Your Ministry

Introduction

Have you ever received a letter from somebody you’ve never met? Sometimes it can be a little awkward reading a letter from a friend of a friend. It’s almost like there is a disconnect. On top of that the people that you do know are telling you this guy is not legitimate and that you shouldn’t listen to him. That’s what is happening with the Colossian church and Paul is giving his purpose for his ministry to the church. Paul wants this church to know and us to know what his mission to the church was and what our mission should be to the church and to the lost. We will be looking at how Paul explains to this small church in Colosse the gospel, his suffering, and his striving for the saints of the church.

His focus is the gospel. (v. 21-23)

The past alienation. (v.21a)

everyone is alienated or separated from God before Christ. These Gentiles know that they were not Israel so they weren’t even part of God’s people, but that’s not the main reason they were strangers and separated from God. They were separated because of their constant tendency to practice sin.

Sin not paid for is what separates you from God. The only way for the forgiveness of your sins to take place is to be reconciled to God through Christ Jesus and his death on the cross.

The present reconciliation (v. 21b-22)

God takes the initiative with His love and grace. We were actively running away from God and at war with Him in our separation from Him. But, as Romans 5:6-10 says “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

Jesus bore our sins in His body that sin would be condemned through His sacrifice and defeated through his life in resurrection power!

God reconciles us to Himself so we may be holy, blameless, and above reproach. When you have accepted Christ by faith the Holy Spirit begins to mold and shape you to be holy and devoted to Him!

When God sees you He sees no blemish or wrongdoing on you. When you have been clothed in Jesus’ righteousness He has washed you clean of all your sin and continues to do so throughout your life when you mess up.

DO NOT LOOK THROUGH YOUR OWN SIGHT OR OTHERS OPINIONS OF YOU TO DICTATE WHO YOU ARE. WHEN YOU CONSTANTLY FOCUS ON YOUR FAILURES YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOURSELF HOW GOD SEES YOU! IN CHRIST YOU ARE FORGIVEN, IN CHRIST YOU ARE A NEW CREATION, IN CHRIST YOU ARE FREE FROM SIN AND ITS CONDEMNATION, IN CHRIST YOU ARE LOVED FULLY AND FULLY KNOWN, IN CHRIST YOU ARE IN PERFECT STANDING WITH GOD, IN CHRIST THERE IS NO SHAME, IN CHRIST YOU ARE MADE RIGHT WITH THE FATHER.

The future glorification (v. 23)

The future hope that we have in the gospel and in Christ is our hope of Jesus’ return. (Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and wordly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”)

ENCOURAGEMENT: Continue in the faith! Be stable and steadfast in Christ and who you are in Him. Do not change your hope from Christ to something else!

His suffering is for all people (24-27)

Paul rejoices in his suffering (v. 24)

Paul was suffering because of Jesus Christ. The apostles saw it as a blessing that they were “counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41) A Christian should never suffer as a thief or an evildoer (1 Peter 4:15-16) but there is a special blessing and reward reserved for the faithful believers who suffers for the sake of Jesus. (Matt. 5:10-12)

Paul also suffered because of the Gentiles. God gave Paul the assignment to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and because of that he was actually a prisoner in Rome. He was arrested in Jerusalem on false charges, and the Jews condemned him because in his defense he used the word Gentile (Acts 22:21) Paul was willing to be persecuted for the name of Jesus and for the sake of the Gentiles that they may know and turn in saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Suffering for the name of Jesus should be seen as a blessing!

When you stand for your faith, you will experience suffering. (2 Cor. 1:5 “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ.”)

Paul’s responsibility (v. 25-27)

Paul and we, are called to share the gospel and live it out. For Paul this was not something he could choose but it was an obligation and responsibility for him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and reveal that God had made salvation available for all people!

The mystery in this Scripture that Paul talks about is not that God has given up on Israel but that He has made salvation available to Jews and Gentiles and he wants unity in the church between both groups of people. God wants all peoples from all nations to worship Him. He isn’t exclusive to one nation anymore but to all peoples. This is a huge implication even now with racial reconciliation. God wants us to be reconciled together. Racism is a sin problem and within the church it should not be a thing. Paul was calling for unity with all people under the name of Christ and wanted all people to be reconciled to Him and reconcile the church together!

His striving in prayer for all the saints. (1:28-2:3)

Paul’s instruction (v. 28)

Paul tells us to warn others…what does that mean? He means we must warn others of their current relationship with God. We must be alert of our friends and family around us and their relationship with God. Do they have faith in Jesus? Have you prayed for them? Have you asked them about their faith? Have you been an example for them of true transformation to Christ? This is not only a warning to others but a warning to ourselves to be alert in our relationship with God. Are we pursuing Christ the way we should? Are we missing the mark in certain areas and ways? Have we repented of our sins and turned toward Christ? Are we allowing the enemy to win in our life?

Paul tells us to teach everyone and the goal of teaching and warning.

The goal of warning others of God’s judgment and teaching the gospel with all wisdom is so that EVERYONE in the body of Christ would be presented as mature in Christ. Spiritual maturity is a goal to reach for! But how do we do that? (v. 2)

Encouragement “that their hearts may be comforted”

Genuine empathy and sympathy for others. Don’t be fake.

Loving one another well “being knit together in love”

be a peacemaker not a troublemaker

Enrichment “unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding”

Knowing your richness in Christ Jesus

Enlightenment “full assurance of understanding”

assurance that you’re a child of God.

Paul’s intercession (v. 29-2:1)

Paul toils and works in cooperation with God through prayer for these churches that he hasn’t even seen face to face. How many times do we find ourselves on our faces before God pleading for him to work in our friends. How many times do we find ourselves pleading for God to strengthen our friends faith that we know is struggling to believe or is going through a rough time?

How much we pray for others really indicates how much we care about them. If God is all powerful and can do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can imagine in our lives and the lives of others, why do we not pray more? Why are we so preoccupied with things that are trivial and mean nothing? People do not care what you know until they know how much you care!!

Application:

Are you fulfilling the ministry God has given to you? or are you sitting on your hands?