The Exodus

Scripture Reading

Colossians 1:21–23 ESV

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Colossians 1:24–29 ESV

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, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Colossians 2:1–5 ESV

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

[Pray]

Introduction - 3 Min

We are wrapping up chapter 1 in our study through Colossians.

Last time we looked at Colossians, we were looking at verse 21 - 23 - which makes the point that God reconciled us to himself through the Blood of Christ on the Cross. The main point was that Christ is Supreme in our Reconciliation to God.

When we say Christ is supreme, we are really looking back to verse 18: Col 1:18 “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.”

He is the HEAD, the BEGINNING, the FIRSTBORN - He is PREEMINENT - he has the highest place.

Paul is continuing his encouragement to the church in Colossea. In this passage he is reminding them of his office, not only as an apostle, but also as a minister, or servant, of the Gospel. He’s letting them know he is a minister, or steward of the Mystery of Christ. He’s administering, stewarding the charge and Gospel that was given to him.

We started reading in verse 21 to get a running start at the point Paul is making - last time we looked at those verses as a little biography of the Saint. You were an Alienated, Hostile sinner, but now you are a reconciled saint presented to God as holy and blameless. You were far off, but you have been brought near.

But Paul moves into an autobiography - one written to a church he hasn’t met, giving them a glimpse of the suffering of an apostle of Christ - struggling and toiling to bring this mystery of Christ to the world - specifically the Gentiles.

He goes from “Here is what God has done in YOUR life” to “Here is what God has done in MY LIFE. Here is my heart: to spread this mystery of the Gospel all over the world, and to see it be fruitful.”

Coming to the central theme of the Book of Colossians, the supremacy of Christ, Paul is reminding this Church that Christ is Supreme over the Growth of the Church.

When we say “Church growth” our mind jumps to increasing attendance numbers. Church growth books and seminars will tell you if your church gets X new people attending it’s growing. That’s a part of it - but true Church growth is two things happening:

People coming to faith in Christ - New disciples

People maturing in Christ - discipleship and growth

Paul has both in mind - he wants to spread this Gospel so that the Gentiles God has called to salvation will hear and repent. He also wants the existing followers of Christ to mature - to “present everyone mature in Christ”

He really sees that as his primary call and purpose in life - he has this mystery, this treasure, and he will guard it with his life. He will struggle, toil, and suffer to fulfil this calling as a minister of the Gospel.

This is really what all ministers of the Gospel are called to - so while it IS an autobiography, it is also an example to all ministers, preachers, and elders to carry out the calling given to them.

We will look at this passage in three points:

The Ministry of the Church

The Mystery of the Church

The Maturity of Believers

The Ministry, the Mystery, and Maturity.

The Ministry of the Church

Paul is a Minister of the Church

In Verses 23 and 25 Paul calls himself a minister - in verse 23 he is a minister of the Gospel - in verse 25 his is a minister of Christ’s Body, the church

Colossians 1:23–25 (ESV)

if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

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, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,

The book of Ephesians was written at the same time as Colossians, and it shared many parallels with it. In the third Chapter of Ephesians Paul writes a similar statement to the church there in Ephesus - he tells them he is a steward and a minister and that he has insights into the Mystery of Christ.

Ephesians 3:1–7 (ESV)

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.

The Greek work for Minister diakonos - same word used for deacon. It means a servant, someone who serves others over themselves. There is self denial in order to better serve others. When Paul calls himself the minister of the church, or of the Gospel, he is really saying he is a servant doing the work his master has commanded

He, as a minister is dead set on spreading the Gospel, and reaching as many as he can. Saving those those that have not yet heard the Gospel and shepherding the existing believers who have.

Paul tells King Agripa the full story in Acts 26:12-23

Acts 26:12–23 (ESV)

“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

Here is the self-righteous, empowered religious vigilante Saul on his way to rid the world of Christians - and Christ stops him, spanks him, gives him a new job, and sends him on his way with a new charge - to MAKE new Christians instead of persecuting them. He keeps going to Damascus, but calls people to repentance.

Paul takes this charge and calling very seriously. It was given to him by Christ and no one can take it from him.

But Sharing the Gospel is difficult, Dangerous work.

The Ministry of the Church often requires suffering and pain

Paul is not ashamed to call out in his Epistles and letters the fact that he is suffering. The book of Acts is full of the accounts of men who were charged with the work of the church being persecuted, jailed, beaten, and killed because the World hated their message.

And not just their message, they hated the Saviour that it spoke of. Jesus warned his disciples that the world would hate them, because the world hated him.

