River Church NOLA
Wed March 4
  • Hosanna
  • Rest On Us
  • Make Room
  • Build My Life
  • Intro
    We’re going to take a look tonight at one of the best ministers to people the world’s ever seen.  His name was the Apostle Paul.  He was pretty good at it.  By God’s gift and his use of those gifts, God used this one man to be a catalyst to reaching most of the known world of that day.  so,

    What does it take to have the ministry impact on other’s lives of an Apostle Paul?

    Obviously we know that the power of the Holy Spirit was working through his life.  We know that it was Jesus’ choice of him that made all that work. 
    But there are things in the Apostle Paul that I want to learn from.  In many ways as you look down through Christian history it would be very easy to say he’s the greatest minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ that’s ever lived.  But we all are ministers of Jesus Christ.  Every believer is a minister in Jesus Christ.  Paul helps us to understand ministry.
    And the great thing we’re going to take a look at in Colossians in the last part of chapter 1 and the first part of chapter 2 you get a look into this man’s heart for ministry.  You just see what makes him tick.  You see what’s really important for him when it comes to ministry.

    There are 5 questions in this heart check.

    Colossians 1:24 NLT
    24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.

    1. What’s my attitude towards suffering?

    Paul says in Col 1:24
    Colossians 1:24 NLT
    24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.
    Paul begins with suffering. That’s how Paul’s ministry began. Ananias, a friend of Paul’s who helped him when he was first saved received a message from the Lord on the day Paul was saved.
    Acts 9:15–16 NLT
    15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
    How many of you the first day you were saved, the person who helped you come to know the Lord looked at you and said, “You’re going to suffer a lot because of this decision.”  Probably none of us.
    You can read about Paul’s sufferings in 2 CO 11. Here is a short list. “I’ve worked much harder.  I’ve been in prison more frequently [most of us knew this].  I’ve been flogged [whipped] more severely.  I’ve been exposed to death again and again.  Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one…  [the beating we talk about that Jesus endured before He went to the cross, Paul received that beating five times.]  …Three times I was beaten with rods.  Once I was stoned.  Three times I was shipwrecked.  [it seems like once would be enough to be shipwrecked!  But three times!]  A day and night in the open sea.  I'm constantly on the move.  I'm in danger from rivers, danger from bandits.”  He suffered.
    I don’t know about you, but I most likely would be going what? Why me Lord? Why am I suffering? Paul didn’t do that. He actually talked about it and gives us 4 checkpoints to have a healthy attitude towards suffering.

    4 Checkpoints in a healthy attitude towards suffering

    I rejoice in sufferings.

    Colossians 1:24 “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.”
    Most of us don’t think of rejoicing in sufferings. We don’t rejoice for them, but in them because of what they will do in our lives.

    I am willing to suffer for others.

    Colossians 1:24 “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.”
    Are you willing to suffer for others? Paul rejoiced that he was able to suffer for others. His suffering is why we have a Bible today. It’s why we can meet in churches today.

    I am participating with Christ sufferings.

    For three years on this earth, Jesus ministered. There were times when he was tired… hungry… frustrated… he stayed up late at night… He had compassion for people who kept making wrong choices… He went through doing battle with his enemies… he was persecuted… and eventually murdered.
    When you suffer persecution at work, maybe you lose a job or maybe you don’t get a promotion or maybe no one will talk to you any more because you’ve started to share your faith.  When you suffer attack from Satan, every time that happens Paul is saying feel like you’re a partner with Christ in that.  Feel like you’re close to Christ when that happens.  If Jesus were here He’d be facing those things too as He chose to serve God in those ways.

    I’m doing this for the sake of His body.

    One of the unhealthy things when you suffer as a believer is you start saying, “I'm in this alone. When you start feeling like “I'm the only one,” remember the Apostle Paul.  Remember all those who have given their life for the faith.  Remember 2000 years of Christian history.  Remember Christians all around the world today who are facing suffering like you and I couldn’t imagine.
    Maybe some of you have been in that pity-party mode even for your faith lately.  And God brought you here tonight to say, “You’re not alone.  We’re in this together.”
    Anytime we face suffering it tends to make us feel like, I'm alone.  Paul reminds us that the healthy attitude is, “We’re in this together as Christ’s body.”

    Masochist: Insist on suffering

    There are some Christians who have become masochists.  That’s not healthy.

