(Colossians 1:1–14)
Intro Idea: If a tree’s strength isn’t in strong roots, storms topple it. The Christian life is the same.
SERIES INTRODUCTION
Background:
- • Colossae was a small town in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Not a big, famous city—more like a side stop compared to nearby Laodicea or Hierapolis.
- • Paul actually never visited this church. It was started by a man named Epaphras, who had heard Paul preach in Ephesus (during his third missionary journey) and carried the gospel back home (1:7).
- • Paul is writing this letter from prison (most likely in Rome around AD 60–62).
Purpose:
- • The Colossian believers were growing, but they were under pressure. False teachers were trying to add extra requirements to the gospel—things like Jewish traditions, mystical experiences, or man-made rules.
- • Paul writes to remind them: You don’t need anything more. You already have everything in Christ.
Main Theme:
You can sum up the book of Colossians in two words:
- • Supreme—He’s Lord over creation, redemption, and the church (ch. 1).
- • Sufficient—He is enough for salvation, growth, and life (ch. 2).
Relevance for Us:
We may not be in Colossae, but we face the same pull. The world tells us: “You need more—more success, more knowledge, more rules, more experiences.” Paul’s message still rings true: Christ is all you need. Stay rooted in Him.
PART 1: ROOTED IN CHRIST
As we jump into the text for today, we are going to be in chapter 1. Today’s message is entitled Rooted in Christ. That is how the first part of chapter one can be summarized, that The roots of our faith as believers are only strong when they are founded in Christ.
Think about it: Trees are abundant around us. It is amazing how large they grow! However, as good as a tree looks on the outside, it is the roots of a tree that make it healthy and strong. It is through it’s roots that a tree finds its stability, nourishment, and life source. However, it has to be rooted and grounded in the right soil/foundation.
Similarly, our health and strength as believers is not found in how we look on the outside, but how deep our roots run on the inside. Our roots are what we use to feed our faith as believers. Therefore, what we are “rooted in” truly matters. So let’s look at what Paul the Apostle says that our faith should be rooted in…
- 1. Rooted in the Gospel
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints
5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel
6 Which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth• The faith and love they had become known for came from one place, from hearing and believing the gospel.
- • What is the gospel? It is the good news that Jesus Christ the son of God came to this earth born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died a sinner’s death, was buried, but then rose from the grave alive. And today, He is in heaven seated at the right hand of God.
- • Anyone who hears this message, believes it, receives it, turns from their old way of life and chooses to follow Jesus, the Bible says that they will be saved.
- • It is important that we know the gospel! It is important that we know it so that we are not led astray by a trend or practices.
- • We are rooted in the Gospel of Christ!
- 2. Rooted in God’s Word
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God… - • Paul’s prayer is that they would know God’s will for their life, which is revealed through “spiritual understanding,” that is through the revelation of the Holy Spirit (God revealing it to you).
- • God reveals His wisdom and understanding to us through HIs Word.
- • We are rooted in God’s Word!
- • It is important that we read God’s Word, meditate on His Word, discuss God’s Word, but also that we come to church to fellowship with other believers and to hear the preaching of the Word.
- • It is through the preaching of the Word that we re-align ourselves to ensure we are walking in the truth. And that is what Paul says in verse 10: That you might walk worthy of the Lord.
- • We must ensure that our Christian roots are running deep into God’s Word. Not popular trends, not simple good sayings, not what you heard from a friend or family member, but in God’s holy Word.
- 3. Rooted in Your Relationship with God
11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all
- patience and longsuffering with joy
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and [c]conveyed usinto the kingdom of the Son of His love
of sins. - • Paul continued his prayer that they would be strengthened with all power.
- • Power and strength are available for you as a believer! You have power to overcome and power to be a witness! You have the strength to endure and never give up!
- • However, that power does not come from you. It does not come from trying harder. It does not come from your pastor. That strength does not come by you “manifesting” it. Instead, that power comes from “His glorious might,” it comes from God!
- • From God flows strength, endurance, patience, joy, thankfulness, and so much more! It does not come from you and your flesh. It comes from you spending time and getting closer to God. We must be careful not to rely on ourselves, and instead we must rely on God. Why?
- • Because God is the one who saved you. He is the one who transferred you from the domain of darkness. He is the one who set you free. He transferred you from darkness to light. You have hope, peace, joy, patience, goodness, forgiveness, etc, because of Him.
- • Therefore, do not root your Christian walk in your will-power, do not root your walk with the Lord through someone else in your life. Instead, root your walk with God through your relationship with God. Go to Him in prayer, glorify Him in worship, and listen to Him through your time of devotion.
- • Your faith must be rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus; not with your pastor, your friends and family that know God’s Word, but in a personal relationship with Jesus Himself.
You are rooted in:
- 1. The Gospel
- 2. God’s Word
- 3. Relationship with Jesus Christ
Takeaways:
- I. The gospel is not just how we start the Christian life, it is the soil in which we grow.
- - Paul says the gospel is “bearing fruit and growing” in the Colossians and around the world (Col. 1:6).
- - The same gospel that saves us is the gospel that sustains us — we never move past it, we only grow deeper in it.
- - Faith, love, and hope are the fruit of being rooted in the gospel.
- II. God’s Word is the anchor for your ship.
- - Paul prayed they would be “filled with the knowledge of His will” so they could “walk worthy of the Lord” (Col. 1:9–10).
- - Rooting ourselves in God’s Word keeps us from being swayed by trends of culture or the opinions of society.
- - His Word keeps us from drifting away and getting lost in the sea of deception. It anchors us in truth and guides in the right direction.
- III. Your roots determine your fruit.
