Church Consultant? The Gospel Is Enough (Colossians 1)

Introduction

Imagine the leadership team at your church gets a visit from a consultant. Right at the start of the new season, he offers to bring your church "to the next stage of maturity." What he ultimately wants to see is faith and love, the kind of faith and love the Christians at Colossae were known for. He wants beautiful works, all done joyfully and in good order. In other words: godliness, community life, Christians on mission. Who wouldn't want that?

The consultant has "just the thing," or at least a few strategies: orchestrating worship times that stir the emotions with sound, light, and smoke, imposing a packed social calendar to force fellowship, adopting a solemn, beautiful liturgy with black robes and incense, or multiplying ecumenical ties with all kinds of institutions. Which of these levers should you pull for a dynamic new season?

The apostle Paul isn't a consultant, but he has a very clear view on the matter. And the good news is, his answer is free: no need to add a line to the budget. The dynamic that changes the world, and that changes the church, is nothing other than the gospel. "Jesus Christ is Lord." That's where you need to put your energy, and it's not just a logical choice, it's a critical one.

Because if you don't know that the power is in the gospel, you'll misunderstand what actually moves the church forward. And if you misunderstand that, you'll push something else forward to try to get the impact you're hoping for, at the cost of wasted time, or worse, losing people along the way. The preacher draws two points from Colossians 1:1-12 to help you not miss what really drives the Christian life as this new season begins.

Sermon Outline

1. The gospel: the dynamic at work (Colossians 1:5-6)

• The heart of the passage is verses 5b and 6: "seeing the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News, which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and increasing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth."
• Wherever the gospel travels, the whole picture changes. That holds true for individuals, and it holds true for entire regions. And things don't change for the worse, they change for the better.
• The preacher recalls the image of Attila the Hun, the great warrior: "Where his horse walks, no grass grows again." The gospel is the exact opposite. Where it walks, fruits of life spring up.
• You probably know that the gospel was a positive force that profoundly transformed the customs and habits of the ancient world. History books on the early centuries of the church carry telling subtitles ("the rise of Christianity," "the triumph of Christianity"), and historians can't help but reach for vivid imagery to describe the gospel's lightning-fast spread: a wave, a flame, wildfire.
• The gospel went fast and far. Within about thirty years, it had touched the shores of the whole Mediterranean, and far beyond. It started off strong: as early as the 30s AD, pilgrims from all over the world had heard the gospel in Jerusalem, people from Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Egypt, Libya, Rome. That was only the beginning. By the early 60s AD, when Paul writes this letter to the Colossian believers, he can say the gospel has reached the whole world.
• If it worked under the conditions of that time, when the Bible wasn't even fully complete yet and communication was what it was, shouldn't that convince you of just how immense its power is once it's unleashed? Are you giving the gospel and its power the weight they deserve?

2. Good news that changes everything (Colossians 1:5, 12)

• After all, what's so earth-shattering about "Jesus Christ is Lord"? Five words centered on Jesus: isn't that a bit short to set a whole movement in motion? The preacher reminds us of a forgotten fact: the word "gospel" literally means "good news." How is it good news that Jesus Christ is Lord? It depends which side you're standing on.
• If, by grace, you're united to the one who has been established as Lord, it's pure benefit, pure blessing. When you've accepted Jesus' reign as your Lord, a whole new world opens up to you. The passage describes it two ways: in verse 5, a "hope laid up in the heavens," and in verse 12, an "inheritance in the light."
• Hope in the heavens, inheritance in the light, all of it received undeservedly by grace, all of it inaugurated by Jesus Christ the Lord. That's the kind of good news that could genuinely redirect the ancient world. And if you trust the historians, the ancient world wasn't fooled: it seized hold of this good news.
• The preacher offers a vivid picture from the Capucins workshop in Brest, an old shipyard turned into a large cultural space. You come across a piece of machinery whose function you don't know. You walk around it and think you recognize a generator. There's the power source! You could spend a good while getting excited about this generator and trying to fix it, only to realize that under normal circumstances, the machine was hooked up to the power grid, and the generator was only a backup. If the goal was getting the machine running quickly and well, you may have just wasted your time.
• Brothers and sisters, it's the same here: if you don't know that the power lies in the word of the gospel, you'll misunderstand what moves the church forward, and you'll push something else to the front. When a church says it's gospel-driven, it's acknowledging that everything else has only a supporting role.

