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Introduction: Perfection has been broken — Imperfect
This week, we return to Colossians, and our focus is on Colossians 1.28.
The surrounding verses all hinge on this one verse.
Pauls suffering in v 24 is related to his proclamation here in v 28.
The unveiling of the mystery of Christ in v25-27, is done through proclamation here in v 28.
And all of Paul’s toil in v 29 and into chapter 2 is to this end - that he would proclaim Christ.
It’s no overstatement to say that Paul’s primary duty was to proclaim Christ.
And Paul’s primary duty of proclamation is also the church’s primary duty.
This is why the mission of LWC is to form passionate followers of Jesus by — proclaiming the gospel of the glory of God.
Now, were Paul’s priorities in order?
With all of the brokenness caused by sin, should Paul have given himself to doing acts of mercy?
— or for us, are our priorities in order?
With all the the brokenness and disorder in the world, should we be more concerned with doing acts of mercy?
There are people who are naked and hungry, and there are people who are sick and dying all around us.
If we love those who are suffering, why then do we devote ourselves to preaching?
After all, Jesus condemned those who didn’t do acts of mercy, and he told us that whenever we serve the least of these, we do it unto him.
So is our focus on proclamation, or was Paul’s focus on proclamation misplaced?
And the answer is no… because man’s greatest need is not food or clothes… our greatest need is not even health or healing.
Man’s greatest need, and our fundamental problem is this: We are imperfect because of our sin.
Now this might not sound like a huge deal to most of us.
When people have unrealistic expectations of us, we say things like “I’m only human.”
But understand, that our imperfection is our greatest problem.
And no amount of clothes, food, or medicine can mend our brokenness.
What do we need to be made perfect?
Paul tells us:
Colossians 1:28 (ESV)
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Why do we devote ourself to proclamation.
What is the motive of our proclamation
1.
The motive of our proclamation: your salvation
It’s worth noting, that our ultimate motive is the glory of God in all things, for this is our chief end.
But in our proclamation, we glorify God by saving the saints.
This is what drove Paul to suffer for the church, and to work toil in his proclamation.
He was preaching for the salvation of the saints.
And this ought what ought to drive us as well.
That all of God’s people would be saved — that is to say, that we would be presented mature in Christ.
1. Presented - an reference to the final judgment
So understand what’s happening in our text this morning.
Every person from every nation will be presented before the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it is Paul’s aim that through his preaching every person will be presented mature before Christ.
So what is our greatest need then?
To stand mature… but what exactly does Paul mean by mature?
Well it’s not for kids to grow up as adults, for there will be plenty of adults who will not stand on that day of judgment.
So what does Paul mean by being presented mature?
Well perhaps we can understand what Paul means by understanding how Jesus used this word.
2. Mature = Perfect
Being presented before God as mature has nothing to do with your age, much less your physical development.
What Paul has in mind is your spiritual maturity.
Pauls aim is that through the ministry of the Word, God’s people would be made perfect.
So understand what it means to be mature.
It means that we would be made perfect… The ministry of the Word does this very thing.
It makes God’s people holy and blameless.
Remember what Christ has done:
Colossians 1:21–22 (ESV)
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 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,
And now, Paul is filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions so that we too would be presented mature.
3. mature/perfect in Christ
If you learn nothing else this morning, learn this.
It’s not enough for one to be made mature if he is not made mature in Christ.
Oh there are plenty of people trying to become mature.
They add rules and regulations to their life.
They live according to the Law…
And there are many here like the rich ruler who would say,
The rich young ruler, and all those who wish to be made righteous through their own efforts are like children who put on their parents clothes to play the part of the grown up.
Picture this.
My son wearing my clothes!
It’s quite humorous, but hardly the picture of one who is mature.
Do you want to stand before God as one who is mature and perfect.
Then you must be mature in Christ.
You must lay hold on Jesus and believe in him.
You must see that in yourself you have no right to stand before God.
Even on your best day, your righteousness is like filthy rags.
If you wish to stand before God, you will need to be clothed in the righteousness of another person who is all together good and perfect.
And that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The goal of Paul’s proclamation, and the goal of mine this morning has this single focus.
That you would be presented mature in Christ.
2. The motif of our proclamation: Christ
What is a motif?
A motif is the repeated pattern that shows up time and time again
Beethoven’s 5th is the classic example of a motif
What is the motif of our preaching?
What is the same theme that we proclaim time and time again.
Colossians 1:28 (ESV)
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
A preacher that does not proclaim Christ is a preacher that does not preach the gospel.
Many of us know this well by now.
In fact, I for left my previous church and came to LWC for this very reason.
The reason I chose to come to LWC was because of the elders dedication to proclaim Christ.
We know that we are to preach Christ.
But let me give us this warning.
When the gospel becomes rote, there are multiple dangers that arise.
Complacency towards the gospel— we’ve heard the gospel.
We know it well by know, and we are ready to move beyond this elementary doctrine to the more advanced things of the faith.
Assuming the gospel — we think that all know the gospel, so let’s not repeat what we already know.
Forgetting the gospel — When we assume the gospel, we are at the greatest risk of forgetting the gospel.
Deuteronomy is the book about remembering - literally Deuteronomy means ‘second law.’
And by second law, it does not mean that the Moses is giving a new law, but instead his is repeating to them the same law that they have repeatedly forgotten.
Thus, the motif of not forgetting what the Lord had done that is seen throughout the book of Deuteronomy.
Let us do the same, and not forget what Christ has done to redeem us from our slavery!
Remember — the reformers acted in the way that they did, because the Catholic church had forgotten and abandoned the gospel.
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