Sunday Sermon 12-27-20 Colossians 1:24-29 (2)
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome to First Community Church where we worship God in Spirit and in Truth, one verse at a time!
I wanted to take a moment and say thank you to all who participated and coordinated our Christmas Eve service, “What a Blessing!”
Also, thank you for your kindness that you have shown to each other and to my family over this last year!
Have you stopped to think about how God has taken care of you this past year?
Despite the Covid situation, God has faithfully taken care of us all!
We all have so much to be grateful for!
Prayer
Prayer
Read Colossians 1:23-29
Read Colossians 1:23-29
Review
Review
Last week we talked about how we are reconciled in Christ, by Christ and through Christ church!
Reconcile- ä-po-kä-täl-lä's-so change from one condition to another, so as to remove all enmity and leave no impediment to unity and peace, to bring back into harmony, to exchange
We call this is the Great Exchange
When we surrendered our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, He took our sin and in exchange for it he gives us His righteousness, Jesus became the propitiation for our sins
Propitiation- this word carries the basic idea of appeasement or satisfaction, specifically toward God.
Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of an offended person and being reconciled to him.
Jesus satisfied God’s wrath upon the cross for you , for me, and for the whole world church
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin
Christ did this through the blood of His cross, church> Col 1:20<
2. We learned that because Jesus reconciled us to God through his death on the cross, that we have all been placed in the ministry, all of us, not just church staff or those that are paid for doing ministry, but every blood bought Christian in the world.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Notice the If anyone is in Christ?
Since Jesus reconciled us to God church through the blood of His cross, since he died in our place, He has now given us the ministry of reconciliation. He said follow Him and he will make us fishers of men!
We are now his ambassadors, proclaiming and living out the Gospel!
3. Finally, the Lord lead us on a PAUSE!
What is a pause?
The pause the Lord lead us on what to take a look at the parable of the talents
Here we learned that God has given us all gifts and abilities to bring glory to His name, to bless the Body of Christ which is the church.
And I believe he did this because we are headed into a New Year and he wants us to stop being Jonah !
He wants us to leap out in faith, to risk, and to begin to use those gifts and abilities this next year
Let’s not let Covid stop us!
Let’s not let our struggles impede us!
Let’s not let the devil’s voice convince us that we are not good enough to serve!
Let’s stop making excuses !
What are your excuses?
Remember church! If your serving, chances are you are not swerving!
It is when we step out and serve others with the gifts God has given us, that greater healing comes into our lives....
So serve and watch what God can do in you and through you this next year!
Today, we are going to look at the the Marks of the Ministry in the remaining verses of Colossians
if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Here we see the by-product of a person who has been reconciled to Christ
They continue in the faith regardless of what is going on in their life or around them
They are grounded and steadfast
They are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard
Paul is not just talking about the church at Colossae, but he is talking about us church!
Notice that the gospel was preached to every creature under heaven???
This means that the gospel has no racial or cultural boundaries
Having reached Rome, where Paul was when he wrote Colossians, it had reached the center of the known world.
The gospel has no boundaries church!
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
What boundaries have you placed on the gospel?
Jesus died in our place upon the cross
He was buried and resurrected in three days as he promised us
There are no bones church in his tomb!
What is stopping you ?
And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Paul borrowed this text out of Isaiah 52:7
Did you know you have beautiful feet? If you preach the gospel ???
The first Mark of the Ministry is some one who preaches the Gospel.
And remember church, we are all called to do this, not just the pastors
This is a natural by-product of our relationship with the Lord
Some of the greatest evangelism is through the power of example, or our witness
But note: We are called to proclaim
I know in my life, when I am not sharing that great gospel of God’s amazing love and grace, that the gospel is not working in me!
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
2. The second Mark of the Ministry is Suffering.
Paul definitely suffered.
Note: he rejoiced in his sufferings!
This verse is not saying that the atoning work of Christ is not complete, it was upon the cross that it was finished.
Paul is not talking here about salvation, but rather in service.
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
5xs 40 stripes minus one = 195 stripes
The rods were usually made of birch wood, and the Roman soldiers would beat their victims mercilessly all over their entire body
Only one beating is recorded in the Book of Acts (16:22), as well as the one stoning (Acts 14:19).
Paul knew from the outset of his ministry that he would suffer for Jesus’ sake (Acts 9:15–16), and God reaffirmed this to him as his ministry continued.
except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.
