The Gospel Comes With Chains

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Compel
Attention (Why should they listen to you?)
Compel
When we become a follower of Jesus, do all of out troubles go away?
verbcom·​pel | \ kəm-ˈpel \compelled; compelling
In fact, they do not.
One pastor/friend of mine would warn people he was leading to Christ and say, “listen, if you trust Christ and become his follower, your life is going to get very difficult. God is going to recreate you into someone different than you are. And this new creation you will be will cause a great deal of turmoil in your life for one simply reason - you will grow to love Jesus more than anything or anyone else.”
And friends, loving Jesus more than anything or anyone else can cause trouble in this world.
Paul understood this perhaps better than any of us. And because of this
Definition of compel
Title: The Gospel Comes with Chains
transitive verb
What is the Biblical Solution?
1: to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly (Hunger compelled him to eat. The general was compelled to surrender).
2: to cause to do or occur by overwhelming pressure Public opinion compelled her to sign the bill.
When Paul became a follower of Christ, he became a man who was compelled. He was compelled to served Jesus with every ounce of his being! Just read through his life and you will see the results of a life that is possessed by God!
He was compelled to make disciples! It didn’t matter if this caused him suffering because his life was marked by grace upon grace.
And just as hunger compels one to eat, so the overwhelming power of God regenerating us into new creatures in Christ COMPELS us as well! The Gospel should drive us forward into serving Christ, just as it did with the apostle Paul...
3archaic : to drive together
You need to understand that your life will dramatically change once Jesus came into your life!
Text:
This is it! The last verse in our journey through this great letter! And we have learned much! But as Paul personally signs his letter and with this signature there are a few more things to learn...
Main Idea: The Gospel Compels Us to Invest, Suffer and Offer Grace
The Gospel Compels Us to Invest, Suffer and Offer Grace
Main Idea: The Gospel Compels Us to Invest, Suffer and Offer Grace
Take a look at the first one...
Transition:
1. The Gospel Compels Us To Invest in Others (vs. 18a)
Lead in…Prior to salvation, I never really thought about pouring my life into the lives of other unless there was some benefit for me. But afterwards, Christ turned my focus on its head. This was especially true of Paul...
Colossians 1:18 ESV
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Colossians 4:18 ESV
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
You might be thinking to yourself, how did you come a first point of “The Gospel Compels Us to Invest in Others?” Are you just making things up?
No, I don’t think I am, and I do think this is a legitimate point that needs to be made from this verse and regarding the ministry of Paul!
Why? Because, Paul wrote this greeting in his own hand. Meaning...
Usually, Paul would dictate his letter to an amanuensis or a recording secretary and then at the end of his letters, he would write, with his own hand, the greeting portion.
For example...
1 Corinthians 16:21 ESV
21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.
Galatians 6:11 ESV
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
2 Thessalonians 3:17 ESV
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.
And this leads to the point that I make with you this morning. Paul is personally, genuinely vested in investing in people.
Remember the story - Epaphras, from Colossae, comes to Christ under the ministry of the Apostle Paul, goes back to Colossae and plants a church (that’s supposed to be a normal process, btw!).
The church starts, grows and flourishes but then, trouble comes and Epaphras needs some counsel and so he goes to the only one he can think of that will help - Paul.
And although Paul was incarcerated (for nothing bad, by the way - for simply preaching the Gospel), he was able to converse with Epaphras and get some counsel and encouragement.
Not only did he receive personal discipleship from Paul, he received an amazing letter of instruction (AKA the letter to Colossians). That we are finishing today.
Paul desired to invest in people! And with his investments, he was hoping for an amazing eternal return on their behalf.
This was Paul’s heartbeat !His purpose in life was to help each one of them grow and become fully mature followers of Christ.
Whether he dictated it or wrote it by hand, the point is this, his heart was to help each on of them grow and become fully mature followers of Christ.
Rememeber his words in...
Colossians 1:28–29 ESV
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Last week was prayer week and Angie and I got to visit with Homer and Rosemary Kohn. Homer was telling us about his salvation after graduation and then going off to the military.
He said something that struck me. The Drill Sargent would be tasked with taking a bunch of 18 year old kids who knew nothing of the military or the expectations or each other for that matter and teach them to become a single unit that would lay down their lives for one another. The one thing they had in common was the Army! And it was the Sargent’s duty to get them whipped into shape ASAP! The Sargent was paid to get these Yahoos combat ready!
