Christ in You...The Hope of Glory: A look into the rigors & rewards of authentic ministry!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction 1
Introduction 1
Good morning Church! It’s good to see each of you who have made it out today and all those who may be joining online as well.
We will be picking up right where we left off last week in the Book of Colossians.
Today, we will be back in Chapter 1 and will be finishing out the chapter by looking at Verses 24-29 at a message I’ve entitled…Christ in You…the Hope of Glory: A first hand look into the rigors & rewards of authentic ministry!
We live in a world today where authenticity is a rare thing. In almost every facet of our lives there are things that are original and then there are things that are knock offs of the original.
Just last night I was looking at some chairs online and there were “genuine leather” chairs and then there were “faux leather” or “imitation” leather chairs.
Of course, the imitation items are always cheaper and sometimes quite a bit cheaper as I’m sure you all have experienced.
But there’s a reason their cheaper…right?
They aren’t made with the same quality as the real authentic items are.
And so the question becomes, do I spend a little more on the authentic or do I save the money and get the imitation?
Now, here’s what I’m going to tell you…my wife and I are on two totally different ends of this spectrum.
I’m the type that would rather pay a little more for something and get the authentic version that is of superior quality and that I know is gonna last and she’s the type that is totally fine with the knock off cheaper version!
Prime example…in our house we have created a rule that Mama don’t go shopping for toilet paper!
When Mama goes to the store to get toilet paper, we end up with the knock off brand that feels like your using sand paper when you go to the restroom. When Daddy goes to the store, we get the top shelf Charmin Ultra Soft brand!
Mama’s thought process is this… “it’s just going to get flushed down the toilet so why spend any more on it than have to!”
Daddy’s thought process is this… “I don’t care if it’s getting flushed down the toilet I don’t want to feel like I’ve got road rash when I’m done using the restroom, ya know?”
Now, I’ve got to ask…how many authentic Charmin folks do we have in the house this morning?
If you don’t raise your hand we gonna know that you ok with the knock off brand!
Funny little story about authentic stuff.
As most of you know, before God called me into the ministry I used to travel all over the country for work.
One time I got a call to travel to Dallas for a few weeks to help out with a sale.
While I was down there, another gentleman whose name was Lupe had come up from Houston to help out as well.
Well me and Lupe would go out at night after work and grab dinner together.
One night, Lupe says, “Have you ever ate at an authentic Mexican Restaurant?” I said, “No I don’t know that I have.”
He said, “Well come on I’ll take you to a place!”
So we go to this little unsuspecting hole in the wall joint and sit down and sure enough the waitress comes around and brings us a menu and it’s all in Spanish.
I said, “Lupe, I can’t even read this thing man. I have no idea what to order!” He said, “Well what do you want?” Thinking to myself…I have no idea what this is going to be like so I’m just gonna play it safe and get chicken strips and french fries I said, “Man, just order me some chicken strips and fries.”
Now, some of you are probably thinking really?
Yes, really!
So, the waitress comes back around and Lupe orders for both of us in Spanish and then I asked what he ordered and he said he ordered fish and fries so I’m like, “Ok, I don’t feel so bad anymore, right?”
Ten to Fifteen minutes go by and the waitress brings out our meal and sure enough here is my chicken and fries and it looks normal and then she brings out this humongous plate and sets it down in front of Lupe and he said he ordered fish and fries but it wasn’t at all what I was expecting!
It was this huge entire fish!
Now, when I say entire fish, dear friend I mean ENTIRE FISH!
Like it looked like a piranha on steroids!
It had these humongous jagged teeth and it even still had it’s eyeballs and I said, “Lupe, what in the world is that?” He said, “Fish and fries what does it look like!”
Man I’m telling you, like ten minutes later the only thing left of that piranha on steroids was a shell of bones! Lupe had tore that thing up!
I learned real quick even my interpretation of authentic Mexican was nothing like I had imagined!
One more story real quick about authentic Mexican food and I promise we’ll get into the message.
Another time I had gotten a call to go to Houston. Now, this if you will remember is where Lupe was from.
So, I get down there and we’re working and one day the guys from there said, “Hey y’all want to go to the Yellow House for lunch?”
I said, “What’s the Yellow House?”
They said it’s an authentic Mexican place and they have the best burritos!
Immediately I was reminded of the last authentic Mexican place Lupe had taken me!
I said, “You know what, let’s go. This time I’m gonna actually get something real and authentic!”
So, we all pile in one of their cars at lunch time and we take off down the road and then all of a sudden we pull into this neighborhood.
And I’m thinking to myself, “this don’t look like a place where a restaurant would be?”
Just a minute or two later we pull over on the side of the road in this subdivision and I said, “What are we doing?”
They said, “We’re here!”
I said, “We’re where?”
They said, “The Yellow House.”
