Meet the Colossians Part 1 | Colin D

This message was preached by Colin D at Word of Grace Church on June 30th, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

Colossians PART1

Do you love Jesus? Do you love his bride? How far are you willing to travel to meet someone you love? How far will you go on foot or on the back of a donkey?

Coli 1:1-9 today we are going to look at the life of a young man named Epaphras

Epaphras. He traveled 2000km to visit Apostle Paul in Rome. There were no planes or trains in those days. It was a long and arduous journey. Colosse is a city in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey.

Acts 19:8 Paul was in Ephesus and he preached in the Synagogue for 3 months. Then he lectured in the Hall of Tyrannus for 2 years. The result is all the Jews and Greeks in the area (Asia Minor) heard the gospel. He did this daily. Then these Jews/Greeks in turn, took the gospel to other cities.

Epaphras was from Colossae and he took back what he heard from Paul and planted a church there. The church was going on and he was concerned about some heresies in the area and wanted to discuss this with Paul before it affected the churches.

In response to this, Paul writes this letter to the Colossians.

Verse 1. Paul has not been to Colosse. He is writing as the Apostle who was chosen by God. He did not appoint himself. God met with him miraculously. He also includes Timothy in his greeting. Paul often wrote about his companions.

Verse2. to the holy and faithful. What a lovely way to address people. Holy is another way for calling them, Saints.

If you know Jesus as your Savior, you are a saint. We often get confused with the word. Eph1:1 to the saints. You do not have to have a perfect life. It does not mean you are sinless. It means once upon a time you were a sinner (Rom9:9, Rom 3:23, Gal 3:26). “You are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus: So we are changed from sinners to sons. We are saints and servants.

Saints = set apart. It does not mean perfection eg) Your towel is set apart from your body and the mop for the floor.

When we get into sin, we are using the towel for the floor.

Now some people in the church are, messed up. We are being sanctified.

Verse3. We always thank God. Paul prayed for the people and thanked God for them. Let us pray for one another and people’s needs. Be mindful of people’s needs.

Paul thanked God for the people. Why did Paul give thanks for the people?

·       He heard of their faith in Christ Jesus. Faith is the bridge that will take you to heaven.

·       Love for all the saints

·       Hope stored up for you in heaven

Do you see all three here: Faith, hope, and love.

Let’s look at FAITH today.

What Paul is talking about is saving faith. We think it’s intellectually believing but Faith should result in changed behavior. There is a saving faith and a demonic faith.

James 2:14-19 Faith without deeds is dead. Biblical faith must be followed by deeds. Salvation comes by faith alone. But, faith that saves is never alone.

Even the devil believes in Jesus and shudders. People can know Jesus but have not put into action saving faith.

Do you have true faith?

John Newton was a profane sailor. His mother used to pray for him. One day a storm arose for 11 days. He thought he would die. During that time he remembered some of the scriptures his mother taught him when he was a little boy. He cried out to God and he was saved. He gave his life to Jesus. Did he give up all his bad habits immediately? No. That sanctification process took time. He eventually gave up slave trade. He wrote the song Amazing Grace.

No matter how big your sin God’s grace is greater.

Ephaharus was concerned about the purity of the church. He addressed the problem before hand, before anything could happen.

Do you have saving faith in your life? When you have true faith, there will be transformation.

Can we pray for one another? There are different ways to show love to one another. We have great opportunities to love one another. Let us do it in different ways.

The next time we will look at HOPE.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Waiting and hoping on God | Colin D

This message was preached by Colin D at Word of Grace Church on June 30th, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

Isaiah 40:5-31

Think about your greatest accomplishment. Maybe you’ve excelled at school or at work. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, a machine to show moving pictures, a transmitter, etc. If anyone had a right to boast, it was him. But he humbly said he couldn’t make the simplest form of life. Only God can do that. 

