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Colossians 2:1–5 ¹ 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. ² 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, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. ⁵ For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

When someone says “I am praying for you,” How does that make you feel? Sometimes you may not grasp the import of that statement. Other people are pleading for you before God Almighty. You are not alone. Members of the body of Christ are there for you. When separated by a great distance, they can still be by your side through their intercessions on your behalf.

Paul reminded the believers at Colosse that even though he was not with them, he is working on their behalf. His letter is an encouragement for them to hold on to the Good News they have heard. He reminds them of the tremendous value of the wisdom and knowledge that has been given to them.

Paul also warns them that others will come with contrary messages, trying to lead people away from the free gift of life that Jesus earned. Beware! Don’t fall for it. Hold on to Jesus in faith! He alone delivers what we need to be saved.

Paul wrote: “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…”

United in love. Paul wants believers to mature in their faith and love each other, be there for each other. That does not mean only when things are going well. It means being there for each other when life gets hard, when problems and troubles arise.

Jesus showed us how to love in all situations. He loved us to death. He did what was needed.

How can you love a neighbor who is in need today?

Colossians 1:1–8 ¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, ² To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. ³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— ⁵ 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 ⁶ 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. ⁷ You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

As Paul begins his letter to the believers in Colosse, he follows his normal manner of complimenting them on what he has heard about them. “…we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints…”

I wonder how many of us would be described that way. Would our daily actions bring accolades or condemnation? Would your behavior in your community warrant praise or ridicule? If Epaphras came to your house, what report would he take back to Paul? We have the same motivation to live new lives, don’t we?

,,,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.

We have heard and believed, as the Colossians, that Jesus lived and died and rose again to earn our forgiveness and open heaven for us. We have had the same message shared with us. The Spirit has worked faith in our hearts. We have that message to share. Do our lives reflect that or hinder the spread of the Good News?

Lord Jesus, thank you for having led me to faith. I know I have been forgiven and look forward to being with you forever. Help me to live now in a way that shows my certainty and opens the way for others to follow you. I pray this in your most holy and precious name. Amen.

Throughout Scripture we are told to “live as children of light.”

1 John 1:5-6 “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth”

Peter reminds us that God has “called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

And Jesus told His followers “you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).

There is an old stone church in the Swiss Alps that does not have a lighting system, nor has it ever had one. A traveler heard a church bell ringing and saw the people heading up to the church, each one carrying a small bronze lamp filled with oil and having a wick. She approached one of those worshipers and said, “I’m a stranger here. Will you tell me why you are carrying a lamp to church?” The woman heading to the service explained that the Duke who had built that church asked that each worshiper bring his or her own lamp. The traveler replied, “I would guess that keeps some folks from attending the evening services!” “Quite the contrary,” the other woman said. “Everybody that goes makes it a little brighter, and when anybody is tempted to stay home or go somewhere else, they remember that the church needs everyone’s lamp. If your lamp is not there, there is that much less light. We also remember those who are not believers can look to the church and see its brightness or dimness in the windows. A bright church gives a good witness to those in the darkness. And not only does the church miss your light, but you miss the blessing by not being there.”

That is how all the children of light should feel. Your Church is brighter when you are there. But do not just let your light shine at church. Your faith goes with you when you walk out the door and put it into action. You carry the light with you. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8), or stated another way, you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. When you share that Good News, you are letting your light shine.

Live as children of light.

One of the wonders of modern technology is fiber optics. They have become so common place that we take them for granted, but they are still a marvel. These things look like a solid tube, yet they have the ability to channel light to otherwise hard to reach places. Optical fibers can transmit light around curves and corners, with the light emitting from the end of the fiber. The uses are almost unlimited. Optical fibers are used to transmit telephone conversations and to illuminate automobile instrument panels. They are also used in medicine to perform exploratory surgery through just a small incision large enough to insert the small cable. The fibers carry light inside the body and then transmit the pictures back outside for the doctors to examine. As I said, they can transmit light to those hard to reach places.

Christians should think of themselves as optical fibers for the Lord. You are to carry His light with you to places where it otherwise might not shine. What are those hard to reach places in your life?

What about in school? When your friends and classmates are doing something that you know is wrong, do you let the light of Christ shine through you to expose their sin, or do you turn it off and simply go along with the crowd?

How about in your job? When others are pilfering, do you point this out for the wrong that it is, or do you let the light of Christ shine in that situation?

When unethical practices are encouraged, do you justify that you have to go along to get ahead, or do you shine for Jesus?

You are to be the channel of the light of Christ everywhere you go. This has to do with the way you treat every single person you encounter, the people you work with, your family members, and even those you casually meet each day. Jesus did not say “You are to be the light of the Church.” He very clearly said, “you are the light of the world!” (Matthew 5:14).

My encouragement today is the same as yesterday: make a conscious effort to be a light bearer today.

You’ve probably heard someone say, “There are two kinds of people in this world…” The categorizations are endless. They point out the differences that exist, contrasting the two groupings.

Male and Female
United States and Mexico
Democrats and Republicans
City folk and Country folk
Texans and everyone else

When we distinguish between two different groups, we usually point out the differences, which often comes down to “those I like and those I don’t like.”

