Serving Christ
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Serving Christ
Serving Christ
Colossians 1:24-29
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
This morning, we finish chapter one in the book of Colossians. We will be looking at Paul and how he saw his part in the Kingdom, especially his ministry to the churches.
This morning, we finish chapter one in the book of Colossians. We will be looking at Paul and how he saw his part in the Kingdom, especially his ministry to the churches.
Paul’s ministry was one of enlarging the Kingdom by sharing the gospel. He had not been the one that brought the message to the church at Colasse and in our passage this morning we read about how Paul clarifies the ministry that God had given to him, and at the same time explains what Serving Christ is really all about!
Serving Christ involves suffering, it’s aim is maturity, and it is hard work!
First,
Serving Christ involves suffering!
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
It is not uncommon to hear Paul speak about suffering! He knew suffering! He says that He rejoices in his sufferings for you!
The first part of Paul’s ministry involved suffering. You may remember the promise that God gave to Ananias when he was told to lay hands on Paul in
To complete the afflictions of Christ
The first part of Paul’s ministry involved suffering. You may remember the promise that God gave to Ananias when he was told to lay hands on Paul in
For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
At Paul’s conversion he understood that suffering would be a part of his ministry. He had suffered much as he followed the Lord!
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
Even as Paul is writing, he is in house arrest for the sake of sharing the Gospel.
Even as he is writing, he is in house arrest for the sake of sharing the Gospel.
Paul saw suffering as a privilege. Not something to be avoided, but embraced.
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
Paul suffered for doing what God had called him to do. To take the Gospel to the Gentiles. This was not met with favor from the Jews or the Gentiles. You would think that following God and His direction for your life is easy, but Paul shares that Serving Christ is hard!
There were Jews who saw him as a traitor and wanted to silence him. Paul was preaching a message of inclusion. Gentiles were included in the work of God. That meant that Christ could be resident among the Gentiles. For the Jews - the idea that the Messiah would extend the Kingdom to the Gentiles - was unthinkable.
There were Gentiles who rejected his message, or saw their way of life being threatened by this Gospel and did not want him there.
Paul declares that he suffers to,
There were Gentiles who rejected his message, or saw their way of life being threatened by his message and did not want him there.
To complete the afflictions of Christ
Paul declares that he fills up in his flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.
The idea of the words he uses for fills up is completing in place of, or completing for someone else. This can be a bit confusing. Was Paul saying that he needed to suffer for his own salvation? Was the work of Christ insufficient in some way for Paul or for the people of Colassae? No, Paul would never even suggest such a thing!
What then was Paul talking about? Jesus told his disciples in ,
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Paul was suffering on behalf of Christ - not just for himself, but for those who needed to hear the Gospel message. We can keep our faith to ourselves and experience little or no suffering for Serving Christ - but Serving Christ can not be kept to ourselves.
Our faith demands that we live it out and that we share it with those around us. We too are called to risk everything to live out our faith and to share the good news of Jesus with those around us!
Serving Christ has the aim of maturity!
Serving Christ’s aim is maturity!
Paul was responsible to share the Word of God. He tells us that it is to,
To Fulfill The Word of God
The second aspect of Paul’s ministry involved the Word of God.
of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
Paul was appointed to share the Word of God with the Gentiles. He would take the writings that God had given to the nation of Israel and help those who were outsiders understand God’s desire for them.
The mystery revealed
the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
The mystery was enclosed in the pages of the Old Testament and is now revealed and understood through Jesus - the Messiah.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The content of this mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The blessings of Israel are available to non-Jews because Christ was actually among them. He is their hope in receiving and participating in the glory of Christ.
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Paul has no desire for people just to be better! To be a better father, a better husband, a better student, a better worker, a better boss - his goal is much higher than this! He longs to present every man perfect in Jesus. That is every person in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
We are surrounded by people incomplete today, and we can be tempted to think that if only they knew how to be a better parent - if only they could be free from their addictions - if only they knew how to work together as husband and wife - that would make a difference - - -
Paul would say - that leaves them imperfect. The only thing that really makes a difference is Jesus! Once we are in Him - he changes how we relate to our children, our spouse, our addictions - all is changed in Him!
Paul’s message was Christ. The gospel - the fact that our hope is not build on a system, or a set of rules to follow. Our hope is on the person and work of Jesus alone!
Paul’s Message
Paul’s message was Christ. The gospel - the fact that our hope is not build on a system, or a set of rules to follow. Our hope is on the person and work of Jesus alone!
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My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Serving Christ involves suffering!
Serving Christ has the aim of maturity!
and,
Serving Christ is hard work!
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Look again at with me
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
We see
Paul’s method is stated by two verbs, warning [admonishing] and teaching. Warning, or admonishing has the idea of confronting with the goal of changing attitude and actions. With the Word of God Paul is calling them to correct their course of action. Teaching is the presentation of truth for application. Paul’s methods was to both confront and instruct.
Paul’s method is stated by two verbs, warning [admonishing] and teaching. Warning, or admonishing has the idea of confronting with the goal of changing attitude and actions. With the Word of God Paul is calling them to correct their course of action. Teaching is the presentation of truth for application. Paul’s methods was to both confront and instruct.
I thought you said that is hard work! That does not sound too bad to me! Look at verse 29,
This is what Paul is working at. He is not waiting on it to come to him, Paul pursues this purpose in his daily living. The term he uses for striving is an athletic one. to pursue through effort. He recognized that it really is God who does the work in and through Him.
Paul’s Purpose
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Paul’s purpose is to present everyone perfect in Christ.
To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
This is what Paul is working at. He is not waiting on it to come to him, Paul pursues this purpose in his daily living. The term he uses for striving is an athletic one. to pursue through effort. He recognized that it really is God who does the work in and through Him.
This is what Paul is working at. He is not waiting on it to come to him, Paul pursues this purpose in his daily living. The term he uses for striving is an athletic one. to pursue through effort. He recognized that it really is God who does the work in and through Him.
The work God has for us requires effort. It is not accomplished through our efforts, but in our willingness to invest ourselves in the work of God we will find Him working both in and through our lives.