Colossians 1:24-29
Perhaps you’ve heard the story about the three men who were working on a stone pile at a construction site. A curious passerby was eager to discover what was going on. So, he asked the first worker, “What are you doing?” He replied, “Chiseling stone.”
Wanting a fuller answer to the nature of their work, he asked the second worker, “What are you doing?” He replied, “Earning a living.”
He had one more hope of finding the greater purpose for the work of these men when he asked the third worker, “Sir, what are you doing?” The man dropped his sledgehammer, stood upright, and with a gleam in his eye exclaimed, “I’m building a great cathedral!”
All three men were doing the same job, but only one of them understood the greater purpose of what he was doing. If you don’t understand the greater purpose of what God has called you to do in His service then you will never find true fulfillment in living out your life.
Paul understood that his purpose was to bring glory to God by advancing the Gospel and building up Christ’s church. Consequently, he gives us a personal view of some of the things that were necessary for him to accomplishing his purpose. And, we know that our purpose is similar to that of Paul, since the only thing in this world that Christ said He was going to build...IS HIS CHURCH! (cf. Matthew 16:18) If you’re not involved in advancing the Gospel and building up His church you're not on mission with God.
Consider these five things in Paul’s life that God used to accomplish His purpose through Him...things He wants from our lives, too.
God wants us to be…
1. Joyful in our suffering. (refer to previous message for a fuller treatment of this point)
As Paul is writing these words, not only is he under arrest in Rome, he has also suffered much during the years of his ministry.
And, yet, out of all his pain Paul still wrote that he rejoiced (Colossians 1:24) in his suffering for Christ and His church.
Paul understood that his suffering enabled him not only to draw close to Christ, it also was a tool to advance the Gospel to others.
For the Gospel to go to the uttermost parts of the earth, it will inevitably be accompanied by difficulty, persecution and rejection.
The question is, how far are you willing to go in suffering for the Gospel, as well as in serving His church?
God wants us to be…
2. Faithful in our calling. (refer to previous message for a fuller treatment of this point)
Paul recognized he had a calling to the Gospel and to Christ’s church.
Twice in the first chapter Paul refers to himself as a “minister.” The first time he says he is a minister of “the Gospel” in 1:23. Then he refers to himself as a “minister” of the church in 1:25.
As part of his call, Paul MUST bring the “Good News” to the Gentiles, as well as announce to them that they are equally included in God’s redemptive plan. The fact is that “Christ in [them]” is just as much “the hope of glory” as it was for Jewish believers. And that is the essence of the “mystery” to which he refers as being entrusted to him.
God wants us to be…
3. United in our purpose.
Paul was not content to win people to Christ and leave them to fend for themselves. He knew that the task of every Great Commission saint is to assist any/all believers to come to full maturity in the faith.
We might even say that Paul was a “perfectionist” in this matter, but not in the traditional sense of the word. Most translations understand the word “perfect” (1:28) in the sense of maturity or completeness in Christ. But, neither of these two words: “perfect” or “mature” completely express the full intent of the Greek thought.
Dr. Douglas Moo writes, “Neither quite captures the sense of the word. ‘Perfect’ is too strong, ‘mature’ too weak. Rarely does the word in the New Testament have the sense of our English ‘perfect,’ with its connotations of absoluteness (though see, perhaps, Rom. 12:2; Jas. 1:17, 25; 1 John 4:18). ‘Mature,’ on the other hand, is too relative, inviting us to think that we are teleios as long as we are doing a bit better than some other Christians we could name…teleios connotes the quality of being so wholehearted in one’s devotion to the Lord that one can be said to be blameless in conduct (see esp. Matt. 5:48; 19:21; Eph. 4:13; Heb. 5:14; Jas. 1:4b). …[it] is the ‘complete and undivided way in which a person, with all one’s positive and negative attributes, is oriented toward God or toward Christ.’” (Moo, D. J. (2008), Pillar Commentary: The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, p. 161)
As part of our introduction to church membership we tell people that our church exists “to give people the best possible opportunity to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” That is...to be fully “oriented toward God or toward Christ.” Paul was seeking the same for everyone to whom he ministered.