As we focus on the greatness and goodness of God, it strengthens us to go through anything. In Jer 9:23, Jeremiah says our boasting should be in the fact that we know God. Charles Spurgeon said, “The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.” A W Tozer said, “What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” It is so important that we have the right view of God.

So how does this passage in Isaiah tell us about who God is?

1.      God is eternal- His word is eternal. He is without beginning and has no end. The hills which are full of trees wither completely due to change in seasons. Millions of men have come and gone, but God and His word have stayed forever.

People have tried all means to end the word of God. The Roman emperor wanted every copy of the Bible to be burnt, but 25 years later the next emperor, Constantine asked 50 copies of the Bible to be written out. Our God is on His throne. In 1778 Voltaire made a prediction that 100 years from then, the Bible will be a forgotten book and Christianity will cease to exist. But the Geneva Bible Society now uses his home to print and distribute Bibles all over the world. God’s word does not depend on you and I. He will watch over His word and His church.

2.      God is great: V. 12-15; 23-26

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

    or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

    or weighed the mountains on the scales

    and the hills in a balance?

13 Who can fathom the Spirit[d] of the Lord,

    or instruct the Lord as his counselor?

14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,

    and who taught him the right way?

Who was it that taught him knowledge,

    or showed him the path of understanding?

15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;

    they are regarded as dust on the scales;

    he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.”

“He brings princes to naught

    and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

24 No sooner are they planted,

    no sooner are they sown,

    no sooner do they take root in the ground,

than he blows on them and they wither,

    and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

25 “To whom will you compare me?

    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:

    Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one

    and calls forth each of them by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

    not one of them is missing.”

We look at the creation – He created everything out of nothing. On 20 Aug 1977, the Voyager 2 was sent to view the outer planetary system. On 28 Aug 1989 (more than a decade later), it only reached planet Neptune, and eventually left the solar system. But God made millions of galaxies like our galaxy! Our Universe is so vast and we are so tiny in comparison. When presidents and primemnisters are in office, they seem big, but He brings them to nothing. That power is nothing before the power of God.

Pharoah for instance- they build massive pyramids much before their time. But they messed with the wrong people and God did a miracle and Egypt is no longer the glorious city it was. Our hope in a God who has all power.

In Daniel 5, we see how Belshazzar did not honour God and used consecrated goblets for his party. The hand of God wrote a warning on the wall and that very night he was killed.

3.      God is gracious: v. 27-31 “Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.”

We need to be a people who wait and put our hope in the Lord.

a.      What is our hope in?

History is moving forward and will culminate when Jesus comes back. In history, the Glory of God was manifest at different times. But on the second coming, everyone will see His glory. Our hope is that Jesus will come. So let’s put our trust in His. 1 Thess 4: 16-17

b.     How do we wait on God?

Spending tie in god’s presence and in His purpose is how we wait on God. As you spend time in His presence- reading the word, meditating, you build yourself up. We must get involved in His purposes while we are waiting for His promise to be fulfilled.

Our God is on the throne! He is eternal, he is great and he is gracious! Let’s encourage one another with these words.

Let’s pray

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Raising the dead | Colin D

This message was preached by Colin D at Word of Grace Church on June 23rd, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

Can anyone here go to a graveyard where there are hundreds of graves and pray and raise the dead?

It feels impossible. The world out there may not be physically dead but they are spiritually dead.

Your job and my job is to raise the dead.

The first thing we need to do is to:

Change our mindset – sometimes we think of evangelism as something we do only when we know the scripture and how to answer questions. We think we’re not good at speaking, I am not able to answer questions or I don’t know my Bible too well so we feel hopelessly inadequate. In reality we need God to come in and do something.

Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.

Ephesians 2:4-5 - But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

We were dead, but we’re now alive.

Colossians 2:13- 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

The world says the reason the world is in a mess is because people are not educated. But the real problem is not a lack of education but really – DEATH. They may be the most brilliant minds but dead.

John 6:44

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Jesus is saying that to raise some one from the dead we need God, we cannot do it on our own. No matter how adequate or knowledgeable or how appealing your personality. 