Now, you and I are in The Lord’s Army! And the one thing we have in Common is Christ. And while we don’t have a drill Sargent per se, we do have Jesus as our Captain and the Word of God as our military manual! We are to be crack, trained soldiers for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is what Paul dedicated his life to!
PAUL INVESTED IN PEOPLE - and so should you. Investing, mentoring, discipling - Speaking truth into someone’s life to cause them to grow.
Investing, mentoring, discipling - Speaking truth into someone’s life to cause them to grow.
This is our purpose - We glorify God by investing in others!
Paul leads Epaphras to Christ, disciples him, sends him home to plant a church and now is counseling him about a specific situation. He then writes a letter to help his pastor/friend, and the church at Colossae. Talk about an investment!
The point is this. Paul was an INVESTOR! Not in money, but in people!
NO investment is too small.
Start with an encouraging word.
Offer to pray with someone (yes, prayer is an investment).
Share a verse of scripture that has encouraged you.
Do a discipleship / bible study with someone who needs encouragement
There are so many simple ways we can invest in someone else. You would be shocked. (Bill Amstutz).
Review - The Gospel Compels Us to Invest, Suffer and Offer Grace
The Gospel Compels Us To Invest in Others
2. The Gospel Compels Us To Suffer for Jesus (vs. 18b)
Lead in…my friend, whenever he leads someone to Christ, first warns them that there life isn’t going to get easier. In fact, it will be harder than they ever imagined! Becoming a new Creature in Christ, brings new challenges that the unbeliever can’t imagine!
This is an apt description of Paul’s life...
Colossians 4:18 ESV
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
“Remember my chains”
Explanation -
It has been said, “The only guarantees in life are death and taxes.” Well, there is one more guarantee for the believer, suffering for the gospel.
And did Paul suffer for the Gospel. He is the New Testament’s prime example of it. And his request to “Remember my chains”, was a rem
To be fair, Paul did cause quite of bit of suffering to the believers before his conversion. In fact, the first time we hear about Paul (Saul) is that he is a persecutor in When Stephen was stoned to death by the approval of Saul himself.
Acts 7:57–58 ESV
57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
He didn’t stop there...
Acts 7:57–8:1 ESV
57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 9:1–2 ESV
1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
But then the Lord saved Saul and everything would now change. And he would become one of the most influential Christians this world has ever seen. And it was his journey of suffering that brought him to a significant level of maturity in Christ.
Yes, suffering grows us in ways nothing else can.
God knows this and that is why He promised that Paul would be a servant acquainted with suffering...
God told Ananias about Saul and how he was a believer now and that suffering would be his lot in life...
Acts 9:15–16 ESV
15 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. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Acts 9:16 ESV
16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
And suffer for the gospel he did. Look with me at this passage. These are Paul’s very own words...
2 Corinthians 11:24–31 ESV
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
Paul’s Sufferings as Recorded in the Book of Acts (on the back of your handout).
His life was threatened in Damascus.
His life was threatened in Damascus.
His life was threatened again in Jerusalem.
His life was threatened again in Jerusalem.
His life was threatened again in Jerusalem.
His life was threatened again in Jerusalem.
Persecuted and run out of Antioch in Pisidia.
Persecuted and run out of Antioch in Pisidia.
Faced possible stoning at Iconium.
Persecuted and run out of Antioch in Pisidia.
Faced possible stoning at Iconium.
Stoned and left for dead in Lystra.
Faced possible stoning at iconium.
Stoned and left for dead in Lystra.
Experienced the loss of his close friend and co-worker, Barnabas.
Beaten with rods and imprisoned at Philippi.
Opposed and made the center of controversy.
Cast out of Philippi.
Experienced the loss of his close friend and co-worker, Barnabas.
His life was threatened in Thessalonica. ,
15:39
Forced out of Berea.
Beaten with rods and imprisoned at Philippi.
Mocked in Athens.
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Taken before the judgment seat in Corinth.
Cast out of Philippi.
The Sufferings of Paul 11
Opposed by the silversmiths in Ephesus.
His life was threatened in Thessalonica. , .
Forced out of Berea. -14
Mocked in Athens.
9. Cast out of Philippi. 10. His life was threatened in Thessalonica. , . Forced out of Berea. -14 12. Mocked in Athens. 13. Taken before the judgment seat in Corinth. 14. Opposed by the silversmiths in Ephesus. 15. Plotted against by the Jews in Greece. 16. Apprehended by the mob in Jerusalem. 17. Arrested and detained by the Romans. 18. Barely escaped being scourged. 19. Rescued from the Sanhedrin mod action. 20. Assassination plot against him. 21. Two-year imprisonment in Caesarea. 22. Shipwreck on the island of Melita (Malta). 23. Suffered a snakebite. 24. First Roman imprisonment.
