around the world for the _______________.
- Paul is thankful to _______________
- God is the root of all of the work of His people
- God is over the church
- God is sovereign in _______________ things.
- Paul is in prayer for these believers in Colossae
- That church and those disciples are a work of God’s will through His chosen instruments.
- Not _______________ plan, God’s plan.
- That same is true of every believer and every true church before or after
- All called, established, and sustained by _______________.
- All done for His glory by His own will.
- (Col 1:4 ESV) since we heard of your _______________ in Christ Jesus and of the _______________ that you have for all the _______________,
- Paul and Timothy are thankful to God for these believers
- For their faith
- Faith…
- Is a _______________ from God – John 6:44-47
- Causes _______________ – Acts 11:10-18
- Produces _______________ – James 2:14-26
- Produces _______________ for God and for people
- For their love
- Paul’s love for the people of Colossae is an outpouring of _______________ love for Paul
- The same is true of us
- To the measure we realize God’s unconditional _______________ for us, we are compelled to love _______________.
- (Col 1:5 ESV) because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
- Hope is a product of our _______________ in God
- We look forward to the things of _______________ with confidence
- Because we trust in the sovereign Lord who saved us and _______________ us to His work.
- This is the opposite of instant gratification.
- The _______________ life is different from the world
- While we live here now
- And we do enjoy the blessing of God in this life
- Our true hope is in _______________
- Romans 8:18, Philippians 3:20-21
- We can spend our whole lives building up the material
- But there is always more materialism to draw us away.
- All of this revealed in the _______________ of God given to His people.
- (Col 1:6 ESV) which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing _______________ and increasing–as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the _______________ of God in truth,
- Like a tree planted and watered and cared for
- It is expected to grow
- To get larger and be healthy
- It is expected to make fruit.
- We are rooted in _______________
- Planted in the grace of God
- Watered by His living Word.
- Pruned by the Father Himself
- So that we can produce fruit.
- (Col 1:7 ESV) just as you learned it from _______________ our beloved fellow servant. He is a _______________ minister of Christ on your behalf
- (Col 1:8 ESV) and has made known to us your love in the _______________.
- That is the Holy Spirit
- The third member of the _______________ God
- And subject of his week’s devotional
- As believers we are given the very Spirit of God
- To live inside of us and guide us.
- By the Spirit we are _______________
- By the _______________ we are given understanding
- By the Spirit we find the _______________ of God
- Epaphras we led by the _______________ _______________ to encounter Paul
- Where he heard the _______________
- And this fire is lit in his _______________
- To follow God’s will in taking this Gospel back home and start a Christian movement in _______________.
- That is the work of the Spirit of God inside the _______________ of God
- Paul where he is supposed to be
- Doing what he is supposed to be doing
- Epaphras maybe less aware of what is about to happen, yet driven every step by _______________ sovereign will.
- The same is true in us
- That _______________ directs every aspect that we come to know Him
- Come to follow _______________ will
- And find _______________ in doing so.
- 1 Corinthians 3:1-11
- The gospel is God’s
- And the work of the gospel goes out by His _______________
- Through His _______________.
- One plants
- One _______________
- Always God makes it grow.
- One lays the foundation
- That the gospel travels by way of the people of God
- To those whom God will reach
- We are part of this channel
- Who is it that you are to carry the gospel to?
- What is your role in the promotion of God’s grace?
- Who are you supposed to tell?
- What are you supposed to plant?
- Or water?
- We are not called to sit and stare
- We are called to go and share.
