New- The Marks of a Christ-Preeminent Ministry or When Christ is Preeminent in Ministry

Things to Review Before Print

Filling up language

Rewriting point 5 to make it less repetitive.

Rapport/Review

Hello everyone, it is so great to be back in the pulpit with you all tonight and back in the book of Colossians, colossians chapter 1 verses 24-29.

See, Paul has spent the last few verses of this chapter proclaiming the preeminence of Christ.

We have been for the past few months inching our way through Colossians and we have talked about numerous times the main theme of this book is the Preeminence of Christ.

That no matter the attack, no matter the objection, no matter the struggle we have in this life it all becomes clear and reaches its culmination in Christ’s Preeminence. Once we understand that, its all downhill from there.

And three sermons ago we walked through Christ’s preeminence and the last sermon we talked about the Preeminent Reconciliation that was given to us by God and accomplished through our Preeminent Reconciler Jesus Christ.

But tonight, we get a glimpse into the ministry of the apostle Paul but I don’t believe it stops there.

I believe we get a picture of what the ministry of a believer should like if you truly believe that Christ is Preeminent.

See this text, is a little more rubber meets the road, it is Paul saying, I don’t just tell you I believe Christ is preeminent. I live it out through my ministry.

And we get to learn from him in Colossians Chapter 1 verses 24-29.

Reading of Scripture

Colossians 1:24–29 NASB 95

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Introduction

If you sort through our mail which Mrs. Barbara does for us you will notice a common item.

It may look different, it may be wrapped in a different package but they are advertisements.

Trying to sell you a product to boost your ministry.

I often myself get similar spam in my email that says, sign up for this or that, or tailor your ministry this way or that way and you will grow your church by at least 50 people or get so many baptisms.

Recently, Barbara told me that she even got a phone call asking whether our minister over small groups was a man or a woman because they wanted to send us a sample bible and they had a female version and a male version and needed to know which one to send.

I guess you have to choose between the King James Version or the Queen Jane Version.

I don’t know. Honestly, if you read through it all it would make your head spin

All of these people have built businesses all with the illusion that they have the answer to how ministry should be done and if you just follow their method then you will succeed.

They tell us that Its okay that you didnt realize you had to do church differently but if you want to keep up with the Joneses you have to follow these fads to keep up.

All you have to do is pay us $500 and we will help you sort it all out.

And next year we will send you the next cool thing to buy from us so you can be successful.

And trust me, I do want this church to be successful but I am not interested in what new fad tickles the ears of men, I am not interested in what a glorified snake oil salesman tells me will make my church better.

I am interested in the kind of ministry that glorifies the Preeminent Christ that we have talked about over the last few sermons.

The christ who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, who created all things and holds all things together, who is the beginning and head and hope of the church, the one who came to ahve first place in everything and the one who it is the father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him.

The one who bled and died on a Roman cross to reconcile me a sinner to my inifinitely majestic and Holy God!

That is the focus. Pleasing him and him alone.

My focus and our focus as a church and as individuals should be, not what does a quote un quote “successful” ministry look like but

What does ministry look like when Christ is truly preeminent?

What does a a Christ-preeminent Ministry look like?

And tonight in our passage I believe that is exactly what the apostle Paul is giving us,

He is giving us an overview of his ministry under the preeminence of Christ and tonight we get to learn from him.

Not just how to be an apostle or a pastor but I think we can learn from the Apostle Paul a model somewhat of what Christian ministry should look like for all believers in Christ.

And this is not an exhaustive list of how to do ministry but I think it is some good principles for us to follow.

But tonight we are going to see them in 10 marks in a sermon I have entitled the creatively enough, 10 marks of a Christ-Preeminent Ministry.

So lets jump in and see what a Christ Preeminent Ministry is marked with!

1. Joy

“Now I rejoice”v. 24

Paul had just one verse earlier said that he was made a ministers. Saying that he was made a minister in the past but this word now signifies that he is presently rejoicing.

Paul is not saying here that he has some future joy waiting on him even though he has joy beyond compare waiting on him.

Paul is not saying that he might eventually get joyous.

Paul is letting us know that he is joyous RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND as he is sitting under Roman imprisonment and has endured and is enduring suffering. Paul is saying.

