Sermon – Faith, Love and Hope - Colossians 1

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Faith, Love and Hope - Colossians 1
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
July 11, 2010

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Today, I will be starting a series of sermons drawn from the New Testament book of Colossians. This book was written by the Apostle Paul during his imprisonment at Ephesus or Caesarea or possibly Rome sometime before 61AD. The church at Colossae had not been established by Paul. Rather he had commissioned an evangelist, Epaphras, who went to the Lycus river in Phrygia (modern day Turkey) and established three churches at Laodicea, on the river, Hierapolis, about five mile north, and Colossae, about 12 miles to the southwest. This should sound familiar to us as our own founding in 1683 occurred as missionary Francis Makemie established churches along the rivers here on the Eastern Shore.

The church at Colossae met at the home of a man name Philemon. We know about Philemon because his slave, Onesimus, ran away and went to see Paul. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon in the custody of Tychicus with a personal letter for his former master and a general letter for the church. We have both of these letters in the New Testament the Books of Philemon and Colossians. And we will be looking at the Book of Colossians, Paul’s letter to the church.

In this letter Paul says that he was praying for the church at Colossae. He was praying for their faith in Jesus Christ. He was praying for their love for one another. And he was praying for their hope in the salvation of Jesus Christ that in his death on the cross they are reconciled with God and will live for eternity in heaven. Faith, love and hope are the characteristics of all of Paul’s churches. The source of their faith, love and hope is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that Epaphras had so faithfully given them. The proclamation of the gospel is like planting a seed that blooms into faith, love and hope.

But Paul was praying for even more, not only that faith, love and hope would bloom in their live, but with wisdom and the knowledge of God’s will they would also grow into saints, holy ones set aside for God. And so he prayed that the Holy Spirit would strengthen them to live lives pleasing to God. Our ability to live holy lives is based on the solid foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed by apostles, evangelists, teachers and pastors.

The gospel that has the power to bring you faith, love and hope is about Jesus Christ. From Epaphras the church at Colossae had already heard the stories about Jesus, how he came from Galilee, taught with authority, healed the sick, and befriended sinners. This Jesus had been arrested in Jerusalem, crucified on a cross and buried in a tomb. And on the third day rose to new life and ascended to heaven. These stories were amazing and brought people to faith, love and hope. And this brings us to today’s lesson. But first please pray with me.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Colossians 1 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 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-- 23 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. 24 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. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 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. 28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

The gospel or good news of Jesus Christ is that he came to reconcile us with God. This is the mystery that had been kept secret for ages. Our sin had alienated us from our creator since Adam. But with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross our relationship with God was restored. We are no longer stained with sin or liable to accusation from our judge. Rather, we have been washed clean, made holy and ready to stand before God. This is the gospel that Paul and Epaphras had been proclaiming, the gospel that was bringing congregations around the Mediterranean to faith in Jesus Christ, with love for one another and with hope in our salvation, our reconciliation with God. Faith, hope and love:

There is an old story about faith. A prospector was crossing the desert when he ran out of water. He saw a shed and went inside. There was a pump but to use it, it had to be primed with a little water. Looking around the shed he saw a jug of water and a note. It read, “Use this water to prime the pump. If you drink any there will not be enough to get the water started so use all the water to prime the pump. The pump has never failed. When you are finished fill the jug for the next traveler.’ What do you think he did? Did he have faith in the note and pour his only water over the pump? Or did he drink the water so that none would be left for the next thirsty person? And what about us? Do we really put our faith in our savior Jesus Christ?

Now let’s turn to a story about love. When the USS Pueblo was captured by the North Koreans the sailors were forced to sit for hours alone in a room. One day a North Korean entered the room and beat the person sitting in the first chair. The next day the same thing happened and the other sailors realized that their companion in the firs t chair would not survive many more beatings. They decided to take turns sitting in the first chair to protect their friend and share the pain together. They did this because of their love for one another. Jesus loved us by laying down his life for us. Do we really love one another?

So much for faith and love here is a story about hope. In 1965 James B. Stockwell was one of the first naval aviators shot down over Vietnam. The Vietcong tortured him to break him and force him to renounce the United States. He was chained with his hands above his head so that he could not even swat the mosquitoes. This went on for seven long years usually in isolation from other prisoners. When asked later how he withstood such treatment Stockdale replied that hope kept him alive, hope that one day he would go home. Our only hope that in Jesus Christ we are reconciled with God and promised eternal life. Do we really have this hope?

We all want genuine faith, love and hope. But where can we get if? We can’t find it at Wal-Mart or online. We won’t inherit it from our parents or grandparents. We can’t dig it up on the beach or trap it in a pot. Faith in Jesus Christ, love for one another, and hope in salvation, can only be obtained in the hearing of the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why it is so important to be in church every Sunday and meditate on scripture every day. Because it is through church and scripture that we that we hear the proclamation of the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection and through this proclamation grow in faith, love and hope.

The early Christians sang many songs about the good news and Jesus Christ. One of the early hymns was recorded for us by Paul in the Colossians. Here it what they sang.
Colossians 1: 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 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. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 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. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 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.

Lord Jesus Christ, we believe that you were crucified for our sin on the cross. You took our place and rightful punishment. Because of your great love for us we now have love for one another. Strengthen our faith and our love. And we are filled with hope for a future free from guilt because you have taken our punishment wiping our slate clean. So we thank you for the faith, love and hope you have given us through revealing the great mystery of the ages, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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