3. The trap of "we've heard it all before"

• The gospel is an urgent message, but it's also a simple one, simple to state, simple to take in. It can fit into a single slogan: "Jesus Christ is Lord." This message cuts through a lot of clutter. It's more immediate, more direct, and more pressing than we'd like it to be. It's a message right in your face.
• But be honest: Jesus Christ is Lord, yes, and then, don't you want to move on to something else? Is it possible you feel like you've already heard everything this message has to say? Is it possible some impatience is starting to creep in? In the church at Colossae too, voices were calling to "move up to the next level."
• The preacher describes visiting an icon museum in Sofia, Bulgaria, in a cathedral crypt. It didn't take long to notice how limited the range of models really was: three or four models of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus, a handful of models of Christ, especially the Christ Pantocrator, from the Greek "pantokrator," meaning "almighty, ruler of the world." A grown Christ in glory, bearded, right hand raised in blessing, a book in his left hand, gold leaf everywhere.
• On the walls of that museum, you see one Christ Pantocrator, then another, then two, then three, then four... The preacher amused himself trying to spot them without reading the labels, but after a while it stopped grabbing his attention. Once you've seen one, you feel like you've seen them all. "Christ the King, Christ the King, Christ King of kings": you can sing it, but at some point even that refrain risks sounding hollow, at least on the surface. Because if you go beyond the bare formula, things look very different.

4. The word of the gospel, still and always at work (Colossians 1:5, 9)

• Did you notice a detail in verse 5? "because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News." Translating that as "preaching," as some versions do, may actually lose something. Paul isn't saying the Colossians heard the gospel preached: in the original text, he says they received the word of the truth, that is, the gospel.
• "The word of truth" is a phrase already found in the Old Testament, and it also shows up in 2 Timothy and James, describing biblical revelation, the Word of God. What Paul is saying is that the gospel is the whole Bible. In other words, the gospel is carried by the entire Bible.
• Do you ever find yourself living your whole Christian life off a slogan? A good slogan can convince you that you've really given your all to Jesus Christ. But if, at the same time, you're not giving your all to the word of truth that carries this gospel, you haven't really gotten the dynamic moving. That kind of momentum can be deceptive, and you shouldn't be surprised if you run out of steam and grow weary.
• On the other hand, when you've grasped the gospel biblically, you realize it's there for your first wind and for your second wind. The passage contains two prayers: a prayer of thanksgiving starting in verse 3, and a prayer of intercession starting in verse 9. In verses 3 to 5, Paul first expresses his gratitude that the word of the gospel has had its full effect on the Colossians. Then, starting in verse 9, when he makes a request to God the Father, he prays for that same thing: that the word of the gospel would have its full effect on them.
• Verse 9: "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don't cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects." At bottom, Paul is praying that the Colossians would grow in the shadow of Jesus Christ their Lord, in complete and full alignment with him.

5. Don't grow tired of the simple message

• How do you keep from growing weary? In everyday life, why do you want to move from one thing to the next? Often it's because you've grown tired. It's the child who blows out too easily and gets discouraged. It's the adult who wants more stimulation and checks out. The danger with a message as simple as the gospel is that you mistake "simple" for "simplistic."
• If that's where you are, you'll be drawn to movements offering something more advanced, more systematic, more rigorous to enrich the church. That seems to be exactly what was happening at Colossae. Jesus Christ had been left at the "starter level," and people were considering moving on to something more demanding, both intellectually and physically.
• Paul is going to speak extensively about the treasures of the knowledge of God, and this is only the beginning of Colossians. He'll keep developing this theme, precisely to show there's no vacuum for false teachers to fill. The prayer in verse 9 suggests the gospel is anything but simplistic. If the Colossians think they've already heard it all, they're in for a fresh start.
• To someone tired of "hearing the same old thing" about the lordship of Christ, Paul would say: go read the whole Bible, that is, the whole counsel of God, starting with the Old Testament. The preacher shares a personal observation: it took him nothing less than 66 "beds," an exposure to 66 books over half a dozen years in an English-speaking country, before he even began to grasp the weight of the title "Lord" and see the promised inheritance in the light come into focus.
• The gospel preached to Abraham as he looked up at the stars, the heavenly Jerusalem, the death of death: you find these first in the Old Testament. Where are you, really, in your knowledge of God?