Taken before the judgment seat in Corinth.
Mocked in Athens.
Opposed by the silversmiths in Ephesus.
Taken before the judgment seat in Corinth.
Opposed by the silversmiths in Ephesus.
Plotted against by the Jews in Greece.
Opposed by the silversmiths in Ephesus. 15. Plotted against by the Jews in Greece. 16. Apprehended by the mob in Jerusalem. 17. Arrested and detained by the Romans. 18. Barely escaped being scourged. 19. Rescued from the Sanhedrin mod action. 20. Assassination plot against him. 21. Two-year imprisonment in Caesarea. 22. Shipwreck on the island of Melita (Malta). 23. Suffered a snakebite. 24. First Roman imprisonment.
Plotted against by the Jews in Greece. Apprehended by the mob in Jerusalem. Arrested and detained by the Romans. Barely escaped being scourged. Rescued from the Sanhedrin mod action. Assassination plot against him. Two-year imprisonment in Caesarea. Shipwreck on the island of Melita (Malta).
Apprehended by the mob in Jerusalem.
Arrested and detained by the Romans.
Barely escaped being scourged.
Rescued from the Sanhedrin mod action.
Assassination plot against him.
Suffered a snakebite. First Roman imprisonment.
Suffered a snakebite. First Roman imprisonment.
Two-year imprisonment in Caesarea.
Shipwreck on the island of Melita (Malta).
Suffered a snakebite.
First Roman imprisonment.
http://www.biblecharts.org/apostlepaulcharts/15%20-%20The%20Sufferings%20of%20Paul.pdf
I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to suffer these things. I know that I don’t suffer very well.
I am a big baby when things get difficult (you can pray for my wife).
But is there a proper way to suffer? What kind of attitude should a believer have when he or she is going through the throes of suffering?
Paul learned to suffer well. Look at what he says in...
-1
2 Corinthians 4:7–12 ESV
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
2 Corinthians 4:7–18 ESV
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Not only did he learn to suffer well, he considered it a great privilege to suffer for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 7 ESV
1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. 5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 15 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.
Paul considered it a great privilege to suffer for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:24 ESV
24 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,
He had been radically transformed by Jesus and now he boldly proclaimed the glorious good news. Unfortunately, not everyone views it as good news and suffering will be the result.
Sometimes easy, sometimes hard - but rest assured, if you stand for Christ, suffering will be the inevitable result.
Jesus promised this...
Matthew 10:22 ESV
22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
But from God’s perspective suffering can be a good thing!
Matthew 5:11–12 ESV
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11 ESV
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
You see, we need to have an eternal perspective when it comes to suffering. According to Jesus, you may suffer here for a short time, but it will be nothing in comparison to the glory of heaven that is to come.
Romans 8:18 ESV
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Paul suffered for the gospel. And so he writes to the Colossians to “Remember my chains.” In other words, pray for him. Don’t forget what is happening to him. Remember, there is a cost that comes with the Gospel.
You and I will have our “chains” as well. Having a relationship with Jesus ensures it.
But how can we suffer well? How can we endure the inevitable hardships that will come because of our relationship with Jesus, our Lord? How can we be joyful in the midst of trial? (By the way, God is teaching me this right now).
Pursue joy while in the midst of suffering. Don’t follow the beguiling path to the self-pity party, instead, chase after joy!
George Muller - Evangelist and orphanage director in Bristol, England. He is known for his great faith, trust in God and robust prayer life. He cared for over 10,000 orphans over the course of his ministry life. And his first priority every day was to find joy!
“I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how the inner life might be nourished.”
Ephesians 3:16 ESV
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
And when the inner life is nourished and strong, the outer life will persevere.
Having a joy-filled heart goes a long way in helping one survive the brutel pain of suffering for one’s faith!
Having a joy-filled heart goes a long way in helping one survive the brutal pain of suffering for one’s faith!
But there is something else you can do to suffer well.
And when you pursue joy in suffering you begin to look at suffering differently...
Remember your position in Christ!
I suggest to you that it is because God loves us that he gives us the gift of suffering. Pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world. You see, we are like blocks of stone out of which the Sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of his chisel, which hurt us so much are what make us perfect. C.S. Lewis
Paul found his joy in Jesus and His gospel! It possessed him! It radically transformed him! It compelled him to even endure a substantial amount of suffering.
