The Burden of Paul

Colossians 2:1-7

Last time we looked at the example of Paul. We learned how to be an example for other Christians to follow. In chapter 1:24-29 we saw an outline of a servant of God:

We rejoice in suffering

We understand that our calling is from God

We proclaim the mystery of the ages

We understand our purpose

We are diligent in labor

As we move to chapter 2 we see the heart of Paul. Verse 1 especially shows us his heart. Look at verse 1. You clearly see the heart of a man of God.

He’s talking to people he’s never even met. You see that at the end of the verse “for all who have not seen me face to face”.

He’s talking about multiple churches: Colossae & Laodicea at the very least.

He wants them to know something. He says, “For I want you to know”. There’s an intense desire that Paul wants to communicate.

Have you ever said something like that? Have you ever said something like “I wish you knew how much I love you.” “I wish you knew how much my heart was broken.” It’s not possible for others to feel our full emotion but that’s what Paul wants. What is it that he wants them to know so desperately?

He wants them to know the conflict in his soul over them. He wants them to know how much he is struggling over them.

How is this being manifest? How is this struggle in his soul manifesting? He’s in jail. So he can’t do much. They’re hundreds of miles away from him. He can’t talk to them in person.

The only real option is the struggle he feels is manifesting itself through prayer. Remember back in 1:3 he said he was constantly praying for them.

The word “struggle” is a different form of the same word “struggling” in 1:29. Our word “agonizing” comes from the word translated as struggling in chapter 1. The word used here is where we get our word “agony” from. Same word, different form: agonizing, agony.

The only real labor Paul could do while he was in prison is pray and write. He labored with agony. He wrote with agony. He prayed with agony.

I’ve spent a good amount of time with people in prison. I can tell you that when a person is in prison, generally speaking, they have one thing on their mind: How do I get out of here? They spend their time agonizing in the law library. They spend their time agonizing over appeals. They spend their time agonizing with courts, judges and lawyers.

Paul is in prison and his agony, his conflict, his struggle has nothing to do with himself. His struggle is over people he has never even met face to face. The spiritual welfare of the church is his burden.

The burden of a pastor is an interesting one. While Paul was not technically a pastor of a church he was certainly a pastor of pastors. He carried the burden of a pastor.

The Bible teaches us that a pastor is to shepherd the flock. The imagery of that analogy connected well in Jesus and Paul’s day. The burden of a shepherd and a pastor are similar.

We count our sheep. We’re concerned over each and every one.

We feed our sheep. We lead them through the green pastures of God’s Word.

We protect our sheep. We recognize that wolves bring error and schisms. We beat them back through the teaching of God’s Word.

A good shepherd would even lay his life down for his sheep. The job of a shepherd was 24-7. His sheep were always on his mind.

Here we have Paul, who we could not blame for thinking of himself, being in conflict over the church.

There is a burden that comes with the call.

You see it in Jeremiah who openly wept for the people of God (Jeremiah 9:1).

You see it in Ezekiel who lay on his side for over 400 days to warn his people of the coming judgment (Ezekiel 4).

You see it in John the Baptist whose warning against sin led to his head being chopped off (Mark 6:27).

You see it in Jesus who called Israel to Himself as a mother calls her chicks but they would not come (Matt 23:37).

Paul had that same burden. That’s where the conflict in his soul comes from. God puts people in this world who care more about our own soul than we do. In this section we look at five burdens of the apostle Paul. We answer the question what should I be burdened about in my spiritual life?

1. A strong heart (2).

In verse 2 Paul says “that their hearts may be encouraged”. The idea is that they would not be faint in heart. Paul was aware of how easily Christians can become weak. When we think of the heart we think of emotion. But it’s important to remember that emotion is a reflection of the mind. We get emotional because of what we think or believe. The mind inspires emotion. The key to being strong in heart is to be strong in mind.

What weakens believers? A mind filled with the world rather than the Word.

Let me give you an example. We primarily feed ourselves with social media these days. Facebook is a good example. There are many weak believers because they feed themselves on nothing but social media. Instead of being encouraged they’re discouraged. We go around all day discouraged because of one thing we read on social media.

How do you strengthen your heart? You fill your mind with the Word of God. The flesh is a very weak thing. It has to be strengthened through the Word of God on a regular basis.

Our problem is we often wait until we’re so weak we experience some great fall before we get in the Word. It’s like dieting. You know if you’re not really overweight people get upset with you for dieting. They say “Why are you dieting, you’re not heavy.” What people fail to realize is that for most of us dieting has to be a lifestyle or we’ll get to a place that’s difficult to get out of.

It’s the same way with strengthening your heart with the Word of God. It has to be a lifestyle. Paul has a burden for folks. He wants them to be strong in heart. That’s the heart of a pastor. That’s why he labors in the Word. That’s why it breaks his heart to see people not listen or take the Word of God seriously.

2. A unifying love (2).

In verse 2 Paul says “being knit together in love”. He says he wants them to love each other deeply. He wants them to be close.

Love for the local church. Not the building, but the people. All the people.

