church2go

1.  COLOSSIANS 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. (NIV) 

No matter what version you read it in it is not encouraging!!!!!Or is it? 

 ^{2.COLOSSIANS 1: 24} Who  now  rejoice  in  my  sufferings  for  you , and  fill up  that which is behind  of the afflictions  of Christ in  my  flesh  for  his  body’s  sake , which is  the church ^(KJV) 

²⁴ I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ’s sufferings for his body, the church.(NLT) 

Its talking about Paul getting a hard time and to quote a very wise man – Maxwell Smart – and loving it. Well I don’t know if he was loving it but he had a really interesting perspective on suffering.  

He rejoices, or celebrates his suffering because of the good it will do  for the church. The people in Victoria this week, I don’t think are celebrating their suffering are they, some are celebrating surviving perhaps but with such tragedy it is nearly impossible to find a positive in it. So why is Paul so bizarre about this? I mean it is a bit weird, kind of enjoying getting a hard time.  

Now we need to get a handle on this. It is one of those things we gloss over or put in the too hard basket. 

My perspective is this: 

    The underlying principle is the believer’s union with Christ. That union is so intimate and so close, remember it is described like a body, Christ the Head, his people the body—that Jesus suffers when we suffer. His personal sufferings are over, but his sufferings in his people continue. To cf. lets look at : 

4. 2Cointhians 1:5 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 

5. And  Phippians 3:10 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. 

The concept is that He walked where I walk and I walk where He walked. We are to imitate Jesus. 

6.  EPH ESIANS 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

We are told to be imitators. The greek word translated as imitators is mimδtai. It means a number of things. Yes imitator (1) is a good translation but a fuller concept here would include a follower that mimics.(2) Hey we get a really good idea of the concept from that. Marcel Marceau died last year and one of the things he was best known for was mimicing people. The third meaning is Copying (3) the way they walked or acted or did things. Marcel Marceau did it through mime. Guess where that word comes from. – Yep – same word in the greek.  

In other words we are told to copy God. Interesting that Paul says to copy God, rather than specifying Jesus, or even copy Paul’s example, or other Christians. He says imitate God. Thast is for another time. 

If Jesus suffered – then we are to be willing to imitate this. Get the point of this passage. It is a willingness to be completely sold out to God. Completely willing to imitate, even the yucky bits. But notice that it isn’t suffering in general – it is suffering for God’s cause.7.COLOSSIANS 1: 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness– 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 

Paul suffers to get the message of Jesus out there. It is not about looking good because we suffer, it is about putting in the effort even if it hurts.  

I used to race triathlons. Swim, bike ride and run. I also used to coach and I believe in that kind of sport to be effective you need to hurt a bit when you train. No gain without pain. I think there is a direct relationship to how well you do with how much pain you are willing to go through to get fit. Its fine going for a bike ride, but to get really fit you have to work hard and hurt. Its fine going for a run, but to get fast you have to run fast and hard, it’s nice going for a swim, but to get fit you have to swim fast and hurt. 

While this is just an illustration – Christian life is a bit the same. It takes work. Read your bible, pray, meditate. Evangelism is the same – takes time, effort, even risk.  Mission is the same, ministry is the same. Hard work to get the results we long to see. 

Notice it says “I have become its servant” – the word here servant is slave. Doulos. Someone who does only what is said by the master. No thought process, just obedience. Paul has become a slave to telling the message of Jesus. Tells the message despite the consequences.  

But what is it we say?8. 

We proclaim Him – Who? Jesus. With the full counsel of God. I love this bit. Think of these consequences. We don’t just say Jesus died for your sins and you need to turn around and get it together with God then walk away.  No – it is about giving people the whole story. I love it. Why? Because it isn’t a one off type of thing. Think about it. To give them all wisdom and present everyone perfect in Christ is about a lifetime of relationship.  

Yeh. Go into all the world and preach the gospel and what. MAKE disciples. It is not just about telling the simple message but telling them everything and to do that takes time. And that means people seeing your whole life – over time. Good bits and bad bits, even how you handle suffering. See how it fits together. Handling suffering shows people how God is in your life.   

I want you to do something for me. Read this verse aloud now. (Yep all of us here we go) 9.COLOSIIANS 2:2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.Now read it again emphasising the first word. Say it out loud with me.  

2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

My purpose. Your purpose is to encourage, unite and give people a full understanding so they know Jesus.  

This next bit is vitally important for us to assimilate. 10.COLOSSIANS 2:4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.We give as fuller message as we can because we don’t want people to be deceived by wrong stuff. Yeh, I don’t want to sprout theology at you or doctrine – I want you to be able to work out your own theology and doctrine. I want you to know what you believe and why you believe it. 

Why? So you don’t get deceived.  

I want you to be as Paul was “firm in the faith.”  

Now that will take some hard work. It may have consequences and cause you some suffering – That is the kind of suffering we can do with.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 15th, 2009 at 8:19 pm and is filed under Sermons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.