Laboring for the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Who likes a treasure hunting movie? Maybe INDIANA JONES? In fact, when I got my truck, I named it Henry, like Indiana Jones- yes, in my family, we name our cars. (We are all searching for a treasure in life- but this treasure isn’t physical, it is spiritual.) But do we often think about this sidekick?
In Indiana Jones, the most famous sidekick that he has is a man named Sallah. Sallah makes sacrifices and does everything that he can to help Indy!
It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it when Indy finds the ARK OF THE COVENANT and then the Holy Grail. He’s a great contrast against other sidekicks! Other guys run from Indy when things are hard. NOT SALLAH though!
Let me propose something. Today, as Paul talks about what it looks like to labor for the gospel- for the GREATEST treasure ever made, we need to keep the example of Sallah in mind.
Paul like Sallah labored and made sacrifices. He did it not for HIS gain but for those who are around him- in this case the Colossians!
Last week, as we talked about Colossians 1:15-23, I said that in a lot of ways that was the THESIS statement for the book! The ideas presented in Colossians 1:15-23 provide a CENTRAL FOCUS FOR THE BOOK!
Paul is writing to combat a heresy and as he builds his argument for truth, he also seeks to provide clear discipleship.
What we saw last week was clear theological teaching! It’s the type of teaching that you just need to hear over and over and wrestle with! The exultation of Jesus that we saw needs to be grasped and understood!
Colossians 1:23 in particular gave us a transition.
Paul began to take our eyes from the cross to what we do with it and he did this by explaining what HE IS CALLED TO DO BECAUSE OF THE CROSS!
Colossians 1:24-2:3 really is Paul’s testimony of what he does and WHY HE DOES IT!
As theologically crucial as Colossians 1:15-23 is to our understanding of Jesus, I believe that Colossians 1:24-2:3 is crucial to our understanding of what it means to FOLLOW JESUS!
That’s why our main point is:
Main Point: We Strive to Proclaim Jesus Faithfully, not on our strength or for our glory, but through God’s strength and for the sake of others!
Main Point: We Strive to Proclaim Jesus Faithfully, not on our strength or for our glory, but through God’s strength and for the sake of others!
BODY
BODY
At Cornerstone, we preach verse by verse through the Bible. We do this because all scripture is GOD BREATHED and is important!
So today, we pick up in Colossians 1:24.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church.
Now- the first word of our passage, brings us back to what Paul has just said in verse 23.
Paul has called himself a “SERVANT of the GOSPEL!”
Specifically, he has called himself a DIAKONOS- which we said implies humility and self-sacrifice! Remember, the most usage of Diakonos comes in Acts 6, technically in verbal form. This word here references the 7 men set aside to SERVE THE TABLES AND TO CARE FOR WIDOWS! It literally is about the church appointing 7 SERVANTS!
It’s a similar usage to what we see in John 2 where Jesus turns water into wine.
THOSE WHO WORK THE EVENT ARE CALLED DIAKONOS, or servants!
And Paul calls himself a DIAKONOS of the gospel! He isn’t a PROUD CELEBRITY, he calls himself a SERVANT OF THE GOSPEL, a SERVANT LIKE A WAITER FOR THE GOSPEL! He doesn’t worry about his position or influence, he is focused on SERVING THE GOSPEL, the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS!
So NOW, Paul tells us what is going on in his life as a servant of the gospel.
He “REJOICES IN HIS SUFFERINGS FOR YOU.”
Paul can rejoice in his suffering and there’s a reason for that. Paul knows why he’s suffering and he’s not trying to do this on his own strength!
See, Paul is suffering FOR THE COLOSSIANS AND OTHER BELIEVERS.
Additionally, Paul is suffering for Jesus!
The second half of this verse says, “And I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church.”
This is not saying that Jesus’s actions weren’t enough! Far from it!
What Paul is saying is that he is persecuted as people seek to persecute Jesus!
He is persecuted because of his SERVICE TO JESUS and to the CHURCH, which as we saw in vs. 18 is the BODY OF CHRIST!
So Paul takes the pain and the suffering that is meant really for Jesus!