This has to be intentional on our part. It is human nature to bundle up with the same folks week after week. If you’re not intentional about being knit together with all the people in your church then it won’t happen. You’ll find a group of people and that will be your group.

I recognize this weakness in my own heart. That’s why I have made a commitment to try and personally greet everyone as they come to church each Sunday. I don’t stand out front before Sunday School because I must. I do it because it gets me out of my comfort zone. It gives me some one on one with every person who comes through that door.

This has to be with people who are different than us. One of the greatest joys I’ve experienced here is a relationship with many of our senior adults. I didn’t have that opportunity at my previous church. We had one senior citizen in the whole church!

When you are knit together with the people at your church it makes coming to church a lot easier! The heart of a pastor is to see a congregation knit together in love.

3. Confidence in salvation (2-4).

We see two things about this confidence:

The first has to do with our assurance of salvation. In verse 2 Paul says, “to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding”.

In other words, when you have a strong heart and a unifying love it leads to assurance. Assurance of salvation comes through spiritual growth and the Holy Spirit.

There is nothing richer than knowing you’re saved! Nothing compares to knowing your sin is forgiven! Nothing compares to knowing you’re going to heaven!

The second has to do with our Savior. Paul says “ and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.

The world is looking for treasure. The world is looking for riches. The world is looking for wisdom and knowledge. It’s a mystery to them where it is. As believers we have the treasure map, the Word of God. When we read the map we see there is a big X marking the spot where all the riches are. The spot marked is Christ Himself.

That’s where we dig. Christ is our mine. We dig deep into who He is and what He has done. The deeper we dig the more treasure we find. The more treasure we find the more confident we are in our salvation and in our Savior.

Look at verse 4. Paul tells them this because people are trying to argue against the truth that all we need is found in Christ.

“delude” Means to deceive. There seems to be two major strategies when it comes to Christ and false teachers. They will deny at least one of two things:

The Deity of Christ. They argue that Christ is not Cod.

The Sufficiency of Christ. They argue that Christ is not enough.

If you believe this lie you will seek satisfaction in the wrong places.

The world is looking in all the wrong places. I was watching the news the other night and someone robbed a Dollar Store. I was thinking if I were going to rob something it wouldn’t be a Dollar Store. If I’m going down for robbery I’m going to make it worth it! I’m robbing a bank or a credit union but not a Dollar Store. That’s a foolish thing! Looking for treasure in a Dollar Store is just as foolish as trying to find true riches in anything other than Christ.

Looking for treasure in relationships is like robbing a Dollar store.

Looking for treasure in drugs & alcohol is like robbing a Dollar Store!

Looking for treasure in the accumulation of wealth is like robbing a Dollar Store!

You ain’t gonna get much and the end you’ll look silly.

Our treasure is in Christ because it is Christ alone who gives us assurance of salvation. He is the only One who gives us what can last. It’s the heart of every pastor to see his church confident in their Savior and their salvation!

4. Standing firm against attacks (5).

In verse 5 Paul says he was rejoicing to “see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ”.

The words “order and firmness” are terms that describe the formation of a military front filled with disciplined soldiers. These are soldiers who are ready for battle.

Paul wanted to see the church put up a solid front. He wanted their lines to be unbroken despite the attack of the enemy.

These words are greatly needed in our day. The church is being attacked in a way we have never witnessed. We are ridiculed. We are demonized. We are charged with being hateful and narrow minded. Sadly folks are giving in. Sadly folks would rather get along than get to heaven.

We would do well to remember we have something worth fighting for. We have Someone worth dying for. A pastor wants to see a church who is not afraid to stand as a soldier. We live in a day of compromise and capitulation. We live in a day of jellyfish Christians, invertebrates, afraid to call sin sin, false gods idols. Unwilling to follow Christ because we might lose a follower on Instagram. Unwilling to stand up in fear that someone may tell us to sit down.

A pastor wants to see his people stand firm against the attacks of the enemy. Not to abandoned their post. Not to forsake their fellow soldiers. Not to shame the Captain of their souls.

5. Walking in Christ.

We see this in verse 6-7. Paul says “You received Christ as Lord, now walk in Him!”

He says “You’ve been rooted!” There’s a permanence communicated there.

“Built up” describes the ongoing process.

“Established” describes the strength we have in a walk with Christ.

You are rooted in Christ! Now grow in the Lord and be firmly established in Him!

All that, Paul tells us, leads to an abounding in thanksgiving. There’s no one happier than the one who knows Christ!

The burden of a pastor is that believers will walk in Christ. That means, every day we seek to live our life for His glory. Our thoughts are consumed with Christ. Our passion is to live for His glory every single day.

Illustration of Jesus Stay Here skit.

That’s how many people live the Christian life. My walk is to be Christ’s walk. I determine where I go and what I do based on Him. He’s not something to me He’s everything to me.

What should I be burdened about in my spiritual life?

A strong heart

A unifying love

A confidence in salvation

Standing firm against attacks

Walking in Christ

The One Thing- No one should be more burdened about my spiritual life than I am.