On mothers day, I preached a sermon on Hell. It was based on a sermon and a book by Rico Tice where he said Christians must be willing to cross the “Pain-Line” for Jesus.
What is the pain line? It is that awkward time in any conversation when we cross over to talk about Jesus Christ. Many of us, myself included are profoundly tempted to stop just before the “pain-line.” And often times we simply refuse to cross it !
What if we had the mindset of the apostle Paul? What if we believed it is a great honor to suffer humiliation for Jesus? What if this church grasped the truth that being persecuted for Christ was the right and good and celebrated path that pleases God immensely?! What if we changed our minds about suffering for Jesus?
I think we would see a revival. We would see God move through His people like He did in the first century!
So, will you start praying and asking God to give you the power and boldness to cross the “Pain-line” and then the grace to endure the inevitable suffering that will come?
Review - The Gospel Compels Us to Invest, Suffer and Offer Grace
The Gospel Compels Us To Invest in Others
The Gospel Compels Us To Suffer for Jesus
3. God Compels Us to Offer Grace to Those Who Need it Most (vs. 18c)
Lead in…Often times we sign our letter with, “Sincerely”. But Paul says something even more significant...
Colossians 4:18 ESV
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Paul was in a terrible situation. He was incarcerated, away from home, and no longer able to do his first love, preach the gospel to all who would hear.
And usually, when someone is in a bad situation, a bad attitude is soon to follow. I, for one, can easily allow my circumstances to get the best of me and soon enough my attitude is in the tank!
“A bad attitude is like a flat tire, you can’t go anywhere until you change it.”
An attitude that follows our circumstances is worldly thinking and ought not be a part of the life of the Christian.
And from what I can tell, Paul was an expert at having a godly attitude in the worst of situation.
Acts 16:16–25 ESV
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Acts 16
Singing hymns after being beaten for preaching the truth? Paul understood the gospel and the grace of God.
He carried this attitude to his imprisonment as well. And it shows up in his care and concern for the church in Colossae! His life was characterized by what he wrote to the church in Philippi...
Philippians 2:3 ESV
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Philippians
And the result of this is extending grace!
And that is exactly what Paul was doing with Epaphras and the church in Colossae. He was extending grace to them by taking the time to teach them the profound truths of God so they would not fall into the insidious clutches of heresy.
False teachers do not stand a chance against believers grounded in the truth!
“Grace be with you.”
What a beautiful and wonderful way to end the letter. It’s just the way he started it...
Colossians 1:2 ESV
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Col 1
Grace is “unmerited favor.”
It is receiving something you do not deserve.
This is the hallmark of the Christian life!
This wasn’t simply a wish, like “Good luck”!
Paul demonstrated Grace by writing this letter to them. By taking the time to carefully instruct them.
Also, this wish is a profound reminder that only believers in Christ can truly appreciate.
Because we know that without Grace, there is no salvation!
Without Grace there is no growth in Christ!
Without Grace there is no hope whatsoever.
It is ONLY By God’s grace that we can boast that we have eternal life!
Paul’s ministry was marked by offering grace to those who need it most because he knew how much he needed the grace of God!
The story of grace includes a broad range of characters - rich, poor, powerful, and powerless. For all of them, it is God's grace that tips the scale in their favor. In some ways these stories are our stories. For like the individuals who populate the pages of Scripture, we, too, need grace. But not just any grace. The grace of God. - Andy Stanley, The Grace of God
Paul understood all too well the power of Grace. He also understood the Power of giving grace to those who need it most!
There are a couple ways you can be like Paul here.
Understand and appreciate what you’ve been given!
Pursue a life marked by grace.
Love people for who they are...
Share the truth of the gospel - it is a grace filled act to show people their need for Jesus.
Teach others the glorious truth of the bible - make disciples. This too is an act of grace.
Meet people where they are at and bring them al
The Gospel Compels Us To Invest in Others
The Gospel Compels Us To Suffer for Jesus
The Gospel Compels Us to Offer Grace to Those Who Need it Most
Conclusion
Compel - 1: to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly (Hunger compelled him to eat. The general was compelled to surrender).
Action they should take
What drives your life? What compels you?
Land the Plane
For the Christian we, like Paul should be compelled to Invest in others, Suffer for Jesus and offer Grace to those who need it most.
Connection Group Reflection Questions
What stands out to you from this text?
Why is investing in other so near to the heart of God? Why is it so difficult for us to do?
No one likes pain. How does God use pain and suffering to grow His children? How has suffering for Christ helped you in your walk with Him?
We all love grace. How has God’s grace impacted your life? Who can you extend His grace to this week?
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