I invite you to open your Bibles this morning to the letter of Paul to the Colossians. The letter of Paul to the Colossians, where we will take up a new series through this letter. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. We will begin reading chapter 1, verse 1. And I'm going to read through chapter 2, verse 6 to emphasize the flavor of where Paul is going in this letter. And then we will give our consideration to his greeting in chapter 1, verses 1 and 2. So hear now the word of God as it comes to us through Paul, his apostle, to the Colossians. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God, our Father. We always thank God, the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints. The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epiphas, our dear fellow servant who was a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him. 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 and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight without blemish and free from accusation. If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness, the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but now is disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor struggling with all his energy which so powerfully works in me. I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. So then, just as you have received Christ as Lord, Continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him. Strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. Here ends the reading of God's word to which we give our specific attention as we move through this sermon to his greeting, verses 1 and 2. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, Grace and peace to you from God, our Father. As we approach this letter this morning, we approach the Colossians, we must confess that the little that we know about them comes from this letter. And from his companion letter, a letter to Philemon, who was a member in that congregation. And from the information we have, it appears that Paul never visited there. But we should not doubt that his ministry had an impact on them, for Acts chapter 19 tells us that through his ministry in Ephesus, a mere 120 miles away from Colossae, merely a five days journey, we're told that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. We can trust that they became aware of the gospel somehow through Paul's ministry in Ephesus. And I think we have to believe that they at least knew of Paul. In this letter, we're introduced to Epaphras, the minister in Colossae. Now, he certainly knew of Paul. He may have never met Paul, but he traveled over a thousand miles to see Paul, to visit him in his Roman house prison. And according to chapter 1, verse 7, Paul received him as a dear fellow servant, as a faithful minister of Christ. And much of the news that he brought to Paul was evidently good. Paul had much in praise of the Colossians and affirmed their faith and their love and their hope. In fact, in chapter 1, verse 4, he was told, or Paul confesses that Epaphys has told them about the faith they have in Christ Jesus and the love they have for all the saints. But the news is not all good. He has come with grave concerns for the flock in Colossae. And he's come to seek counsel from the apostle for how to answer this error, how to answer these enemies of the gospel that were infiltrating and tempting the church. In response, Paul wrote this letter. And in this letter, he reminds the saints that it is the gospel of Jesus Christ alone which motivates and equips God's people to live according to God's law. This is an important relationship that this letter fleshes out in many ways. But it's the gospel alone which motivates and enables God's people for living in accordance with God's law. Now this morning we're going to give our attention to the greeting through which Paul prepares these imperiled believers who are oblivious to their danger to heed his edifying warning by affirming their relationship. Now you will note in your bulletin you only have two points and you're going to have to add this one as the first because it answers the question why does Paul need to warn them? Epaphras knew what was happening. He had a sense of what was going on but the people were evidently oblivious to their danger. Colossae was a city situated at crossroads, two main highways in the middle of Asia Minor, what we know today as Turkey, and for 400 years had been a growing and prosperous city. People from every nation, cultural background, religious experience and approach had come there. It was a true cosmopolitan city with all kinds of things going on. And it had been prosperous. It had been a great city. But of late, things were not going so well. A new highway had bypassed the city, and some of you know what that's like to have your town bypassed. Growth not only slows, it eventually stops, and it finally reversed as opportunity followed the highway up the road to Laodicea. Family and friends were moving away. The housing market slumped. Investments faltered. And a prevailing mood of insecurity settled in to this city. Now the pagans believed that there were supernatural forces at work causing all this distress. And they sought after mystical experiences where they could gain some kind of higher, special spiritual knowledge that they could get a look into the game plans of these forces. And they exerted themselves to influence these powers through various beings, angelic or demonic, depending on their flavor. And amongst them there were Jews as well, Jews who held the Old Testament ceremonies or practiced Judaism. But according to the records of the Jewish historians, this group had become rather mystical itself, had been caught up in magical