Colossians:  Christ Alone

Sunday, September 20th 2025

Colossians 1:24-29; 2:1-5

Paul's passion for the church needs to be our passion for the local church (body of Christ). 

The Point:
Love the body of Christ while spiritually maturing in the Word through prayer, servitude, and knowledge. 

• Loving the Local Body (Ch 2: 1-5)

VS 1:
“Struggle = “agōn” in Greek = Where we get agony in Latin.

When we struggle for the body of Christ, it is a desire for us to know truth and spiritual maturity.  

Lukewarm faith is NOT for the body.  Subject to be swayed, confused, or lost spiritually. 

VS 2-3:
Paul wants us to know three things:
1.  Encouraged in our hearts

2. United in Love
3. Reach/maturing in understanding the Truth.

As a body, we should be actively moving, growing, encouraging, and maturing.

We’re called to SERVE!  

One of the best ways you can deepen your relationship with Jesus is by helping someone find theirs. - Joby Martin

Galatians 5:13

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

VS 4-5

John 10:10a
“The enemy only comes to steal, kill, and destroy…”  

We have to stand firm and grow so we are not swayed from the ONLY truth.  

Praying for one another is not a suggestion for the body, it’s a requirement for a healthy body. 

• Rejoicing In Our Suffering 

RECAP:  He is the image of the invisible God, Fistborn (Spiritual head), Creation was made through and for Him, He is before all things and holding it all together, God the Father is fully pleased in His son, and we can now be reconciled by the blood of the Lamb!

Verse 24 Paul is shifting away from the preeminence of Christ.  

Paul suffers for the church’s sake.  2 Corinthians 11: 24-28

Acts 9 Jesus asks Saul (Paul) “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?  Not Stephen, not the Church, but it’s a direct attack on Jesus.  

Acts 9 contd… God tells Ananias to go get Saul for “he is a chosen instrument” and “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

There is something unique about the sufferings we face physically and spiritually.  There’s a close identification between Christ and his bride that draws us near to Him when we suffer.  

1 Peter 4:13

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.  

Romans 5 tells us to rejoice in our sufferings knowing that it produces endurance, which produces character, which produces HOPE and THE LOVE of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit!

• Conclusion

The Worthy Walk of Christ is not easy and we cannot do it on our own.  

My prayer for this church is that we would grow, encourage, serve, mature, teach, strengthen, and endure through all of what God has in store for us AND GO into this world making more disciples.  

The Point:
Love the body of Christ while spiritually maturing in the Word through prayer, servitude, and knowledge.