Summary
“Until He Comes: Who’s Who”- Colossians 1:1-3
“Who’s Who?” - applies to a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biographical information on particular groups of people (Who’s who in America, American High School/College Students, History, Contemporary prominent people, etc).
Paul had his own list of who’s who in his intro to Colossians.
2012 Theme: “Until He Comes” - looking for Jesus to come and living according to that perspective.
Until Jesus comes, it’s important to know who’s who from God’s perspective.
Colossians 1:1-3 - Numerous identities - a list of who’s who.
Who Paul was - “An apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God”
Apostle - “delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders” (Strong’s).
Who Timothy was - “our brother” - fellow believer in Christ
All believers are brothers/sisters in Christ - family.
Who the Colossian Christians were - “saints” - “set apart ones”
All believers are set apart by God for Himself - holy ones
- “Faithful brothers in Christ” - believer who shows his/herself faithful, worthy of trust, trusts in God’s promises, believes & follows Christ.
If you are a brother/sister in Christ, would you be called faithful?
We should treat each other as brothers and sisters (in a good way).
Who God is - “our Father” - Paul’s, Timothy’s, Colossian believers’, every believer’s - brought into personal, intimate relationship through faith in Christ
“To be God’s children, you’ve got to be born again.” John 1:12
- “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” - Jesus is the divine Son of God That means Jesus is our spiritual brother!
Who Jesus is - “Christ” - the Messiah sent from God, appointed as judge and redeemer. Acts 10:42-43
- “Lord” - “kyrios” - “He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord; possessor and disposer of a thing; owner, who has control of the person; the sovereign, prince, chief” (Strong’s)
Lord means Owner! As believers, we belong to our Lord. He owns us and we must live for Him. We must give ourselves away to Him everyday.
The benefits are great (relationship with God, forgiveness, new life, eternal life, purpose, security, God with and within us, etc), but the Christian life is not necessarily easy (most likely hard!).
“It’s not an easy road we are traveling to glory,” but it is the best way and only way to true life.
Who are you? Are you in Christ? A child of God through faith in Christ? Forgiven? Part of God’s forever family?
If not, why not today? If so, live like it!
Until Jesus comes, we should learn who’s who from God’s perspective and be who He has made and called us to be.