thinking and had become paganized, if you will. So for anyone in Colossae who was looking for any kind of security in this life or to escape the corruptions that were surrounding them, there was no shortage of spiritual programs promising to placate or venerate or manipulate these powers. The Smorgasbord was full, and everyone seemed to have an answer. Now the Christians in Colossae, in this stew of religions and spiritualities, whether they were Gentile or Jew, these Christians had been rescued from this darkness and brought into the kingdom of light, Paul reminds them. They have been given to know and believe the truth. They've been separated from all of this, and yet the troubles and toils of life continue. And the ongoing struggle against sin continued. What were they to do? They wanted to get past these things, and we understand that drive. No one likes trouble and toil, And no one likes to struggle against sin. And so some of the church had come promoting a new program. A program that offered relief from this trouble and toil. And victory over sin. To their profession of faith, they were adding spiritual practices designed to turbocharge holiness. And secure God's protection and His provision in a particular and special way in this life now. And it was very appealing. It was familiar and comfortable. And His promoters were so spiritual. They were somehow involved in angel worship. The worship of angels. Was it that means they were worshiping angels or worshiping with angels? We don't know. but they had a special end to the heavenly realms and they had amazing visions where they gained special and higher and spiritual knowledge that the rest of us would never be able to get. And they offered this package as a fast track to holiness, complete with a checklist of rules. Keep away from this. Don't touch that. Observe this day fast and abstain from these things. Be holy. And here's the checklist. And like frogs in a skillet that is gradually heating up, the saints in Colossae were unaware of the danger of this peril that was tempting them. This fast track to holiness. Now. The details of the program are fairly hazy in this book. The only place we have reference to it is in this letter. But Paul leaves no doubt that it was dangerous. In chapter 2, verse 8, he calls their program a hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and on the basic principles of this world. And here's the catch. Here's the important thing. This is why it's so dangerous. He says, it depends on these things rather than on Christ. And even though the promoters claimed to be Christian, this program was what the Apostle John would have to call Antichrist. it turned people away from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, you may be thinking, that's all very interesting, Pastor Donovan, but what's that have to do with us? We don't share their sensitivity and preoccupation with these spiritual forces out there in the world. We're not seeking mystical experiences. We're not trying to manipulate angels. Our sensibilities are far too secular for that. We don't have that struggle. And you're right. But I would say to you with Luther and with C.S. Lewis that Satan is just as happy that we don't care as he was happy that they cared too much. The point is we still share with them the toils and troubles of this life. And we share with them the struggles against sin that's hard to put away. And we have insecurities that surround us in our own world, in our own life, in our own time. We are just as vulnerable as they. To be lured away by things that offer us control. By things that offer us success in our life as Christians. We are vulnerable to being lured away from the true gospel. A gospel that's grounded in the historical life and death and resurrection and ascension. And the promise of return and glory of the God, man, Jesus Christ. To turn to spiritual practices that provide comfort and security. In this life, we're just as vulnerable. Dr. Michael Horton makes this observation in his book, Christless Christianity. Quote, we Americans are very confident people. The last thing we want is to be told that we cannot do anything to save ourselves. That we are entirely at the mercy of God. What a providential weekend to preach this sermon on the 4th of July. We are the American people and we have no sovereign. That's our wiring. Apart from a miracle, he goes on to say, religious success in this atmosphere will always go to those who can effectively appeal to this can-do spirit. The Colossians' heresy appealed to their tendency to employ can-do spirits that were out there in the world. the heresies of our time often appeal to our tendency to employ our own inner can-do spirit. And the pitch comes something like this. God's there for you and for your happiness. Now here are some rules and some principles, and if you follow them, you'll get what you want out of life. You can have your best life now. Want a happy marriage? Here's seven rules. Want to be financially successful? Here's ten. Just follow them. Now here's the thing. These rules and these principles may be good in themselves. There may be nothing wrong. They may be wise. But the motive by which we pursue them can take us away from Christ. We can start setting our confidence in the checklist and in how we're doing rather than our confidence in Christ and what He's already done. Horton calls such a program Law Light because it takes our eyes off the demanding law of God which is to love God above all and to love our neighbor as ourself and reduces it to this checklist that by the end of the day we've done pretty good. We forget our sin. We forget our need for a Savior. And we forget to look to Him for the strength we need to live the