Date:   01/25/09

Text:   Colossians 1:3-8

Title:   A Triad of Thanks

Theme:   Because of the power of God's gospel, believers are to demonstrate the triad of Christian virtues.

Introduction:

    In recent years, this country has not been well received or perceived around the world. We are often disliked by countries that we intended to help. Many of us have already discovered when we are overseas, we avoid certain topics. There is so much US bashing around the world, making us feel that we have a poor self image. Well, even within this country, it is happening everyday. I am certain many of us listened very carefully to President Obama's speech on Tuesday. It was spiced with sharp hints of things that the previous administration did not do or failed..

    As I was listening to the speech and thinking of the Colossian passage, I recalled a Sunday school class I attended last Sunday. It was well taught by a teacher on how to prepare a Sunday School lesson. A scenario was brought up that often occurs in Sunday School classrooms and bible study groups. In the midst of a sharing or discussion on a certain passage, there will be individuals who inevitably will somehow connect the passage to what the church is not doing right. Even in discussing the meaning of the Trinity, we can connect it to how this church is not caring enough. So what should a teacher or discussion leader do? Well, come to the class and find out for yourself.

    Whenever we have two or three coming together, it takes no effort for the conversation to drift towards what is wrong with the church. Of course, every church and every organization has its flaws. We need to be courageous to face them and correct the wrong and do what is right and good. But there is more.

    At the time of this writing, Paul was at Ephesus . In vs7 we are introduced to Epaphras, an evangelist who was instrumental in founding the Colossian church. Epaphras came to Paul because some problem had developed in the church.

    A group of people had entered the church teaching doctrines radically different from what the teaching of Epaphras. These teachings later developed into Gnosticism in the 2 nd century, saying that they wanted to help the “lesser”, the “weaker” believers to attain deeper spirituality. They were the spiritual elite, with all the answers. Their main theme was that matter, i.e. material things, were evil. Only spiritual things were good. Therefore, God could not have created the materialistic heaven and earth. If Jesus was truly the son of God, God, he could not have become man, for the physical body is itself evil.

    The believers were confused by such teachings and began to doubt Epaphras' message and credibility. So Epaphras came to Paul for help. In response, Paul wrote this letter.

    Knowing their problems, what did Paul write? In vs 3, “we always thank God….when we pray for you.” Having learned of the problems at the Colossian church, he prayed for them. In his prayer, Paul also focused on areas of thanksgiving. Yes, they had problems, but Paul also wanted to focus on things that he could be grateful for.

    This morning we will focus on Paul's thanksgiving for the Colossian church. In this passage, we'll see the familiar triad of the Christian virtue: Faith, love and hope.

I. We can be thankful for the believers' faith in Jesus Christ.

    It is often said that this country is like a salad bowl. We have a mixture of people of many races and ethnic backgrounds. Not only this, but we are increasingly more diverse in our religions. There was a time in public prayers, we call on to the almighty and creator God, and prayed in the name of His son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you have to be careful. Even in my very limited exposure to the public arena two weeks ago, I was reminded by the Mayor's office that the gathering was ecumenical in nature, meaning, be careful with your words. We want to make sure we don't offend anyone. Our prayers need to be all inclusive and make sure that we do not neglect the Jewish and Islamic religions. Both before and after the gathering, people asked me did I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Nowadays our children are taught in public schools that we are to be tolerant and accept that faith in Alah or Buddha is just as good as our faith in Jesus. There is no one absolute and it is just being different; in the end, all religions will lead to heaven.

People would say, no matter who you believe in, as long as you have faith, it is good. If you have faith, then things will turn better. If you have faith, then you will be healed. But faith in what? Does it matter what I believe in?

The scripture is very clear on this. In v4, “ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints .” Paul thanked God for their faith in Jesus Christ. Faith always come first. Without faith, there can be no Christian experience. However, there is an object to this faith. That is, Jesus Christ.

    You see, just faith or faith in other gods, faith in human goodness or faith in hope and virtues will not save us from the creator God's wrath. It will not bring you salvation. Even faith in a set of good doctrines will do you no good. It has to be faith in Jesus Christ, son of God, God. Faith means to lean upon, to thrust one's weight upon something. We believe that Jesus is the son of God, he is God. he was the middle person between man and God. By dying on the cross, He reconciled us with God and our sins are forgiven. Paul was thankful for their faith in Jesus Christ. This was the beginning of their Christian experience.

    This morning we have three individuals who through baptism will publicly confess their faith in Jesus Christ, in him alone. This water or the amount of water itself has no power to save. It is to confirm what has already transpired in their hearts. They have already placed their faith in Jesus Christ, being delivered from God's wrath. Five or 10 years later what will they remember? They will definitely forget today's sermon and the pastor who baptized them. But one thing they will remember: he/she was baptized in that church on S. Main, or the church in STL or that church in China . For them and many others who have come to know the lord and place their faith in Jesus Christ in this church, we can be thankful.

II. We can be thankful for the believers' love in action.

    Secondly, Paul thanked God for their love for each other. The believers at Colosse had faith in Jesus Christ. And their faith was expressed in love. The object of faith is Jesus Christ. The object of love is all saints, fellow Christians. This is where Christian love begins. Since we are fellow believers in Jesus Christ, we all belong to God's family. Here we see a very simple principle in action: Loving God must be seen in loving men. In John 13:34-35, “ A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Our faith in God must be expressed in visible love for others.

    Sometimes we hear people say that so and so is really a very loving person. He has a big and kind heart, but you just don't see it. This is wrong. If you don't see it, it means its not there. If it is there, it must be expressed visibly.

