St Denys Church Sunday May 8th 2016 Colossians 1 v 24 29 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me (Colossians 1 v 24 29) Introduction We return to our study of Colossians this week and we've already established a couple of key things that Paul sought to address in his writing to the church at Colossae. The church there was in danger of taking its focus away from the truth of the Gospel message and being led astray by false teaching so Paul concentrates on the following: 1) He wished to emphasise that Jesus was and is the Head of the Church 2) That the church is called to live in submission to him. 3) Christ is all one needs for salvation. It can neither be earned nor bought nor can it be found earthly understanding or philosophy. In the passage we're looking at today Paul emphasises that the ministry of the Church is to present the "word of God in its fullness" to all people (1:25) so that "we may present everyone perfect in Christ" (1:28). So again we find that recurring theme that 'it's all about Christ' is key. Jesus is the foundation upon which the whole of the ministry of the church rests. Those who accept God's offer of salvation are adopted into His family; He becomes their father and other believers become their brothers and sisters. Yet that privilege brings with it responsibility. They belong to Jesus now. He becomes their Master; the One they serve and the One to whom they seek to give both honour and glory. They are expected to repeat the prayer that Jesus prayed to His Father :
"not my will but your will be done." Furthermore they are commissioned by Jesus Himself to go into all the world and make disciples to encourage others to be adopted as brother and sisters as they have been, as stated in the Great Commission of Matthew 28 of course. So these few verses at the end of chapter 1 today implore us as 'the church', individually and collectively, to present the Word of God in its fullness to all people so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ; to present the hope of glory. 3 Important Aspects of Paul's Ministry 1) The first important aspect of Paul's ministry is that it involved suffering for the sake of the Gospel. The Gospel message of Jesus Christ was so controversial in New Testament times that it offended everyone, everywhere. It was a foregone conclusion really. People didn't recognise the God that Jesus was portraying didn't understand or grasp that God wanted a personal relationship with them at the level where one referred to God in terms of Father... and not just Father but Abba Father (dad effectively). And its human nature to persecute that which people don't understand, especially when you offer them a religion and a message which encourages them to face up to and bring into the light their sins, pride, and selfcenteredness. So it's against that background here that Paul says that he rejoices in his suffering. Not because suffering is a good thing but because he was suffering for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. He says that his suffering for Jesus is nothing when compared with what Jesus suffered for him. 2) The second important aspect of Paul's ministry is that the ministry of the Church is to present the Word of God in its entirety; the Word of God in its fullness. Paul didn't mess around. He was uncompromising in the way he presented the Gospel. He didn't water it down to make it more palatable to people (in a way that maybe we are often tempted to do). He, like Jesus before him, never set out to offend people (to do so would go against all that we understand of Jesus in terms of forgiving, loving, gracious etc) but the Gospel message is by
definition challenging, uncompromising and confrontational. It is meant to strike at people's hearts and to expose what needs to be cleansed and forgiven. We all have dark corners in our homes where the dust gathers and its only by shining a light directly into them can we see what needs to be cleaned. The human heart I would suggest is no different. So Paul encourages us to both proclaim and live out the entirety of the Word of God and not just adopt the bits we find comfortable and unchallenging. I'm reminded of the words of a song by Matt Redman called 'Show Me The Way of the Cross' I've given like a beggar but lived like the rich And crafted myself a more comfortable cross, Yet what I am called to is deeper than this Paul says to the church at Colossae and ultimately to us that there's a good litmus test here. If our faith brings glory to anyone or anything other than God Himself then He has ceased to be our plumbline somewhere along the way. We've deviated from the truth lost our way on that narrow path if you like. 3) The third important aspect of Paul's ministry as seen in this passage is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. Society in New Testament times was very class conscience. But, as we discussed earlier in our study of Colossians, each person in the Church is of equal value and importance to Christ and thus, we must honour each other as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Everyone has a right to belong which is why we have adopted it in our strapline here. In Paul's day the debate was between the Jews and the Gentiles. In times past of course the Hebrews had claimed to be God's chosen people God but the revelation of Jesus Christ was that God sought a relationship with everyone So, we are too are called upon to present the Gospel to everyone, and welcome, everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord into the family of God. Keeping Jesus at the Centre So it's all about keeping Jesus and the integrity of the Gospel at the centre of it all. There are secondary aspects of church life such as such as rules, regulations, traditions, dogma, doctrine, and worship styles. Each of these aspects has a proper place in the life of the Church. But, the centrepiece of the Church, the heart of the Church, the One who matters most is Jesus Christ. We must proclaim Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord.