But maybe we should focus on the similarities a bit more.

2 Corinthians 5:14  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  

“One died for all.”  “Christ died for sins once for all.”  God loves everyone and does not want anyone to die eternally.

1 Timothy 2:3–4  God our Savior … wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

We need to remember that those who are currently outside of God’s grace are people for whom Jesus dies, people whose sins were covered by His sacrifice, people God loves and wants to be part of His kingdom forever. Their debt was also paid by God our Savior.

Perhaps we should consider this classification:

“There are two kinds of people in this world – those who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and those God still wants to be saved through faith in Jesus.”

Romans 16:17–20 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

There will always be false prophets and charlatans among us. Some things never change. And their presence in the church hurts all followers of Jesus. It also hurts the spread of the good news of who Jesus really is. He is not a huckster or after your money. Jesus wants you, all of you, every bit of your life. He paid for it with His life so that you could be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him. He gives you forgiveness, life and salvation. He wants you to respond with a new life of gratitude.

Paul commends the believers in Rome who were living that way, and encourages them to continue to do so.  And he gives them two promises:

1. Jesus will crush Satan.
2. God’s grace is with them.

That message is for you, still, today. Live in that confidence.

Romans 15:23–29 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ

At the end of the book of Romans, Paul discusses his travel plans and sends personal greetings to a lot of the believers in Rome. Did you ever ask yourself “Why was this kind of stuff included in God’s Word?” I have. It wasn’t an accident or oversight or afterthought. It was intentional. So what was the reason?

The people we see in Scripture and the ones who wrote the words from God for us were real people, just like us. Their lives were filled with uncertainty and struggles. While they lived at a different time with different challenges, they faced the same questions and problems we have. Struggles providing for their families. Relationship problems. Wondering about the future. Is God real, and is He in control?

The record in Scripture portrays those who trusted in God and His providence and those who did not. It went better (and still does today) for those who trust in God. They believed His promise of a Messiah, whether looking forward to it or seeing that it was fulfilled in Jesus. His rescue changes lives.

Paul dedicated his life to sharing the Good News of what Jesus did for everyone. He still had struggles, but he did not face them alone. He knew God was in control and with him wherever he went. Here in Romans he shares his desire to take this message to Spain, and that on the way he planned stop by to see his brothers and sisters in Rome so that they can encourage each other. He also mentions taking a contribution from believers in Greece – GENTILES – to the poor in Jerusalem. This is living out their faith, being stewards of what God entrusted to their care, using it for His kingdom and His purposes. Paul described this kind of generosity again in Galatians.

Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

All this got me thinking about the need for each of us to strive to live every day in response to the salvation Jesus earned for us. We do so in the confidence that God is in control, and we want others to know that we know that by the way we live our lives. And, hopefully, our living this way will be a means through which the Holy Spirit brings more people to faith in Jesus.

Romans 13:1–5  Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

We are approaching another presidential election, which has become very interesting. Many of the folks I’ve talked to have voiced their displeasure with both candidates from the major parties. Let me just encourage you to pray about it, ask God to give you wisdom and discernment, and don’t neglect your right to vote.

Can you be respectful of and obedient to a government with which you strongly disagree? The answer, of course, is yes. Christians have been doing that down through the ages. However, our first and foremost allegiance is to our God. These words from Romans 13 are to understood in the context of all Scripture, which also tells us “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29)

When Paul encourages the faithful in Rome to submit to the governing authorities, they were under a regime that was hostile to those who followed the one true God. Yet they were called to be good citizens and more: they were to live such good lives that others would notice and wonder why. And that would open the door for them to share the reason for the hope that was in them: what Jesus did for all people through His life, death and resurrection.

That is our calling still today. We are to live as citizens of God’s kingdom here on earth, no matter who the governing authorities may be. We are to let the light of Christ shine through us in our words and actions. After all, we know that for Jesus’ sake we have forgiveness for all our sins and life forever with him.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I mentioned last week that Cheryl and I volunteered as workers for Vacation Bible School at our congrgation. It was a great week and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This past Sunday our worship service was a celebration of VBS as well, with the kids singing a couple of the songs they learned.

Last Saturday, we attended a birthday party for a friend of ours. A member of the guest of honor’s family was visiting with me, and asked me what I was doing these days. I told him we just finished a week of VBS at the church. He had a puzzled look on his face, He said, “I thought you were retired?” I replied, “I am. But that doesn’t mean I have stopped serving Jesus!”

I look at it this way: Full-time ministry is no longer what I do for a living. It is what I do because I was given new life by Jesus. I am still called by God to minister to my neighbor whenever and wherever I can do so. It may be helping out at my congregation, preaching somewhere so another pastor can go on vacation, helping a friend move into assisted living, sitting down and listening to someone share what is going on in his or her life. As long as I am physically able, I will continue to help with things like Disaster Response and Habitat for humanity.

Each day I ask God to help me be His witness to the people I encounter. I want them to know the love of God in Christ that I know. I want them to have the certainty of sin forgiven and life eternal, all because of what Jesus did for us. I don’t want to retire from that until Jesus welcomes me into His presence.