Sermon Introduction — Colossians 2:1–5
There’s a difference between attending a church and being fought for spiritually. In this passage, Paul lets the believers know, “I am contending for you.” He hasn’t met most of them. He isn’t in their building. But he is wrestling in prayer, carrying them in his heart like a shepherd does with his flock.
Why? Because Paul knows something every modern believer must understand:
A strong faith doesn’t happen by accident. A united church doesn’t happen naturally. A safe spiritual community doesn’t happen automatically.
Today, believers sit in pews across the nation — some encouraged, some guarded, some tired, some quietly battling private struggles — and Paul speaks straight to them:
- We need encouragement in heart.
- We need to be united in love — safe love, covering love, not surface friendliness.
- We need to be rooted in Christ so that slick arguments, new trends, opinions, and emotional voices don’t pull you away.
This isn’t just a word for pastors or leaders. This is a word for the believer in the pews…
- the person who loves Jesus but feels tired…
- the one who wants to grow but doesn’t always feel safe to open up…
- the one who’s wondering if Christ is really enough for what they’re facing.
Consider
We can sit in church and still be spiritually isolated. We can hear truth but not be rooted in it. We can love Jesus and still struggle to trust people. Paul writes this passage to say: You don’t have to do faith alone — But you do need to be rooted in Christ and united in love.”
The Message
Colossians 2:1–5 – The Struggle for a Rooted and United Church
Theme: Paul reveals his deep concern and spiritual labor for believers to remain anchored in Christ and united in love against deceptive teaching. Big Idea:Faithful shepherding fights for believers to stay rooted in Christ, united in love, and secure against deception.
I. Paul’s Pastoral Struggle for the Church
Colossians 2:1 (NIV)
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
Cross References (NIV, written out):
- Galatians 4:19 – My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…
- 2 Corinthians 11:28 – Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Why We Struggle: We assume spiritual leadership is mostly public preaching, but much of true ministry happens in unseen spiritual struggle, prayer, and concern.
Theological Summary: Paul reveals pastoral ministry as spiritual wrestling, even for people he has never met face-to-face. Love for Christ produces love for His body, even from a distance.
Know This: Real ministry is often done where no one sees and no one applauds.
II. United in Love and Anchored in Truth
Colossians 2:2 (NIV)
My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ…
Reflection
In Philippians 3:10, when Paul says, “I want to know Christ…”, the Greek word he uses for “know” is:
γινώσκω (ginōskō)
Pronounced:gih-NOCE-ko
Meaning of Ginosko
- It means to know by experience, not just intellectual awareness.
- It’s relational knowledge, like how someone knows a close friend or spouse — through personal encounter, not theory.
- It carries the idea of deep, intimate, progressive knowledge — knowledge that grows as relationship deepens.
This is not “I want to know about Christ.” This is “I want to personally experience Christ.”
Biblical Use Insight
- Same word used in John 10:14 — “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (relational knowing)
- Same structure used to describe Adam “knowing” Eve in Genesis, signifying intimacy and personal union.
- It speaks of connection, not just information.
Paul wanted the Colossian believers to know that even though he had not met many of them in person, he was deeply contending for them in prayer and spiritual struggle. His desire was that they would be:
- Encouraged in heart — strengthened inwardly, not discouraged by trials or outside voices.
- United in love — bound together in a safe, Christlike community that protects against division and deception.
- Anchored in Christ-centered understanding — gaining true spiritual insight that comes from knowing Christ, not chasing alternative teachings or spiritual trends.
- Protected from deception — able to stand firm and not be swayed by “fine-sounding arguments” that appear spiritual but shift focus away from Jesus.
- Disciplined and stable in faith — firm, ordered, and rooted — not easily shaken.
Cross References:
- Ephesians 4:15–16 – …speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
- John 13:35 – By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Why We Struggle: Many want deep understanding, but we underestimate the role of unity and love in spiritual clarity. Isolation breeds confusion; unity strengthens faith.
