06-29-03 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

Colossians 1:1-8

This week marks the beginning of something different for the communion dedications. This is the time that we break bread and raise the cup in honor of, and sharing with each other in the memory of Christ's life, death and resurrection, without which our lives would have little hope and even less understanding. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians is easily the most Christ-centered book in the Bible, so for the next few months, if the Lord wills, we'll be ploughing through every single verse in the book of Colossians.

(v.1-3) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Whenever you're praying for someone, look to the greetings in Paul's letters as excellent examples. No matter what the situation, grace and peace will always benefit the object of your prayers, and here Paul qualifies the only source of true peace. When you do read Paul's greetings, notice that grace always precedes peace. God is so good to us that He grants us special favor, which we don't deserve, and at the same time His mercy witholds what we do deserve. Simply coming to grips with, and accepting the blessing of God's grace is the key to finding calm in every storm life throws at you. Leading all our prayers with thanksgiving and praise seems the least we can do. Doesn't it make you feel wonderful when someone thanks you and gives you a little praise? Before every meal, after every trial and blessing, thanks and praise are the least we can give to the Source of true peace. And here, we gain a little insight into the apostle Paul as we read that he was "praying always," at all times, for people who he had probably never met.

(v.4-5) Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

There are three marks of a good, solid, mature church:

1. Faith. There are many ways to please the Lord, but none of them depart from faith. Hebrews chapter 11 clearly tells us that without faith, it's impossible for us to please God. When we gather together, if we don't believe that God is going to do great things, if we think that He isn't going to come through, or if we give room to the spirit of skepticism or cynicism, our church will not move into renewal, into revival, into blessing. Your faith should be dynamic and growing, causing a major transformation in the way you perceive life. The faith that grows out of the scriptures is not faith in men. It sounds silly, but most of the times we feel let down, it's because we placed our faith in men. Properly placed faith is a persuasion, a conviction in your heart causing you to believe that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. All that having been said, faith is never alone.

2. The second indication of a mature fellowship is love. The greatest witness we have to a dying world is the sincerity of our love. Love is what allows us to not sound like a clanging cymbal. Love carries us through anger and bitterness, and allows us to even try to love people who are hurting us. Love for the lost should become the motivating force behind every aspect of our lives.

3. Hope is the third mark of a healthy church. Hope is the happy anticipation of the good that you expect to come. The hope found in the scriptures is a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. It's a hope that keeps us from rushing around looking for fulfillment in one thing to the next, instead sitting back and worshipping the Lord, knowing of the treasure of going home to Him that's set before us. It's hope that allows us to say, "You can destroy my body, but not my soul. You can take away all my possessions, but not my inheritance." It is our hope of redemption that sets us apart unto holiness, giving us the desire to fulfill the purpose and goal God has set for us, which ultimately unleashes the power in our lives.

(v.6-8) Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

Paul is delighted to hear the news from Colosse, and he prays a blessing upon the church. It's usually bad news that causes us to pray for people; those who are hurting, backsliding, or going through trials, but this is an encouragement to also pray for folks when you hear good news about them, because the enemy is always looking for a chance to destroy them.