Paul knows this personally because of his Damascus road encounter!
Think about it! Paul goes to persecute Christians and Jesus speaks to him and says “PAUL WHY DO YOU PERSECUTE ME!”
When Christians are persecuted, it is actually PERSECUTION OF JESUS!
That’s how Paul is suffering. He is not suffering on his own, he is suffering FOR JESUS!
So Paul suffers for his faith and how does he do it? HE DOES IT WHILE HE REJOICES!
He is imprisoned for his faith and he looks at it and REJOICES!
Why? BECAUSE IN PAUL’S MIND, this is part of his SERVICE! He is in chains because of what he has done FOR JESUS and he is rejoicing that he is able to serve JESUS in his imprisonment!
Talk about a counter-cultural mindset! I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically think, “WOW! I’D LOVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF MY FAITH!” But that’s where Paul’s at!
He rejoices in his suffering as it is because of his service to the CHURCH!
Let me give us a practical application.
We are not in prison today. But listen, there are believers around the world who ARE in prison today for what they believe.
But friends, we can play a role in supporting them.
There’s two things I want to highlight here.
First, we can PRAY FOR THEM! We can lift up persecuted believers TODAY and EVERY DAY as we pray!
Ya know the Pray 1:08 challenge that we have been doing? It comes from Acts 1:8 and that reminds us taht we are called to REACH SAVOY AND CHAMPAIGN AND THE WORLD! So during that time at 1:08 each day, we can PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTED BROTHERS AND SISTERS and those working WITH THEM!
Secondly, I told us last week that we’d be exploring some parts of the Cooperative Program over the next few weeks.
Did you know that a large portion of your Cooperative Program money goes overseas!
For every dollar that you give to the Cooperative Program in Illinois, 43.6 cents of it go to EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS IN NORTH AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD! (The rest goes to OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT MINISTRY THINGS- like church revitalization, church planting, etc)
Part of that goes overseas and is available to HELP BELIEVERS AROUND THE WORLD!
Not only can it help a believer who is suffering, it also helps missionaries reach closed countries with the gospel as they faithfully go and as GOD WORKS!
So keep that in mind as we talk about the cooperative program. It has a HUGE IMPACT ON BELIEVERS AROUND THE WORLD!
We can 100% go and some of us may be CALLED TO GO, but even as we are gathered here today, even if we never leave the US, our CP giving is at work and is being used by GOD AROUND THE WORLD!
Paul ends verse 25 talking about how he is in prison for the church. In verse 25 he says:
25 I have become its servant, according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
Paul has become its servant- what is it? THE CHURCH!
He has called himself a servant of the GOSPEL- of the good news of Jesus and now he calls himself a SERVANT OF THE CHURCH!
Hear me on this- YOU CAN’T HAVE CHURCH WITHOUT THE GOSPEL AND THE GOSPEL WILL LEAD YOU TO THE CHURCH, to the EKKLESIA, both globally and locally!
The global church is made up of all believers around the world!
The global church also spans time! Believers from all time are part of the global church and we will be united together in HEAVEN PRAISING GOD!
The Local Church is where you are right now! The gospel spurs US forward! Listen to what Hebrews 10:24-25 says
24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Look at this! That’s why we have been given the local church! We gather together to encourage one another and to walk through life together! We are called to BE WITH ONE ANOTHER!
And that carries over into how we live out the GREAT COMMISSION! Paul says it well- he’s been called to MAKE THE WORD OF GOD FULLY KNOWN!
Paul isn’t alone in that call! If we truly believe Matthew 28:18-20, then we need to APPLY IT AND MAKE THE WORD OF GOD KNOWN!
Paul is a SERVANT OF THE CHURCH! He was commissioned for a very specific task- to make the WORD OF GOD KNOWN and now he’s going to expand on what he has been called to make known!
26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Paul says that his duty is to make the gospel which has now been revealed made known!
God sent Paul specifically to the Gentiles, that is anyone that is not Jewish. Paul was to go and to pass on this MESSAGE OF HOPE!
The hope he is to pass on is THE HOPE OF GLORY- CHRIST IN US!
