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Celebrate and Share the Fruit of the Gospel

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Austin Kettle | Chris Sicks
July 14, 2024

Sermon Manuscript

Celebrate and Share the Fruit of the Gospel


July 14 2024
Colossians 1:3-14
Pastor Austin Kettle

Today is a day of celebration.
As One Voice Fellowship passes this milestone, it is right to stop and rejoice, and it is exciting to dream of what is ahead.
As you enter this new stage of your life as a church family, I want to share with you from Colossians 1:3–14. 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 God’s people–
5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
6 that has come to you.
In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world–
just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

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.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Together we read Isaiah 40:8:
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
Let’s pray together.

In today’s text, I see three things that the Apostle Paul shared with the young church at Colossae two thousand years and five thousand miles away:
Point 1. Celebrate what God has done
Point 2. Seek what God has ahead
Point 3. Teach reality relentlessly

Point 1: Celebrate what God has done.
When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he had conversations echoing in his mind.
These conversations were encouragements in a dark time.
Paul was in prison, and the churches he had started were far away.
Yet he had heard of this church in Colossae.
It is a church he had never visited.
It was planted by his friend Epaphras.
Epaphras had left home, lived among the Colossians, and preached the gospel.
Then God did a wonderful thing: The gospel message bore fruit.
What does it look like when the gospel bears fruit?
Perhaps we should take a step back: how can the gospel bear fruit?
Vines bear fruit.
Olive trees and apple trees bear fruit.
People plant these crops because when they take root and grow, they produce beautiful, delicious fruit.
Why else plant watermelons, except to get that sweet, juicy fruit?
The gospel is a message, but it is much more than a message.
The gospel is the living word of God.
That’s why the Bible often describes the gospel like one of these crops.
When the gospel is planted and grows, it does two things: it bears fruit, and it multiplies.
So what does that fruit look like?
It looks like changed lives.
Look at verses 3-4:
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 God’s people…”

Paul has heard that the gospel has taken root and is bearing fruit in Colossae.
Gospel fruit looks like changed lives: People who formerly did not know who to trust, they now have faith in Jesus.
People who did not know how to love even one person, they can now love all sorts of different people in the church family.
This is what happened in Colossae.
Epaphras planted the gospel, and the Holy Spirit got to work.
He gave people faith, and their own lives were changed.
The Holy Spirit poured love into their hearts, and the lives of others were changed.
Friends, we always thank God when we pray for One Voice Fellowship.
Because we have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the love you have for all the saints.
You love the saints who are not like you.
You love saints who do not speak the same language as you.
People who like different food, or who express their emotions differently than you.
We, your brothers and sisters in northern Virginia and around the country, are deeply encouraged by you.
Just as the gospel is at work around the world, it is at work here in this building.
So celebrate!
The beauty in this room is not only because of the many languages and cultures gathered here.
It is not simply that unlikely friends can stand together, and sing together.
You can see those things at the Copa America football tournament.
The true beauty in this room is the root that has given the fruit: that this kaleidoscope of unity in diversity is cheering for Jesus, not football!
The beauty in this room is Christ at work, and his Spirit is among us.
In verse 6 Paul writes:
6 “In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world–
just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.”

Over the past few years God has brought together a family from the farthest corners of the earth to bear his name.
Together, you sing his praise, and preach that same gospel to a world that is dark, broken and lost.
But this is not your doing!
It is His light that shines through you!
Praise God.
Celebrate what he has done.
Celebrate what he has done in worship services, in bible studies, in dinners together, and baptisms.
Celebrate His work around firepits, in prayer meetings, in cars, and at English camp.
The Lord has done beautiful things, and your faith in him and love for one another bring us joy.
Celebrate!
But don’t stop there.
Paul immediately says there is more.

Point 2: Seek what God has ahead.
What God has built here is beautiful, just like what he built at Colossae made Paul rejoice.
But the vine has a lot more fruit to bear.
We are never done until the day Christ returns.
Look at verses 9-10: ‘
9 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”


Paul doesn’t only give thanks, he also prays continually for what is ahead.
He asks a specific thing: that the people of the church may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.
They need, we all need, spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Why?
So we can live lives worthy of the Lord, and please Him in every way.
Do you see the chain reaction here?
As we grow together in knowledge of God’s will, we grow in wisdom.
That leads to growing understanding, which leads to action when we live in a manner pleasing to God.
Do you see the beauty of the life that God has called us to?
His plan for One Voice is that you would grow in knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and action.
As a result, your lives will be worthy of the Lord, pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work.
Not just some things, but in many, many things.
And do you see how this process is circular?
At the end of verse 10 we see that in this sense the Christian life is an upward spiral.
Knowledge of God leads to wisdom, then to understanding, then to action.
This will, in turn, leads us into deeper knowledge of God, and so the cycle repeats.
This is why we never move beyond the gospel but grow in it, as the Lord applies it ever more to our lives together.

