Ministry fueled by God’s Power

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by His power working in me

Colossians 1:24–29 ESV
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
R. C. Sproul, president of Ligonier Study Center, a popular theologian and a gifted and colorful communicator, tells of having the following exchange with one of his students:
I remember a starry-eyed college student who looked at me and said in wonderment, “What was it like for you when you were just a minister?” I lost it. I exploded in a paroxysm of indignation. “What do you mean just a minister? Don’t you realize that the parish ministry is the highest calling on earth? God had only one Son and He made Him a preacher!”
In my mind’s eye I see Dr. Sproul at his theatrical best, standing over his student like a latter-day Luther, while the student is trying to find somewhere to hide. Actually Sproul was just having fun, but he was serious about his point, which is that the Christian ministry is the highest calling.
and Of course Sproul is not the first to think this way. John Wycliffe, the English “Morning Star” of the Reformation, wrote:
The highest service that men may attain to on earth is to preach the Word of God. This service falls peculiarly to priests and therefore God more straightly demands it of them. … And for this cause, Jesus Christ left other works and occupied himself mostly in preaching, and thus did his apostles, and for this God loved them.
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ The Supreme Ministry ( Colossians 1:24-29 )

In the last century, Alexander Whyte of Edinburgh wrote to a discouraged pastor, “The angels around the throne envy you your great work.… Go on and grow in grace and power as a gospel preacher.” In our own day, W. E. Sangster of the Westminster Central Hall in London said:

Called to preach! … commissioned of God to teach the word! A herald of the great King! A witness of the Eternal Gospel! Could any work be more high and holy! To this supreme task God sent his only begotten Son. In all the frustration and confusion of the times, is it possible to imagine a work comparable in importance with that of proclaiming the will of God to wayward men?

Paul says the call to ministry is the greatest call of all. Regardless of where you are and what you face, this is the greatest thing you can do.
4 things to see, his ministerial attitude, his ministerial charge, his ministerial purpose, and his ministerial devotion

Attitude

Colossians 1:24 ESV
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ (Paul’s Ministerial Attitude (v. 24))
Paul explicitly said he rejoiced in his sufferings. From a human perspective, what he says is incomprehensible—.” But Romans 5:3 speaks of exulting in tribulation; 1 Peter 4:13 says to suffer and rejoice; Acts 5:41 tells of the apostles rejoicing that they had been counted “worthy” to suffer. Paul too rejoiced. But why?
Romans 5:3 “3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,”
1 Peter 4:13 “13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”
Acts 5:41 “41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.”
First, because his suffering brought good to the Church. “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking … for the sake of his body, which is the church.” Without his willingness to suffer (described in 2 Corinthians 11, where he listed an amazing catalogue of miseries he had undergone to bring the gospel to Asia), there would have been no church in Asia. The gospel has always spread through missionary hardship. But there is something more here, and it is far more subtle: believers grow through their personal suffering, and the good they receive flows to others—thus edifying the Church.
I’ll be honest with you. . many want to Serve and preach salvation without Suffering. Many pastors across the world, accepted the call counting up the cost.
I don’t wake up in the morning saying: Lord use me so that I can suffer! I don’t think anyone does. . . however as we minister; re should rejoice in knowing suffering has a purpose.
A knife can be used by a doctor to save your life. If you need surgery for any reason, the knife can be used by the doctor to open up the body so that he can operate. The patient feels the cut, sees the scar, but lives knowing the knife had a purpose.
Many of you brothers are in places that are intense, your surrounded by animosity and oppression. The fact you believe in Christ causes people to push you away. You love Christ and you are a pastor makes it worst. Not only for yourselves but your family.
I talked one brother(Roy) yesterday who serves in the one of the new areas God has opened for the work you are doing. He’s in Tasikmalaya. Tasikmalya is full of Islamic schools and training universities. The Message of Christ is not recieved. Said as his family tried to get a place to stay. . no one wanted his family there. All because of his Faith in CHrist.
I don’t all you are experiencing but suffering comes with ministry. Paul’s suffering led to more churches in Asia. Your suffering is moving us to potentially having 300 church gatherings. We rejoice in Suffering.
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Attitude (v. 24)

God’s servants benefit, and everyone benefits. For Paul, this is cause for rejoicing. This is why very often the suffering of a brother or sister in Christ is a great source of blessing to the Church, for their elevated character is transferred to fellow believers.