That is the GOSPEL! The great news, the HOPE OF JESUS!
Because Jesus doesn’t just stay far off! Jesus is near to us! In fact, he is IN US!
When we are saved, we are indwelled by the HOLY SPIRIT, by the third part of the TRINITY!
And that’s what Paul proclaims!
In verse 28, Paul uses PANTA 4 times. We’ve talked about this word a little bit throughout chapter 1. It means EVERY, ALL, EACH KIND OF, TOTALITY, WHOLE! It’s a powerful word!
Paul has used it to talk about the SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL and here he uses it to talk about how he is to teach ALL MEN!
He uses it three times in this way and it breaks this verse into three parts.
So let’s look at these phrases.
First, Paul proclaims Christ warning EVERYONE with WISDOM!
Secondly, Paul teaches EVERYONE with ALL, with PANTA wisdom.
Finally, Paul does this so that EVERYONE will be presented MATURE in Christ!
Proclaim Christ and warning everyone!
Paul is a servant of the GOSPEL AND THAT IS WHAT HE PROCLAIMS! Not just that, he preaches publicly what has been given to him by God!
That’s proclamation! It’s not just speaking it, it’s PUBLICLY TELLING ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN THE TRUTH!
Paul does that about JESUS!
And, he goes one step further, he WARNS EVERYONE!
He PROCLAIMS JESUS and provides warning towards people when they walk in sin!
He teaches them how to follow Christ!
He rebukes and he instructs. That’s what warning is here! He is teaching and rebuking! This is like what Paul tells Titus to do in Titus 1:13 and Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 3:16-17!
This is part of his commission!
Then, Paul teaches! He teaches who? ALL PEOPLE! And with what? WITH ALL WISDOM!
He has PANTAS WISDOM AND WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?
NOT PAUL! It comes from God! As we’ll see later on- ALL WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM KNOWING JESUS AND WALKING WITH JESUS!
And now why does Paul do all of this?
HE DOES THIS BECAUSE HE IS COMMISSIONED TO! And his mission is to labor to help “present everyone mature in Christ.”
Listen, he doesn’t mature people, but he serves God with a clear goal! He wants to see people presented MATURE IN CHRIST!
He labors for the sake of the GOSPEL AS A SERVANT! His motives aren’t about HIMSELF, they are all about helping people know the LORD MORE!
OH THAT THIS WOULD BE OUR MOTIVATOR IN ALL THAT WE DO!
29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.
Paul does all of this laboring not on his strength but on God’s strength!
This is so similar to what we talked about last week. We said that to be servants of the gospel like Paul, we had to be willing to go!
But we also talked about how Matthew 28 reminds us that we will NEVER BE ALONE AS WE GO!
Paul is saying that same thing here! He labors not on his strength, but WITH GOD’S STRENGTH THAT WORKS IN HIM!
It’s simple really. Ministry isn’t about us. It isn’t about our strength or our PERFECTION, it’s ALL ABOUT GOD AND WHAT GOD DOES!
So practically, as a point of application; do you want to see Savoy transformed with the gospel? (I HOPE SO!) Do you want to see your friends and your neighbors know Jesus? (I HOPE SO!)
Well, embrace that it isn’t happening on our strength, it is ONLY HAPPENING ON THE STRENGTH OF GOD!
God will strengthen us and will work through us! But it’s all about GOD!
As we move into Chapter 2, Paul continues this theme.
We read Colossians 2:1
1 For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person.
He talks about how he is STRUGGLING FOR THE BELIEVERS!
Look at this! Even as he suffers, he knows why and he keeps his foundation firm!
He isn’t suffering for some unknown reason- he is suffering as a SERVANT OF JESUS on behalf of the church!
And what he’s trying to get across to these believers matters!
He’s saying, “Even though I haven’t met you, I LOVE YOU AND I CARE ABOUT YOU! I’m REJOICING at my suffering on behalf of you!”
He’s reminding them that they aren’t alone! Even as they struggle in Colossae and the neighboring Laodicea, he reminds them that they are IN NO WAY ALONE!
