Week 39
Jesus and His Kingdom
Two of Paul’s letters will be our goal this week: Colossians and Philemon. Both
were written from prison in Rome. He never visited the city of Colossae
(Colossians 2:1). But Epaphras, one of Paul’s converts, took the Gospel message
back to Colossae which was his home. A church was established in Colossae as a
result of the Gospel spreading throughout Asia. Colossae was also the city where
Philemon lived. This particular fellowship may have met in his home (Colossians
4:9 & Philemon 1:2).
Paul wrote this letter because Epaphras had reported to him that a new teaching
had invaded the church that was causing trouble. This heresy is generally called
“Gnosticism.” The term comes from a Greek word which means “to know.”
Essentially, they professed to have a superior knowledge of spiritual things. They
taught that all physical things (especially the human body and all matter) were
evil. Therefore, God could have never become flesh. Because Christ had a human
body, He could not be the Son of God. This is wrong teaching. Paul addressed this
heresy with great wisdom.
As you read Colossians this week, note the repetition of the words “all” and
“fullness” or “filled.” Paul seeks to re-establish the supremacy and preeminence of
Christ in the hearts of the Colossian church. We still need this wisdom today. Since
we are made full (complete) in Christ, Christ is all we need (Colossians 2:10; 3:11).
Read, pray and ask God for a stronger conviction concerning the Person of Jesus
Christ. He is God in the flesh.
If you are using The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, pages 1596 - 1601
will be your goal this week.
Monday, September 22 – (pp. 1596 -1597)
Colossians 1:1-14
Read this section slowly … and several times over today. The “Thanksgiving and
Prayer” section (vv. 3-14) is beautifully written and filled with extremely helpful
counsel for our own prayer life.
The Counsel from vv. 3-8:
 That God would give us more people like Epaphras who will go to
with the message of the Gospel of Christ.
 That people would respond in faith to this message.
 That hope would spring forth from this new faith.
 That love and fruit-bearing be the ultimate result of their faith.
others
More Counsel from vv. 9-12:
 That my own prayer life would be consistent and continual, never giving up
“knocking on the door of heaven.”
 That wisdom from the Spirit is given to believers so that they will know the
will of God as they make life choices.
 That believers would live worthy lives that please the Lord in every way.
 That they would grow in their knowledge of God and bear much fruit in the
work that is done.
 That they would have enough strength to endure anything for God.
 That they would be patient with God’s sovereign ways.
 That they would be joy-filled and thankful people.
The Reason we can pray with such confidence is powerfully explained in verses 1213. Read these two verses many times over to catch Paul’s “drift.” It is a wonderful
picture of a Great General setting His people free from bondage and darkness …
and into a new “KINGDOM” where the Son reigns with love, with a redemptive
plan and with a passion to forgive our sins.
After reading those last two verses I am so encouraged with what we have received
in Christ Jesus! Since these things are true, let’s make this a special day of prayer
for those whom God brings to our minds.
Tuesday, September 23 – (p. 1597)
Colossians 1:15-29
The last half of chapter 1 is one of the strongest statements in Scripture regarding
the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read through this portion of Scripture
thoughtfully and prayerfully today.
Paul wanted the Colossians to get past their misconceptions of Christ that had
been spread by the Gnostic teachers. Their Christology was wrong.
Our own culture has misconceptions of Jesus, as well. Many who say they are
Christians have a Christology that is extremely weak. They may say He was a great
teacher and prophet. They may even agree that He was “a great man among great
men.” But this falls far short of saying Christ is The Preeminent One! Carefully
read how Jesus Christ is described in this section, particularly noting Colossians
1:15. He is the very image of the invisible God! There is tremendous clarity in
these words concerning the very nature of Christ.
The Colossian church desperately needed this correction in their understanding of
Jesus. The Gnostic teachers had affected their thinking severely. So Paul spoke
authoritatively under the inspiration of the Spirit of God about Jesus’ divine
nature.
Why was Paul so clear and concise in laying out Jesus’ preeminence and
supremacy over everything? It was because the Colossian Christians had been
deceived with theological error. This happens even today. Check out Jesus’ words
as He describes some of the events at the end of the age in Matthew 24:11. False
teaching will, in fact, increase before Jesus returns.
How do we “combat” this sort of thing happening in our own lives and in those we
seek to win to Christ? We do it by reaffirming our commitment to know Christ in
His fullness. That’s what Paul does in this text today.