John 15:18-19 ““If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Paul understood the cost of ministry - he knew what it would take to preach the gospel to the reaches of the earth, but he did it anyway. And he did it with joy.

Col 1:24 “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,”

Paul clearly is suffering - he is writing this letter from Prison is Rome - carrying out the ministry given to him has been a dangerous, painful job - but he still rejoices - not because he like the pain obviously, but because of the RESULT of his work.

His ministry is extremely successful, but extremely costly to him. Listen to how he explains it to the Church in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 4:7–12 (ESV)

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 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. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

He is toiling, with the power of God working in him - The Gospel continues to Spread because God’s power works in God’s People - empowering them to carry on the ministry - to take this valuable message to those that need it.

Col 1:29 “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

He is writing the works “I rejoice in my suffering” - while in Chains for preaching this gospel.

Even while imprisoned he asks for them to pray that he will be able to continue preaching the Gospel: Col 4:3-4 “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

Paul considers his comfort, ease, and even his life as less important that the Church, and the spreading of the Gospel to “all Creation”

The unique ministry of the Church is fulfilling the commands to preach, shepherd, disciple, discipline the flock of God, but also to evangelize and share this good news so that the flock of God can grow.

Some of those things are things the Elders are called to do, and some of those things the body of Christ is called to do. For example, the Elders may preach, but it is the CHURCH BODY that disciplines during excommunication. It is the PEOPLE of the church, Elders, Deacons, and EVERYONE else that shares the gospel, encourages each other. disciples each other, even though it’s difficult.

We are ready to give up and cry persecution when we try to share the Gospel, and get rejected, and Paul’s example here is the exact opposite. He is rejoicing even though he is suffering, toiling, chained to a guard, because he knows no matter difficult the Jews or Rome make his life, the Gospel is not in chains. He is rejoicing because even though he is suffering, it is for the sake of the Church.

Which leads us to this interesting phrase in verse 24:

"Filling up what is lacking in Christ’s Afflictions for the sake of … the Church”

This is tough - and a bit shocking - leaving us, and Christians for decades asking questions like:

Did Christ not suffer enough?

Does Paul need to finish or complete Christ’s suffering by suffering personally?

Off the bat, let me say Paul would be one the first to say there is no more suffering or payment needed for our sins. Christ has fully paid for our sins; there is no LACK in the propitiantional sufferer of Christ. He said it is finished - and it is!

Paul isn’t making any connection to the atoning work and suffering of Christ.

Rather he is making the connection that since Christ suffered persecution, and then left earth the sit at the right hand of God, those remaining followers of His are suffering afflictions because out our union with him.

Here is Paul, preaching the Gospel of the One who dragged him away from killing and persecuting the church, and made him a minister to it - and now he is the one being persecuted.

Paul says in Gal 6:17 “From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”

Paul isn’t making atonement for the time he persecuted the church - he isn’t punishing himself out of guilt by enduring this suffering.

He is taking the remainder of anger, hated, and murderous intent the world had towards Jesus. He is so closely associated and tied to Christ that the afflictions the world would give Christ, were he here in person, falls upon Paul.

And by extension, they fall on us - provided we too are closely associated with and tied to Christ.

The Mystery of Christ

Mystery

It seems some of the heresy afflicting this church in Colossea was related to knowledge and mysteries. Probably proto-Gnostic, or early form Jewish Gnosticism, they were pushing for keeping of Jewish traditions, but it also seems they were pushing the idea that there was secret knowledge that could be obtained.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Proto-Gnosticism and Gnosticism)

Maintaining a radical dualism in which all things physical were evil and all things spiritual were good, Gnosticism emphasized secret knowledge (γνω̃σις, gnō̃sis) as the key to salvation and held secret rites and ceremonies that often appealed to the [intellectuals].

If that is the teaching that is taking hold in this church, I can imagine some ears perked up when Paul says he is a steward of this Mystery.

Colossians 1:26–27 (ESV)

the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Its almost as if Paul is saying: Some of you are searching for mysteries and ancient wisdom - but you already know the greatest mystery - that Christ loves and died for Gentiles as well as Jews. You don’t have to go find something special or unique - it’s already here.

It’s not a secret - it’s a mystery. A secret is something hidden from most people. A mystery is something that is or was hidden, but has or will be revealed. Something unclear or hidden it is revealed. That’s always been Paul’s use of the word - it was hidden in the past, but now it has been revealed:

Eph 1:9 “making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ”

And the end of Romans Paul says the same: Romans 16:25-26 “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—”

Jesus even spoke of the mysteries being revealed in Matthew 13:11 “And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

So in opposition to any idea that Salvation is found in secret rituals or secret knowledge - Paul says he is living his best life now by proclaiming this mystery - even in chains - his desire is to carry it and explain it anywhere he can. Its not a secret - he’s determined, whatever it takes, to spread the good news - to carry this revelation of the mystery to the ends of the earth.