Suffering is a part of the job
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ (Paul’s Ministerial Attitude (v. 24))
Secondly, Paul described his suffering as “fill[ing] up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.” This is one of the most debated verses in all of Scripture! Whole books have been written on its interpretation over the last 2,000 years. We know it does not mean that Paul made up that which was lacking in the atoning sufferings of Christ, for the whole of Colossians as well as the rest of the New Testament teaches the sufficiency of Christ in atonement (cf. 2:13, 14; 1:12–14, 19–22). Paul did not help with the Atonement; that was Christ’s solo work. But one thing that the phrase does teach for sure (and everyone agrees on this) is that a close identification develops between Christ and the Church through suffering. Before Paul’s Damascus Road encounter, Paul had been making Christ suffer in the people he was persecuting. Christ’s first words to Saul made this clear: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Jesus was being persecuted in the bodies of his followers. However, immediately after Paul’s conversion Jesus said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (9:16). Now Paul would suffer, and Christ would suffer in him—a stupendous truth!
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Attitude (v. 24)

one thing is clear: Paul knew his sufferings were good for the Church and that they brought to him a special closeness with Christ. Every blow that fell on him fell on his Master, and thus bound them even closer together in mutual suffering. Paul’s experience was like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who in the fiery furnace were joined by a fourth person: the Lord (Daniel 3:25). That is why Paul could pray from a Roman jail:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. (Philippians 3:10)

Paul rejoices because of Suffering
The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Five: One Man’s Ministry (Colossians 1:21–2:3))
Paul’s rejoicing (v. 24). “Instead of being ashamed of my suffering, I am rejoicing in it!” How could anyone rejoice in suffering? To begin with, Paul was suffering because of Jesus Christ. It was “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). Like the early Apostles, Paul rejoiced that he was “counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). A Christian should never suffer “as a thief or as an evildoer”; but it is an honor to “suffer as a Christian” (1 Peter 4:15–16). There is a special blessing and reward reserved for the faithful believer who suffers for the sake of Christ (Matt. 5:10–12).
Jesus’s Words
Matthew 5:10–12 “10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Paul had a second cause for rejoicing in his suffering: he was suffering because of the Gentiles. Paul was the chosen apostle to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1–13). In fact, he was a prisoner in Rome because of his love for the Gentiles. He was arrested in Jerusalem on false charges, and the Jews listened to his defense until he used the word Gentiles (see Acts 22:21ff). It was that word that infuriated them and drove them to ask for his execution. (The full account is given in Acts 21–28, and an exciting account it is.)
So the Gentile believers in Colossae had every reason to love Paul and be thankful for his special ministry to them. But there was a third cause for Paul’s rejoicing: he was suffering for the sake of Christ’s body, the church. There was a time when Paul had persecuted the church and caused it to suffer. But now Paul devoted his life to the care of the church. Paul did not ask, as do some believers. “What will I get out of it?” Instead he asked, “How much will God let me put into it?” The fact that Paul was a prisoner did not stop him from ministering to the church.
It is important to note, however, that these sufferings had nothing to do with the sacrificial sufferings of Christ on the cross. Only the sinless Lamb of God could die for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Paul was “filling up in his turn the leftover parts of Christ’s sufferings” (Col. 1:24, literal translation). The word afflictions refers to the “pressures” of life, the persecutions Paul endured. This word is never used in the New Testament for the sacrificial sufferings of Jesus Christ.
The sacrificial sufferings of Christ are over, but His body, the church, experiences suffering because of its stand for the faith. The Head of the church in heaven feels the sufferings that His people endure. (“Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” [Acts 9:4]) Paul was taking his turn in sharing these afflictions, and others would follow in his train. But Paul did not complain. “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5).

Ministry Charge

Colossians 1:25–27 ESV
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Charge (vv. 25-27)

This charge has preaching as its main function, and specifically Biblical exposition. The phrase “to present to you the word of God” literally reads, “that I might complete the Word of God.” The idea is to lay out the Word of God fully. People cannot know Christ better without knowing the Scriptures. Preaching (exposition) was the heart of God’s call to Paul.

Preaching must open the Word of God. Paul affirms here such preaching is primary to an authentic ministry. There is no shortcut—it takes work

Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Charge (vv. 25-27)

Paul’s preaching set forth a “mystery”—namely, that in some way God’s saving purpose was going to be extended to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6; Romans 15:9–12). From the ancient Jewish perspective, this seemed impossible because of the mutual disdain which Gentiles and especially Jews had for one another. It was a mystery indeed!

The mystery: Jews and Gentiles reconciled
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Charge (vv. 25-27)

The prophesied reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles was truly a mystery. Then Christ came, and the middle wall was broken down, and Jews and Gentiles became together a new man establishing shalom, peace (Ephesians 2:13–18).

… the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:4–6)

Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Charge (vv. 25-27)

Jews and Gentiles all sat down at one table and counted themselves one in Christ. It was a miracle! This had come about only because of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (v. 27b). The indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ is what made the miracle possible.

This happened in Colosse, and it can happen today. One of the greatest glories of the gospel is that it brings people who are different from each other together.

history of the mystery
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: One Man’s Ministry (Colossians 1:21–2:3)

God called the nation of Israel to be His people, He gave them His Law (including the priesthood and sacrifices), and He gave them a wonderful land. He promised them a King who would one day establish a glorious kingdom and fulfill the many promises made to Abraham and David. The Old Testament prophets wrote about a Messiah who would suffer, and a Messiah who would reign. They could not explain the seeming contradiction (see 1 Peter 1:9–12). They did not understand that the Messiah first had to suffer before He could enter into glory (Luke 24:13–27).

Jesus Christ came to earth, was rejected by His people, and was crucified. He arose again and returned to heaven. Did this mean that God’s promised kingdom for Israel was now abandoned? No, because God had initiated a new program—His mystery—that was not explained by the Old Testament prophets. The mystery is that today God is uniting Jews and Gentiles in the church (Eph. 2:11–22). When the church is completed, then Jesus Christ will return and take His people to heaven (1 Thes. 4:13–18). Then He will again deal with Israel as a nation and establish the promised kingdom (Acts 15:12–18).

Imagine what this message meant to the Gentiles. They were no longer excluded from the glory and riches of God’s grace! During the Old Testament dispensation, a Gentile had to become a Jewish proselyte in order to share in the blessings of Israel. But in the new dispensation, Jews and Gentiles alike are saved by faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:12–13). No wonder the Jewish false teachers opposed Paul. He dared to say, “There is no difference!”

Ministry Purpose

Colossians 1:28 ESV
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Purpose (v. 28)

Paul’s goal is nothing short of presenting to Christ complete, mature, full-grown Christians. He was not into the “I’ll save ‘em, you raise ‘em!” type of thinking. Rather, his great joy was to present to Christ believers who have reached their maximum earthly potential.

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. (l Thessalonians 2:19, 20)

Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Purpose (v. 28)

Listen to Paul’s benediction in 1 Thessalonians 5:23:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

HIM we proclaim is Christ! Him Dead, Buried and Raised From the dead!
Him we proclaim is Christ: “ I am the Way, the Truth and the life
We proclaim Christ, who came to save sinners. . .
How do we preach?!
With the Word of God
Preaching in Service in front of your church family
Preaching using other means than formalized worship.
Preaching with our lives and lifestyles
Paul’s teaching, admonishing, proclamation
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ (Paul’s Ministerial Purpose (v. 28))
Paul’s means of bringing believers to maturity, according to verse 28, was threefold: proclamation, admonishment (warning), and teaching.
He proclaimed Christ; Christ was the beginning and the end of his message. As George Whitefield said, “Other men may preach the gospel better than I, but no man can preach a better gospel.”
When the preaching of Christ brought converts, Paul spent time “admonishing … everyone,” which means that he corrected and warned them. Paul did not shrink from this unpleasant task of admonishment, because he cared. I understand that when Henrietta Mears, one of the most effective Christians of our time, entered a room, people often had the feeling that she was saying to each person, “Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you.” This was certainly the way it was with Paul.
He also spent his time “teaching everyone.” The Greek text of verse 28 is emphatic, mentioning “everyone” three times. Paul proclaimed Christ and admonished and taught everyone because he truly believed Christ was for everyone, and he saw great potential in every soul he touched. What a way to look at life!
teaching- discipleship. . evangelism. instruction
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: One Man’s Ministry (Colossians 1:21–2:3)

Paul’s instruction (v. 28a). Whom refers, of course, to Jesus Christ. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord” (2 Cor. 4:5). The false teachers exalted themselves and their great “spiritual” attainments. They preached a system of teaching, but Paul preached a Person. The gnostics preached philosophy and the empty traditions of men (Col. 2:8), but Paul proclaimed Jesus Christ. The false teachers had lists of rules and regulations (Col. 2:16, 20–21), but Paul presented Christ. What a difference in ministries!