    Escapists: Resist all suffering

    They try to get away from all suffering, but they can’t. But they try… work… medicate themselves…

    Realists: Rejoice in suffering

    Christian Realists are the people who really see God’s truth in the world are those who rejoice in suffering.
    Oswald Chambers said it this way
    “To choose to suffer means that there is something wrong.  To choose God’s will even if it means suffering is a different thing.  No healthy saint ever chooses suffering.  He chooses God’s will as Jesus did whether it means suffering or not.”
    Colossians 1:25–27 NLT
    25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

    2. What is my reason for serving?

    IOW, why am I doing this? Is it to be noticed? My own satisfaction?
    Paul gives us his reason…

    Paul was a servant by commission.

    Colossians 1:25 “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.”
    That’s the commission. There are a couple of things about this commission.

    The commission was given by God

    Colossians 1:25 “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.”

    The commission was to reveal a mystery

    Colossians 1:26 “This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.”
    When it comes to serving people there have been plenty times in my life and there will be plenty of times in your life if you’re going to make this a lifetime habit where you’ll come down to a day when you’re tired or you’re discouraged, your attitude is a little twisted – it’s not God’s fault, it’s not anybody else’s fault, it’s your fault – and the only thing that’s going to keep you serving that day is the knowledge in the back of your mind that God has chosen and called me to do this.  I can’t describe to you the freedom and the joy and the strength and the power that come from that knowledge.  It enables you to keep serving God even when your kids don’t appreciate you.  It enables you to keep serving God even when people take advantage of it.  If it depends on them responding the right way the first time you’re not going to keep serving and I'm not either.  But if it’s God’s call… I'm called by God to serve people.  You’re called by God to serve people.  Paul encourages us that the motivation behind it all, the reason, is God’s chosen me to do this
    Paul goes on.
    Colossians 1:27 “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”
    That was a mystery all throughout the Old Testament.  They tried to find God in the Promised Land.  They tried to find God in the law.  But they couldn’t understand that God would want to come into our lives through His Son, Jesus Christ.  It’s all through the Old Testament if you read it right.  It was a mystery that was eventually revealed.
    Glory here talks about living out the life you’ve dreamed God wants for you. The only hope that we have for that is Christ in our lives. Here is the the thing - we are priveleged to be part of telling people about Jesus, our hope of glory.
    So Paul said he served because of his calling or the commission God gave him to share the mystery. Christ in us.
    That leads to who…
    Colossians 1:28–29 NLT
    28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

    3. How big is my vision for people?

    This is part of a spiritual heart check up. If we love Jesus… if we say we will serve Jesus, we will have a desire or a vision to see people saved.
    Colossians 1:28 “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.”

    Paul’s vision is described in 2 words: perfect & everyone

    Paul wanted everyone to be mature in Christ (perfect). Not half way, but mature. Paul had a big vision fo seeing the world saved. That’s why God used him so powerfully. Paul held onto a big vision of what God could do in the world.
    About 350 years ago when the first settlers came to America the first year they came in and they established in America, the next year they elected a town government.  The third year in America that town government planned to build a road five miles westward into America.  The fourth year in America the town almost impeached that government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles into America
    Reality shrinks our vision.  They’d traveled 3000 miles across an ocean to a brand new place they’d never seen before.  Then within four years they’re scared to death to spend the money to build a road that goes out five miles. 
    Can reality ever shrink your vision as a parent?  You’ve got this vision for your kids what God could do in their lives but reality sets in and it’s real, real reality and the vision starts to shrink. 
    Has reality every shrunk your vision for your growth in Christ?  You may walk away from a meeting and think, “This is going to be great!  I'm going to do these things!” but then you don’t have a quiet time the first three days or you don’t really feel committed to the church like you want to and reality shrinks our vision. 
    I believe one of the reasons that God used the Apostle Paul in such incredible ways is that he had this “everyone - perfect in Christ” kind of a vision.  God used some very specific things in his life to begin to accomplish this vision.  It’s interesting to notice that some of the same things he’ll use in our lives to express and accomplish the vision of God. 

    3 tools God God used in Paul’s life: Tell others, warn everyone, teach everyone.

