In this episode of the International Gospel Hour, we explore the profound importance of thankfulness in our faith journey. Our speaker, Jeff Archie, delves into Colossians 1 to shed light on why gratitude towards God is crucial for our spiritual lives. Through the teachings of Paul, we are reminded of the beautiful connection between expressing thanks and living out a faithful Christian life.
As I think of so many things of which to be thankful unto God, I want you to think with me of two of them today. Now, from these two, other things flow for which we are thankful. So let’s flow some thankfulness today. That’s coming up from the International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.
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Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. We’re so glad you’ve decided to listen to our program today. In a world of challenges, we need God’s Word to help us face those challenges. Thank you for joining us in this period of Bible study with our speaker, Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. So let’s listen today. Here’s Jeff.
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We’ll thank you to our J-Web and greetings to all of you. Always great to have you with us for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour on the air or online since 1934. And to God be the glory. You know, I am thankful to God for so many things, and God the Father is most deserving of our thanks and praise. Paul expressed as much in Colossians 1, beginning with verse 3, when he said, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 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. As you also learn from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. Wow! Paul extends his thanks in prayer to the Church of Christ here in Colossae. What an awesome text to bring our focus on two things that deserve our thanks to God. We will begin in a moment, but first, a few quick words from our J-Web.
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In deserving our thanks to God, let’s begin by acknowledging our ability to believe our faith. Now, think of the lesson text. Here is a faith that was heard. Notice verse 4 of Colossians 1. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. A faith that is in Christ Jesus. Verse 5 goes on to tell us that they heard the word of truth. And verse 4 of Colossians 1 along with verse 23. And Colossians 2, 5-7 affirmed that they believed the word of truth. Here are Colossians 2, 5-7. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. You see, friends, they not only heard the word of truth, but they believed it. And we understand for them to become a Christian, they repented of their sins. Now, does it say that here in Colossians? Well, no, but Jesus taught that in Luke 13, in verse 3 and 5. He said it would be preached to all nations, Luke 24, 44 through 47. And certainly on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, in verse 38, they preached repentance here. And even on Mars Hill in Acts 17, 30 and 31, repentance was preached. So friends, for one to become a Christian, one needs to repent. And it is safe to say in light of Scripture that the Colossians had repented. They confess Christ. Jesus commanded them to do so, commanded all to do so in Matthew 10, 32 and 33. The confession of faith that the eunuch made in Acts 8 and verse 37, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And from Romans chapter 10 and verse 10, For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We know these Colossians were baptized based upon their hearing the word of truth and believing it, repenting and confessing their faith. They were baptized. Now, someone’s going to say, oh, I knew you’d bring up baptism. Well, friends, I only bring up baptism because the Bible brings up baptism. What about Colossians 2, 12 and 13? Buried with him in baptism in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he is made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. And they walked faithfully, for going back to Colossians 1 and verse 2, Paul calls them faithful brethren. So friends, thanks to God for our faith, absolutely, indeed. Our ability to believe and obey God. Thank you, Lord. And He is deserving of our thanks. Now, here’s the second thing of which we can be thankful for. Not only our ability to believe our faith, but our access to the Word of God. Listen to Colossians 1, 5-7 as we read earlier. Actually, we’re going to take this through verse 6. 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, 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. Now let’s summarize. The word of God comes. The word of God, we hear it. And the word of God, we can know it. Now, what’s interesting, there’s a pretty good indication that Paul had not seen these brethren, nor had he been there. We note that from Colossians 2 and verse 1. But he had heard of them, Colossians 1, verse 4, and verses 7 and 8. Yet, friends, the gospel made its way there to Colossae. It had come to them. Again, Colossians 1 verse 6 and verse 23, and of course it had gone to all the world, Colossians 1 verse 23. You know, there are similar words here in 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you receive the word of God which you heard from us… You welcomed it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. Folks, all of this through Jesus Christ. You can say that we are, and I owe this to my good brother and friend Mike Vestal. who uses the term, you are Christ-drenched, all through Christ. Five to six times we see the word filled or complete throughout the book of Colossians. And how thankful we are for the word of God. Indeed, friends, we are thankful for our ability to believe our faith. But remember Romans 10, 17, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Once again, from Colossians 1, 5, and 6, we heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. The word has come to us. we are able to hear and know the grace of God in truth. Oh, I embrace that wonderful text of Titus 2, verse 11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. The grace of God that teaches, that instructs us through the word of God. And to God be the glory. These are just a couple of things that deserve our thanks, friends. And now, if you’ll permit me, let us be thankful to God that we may study His Word. And I want to share with you a relatively new Bible study that we’ve added recently. From here at International Gospel Hour, you may have heard about it on previous broadcasts. But it is titled, God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man. And friends, like all of our materials, it is free. So here’s what you do to receive your free copy of God and Man. It’s a study book that you can begin as soon as you receive it and work on it at your pace. First, you can call our toll-free number at 855-444-6988. That’s 855-444-6988. And you can leave your name and address and just say God and man. That’s all you have to do. And we’ll send it to you as soon as possible. You can also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contact tab and leave us the same information, your name and address, and type God and man in the message box. It’s another new Bible study that is free from us here at International Gospel Hour. Now, you can also go to their website. You can go to the God and Man website, which is quite simple. It’s god-man.com. You can go to God-and-man.com. Be sure you put the dashes in there. And when it comes up, it says free download near the bottom. And you can download that broadcast, or rather you can download that material immediately. And again, it’s absolutely free. So many times people wonder, how in the world do you give that stuff away? where we’re thankful for Churches of Christ and interested friends who have supported our work financially for years, to have us in a position to where our first speaker, Brother B.E. Howard, and speakers after Brother Howard and before me, Winford Claiborne and Jody Apple, respectively, never ask for a dime of anyone’s money. And we’re grateful that we can make this possible. The good people with Godandman.com also blessed us with that material. And then we in turn, it’s a saying that you hear often, pass the savings on to you. And when we receive free material, we are blessed to share it and how thankful we are. You know, we’ve talked about being thankful today and indeed two things that deserve our thanks. The ability to believe and the word of God from which we get our faith. that we may believe God. God deserves our thanks, that we have a faith that will save and the strong word that will strengthen our growing faith. We’ll continue our studies together at another time, but for now, thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
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Thank you for listening today. May this study prompt your search of God’s word for His will in your life. To assist you in your study or to listen to our other programs, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com. To God be the glory.