How are people dead?

Romans 8:7

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

The mind is hostile to God – the moment we speak about God, hostility comes out. There is an inability for man to submit to God.

1 Corinthians 2:14

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

There is no proper understanding. They cannot understand because they are spiritually dead. They may be brilliant in every other area of life but they cannot understand this.

There was a guy who decoded the DNA. He was brilliant but when asked ‘where did life begin?’ his answer was “Maybe some aliens from space did something.” The most brilliant mind who decoded the DNA couldn’t accept the fact God created the heaven and the Earth but rather aliens. Lack of understanding is not lack of intellect

2 Corinthians 4:4

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

There is an Enemy blinding people from seeing the truth. Telling an unbeliever to believe is like telling a blind person to see something or trying to talk to a deaf person. Unless God comes in and does something, we cannot do anything.

Matthew 9:23

23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,

We struggle to put a thread through a needle. It is impossible to put a camel through the eye of a needle. The same way for a natural man to come to God it is impossible. With man it is impossible but with God all things are possible. We can do nothing – God needs to do something.

We need to understand what the problem is before we can understand.

Ex. A man went to a doctor and said doctor, “I am in pain and I need help.” Doctor said “what’s wrong?”

The man said “I touch my head it hurts, I touch my chest it hurts, I touch my toes it hurts, Everywhere I touch it hurts.” Doctor examined him and said – “you know what the problem is? You fractured your finger!”

We need to know what the problem is before we can give the right medicine.

What can we do? How can we raise the dead?

1)      To raise the dead we need to be connected with Jesus.

John 15:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing

If you want to bear fruit – If you want to see people whom you love and care for know Jesus, you need to remain him. The modern version says ‘connected’ – you need to be connected to Jesus.

John 15: 7-8

⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

How can we be connected to Jesus?

Mark 1:35

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Connection with Jesus is spending time everyday with Jesus – With the word and in prayer. Jesus says if you do that, you will bear fruit. I want to encourage you – have a daily quiet time with Jesus. In that time, read the word and spend time praying.

I recommend one thing – maintain a journal. When you read the Bible, you are looking for a SPECK

S – Sin to avoid (Ex. Do not commit adultery)

P – Promise to claim (Ex. Dwell together in unity, there god commands a blessing)

E – Example to follow (Ex. Jesus went down to pray for the sick)

C – Command to obey (Ex. Love one another)

K – Knowledge to rejoice in (Ex. God created the Heavens and the Earth.

2)      Connecting with his people.

One of the ways we connect with one another is being part of the Sunday service – make it a habbit to be here on a Sunday and make it a habit to be here before time.

Luke 4:16

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,

It was his custom – it was habit to go to the synagogue.

Acts 17:2

As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Meeting and connecting with Gods people was Jesus and Paul’s custom, will it be yours?

So in order to raise the dead I need to be connected to Jesus by reading the word and praying and be connected to God’s people.

3)      We need to love one another

When we share the gospel, we are telling people that someone died 2000 years ago and his death was significant because he rose from the dead and all our sins are forgiven.

John 17:20 – 21

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one,Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Jesus is praying for his disciples, for us and the people we will reach out to and he says may he also be in us so that the world may believe that he saved me.

Jesus said the way to get people to truly believe in the gospel is to be rightly linked to God and rightly linked with one another. If we love one another and are connected, somehow people who are blind and don’t have the holy spirit, God will touch them and make them believe.

John 17: 23

I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

How will the world know Jesus was sent by the father? When we are in complete unity.

What does unity mean?

Unity does not mean uniformity

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love

Romans 1:12

That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

Romans 12:16

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Romans 16:16

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Galatians 5:13

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

As we meet one another, we need to bare each other’s burdens.

Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one anotherin love.

There can be people around who get on your nerves. Somehow they always say and do the wrong thing. But knowing what the Bible says, it says be patient with one another.

