Christ in you, the hope of glory

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Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Colossians

Mystery

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24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

I REJOICE in my sufferings for your sake

-wrote this letter from a Roman prison.

-suffering from the Lord

Suffering?

Acts 5:41

New Living Translation Chapter 5

The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.

BACKGROUND

Acts four

Apostles were arrested due to signs & wonders, high priest, sadducees filled with jealousy, an angel of the Lord came at night, Go to the temple and give the people this message of life.

What message of life?

Each person needs to repent to Christ for the sins we've committed and ask Him into our hearts to make us whole and new.

And after they were beaten up they they were rejoicing.

Why?

They Counted Worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus

Do we the church count worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus?

Jesus said in Matthew 5

New Living Translation Chapter 5

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,

for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

New Living Translation Chapter 5

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

New Living Translation Chapter 5

Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

then in verse 24 it says,

I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking Christ’s afflictions.

Some people misinterpret this scripture.... Catholic scourging their body

I was reading an article last year during easter and it says that Some men march through the streets whipping themselves and cutting their backs with razor blades in bloody Easter ritual

1 Corinthians 9:27 NAS

but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

But thats a wrong interpretation..

Now the Theme of Colossians is:

Jesus Christ the head of the church, His body.

in the book of Ephesians:

The Church is the body of Christ.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

- This reconciliation by Christ of Jews and Gentiles to God in one body is a mystery revealed only in Christ. Paul rejoiced that he was able to suffer for them what was still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.

By this he did not mean that Christ’s suffering on the cross was insufficient. He was speaking not of salvation but of service. Christ’s suffering alone procures salvation. But it is a believer’s privilege to suffer for Christ.

25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship (oikonomia) (God’s redemptive plan was to make salvation known to Gentiles)from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God

-Paul is been made a minister, according to God's plan to fulfill the word of God.

He was a God-ordained servant of the precious truth of the Word of God in its fullness.

His mission is to bring the gospel, the one who was sent to the Gentiles.

26 that is, the mystery (mysterion means sacred secret made known to the initiated)which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

The Purpose of this letter is to correct the heresies which had sprung up in Colossae.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:25–26

The Colossian heresy boasted of a “fullness” of knowledge possible only through their mystical experience. But Paul declared that the fullness of the mystery is found only in Christ. By “mystery” he meant something once concealed but then revealed. This contrasted with the Colossian heretics’ notion that a mystery was a secret teaching known only to an exclusive group and unknown to the masses.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:25–26

The church was unknown in the Old Testament because it had been kept hidden for ages and generations. In fact, said Paul, it is only now disclosed to the saints. Since the church is Christ’s body, resulting from His death on the cross, it could not possibly have been in existence in the Old Testament.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:25–26

Indeed, Jesus, when on earth, said it was yet future (Matt. 16:16–18). Since the church is Christ’s body, welded together by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13), the church’s birthday occurred when this baptism took place (Acts 1:5; 2). Soon Saul recognized that this mysterious body of Christ, the church, was in existence and that he was persecuting it (Acts 9:4; cf. Gal. 1:13).

The “mystery” in the New Testament is something that had at one time been hidden but is now revealed to God’s people. Jesus spoke of “the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11, NAS) that He was at that point revealing to His disciples. The apostle Paul used the word mystery 21 times in his Epistles. In each case, the “mystery” involved a wonderful declaration of spiritual truth, revealed by God through divine inspiration. A mystery is that “which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5).

The mystery of God’s will is that “which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ”the corporate union with Christ, Christ In You by which God gives righteousness and salvation. God sees Christ in you church!

JEWS & GENTILES INTO ONE!

Ephesians 3:3 NASB95

3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

organic union with the Gentiles

Ephesians 1:9–10

1 Corinthians 2:7

The mystery of God is the consummation of God’s plan in bringing His kingdom in Christ to fulfillment. The kingdom had long been prophesied,

but the how and the when and the by whom was not clear until the time of Christ.

It is in Christ that God has been manifested to all of mankind.

As Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Paul said that he had been commissioned to preach “the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people” (Colossians 1:25–26). That is, it is through the apostles that we have been given the capstone of Scripture; their writings, all of which point to Christ—represent the final disclosure of God’s Word to mankind.

There is no understanding of God apart from a personal relationship with His Son (Matthew 12:50; John14:23; 2 John 1:6).

Christ is the “mystery” revealed to those who believe—

as is the mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

The key to having the “full riches of complete understanding” (Colossians 2:2) is to be born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:27

God has chosen to make known this mystery to New Testament saints. He willed in His sovereign mercy to reveal His eternal purpose with all its glorious riches (i.e., divine effulgence or blazing splendor). The amazing thing is that this is now revealed among the Gentiles, whereas previously God’s special revelation was to the Jews (Rom. 2:17; 3:1–2; 9:4). Now those “who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13). Those “without hope and without God” (Eph. 2:12) have been given a glorious hope which is Christ in you (i.e., in you Gentiles; Col. 1:27). Because of “the glorious riches” (lit., “the riches of the glory”), believers are indwelt by Christ, the hope of glory. They are thus “in Christ” (

28 We proclaim Him, admonishing (counseling) every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete (teleion, “mature” James 1:4)in Christ.

Church Our commitment is to a person not a system. A person not a doctrine. That is Jesus whom we preached. The word preached here is warning, like a herald.

Nothing needed to be added to our relationship with HIM CHURCH! Each believer is complete in Him. Jesus is totally sufficient.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:28–29

Paul was interested in believers not remaining spiritual babies (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1–2) but in becoming spiritually mature (cf. Heb. 5:11–14). Elsewhere Paul prayed for complete sanctification of believers (1 Thes. 5:23).

29 For this purpose also I labor (to exhaustion), striving (agonizomai, to contend, struggle, with difficulties) according to His power, which mightily works within me.

WE ARE SAFE WHEN WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN HIM AND PUT OUR WHOLE LIVES INTO HIS HANDS