Theological Summary: Paul ties encouragement, unity, and understanding together. Knowledge is not just intellectual — it flourishes in a loving community rooted in Christ.
Know This:
- Spiritual understanding grows best in a safe, loving community, not in isolation or division.
- As a nation, we must remember that a divided church will always be a deceived church.
III. All Wisdom Found in Christ Alone
Colossians 2:3 (NIV)
…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Cross References:
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 – It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God…
- John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life…”
Why We Struggle: We chase “new” teachings, spiritual trends, or external sources of wisdom—forgetting that everything needed for life and truth is found in Christ.
Theological Summary: Paul confronts early traces of Gnostic-style thinking — that spiritual fullness came through “secret knowledge.” He declares all fullness is found openly and fully in Christ, not in hidden systems or spiritual elitism.
Know This:
- Paul wanted them grounded in Christ alone—not chasing spiritual trends, hidden knowledge, or additions to the gospel.
- You don’t need something new—you need more of Christ.
IV. Stand Firm Against Deception
Colossians 2:4–5 (NIV)
I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Cross References:
- Ephesians 4:14 – Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching…
- Jude 3 – …contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.
Why We Struggle: Not all deception looks dangerous—some of it sounds intelligent, spiritual, or even compassionate. Without a firm foundation in Christ, we become vulnerable to subtle error.
Theological Summary: Paul rejoices at their current firmness but warns that spiritual stability must be guarded. Truth and love together keep the church anchored.
Know This: A firm faith today still needs guarding tomorrow.
One-Line Summary You Can Use in Preaching
Paul wasn’t just concerned that they believed in Christ — he contended that they be encouraged, united, anchored, protected, and firmly established in Christ.
Closing Remember The Power of Love (1 Corinthians 13:13
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
✅ Breakdown of the Three Words
1. Faith — Confidence in Who Christ Is
✅ Practical Expression:“I rely on Christ.”
2. Hope — Confidence in What Christ Will Do
✅ Practical Expression:“I rest in Christ’s promises.”
3. Love — Christ Lived Out Through Us
✅ Practical Expression:“I reveal Christ through how I treat others.”
Love is the only part of Christian life that doesn’t expire in eternity. We won’t need faith when we stand in His presence. We won’t need hope when all things are complete. But love — love is forever.
Sermon Closing Thought
So when we look around at our nation and the world, it feels like the foundations are shaking — morally, socially, spiritually. People are anxious, identity is shifting, truth is being redefined, and fear has become the background noise of our generation.
But through every chapter of history — through empires rising and falling, through wars, pandemics, persecutions, economic collapses, and cultural divides — one thing has never changed:
Christ has remained the same.The gospel has not weakened.The church of Jesus may be pressed, but it has never been crushed.And God has always been — and still is — a sure foundation.
- Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
- Hebrews 13:8 — “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
- Isaiah 33:6 — “He will be the sure foundation for your times…”
So yes — the world may shake. Culture may shift. News feeds may stir panic. But Christ is not shaken. His truth is not uncertain. His love has not changed.
And if your life is rooted in Him, you do not have to fear the shaking. When Christ is your foundation, you don’t just survive the shaking — You stand firm through it.
APPLICATION
HEAD (What to Believe):
Christ alone is the treasure of wisdom, and His church must stay rooted in Him.
HEART (What to Feel):
A burden for unity, a desire to grow in Christ-centered wisdom, and vigilance against deception.
HAND (What to Do):
- Pray for one another’s spiritual strength and unity.
- Stay connected to the body—growth happens in community.
- Resist teachings or influences that pull attention away from Christ.
Key Takeaways:
- True ministry involves unseen spiritual struggle.
- Unity in love strengthens understanding and protects from deception.
- All wisdom and knowledge are found fully in Christ—not outside Him.
- A firm faith must still be guarded against subtle deception.