What Colossians Says About The Spiritual Race | Pastor Bill Meiter

Colossians #1 | Pastor Bill Meiter | October 19, 2025 | Arizona Community Church | https://www.az.church | Giving: https://www.az.church/give Need Prayer? https://az.church/prayer Watch Next:    • Offering God Our Service | Pastor Bill Meiter   Good Bad & Ugly Playlist:    • Good Bad and Ugly   COLOSSIANS: THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL LESSON 1: A STRONG SPIRITUAL START DOESN’T GUARANTEE A SUCCESSFUL SPIRITUAL RACE TODAY’S PASSAGE Colossians 1:1-8 ESV… Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 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. BACKGROUND FOR COLOSSIANS 1. Paul is writing to establish the supremacy of Christ. 2. The church was started by Epaphras… Colossians 1:7. 3. False teachers were saying “Christ alone” wasn’t sufficient for salvation… Colossians 2:8; 16; 18. 4. Paul opens this letter in a very positive fashion… Colossians 1:1-8. OFF TO A GREAT START 1. The church at Colossae was off to a great start because they had a great leader… Colossians 1:7; 4:12-13. 2. Paul had never actually met the Christians at Colossae… Colossians 2:1. 3. Paul refers to the believers as “saints” and “faithful brothers”… Colossians 1:2. 4. They were bearing much fruit… Colossians 1:4 & 6; 1 John 3:14. A GOOD START DOESN’T GUARANTEE SUCCESSFUL RACE 1. Paul “worked hard” to “run well”... 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Acts 20:24. 2. Paul was burdened for the well-being of the church… 1 Corinthians 11:28. 3. Paul was astonished that the Galatians were falling away… Galatians 1:6. 4. Solomon is a great example of someone who started well but didn’t run successfully… 1 Kings 11:4. THE GOSPEL TRUTH 1. Paul gives the most profound teaching about Christ in Colossians 1:15-20. 2. The gospel is about sinners made righteous in Christ alone… 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:14. 3. Paul called Timothy to guard the deposit entrusted to him… 1 Timothy 6:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13-14. 4. Christians must proclaim “Christ Alone” without compromise! DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What do we learn about the Colossians in the first eight verses? 2. Why does a good spiritual start not guarantee a successful spiritual race? 3. Why do people have a hard time believing the gospel is sufficient to save? 4. What are ways the sufficiency of Christ is under attack today? 5. What does it look like to guard the gospel? 6. How can you proclaim the gospel more boldly as Christmas approaches? TN: Don't Slow Down; A Strong Start Doesn't Equal A Strong Finish