I AM JOYOUS.

That is a striking response to suffering.

But Paul is laying out for us that in the midst of difficulty in ministry and every day life that we can be joyous and not only that, we should be joyous.

The Christian life is not some drudgery where God sucks all the fun out of your life.

Actually, when rightly understood, the gospel and Christianity should fill us with joy beyond compare.

Paul knew he deserved hell and punishment for his sins and his greivous sins against Christ’s church but instead Paul was given grace and mercy all because of Christ’s sufferings on the cross.

So all throughout Pauls ministry in the good times and the bad Paul could be joyous and remind us to be joyous as he does so often in Philippians.

So are you joyous right now in your current life and service to Christ?

If not, what is your joy theif? What is currently tearing the joy out of what should be a joyous life lived in service to Christ?

Whatever it is, ask God to work joy back into your heart and life.

No one wants to be served or ministered to by Eor.

If I bring you dinner and am like here you go, it was drudgery for me but I finally finished it all.

Or stood up here just now and said, open your bibles to Colossians.

Does that bring you joy? Does that minister to you well? No!

From prison Paul commands us in Philippians

Philippians 2:14 NASB 95

Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

And also to

Philippians 4:4 NASB 95

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

But this isn’t just a Paul kick.

Peter in 1 Peter 4:13 tells a group of elect exiles that they should keep on rejoicing through their trials as well.

1 Peter 4:13 NASB 95

but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

And the Psalmist tells us in

Psalm 32:11 NASB 95

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

What is there not to rejoice about church.

Whatever thing in your life, whatever hitch in your giddy up, whatever bur in your saddle, is keeping you down throw it away and remind yourself that in Christ,

We sinners deserving of eternal punishment have been given eternal goodness.

How can we then serve Christ in misery? We ought to serve with Joy not because of us but because our hope and joy are in Christ

And like Christ, a christ-preeminent ministry is also marked by suffering.

2. Sufferings

Colossians 1:24 NASB 95

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

First, lets address the elephant in the room.

XXXXXX

When Paul says he has sufferings here, these aren’t some abstract sufferings.

He as he is writing this very letter is under Roman imprisonment and in chains.

But the wild part is, that may be low on the Totem pole of suffering for Paul.

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 NASB 95

Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

That is staggering and humbling.

Paul’s body was torn to shreds for his ministry on behalf of Christ.

Paul felt every stone, every lash, every dry parched mouth, every stare from those who judged him, Paul felt every bit of isolation from his family, Paul laid up at night concerned for the welfare of the people he led to Christ.

That is real suffering.

That is not something we ever had to experience and we should praise God for his reprieve. Most of the time we can minister on behalf of Christ and endure no suffering but for most of the world ministry cost something.

But living a life centered upon the preeminence of Christ will cost us something.

Most of us will probably never suffer for Christ the way Paul suffered for Christ. But that does not mean following Christ will cost us nothing.

Maybe faithfulness will never cost you your freedom, but it might cost you your comfort.

Maybe it won't cost you your life, but it will cost you your time.

Maybe it won't cost you your home, but it might require you to open your home.

Maybe it won't cost you your job, but it might cost you advancement.

Maybe it won't cost you your family, but it might mean leading your family to sacrifice together.

Maybe it won't cost you your physical safety, but it may cost you your reputation.

The question is not whether our suffering looks like Paul's. The question is whether there is anything we are unwilling to surrender for the sake of Christ and His church.

If there is, then you need to examine your heart, and confess to God whatever idol that is in your life and beg him not to make you value that thing less but value Christ more.

A Christ Preeminent ministry is one that will involve some suffering and we must be willing to suffer

We have been brought from death to life and there should be nothing worth more than our savior.

Let’s suffer and be willing to give up anything for the Preeminent one, Jesus Christ.

3. From God

“I was made a minister according to the Stewardship from God” v25

Pauls says here in verse 25 and as we talked about last time in verse 23 that he was made a minister.

Paul is saying here that he didn’t seek this out. He did not appoint himself to this ministry.

He was made a minister.