We get out of the car and start walking up the street and sure enough there is a literal yellow house with the garage door open and smoke of food billowing out of the garage!
I was like you have to be kidding me!
They said, “We told you we were going to the yellow house!”
I said, “Yeah but I didn’t think you meant a literal yellow house!”
But I will tell you something…I once again had to get Lupe to order for me but this time I got some sort of burrito and man it was the best burrito I have probably ever had!
It definitely wasn’t Taco Bell if you know what I’m saying!
Authentic anything usually takes more and costs more to create but it is more than likely going to be worth the wait and the extra cost you have to put into it.
Now, you may be thinking, “What in the world does any of this have to do with the message today Bro. Bobby?”
Well, today we are going to see Paul give us a glimpse into what authentic ministry truly is.
There are many programs out there today that call themselves ministries but they are nothing more than cheap imitations, knockoffs of what a real, authentic, genuine ministry truly is.
And this morning I think it would do us well to take a look at this in the light of our own Church and as we work our way through the message think to ourselves…what kind of ministry do we have here at NHMBC?
Is it a true, authentic, ministry? Or are we just kidding ourselves and are no better than some cheap knockoff imitation?
There is no doubt that Paul had an authentic ministry and we’d do well to take a few notes and ensure that we are applying these same principles to our own ministry here today.
So, if you have your Bible’s with you and turned to Colossians 1:24 would you say, Amen.
Introduction 2
Introduction 2
Before we get into the message, I think it would be good for us to understand just exactly what it means to be a minister. Until we know what exactly it means to be a minister we can’t fully understand what a ministry should look like.
The word minister and ministry are used many times throughout the Bible and especially in the New Testament and there are multiple different Greek words and meanings for minister/ministry.
One of the Greek words used for minister and the one I feel like will help us get our deepest understanding of a minister and what a ministry should look like is the Greek word… “Diakonos.”
Diakonos is where we get our word servant, deacon, deaconess from.
The Lexham Theological Wordbook says it speaks of a leader in the church who is committed to serve God through meeting the needs of the Church, characterized by a disposition of humility and self-sacrifice.
Now, this is speaking expressly of the role of a deacon but what I hope to help us understand this morning is that all of us who have been born again have a ministry of our own right and that ministry that has been entrusted to us is to share the good news of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world!
Authentic, genuine, ministry at it’s very core is a picture of Christ and a command to all Christians.
Jesus himself said in...
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
If Christ came to minister to the lost then we as followers of Christ ought to do the same.
Jesus said in...
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Where did we most often find Jesus?
Sharing the good news of the kingdom with those who were lost.
Paul said in...
24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Jesus said in...
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
This morning we will see that authentic ministry is deliberate. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me.”
You must determine to do it; to take action and follow Jesus wherever that may lead.
Authentic ministry is not just deliberate but we will see that it’s also demanding. Jesus said if we will come after him we must first deny ourselves.
That means we must get to the point that we understand that this life is not about us and our wants and our desires but it’s about Jesus and His wants and His desires for our lives!
It demands us to humble ourselves in complete obedience to what Christ wants from our lives.
He also said there that we must “take up our cross daily.”
It is also demanding in the fact that authentic ministry is not easy. It takes time; it takes effort; it’s hard; it’s demanding; sometimes it can even seem burdensome!
The cross was a burden that Christ had to carry to Calvary but he carried it for you and I!
And therefore, we ought to be willing to bear our own crosses for the cause of Christ.
Today’s message is not going to be an easy one to listen to. It’s going to ask you to step out of your comfort zone. It’s going to ask you do things you’re not normally accustomed to doing. It’s going to ask you to go places you have never been before. It’s going to ask you to put effort into areas where you may not feel you have any effort to give! It’s going to ask you to go the extra mile for the Lord Jesus Christ but dear friend, it’s all because Jesus went the extra mile for you!
He went all the way to Calvary so that you can go to Heaven and all He asks in return, is on your way to Heaven, find an area of His ministry that you can serve in; find a way, find a place, that you can get busy serving others as He did.
Find a way to keep sharing the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world so that He can keep drawing them unto Him!
That’s what true, authentic ministry looks like.
There are roughly 2.4 Billion Christians in the world today. Do you know how/why there are that many?
Because 12 men decided to lay down their lives and pick up their crosses and follow Jesus.
Because 12 men decided to follow in their Master’s footsteps and serve instead of being served. To minister to others by finding ways to share the gospel with a lost and dying world.
They loved God with all their heart, soul and mind and they loved those around them as their selves.
And if we want to have a thriving, authentic ministry here at NHMBC, we must learn to do the same!
It won’t be easy. It will take effort. It will be demanding and we will have to be deliberate but in the end, it will be worth it!
Christ in You…The Hope of Gory!
