Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Col. 1:1-8 Sept. 7, 2025

Message: “Growing and Bearing Fruit!”

by Pastor George Gnade

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Introduction:

1. Today we are beginning a new series on the Book of Colossians.  Colosse was located in a valley along with two other cities – Laodicea and Hierapolis. The Lycus River flowed between them, giving them access to the world around them, allowing them to be very well off. 

2. But Colosse only shared their wealth for a short period of time. Even in Paul’s day, it was a small town.

a. But because of the prosperity of other two cities, many Jews moved into the area, making it a Jewish-Gentile city. 

b. Paul did not start this church. We believe it was started by another Christian minister named Epaphras (Col. 1:7) who told the Apostle Paul all about them. 

A. Consider what he learned about them.

1. Vs. 2 refers to them as “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ in Colosse. “

a. A saint is simply someone made holy in Christ. Their holiness was not because of themselves. It was because of the blood of Christ who cleansed them of their sins. In plain words, it was written to people who needed and received God’s grace.

b. Secondly, this letter was written to believers seeking to be faithful to the Lord. Paul calls them brethren because in Christ we are like one large family.

2. Vs. 2 also calls these Christians “their brethren in Christ in Colosse.” This simple phrase is significant.

a. Paul points out that all our brethren in Christ are in two places at once.  First of all we are “in Christ.” Spirit-ually speaking, we are in Him and He lives in us. 

b. But at the same time we all live in different places. These Christians lived in Colosse. All of us must deal with this double reality. Our Christian lives are clearly affected by our relationship to Christ as well as by where we live.

3. In I Cor. 13:13, Paul wrote: “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” In our passage, Paul once again stresses these three Christian characteristics.

a. In Col. 1:4-5, Paul says: “We have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and of the love you have for all the saints, a faith and love that springs from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven.”

b. When asked if they know they are going to heaven when they die, many Christians – aware of their weaknesses – say: “I hope so.”

c. But in Heb. 11:1, it says: “Now faith is the essence of things hoped for, the evidence of things we cannot see.” God doesn’t want us to say: “I hope I’m going to heaven.” He wants us to say: “I know I am going to heaven.” Our faith in Christ should be all the evidence we need.

4. Don’t ever forget that our faith in Christ is grounded in Christ’s love for us. Because He has proved how much He loves us by dying on the cross for us, how much more should we in turn love Him and love one another.

a. The Christians in Colosse were known for their faith in Christ, their love for their fellow Christians and their hope that guaranteed them a better future.

b. How did they learn about this? In vs.6, it says they heard about it “in the Word of Truth, the gospel that has come to you.” God used Epaphras to do this (Col. 1:7).

B. This verse was like a springboard that provided Paul with the opportunity to tell them more about this gospel.

1. This was not something made available only to them. Not at all! It was a gift from God being offered to the whole world. As Paul says in vs. 6: “All over the world this gospel is producing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it…”

a. It reminds me of Rom. 10:17 which says: “Now faith comes by hearing (God’s message) and (God’s message) is heard through (the preaching) of the Word of Christ.”

b. Or consider I Cor. 1:21 where it says: “God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.” People may not be impressed with every sermon they hear, but God uses us to reach others. 

2. In I Cor. 1:23, Paul clarifies: “We preach Christ cruci-fied...” This is the message that has changed the world.

a. This is the message of salvation that was and continues to produce fruit and grow wherever it is preached and wherever it goes.

b. Now over 2,000 years later, it has reached the ends of the world. It is still bearing fruit and growing. It is no wonder Paul wrote in Rom. 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes…”

C. Having considered who the Colossians were and what was preached to them, let us close by considering what Paul prayed specifically for them.

1. In vs. 2, Paul says he thanked the Lord for them every time he prayed for them. We too should learn to thank the Lord for all our fellow Christians. 

a. In vs. 2-8, Paul shared all he had learned about them, especially how they had come to know and love the Lord.

b. In vs. 9-11, Paul says, because they now knew the Lord, he promised to keep on praying for them because living the Christian life is not an easy road.

2. In vs. 9 -10, he prayed God “would fill them with the knowledge of His will,” with the “wisdom and under-standing” they would need to do God’s will so that “they may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in all that they would do.”

a. In plain words, the Christian life is not about God giving me all I want. It is about me learning to do what would please Him. 

b. Paul is trying to teach us to examine ourselves every night and ask ourselves how we did and what we could have done better.  Did we listen to His voice within us and follow the leading He gave us?  

c. When the disciples followed Jesus, they had a lot to learn. So do we. But when we do our best, Jesus has a way of lifting our spirits, encouraging us to keep it up.

3. But Paul’s prayer for them and us goes even farther.

a. In vs 10-11, he prayed they “would bear fruit in every good work” while continuing to “grow in the knowledge of God.”

b. I like the way Paul said it in Phil. 2:13, “For God is at work in you both to will and to do the things that please Him.”  Paul is reminding us that this is what God does. He will place someone on your heart or lead you so you are in just the right place at just the right time. In your heart you will know it and find joy in doing it.

c. In plain words, if God can bring forth fruit and cause the gospel to grow through the lives of others, He can and will do it through you too!

4. Last but not least, Paul prayed the Colossians would be “strengthened with power” so they would have “great endurance and patience.”  

a. Paul experienced many trials himself, working for the Lord, and he knew they would too. Only the Lord can give us the patience and endurance we need. 

b. Many times it is through the hardest times that He works His miracles in our lives. He can and He will do that for us too if we let Him.  Amen!