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

A lady once said to me “I’m not going to get close to anyone in the church, I’m just going to come, worship and go.” The Bible says ‘Forgive one another’.

I want to give you a 100% warrantee and a 100% guarantee, in church you are going to get hurt. We say the wrong things and do the wrong things. We need to learn to forgive, to submit and to encourage one another.

Hebrews 3:13

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

1 Peter 4:9

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Have people over for meals and coffee, open up your homes and your hearts to people who are in need.

Jesus says as we are united and as we love another, and we go to our friends and neighbours to tell them about Jesus, somehow they will believe that God sent Jesus.

We have a great assignment, it is an impossible assignment: it is to raise the dead.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

One day we will leave this earth, and the question is where are we going when we leave this earth?

A few weeks ago, we attended a funeral for a friend of mine; 68 and just died. We may have a long life but one day we are going to leave this earth.

Our loving father has made a provision for us so that our sins are forgiven and we can go and be with him in heaven.

If we don’t trust in Jesus, we are responsible to pay for our sins and that payment is the separation from Jesus forever and ever. Today if you say Jesus I believe you died on the cross and I’m going to follow you, the dead will be raised to life and this new life will come forth.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Who is a father? | Colin D

This Father's Day message was preached by Colin D at Word of Grace Church on June 16th, 2019. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

I am going to share why a father is so important and why, if you are a father, you are important. In America, 90% of the prisoners are male. 75-90% of those prisoners grew up without a father. Suicides – 60 % of suicides take place where there is no father. 90% of homeless and run-away children are from fatherless homes. 80% of all people who commit rapes are from fatherless homes. A father is a very important person. Our role is vital. There can be another instance, you can have an absentee father. When you remove a father from a home, society become sick.

Fathers are needed even with animals. In kruger national park in south Africa, the elephant population was growing so much that they were endangering other animals. They moved some elephants to another park where there is more space. Moving elephants is a problem. So they only moved only the mother and baby elephants. At that other park, the white rhino was becoming endangered  because they were being killed. So they set up cameras to find out who is killing the rhinos. They found that the young male elephants were going on a rampage and killing the rhinos. SO they moved some of the adult male elephants to that park. These elephants fixed the problem! If you’re a father this morning you are the adult male elephant that will shape the life of your children.

Q. What is your role as a father?

1.      To protect your family: Men and women are different. Sadly the world is trying to go into a genderless society. They are confusing function with equality. We are equal but we have different function. Men are more aggressive. Women say lets understand one another. When the person who is supposed to defend the family starts attacking the family, it is not okay. We protect the family by taking on the heavy duty work.

2.      To be the provider: in Genesis when God created men and women, God said the men had the duty to tend the garden and to bring food to the table. Sadly, in our Indian society, the women are working and husbands are gambling. You wife may or may not work, but you are responsible to provide for the family. 1 Tim 5:8 “if anyone does not provide for his family, he has denied his faith and is worse than an unbeliever”. Looking after the garden was the primary job of the man. Earn the right to lead your family by

3.      To be the promoter: Your job is to take your children and train them up to become the best that they can be. Proverbs 22:6 “train your children in the way they should go and when they are older they will not depart from it.” The first part is overwhelming love. Discipline is also needed. Either extreme is difficult. Eph 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” These are the 2 things sons and daughters are called to do. The command to fathers is this – in verse 4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” So you discipline out of love and not to exhaust them. You exasperate children when you promise and don’t show up.

a.      Hug your children and tell them I love you. Communicate love. Daughters who don’t get love from the fathers seek love out there. So beware of that.

b.      Love is spelled T-I-M-E. No matter what age they are, make sure you’re spending quality time with them.

4.      To be a priest for his family: it often happens that the women in the home are more inclined to follow God and the men want to do something else. In Joshua 24:15 “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul says imitate me as I imitate Christ. So fathers, your behaviour will determine the outcome of your children.

Today we know better and we can strive to be better fathers. We have been given an amazing privilege and responsibility from God to lead our families.

Let’s pray!