If you think Paul chose this you clearly haven’t read Acts 9

Paul on the morning of his conversion was breathing out threats against the Lord’s disciples and a light flashed through him to the ground, and what did the Lord tell him. “Get up, enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

Then the Lord told a disciple named Ananias in Damascus, one who Paul was probably headed to arrest to, “Get up, go to Judas house and look for Saul of Tarsus”

Ananias pushed back and said, basically, Lord don’t you know who this man is, he will kill me.

The Lord said, “Go for his is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Isreal, for I will show him how much he must suffer for My Names sake”

There are nothing but commands in that whole passage, get up, enter, get up, go, look for Saul, go.

Jesus didn’t ask Paul’s permission or Ananias permission.

Paul didn’t come up with a clever ministry and neither did Ananais.

This was all ordained and carried out by our sovereign heavenly father.

Christ called paul to a ministry to the Gentiles and there was no turning back.

We may not all be Paul called to be a trailblazing church planting missionary but each and every one of you has been given a gift

And no matter how special or ordinary you think your gift is or you are you are most likely wrong.

Because it isn’t yours, it is from God and it is supposed to be given back to him.

If you are truly a new creation in Christ, you have been gifted through the Holy Spirit with a spiritual gift that you are supposed to use in service to Christ.

There are no exceptions.

Which brings us to our next Mark and that is that Ministry to Christ is marked by Servanthood and Stewardship

4. Servanthood and a Stewardship

“I was made a minister according to the Stewardship from God”

As we just said, we have all been given a gift from God.

Now yours may not look the same as others but all new creations in CHrist have a gift that they can use to minister with.

Pauls was evangelism and preaching,

Yours may be administration or hospitality

Or service or teaching or exhortation, or giving or leadership or mercy

but the point is all Christian ministry is from God.

He has gifted you with something.

And guess what, you are expected to be a good steward of it.

The word for minister is translated in other versions of the bible as servant and literally means, table servant.

Its where we get our word for deacon.

This gives the connotation that Paul saw his ministry not as some high and mighty thing.

Paul saw it as service not status.

Paul knew he was not the chef nor the owner of the restaurant.

He was just doing what was his duty.

And all of us have a duty to serve.

All of us have a duty to be faithful stweards of whatever gift God has given us.

You are expected and commanded to use faithfully whatever gift God has given you.

So what is your gift? How are you serving and stewarding the gift GOd has given you?

I encourage you that if you don’t know what your gift is, first pray that GOd would reveal it to you but don’t sit and wait for some vision or light from the sky.

Go serve and do good works that God has prepared for you and I promise you through your obedience to serve God will reveal to you your gifting and you can start honing in on what specifically God has gifted you with.

I love Kevin Deyoungs book called Just Do Something, he basically is telling you in that book, don’t sit around and wait for a dream or vision to discern God’s will.

Get to work serving him and let him handle the rest.

Amen?

But I can also tell you one thing, that gift you have been given, that ministry you ahve been entrusted with may benefit you in other parts of life, like if you are given the gift of leadership, that may help you run a business but that is not primarily what it is to be used for.

Or if you are gifted in mercy that may benefit your community in some way but

Ultimately, each and every gift we have, is called to be used in service to Grace Life Church of the Shoals.

Which brings us to our Next Mark and that is that a Christ-Preeminent Ministry should be done in and through and for the Church specifically, our local church, Grace Life Church of the Shoals.

5. In and Through and For the Church

“I do my share on behalf of His Body, which is the church”- v24

“Of this Church I was made a minister”- v25

“For your Benefit”- Yours meaning the church- v25

Pauls ministry cannot be seperated from the local church.

He suffers for the church and was made a servant for it.

Every spiritual gift you have been given has ultimately been given to your for the building up of the body of Christ.

As we talked about earlier, that does not mean it does not have some application outside of the church and you may secondarily use it in the world but ultimately it is for the local church.

1 Peter 4:10 NASB 95

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

We are blessed at this church where this is a normal statement but for the majority of the people in evangelical life this would sound weird.

But God did not give you a gift to use it for your own pleasure.

The gifts that God has given us are for us to use in and through the local church.

Just look around at our church.

There are numerous opportunities for you to use your gifts.

You love children and serving them, we have the nursery and children’s department you can volunteer in.

You are gifted with the gift of hospitality, wonderful, we have a hospitality ministry that helps serve meals at various church events, for bereavements, and bringing meals to shut ins.