Paul states clearly that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God … in His exact
likeness … and is Himself God. He is not just a good teacher!
Paul also states that God became human and died on the cross. God, the Creator of
heaven and earth, died for us! Some are offended by this truth. Others find it just
too hard to believe. True faith responds with “I believe!”
When God gives us opportunity to share our faith in Christ, we must lovingly insist
that Christ is the only way to salvation and that He is the Only One we must
worship. Without Christ people are doomed to eternal separation from God. These
are words of warning (Colossians 1:28) that Paul did not hesitate to give to the
Colossians. Neither should we hesitate to teach and to warn everyone we know.
Whom do you know right now that needs to hear this message? Pray about an
opportunity to share Christ.
Wednesday, September 24 – (pp. 1597 - 1598)
Colossians 2:1-15
Today we will read of Paul’s deep burden for the spiritual health of those in
Colossae and Laodicea. Satan was seeking to lead these new believers astray with
human wisdom concerning Christ. This is an often used tactic of the Evil One … to
confuse and mislead new believers into strange human doctrine. It is, therefore, of
great necessity that the ministry of each church center around solid doctrinal and
theological teaching. New believers must be strongly encouraged to be in Bible
study where they can learn the Truth that will give them stability.
Verses 1-5 reveal Paul’s longing for these saints to be united in Christ and enjoying
the riches (“treasures”) of wisdom and knowledge that come from being “in
Christ.” What a heart of love this man had for God’s people.
Notice that Paul mentions two churches here: Colossae and Laodicea. How
important it is that each individual church be united together in Christ. It is also
important that there are healthy spiritual connections between local churches.
Right here is Biblical precedence for churches to maintain healthy associational
ties. I thank God often for the NorCal Association of Churches that helped to
establish PGCC back in 1997. We continue to stay connected to this group of 30+
churches because it is the right thing to do.
Verses 6-7 are beautifully “crafted” words from Paul’s Spirit-inspired pen. He uses
the imagery of a tree (“rooted”) and a building (“built up”) to remind the saints of
what they had been taught. They have been “rooted and built up” through their
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Their foundation in Christ is solid.
The implication of this statement to me is this: Why in the world would you ever
think about listening to some other rival teaching? Verse 8 is Paul’s way of
making this point very clear. Rival teaching may impress the immature as being
good philosophy. But it is empty and deceitful. Even though this teaching is passed
on by human instruments, it can ultimately be traced back to the influence of
demonic forces (note the phrase “elemental spiritual forces of this world”). Paul
warned us to stay attached to our roots and not be taken captive. The warning is
real. It does happen … except for the true saint who stays connected to Jesus.
Verses 9-15 lay out all of the resources that we have in Christ that will protect us
from the danger of falling prey to empty philosophy. Notice the progression of
thought:
 All of the fullness of deity is in Christ, verse 9.
 You have His very power and fullness right inside of you, verse 10.
 You do not ever have to live according to the old flesh because it has been
removed (“circumcised”), verse 11.
 Your baptism in Christ is a reminder that you were buried with Christ in His
death and have been raised with a new power to turn away from sin and
imitate Him, verses 12-13.
 Your debt of sin has been totally cancelled by Christ’s death on the cross, verse
14.
 Your Savior Jesus has disarmed rulers and authorities of all demonic powers.
They have no ultimate power over His saints, verse 15.
All of this is made possible by our union with Christ! Remind yourself of the desire
Christ has for you. Paul made this very clear in verses 2-3. Read them again before
you finish. Thank Jesus that He is your treasure today.
Thursday, September 25 – (p. 1598)
Colossians 2:16-23
We’re looking at only 8 verses today … a very short section. But there is extremely
valuable instruction woven into the fibers of this passage. Don’t hurry through it.
Let God speak to you about how vulnerable our old flesh (our old nature) is to
being legalistic and superficial concerning our faith.
How the flesh loves to push us around and to get us hooked on outward
performance alone. The world around us is hung up on “looking good from a
distance” as the old saying goes. If we are not careful, we can become so externally
focused on seeking to be spiritual that we become puffed up and proud about all
that we accomplished “spiritually.”
Bible reading or worship attendance or tithing or serving in the church … or any
number of other things we might do … can be done with an attitude of “Look at
me. Look at how spiritual a person I am.”