Notice that three times in 1:28 he uses the phrase “every man.” He was not content to have some believers reach maturity and others miss the mark. He worked tirelessly to bring “every man (person)” to a life fully oriented toward Christ.
There are two characteristics that were part of this process of helping people grow in grace. The first is “warning” and the second is “teaching.” The first of these has the idea of admonishing or correcting for the purpose of setting a person’s mind/life in order. The second has to do with the clear communication of God’s Word applied to people’s lives.
In the Great Commission Jesus taught that we are to make disciples of all the nations and “[teach] them [the new disciples] to observe all things that I have commanded…” (Matthew 28:20)
This section of the Epistle is Discipleship 101. Who is mentoring you and whom are you mentoring in the faith?
Illustration: Bringing someone into the light...
God wants us to be…
4. Confident in our Helper.
Paul “laid himself out” to the fullest extent in the work of God. He described it as “labor” that left him so weary it was as if he had been severely beaten and/or left totally exhausted.
To the aforementioned (“labor”) he added that he was also “striving,” which is a sports term referring to the agonizing effort expended in an athletic event (our word “agony” comes from this Greek word). These words used together describe a man giving his all in the effort of his ministry. Paul held nothing back and gave his all to the cause and call of Christ.
But, he didn’t do it alone. He says that he did it all while trusting his Helper that worked in him “mightily” (δύναμις/powerfully). Paul was linked to a source of strength that enabled him to rise above his natural limitations.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
28 “...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:20)
I read an amazing story about four soldiers in Afghanistan that were riding in a jeep when they were suddenly ambushed. They were on a narrow mountain road and the only way out was to go in the opposite direction, but there wasn’t room to turn the jeep around without going over the cliff. Terrified, the four soldier jumped out, each one grabbed a corner of the jeep, physically lifted it up, turned the vehicle 180 degrees and raced to safety. When they got back to their base they bragged about what they had done, but nobody believed them. So they said, "Well, come outside and we’ll show you we can do it." But when they tried to do it a second time they could not lift the jeep off the ground. What they were able to do when they were terrified and the adrenaline was coursing through them, they could not do under normal circumstances. That’s the way it is with the power of the Holy Spirit. He can enable you to do more than you think possible and cause you to go farther than you feel capable.
Are you relying on the Lord to accomplish His work through you?
God wants us to be…
5. Focused in our message.
The Greek is emphatic in 1:28 that the center/heart of our message is Christ Himself (“HIM we preach”). Paul is expressing the personal character of the message. It is Jesus that is our message...not social reform, the church, a system of theology, or a theory of knowledge!
The word “preach” suggests a solemn or public proclamation. “Biblical scholars of an earlier period thought there was in it the notion of proclaiming with authority.” Others speak of it as “belonging to the language of mission.” (Curtis Vaughn, Bible Commentary Series, Colossians and Philemon, pgs. 61-62)
Actually, the idea is that of an official proclamation, as when someone speaks on behalf of an emperor or king. Because the term indicates the communication of official business, it had to be a proclamation that was accurate, clear and delivered with authority.
To the divided congregation in the city of Corinth, Paul reminded them that his central message was Christ crucified.
23 ...we preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23), which to the Jews was “a stumbling block” and “foolishness” to the Greeks. But, that didn’t change Paul’s message!
Don’t let anyone confuse you about our message...it is Jesus!
Closing:
Henry Blackaby wrote, “God reveals His purposes (His tasks) so you will know what He plans to do... When God came to Noah He did not ask, 'What do you want to do for me?' He came to reveal what He was about to do. It was far more important to know what God was about to do. It really did not matter what Noah had planned to do for God...He wanted to work through Noah to accomplish His purposes of saving a remnant of people and animals to repopulate the earth." (Experiencing God, p. 99)
God shows us what His purpose is (to build His church by making disciples from all nations) and then we align ourselves with it. In fulfilling our role in that purpose we must be: Joyful in our suffering, faithful in our calling, united in our purpose, confident in our Helper, and focused in our message.
Come join us on the greatest adventure of pursuing God’s purpose in advancing the Gospel and furthering Christ’s church!