Do you love to make people feel welcome? You can join the greeter ministry.

Do you love getting people together and providing a way for people to fellowship? You can serve as the fellowship leader in your class.

Do you love evangelism? You can serve as the outreach leader in your small groups or attend some of our local outreach events through AIT.

Got a strong back and like to work? Join the facilities team and help us set up and take down for events.

Not sure what your gift is yet, go be a faithful member in your small group, love on and care for those around you and ask God to reveal your gift as you serve his church and find where you can use it.

We could stand up here all day. But the point is

We have so many avenues to serve at Grace Life. Use your gift for the glory of God in his local church.

For those of you who aren’t currently serving i encourage you to pick up one of these on the literature stand in the foyer. It is our encyclopedia of ministry.

You may go to some churches and struggle to find a place to serve but that is not the case here! We have many avenues.

We make this too easy for you!

Grab one and get to work!

Because God didn’t gift you for you to go use your gifts all for yourself. He gifted you for the building up of his bride the church.

Everything we do and have been given should be other’s oriented.

Lets be faithful to serve Grace Life Church of the Shoals and our brothers and sisters in Christ here.

1 Corinthians 14:12 NASB 95

So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.

Paul told them basically, don’t just be zealous for the gift, be zealous to edify the church.

So i would challenge you, be zealous to use your gift to edify the body of Christ.

Let’s exhaust ourselves here and I would be wiling to bet if you do that. You will not have much time left over for other things.

So go out and serve the body of Christ like Christ is preeminent.

And that preeminent CHrist ministry has a 6th mark and that is that it is centered on the Word of God.

6. Centered On Christ

Colossians 1:25–28 NASB 95

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

Paul was called to be a preacher of the word of God and then refers to that as a Mystery hidden from the past ages and generations but has now been manifested to his saints.

The mystery was once hidden, in the past ages and generation,

We have types and shadows of a messiah and a suffering servant and a son of man.

But it was seen through a glass darkly.

God concealed it in the old testament until his appointed time.

Across redemptive history, God has progressively unfolded his purposes

Oh but NOW as it says in this text NOW we have the redemptive turning point.

What was once concealed has now been revealed.

The climatic moment that all history was moving towards has now been revealed in the flesh in Christ Jesus the Preeminent One, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

What a great contrast!

It was a dim light but now the light is shinging in full strength and that light is Christ Jesus and God has revealed it to us.

We didn’t discover it, we didn’t manifest this.

GOD has made it known.

And who did he make it known too.

His saints, that is why we are called saints, is because God revealed his preeminent son to us as our Lord and savior.

We are his people because of the mystery now revealed died on the cross for our sins.

What an amazing truth.

It makes me want to run around in joy, maybe get a little pentacostal on you.

And do you know what that means for our ministry?

That means that a ministry that flows from a heart that truly believes that Christ is Preeminent must be centered on the Preeminent one.

Every single thing we do should be to glorify God and honor Christ!

It is all about him, if all of God’s word finds its culmination and completeion in him then shouldn’t our ministry do the same.

I mean we gentiles as it says in Ephesians

Ephesians 2:12 NASB 95

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

We gentiles who were not apart of the Olive tree, who were excluded from Gods people, the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise

Us who had no hope and were without God in the world

Well, God as it says in verse 27 WILLED TO MAKE IT KNOWN,

God took the initiative.

But to Make what known? the riches of the glory of this mystery.

We get riches of glory because Christ, the hope of glory is in us!

Wow! Hallelujah praise the Lord!!!

And if that is true, if we believe it is true. and I pray you do then you must,

You must! Center your ministry around Christ and Christ alone

And we do that by doing our 7th mark and that is that A Christ-Preeminent Ministry Proclaims Christ.

7. It Proclaims Christ

Colossians 1:28 NASB 95

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

And we do that in a variety of ways! We Proclaim HIM!

That is the whole purpose of everything that we do in Ministry! It is all for the proclaiming of Christ!

We are going to talk abotu that we proclaim, we admonish, we teach, and some preach.

So lets start with proclaim.

Proclaim

Notice here in the text that Paul doesn’t say, I proclaim, he says, we proclaim.