But it has all been on our own strength and energy. Paul would tell us that we’ve
lost our connection with Christ and we’ve been deceived with “an appearance of
wisdom.” Ultimately, all that has been done in the flesh lacks any lasting spiritual
value and will perish (Colossians 2:22).
I was so impressed with Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of this passage in the
MESSAGE that I’m taking the liberty to quote verses 16-23 word for word. As you
read this paraphrase today, ask the Lord to give you insight into the things you are
doing and whether they are done because you love Him … and not because you
want to impress others or to win God’s favor and love. Be blessed as you read:
16 So don't put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship
services, or holy days. 17 All those things are mere shadows cast before what was
to come; the substance is Christ. 18 Don't tolerate people who try to run your life,
ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with
angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. 19
They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us
together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the
Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes
us. 20 So, then, if with Christ you've put all that pretentious and infantile religion
behind you, why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? 21 "Don't touch this! Don't
taste that! Don't go near this!" 22 Do you think things that are here today and
gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention? 23 Such things sound
impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They even give the illusion of being
pious and humble and ascetic. But they're just another way of showing off,
making yourselves look important.
Friday, September 26 – (pp. 1598 - 1599)
Colossians 3:1-17
Chapter 3 is a pivotal section that moves us into seriously thinking about how we
are to live our lives in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. We will find Paul
talking about true Christian behavior.
Paul was so burdened for those in Colossae and Laodicea. His heart beat for them
to be united in Christ and to be enjoying all the riches of blessings that come when
we allow Him to change our moral and ethical behavior.
My own heart beats for all of us who call PGCC our church home. Letting Christ
live within us changes the very core of our being. Where we were once only
responsive to the sinful and fleshly nature in which we were born … we now have a
new nature that has been made alive by Christ! He now lives within us so that He
can shape us into what He wants us to become.
That is such incredibly wonderful truth! This is where everything must eventually
focus … the focus of learning to “practice the very presence of Christ in our lives.”
(Warren Wiersbe’s words)
Verses 1-11 plead with us to commit to personal purity and holiness. Much of what
we see and hear in our world today addresses nothing about being holy and pure.
But not so with Christianity! The new inner life that Christ has given us demands a
new external life from us.
Since we’ve been raised with Christ (3:1), it’s as though Paul is pleading with us to
make sure that we are living up to what Christ desires of us! I can hear Paul saying,
“Die to the old way of living! That’s the way the unsaved live! Christ is your life
now! You have died with Him! Now is the time to let your life show the power of
Christ through you day by day!”
For Paul to be so specific about all the earthly and sinful practices that we must die
to (3:5-11) … is very convicting, isn’t it? But these are things that would deny that
Christ is actually living within us. We are not walking in newness of life when these
things are present. “Die to them,” says Paul.
Verses 12-17 implore us to live in a way that clearly marks us as distinct from the
world. We handle sexuality and anger different than those who are of the world.
We treat others with kindness and compassion, while at the same time extending
forgiveness when we’ve been offended.
We seek to break down social and ethnic barriers that divide people because we
know that each person has been made in the image of God (3:10). We have a
“community-creating love” for those whom God places in our lives. We do all of
this because we have been raised with Christ and are motivated to please Him in
EVERYTHING that we do. God help us to live out these things together.
Saturday, September 27 – (pp. 1599-1600)
Colossians 3:18-4:18
The very first place we are to live out a godly expression of our faith is in the home.
The home is to be the initial place where we learn to practice all of the virtues
mentioned earlier in the chapter (3:12-14). It’s the most effective place where we
can learn to control our anger, rage, the tendency to use ungodly abusive language
or to lie.
However, it can also be one of the most difficult places to be holy and pure.
Sometimes the Evil One tempts us to let down our guard with those we feel most
comfortable. We can allow anger, resentment and unforgiveness to percolate to the
point of boiling over into our outside relationships.
Paul is telling me in these verses (3:18-4:1) “Don’t let that happen! This is the way
you are to live and respond toward each other in your home. If you can’t live holy
here, how do you expect to be holy outside of home?”
Paul addresses all of the members of the household as equal participants in the
family of God. That’s noteworthy. We all are His children and each of us has a duty
to please the Lord in all our attitudes and actions. If each member of the family
possesses this new life in Christ, there will be a spirit of submissiveness toward
each other that puts the other person first.
A wise and godly husband would never abuse his leadership role because he
understands that his leadership involves sacrificial service (Ephesians 5:25-33).
