02 Colossians: The Mystery of Christ - The Sound of the New Birth

Date: May 11, 2025 Lord’s Day: 19 Series: Colossians the Mystery of Christ Title: The Sound of New Birth Text: Colossians 1:3-12   The Word of The Lord: “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, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as 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. 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”   Introduction Where I grew up we had three creeks come together on our property.  They all join together and then pass under the county road and beyond.  My father liked to keep those creek banks trim so three to four times a summer it was my job from 10 years old and up to work on them.   I returned home two weeks ago for a day because at my last visit it was not going to be long before they needed to be addressed.  As I was working my mind began to think back to when I was younger and what life was like with my mother.    There is one spot where there is a patch of easter lily’s.  As I made my way down the creek bank, my thoughts went back to when those flowers would bloom.  I would always be so excited because I could actually pick them and give them to my mom.    For a man, at least this one, it is quite an adjustment when you go from a life with one woman to life with a wife (a different woman).  There are typically some adjustments/new expectations which need to be made.    One of the biggest adjustments for me was noise level.  Tina’s environment is completely different than mine in this area.   I was taught to tip toe and do not wake momma up.  If there happened to be a day (usually Saturday) where mom could sleep in, she did.  I could get up but there better not be any slamming of the cabinets or doors or clinking of flatware on dishes or bowls.  I was also very careful about how I shut the doors, and I still do it to this day.   Tina on the other hand (and this is not criticism) grew up in a loud environment.  Her mother is loud.  Her cousins, aunts and uncles are loud.    I think of these things because it is Mother’s Day.  They teach you in school to never miss preaching about mothers on Mother’s Day.    And I will tell you this, I was going to break that rule.  If it does not fit with the series we are in, I had made a resolution to stick with the text.  But it just so happens, ladies who are mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, the text today deals with the new birth.  So, at least this year, you will not be skipped in the sermon.   Prayer:   New Birth There are three phrases that I want to focus on in 1:3-8.  Those phrases are:   1:5 Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel. 1:6 Which has come to you 1:6 As it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood   These are very important because they describe something that is taking place. This thing taking place, that is being defined by Paul here, is the new birth.   The nature of motherhood in the proper in a Biblical way is to raise a family. A husband and wife (man and woman) commit a life together.  Like Ruth and Boaz, they have babies and raise a family.   I know for some of you, through no fault of your own, it was not like that.  Maybe there was a split in your family or maybe one of your parents passed on at an early age.  But what is being described hereis the ideal; marriage and family.   There was most likely a courting process.  The two get to know each other and then in time, parents get involved.  This is kind of a new way of beginning a family.   As we discussed in Ruth in our second or third sermon, in older times, before even being seen in public together, the boy would come over and spend a lot of time with mom, dad and potentially the whole family.  Things would be discussed like, how can you provide for my daughter?  What are you plans? What is your family life like? What do you plan on doing for yourself?   Then after marriage, the husband and wife get to a place where they have children.   I focus on this for a reason.  We have the believers at Colossae who: Heard the gospel Had the gospel come to them When they heard it they understood it.   This is new birth.  Last week I made several attempts to connect how Paul, Timothy and the church at Colossae are just like us here today.  I want to build upon that concept a little.   How does The New Birth Happen? For much of my life I was under the impression that I had heard the gospel, and it was reasonable enough for me.  Then as a preacher I would go to great lengths to try and create the right mood so people would “make a decision” for Christ. I wanted it to be reasonable to others.  I would give my best sales pitch. Where did we get this?     If you go back far enough there was a man by the name of Charles Finney (1792 to 1875).  He was under the impression that if you use the right amount of persuasion and technique you can bring anyone to Christ.  He did just this beginning in the “burned out district” of northwestern New York he went on to preach long revival meetings.    He created the nervous bench.  That while he was preaching if anyone really began to question their eternal state, he would call them up to that bench and then he would really lay it on thick.  This nervous bench would eventually turn into the altar call.    There are many, even today that have glowing things to say about Charles Finney.  He did some fantastic things in the abolition movement.  He was key in setting up the underground railroad and was president of Oberlin College here in Ohio.    But there are some who reflect on what they say was 500k souls saved during his ministry.  By all accounts this number can’t be trusted.   