life that His law demands. And as a result, the law and the gospel get confused and the gospel promise of victory already accomplished in Christ gets turned into this being victorious by what we do. The good news of the gospel becomes good advice. And the good news becomes just a softer version of the law. Do more. Do more. This is a clear and present danger to us. And it was a clear and present danger that was at the heart of the Colossian heresy. It was what was coming to them. It was probably not said with the lips, but by everything that was being presented, they were saying, Christ is not enough. He is neither supreme over your life, nor is he sufficient for the circumstances of your life. Therefore, you need to do more. That's the danger. And now that we've understood that, which Paul will address in this letter, we now anticipate, in summary, that which he's going to say to them. That which he's preparing his believers for, and that is to heed his edifying warning. This letter is an edifying warning. And I say it that way because Paul warns against danger, even as he equips and builds up the saints to resist it. He doesn't come at them with wagging finger. He doesn't come to them to slap their hands. He comes to them with the gospel of Jesus Christ to build them up, equip them for that which he has for them to do. He does this by clearly laying down the law of God. He lays it down in no uncertain terms how we are to live the Christian life. But he does so in such a way that it's sharply set apart from the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone delivers us from the wrath of God against our sin. The gospel of Jesus Christ, trusting in his personal and finished work, is what we need to save us from our sin, but it's also that alone which motivates and enables us to progressively obey the law that he's going to give us. We find this theme summarized in chapter 2, verse 6. That's why we read that far. It's the middle of the letter in ideas. In chapter 2, verse 6, he writes, So then, just as you received Christ as Lord, continue to live in Him. Just as you received Christ as Lord, Gospel, live in Him, Law. The first part of this verse, just as you received Christ as Jesus as Lord, sums up everything that precedes it. From chapter 1, verse 3, to chapter 2, verse 6, Paul lays out for these Colossians, lays out for us a very brief, very profound, refresh your course in the power and sufficiency of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this section, it is one unending stream of good news. Good news telling us how on account of this gospel, on account of the work of Christ, Paul and his associates were giving thanks to God for the faith they'd been given in Colossae, for the love that they had for all the saints. He tells us how on the basis of this gospel, he and his associates are praying for their continued growth in grace and for perseverance in living the life of a Christian. A prayer that climaxes in a hymn of praise of the supremacy of Christ, that he's supreme in all things. It is beautiful. He reminds us of the hope of the gospel. That's already ours. through faith in Christ. And he testifies to his own stewardship of the gospel on their behalf and on behalf of all those who he has never met face to face on your behalf. Paul's authority or priority is to establish the saints in the firm foundation of the gospel before proceeding to the law. There's not a single command in that first chapter and verses. It's all about what God has done and is doing for his people. Now, the last half of chapter 2, verse 6, where he writes, continue to live in him, Paul sums up all that's going to follow through chapter 4, verse 6, wherein Paul sets forth a Christian life in accord with God's law. And throughout this section, that is full of law. We read our law from it today. That's only part of it. Commandment after commandment after commandment after commandment. These are the rails we're to run on. This is how our life is supposed to look. But even in the midst of laying down the law, Paul inoculates and fortifies the saints with the truth that Christ has already accomplished and is already applying to those who trust in him alone his power, his sufficiency, Not only for their justification that they're saved, but also for your sanctification, that you are changed progressively to be conformed to his image. Christ is sufficient for faith and life. For everything. And Paul warns believers in this section against denying the gospel. And denying his power by clinging to unholy ways instead of putting them off and putting on righteousness. That's in accord with God's law. He says it's to deny the gospel to not pursue righteousness. To just hold on to what you had. But in even stronger terms, I believe, he warns against taking the gospel for granted. Speaking to Christians who say, I know the gospel. I believe the gospel. I know I'm saved. and I know that one day in glory when I'm asked how I can be in heaven I can say I'm here because of the blood of Jesus Christ I know it will get me into heaven it's like two doors a door into the kingdom and a door into heaven but we are tempted to believe that he doesn't apply in between we set aside the gospel and we say I've heard that, I know that now tell me pastor what can I do give me my marching orders this week tell me what I need to do he warns against taking the gospel for granted setting it aside to chase after something more something else whether that's a checklist of do's and don'ts whether that's practicing spiritual disciplines with a focus on what's in it for me today these things are not necessarily bad or wrong but why and with what motive and under what power do we pursue to set aside the gospel and to