6. The challenge for this new season

• Here's the challenge for this new season: accept that in the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord, you will always find everything you need to fully do God's will and be pleasing to him. Isn't that exactly what you need to hear as this new year begins?
• You're asking questions, taking stock, making decisions, planning ahead. It's back-to-school season, with all its stress and all its practical questions. Having "all spiritual wisdom and understanding," as it says at the end of verse 9, would come in pretty handy right about now.
• There's no secret here: go back to school under the word of the gospel. Bible studies are about to start up again. Maybe it feels hard to go back to a Bible study, you feel like you've outgrown it, you have too many responsibilities, you figure you have too little left to learn. But the word of the gospel is the Old and New Testaments, the whole counsel of God aimed at making you like Jesus Christ your Lord. It's a lifelong pursuit, Bible in hand, and nothing less.
• Life is set up so that you never fully get to the bottom of it, and that's by design, so that the gospel fills the whole space of your thoughts. Maybe you'd have preferred a message you can master, one you've fully figured out once and for all. But when it comes to who you are, that's not actually what's good for you. You need to keep pressing on, always, in the knowledge of God.
• So head back to school this season, all the more since the word of the gospel is packed with unsuspected treasures for your mind and your life. Enough to keep you well occupied, well employed. Enough to grow your godliness, your community life, your sense of mission. It's a project for your small groups as much as for your personal reading, one you'd be wise to take up again with renewed energy.
• Paul writes to the Colossians to keep them centered on the gospel (on the word of the gospel), for their perseverance and for their joy. In that sense, he's writing for you too. Nothing other than the word of the gospel to move forward day after day in the Christian life. Nothing more than the gospel of Jesus Christ, nothing less than the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

• The dynamic that changes the world and changes your church isn't a program, a worship style, or a community strategy: it's the gospel, free of charge, no line added to the budget.
• "Jesus Christ is Lord" is a simple slogan, not a simplistic one. Mistaking it for simplistic was the Colossians' trap, and it's yours too, if you start looking elsewhere for a "next level."
• The word of the gospel isn't a one-time sermon: it's the whole Bible, Old and New Testament, carrying this gospel, giving you a first wind and a second wind.
• Paul gives thanks for the full effect of the word on the Colossians (v3-5), and he prays for that same thing (v9): all spiritual wisdom, full understanding, a walk worthy of the Lord. That's the prayer you can pray for yourself and for your church this season.
• The only "consultant" your church needs is the apostle who keeps pointing you back to the gospel, again and again. Go back to Bible study, open up the Old Testament, and let the word fill the whole space of your thoughts.

Personal Application

1. Which "lever" are you tempted to pull to reboot your faith or your church this season: emotion, a busy social calendar, liturgy, networking? What would change if you put the gospel first, as the main engine, and everything else in a supporting role?
2. Be honest: is the message "Jesus Christ is Lord" starting to feel like something you've already heard, just one more Christ Pantocrator on the museum wall? Where are you confusing "simple" with "simplistic"?
3. The word of truth is the whole Bible. What place does the Old Testament hold in your personal reading? The preacher talks about "66 beds," 66 books to visit: which one will you start with this week?
4. Go back to Paul's prayer in verse 9: "all spiritual wisdom, full understanding, a walk worthy of the Lord." What concrete decision this season do you need to pray that over, for yourself, this week?
5. Are you part of a Bible study, a small group? If you feel you've "outgrown it" or think you have too little left to learn, what's the real reason, and what does the promise "you will always have everything you need" come to dislodge in your heart?

Scripture References

• Colossians 1:1-12 (WEB)
• Colossians 1:5-6 (WEB)
• Colossians 1:9-14 (WEB)
• 2 Timothy 2:15 (WEB)
• James 1:18 (WEB)
• Genesis 15:5-6 (WEB)

FAQ

What is the dynamic that changes a church, according to Colossians 1?

Not "church consultant" strategies, not high-effects worship, not a packed social calendar, solemn liturgy, or ecumenical networking. The dynamic is the gospel: "Jesus Christ is Lord." Paul offers it free of charge, no line added to the budget. Wherever the gospel goes, the whole picture changes, and for the better: faith, love, hope, and beautiful works done joyfully. Everything else stays in a supporting role, never the engine.

Why does Paul say that "the word of truth" is the whole Bible?

Because the phrase "word of truth" doesn't only appear in Colossians 1:5: you find it in the Old Testament, in 2 Timothy, in James, describing biblical revelation. In other words, the gospel isn't just a one-time sermon; it's carried by the whole Bible. If you're living off a slogan without giving your all to the Word that carries it, the momentum will be deceptive, and you'll run out of steam. Your first wind and your second wind are both found in Scripture.

What should I do if the message "Jesus Christ is Lord" starts to feel like old news to me?

That's the trap of "we've heard it all before," the same impatience found in the church at Colossae. Paul's answer isn't to move on to something "more advanced," but to go back to the word. The preacher talks about "66 beds" (the 66 books of the Bible), and his own journey, which took half a dozen years just to begin to grasp the title "Lord." The Old Testament isn't optional: the gospel is preached to Abraham under the stars, and the heavenly Jerusalem is already being announced there. Go back to a Bible study, open the Old Testament, and pray the prayer of Colossians 1:9 for all spiritual wisdom and full understanding.