Paul’s Calling… And Ours

Introduction

Book recap

we have seen the why and how of Paul praying for the Colossians

always thanking God for the faith that leads to hope that leads to loving all the saints

praying for their spiritual growth in the knowledge of God’s will and living in obedience of that will

Paul then breaks into a hymn of praise of who Jesus is

the creator and sustainer

the preeminent

the redeemer

Today - Paul’s Calling… And Ours

Christians bad reputation for being against things

somewhere along the line everything has become a political battle

maybe its because we keep everything so broad

yet here is Paul writing to people that he has not known personally and he writing to them with authority

that is his calling… maybe not ours

how do we interact with the people right in front of us

Colossians 1:24–2:5 CSB

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church. 25 I have become its servant, according to God’s commission 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 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me. 1 For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.

Prayer

The preeminent creator and redeemer is the revealed mystery. Our mission is to present all we can as mature believers in this treasured truth.

Our Commission

kids will dress in whatever they are that day

superheroes, princesses…

Colossians 1:24–29 CSB

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church. 25 I have become its servant, according to God’s commission 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 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

Paul, a servant according to God’s commission

Paul did not create his own calling

gave him encouragement to get through all the hard times he faced and was currently in

His radical conversion and mission was well known in the world and now he is writing to them

tell the story

But if I were to write to a church in another community, they would ignore that letter and say who in the world is this guy

what was Paul commissioned to do

reveal the mystery hidden for a time

Christ is the point and fulfillment of the OT

this is what was “lacking in Christ’s afflictions”

suffer for sharing this truth

Acts 9:15–16 CSB

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

We can expect blessings because we live for the Lord, but maybe not the kind we are thinking

Jesus in the sermon on the mount, “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for my name sake.”

told his apostles that they will be reviled because of Him

That we are to remember the world hated him first

Peter and James warns about the trials that comes on the believers

James 1:2–3 CSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Whenever… it will happen, but rejoice through them, your faith in Christ grows

the real prize is not earthly blessings for following him, the real prize is Christ himself

Paul’s goal

this was not a project to him

the difference between project and love

follow me as I follow Christ

a project is listening to a sermon and thinking this is good… that person needs it, not me

present all people as fully mature believers in Christ

you can see it in his letters… they are not just how to be saved, but how to live as believers

We have been commissioned to do the same!

we should be sharing not only how to be saved, but how to live

we might think that we do not have that part figured out yet,

It is when we understand that truth, it shows we are ready

follow me as I follow Christ

Our Struggle

Remember the famous comic book superhero, Captain America? He fights for justice, freedom, and what he believes in.

Just like him, we are called to enter battles for the things that matter—love, faith, and hope!

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Let our hearts strive for the causes worthy of our fight!

It is striking that at almost every important turning point in the narrative of God’s redemptive action in Acts we find a mention of prayer.

David G. Peterson

Colossians 2:1–3 CSB

1 For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

What is Paul’s struggle

in prison? No that is a place where he is, a trial he is going through

think of Paul’s attitude that we read about in Philippi

Paul was arrested because the owners of a demon possessed slave girl along with others were losing profits!

in prison he is praising God with Silas by singing hymns and converting the jailer

His torture of prison is a way that draws him closer to god

that is not a struggle, but place he is located

struggle = fight

he is describing how he is fighting on behalf of people in Colossae and Laodicea

He is wrestling in prayer, struggling in prayer for the people

Why is their a need to struggle or fight in prayer

Satan is fighting against what we have been commissioned to do

in the same way we are fighting to save people from an eternity in Hell, Satan is fighting for them to be there

He is a powerful never ceasing adversary

who are you struggling or fighting for

It is easy to pray for our family members, but what about families with no believers are you struggling for them

In whose strength are you fighting

v29 in his strength Paul struggles

Our Warning

When hiking, we research the hikes before we take them. We have gotten lost before and wandered hours in the desert

sometimes we forget and just think we can do it without any worry… last year we were reminded of why we have to research hikes before we take them

Be ever afraid of not being afraid, and be always in fear when you feel that you are perfectly safe.

Charles Spurgeon

We are always to look into what we are being taught

we are bombarded with messaging

social media, tv media it is everywhere

even in Christian circles,

there is a danger of having messaging, a direction that they are trying to move you

when you come here, I am even trying to get a point across to you

a direction I want you to go, a way of applying the message to your life

the question we have to ask is

Is the message I am being given, biblical? Is this truth?

Colossians 2:4–5 CSB

4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.

There are arguments that sound good

If we are not growing in the truth of God, we can easily be deceived by them

why Paul tells Titus that elders should be mature believers, so that they are not swayed by good sounding things

also that they would be able to share those things with the people they are over, so that the people would not be swayed

And in this way, be teachers able to explain the truth of God

Paul is laying the foundation about false teaching that he will confront

he is struggling for you that you would know, believe and grow in the knowledge of God

Knowing that some will give you a false but good sounding doctrine

V5 gives us the sincerity to of love Paul has for them

not physically with you but I am spiritually

excited to see what God will be doing through you

not a, “here is the truth, do what you will.”

though he has not been there or met them, he writes and speaks like he knows them

how does he get that way with a people he has never met

the testimony of Epaphras 1:7

constant prayer for those people

last thought… not that we would have that relationship with people we have not met… yet

but can we start with our neighbor?

can you love your neighbor so much that you are praying for their salvation and spiritual growth

consistently

can you love them enough to have tough conversations with them

Memory Verse

Colossians 1:27 CSB

27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Discussion Questions

What does Paul mean by the 'mystery' that is revealed in Christ according to Colossians 1:27?

How does the concept of suffering as part of our mission relate to the portrayal of Christ in the Old Testament?

In what ways does Colossians 2:4-5 warn us about potential false teachings in the church?

How does understanding the preeminence of Christ influence our spiritual maturity?

What is the significance of Paul struggling in prayer for the believers in Colossae and Laodicea?

How can we identify when we are being influenced by 'good-sounding' arguments that aren't based on truth?

Why is it important to not only seek to bring people to salvation but also to help them grow as mature believers?

In what ways can we actively struggle or fight in prayer for those around us who do not know Christ?

How does knowing that we are in a spiritual battle affect our daily lives and choices?

What practical steps can we take to ensure we are growing in our understanding of God’s truths?

How can we apply Paul's example of perseverance in prayer to our own struggles and challenges?

What practical ways can we support and encourage each other in our mission to share the truth of Christ?

How can we cultivate a deeper understanding of God’s Word to avoid being misled by false doctrines?

In what ways can we demonstrate the sincerity of love that Paul expressed toward the believers?

How does our understanding of Christ in us as the hope of glory change our perspective on life’s challenges?