INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• You ever go to a fast food restaurant extremely hungry. You have intentions of eating a salad or a diet drink, but your hunger takes over.
• Now you are ready to order, the person behind the counter asks you what you would like to order and you start to say “a salad”, but then you decide to roll with a VALUE meal, you know, sandwich, fries, and a drink.
• Then the question, “WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUPER-SIZE THAT?”
• Now your stomach starts talking, YES! Now your 300 calorie salad turns into a 2000 calorie artery clogger. But the good news, your also super-sized your diet drink! So all is good!
• That super-sized meal can leave you feeling a bit sluggish. Today I would like to spend some time talking about something that we should work on super-sizing; our faith.
• We can all possess faith at one level or another, some folks have the dollar menu faith. That type of faith does not require much of us or cost us much; it is usually a very small portion so therefore we are left hungry for more in a very short time.
• Some have the value menu faith, that kind of faith comes with a lot but it still does not cost us much, but it is more substantial than the dollar menu faith.
• What we are seeking is the SUPER-SIZED faith. A faith that is so large it overflows for others to see! When we possess a SUPER-SIZED faith we will not life a life of faith that is unsatisfying.
• Today we are going to embark on a study of the book of Colossians together.
• I hope that as we start to go through the book of Colossians we will learn some things that will help to challenge us to go deeper with Jesus.
• Paul is writing this letter to a church that is struggling with some false teachings that were prevalent at the time.
• This letter is written with three major purposes in mind; those purposes are still valid today.
o To encourage the readers not to go back to their former way of life
o To direct the people’s attention to Jesus and to get them to fully trust and worship Him and to fully recognize who He is.
o To emphasize the virtue of forgiveness and kindness.
• Today we will begin the series by examining the question, “How can we possess a SUPER-SIZED faith?”
• We will be in Colossians 1; we will begin in verses 3-4.
• SLIDE #2
• Colossians 1:3–4 (ESV) We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
In order to SUPER-SIZE your faith…
I. Make Jesus the center of your faith! (3-4)
• Paul starts this letter out with such a positive message. Verses 1-2 state;
• Colossians 1:1–2 (ESV) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
• This letter is written to the FAITHFUL brothers in Christ at Colossae!
• He is thankful for them and he is praying for them!
• I pray that we do this for our brothers and sisters in Christ!
• What is the apostle thankful for? since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints
• When you think about it, this is an impressive statement. The faith of the Church at Colossae is so great that it is known all around.
• The faith of the Colossian church was centered on Jesus. since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus.
• Their faith in Jesus made such an impact on the lives of those in the church that they gained a reputation for their faith.
• I wonder what people would say about the church as they walked around Colossae?
• I wonder what folks say about FCC when they pass by?
• The only way we can SUPER-SIZE our faith is by making Jesus the center of our faith.
• I have seen too many people over the years play the church game.
• Sometimes we can get so caught up in things to the point that Jesus is not really the center of our faith.
• For many the center of their faith is the status quo, it is their jobs, family or entertainment.
• For some it is the type of music in the service.
• SLIDE #4
• Galatians 5:6 (ESV) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
• Jesus should be all that really matters!
• If Jesus is the center of your faith, you will be known for your faith in Jesus.
• Plus making Jesus the center will keep you centered. Faith place elsewhere will let you down, faith centered on Jesus will not!
• Paul was not thankful for the church at Colossae because they had a nice building?
• He was not faithful because they sang a certain type of music or had a certain order of service, he was thankful for them in part because of their faith in Jesus!
• Faith means in part to trust. Who do you trust? Whose hands do you really put your salvation? Who do you turn to in times of trouble? Who do you give the glory to when things go well?
• Faith is not a blind jump into the dark. In biblical vocabulary, to believe, is a strong word. Faith is being persuaded or convinced that something is true and trusting it with your life. — Holman New Testament Commentary
• Your faith will never SUPER-SIZE until you get to the point of trusting in Jesus with your life!
• Paul was also thankful for the love the church.
• When you have a SUPER-SIZED faith, that faith will manifest itself in how you love your brothers and sisters in Christ.
• We have talked a lot about love in the past and we will continue to do it in the future. This is an important issue. IF you cannot love the most unlovely of us, then Jesus in not making a difference in your life.
• Jesus loved Judas? He had plenty of reasons not to, but He did? What is your excuse?
• Can we ask lost people to be in fellowship with those we cannot stand?
• If Jesus is the center of our faith, it will show by how we love others!