pursue something more he says in chapter 2 verse 19 is to lose connection with the head and that's to die and that's what he says these promoters of this program in Colossae are doing they've lost connection with the head and so in the last part of this letter Paul warns against anyone and everyone with a program that makes others depend on them for spiritual wisdom and insight and knowledge, rather than depending on Christ, who has openly revealed all the mysteries of God. Any program that subjects others to ceremonies, in this case Jewish ceremonies, festivals and days and Sabbaths, rather than to Christ who has fulfilled them all. Any program that binds people to rules that deny their freedom in Christ. That doesn't mean there's no rules. This means that the rules that we live by are the ones that God gives us, not the ones we make up for ourselves to somehow get ahead. He warns against any program that exalts creatures, even if they be angels, and thereby denies the supremacy of Christ over all things. And he warns against any program that promotes extreme methods to deny this world, to push this world away. It's so wicked and evil I can't do anything with it. Which in effect is to deny the sovereignty of Christ over all things and his sufficiency to support you in it and to deny our heavenly hope in Christ. The technical term for all these, many of these things is asceticism. The separation from the world in order to not be corrupted by what's out there. When as Paul will remind us and the law reminds us every day, the corruption that we need to worry about is in here. And the only hope we have for that is the gospel. And in this last section, Paul commands believers, he commands you and he commands me to stand firm, remaining centered on Christ, who is all and in all. And he's all that we need for this life and for glory. And he commands us to stand firm, guarding our freedom in Christ, who has freed us from the curse of the law. And he commands us to stand firm, orienting all of life to Christ, That we'd fix our eyes on heavenly things. Where we, our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. We keep our perspective and the focus is Christ. And all this, Paul says, believers can do in the sufficiency of Christ alone. If we've been joined to Christ through faith, we are fully equipped for a lifelong change through Christ. What we call our sanctification. Progressive as it is, but in Christ we are equipped for lifelong change. And we're equipped for living as equals in Christ, even in our unequal relationships of this world. And we are fully equipped for bearing witness to Christ with those who are outside the church. we're equipped by Christ alone. And through this series we will unpack and heed Paul's edifying warning that I've laid before you in survey. This is the ground we're going to cover. But for now we turn our attention to the particulars of chapter 1 verses 1 and 2 our text that opens the way to all that we've talked about. And we want to pay particular attention here how Paul prepares impaired believers to heed his edifying warning by affirming their relationship. This is important. This is important. When we approach the Word of God, we need to know from which it speaks, from where it speaks. Paul's relationship to his readers in Colossae and to us today is like all Christian relationships. It's twofold. It has two facets. On the one hand, believers are all equals in Christ. Everyone in this room, everyone in the church universal stand as equals in Christ. Which Paul makes clear in chapter 3, verse 11, where he says, Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all. There is equity in the body of Christ. But at the same time, there are relationships in this age that involve unequal roles with some placed in authority over others. In chapter 3, Paul will address the most common ones of home and work, those things that we bump into most commonly. It's not an extensive list. We could apply it to many other areas, to government, to schools, whatever. The point is, even though we're equals in Christ, we have to relate to one another sometimes with an inequality. And in his greeting, Paul affirms both to us and to the Colossians. He affirms our equal standing in Christ through faith, and he does this in four ways. He greets them as saints, as holy ones, who like himself have been chosen and set apart by God for holy purposes. Now the NIV translates this as, calls them holy, which is a legitimate translation, but it's open to misunderstanding that somehow Paul is recognizing in them a holiness of their own. When the point is, is that they have been declared, conferred status by God. That's the same as every believer, that God has set them apart from the world for holy purposes. They are therefore saints. They are holy ones. Second, he greets them as believers who, like himself, are faithful, as the NIV has it. Faithful in the sense that we have trusted in another, in Jesus Christ. Third, he goes on to greet them as brothers, something that is unique in all of his letters. In all of Paul's letters, this is the only one in which he greets his hearers as brothers. Now, he talks to brothers in other letters. He refers to believers as brothers, but here he greets them as brothers. It's shorthand for brothers and sisters, who, like himself, are children of God, members of this one household. As he said to the brothers in Romans chapter 8, it says, You receive the spirit of sonship, and by him we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. That's what he's saying to them. We're brothers. And finally, Paul highlights their equality in Christ by standing, as it were, shoulder and shoulder with them and shoulder and shoulder with us in calling Timothy