Even as they rebuild from this earthquake, even as they face heresies, they are NOT ALONE! Paul and others are WITH THEM!
One of the greatest things about being a Christian is that we are part of a FAMILY TOGETHER!
That’s what the church is! It’s a FAMILY! and Paul EMPHASIZES THAT TO THEM!
2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And why does Paul do this?
He does this because he wants to see them ENCOURAGED, JOINED TOGETHER IN LOVE AND HAVING FULL KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST!
That’s why Paul labors for them and friends, that’s why we serve the LORD TOGETHER!
We do it not for ourselves, but to ENCOURAGE OTHERS, to BE UNITED and to HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND CHRIST!
In CHRIST there is all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge! EVERYTHING WE WANT AND NEED IS IN CHRIST!
This is really simple for Paul! He labors not for himself or his legacy, but for God!
One of the most dangerous things that can ever happen to a Christian is when we start to think more about OUR LEGACY than we do about SERVING GOD!
We might think, “That will never happen to us!” But it can so easily creep in! When we take our eyes off of God, instead of encouraging believers and helping people see Jesus, we begin to reflect ourselves!
Instead of encouraging others, we demand praise! Instead of unity, we create division! Instead of helping others follow Jesus, we ask them to follow us!
We HAVE TO RUN FROM THIS! Reaching our community requires that we LEAVE OUR EGOS AT THE DOOR! IT ISN’T ABOUT US, IT’S ABOUT GOD!
Quickly, let’s examine these three things that Paul does.
Encourage others
Paul encourages the believers! He struggles so that they may be encouraged!
He wants them specifically to be encouraged through CHRIST! So as Paul suffers, as the Colossians suffer, he points them back to JESUS!
It’s similar to what he says in 1 Corinthians 11:1
1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
It’s simple! IMITATE HIM AND IMITATE CHRIST!
Be united IN LOVE
He labors for unity, but not for an abstract form of unity! Paul labors for UNITY IN LOVE! Why does he write Colossians? TO PROTECT BELIEVERS AND GIVE THEM CLEAR TEACHING TO STAND UNITED ON!
Paul has talked about the love that the Colossians have for one another but Paul wants them to love even deeper! He longs for believers to love one another in UNITY!
Unity is implicit in the EARLY CHURCH!
In response to it, WE MUST BE UNITED BY OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER here at Cornerstone, but that isn’t enough! WE MUST LOVE OTHER BELIEVERS!
Guys, the way that we love one another matters! There isn’t room within a church for division! There just isn’t! We are called to LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
Help People understand Christ
Paul labors first and foremost, as should we, so that people can understand Christ!
And that brings us right to our first application of the day.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Find the GREATEST TREASURE!
I can’t be more direct and applicable from this text than to challenge you to find the greatest treasure ever!
Three times- once each in verse 26 27 and 2:2, Paul refers to the MYSTERY that is CHRIST!
And what is mysterious about it? Well, I’m going to tell you! The ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT, the first 39 books of the BIBLE, point us towards our need to be saved!
They provide prophecies about our savior, they help us to understand what our savior will be like and they give us things to look for, but NOT ONCE, does the OLD TESTAMENT SAY, “YOUR SAVIOR WILL BE NAMED JESUS! HE WILL BE THIS TALL AND THIS HEAVY AND HE WILL LOOK LIKE THIS!”
See, the Old Testament, doesn’t even tell us exactly HOW the price will be paid for our salvation, rather, the prophets- Isaiah in particular- just tell us that our savior will suffer for us!
And here’s the awesome thing!
GOD REVEALED THIS MYSTERY TO OUR WORLD!
Have you ever read a mystery novel or watched a mystery movie? Can you imagine reading a mystery that goes on for 855 pages and that spans human history
WELL, THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE! Jesus came to save! And when Jesus came, God REVEALED this mystery!
So listen, this is the most important thing! YOU NEED TO FIND THIS TREASURE!
And Understand me please, JESUS IS TREASURE! HE IS THE GREATEST TREASURE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!
Because Jesus didn’t come for his glory, Jesus came for us.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for you and for me.
