Colossians 1:1-8 (ESV)

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Colossians 11-8 (ESV)

• Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of
  God, and Timothy our brother,
• 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ
  at Colossae
• Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

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Colossians 11-8 (ESV)

• 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord
  Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we
  heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the
  love that you have for all the saints,5 because
  of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this
  you have heard before in the word of the truth,
  the gospel

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Colossians 11-8 (ESV)

• 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole
  world it is bearing fruit and increasingas it
  also does among you, since the day you heard it
  and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just
  as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved
  fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of
  Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us
  your love in the Spirit.

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(No Transcript)
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The Word of Truth - The Gospel

• Colossians 11-8

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Sermon Series through Colossians
19-Oct The Word of Truth, The Gospel Col 11-8
26-Oct Strength from Above Col 19-14
2-Nov Reconciliation through the Cross Col 115-23
9-Nov The Testimony of Suffering for the Cause Col 124-215
16-Nov A Shadow of Things to Come Col 216-34
23-Nov 90th Anniversary Celebration Weekend - Rev. William Hsueh  
30-Nov A New Wardrobe Col 35-17
7-Dec Christian Households Col 318-41
14-Dec Seasoned with Salt Col 42-6
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Introduction

• FROM
• (verse 1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the
  will of God, and Timothy our brother

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Introduction

• TO
• (verse 2) To the saints and faithful brothers in
  Christ at Colossae Grace to you and peace from
  God our Father.

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Paul Timeline
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Main idea

• The Gospel, The Word of Truth, is central to our
  Christian lives

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Outline

• I. Live out the Gospel (vs 3-4)
•  
• II. Know the Gospel Truth (vs 5)
•  
• III. Spread the Gospel (vs 6-8)

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Live out the Gospel

• Colossians 13-4
• 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord
  Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we
  heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the
  love that you have for all the saints

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Live out the Gospel

• FAITH in Christ Jesus
• Led to
• the LOVE you have for all the saints
• Active love is a sign of a genuine faith

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I. Live out the Gospel

• Faith (4102/pistis) involves belief but it
  goes beyond human believing because it involves
  the personal revelation (in working) of God.
  Faith is always God's work. Our believing has
  eternal meaning when it becomes "faith-believing"
  by the transforming grace of God.
• -from Strongs Concordance

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I. Live Out the Gospel

• APPLICATION
• Do you have Faith in Christ Jesus that goes
  beyond just belief that God exists?
• -Spend time reflecting and praying about God
  giving you the gift of faith to truly know Him.
• Does your Faith lead you to love in action and
  demonstrate your genuine faith in Jesus?
• -Think of practical ways you are going to love
  others with the love that you know you have
  received from Christ.

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II. Know the Gospel Truth

• Colossians 15
• because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of
  this you have heard before in the word of the
  truth, the gospel

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II. Know the Gospel Truth

• The dissolution of the idea of truth of truth
  that does not need my approval in order to be
  proved true severely undercuts the Christian
  understanding of evangelization or mission.
• Missionary proclamation was once understood as
  bringing the truth to others, and was therefore
  both legitimate and extremely important. For many
  today, the missionary enterprise is a matter of
  imposing our personal preferences and culturally
  conditioned prejudices upon others, and is
  therefore not only illegitimate but morally
  offensive.
• - NIV Application Commentary

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II. Know the Gospel Truth

• APPLICATION
• How well do you know the Gospel Truth?
• -Commit to reading, learning, understanding the
  Word of Truth, the Gospel.
• Do you recognize how the people around you
  perceive truth?
• -Are you able to share the Gospel Truth in the
  ways that others will receive it?

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III. Spread the Gospel

• Colossians 16-8
• 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole
  world it is bearing fruit and increasingas it
  also does among you, since the day you heard it
  and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just
  as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved
  fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of
  Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us
  your love in the Spirit.

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III. Spread the Gospel

• just as a tree without fruit and growth would no
  longer be a tree, so a gospel that bore no fruit
  would cease to be a gospel.
• -Eduard Schweizer

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III. Spread the Gospel

• APPLICATION
• What are ways you are going to spread the gospel?
• What are ways you are going to be involved in how
  the church will spread the gospel?