To Know the Hope of Glory

Big Idea

Tension: What is God’s purpose for Christians in uniting them with Christ?

Resolution: That he might, through the difficult work of pastors, present them mature in Christ.

Exegetical Idea: God’s purpose for uniting Christians with Christ is that he might, through the difficult work of pastors, present them mature in Christ.

Theological Idea: God desires, through the work of the Church, to unite his people to his Son so he might present them mature.

Homiletical Idea: God’s purpose for you is that, in coming to know the riches of Christ in you, you would be mature in his presence.

Outline

Introduction: What is my purpose? What is my hope?

The hope of glory - Christ in you (Col 1:27)

This, was, according to vs. 26, God’ s purpose which in the OT was quiet but is now revealed.

The riches of the glory of this mystery - This is a profound way of saying there is something significant, weighty, important, hefty about God’s mystery. That whatever this thing is that God wants you to know, it is really important.

The hope of glory - Paul looks forward to the day when we will be resurrected in a new body. This word for glory is talking about our resurrection glory. The riches of the glory is that we will have this glory. And why?

Christ in you. - THat this identity that he has been talking about since 1:1, that we are in Christ and he is in us, that we have this union with him, will one day lead to our resurrection, because he himself was resurrected. (cf. Col 1:14, 2:6-7, 2:11-12, 2:13-14; Gal 2:20; Phil 3:8-9; Rom 8:10-11; 2 Cor 5:21)

This union comes only from the gospel. The life death and resurrection of Christ.

God reveals the mystery now which was hidden from ages past (Col 1:26)

This reality was not fully known in the Old Testament. They had glimpses, they had types, they had shadows. God gave them some foreshadowing, but the fulness of this reality has not been revealed until Christ.

God calls pastors to preach this reality (Col 1:25)

So here is how God wants you to know this riches, this is how God is revealing the riches of knowing Christ in you, the hope of glory: it is through the preaching of pastors. That God’s plan has always been to call men to be his ministers and servants and to preach this gospel, all so that you would know the hope of glory.

Pastors Suffer (Col 1:24, 29, 2:1)

But pastors cannot do this will nilly. No, the life of pastors is a life of suffering.

“What is lacking” is not talking about pastors themselves become atoners. Christ’s sacrifice is fuly sufficient to save us. But what it “lacks” or needs, is someone to tell it. And therefore, in order to spread the news of the gospel, of Christ in you, pastors

The reason for this is, how can pastors preach a suffering Messiah if htey themsleves have not suffered? But rather, in their sufferings, pastors testify to the depths of God’s salvation.

Pastors are so broken they can only proceed by Christ’s grace (Col 1:29)

It is this suffering, which makes pasotrs realize their own inability and lean on God’s pwoer.

Pastors Preach (Col 1:25, 28)

And only by leaning on God’s power, do pastors preach and teach.

“Correcting” - Killing; negative

“Teaching” - Giving life; raising from the dead

By hearing this, people are encouraged n knowing Christ (Col 2:2)

By knowing this mystery, God’s people have their hearts encoruaged.

In knowing Christ, people know all the riches of knowing God in himself (Col 2:2-3)

it also says that they come to know full assurance, knowledge, understanding, wisdom and knowledge… the point is that all that you need to know about God must be seen in Christ. By knowing Chirst, we know God. And by knowing God in Christ and Christ in us, our hearts are encouraged and we hold on.

False Teachers are a danger because they rob us of this knowledge (Col 2:4)

Of course, Paul wants to keep people from buying into arguments that sound appealing but turn out to be false instead.

When pastors see people growing in Christ, they rejoice (Col 2:5) and people’s faith stands firm

However, Paul says, when we do continue to grow in our knowledge of Christ, two things happen. First off, pastors rejoice. All the sfufering is worth it.

But also, we grow “firm and steadfast” in teh faith in Christ. This word for firmness is the word from which we get “steroids.” WHen we stay in the fiath, when we come to know him, our faith goes on steroids.

God’s ultimate goal of this process is that they would be mature in Christ (Col 1:28)

And Paul’s ultimate goal, is, of course, that he might present us mature. This word for “mature” is the same word that Jesus uses when he says in Matt 5:48, “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Application:

Are you willing to trust God that this is a good purpose for your life?

If this is your purpose you will a. prioritize the things of God over other parts of your life. This does not mean you won’t make time for other parts of your life, but it does mean that attending church, reading your Bible, and prayer will take priority in your life.

b. It will also mean that we synthesize our lives to the hoep of glory. That we will learn how to parent in a way that brings glory to God, that we will work in a way that honors the Lord, that we will forgive because we are forgiven. All of those things, and so much more, is what Paul spends the rest of Colossians talking about.

But if this is your purpose, you will also recognize you can only do this by grace. It is only God’s grace that gave you this hope of glory, it is only God’s grace that brings the preaching of the word to you, it is only the mercy of hte Father that allows you and I to live in his son. To walk in him, and to grow in him.

Conclusion: <ANDY>