Colossians 1:24…if you’re with me say, Amen.
The Suffering Aspect of Ministry — (Vs. 24)
The Suffering Aspect of Ministry — (Vs. 24)
The first thing I want us to look at this morning is the suffering aspect of ministry.
Paul says here...
24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.
One of the easiest ways to spot a knock off ministry is if there is no suffering aspect to it.
I fear one of the greatest dangers Christianity faces today is the complacency of Christians.
We want a Christianity that makes us feel good. We want a Christianity that encourages us and builds us up. We want a Christianity that comforts us and puts us at ease. We want to sing songs of praise, worship, and adoration with hands held high!
And listen to me, there is nothing in this world wrong with those things!
Those things are great and are part of the Christian faith but true, authentic, Christian ministry also brings us down when we get heady and high minded. It humbles us and calls us to repentance. It reminds us that sin must be confessed and forsaken. It reminds us that there was a price that had to be paid for our sins and that price was paid by Jesus on a cross at Calvary! There always has been and always will be a cost for true, authentic Christian ministry.
This is something Paul and the other apostles knew all too well.
Paul said in...
23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.
24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.
A good portion of Paul’s ministry, once he came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, was spent suffering for the cause of Christ!
Ultimately, he even ended up giving his life for Christ when he was beheaded by the Roman Emperor Nero!
And he wasn’t the only one. All of the disciples it is believed besides John were martyred for their faith in Christ!
And even though John wasn’t martyred, he faced persecution over and over and over.
It is believed that they even lowered him into a vat of hot oil trying to boil the very skin from his flesh but he was unharmed.
On and on down throughout the ages Christians have suffered for the cause of Christ. But even in all their sufferings, they thought it worthy to suffer for their Lord!
There was no shame, no regret! Only humility and thankfulness to be thought worthy to suffer!
Look at what Paul says here...He didn’t say, “oh, poor pitiful me.” He said...
24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.
He felt worthy to suffer for his Lord!
He would tell the Romans in...
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
He knew of the rigors of ministry but he also knew of the rewards to come!
Today, if most folks have to stay at Church past 12:00 the preacher is being long winded…even if his song leader only gives him 30 minutes to preach a one hour sermon!
Wednesday nights and Sunday nights are an inconvenience to most people’s busy lifestyles.
Ask people to tell others about Jesus and they shriek back in fear as if you’ve asked them to jump off a diving board from a platform a 100 feet in the air and they get upset with you!
“Isn’t that your job preacher? Why do I have to tell people about Jesus?”
If it doesn’t fit into their schedule or it’s not on their time, ministry is a hindrance.
We have forgotten that we serve because He (Jesus) served first!
We have forgotten that we give of our time, our efforts, our lives, because He (Jesus) first gave His life for us!
We must be reminded that authentic Christian ministry has a suffering aspect to it but we must not see it as a hindrance.
Rather, we must remember who we are suffering for and learn to rejoice in our sufferings for the Lord Jesus Christ!
I never knew coming into the ministry how demanding it would be. And there have been times when I have been so overwhelmed that I just wanted to hang it up and go home but it never fails, just when you want to quit, God will show you something, or He’ll move in a mighty way, or He will impress something upon you and it’s like He says as that song goes…
“Hold on, just little longer! Hold on, your faith is growing stronger! Hold on, till the very end…God will deliver again!”
There is the Suffering Aspect of Ministry and then there is...
The Serving Aspect of Ministry — (Vs. 25)
The Serving Aspect of Ministry — (Vs. 25)
25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.
Paul felt the call of ministry upon his life, the call to serve, was a responsibility.
I can honestly say I feel this same responsibility upon my own life.
And if I’m being honest, I don’t know how you can be right with God and not feel a need to serve in some capacity.
The need to do something for the Lord who has done so much for us!
The one who gave His very life, His body as a sacrifice for all mankind!
He gave everything He had for you and I and all that He asks in return is that we give what we can of ourselves for Him.
Paul told the Romans in...
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Adrian Rogers used to say… “God didn’t save you to sit, soak and sour but to serve!”
How are you serving God this morning?
What are you doing for the one who did everything for you!
Paul’s responsibility was to proclaim the gospel to the Church, the born again believers.
That’s not everyone’s calling.
But God has called every born again believer to let their lights shine so that the world may see your good works and glorify the Father.
In order for the world to see your good works you must first have good works!
A true, authentic Christian ministry seeks to serve. It feels the need, the responsibility to serve. It sees what Christ has done and wants to do all that is humanly possible to return the favor with what little time it has on this earth!
This is something that has been on my heart for quite some time here lately. I know and understand that my time on this earth is limited and I’ve been asking God to open a door, to make a way for me to do more for Him. To be a full time minister. And I know that when the time is right, He will make it happen.
But we should all feel some degree of responsibility to serve in some capacity.
