Marks of a Faithful Minister | Colossians 1:24–29
Notes
Transcript
Good morning church! If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, grab them and head on over to Colossians 1. We’re going to wrap up chapter 1 this morning by looking at how Paul describes his ministry and the purpose of his ministry to the church.
As you’re headed there I want to just say a quick thank you to all of you. My family and I are grateful for your prayers and generosity this week. Mom’s elbow surgery went great and dad’s hip replacement did too. And then yesterday we felt so loved by your extravagant kindness you showed toward Jordan and little Roxie girl who we can’t wait to meet. It’s been a week in our household, but we are grateful for you and your love and support of us. So thank you on a multitude of levels.
Ok, hopefully you’ve made it to Col. 1:24-29. That’ll be our text this morning. Let me go ahead and read this, pray, and then we’ll dive into it.
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, 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, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 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. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
This is God’s Word. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray.
Intro: Existential Crisis facing our world. What in those moments is our greatest hope? What helps us keep our eyes on that hope?
Faithful ministers rejoice in suffering
Faithful ministers rejoice in suffering
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,
Model for suffering
What does our suffering draw out of us?
What was Paul’s suffering?
In chains
Distance
How does Paul view his suffering?
For your sake
Is our suffering limited to our own experience or do we ever see it as for the good of others?
Faithful ministers fill up what’s lacking
Faithful ministers fill up what’s lacking
Atonement not lacking
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
What is lacking?
Paul tells the church at Philippi to receive Epaphroditus b/c
So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
What was the service that was lacking?
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
Concern existed. Love existed. Desire existed, but ability was lacking. Epaphroditus, at great risk to himself, brought the concern to reality.
Piper, “Personal, bodily, costly presentation of Christ’s love.”
Faithful ministers function according to God’s Plan
Faithful ministers function according to God’s Plan
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,
Stewardship = plan
What is God’s plan?
2 ways to look @ God’s plan here
Paul became a minister
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
God desires something for you.
God is accomplishing His plan for the church @ Colossae through Paul’s ministry
What does this mean for us?
God still chooses faithful men to accomplish His plan
and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
How does God do this?
Faithful ministers proclaim God’s mysterious plan
Faithful ministers proclaim God’s mysterious plan
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, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 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. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
What is God’s mysterious plan?
Mystery is revealed as God’s Word is fully known
All of Scriptures (and Colossians) ultimately point towards the reconciliation of all things through the work and person of Christ
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
But here Paul goes a step further: Christ in you, the hope of glory
How is God’s mysterious plan revealed?
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Proclamation of the Word!
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Teach = explain
What we try to do every week
Warn = exhortation, warning
Warn through exhortation: only the hope of the gospel will fulfill your life
warning: Col. 3:21
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Both of these things however require all wisdom
Knowledge isn’t enough, but it is necessary
Colossians and Philemon C. The Mystery of Christ in Paul’s Ministry and Christian Experience (1:24–2:5)
God’s word is not “filled” when it is preached only, but when its preaching accomplishes the purpose God has for it: when it is heard and produces growth and fruit in the lives of those who respond.
Application requires discernment
Faithful ministers work hard.
Faithful ministers work hard.
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Toil = manual labor
Struggle = athletic term
Why does faithful ministry require hard work?
Suffering is involved
Incarnation requires time, understanding & thought
Faithful ministers are dependent
Faithful ministers are dependent
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Who does the work?
Yes. Christ works in us and we work 1 Cor. 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
- Faithful ministers rejoice in suffering
- Faithful ministers rejoice in suffering
Faithful Ministers…
- rejoice in suffering
- fill up what’s lacking
- function according to God’s plan
- proclaim God’s mysterious plan
- work hard
- are dependent.
What is the ultimate goal of faithful ministers?
What is the ultimate goal of faithful ministers?
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
For your mature presentation.
Who presents us?
Col. 1:22-23 tells us Christ does.
he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Christ presents us holy, blameless & above reproach if we continue
Faithful ministers help us continue in the faith by bearing these marks.
By God’s design and according to His plan you need faithful ministers in your life.
Spiritual maturity:
isn’t found in isolation
Maturity isn’t found in supernatural experience, but in unshifting hope in the gospel
Why do we need to know this?
Why do we need to know this?
For your well being
Existential threats: False teachers, supernatural experiences, additional add ons | Christ is all.
This is what to look for in pastors specifically and churches generally.
Am I moving forward on the path of spiritual maturity?
No - Why not?
Unfaithful pastors
Then what?
Unfaithful commitment
Yes - then what?
Recognize & rejoice
Commit
Could these be said to be marks of a faithful father?