    Colossians 1:28–29 “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”
    We are to tell others about Jesus… make it clear… be bold.
    We are to warn others gently & lovingly. It’s not the bull horn warning. It’s a gentle warning.
    We are to teach people clearly and simply so that they can understand.
    You don’t have to be a preacher up on a stage like this telling things openly.  But you may need to do it in your office sometimes.  You certainly might need to do it in your family at times.  Which of them are you the best at?    Let Him use that quality in your life to expand the vision in other people’s lives.  Which one do you need to work on?  How big is your vision?  How much has it shrunk?                

    4. What is my source of strength?

    If you have a heart like Jesus for ministry, and you have a big vision, you may be thinking, where will I get the strength to do this? Paul answers that…
    Colossians 1:29 “That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”
    Colossians 1:29 NLT
    29 That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
    Paul also described serving the Lord as labor pains.
    Galatians 4:19 NLT
    19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.
    That’s serious suffering.
    Obviously we need to recognize that we’re filled with the Holy Spirit.  Obviously prayer and God’s word and a daily quiet time are a part of tapping into His energy.  But I know in my own life and I know a lot of other believers who are doing all those things – they’re praying, they’re sensing they want God’s Holy Spirit to be filling their life, they’re reading God’s word on a daily basis.  But they’re still running out of energy all the time.  How do I tap into His energy?

    How do I tap into His energy?

    Maybe these statements will help…

    When it’s my work, I use my energy.

    When it’s God’s work, I use His energy.

    Here is what wakes us up… How will I get energy to get more done?  Where’s it going to come from?  I’ve got all these ideas and all these things going.  How am I going to get the energy?  That’s not the question that empowers this verse. 
    The Crucial question is not how can I get more energy? The question is What does God want me to do?
    Not what do I want to do and ask God to help me with it.
    I have found that when I say, “Ok, God, I'm going to put down everything I want to do.  What do You want me to do today?  What do you want me to do this year?  What do you want me to do this month?  What is Your plan?” When I do that I begin to experience the energy Paul talks about here… God’s energy to do what God wants me to do.
    We need to ask god what he wants us to do, not where is the energy going to come from.
    Colossians 2:1–7 NLT
    1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

    5. How clear is my purpose for people?

    How clear is the intended result?  How clearly do I know where I'm headed?  It is very possible, there are many people who have big vision but now clear direction, no clear purpose.  That is the most frustrating life of all.  You have a big heart.  You want things to happen, you want lives to change.  But it never gets focused.  When you run over here and you run over there.  Your vision is running you to death but it never gets focused.  Some of you know what I’m talking about when it comes to ministering to people.  How clear is your purpose? 
    Paul not only had a big vision, he also had a very clear purpose.  It’s just as sad to have a clear purpose without a big vision.  It means you never really fulfill all God intended your life for.  You might piddle around with a few little things but you never really fulfill all the great things God has for your life.  I’ve found it takes both to have that healthy heart for ministry sustaining.
    Paul had a love for people that resulted in a purpose for people – the people that he served.  Usually when we say “purpose” we think about our job.  We think about goals.  Paul thought about people.  Look at some of the purposes that he had. 

    Paul clearly wanted people to know Christ

    In Colossians 2:1 “ I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.”
    Laodicea and Colossae were sort of twin cities a little bit in from Ephesus.  At Ephesus Paul shared the gospel and it was carried out from there.  In these twin cities close to each other the gospel had probably been taken about the same time.  Paul is saying, I'm praying for all of these in this little valley that’s there.  I haven’t seen you but I'm praying for you because I love you.  He writes and says I'm struggling for all those who have not met me personally.  He had this real desire to let people know Christ.  He said the desire is so great the word I use is struggling.

    Struggle - Agon where we get the word agony.

    Paul was struggling for them.

    How did Paul struggle for those in Colossae and Laodicea since he has never met them?

    He struggled for them to grow. He struggled in prayer for them.
    Look at Colossians 2:2 “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.”
    Paul wanted them to be encouraged in love so that they would have complete confidence in Christ and understand his plan.