He tells them the core of his message - the kernel of the mystery is “Christ in you, the HOPE of GLORY”

His message

Christ in You...

Paul has just spent the previous verses extolling the supremacy of Christ:

Colossians 1:15–20 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 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. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

That is a lot of “awesomeness” in 6 verses - Paul says Christ is the G.O.A.T - you know the millennial phrase right? GOAT - The Greatest of All Time....the MVP. The Supreme.

Paul’s got some great news for you - this supreme King, creator and sustainer of all things is united, he in IN those who have faith in him:

2 Cor 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Christ’s Spirit dwells inside those who have been redeemed. This would have been unthinkable to the OT Jews - certainly they experienced the Holy Spirit. He would come upon judges, kings, and prophets. But to say that God’s Spirit lives inside of us, and that we live and move and have our being in him, would have

Maybe you are scratching you head thinking “Hold up…Holy Spirit…Christ in you, Spirit of Christ.....which is it?” Paul uses the terms almost interchangeably:

Rom 8:9 “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

He uses the two terms, Spirit of God, and Spirit of Christ in the same way and function.

The Spirit fulfils and carries out what Christ has already purchased and secured - John 16:14 “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

But to take it a step further - Paul adds some clarity in Chapter 2 verse 9: Col 2:9 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,” Christ took on human bodily form when he came to earth, and he kept his glorified body after his Ascension. The SPIRIT proceeds from the Father and the Son.

if you have the Holy Spirit in you, you have the Sprit of Christ in you - not because the Son and and Spirit and the SAME - they aren’t the same - but they - as part of the Triune Godhead are in union and are working in unison.

I fought longer than I really should have trying to put this into relatable or understanding terms. Theologians have tried for centuries to make analogies for the Trinity - pictures have been drawn, and then labelled heresy.

So I don’t want to get too hung on the semantics - Paul clearly says this is the Core of the Mystery:

Col 1:27 “To them [saints] God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

While Christ is physically in Heaven, he is Spiritually here in the heart of believers.

...The Hope of Glory

“The Hope of Glory” - Brothers and Sisters, The Christ who is supreme, the image of the invisible God, creator of all things has purchased your redemption - he has purchased your “ticket to Glory”. We saw last time we were in Colossians that He has signed, sealed, and Delivered the price of your redemption, and PRESENTS you before God as holy.

Colossians 1:21–22 ESV

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Christ has paid fully for any and all of the sins that would keep his people from him and his presence. That is what drove Paul forward day by day. This is what got him out of bed in the morning.

This is why he would pick himself up from a stoning, and walk back into the city to continue preaching. He saw the stewardship given to him - the charge to take the Gospel to the world as extremely valuable. He guarded the treasure of the Gospel entrusted him, knowing that no matter how many stripes he would receive, no matter how many beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, trials, betrayals he endured, he would come out still holding onto the Hope of Glory.

Nothing could take it from him - it was the most valuable thing he possessed, and though he had the treasure in jars of clay, no one could take it.

But this treasure wasn’t just valuable to Paul - the real value was when it was shared. The REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY revealed that this hope was not just for Jews, but also for Gentiles - and Paul’s desire was to take this treasure of good news to the Gentiles .

God making know Riches of the Glory of the Gospel to the Gentiles

This is the same mystery Paul reveals in Eph 3:6 “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

The Hope of Glory - Christ in his Saints - the ability for GENTILES to be reconciled to God and be united to Christ, and receive a Hope of Glory DROVE Paul to tell as many of them as possible. He didn’t endure the suffering and afflictions because he was a jerk, or made some cultural faux paus - he was suffering in a Roman prison because he counted the pain of not fulfilling his ministry, of not telling the Gentiles that they too could be reconciled to God, and be united to Christ, with a Hope of Glory as a WORSE than being in PRISON.

Paul will suffer to the point of death in order to teach the Gospel - but Paul’s isn’t just after quick conversion and a large list of people he lead to Christ.

Remember our main point - that Christ is Supreme in the Growth of the Church....

Christ died for people all over the world that need to hear the Gospel, people in Zambia, and people on Diamond Ave. People speaking english, and people speaking Spanish.

Christ calls us to pray for laborers because the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Christ wants his church to grow in number - and he calls us, like the apostle Paul to be the means that he uses to share the gospel and bring in all that Christ has died for.

