The Strength of A Church Colossians 2:1-5

Adapted from a Jeffery Anselmi sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?ContributorID=&SermonID=92202

I want you to think about the Lindley Christian Church for a minute. When you think of our

church, do you see it as a strong vibrant church, or do you see it as one that is on the weak side just

limping along?Now as you have pondered that

question, by what criteria did you come to your conclusion? What did you base your thinking on?

How do you know if the church is a strong church or a weak

one? Is it only a numbers game? If the offerings and

attendance are high, that must mean the church is strong? Is it just numbers or are there some other things we can look at to

determine if the church is strong or weak?

Today we are going to look at the strength of a church.

As we study the book of Colossians, we see that Paul is

very passionate about the church, the church is his love.

In Colossians 2:1, he says that he has been through a

great struggle on behalf of the church. The word struggle

comes from the word that we know today as “agony”. (G73 agon ag-one') He tells us in chapter 1

verse 29 that he labors (G75

agonizomai ag-o-nid'-zom-ahee) hard for the church, to see it be strong.

What is it that the leadership of this church is trying to

establish?Why do I preach?

Why do we study the bible in Sunday School?

Why do Elders take time out of their lives to lead a church?

Today we are going to look at three areas of which, when they

are strong, the church will be strong, then the numbers whether they be people or

finances will follow.

If we are weak in any of these areas, the church will not be a

strong church.Today as we look at these three items, you need to ask yourself

how you are doing in each of these areas, what are you doing

to make sure the Lindley Christian Church is a strong

influential church in this area!

Colossians 2:1 ESV For I want you to know how great a

struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2

that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding

and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and

knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you

with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

A Strong Heart

The first mark of a strong church is:

A person is only as strong as their heart; a church is only as strong as its heart. In verse 2, we are told that Paul has been working hard to the point of agony so that their hearts

(those in the church) may be encouraged.

The word encouraged literally means to “come along side of.” Because a person can be called

alongside for many purposes, the word has a wide range of meanings.

They include to entreat, appeal, summon, console, encourage and

strengthen by consolation, instruct, teach, comfort, admonish, exhort.

In this verse’s context the translation “strengthen” fits

because the Colossians were inundated by false teachers and

needed strengthening rather than comforted.

During this time in the church, the New Testament had not been

compiled so the main source for the church for biblical truth was

the Apostles.This is one of the reasons the

false teachers were able to come in and get such a strong foothold.Paul wanted the people to know that what they had been taught

was truth.

When used figuratively in the Bible, the word heart is usually more general and refers broadly to the inner person, the center

of life.It often equates specifically to

the mind.The emotions respond to what

goes on in the heart, to what the mind perceives.

The way to control the emotions, then, is through the mind. When the mind is filled

with biblical truth, the emotions respond properly.

Figuratively the heart is where feelings and faith come from.Proverbs 4:23 ESV Keep your

heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

You have heard the statement, “don’t lose heart” or “your heart

is not in it.”

When our heart is weak, we will be weak.

Many of you have known people with heart problems, they may look fine on the outside, but

inside they are weakened to the point of not being able to do much physical activity. When we lose heart, we will not be

strong for the Lord, we will be spiritually beaten and weak. We

will be spiritually listless.

Commentator William Barclay cites an example of

“encourage” from classical Greek that parallels its usage

here.There was a Greek regiment which had lost heart and was

utterly dejected.

The general sent a leader to talk to it to such purpose that courage was reborn and a body of dispirited men became

fit again for heroic action. That is what [parakaleo] “encourage” means here. It

is Paul’s prayer that the Church may be filled with that courage which can cope

with any situation. (The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians [Louisville, Ky.: Westminster, 1975], p. 129)

This issue of the heart really deals with the inner strength of

a person and of the church. There are too many people and churches that look great on the outside, but on the inside they

are weak and listless spiritually. A strong heart will take you places you never knew you

could go!

Where does this strength of heart come from?

Ephesians 3:16 ESV that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be

strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner

being,

It comes in part from God and the Holy Spirit living within you.

As we live in the power of the Spirit, we grow stronger!

As we exercise our Spiritual muscles, the heart grows

stronger!

Secondly, it comes from each other!

1 Thessalonians 3:2 ESV and we sent Timothy, our brother

and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,

A Strong Bond Of UnityBased On Love

The second mark of a strong church is:

2b being knit together in loveI talk a lot about love. I do so

because the Word of God speaks a lot concerning the

subject of love, and the concept of loving one another!