And why? Because Romans 3:23
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
BUT WAIT! WE HAVE HOPE! (SALVATION) and our salvation doesn’t just start when we reach heaven, our salvation starts TODAY! OUR LIVES ARE TRANSFORMED TODAY!
How? It’s simple really! When you are saved, your life has NEW MEANING AND NEW PURPOSE! YOU HAVE A TOTALLY NEW IDENTITY!
When you are saved, you are walking no longer on YOUR STRENGTH, but now you walk on GOD’S STRENGTH!
When you are saved, YOU HAVE NEW LIFE!
And that life comes only through Jesus!
So let me encourage you- FIND THE GREATEST TREASURE TODAY by entering into a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!
Help others find the Greatest Treasure
As Christians, we aren’t done after we find the GREATEST TREASURE!
Instead, as we are seeing in Colossians, finding Jesus is just the beginning! Now, we have the opportunity to help others FIND JESUS!
Listen, if we really believe what we say we do, then there is no greater joy than following Jesus and telling others about JESUS!
On Tuesday, I was sent an email by IBSA about a Barna survey. Barna found that 74% of U.S. adults would like to grow spiritually.
So here’s my challenge- WE NEED TO BE READY TO HELP THEM FIND JESUS!
Hear me, we will never save someone! Only Jesus can, but we do need to be ready to labor and proclaim the GOSPEL DAILY!
Are you?
Are you ready to help people find Jesus?
Here’s the great news- if you know Jesus, then YES YOU ARE!
It’s simple really. Tell someone what JESUS HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE!
Tell them about how JESUS SAVED YOU!
It’s simple and it’s beautiful!
And what’s so amazing to me today is that God has given us a community that we can work together with to share THE GOSPEL!
That’s the beautiful thing about being a part of a church family. You’ve got a team here cheering you on and going with you!
Most importantly, you’ve got the HOLY SPIRIT, but you also have us here to help!
And that’s good because this isn’t easy work!
John Stott says- “The greatest single secret of evangelistic or missionary effectiveness is a willingness to suffer and die. It may be death to popularity, or to pride, or to material comfort.”
But as we close, let me challenge us with something. Although there is a cost to helping someone find the treasure- just as there was for SALLAH in our intro- but, unlike other things in life, the cost to help someone find JESUS IS ALWAYS WORTH IT!
And this is where we get to cast vision- WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CORNERSTONE TO HELP OTHERS FIND JESUS?
We don’t want to be stationary, we want to be where people are! We want to be where there is hurt! We want to BRING OUR FAITH INTO our relationships!
74% of adults are looking for spiritual answers! WE HAVE THEM!
Friday I was reading a book for my next Doctoral Class. And I really thought I was done with the sermon. Then I saw something really powerful. Michael Green was talking about the characteristics of the early church compared to the modern American church and says:
“Christians who have reached some maturity seem to retire from the front line… and no longer reach out beyond their comfort zone to people who are ignorant of the gospel… that quality of loyalty is surely one of the keys to understanding the impact of the early church. Their loyalty to Jesus Christ, to each other, to the calling he had given them, forged them into a mighty task-force.”
If we want to be like the early church (as is so popular to say) then we must be deeply interested in helping others find THIS GREATEST TREASURE and in being united together through loyalty first and foremost to JESUS CHRIST! We must follow JESUS! That’s a VISION casting moment today! We need to be united together BECAUSE OF CHRIST and we must be deeply attached to CHRIST- tightly bound together through our love for the GOSPEL AND OUR DESIRE TO SEE OTHERS COME TO FAITH!
And so let me give us a practical way to live out this vision this week- Jeff and Shelah are a couple from Peoria that moved to Puebla, Mexico. They are preparing to church plant in Mexico City. I’m super excited to announce that through the IMB and IBSA, we are going to partner with them. So, this week, be praying for Jeff and Shelah and their 4 children as we kick off “MISSIONS MAY” a month where we really seek to pray and engage with what God is doing around the world as we seek to help others find Jesus!
Let me pray for us.
Closing:
We’re going to be putting together a care package for Jeff and Shelah and their family- so, if you happen to be out shopping and you see some…