And Paul has given his life for that - but Paul wants those that have come to faith to mature - to be sanctified into the image of Christ - to grow in unity with other believers, regardless of nationality or background.

The Maturity of Believers

Equipping the Saints

The Gospel to everyone for the maturity of everyone

Col 1:28 “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Paul’s intention is to warn and teach EVERYONE about Christ, so that they can be presented mature in Christ.

This letter, and all of his letters are written with the purpose of teaching, and correcting - sometimes gently, sometimes harshly - but with the intent that those reading it, or hearing it would understand the deep theological truths, and how they apply to life.

The first half of the book is often HERE IS WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT YOU AND GOD…and the second half is HERE IS HOW TO LIVE OUT OF THAT.

Romans 1-11 - Theological truth - Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

He says in verse 25 that part of his ministry is to make the word of God fully known. His Epistles are his written work to make the word of God know.

Do you want to know the deeper things of God? They aren’t hidden on a mountain top, or in an exclusive secret society, or some spiritual mystical retreat.

They are HERE, in front of you....the mysteries of God revealed for all to read. Paul labored to write this - he wrote from prison, the word of God for the edification and equipping of the saints.

He want’s the Church to understand what God has revealed, and the grow together in unity.

Encouragement, Unity, Understanding and knowledge of Christ

Col 2:2-3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Individual maturity is important, and a key fruit of the work of the Spirit in one’s heart.

But it doesn’t happen individually or in isolation. God has put us together in a body - and it is a key part of the riches of full assurance and understanding.

We’ve been knit together - united to Christ and each other in love. This unity and fellowship should encourage our hearts - there should be mutual encouragement because of our being one body.

Together, we should encourage each other to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ”

Christ is the core of this Epistle, and the core of our Body Life, and the core of our relationship with God.

Christ is Supreme in the Growth of the Church.

If we are going to grow the NUMBER of people in a church, we must give them the hope of Glory, the knowledge of God’s Mystery - which is Christ

If we are going to grow the MATURITY of people in the church, we must give them the hope of Glory and the knowledge of God’s Mystery - which is Christ.

Application

We’ve hit points of application all along, but few final points:

Sharing the gospel is hard work - we need to encourage each other, and equip ourselves for the task of sharing the knowledge of God’s Mystery - which is Christ, even if it means suffering or trials.

We looked at John 15, where Christ says the world hated him, and so it will hate us. But in John 7, Jesus is talking with his brothers who at least then, didn’t believe him, and he says to them: John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.” It is possible to close to Jesus, to know ABOUT him, but not believe in Him - and the world doesn’t give you a second glance. Part of being a united body is encouraging growth, and confronting sin, confronting lack of growth or indifference.

Paul gave up his life in order that the Gentiles would know this mystery - That God so love the WORLD - Jews and Gentiles, John 3:16-18 “...that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

This salvation, this reconciliation is not just the church in Colossea - if you are here, Jew or Gentile - the offer is for you: Christ came to save sinners - to reconcile them to God. To make his enemies his Friends and Family. Whoever believes in Christ is not condemned - but whoever does not believe, whoever is “skating by” or apathetic is condemned already.

Today is the day of salvation - repent of your sin and believe - come to Christ. Whoever comes to Christ, he will NEVER cast out.

Conclusion

The Gospel is a valuable treasure, and it is given to believers as good news that their sins can be forgiven. But it’s not meant to stay tucked away, it is meant to be shared.

I’m reminded of the parable of the talents - where the master gives his three servants gold talents before leaving for a period of time.

One got 5, one got 2, and one got 1 - based on their ability.

When he returned he requested an updated on how they had stewarded what was entrusted to them.

The one with the 5 talents utilized them, traded, etc, and his 5 became 10.

The one with the 2 talents did the same, and his two became 4.

But the one with just one talent took it and hid it. He had it, he didn’t lose it. But when asked how he used it, the answer was he didn’t. Maybe once he buried it he forgot about it.

The master is angry, because the treasure he gave the servant was not valued. He hid it to keep it safe - 0 risk, but the master wanted him to use that money to grow it.

We’ve been give this mystery, this inclusion into the kingdom of Christ. We should seek to growth the church of Christ but sharing the Gospel.

Not because this parable makes you feel guilty or anxious, but because you value the treasure you’ve been given too much to just bury it.

May God make us a church who toils with his strength working in us, to show the supremacy of Christ to the world, and to each other.

[PRAY]

Benediction:

Romans 16:25–27 ESV

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.