The issue of a strong heart deals with our inner strength,

whereas the issue of unity deals with our outer strength.

Fervent love balances a strong mind and heart.

Without love, what we have, what we do, means little of

nothing.

For us to be able to maintain unity, we must first humble

ourselves before God and each other.

We have to understand that God desires us all to love each other

and to grow together.

Verse 2 gives us a good picture when it says that our hearts are

being knit together in love.

To “knit together” means to unite, or bring together.

This phrase explains the main idea (may be encouraged) by

further defining the strengthened heart as one filled with love.It refers in Ephesians 4:16 and

Colossians 2:19 to the various parts that unite to form the human

body.Believers share a common life

with love as its basis.

All believers possess the same eternal life, all come to Christ in

the same way, and all were placed into the Body of Christ by the same Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 12:11-

13). The church’s unity is not organizational, but organic.

Believers are “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28; cf. Rom. 10:12).

When a person knits something, they are taking the material they are knitting and they are making something of use and value out

of it.When our hearts are knitted

together in love, we are valuable and useful to God and His

Kingdom.

The encouragement believers receive when they unite

together in love gives them a rich and full understanding of

God’s mystery—Christ.When we can see Jesus active in the lives of those we love, it

helps us to be strengthened and encouraged!

“United in love” is a call to the virtue which binds “all

together” (3:14) and which was inspired by God’s love for them.

(3:12) (College Press)

A church that is not united in love is a church that will not be

very strong. We are called to display love to one another.

Philippians 2:2 ESV complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,

being in full accord and of one mind.

Fervent love is the necessary

balance to a strong mind.

Christianity is not mindless enthusiasm, but neither is it a

lifeless intellectual pursuit.

In John 13 when Jesus washed the disciple’s feet, Jesus was

trying to get His disciples to see that if an individual Christian does not show love toward

other true Christians, the world has a right to judge that he is

not a Christian.

We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true,

and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of the oneness of true

Christians.

Loving someone is not defined by having warm feelings toward

them, but by meeting their needs.

The last time you made a sacrifice for someone was the

last time you loved them.Love is first action, then the

emotions follow. So the strengthened heart is a heart that

has learned to love.

A Strong UnderstandingOf God’s Word

The third mark of a strong church is:

This is probably the area many churches struggle with the most,

why, because this is most Christians greatest struggle.

We do not have a strong understanding of God’s Word. This is something that HAS to change.

Paul speaks of wanting us 2b to reach all the riches of full

assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,.

What we need to understand is this means that spiritual riches come from practicing what is

known concerning God’s Word.

Peter writes about knowledge of Jesus.

2 Peter 1:2 ESV May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has

granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the

knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great

promises, so that through them you may become partakers of

the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption

that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Knowledge of Jesus grants to us all things that pertain to life and

godliness. The only way we can gain knowledge of Jesus is from

God’s Word. There is no understanding of God

apart from Christ.There is no complete understanding

of God apart from a personal relationship with His Son. (Life App)

Paul desires that the Colossians also experience all the wealth that

comes from full assurance. Without that assurance, believers cannot enjoy all the blessings that are theirs in Christ. For example,

no one can look forward with hope to the blessings of heaven who doubts whether he is going

there.

2 Peter 1:10 ESV Therefore, brothers, be all the more

diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you

practice these qualities you will never fall.

Understanding means the ability to apply biblical

principles to life.When you understand

something, you can apply it. When we experience spiritual

truth by living it we truly understand it.

Many people struggle because they fail to apply what they

know, then they want to know more that they cannot apply.

It is like the person who wants to learn how to multiply and

divide before they can add and subtract or before they know the basic principles of math.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV 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. If we are not tuned into the things

and ways of God, we will never understand God. We can only tune

into God by knowing His Word!

ConclusionIs our church a strong church? How

can you tell?Is our heart strong, our love deep

and do we understand God’s word?These are areas in which the

leadership works to help the church build, if we grow in these areas, we

will become an even stronger church that will do even more for God!

God wants us to grow and be strong, if you find that there is something in your life that is

keeping that from happening, I would encourage you to change

it so that you will not cheat yourself out of a wonderful life

in Christ!

God has a treasure chest of blessings that are available to you, do you want to open the

chest?