Colossians 1:6-8
As Paul continues his opening lines to the Colossian people, he reminds them of how they initially heard the gospel. It was through the efforts of a friend of Paul’s named Epaphras. He is simply described as being a faithful servant of Christ and a close associate of the Apostle Paul.
Let’s take note of this! Epaphras had seen Paul at work and apparently caught his enthusiasm for spreading the gospel. Being especially drawn to the people of Colosse, he went there to share what he had learned from Paul. It caught on and a church was established for the glory of God!
Paul writes this to the Colossians and uses it as an example of what is always going on regarding the gospel:
“The Message is as true among you today as when
you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken over time. It’s the same all
over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as
it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of
what God is doing, you’ve been hungry for more. It’s as vigorous in you now as
when you learned it…” [v.6 TM]
“…the
gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly
bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the
day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth…” [v.6]
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Let’s observe some truths from this passage:
·
The Message doesn’t diminish or weaken
over time!
·
The gospel is constantly bearing fruit
and increasing.
·
After the Colossians heard and
recognized the truth of what God is doing, they were hungry for more!
QUESTIONS
1.
Is the gospel constantly bearing fruit
and increasing in your life? In your
church?
2.
Since recognizing the truth of what
God is doing, are you hungry for more?
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Obviously, I believe these scriptures are true! I believe the gospel is bearing fruit and getting stronger all over the world today – just not in the United States! Here, we see almost universal decline in the church. Here, we seem to have been seriously distracted and divided. Perhaps like the church at Ephesus [Revelation 2:4], we’ve left our first love?
Early in every year – as a pastor – I had to fill out a detailed ‘annual report. It was one of my least favorite things to do! Especially when it came to the line recording new converts! There were more years than I care to acknowledge that I had to put a goose-egg on that line.
We’d functioned fully as a church. Held worship services fifty-two Sundays of the year. Sponsored revival meetings. Prayed. Talked about evangelism. All with no results! It was discouraging as a leader. Then I realized that if we kept doing the same thing in the same way, we would continue to get the same results!
I began to change the way I led the churches that I served. I realized that that zero also meant that I had not led anyone to Christ! I knew things had to change! I began to let go of non-essentials. I started questioning why we did certain things and why we did them the way we did. I gathered up courage and began leading in new directions. If others wanted to continue to support dead branches, I let them. But I did not!
Guess what. Things began to change. Convert growth began to take place. One new convert can create a lot of enthusiasm. When I was leading the McClellandtown FMC, I was able to lead the girlfriend of one of my parishoners to Christ. Not knowing any better, she began attending the Wednesday night ‘prayer meeting’. This was a group of my older members (less than twenty) who were propping up a formality that had been going on for decades. Not being bashful, she began asking questions about how she should handle situations she was facing as a new believer. She started praying out in the simplicity of someone who had just found something revolutionary and life-changing! This one new believer transformed the dead prayer meeting into something exciting and life-forming!
However, many churches today [in America] haven’t seen a new convert in years! There may have been a growth in numbers, but it’s because of transfer growth – not conversion growth! Sad!
When I was leading the Oakland FMC (East Liverpool), we began to see very significant growth through new converts! It was exciting! WRITE THIS DOWN: New converts signal that something unique is going on here. Transfer growth always follows convert growth!
When – as a fairly young pastor – I first saw this happening, I didn’t like it. I didn’t want transfer growth! Consequently, I ignored people who visited when I knew they were members of another church. I didn’t follow up on them. I was deliberately rude to them [I know – hard to believe, huh?]. Ultimately, one of the families saw what was happening and asked to see me in my office. They confronted me about my rudeness. They explained that they heard about the growth at Oakland and wanted to be a part of it. They wanted their kids to experience a church with vibrant faith and dramatic worship! And I immediately realized that I had to rethink my position!
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LESSONS FOR US TO LEARN
A.
Pray for the American Church to
rediscover its purpose and cut away all the unnecessary distractions and
activities.
B.
Pray for your church to cease the
rituals and routines that have become a replacement for genuine faith! I Chronicles 28:9 reads: “If you
seek Him, He will let you find Him” [NASB].
C.
“Seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to
you” [Matthew 6:33 NASB].
Having experienced this kind of spiritual awakening in several churches, I can tell you that it is exciting and life-changing!
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Father God,
Help the American Church to rediscover a hunger for You that will drive them to seek You, serve You, love You and spread Your Word to all who will listen!
Amen.