    Process of Paul’s Purpose

    1. That they encouraged in heart and united in love.

    As we grow in Christ, we will need encouragement as we go through difficult times. That’s why we believe in being an encourager. If you are not encouraged in Christ, you don’t know that there is hope on the other end of whatever you are going through.
    You have to be united in love as well. It takes other believers to help you to grow in Christ.  No one ever grows as a lone ranger Christian. 
    This will result in…

    2. That they may have the full riches of complete understanding.

    What if we could see more clearly how much God really loves us?  The more clearly I can see it the more I want to follow Him. What if we could see really clearly the purpose that God has for us?  The more I see it the more I want to follow it.  Paul prays, I pray that they can have these riches of understanding, a clarity of insight about who God is.
    You and I get that primarily from His word.  That’s where we get clarity about who God is.  That’s why I encourage you to read this book every day.  It’s step number two in this process that Paul talks about.
    so that…

    3. That they may know Christ.

    Colossians 2:2–3 “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
    Paul is rebuffing the Gnostics. Their books were called the apocrypha and are not included in the Bible. Paul is saying that none of the knowledge of God is hidden, it’s all right her in Jesus.

    Paul clearly wanted people to reject deceit and false teachers.

    Colossians 2:4 “I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.”
    Don’t let them fool you.  The word for “deceive” there literally means “to reason beside something.” 
    It’s an interesting word.  It means deceit.  When Satan wants to deceive us he doesn’t say, “Ok,   there’s truth on one side and here’s the lie on this side.”  That’s not how deceit comes. 
    Deceit comes like, “Here’s the truth,” then he makes the lie just close enough to be associated with the truth but to still be deadly.  That’s what deceit is all about. 
    So deceit is not “Let’s pretend Jesus never existed.”  Deceit is saying, “Let’s just say He wasn’t God.  We’ll still say He was a good teacher.”  That’s deceit.  Deceit isn’t saying, “Jesus doesn’t have anything to do with religion.”  Deceit is saying, “Let’s just make Him one way among many ways.”  Paul says, “I'm praying that won’t happen to you.  That’s one of my purposes for you.

    Paul wanted to people to live by grace and to become fully mature in Christ.

    He knew that the only way was in Colossians 2:6 “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.” Colossians 2:7 “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
    Look at these phrases.

    I put my roots in Jesus and build my life on Him.

    Our strength comes from Jesus. He is our foundation and everything else in our lives should be built on the foundation of our relationship with Jesus.

    Then our faith will grow strong.

    when we are rooted in Jesus and are building our lives on the foundation of our relationship with Jesus, our faith will grow stronger.
    It’s very tempting when your heart for ministry is struggling, it’s very tempting to say, “Maybe there’s something besides faith. 
    It’s great to go back to basics sometimes and just say where the strength really is is in our faith.  That’s where you find the strength to live  everyday life. 

    We will overflow with thankfulness.

    If you want to live by grace you’re going to live with a spirit of thankfulness in your heart.
    Conclusion
    What’s the results of this test?  If I'm going to have my heart checked I want to know what are the results.  Is there  a problem?  Is there something I can work on?  Do I have a healthy heart?  What are the results?
    Think through how you’re doing.  What is your attitude towards suffering?  What’s your reason for serving?  How big is your vision?  What’s your source of strength?  How clear is your purpose? 
    Find the one you want to work on.  Find a bigger vision?  Wake up each morning saying, “God, what do You want me to do?”  I need to find that source of strength part.  I need to have a clearer purpose for people.  “I’ve got a big vision but I don’t know where I'm going with it.”  Which one do you need to work on? 
    I think the best takeaway from this tonight is instead of saying let’s do everything at once, let’s just do one thing this next week and then build on that.  Which one do you need to work on? 
    Maybe it’s during this week in your attitude towards suffering each morning thanking God for all of those who suffered so that you could enjoy faith in Jesus Christ. 
    Maybe when it comes to your reason for serving realizing once again it’s not my idea.  It’s God’s plan that I'm involved in. 
    Or maybe your vision just needs to be bigger.  One of the keys to a bigger vision is getting away.  Maybe you need to spend a few hours away, an afternoon away and realize how big God is.  Ask Him to refresh your heart to reenergize the vision that you have for your work or your family or your ministry. 
    What’s your source of strength?  Asking God that question, “What do You want me to do?” each day at the beginning of the day. 
    How clear is your purpose for people?  What do you believe God wants you to do?  What particular gift has He given to you. 

      • Colossians 1:24NIV

      • Colossians 1:24NIV

      • Acts 9:15–16NIV

      • Colossians 1:25–27NIV

      • Colossians 1:28–29NIV

      • Colossians 1:29NIV

      • Galatians 4:19NIV

      • Colossians 2:1–7NIV

River Church NOLA
robert@riverchurchnola.com
504-578-8317
https://riverchurchnola.com
6 members • 19 followers