Towards the end of Finney’s ministry there were some people who followed him from town to town after he had moved on.  They came around three to four weeks after to take note that an exceptionally high percentage of “converts” had fallen away.   This phenomenon was so popular in culture that Mark Twain referenced it in his story The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. (read and explain).   This continued to develop over time up until the current time.  There came along a movement in the late 90’s and into the 2000’s called the speaker sensitive movement.  It was just a logical extension of trying to create an atmosphere where someone would make a decision to follow Christ.   Tina and I was a part of a church for quite a while that there would be some bands that would be jealous of the technology they were using.  The light show would rival a small Pink Floyd concert.   I loved it.  Please do not misunderstand, I am not throwing those people under the bus.  Many or most of them are well intentioned as I was.  I thought that was the way to go.  Create an atmosphere where people can easily commit to Christ     This use of emotion is not the cause of new birth.  What we have with the church of Colossae is a man named Epaphras heard Paul’s message in Ephesus and became a believer.  He took that message back to Colossae and planted a church.   Did Paul use the trappings of that culture or did he use the word of God?  Did Paul use the fog machine or the word of God?   Is this new birth?  I say no, it is not.   John 1:11-13 it says that Jesus, “Came to his own and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”   Well, what is this?  How are people born again?  It is not something they decide to do.  It is unlike starting a family.   Earlier we referenced a man and a woman, the court and after a while they engage to become married and then they marry.  This is their will.  They begin a family; this is their will.   The new birth is not like that.  The new birth is not the result of the will of man or the will of the flesh.    The new birth is of God.  This is confirmed time and again in the book of John.  John 1:13 is the beginning of this message ringing throughout the remainder of the book.  But let us not limit ourselves to John.   Paul defines this in 1 Corinthians 2:11-14, “So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”   This is the new birth.  Without this step by God we are hopeless.  How does it come about?   How does it happen?  Romans 10:17 the very word of God.  We brought it up last week and here we are again, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.”  This is how it happens.  Now do you understand why God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword?   God’s word is powerful.  It reigns supreme.  My word is not like God’s word.  There are times my word cannot make a dog obey.   There is a spot just in front of my office that the dogs like.  I have no idea why they like it, but they do.  They paw at it and dig at it.  I fuss at them. They leave but they come back.   This week I found Jo pawing at it.  She will eat a clump of mud, and I give stern words to her.  She looks at me and backs up.  She takes a few steps away.  Soon as my back is turned, she goes right back.  “JO! What are you doing?”   My words are powerless.  God’s words calm the sea.  God’s word creates the heavens.  God’s words stops storms.  God’s words raise people from the dead.  God’s word creates light out of darkness.   This is new birth.  God shown in our darkened hearts.  That is how you came to Christ you know?  This is it.  John 1, “Not by blood or the will of man but of God.”   This is how it worked for those in Colossae.  It is what happened to everyone involved with this letter and to us, it is just stipulated with the people of Colossae:   1:5 Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel. 1:6 Which has come to you 1:6 As it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood   And this has happened in Colossae and it has happened here at Donnels Creek. The Spirit taught us with wisdom of God.   What we also share in this room is age.  Paul, a man of faith, and Timothy, also a man of faith, both had spiritual maturity.  Paul was much older than Timothy.  Bu they were mature in the faith and they were looking over this young group of believers.   One of the strengths of this body is its age.  It is true.  There are many seasoned believers here who have seen a lot of life.  You do not have to be old chronologically to be mature in the faith.  We have both.  We have people who have been in the faith for decades.    We have some younger believers, some who are new to the faith.  And they need us.  They need our prayers.  They need our encouragement.    Here Paul is addressing the church and says, “We are praying for you.” What are they praying?   They be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding They live a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him They bear fruit in every good work They increase in the knowledge of God. They may be strengthened according to His might They may have endurance and patience and joy and thankfulness   Can we do that?  Can you think of people here who need (list above individually)?  We have options or we have opportunities!  We have options of complaining that they are not mature or we have an opportunity to pray that they mature in their faith.    They are not getting this support outside of here How will God provide more, if we do not pray for those who are here now. This is prayer beyond illnesses and needs and thanksgiving.  This is prayer that salvation be brought to completion.  It is praying like Paul and Timothy were praying for these believers.