Paul suffered as minster of the Gospel and so will we church...
If we are living out loud!
If we are proclaiming the gospel!
If our lives are being transformed!
Paul had caused others to suffer for their faith, himself had to suffer for his faith...
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
Twice in chapter 1, Paul says he was made or became a minister!
How did this happen?
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Paul was there for three years the next verse says..
Paul was set apart in his mothers womb
We can see God’s Omniscience here at work
Pop Quiz
What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Psalms 119
How many verses is it?
176 verses
What others cities was Colossae near?
Hieroplolis
Laodecia
3. The Third Mark of the Ministry is being good steward over what God has given us so freely.
Stewardship- oikonomia- specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of another's property
God placed Paul, a minister over his property the church
God has made you a steward over his property church
So everything you own, God has given you and you are called to be a good steward over those resources
Maybe you’re thinking, “Wow, I’m glad that the Lord hasn’t called me into the ministry!”
But as I said, if you know Christ, He has called you into the ministry.
He has called you to serve Him with whatever spiritual gifts, time, and resources He has entrusted to you.
It may not be a calling to preach God’s Word, as Paul’s calling was.
But whatever your gifts and calling, you can learn something from Paul’s statement that he “might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” (literally, “make full the word of God”)
the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Mystery– musterion (“mystery”) – hidden thing, secret
What mystery is Paul talking about here church?
Paul calls his message “the mystery.”
Probably he was playing upon a term which the false teachers used.
They taught that you had to be initiated into their inner circle to understand the mysteries or secret truths which they would reveal to you.
Paul says that the gospel message, especially that the Gentiles could be full partners along with the Jews, is a mystery; not in the sense that it is known only by a select few, but in the sense that it was formerly unknown, but now God has revealed it.
The Old Testament predicted salvation for the Gentiles. But God had to reveal the previously unknown truth that the Gentiles would be fellow-heirs with the Jews, one body in Christ with them.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
This verse is the thesis statement of the whole book of Romans
Salvation is for all church!
The gnostics were teaching it was only for a chosen few....
Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
The fact that the Gentiles would be “fellow heirs” along with the Jews was amazing.
The OT predicted the coming of the Messiah and the Gentiles would enter in
But to the average Jewish person, it was inconceivable that Gentiles could be “fellow heirs” of God.
Paul had the ministry of taking this blessing of the gospel to pagan Gentiles.
The mystery is about Gentiles being saved.
But the greatest mystery is Jesus actually being “in” us.
Both Jew and Gentile alike now posses the surpassing riches of the indwelling Christ
This is a glorious mystery church!
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Did you catch that? Him we preach?
Preach- Katangellō (proclaim) means to publicly declare a completed truth or happening. It is a general term and is not restricted to formal preaching.
Paul’s proclamation included two aspects, one negative, one positive
Warning or Admonishing is from noutheteō. It speaks of encouraging counsel in view of sin and coming punishment. It is the responsibility of church leaders. This is the negative side of preaching.
But If there is sin in the life of a believer, other believers have the responsibility to lovingly, gently admonish them to forsake that sin.
Teaching refers to imparting positive truth. It, too, is the responsibility of every believer (Col. 3:16), and is part of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:20).
And we warn or admonish others in all wisdom.
This means we must ask God for the wisdom to do so in both of these areas.
So here are the Marks of the Ministry
Preaches the Gospel and lives out loud
Suffering for the Name of Jesus Christ
Stewardship
Warning/ Admonishing others- giving counsel in view of sin
Teaching- imparting the good news and truth
6. And the last one is striving according to His working which works in you mightily.
Striving- agonizomai- to strain or fight v. — to exert much effort or energy (in something); conceived of as engaging in a fight or contest.
We get our word agonize from this word
This word was used for athletes as they would prepare to win the victory church, they would striving for the the finish line.
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Are you preaching the gospel and living out loud?
Are you suffering for his name sake?
Are you a good steward over what God has given you?
Are you warning and teaching others as the Spirit leads?
Are you striving for Jesus and the goal?
This is a hard order and apart from God it is impossible!
Prayer
Prayer
Announcements
Announcements
Michale Swenson will be getting baptized on 1/10/21 so be praying for him...
Tithe Box
Happy New Year
Benediction
Benediction
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
The Lord Bless you!
Your Mission Starts Now!