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The Glory of Ministry

Sunday, September 3 , 2023
Pastor Jojo Ma

Weekly Bulletin | Worship Lyrics

Colossians 1:24-29

 

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, 25 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, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27 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. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me.

I.          The pain of ministry [v24]
II.        The purpose of ministry [vv25-28]
III.       The power of ministry [v29]

I.         The pain of ministry [v24]
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. 

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake…

Acts 5:40–41 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Rom 5:3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance.

2 Cor 6:10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.

1 Pet 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

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.

John Piper: “There are people all over the world in all the people groups of the world who have never seen the afflictions of Jesus Christ. And Paul says, ‘I’m going to fill up that lack not by adding anything to their merit but by making a presentation of them to others in my own suffering. My suffering will become the visible reenactment of the suffering of Christ for others so that when they see me suffering to reach them, to touch them, to love them, they will have a visual enactment of Christ’s love for them.’”

Phil 2:30 for [Epaphroditus] nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

It’s in this very narrow and specific sense that Christians today also can fill up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. We represent Jesus, we identify with him in suffering, we share in his suffering, and in doing so, we are a real-life presentation or demonstration of the love of Christ to the lost world.

II.        The purpose of ministry [vv25-28]

25 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, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27 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. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

What you want is for the pastor to open the Book, hopefully working through a particular book of the Bible, then making the points of his sermon based on the points of the passage. That’s what you should want. That’s biblical preaching.

26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27 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.

28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

So remember these three (3) aspects of your own ministry to others: proclaim the truth, warn in love, teach with wisdom.

III.      The power of ministry [v29]
29 For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me.

Literally, “His power that works powerfully” (energeian auto ten energoumenen).

If you center on God’s Word, if you seek to be humble and useful and faithful, God will empower you to do His work.