To Encourage You

Colossians 1:3-4 “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.”         

If you attend or are a member of a church, what is that church known for?  If someone were to drop by as a visitor, what impressions would they walk away with? 

In the verses above, the apostle Paul is relaying what he had heard about the Colossian church, a place he hadn’t visited, back to them.  You see, a man named Epaphras, a friend of Paul’s, had been there. In fact, he was the one who had first shared the gospel with the people of Colossae, and as result of their response, he founded that body of believers.  So, are the things this wonderful church was known for the kind of things churches are known for today?  Many churches today, at least in America, are impressive for the size of their buildings, the quality of their music ministry, or their wealth.  It’s so often those things that give the first impression when a stranger walks through the doors.  I suppose that’s no different than the way things have been in many places where Christianity has had an influence over the years. Just think of the massive cathedrals throughout Europe or other places in the world.  Look at the wealth of the Vatican, and all the pomp. 

But did such things matter when the church began?  Obviously, they did not, for they didn’t even have church buildings to meet in.  The thing that impressed Paul was the reputation of the faith and love of the Colossian church. Immediately, when Paul thought of this church, it was these two things that came to mind.  The Colossian church had great faith in Christ Jesus.  They believed what Jesus said. They trusted Him. They lived in obedience to Him.  The Word of God was the central focus of their lives. They ate, slept, and breathed the gospel.  They knew it was their very lifeblood.  They weren’t like some of those described in Jesus’ parable of the soils.  The gospel, i.e., the seed, when it came into their life, produced fruit.  They weren’t flash-in-the-pan believers who responded with great emotion when they first heard the truth about Christ, but then walked away when life intervened.  No, their faith endured.  It was real. It was steadfast.  And then there was love.  They were known for their love for all the saints.  And that love was the greatest form of love, agape. Such love is known by how it is demonstrated in self-sacrificial acts of service to others. It wasn’t just phileo love, i.e., warm thoughts and affection.  It wasn’t a love that ended with a smile and a few words, such as “how are you doing” or “good to see you” on a Sunday morning.   It wasn’t something that began and ended at the church doors.  It was a love that was expressed by a life of service day in and day out. When there was a need, they met it. When someone was hurting, they were there to help. When someone had wronged them, they were ready to forgive.  That’s what impressed Epaphras, and that’s what so impressed Paul when he heard about them. 

So is that the desire you have for your own church? Is that your prayer?  Is that what you desire for other churches that you’ve never visited? Do you pray that these things are what would characterize each body of believers that exists not just in America, but around the world?  May God make us into bodies of believers that are known first and foremost for our faith and love, for without this, we may be a church in name only, rather than in the character of the lives of people that have truly been transformed by Christ.