Colossians 1:18 – “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

What factors differentiate a genuine Work of God from everything else we see around us in the marketplace of religion? On the most basic level, pleading the blood of Jesus has led us to three fundamental discoveries: preaching the revealed Word, following the guidance or direction of the Holy Spirit instead of human opinions, and having our relationship with Christ express itself through a genuine participation in a local Body of the faithful church.

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Colossians 1:6 – “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”

The first two generations of Christians accomplished an astonishing feat – they spread the gospel across the entire known world.  By 100 A.D., there were Christian groups from Spain in the west to the borders of China in the east.  Yet there was no rich Christian country like America sponsoring their ministry efforts or helping them financially.  They had no microphones, no speakers, no keyboards, no printing press, no Bible colleges, and usually no church buildings.  Yet they made greater progress, by comparison, than we usually do today.

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Colossians 1:6 – “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”

Here we discuss eight of the reasons for their growth; the other lesson discusses the first four.  The first two generations of Christians accomplished an astonishing feat – they spread the gospel across the entire known world.  By 100 A.D., there were Christian groups from Spain in the west to the borders of China in the east.  Yet there was no rich Christian country like America sponsoring their ministry efforts or helping them financially.  They had no microphones, no speakers, no keyboards, no printing press, no Bible colleges, and usually no church buildings.  Yet they made greater progress, by comparison, than we usually do today.

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“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” - Colossians 3:1-4

One of the distinctive elements of Paul’s writings was his focus on eternity.  People today often think of the Apostle Paul as a great teacher or theologian, or as a successful church planter, or even as a person who performed impressive miracles.  All these things are true, but when we look at what Paul himself considered the most important, the defining element is that he kept his eyes fixed on eternity, not on material things.

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“…When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  Colossians 3:4

Jesus is coming quickly.  He is our life.  When he appears, coming to meet us in the air at the Rapture, he will transform us in an instant, so that we share in his glorified, eternal state.

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