Colossians 1:24-29

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.

 

Paul describes his ministry in this passage.  His description provides a blueprint for our ministries as well.  These are basic truths that we must keep in mind as we participate in God’s mission to reach the nations.  These principles should guide our actions and attitudes as well as establish our priorities.  Paul’s example is certainly one worth imitating.

 

SUFFERING IS OUR MANDATE: The concept of rejoicing in our sufferings is a common one in the Scripture. God has called us to a life of holiness and sacrificial service on a mission to spread the Gospel to all nations. It is a joy to be involved in God’s mission.  It is also dangerous.  When Paul says that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s sufferings,” he is not implying that the sacrifice of Christ was in some way insufficient.  What he is saying is that the advancement of the Gospel requires suffering on the part of those who are involved in this task.  That suffering experienced by the body of Christ is the suffering of Christ.  So as long as there are unreached people the sufferings of the body and therefore Christ are incomplete.  When the task of world missions is complete, the sufferings of Christ will be complete.

 

THE GOSPEL IS OUR MINISTRY: Paul refers to his ministry as a stewardship.  The responsibility God has untrusted to us is to “make the Word of God fully known.”  The message of the Gospel, to this point, has not been fully known because it remains hidden to those who have not heard.  Israel, for generations, had God’s Word revealed to them but it did not spread to other nations.  Paul is out to change this with the realization that the Gospel is a message that is for all people including Gentiles.  When the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is known by everyone everywhere, our ministry will be complete.

 

GOD’S GLORY IS OUR MOTIVE: The reason we spread the Gospel is so that the riches of the glory of God are known around the globe.  Countless people worship idols and follow false religions because they have been deceived and do not know the glory of God.  We were created to worship God.  Nothing short of that will satisfy the heart of man.  The motive behind all we do much be the glory of God.  Our greatest desire is to worship Him and see Him worshiped in every language by every ethnicity on the planet.

 

THE NATIONS ARE OUR MISSION: This has already been stated in the point about the Gospel, but it is worth repeating.  Paul is a Jew and there were many Jews who believed that the Gospel was only for Israel.  Paul breaks through all racial bias and states clearly that all the Gentile nations are included in the mission of God.  Three times in one verse Paul says his mission is directed toward “everyone.”  Everyone in everywhere is the mission we have been given.

 

CHRIST IS OUR MESSAGE: The Gospel is centered on the person and work of Christ.  It is “Him we proclaim.”  There is no salvation apart from Jesus.  He became a man, lived a sinless life, gave himself as the sacrifice for sin as He died on the cross.  He satisfied the just requirements of God and the Law and rose from the dead demonstrating that the price of sin has been fully paid.  Our only hope of glory is Christ in us through faith in His finished work on our behalf.  He is the only message that saves man from sin.

 

DISCIPLESHIP IS OUR METHOD: Paul describes his ministry strategy in three different words: warning, teaching, and presenting as mature.  We have no need of inventing another ministry method.  In fact, we have no right to do so.  We are called to evangelize the lost by warning them about their condemned standing before God and presenting the Gospel of Christ as a solution.  Those who place their faith in Christ must be taught the principles and practices of God’s Word.  This ministry of edifying the saints is vital to the advancement of the Gospel.  The final goal is to produce mature believers that are equipped to reproduce what they have experienced in the lives of others.  Evangelizing, edifying, and equipping are the method the best describes the command to make disciples.

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR MIGHT: This is certainly a tall order for sinful and broken people like us.  Fortunately, we are not sent on this mission alone.  Paul understood that the ministry required great effort on his part.  However, he also understood that it was the power of the Holy Spirit that made his efforts effective.  The power of God is really the only way that this mission will be accomplished.  God is not dependent of highly gifted or intelligent people for Him to fulfill His mission.  He simply requires that we depend upon Him and allow Him to work through us.

 

APPLICATION: Be willing to suffer and work hard to accomplish the mission.  Make the message of the cross the focus of our communication.  The advancement of the Gospel to all nations must be our priority.  Invest in the ministry of discipleship with comlete dependence on God’s power.