our brother. In a nutshell, by greeting them as brothers, Paul intensely personalized what it means to belong to the communion of saints. Every believer belongs to this communion, regardless of our station in life. Whether we're an apostle like Paul, whether we're a minister like Timothy, whether we're a layman like the people in Colossae, we all stand as equals before God in Christ. And we affirm this equality, this uniting equality in our own Heidelberg Catechism, question and answer 55, where we ask with regard to the Apostles' Creed, what do you understand by the communion of saints? And we answer first that all believers, one and all, we might interpret that as without distinction, all believers without distinctions as members of this community share in Christ and in all his treasures and benefits. We all have common access to the throne of grace. We all have the salvation that is in Christ. We all have the power of the Holy Spirit. We have all his gifts and his blessings. But there's another aspect of this communion, which we go on in Heidelberg 55. We say that second, that each member should consider it his duty to use his gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members. And so here we see a distinction. Each of us has been given a gift or gifts that are to be used in the service of the rest. Paul explains this distinction in chapter 4 of Ephesians. First, he affirms our unity. He says in verses 4 to 6, There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. There is one church. And then beginning in verse 7, he continues by explaining how Christ established diversity within this one united body. But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. It's he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. And Paul was among those who were given to be an apostle. The office that authorized him to write this letter and to say what he does. And by introducing himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus an authorized ambassador who speaks the very word of Christ, Paul reminds the saints of the inequality of our relationship to him. Yes, we have equal standing with God, but we are under his authority. As the Colossians, we're under his authority. And he holds this office, he says, by the will of God. It's not something he chose. It's not something he pursued. It's not something he went to be elected for. He spells this out in Galatians chapter 1, verse 1. He says, he was sent not from men nor by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. Of course, referring to his commission in Damascus after being struck down on the Damascus road, Acts chapter 9. He is a commissioned agent of God. And it's with apostolic authority now that Paul grants to the saints in this greeting a blessing. And it's an effective blessing. It's the blessing he extended to all the churches. Grace and peace. The core blessing. To all who receive it with faith, Paul confirms it. He confers it as the favor of God the Father that is ours in Christ Jesus. This blessing is yours if you receive it by faith. For it comes from the mouth of an ordained servant who's been set apart for this job, for this duty, for your benefit. And I speak the apostolic word, which is backed by the authority of Christ himself. Apostolic authority, even though he is their brother and he loves them, they need to listen to him. We need to listen to him. It is with apostolic authority that Paul goes on to write this edifying warning to be received and believed and acted on by the saints. It's in Christ's name, with Christ's authority, that Paul goes on to proclaim the gospel in its fullness in profound ways that we find in no other book of Scripture. Good news that is not too good to be true. And we can take it to the bank because it comes from an apostle. In Christ's name and with his authority, Paul lays down the law. God's revealed will for his people. Not just helpful hints, not just good advice. This is God's will for us. For which the gospel alone can motivate us and enable us to live. There's a lot in this letter. It comes to us with apostolic authority. And it comes to us from one who is our beloved brother in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we embark on this series through Colossians, we have been made aware of the danger. The real and present danger in thinking that we need something more, something other than the gospel of Jesus Christ to inform our faith or to motivate and enable our godly living. We've been introduced to Paul's edifying warning so that we might understand that his first concern is to establish us in the gospel before giving us the law. And we have been prepared to receive and heed this edifying warning from our brother Paul as the authoritative word of Christ. by which we are assured of our justification, our right standing with God, through faith in Christ alone. And in that assurance, or from that assurance, we are motivated and enabled for our sanctification in Him. To God be the glory. Great things He has done, He is still doing, and He will do, by the power of Christ, through the gospel of Christ. Let us pray. Almighty God and Heavenly Father, we are thankful to have this letter that Paul wrote to the Colossians, which indeed, Lord, is timely for us. We live in an age, Lord, where there are many voices calling, many programs available, lots to do, lots to do, lots to do. busy and distracted and prone to help ourselves, Lord. We pray that as we consider your word to us through this letter, that we would be reoriented, reestablished, recommitted to stand on the gospel of Jesus Christ alone, not only for our salvation, but for our sanctification as well. Bless this to us, Lord, this day, we ask in Christ's name. Amen. Thank you.