The starting point of our brining others to Jesus is our testimony of what Christ did for us and how He changed our lives. We then admonish and teach others in wisdom to follow Christ. And we do need to be wise and intentional in how we apply the Word of God, this great Gospel, to the context of our individual lives. The point of the ministry of the Church is to present everyone perfect in Christ. The word perfect does not mean that we are without mistakes or faults. The word means that we are mature in the Lord. It means that we put aside childish things and the things of this world and instead focus our lives on bringing glory and honour to Him who lived, and died and rose again. Just before we finish though a little mention of verse 26 because that's a strange one. Let's have a little read of the verses that precede it first: Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness (and then verse 26) " the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord s people" What 'mystery is Paul talking about? 1. Proclaimed One thing we must realize is that the first century was a time of gospelexplosion! What had been so little seen and so little realized in the previous centuries was now fully known and clearly proclaimed. It seems quite evident from reading this and other epistles that Paul saw himself as being entrusted with the work of explaining the OT prophecies concerning Christ and the gospel. Paul often quoted Isaiah or Jeremiah especially but infers that the clear truth of the Scriptures which had been hidden to previous generations is now revealed in Jesus Christ. We're very used to our Bibles consisting of 66 books (39/27) and we're very used to quoting verses from both. We can look at passages like Isaiah 53 (the famous passage about the suffering servant the Man of Sorrows) and say well yes that's all about Jesus. That's prophetic. And we have written accounts like Luke 4 where in the temple Jesus takes the scroll and reads directly from Isaiah 61 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me' etc.
It's no mystery to us if you like. We can join the dots. But of course that wasn't the case in OT times. The Gospel was unheard and remained a mystery a mystery blown apart by the revelation that was Jesus Christ. So Paul states that the gospel is something which was hidden but now is widely made known. It is no secret for a reserved few, but openly proclaimed to whoever has ears to hear. Paul was often encountering people who had never heard the Gospel. They could not begin to imagine a God, a Creator who would step into human history (a God incarnate) and who would ultimately suffer the pain and humiliation of the cross. And so you have Gentiles going after other gods, worshipping idols, denying the Creator and Jews who would deny anyone other than themselves access to Him. This is the mystery Paul is talking about. A God demystified because He has revealed Himself through His Son and seeks and active and intimate relationship with His people. But, but says Paul, but now this 'hidden Gospel' "has has been made manifest to his saints." The "but now" shows a change in understanding. That light has shone in the dark corner of you like. The 'things of God', the 'mystery' is now made known to His saints. It is not the people of the world who understand the wonders and fullness of the Word of God. It is to his own people that this truth is revealed. That should be a real encouragement to those who seek to read the Bible, the Word, regularly. Here is the assurance that it is the Holy Spirit who is our teacher. The Bible is a mystery book only to those who do not know Christ. The Christian faith is a mystery but only to those in the world standing on the outside looking in. To the child of God the opposite is true. The world only makes sense when you stand on the inside looking for only then can you see it through God's filter. And, mystery removed, Paul says here in verse 27 God makes known the hope of glory. The Gospel is not just for the here and now but it also prepares us for what is yet to come. Paul states that Christ in you is "the hope of glory." That term, "hope," refers to what certainly, assuredly lies ahead but has not been fully revealed or completed. It is something which is certain, not something that might happen. It implies an anticipation. And what is the content of this anticipation? Glory! That word conveys the wonder of all that Christ has accomplished for us which will
be revealed experientially throughout eternity. It is similar to the term, glorified, which Paul uses in Romans 8 v 30, "...and these whom He justified, He also glorified." It's this hope which sustained Paul in his suffering and it's the same hope that has sustained believers down through the centuries. It is the reality that when this life is over there is more, so much more than we can ever begin to understand or appreciate in the presence of God Himself. Prayer Lord I ask for your help that I might understand and live the truth of your Word. I pray that you will use me as your servant to lead others to grow in spiritual maturity. Lead us as we seek to be all that you want us to be. Amen.