    We may have met individuals who claimed to be good Christians, who were outstanding, honest and orthodox—but unloving. They had a loveless goodness, orthodoxy without charity, and a questionable faith. Love for others is a sign of true faith.

    When Chuck Colson was serving his prison sentence after the Watergate scandal, his new faith was severely tested. His wife did not understand him, his son was picked up on drug charges. Colson himself was despondent. However, a group of Christians in Washington , including Senators Hatfield, Hughes and Quie were praying for him. Senator Quie discovered an old law that allowed an innocent man to serve a prison term for another, and Quie volunteered to serve the remainder of Colson's term. Colson turned him down, but he had experienced “love for all the saints.”

    This love for saints is not just loving those who are lovable, kind and with similar background to ourselves. But the love for all saints includes the unlovely, difficult ones and even those who might have hurt us.

    When I see this church, I think of the many Thank You cards the church received from different people. I thank you for your love and taking care of me when I was here receiving treatments. Thank you for the meals, rides, prayers and above all, helping me to know Jesus Christ. My wife and I thank you for the love you have shown towards us during our 3 months' stay here. My family and I want to thank HCC for the care you have shown us during our daughter's treatment here. This can go on and on. This is love in action. Then we also show our love by donating money to buy bicycles and shoes for children in some African villages. We gave sacrificially towards victims of hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. For such demonstration of love, we can be thankful..

III. We can be thankful for the believers' hope in eternity.

    This past week we have certainly heard many speeches about hope. In these economic hard times with unemployment at a 26 year high, and more lay offs expected in 2009, the nation needs to hear the message of hope. As we listen and observe the citizens' responses, it sounds as if we are putting our hope on the new president and the new administration.   

However, as followers of Christ, let us not confuse this with the hope we read in the scriptures. In v5, “..the faith and love that sprang from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven….” Paul thanked God for the hope in them. In this passage, hope is placed after faith and love. But it is also made very clear that faith and love are the consequences of this hope. It is hope in the eternal destination. Not just hope in the present life, but hope in eternity. For the believers, our life does not end in death. Instead, through death we enter into God's presence. One day we'll see him face to face. There will be no more sorrow, no more pain. This is our hope. Yes, we do pray that icy currents and the storms will be behind us. Yet in the midst of such hardship, our hope is firmly planted that one day we'll see God face to face.

    For the Colossian Christians, previously, they were without God, without hope. But when the gospel came to them, it brought hope to them. Then faith and love.

    Can you imagine what life will be like if there is no eternal hope? We spend an entire life to study, work, build relationships, raise families and serve in the church. And when we die, its nothing, its total darkness. How sad it will be. But for the believers, it is not so. We know that after we die, we'll spend our eternity with God, we'll see face to face the Lord whom we have loved and served. This hope motivates us to put faith in Jesus Christ, and to love those around us. This is why Paul could be thankful when he thought of the Colossian believers.

    Shall we also remind ourselves, that when we see this group of believers with hope in the future, we, too, can rejoice and thank God for each other.

IV.   We can be thankful for the power of the gospel.

    Lastly, as Paul was giving thanks for the Colossian Christians' faith, love and hope, he could not help but recognize that it was the proclamation of the gospel message that made it all possible. In v5b-6, “ Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, ” He affirmed that the gospel message they heard from Epaphras was true and adequate.

    Here Paul was reminding the believers that the gospel was not only powerful among the Colossians, but also wherever this gospel was preached, it was growing and bearing fruit.

    From time to time individuals would share with me their difficulty in being the only Christian in their family. I usually explained to them that before they believed, there was no light in their family. Spiritually, it was total darkness. Now that one of them had come to know Christ, meaning the gospel had arrived at their family. It's not just at the door, but had already entered the family. Please continue to pray for your family that this gospel will come to another family member, one at a time, until the entire family is converted. We have seen this happen repeatedly. If you are the first to come to know Christ in your family, this means there will be second one, third one. No one, no country can stop its advance. What does it tell us? Don't under estimate the power of the gospel. It is powerful, growing and bearing fruit wherever it goes. This is what Paul meant when he wrote, Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” It goes from one person to another, from one generation to the next.

Conclusion:

    Epaphras came to Paul because of the problems the Colossian church was encountering. In his letter, Paul addressed those issues. He recognized their problems, but he did not forget to give thanks for them. He put the problems in better perspective by recognizing the power of the gospel, of how it had brought hope to the previously hopeless Colossians. Because of this hope, they put their faith in Jesus Christ, this faith, clearly expressed in their love for all the believers. His thanksgiving paints a clear picture of the Christian virtues: Faith, Love and Hope in action.

    Even though I left the STL church almost 13 years ago, I still think of her a lot. May be it is because that was my first pastorate. We sure had our share of problems, and in hindsight, I could have been one of their problems. I remember the frustrating moments. Yet in the midst of problems and challenges, I kept reminding myself how that church started in 1924. A lady started going to this church in either 1924 or 1926 when she was 4 years old. She came to know the Lord and was able to pass her faith down 3 generations in her family. The church reached out to the restaurant and laundry community and later to the first wave of students from HK and Taiwan, and now from china plus other parts of the world. I remember their love towards our family and other seminary students. You know, right now, I don't remember much of the unpleasant moments or problems in the church. But their Christian virtue of Faith, Love and Hope are deeply ingrained in me and I thank God for them. Even to this day, if anyone is to bad mouth this church, I would be the first to stand up and defend her, not because I was there, but because of the manifestation of the triad of Christian virtues: Faith, Love and Hope.

Next time when we think of all the things this church is not doing right, shall we also pause for a moment and think of what we can thank God for?