Not everyone is called to preach. Not everyone is called to do overseas missions. Not everyone is called to teach or be a deacon. But everyone is called to serve in some capacity.
There is The Suffering Aspect of Ministry and there is The Serving Aspect of Ministry. Then, there is the...
The Secret of Ministry — (Vs. 26-27)
The Secret of Ministry — (Vs. 26-27)
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The secret to all authentic Christian ministry; the secret to overcoming the rigors of ministry; to see the rewards over the rigors; to push through when times get tough; to get back up when life knocks you down; to know that no matter what this life brings you, the best is yet to come; the secret to overcoming the adversity that this short life throws at us is to know that Christ lives in us!
This is the hope of glory!
No matter where I am; No matter what I am going through; No matter what turmoil and strife come my way; knowing that I am not going at it alone is what keeps us going!
John Phillips — Here we touch the very heart of the matter, the mystery of mysteries. The Lord Jesus not only incarnated Himself in human flesh, but He has chosen to take up residence in each of His own! Here is the very genius of Christianity—“Christ in you!” Christianity is not a religion, it is not a code of laws or a set of creeds. It is Christ! A real living Person. One who came to this planet in space, who chose to live among us, who was willing to die for us, who is now ascended on high, and who yet lives in us. He who once gave His life for us now abides in us to give His life to us. He who once died as me now lives in me. What an astounding truth!
Listen this morning friend, as Crowder says it… “All my hope is in Jesus!”
Christ in Us…is our hope of glory!
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
The Secret of authentic Christian Ministry is Christ in Us!
He is the driving force that motivates us to push further, to do more, to keep on going when we want to quit, to reach the unreachable, to teach the unteachable, to snatch as many out of the fiery flame as possible with what little time we have on this side of eternity!
Christ in Us is our Hope of Glory and one day, praising Him will be our reward in glory!
He is the Secret to Ministry!
And dear friend, when you know the secret of ministry, when you know and understand that Christ lives in you; when you’ve experienced the goodness and grace of His glory, you will have no other option than to share that good news with someone which brings us to the next point....
The Sharing Aspect of Ministry — (Vs. 28)
The Sharing Aspect of Ministry — (Vs. 28)
28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
True, authentic ministry shares the secret of Christ with one goal in mind…to see men be saved and reconciled to God through Christ!
Paul says in the KJV… “whom we preach (speaking of Jesus), warning EVERY MAN, and teaching EVERY MAN in all wisdom; that we may present EVERY MAN perfect in Christ Jesus!”
Who do we warn? EVERY MAN!
Who do we teach? EVERY MAN!
Who do we hope to present perfect in Christ? EVERY MAN!
John Phillips — Every man! Every man! Every man! Paul uses the expression three times. We are to evangelize “every man,” preaching Christ with a warning not to reject Him. We are to educate “every man,” with all wisdom making known the whole counsel of God. We are to edify “every man,” so that they might be presented fully matured to Christ. The word for “perfect” is teleios, signifying something that has revealed its end. It comes from the word telos, “the end.” The equivalent Latin word would be finis, that is, “finished,” or “nothing beyond.” This is the first part of the church’s mission: to reach people for Christ and to bring them to spiritual maturity in Christ. The three great church gifts are involved in this process—the gifts of the evangelist, the teacher, and the pastor.
Chuck Swindoll — In Colossians 1:28 Paul reveals the main content of his proclamation: “We proclaim Him.” Christ alone was the focus of Paul’s preaching. As he had written to the Corinthians, “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). A ministry that drifts from the proclamation of the saving work of Christ is a ministry that has strayed from authenticity. No gospel message is complete and no ministry is healthy if it doesn’t point people to the Name above every name, Jesus Christ.
Paul says, “we want to present them to God perfect in Christ.”
True, authentic ministry has a desire to help others find God through Christ and then to equip them by edifying them and helping them to grow closer to the Lord!
There is the Suffering aspect of ministry. There is the Serving aspect of Ministry. There is the Secret of Ministry which is Christ Jesus our Lord. There is the Sharing aspect of Ministry. And lastly this morning, there is the Strength of Ministry.
Our Strength in Ministry — (Vs. 29)
Our Strength in Ministry — (Vs. 29)
29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
Jesus said in...
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Paul knew that Christ was his strength. Paul knew that everything he was able to do was Christ working in Him for without Him we can do nothing.
The final piece to an authentic, genuine, Christian ministry is the fact that it relies upon Christ for it’s strength.
When you’re wore out remember Christ is in you and He’s our hope of glory!
Remember there is no limit to His strength; to His power; to His might! And let that push you to continue on!
Let Christ be your strength to carry on!
Let Christ be the motivation that keeps you moving!
Focus on Him and forget about the worries, the cares, the struggles of this life!
