May 4, Colossians 1:7 Bible Study Notes
Welcome!
This blog is used to share some of our notes from each day’s journaling while we were in Bible study with The Holy Spirit. At the bottom of each blog page, you’ll see which Bible we used and additional resources that may have informed our thinking and learning. We are curious and humble #Biblenerds. Each day we GET TO use the Word of God to learn more about His never-changing character, how much Jesus loves us and how The Holy Spirit guides us through a heart transformation one verse at a time. The Bible reads us just as much as we read It.
We hope these perfectly imperfect notes help you as you join us weekday mornings 8:00 - 9:00 EST via Facebook & Youtube. And, of course, we welcome you whenever and wherever you get a chance to learn along with us!
In His Love,
Joy Lee & Tara Ouellette
Joy Notes: Col 1:7
•’“You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant,(diakonos) and he is helping us on your behalf.”
GREEK MEANING OF SERVANT:
Diakonos= (Dee-awk-o-nose) focused on “activity & working-out ones calling “
Doulos= (dew-Lowe’s)“focused solely on relationship & not the “doing”’
—————-
H I S T O R Y :
👉Epaphras is mentioned in col 4:12 as a prayer warrior over the family of colossai.
👉Epaphras had started & founded the “LOVING & FAITHFUL” church in colossi (pastor)
👉Epaphrus met Paul in his 3 yr ministry in the city of Ephesus & got saved under the teaching of Paul! (& spent some time in jail with Paul in Rome)
👉Epaphrus visited Paul in prison & informed paul about the false teachings- which prompted Paul to write this letter
👉 Colossians was a home church . They met in Philemon’s house (Philemon 23)
—————
I want my gravestone to read : “ above all else, Joy was Christ’s faithful servant.” (To my family, his people, his barn, etc)
Epaphrus’ legacy was: sharing the GOOD NEWS & being Christ’s faithful servant”
Paul didn’t introduce him by:
church size
Gift & talents
how many people he saved
His resume of accomplishments....
As a faithful servant, Epaphras :
Evangelized - sharing the GRACE of Jesus-spreading GOOD NEWS (not just Jesus’ msg, but Jesus’ mannerisms)
Discipled others- teaching & mentoring & pastoring
Prayer warrior-
He “wrestled in prayer over them” (4:12)
Godly friend- ministered & linked arms & sacrificed time to spend w/friends (Paul)
👉The name “Epaphrus” means: “LOVING.”
He was
👉loving
👉evangelizer
👉discipler
👉prayer warrior
👉loyal & true friend
—————————-
J E R E M I A H :
👉But HOW did Epaphrus become a fearless, passionate “FAITHFUL SERVANT OF CHRIST?”
Jeremiah gives us insight to what Colossians doesn’t tell us:
👇
JEREMIAH was a pastor (priest) too!
👉Before he could
be “Gods faithful
servant”.....
God had to infuse THREE TRUTHS into his heart:
👇
📌TRUTH # 1.
Identity
(V. 1:5)
“The Lord gave me this message:
“I knew you B E F O R E I formed you in your mother’s womb.
B E F O R E you were born I SET YOU APART. (Positional Holiness = COL 1:2) and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.”
“Identity DRIVES destiny”
God reminded Jeremiah of His identity based on NOTHING but Gods child.
His identity of being SET APART was already established in the womb!
The world will tell us our flaws, our weaknesses, our not-enough-nesses
But....
“God has a tendency of picking up a nobody, to make them a somebody, in front of everybody, without asking anybody.”
————————————-
📌TRUTH #2.
Knowing Gods CONSTANT withness & protection
(1:8)
“And don’t be afraid of the people, for: (1) I will beWITHyou (2) I will PROTECT
you.
I, the Lord(your dad)
have spoken!”
the remedy to FEAR-of-MAN 👉Gods withness & 👉Gods protection
This is the CURE for the disease to please (Fear of man)
Gal 1:10 (PAUL)
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to people please? If I were still trying to people please, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - (epaphrus’ title!🙌)
Wether im REJECTED or ACCEPTED— I know that my Daddy’s here & He’s protecting me!🙌
——> this is something I struggle with— fear of disappointing others, not meeting perceived expectations, losing friendships....ect.
8 SIGNS I MIGHT BE AFRAID OF PEOPLE:
(• Jeremiah didn’t admit this— God saw it & called him out!)
(• this is why journaling out our prayers is extremely effective & life altering.)
I pretend to agree with everyone. (Even when it goes against my own personal convictions or beliefs
I feel responsible for how other people feel. (“Im responsible for your feelings!”)
I apologize often for being me🥲
(Because I feel “too
young, too weak,
too incapable , too
unworthy, too
stupid .... “)
I have difficulty saying no.
(“ learn to say no to the good, so you can say yes to the best.” -John Maxwell)
My world feels shaken if someone is angry at me.