• SLIDE #5
• 1 John 2:9–11 (ESV) Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
• Next let’s look at verse 5.
• SLIDE #6
• Colossians 1:5 (ESV) because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
• SLIDE #7
In order to SUPER-SIZE your faith…
II. Focus your hope on your future in heaven. (5)
• One of the reasons the Colossian Church displayed a SUPER-SIZED faith was because they focused their HOPE in heaven!
• Their hope was focused on what was laid out for them in heaven.
• Biblical hope, like biblical faith, is a strong word. Hope is looking forward with eager anticipation and strong confidence to the sure promises of God. Paul also says that our hope is secure because it is stored up for [us] in heaven. — Holman New Testament Commentary
• If Jesus is the center of your faith, then you are able to place your hope on heaven because you trust that your hope will not be misplaced!
• When you place your hope in the security of heaven, you will be able to more easily love inclusively and without prejudice!
• You will not want to get even or take vengeance on every injustice done to you.
• SLIDE #8
• 1 Peter 1:3–4 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
• If we have no hope of heaven, then we will not be able to persevere when we need to. The things of the world will look too attractive to pass up if our faith does not rest in hope.
• One of the blessings of hope is it allows us to sacrifice the present on the altar of the future (John MacArthur Jr.)
• That runs contrary to human nature. Young children, for example, have a difficult time waiting for something they want. The world wants it and wants it now.
• Christians are called to a different perspective.
• There are time when we need to be willing to forsake the present glory, comfort, and satisfaction of this present world for the future glory that is his in Christ.
• In contrast to the “buy now—pay later” attitude prevalent in the world, the Christian is willing to pay now and receive it later.
• What makes Christians willing to make such sacrifices? Hope, based on faith that the future holds something far better than the present.
• SLIDE #9
• Romans 8:18 (ESV) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
• Let’s look at verse 5-6
• SLIDE #10
• Colossians 1:5–6 (ESV) because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. 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 increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
• SLIDE #11
In order to SUPER-SIZE your faith…
III. Allow the Word to impact every aspect of your life. (5-6)
• Where did they get this hope, faith, and love? Look at verse 5, they heard the word of truth, the gospel.
• They did not get their faith, hope, and love from a cereal box; they believed it because they heard the word of God!
• SLIDE #12
• Romans 10:17 (ESV) So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
• Where ever the Word takes root, fruit follows!
• If you allow the Word to take root in your life, fruit will follow! The production will not stop!
• Robyn’s father loves strawberries, my mother-in-law used to plant the strawberry plants and Robyn said they would get so many strawberries off them throughout the season she would get sick of them.
• With the strawberry plant, there would come a season when it would quit producing fruit.
• For the one who has had the gospel penetrate their life, they will produce fruit in every season of life!
• Paul says for those at Colossae, that the word has been bearing fruit from the day they heard and understood the word!
• The spiritual growth of individuals will lead to new converts being won to Christ. That was the pattern of the early church.
• SLIDE #13
• Acts 9:31 (ESV) So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
• You do not need some fancy program in order to grow; you need Jesus to make a difference in the lives of each one of us in the church!
• Part of the reason a church stops’ growing is because individuals within that church stop growing!
• SLIDE #14
• Colossians 1:7–8 (ESV) just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
• SLIDE #15
In order to SUPER-SIZE your faith…
IV. Follow the example of Epaphras. (7-8)
• If we want to have a SUPER-SIZED faith, then we need to go out and try to win others to Jesus!
• We do not know a lot about Epaphras except for the couple of times Paul mentions him in the letter and once in Philemon.
• He is called a fellow-bondservant who is a faithful bondservant. He was most likely an evangelist.
• Notice in verse 7 we are told they learned the gospel from Epaphras! He was producing fruit. He was not going to leave it to someone else to teach people.
• You cannot teach what you do not know and you cannot know what you do not study!
• We are told in Colossians 4:12 that he was one who labored hard for Jesus.
• If you were mentioned in the Bible, what would Paul say about you?
• I hope we could all strive to be like Epaphras.
• He was most likely nothing special; he was just willing to let God use Him!
• If Jesus is making a difference in your life, you will be a changed person!
CONCLUSION
• As we explore the book of Colossians together, I hope that we will all examine our hearts to see where we are with Jesus.
• It’s time for us to develop a SUPER-SIZED faith that will allow us to go into the deeper water with Jesus
• Are you ready to SUPER-SIZE your faith? Today is the day to get started!