Paul has made a lot of this before personal and singular but this is clearly plural.

He is emphasizing that the proclamation of Christ

The mission to make Christ known is not just given to the apostle Paul, it is for all of God’s saints

We are all called to proclaim Christ.

The word for proclaim here means to announce and make known publicly and openly.

Not hiding your light under a bushel, no

It is taking the message of Christ and his gospel to the world!

It is taking the message of Christ into your home, into your business, into your workplace, into the restaurants you eat at, into the shops you shop it.

Proclaiming Christ means making Christ known openly and publicly for all to hear.

And notice here that this message is not partly Christ, Christ is not a tag on, Christ is the message we proclaim.

A Christ-Preeminent ministry must be marked by proclaiming Christ through personal evangelism.

This is a part of our mission. To take the message of Christ and him crucified with us wherever we go into a lost and dying world.

So I beg you, go out and announce widely the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

It is their only hope.

And we also proclaim Christ by Admonishing.

Admonish

The word used for admonish here is actually newthaytao which is where we get our word nouthetic as in nouthetic counseling.

WHich is what we would also call biblical counseling.

It actually means to give loving, direct, and biblical correction from the scriptures to help someone change their behavior to match God’s will.

It is helping each other realign our thinkings and our behaviors with the only true thing we have and that is the unchangeable, infallible word of God!

We must lovingly confront sin and call people away from paths that are inconsistent with the word of God.

It is the most loving thing we can do to call someone back to repentance and use the Word of God to bring them to that point.

And yes, we do that as staff members in a more formal fashion but every Christian is called to do this in some form or fashion with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

It is our loving duty to tell them the truth in love!

And it says we are to do it to every man.

Not just who we feel comfortable with, not just who we think might respond but we are called to help those who God puts in our path!

As we sit with them in small groups, as we eat together and fellowship together we are called to admonish one another and call each other to repentance.

And that includes ourselves, do you know a great way to put to death sinful habits, by speaking the truth of Gods word to ourselves.

When we are fighting sin or considering a way we should go or not Go, the most healthy thing you can do is remind yourself and admonish yourself with the truth of God’s word.

It can help direct us and prevent us from needing outside admonishing.

But we don’t just admonish, we also teach.

Teach

Teach and admonish are sort of two sides of the same coin.

The original words here are kind of positive and negative with admonish being more of the correction and calling out of sin and the teaching being more of the positive of instructing on what is true.

We don’t just call out sin with the truth of God’s word we also use it to positively tell them what they should do instead.

Brother Steve often says you don’t get rid of habits you replace them.

It is the put on and put off principle,

We admonish them to put off the bad behavior and teach them the right behaviors they should do.

We must teach them about who Christ is, what he has done, what he commands and how life is to be lived under his Lordship.

This is teaching others what a Christ-Preeminent life looks like.

And we proclaim and we admonish and we teach,

with all wisdom.

With All Wisdom and to Every Man

We have talked about that all of this is centered on the Word of God

That the only way to truly counsel people is to take them to the word of God.

God never promised to bless your words but he did promise to bless his own.

But they require more than just possessing and relaying information.

It takes the full resources of God’s wisdom that he has given us and helping every man apply wisely the word of God to their varied needs, sins, struggles and circumstances.

The Bible is sufficient for all things pertaining to life and Godliness.

It may not address specifically that persons issue but it does give us principles that we can wisely apply to their lives and help them solve the problems biblically.

To proclaim and admonish and teach it requires spirit given wisdom to bring the truth of Christ, the truth of Gods word to bear upon each and every persons life.

So pray for wisdom as to how best to admonish and teach those around us.

But most importantly, a Christ Preeminent Ministry must preach.

Preach

This word for teach, and proclaim and admonish all can and have been translated as preaching in different contexts, or at least their roots have.

And we saw that Paul in verse 25 says that he fully carries out the preaching of Gods word.

All of the proclaiming, and admonishing and teaching are important but of utmost importance is the preaching of God’s word!

8. Goal of Christlikeness

9. Labor and Strive

Colossians 1:29 NASB 95

For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

10. Through Christ’s Power

Colossians 1:29 NASB 95

For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

If you are not saved, you can’t do any good works of Christian ministry so come to Christ