I become a Chameleon around others - I become who I think they want me to be & I lose my sense of who I am
My self-worth rests primarily on what others think about me. “Never let compliments go to my head, or their criticisms will get to my heart”
I go to great lengths to avoid conflict. (a Peace-Keeper) (fear of losing that person)
—> the opposite of ‘fear-of-man’ is arrogance, pride, disrespect, ignorance, narcissism tendencies....(not good either)
📌📌📌📌📌📌📌📌📌
the REMEDY = SO SIMPLE! 👉 1. God is with me
👉 2. God will protect
me. (Jer 1:8)
———————————
TRUTH #3: (in becoming “Christ’s faithful servant.”
PURPOSE
V 1:10
“Then the Lord REACHED OUT and TOUCHED my mouth and said,
“Look, I have put MY words in your mouth!
Today, I appoint you to STAND UP against nations and kingdoms.
uproot and tear down.
Destroy and overthrow.
build up and plant.”
When we STAND UP to be Christ’s Faithful Servant with HIS WORDS in my mouth.... I’m able to:
UPROOT & TEAR DOWN those lies!
DESTROY & OVERTHROW those strongholds!
BUILD UP & PLANT a new city within
And then have GOD CONFIDENCE to share the good news & be a faithful Servant of Christ
———
What made Epaphrus fulfill his will AND becoming “CHRIST’s FAITHFUL SERVANT” in the face of fear?
He Knew.....
His positional IDENTITY
GODS WITHNESS & PROTECTION
His God sized, God-empowered PURPOSE
Tara’s Notes:
Colossians 1:7
Good morning Father God,
Thank you for this day where I GET TO serve you. I pray I do so:
1. Fully dependent on you Jesus
2. While humbly realizing that I have my own stuff to work on and it’s important I check in with you to survey my heart and soul before I serve with you and for you.
3. I want to be filled up with your truth and righteousness first so I can show merci & be a person of peace. = leadership (is all about followership; are people influenced by you, Jesus, through me?)
4. I want to keep my heart pure and uncompromising as I share the Good News, b/c there may be temptations and traps of the enemy while I serve, so please help me stay steadfast for You no matter what comes my way.
5. I know I will be persecuted b/c of my love and singleness towards you and the ways of heaven. When that occurs, I will have even more evidence that I’m on the right track.
Ephaphras is Christ’s faithful servant. Who are other faithful servants and what are their attributes?
ABRAHAMAbraham obeyed God, even when it didn’t make sense. Even when it came at great cost. Abraham was willing to sacrifice what was most precious to him, his home, even his beloved son, to follow God and trust in His plans. (Genesis 12-22)
JOBJob kept his eyes fixed on God, trusting in His goodness and sovereignty despite the depth of his suffering. When everyone around him let him down, (even his own wife!), he never wavered in his faithfulness to God, and his hope in Him. (Job 1-42)
SAMUELSamuel was quick to answer God’s call, presenting himself as a willing servant at the mention of his name. He was willing to serve God in whatever way he was asked, and did it with a humble and grateful heart. (1 Samuel 3)
MARY When Mary was visited by an angel, telling her that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to God’s son, her response was “Behold the slave of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). When Mary said this, she knew she would pay a great price. At best, her reputation would be destroyed, at worst, she was risking her very life since the law would sanction her stoning. But she trusted God’s purposes for her, no matter the cost. (Luke 1:26-38)
PAUPaul served God faithfully by preaching the gospel wherever and whenever the Lord directed him. He kept his eyes fixed on Christ and his mission of truth in love even through great trial and persecution, ultimately giving his life for the gospel. It was Paul who most clearly defined for us in scripture what it means to be a servant of Christ, and demonstrated it relentlessly in his own life. (Romans 1:1)
JESUSSaving the best for last, Jesus was undeniable, the clearest and most beautiful example of true servanthood we have to emulate.
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” (John 5:19)
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!” (Phillipians 2:6-8)
Jesus, though he was God himself incarnate, submitted himself completely to the will of his Father, becoming a servant, a willing slave, the very incarnation of love itself. Patient, kind, long-suffering, forgiving, he gave himself for us. Even unto death. Even death on a cross. And he did it by choice.
https://bloggersforthekingdom.com/examples-of-faithful-servants-in-the-bible/
I followed your breadcrumbs, Father as you took me to study these verses in Luke 12:35-48. How important it is to be ONE with God so I can be a WATCHFUL SERVANT ready for the call on my life - not to serve ME, but to serve YOU.
Watchfulness
35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2012%3A35-48&version=NIV
One chart I like to use that helps explain false humility, humility & pride: https://childofgodsgrace.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/true-humility-vs-false-humility/
Joy & Tara’s Primary Source: The Holy Spirit
Secondary Source: Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndal, 1996.