Sermon Tone Analysis

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is my great honor to be before you today, presenting the Word of God.

We have spent some time now walking through the beginning verses of Colossians 1 throughout this series exploring what it means to be “Living the Christian Life.”

Today we will find ourselves finishing up chapter one.

The last three weeks of this series we took a long look at the greatness of Jesus and saw how incredible it is that He would save such undeserving creatures as you and I.

It should be clearly noted that coming into a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ is the absolute best thing that could ever happen to you.

It does not get better than be sealed unto the day of redemption and joyfully understanding the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life.

While that is most certainly the most monumental change in our lives, it is important to note that it is not the end of our lives.

On April 1, 1968 the final episode of the Andy Griffith showed aired on CBS.

During its eight seasons it never ranked any lower than seventh in the Nielson Ratings and finished its final season as the number one show in America.

Andy was 41 when he decided to end the show.

When he entered his fifties, he found it increasingly difficult to find work in Hollywood, and his personal finances became tighter and tighter.

He and his wife Cindi decided things would be easier if they moved from Los Angeles back to Andy’s home state of North Carolina; so they put their home up for sale and waited for a buyer.

Unfortunately the real estate market was down, and no one gave them a decent offer for their home.

Months passed, and Andy grew depressed.

Cindy said to Andy, “Maybe this is a good thing.

If we move to North Carolina, you may never act again.”

So day after day they went together to the office of the talent agency that represented Andy.

They sat in the lobby, chatted with agents, and went with them to lunch.

Eventually the work started to come in: four TV movies that year, including the pilot for Matlock, a show that ended up running for nine years.

Even though Andy had already been a part of the biggest show of his career, he still had more acting to do.

Now, this is an imperfect analogy, but while coming to Christ is the biggest change and monumental aspect of our lives, it is important to not that is not the end of our lives.

In many ways, it is just the beginning!

Today as we walk through Colossians 1:24-29, we are really beginning to see what it means to be Living the Christian Life.

When we see that Christ has made us holy, blameless, above reproach before God, by His sacrificial death on the cross, we are sealed for redemption and given a glorious duty and joyous purpose to participate in until God calls us to glory.

As we spoke about a few weeks ago, pressing on in the faith, serving the Lord in our earthly lives is the SIGN that we have been truly reconciled to God.

It is the direct response to being covered by the grace the grace of God.

And let me just say, God’s grace makes a difference on our lives.

If you would, and haven’t already, open your Bibles to Colossians 1. Today we will see the direction and ambition for the life of one that has been redeemed by God.

This is particularly exemplified through the testimony of Paul, the author of this letter to the church at Colossae.

Now, as a quick reminder Paul was Jewish by birth, the son of Pharisees, strictly believing and even adding to the Law of the Old Testament.

Paul went on to become a lawyer, and all signs pointed to his becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion.

Paul was zealous for his faith, and this faith did not allow for compromise.

It is this zeal that led Paul down the path of religious extremism.

Acts 8:3 states, “He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.”

He was a terror to the early church, seeing it as a disgrace to the pure Judaism he grew up in.

All of this changed when he was on the way to persecute a group of Christians and had an encounter with the Lord.

On the road Paul was caught in a bright light from heaven that caused him to fall face down on the ground.

He heard the words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

He replied, “Who are you Lord?” Jesus answered directly and clearly, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (verses 4–5).

From that moment on, his life was very different.

He was convinced of the reality of Jesus as Lord.

He committed his life to sharing the gospel and building up churches.

Now in the context of our introduction this morning, we should note that Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus was absolutely the greatest thing to ever happen to him.

That moment changed him completely.

But he didn’t just call that the highlight of his life and give up trying on everything else because nothing would match it.

Instead that encounter with Jesus, along with the indwelling Holy Spirit, propelled him to keep going, to keep ministering all throughout his earthly life.

Where we ended things last time in this series we read that Paul is a minister of the gospel.

Let us now look to his example as guide for living out our own lives for the glory of God, beginning with verse 24

Here, Paul is talking about the day to day reality of his life as a minister of the gospel.

There is suffering.

I want to return to that in a moment, but we first must notice the disposition Paul takes with him through the suffering.

Paul says that he is rejoicing!

In his service to the Lord, no matter the difficulty and trial, Paul rejoices.

For the seasoned Christian amongst us today, I want to ask a very simple question.

Have you lost your joy in service to the Lord?

Is your life marked by joyous anticipation of the goodness of God or are you amongst the frozen chosen, trudging your way to the finish line?

Do you identify with Paul’s joy here, or do you find more familiarity with Old Testament Prophet Jonah having to have your ear tugged to get you to do anything?

Pastor MacArthur wrote, “A Christian who has lost the joy of the ministry does not have bad circumstances, but bad connections.

You do not lose the joy of serving Christ unless your communion with Him breaks down.”

We see in this verse from Paul that joy is not dependent upon circumstances!

He is rejoice IN his suffering.

That means that things are not peachy-keen and yet the rejoicing remains.

And it remains because he realizes that everything is being used for God’s purpose, the gospel is being spread, sinners are coming to repentance.

He realizes his life’s purpose is to be used for the glory of God and that is happening even in his suffering!

When we look at ourselves as the center of our lives we will never be content, we will never have real joy.

This is because if we are self-centered we are out of alignment with reality!

Christ is the center of the universe, not Brad Pearce, not Troy Scarbarough!

If you want the proof for that take another look at verses 15-23!

Putting ourselves where Christ belongs will never “feel” right because it isn’t!

But we have content happiness, blessed joy, when things are as they should be, when Christ is center of our lives.

Paul rejoices in suffering because he is centered upon the goodness of Christ and resting upon God’s sovereign will to use even suffering for His glory.

Now I do want to know that the suffering Paul was going through was REAL suffering.

Suffering that Christians experience around the world still today that most of us do not truly understand.

Very few American Christians clung to faith in Christ despite being thrown out of their family.

Very few of us risked being beaten for our beliefs.

American Christians are not threatened with prison in unsanitary pits.

We should not try to falsify suffering by confusing it with inconvenience.

There may very well be a day in which true persecution and suffering comes our ways.

And if it does, we should not fear, but instead express the same joy as Paul does here in verse 24.

Joy in suffering is possible for 4 reasons.

Suffering brings us closer to Christ.

Phil 3:10

Suffering assures we belong to Christ John 15:18

Suffering brings future reward Romans 8:17-18

And as we see right in Colossians 1:24

suffering can result in the salvation of others.

Through Paul’s suffering, the church is being built and growing.

This is for Christ’s glory and thus gives Paul joy.

Now I do want to take a moment to explain what is being said when Paul writes, “I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s affliction” when it comes to statements like this I often like to clarify what is NOT being said first.

Paul is not saying that Christ’s sacrifice needed anything added to to it.

Christ reconciled believers by his death.

Nothing needed to be added to it.

Paul is also not saying that the suffering adds to the suffering the Christ experienced on HIs way to the cross.

Paul is “filling up what is lacking” in that he was receiving persecution that is ultimately intended for Christ.

Jesus has ascended into heaven.

But his enemies still wish to inflict insult upon Him.

When Paul is being persecuted it really is Christ whom they are wanting to damage.

Christ said blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven!