Centered in Jesus, the All in All - Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Colossians 2:1 .
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,
Last week we looked at how struggles and trials are to be expected in the Christian life. These are being reconciled by Jesus, the All in All, which brings us joy in that purpose, and power in his reconciliation.
Paul is not bragging about his struggle for the gospel, but joining with the Colossians in their struggle.
Paul, with his writings, is joining with us in our struggle for living the gospel in our world.
Do we not find encouragement when we journey with others struggling on the same journey of life?
We can even find encouragement from people we have never met face to face. We often read about their lives lived on mission for the gospel. It was the same for the Colossians who had not met Paul.
2 Corinthians 11:24-28 gives us insight into the struggles of Paul.
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
The point of this is not comparison, which many of us do. We are not to say to ourselves, “Man, look what Paul went through! My struggle is not nearly as difficult as his. Man, I better buck-up.” This response is not helpful or healthy when done with anybody.
The point is shared struggle with Jesus that brings us together in Jesus, the All in All.
We are all in this together, Church, bearing with one another’s burdens with Jesus, the All in All (Galatians 6:2).
Colossians 2:2-3 .
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul is again presenting in a chiastic format. Verses 2-3 form the center of the chiasm. There are five phrases for our edification, that Paul is striving for, all revolving around Jesus, the All in All.
The first phrase is “that their hearts may be encouraged”.
Paul is sharing his struggle and persevering in sharing Jesus for our encouragement.
Paul chooses the word “hearts,” meaning he wants our whole being to be encouraged - our intellect, our emotions and our physical bodies.
The idea behind the word “encouraged” is a calling and reminding individuals of certain truths. Here the truth is Jesus is the Creator of all and the Reconciler of all. With this truth Paul is calling us to be encouraged and comforted in our struggle on mission for the gospel.
The second phrase is “being knit together in love”
“Knit” is a word that communicates unity with intentionality. No scarf, sweater, blanket or doily is knitted passively. To be united in the love of God, expressed in Jesus through his death and resurrection, takes intentionality. Are you being intentional in your knitting?
What are the things that bring our focus off of being knit together in Jesus, the All in All?
Paul is striving so that the church would be knit together, centered on God’s selfless love.
Let us be knit together in God’s love, expressed in Jesus, the All in All.
The third phrase is “to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding”.
Paul is striving so that we reach all the riches.
What are all the riches?
Paul mentions three riches, all centered on Jesus.
The first of our riches is to have full assurance in Jesus, for he is the Creator of all and the Reconciler of all. He is Jesus, the All in All.
The second of our riches is to understand the effects of Jesus’ work, thus finding encouragement and purpose as we live on mission with Jesus.
The fourth phrase is “the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ”, which is our third riches.
So Jesus is the embodiment of the riches that Yahweh has for us, the mystery made know to us his saints.
We need to be centered on Jesus.
The fifth phrase is “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.
This phrase echos Proverbs 9:10 in that relationship with Yahweh is the source of all the riches of wisdom and knowledge.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Jesus of course is the only way we have a relationship with the Trinity. He is the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5-6 ).
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6 ).
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Therefore, be centered on Jesus, our riches.
Colossians 2:4 .
4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
Anyone ever feel like their faith is being deluded by plausible arguments?
These arguments come from within and from without. We can often find ourselves tossed to and fro by these when we are not centered on Jesus.
Paul lays out his struggle for the church to be centered on Jesus so that we will not be deluded.
If you do not want to be deluded:
First, share in the mutual struggle of a life on mission with Jesus.
Second, knit yourself together with other believers, unified on the love of Yahweh expressed in the person of Jesus.
Third, receive the riches of Jesus. The riches of full assurance of Jesus’ work. The riches of understanding the effect of Jesus’ work. The riches of knowing Jesus, the All in All.
Colossians 2:5 .
5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Paul ends this chiasm reminding us that we are all in this together even when we are apart, for we have all been baptized into the Holy Spirit who is our seal. Paul is with them in S/spirit.
In his struggle he finds joy in their firm faith and their good morale in the face of their struggle on mission for Jesus.
Church, may we be centered on Jesus, living with him on mission, not being deluded by arguments from within or from without, firm in Jesus, the All in All.