There are beautiful things ahead.
Things that seem impossible now will become normal.
Your heart will change.
Your desires will change.
People who are lost will come to faith.
Enemies will be reconciled and sing together in this room.
This is what the gospel does.
But there are also hard things ahead.
Verse 11 gives us a hint of this:
11 “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,”

We need this upward spiral of the Spirit’s work because we need strength, endurance, and patience.
Why?
Because hard times will come.
Hard things will happen that push us beyond our own strength.
Painful things will happen that test the limits of our endurance.
And some trials will go on so long that we will say: “How long, O Lord?”
When those things happen, remember Paul’s prayer.
He does not pray that the hard things will go away, or will never happen.
Paul prays that the Lord will prepare you to meet each one.
He prepares you by teaching you the truth through his word, and by building your wisdom and understanding beyond where it is now.
And then God moves you to action in ways that strengthen the body of believers around you.
How do you prepare for hard times?
The same way you prepare for the joyful times.
Ask the Lord to work all his power in you as a church family, according to his glorious might.
And then listen.
Listen to his Word.
Feed each other his Word.
Wrestle in prayer for wisdom and understanding.
Love one another deeply, and bring your conflicts into the light.
This is a message that is not only for leaders.
Your pastors and elders and women’s council need to hear this, but so do each of you.
Pray for one another.
Listen to his Word.
Build one another up.
xxx I was here a few weeks ago and saw one of the classes your kids are taking–it is fantastic.
xxx Invest in one another and ask the Lord produce fruit as a witness to a watching world, and as sustenance in times of need.
And the way you will do this is by teaching one another reality, relentlessly.

Point 3: Teach reality relentlessly
xxx To nurture each other in strength, endurance, and patience, we must relentlessly teach one another the truths of reality.
There are times when it feels like the gospel and reality are two different things.
Like the gospel is all hope and excitement, and the real world is disappointment, and pain, and difficulty.
There is a terrible lie spoken out in the world: that the gospel is wishful thinking, and we must look elsewhere for reality.
Friends: we are blind guides to one another–unless what we teach is from God.
God sees reality as it is.
When it looks like there is no hope, God sees his power to overcome.
When it looks like your slavery to sin will last forever, God sees the possibility for new life.
We think we know so much, but God knows reality, and he has told us what it is.
Look at verses 12 and 13:
12 “and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves”

Do you feel qualified to share in the inheritance of the kingdom of light?
Maybe you have heard of “imposter syndrome”?
It can happen if you get a job, or a place at a prestigious university, but you feel like you don’t belong.
You look around and see that everyone else is more qualified than you are.
Therefore, you spend every day trying to show how excellent you are.
You are always trying to hide all your weakness.
You exhaust yourself because you don’t believe you are qualified to be there.
That’s imposter syndrome–the nagging feeling that you are not worthy.
Christian, what hope do you have of being worthy of God?
Do you feel worthy, or qualified?
Perhaps you have been qualified in a particular profession, but you cannot find a job.
Many people coming to this country find that their professional qualifications are not recognized here.
You must retrain, or take jobs well below your qualifications.
That does not happen in the kingdom of God.
Your qualifications are not your own, of course.
When we look at our own qualifications, and our sinful hearts, we will struggle with that imposter syndrome.
Thanks be to God that our qualifications as children of God come from Christ, rather than us!
Do you believe that Jesus Christ died the death you deserved, and was resurrected to give you eternal life?
If you do, then Christ’s qualifications become your qualifications.
The Father sees you as righteous and holy, because he sees you clothed in the perfect qualifications of his resurrected Son.

Friend, if you ever feel unqualified, look for hope to verse 12.
You can sing with: “joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
In Christ, the Father sees you as “righteous.”
In Christ, the Father calls you “beloved.”
It’s true!
If you have come to Christ in faith, then the Holy Spirit cries out that you are his, and that you are an heir of the universe.
In Christ, you are worthy, you are qualified.
But not only that, you have been rescued and brought into the kingdom of the Son.
Teach one another these things.
The world may tell us we are not important.
But the blood of Christ tells you that you are valuable beyond imagination.
The world may tell us we are imposters who don’t belong.
But the Spirit of God tells you that you do belong.
You belong so intimately to God that he has taken up residence in you.
The world may tell us that we have nothing to offer.
But our Heavenly Father says, “I have created you for my glory, and I do not make mistakes.”

Teach one another this reality, relentlessly.
Drink it in from your leaders but take it in all week from God’s word as well.
And then apply his truth to one another in all situations.
God is reality–Help one another see and remember that.
Let me say another word here.
It might be a temptation to see One Voice Fellowship as a steppingstone.
To see this community as a launch pad for your first years in the US.
But later, you’ll get the big house and the nice car and start to enjoy American life.
And you might forget all about this church.
The Lord has bigger plans for you than that.
Some of you will leave because God sends you elsewhere.
But many of you will be called to remain and build up this church, even if you have opportunities to pursue a more comfortable life elsewhere.
Ask the Lord: are you calling me to stay here?
Whatever your decision, teach each other reality as you go:
The fullest-possible life is one lived with God, bearing fruit and increasing as we live lives of faith and love.

Conclusion
Praise God for the beautiful work he has begun here.
But remember: it has only just begun.
As Paul prayed without ceasing for the Colossians, pray us, please!
Pray that you will be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
LET’S PRAY NOW TOGEGTHER: Lord Jesus, help us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of the Lord.
We pray that everyone here will experience a loving family where God’s word permeates everything.
That we will see God’s Spirit at work everywhere you look.
We pray that the beautiful diversity of this church continues to grow because the powerful work of the gospel is irresistible to all sorts of people around us.
And we pray that together we will love the beloved Son more and more and more, because He has done all this.

Let’s pray.


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