He should be the first to model holy and pure living before his wife and children. A
wise and godly wife would never consider undermining this kind of godly
leadership from her husband. Each member of the Christian home is helping one
another learn to please their Father in heaven. Why? Because … we know that this
“is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18).
Before Paul gets to some final words of thanks to a whole host of people, he asks
the Colossian believers to pray for several things. In their praying he wants them
to be watchful, to be thankful and for them to pray that his work of proclaiming
the Gospel might be even more effective (Colossians 4:2-6).
What I forget sometimes when I read these particular verses is that Paul was
imprisoned when he wrote this request. He was not free to be traveling around
Asia like he once had done. He was “in chains” (Colossians 4:3).
But his chains did not force him to give up ministry. In his imprisonment he was
able to write several letters (we call Prison Epistles) that have blessed far more
people than he could have ever reached had he been a free man. I am struck again
with my own need to trust God for every situation that I face (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Verses 7-18 include a very special list of coworkers and friends that Paul wanted to
acknowledge and to encourage. There are short snippets of information of each
one that Paul mentions. I was reminded of my own need to stay in tune with the
people God has placed around me. And they need to hear from me regarding my
deep appreciation for their friendship and partnership in the work of Christ.
None of us live out our lives in a vacuum. We need each other. Paul truly inspired
others to be lovers of God and to work as team members in the Body of Christ.
Whether they were professionals like Dr. Luke or runaway slaves like Onesimus,
one gets the distinct impression that Paul really believed that we are all
indispensable links in God’s plan to touch this world with the love of Christ. I want
to be like Paul in this regard.
Sunday, September 28 – (pp. 1600-1601)
Philemon 1:1-25
This small “postcard” of a letter is an amazing reminder of the power of Christ to
bring forgiveness and healing to those who have hurt and offended each other in
the Body of Christ. My wish is that we would study this little “book” intensely and
seek God’s help to make the principles real in each of our lives. The storyline is
fascinating.
Paul wrote this short letter to Philemon from prison in Rome around 60 AD.
Philemon was a slave owner, a Christian man and a member of the church at
Colossae. Epaphras was their pastor and the church in Colossae probably met in
Philemon’s larger home.
Onesimus was one of Philemon’s slaves, but had probably stolen some items and
then ran away, making his way to Rome where he met Paul who led him to faith in
Christ (Philemon 1:10). Paul speaks of Onesimus as his child in the faith … and of
Philemon as having gained a new brother in Christ. Paul is tactful … but strongly
appeals to Philemon to forgive this new brother who is coming home to make
things right.
As you read the letter, you sense that Paul had convinced Onesimus to return to
his master and to make things right. That’s what you would expect from a godly
leader … they would lovingly appeal and guide those they love to do what is right
before the Lord.
Onesimus’ willingness to go back and seek his master’s forgiveness is an incredible
example of faith and trust in God’s protection. Philemon had every right in that
culture to severely punish this runaway slave. Paul knew this, as well. But the Lord
had dramatically changed this young man into a new person who wanted to please
the Lord.
Paul’s investment into Onesimus’ life as a new believer really paid off. The faith of
Onesimus was wonderfully strengthened and encouraged. That’s exactly what God
wants to do … to use His servant/leaders in a teaching ministry to help equip and
nurture the faith of new believers so that they know God’s will and do it.
I am so thankful God has developed some new studies here at PGCC. The
Foundations course and the study on Discipleship are intended to help nurture the
faith of anyone seeking to know God’s heart and will. Those who are leading these
classes are sacrificing much time and energy to do this out of a heart to serve.
Those participating in the classes are on my prayer list … that they would be
nurtured and encouraged to obey God fully.
One more thing needs to be mentioned about the power of forgiveness in this
story. Paul had urged Philemon to be reconciled (to forgive) his slave Onesimus.
Philemon was lovingly pressed to receive Onesimus back as a brother and as a
fellow member of God’s family.
Reconciliation is hard work. But it is absolutely God’s will and necessary for us to
pursue when we have broken relationships. Remember, reconciliation means to
re-establish a relationship.
Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God and to others. But sinful things can happen
between believers that cause great rifts and ugliness in our relationships. Christ
can break down these horrible barriers between His children. Jesus changed
Onesimus. Jesus changed Philemon.
Christ can transform anyone who will turn to Him for help and for hope. “Thank
you, Father, for such a beautiful love letter to us helping us see with great clarity
the power of forgiveness … and it is all because of Your Grace.”
Pastor Doug