Paul not only preached (the word means “to announce with authority as a herald”), but he also warned. While it is good to proclaim positive truth, it is also necessary to warn God’s people against the lies of the enemy (Acts 20:31). In fact, God’s people should be alert to warn one another (admonish in Col. 3:16, NIV). Paul considered himself a spiritual father to the local churches, and it was his duty to warn his children (1 Cor. 4:14).

and warning and positive
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: One Man’s Ministry (Colossians 1:21–2:3)

But Paul was also a teacher of the truth. It is not enough to warn people; we must also teach them the positive truths of the Word of God. How far would we get in our travels if the highway signs told us where the roads were not going? Not very far! It is good to win a man to Christ, and then to warn him about the dangers ahead; but it is also important to teach that convert the basic truths of the Christian life.

Paul not only preached Christ, but he also “taught Christ,” for in Christ are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). It was not necessary to introduce any new teaching, for all that a believer needs to know is related to Jesus Christ. “Teaching every man in all wisdom” was Paul’s concern (Col. 1:28). Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. The false teachers promised to give people a “hidden wisdom” that would make them “spiritually elite.” But all true spiritual wisdom is found only in Jesus Christ.

the Goal - maturity
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: One Man’s Ministry (Colossians 1:21–2:3)

Paul’s intent (v. 28b; 2:2–3). He wanted to present every believer “perfect in Christ Jesus.” The word perfect was a favorite word with the gnostic teachers. It described the disciple who was no longer a novice, but who had matured and was fully instructed in the secrets of the religion. Paul used it to mean “complete, mature in Christ.” This is the goal of all preaching, warning, and teaching.

The Energy

Colossians 1:29 ESV
29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Energy (v. 29)

The truth is, no one can hope to have a Biblically authentic ministry without hard work. Paul’s language in this verse is brutally compelling. The Greek word translated “labor” was used for work which left one so weary it was as if the person had taken a beating. It denotes labor to exhaustion. “Struggling,” a stronger term than “labor,” was the Greek word from which we derive the English word agony and was used for agonizing in an athletic event or in a fight. The words together describe the tremendous energy of Paul’s apostolic ministry. He strained every physical and moral sinew to present every man complete in Christ. First Thessalonians 2:9 pictures this:

Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God.

Ministry is hard work….
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ (Paul’s Ministerial Energy (v. 29))
It is often said, “When all is said and done, there is more said than done.” It ought not to be that way! Luther worked so hard that many days, according to his biographers, he fell into bed. Moody’s bedtime prayer on one occasion, as he rolled his bulk into bed, was, “Lord, I’m tired! Amen.” John Wesley rode sixty to seventy miles many days of his life and preached an average of three sermons a day, whether he was riding or not. Alexander Maclaren would get to his office when the workmen went to work so he could hear their boots outside, and would put on workmen’s boots to remind him why he was in his study. G. Campbell Morgan kept a newspaper clipping for twenty years, entitled “Sheer Hard Work,” and said:
What is true of the minister is true of every man who bears the name of Christ. We have not begun to touch the great business of salvation when we have sung, “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying.” We have not entered into the business of evangelizing the city or the world until we have put our own lives into the business, our own immediate physical endeavor, inspired by spiritual devotion.
Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Paul’s Ministerial Energy (v. 29)

Paul’s ministerial drive is a model for us all. We will never have an authentic, apostolic ministry unless we are willing to work to the point of exhaustion.

R. C. Sproul is right: the ministry of the gospel is a glorious thing. But we do not have to be an apostle or a reformer or a preacher to do it. Some years ago a woman in Africa became a Christian. Being filled with gratitude, she decided to do something for Christ. She was blind, uneducated, and seventy years of age. She came to her missionary with her French Bible and asked her to underline John 3:16 in red ink. Mystified, the missionary watched her as she took her Bible and sat in front of a boys’ school in the afternoon. When school dismissed, she would call a boy or two and ask them if they knew French. When they proudly responded that they did, she would say, “Please read the passage underlined in red.” When they did, she would ask, “Do you know what this means?” And she would tell them about Christ. The missionary says that over the years twenty-four young men became pastors due to her work. She had it all:

• a ministerial attitude.

• a ministerial charge.

• a ministerial purpose.

• a ministerial energy.

This call is for all of us!

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