Feb 26
15
Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 17:5–10
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.’ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? ‘I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.’” (Jeremiah 17:5–10, ESV)
New Testament Reading: 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.” (Colossians 1:24–29, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
I haven’t mentioned this in every sermon I’ve preached on Colossians. It would be too redundant if I did. But you should know that every time I sit down to study a portion of Colossians and to write a sermon on it, I have the purpose for Paul’s writing in mind. We must not forget what prompted Paul to write. Paul was in prison. A minister from the church in Colossae named Epaphras brought a report to him. And the report was not all good. There were false teachers within the church of Colossae who were tempting some to minimize the sufficiency of Christ’s work. That a problem like this existed in Colossae is clearly seen in Colossians 2:4, 8, and 16-23. I’ve read this quote from the commentator, John Eadie (1810-1876), to you before. I think it is my favorite description of the false teaching that threatened Colossae:
“[T]heir error was not in denying, but in dethroning Christ—not in refusing, but in undervaluing his death, and in seeking peace and purity by means of cerimonial distinctions and rigid mortifications… the errors promulgated in Colosse were wrapped up with important truths, and were therefore… [dangerously attractive]. They were not a refutation of the gospel, but a sublimation of it [a changing of its form]. The Colossian errorists did not wish to subvert the new religion, but only to perfect it… in other words, they were not traitors, but they were fanatics. They did not counterfeit so as to surrender the citadel, but only strove to alter its discipline and [replace] its present armor.” (Eadie, A Commentary On The Greek Text Of Paul’s Letter To The Colossians, xxxii)
I’m taking the time to remind you of the Colossian error and the purpose of Paul’s writing this epistle in the introduction to this sermon because I think that having these things in mind will help us to better understand and more fully appreciate the passage that is open before us today. I am of the opinion that Paul did not waste any words when he wrote. It seems to me that all of his words were carefully chosen and designed to combat the false teaching that threatened this young congregation and to strengthen them in the Lord.
Commentators differ in their opinions as to how exactly we should outline Paul’s flow of thought in this epistle. I agree with those, like G.K. Beale, who say that Colossians 1:24 marks the beginning of the main body of the letter. Remember, we called Colossians 1:3-23 the “thanksgiving” portion of Paul’s letter. But here in 1:24, Paul begins to develop his central argument, which is that Christians should strive for maturity in Christ, not by keeping manmade, earthly, legalistic laws, but by faithfully seeking the risen and ascended Christ. This should result in putting off the old sinful lifestyle and living a lifestyle that is consistent with their new life in Christ—a lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord (see G.K. Beale, Colossians and Philemon, 133).
Here in Colossians 1:24-29, the Apostle speaks of himself. He speaks of his sufferings for the sake of Christ and his church, of the stewardship that Christ entrusted to him, and of his ongoing struggle to proclaim Christ. Today, we will only be considering verse 24 and what Paul has to say regarding his sufferings for the sake of Christ and his church. We will consider his stewardship and struggles next Sunday, Lord willing.
Why would Paul begin the main body of his letter by speaking of his sufferings, his stewardship, and his present struggle? Two reasons come immediately to mind.
One, the false teachers in Colossae may have been pointing to the sufferings that Paul (and those associated with him) were experiencing in an attempt to undermine his authority, to drive a wedge between the saints in Colossae and the Apostle, and therefore, to exult themselves in the eyes of the Colossians. The argument would go something like this: Yes, the gospel that Paul preaches is a good start. But he clearly does not have the fullness of the gospel as we do. If he knew what we know, and if he lived according to our ways, he would not be suffering like this. His suffering is an indication that something is lacking in Paul and in the message he proclaims. If that mindset or teaching were present within Colossae, then it would need to be countered. Perhaps that is why Paul begins the body of his letter by saying, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake…”, etc.
Two, as Paul speaks of his sufferings, stewardship, and struggles for the sake of Christ, he exalts Christ! In effect, he says, Christ is worth it! If I am willing to suffer for the sake of Christ and his church, and if I am willing to toil to proclaim Christ, you should be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ too. You ought to value Christ as highly as I do! Certainly, you should not abandon Christ or allow him to be pushed to the side, for Christ is everything. He is the preeminent one, remember? And in him all things hold together. To suffer for his name’s sake and to struggle to proclaim him is worth it.
Notice the progression. In Colossians 1:15-20, the emphasis was on Christ, his person and work. “He is” was the repeated refrain in that passage. In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul turned his attention to the Colossians to remind them of who they were in Christ. “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Colossians 1:21–23, ESV). And now, here in Colossians 1:24-29, the Apostle reveals his thoughts concerning his sufferings as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Sufferings (v. 24)
Paul speaks of his sufferings in verse 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…” (Colossians 1:24, ESV).
I have a number of questions to ask of this verse.
First, what was Paul suffering? He was suffering imprisonment. And he had, or would, suffer many other things besides imprisonment in his lifetime. He tells us about some of the things he suffered for the sake of Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. There, he speaks of labors, imprisonments, countless beatings, and being often near death. He reports that five times he received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times he was beaten with rods. Once, he was stoned. Three times he was shipwrecked. Once, he spent a night and a day adrift at sea. He was on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from his own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers. He remembers his toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, he recounts the daily pressure on him of his anxiety for all the churches. Paul really did suffer as a minister of the gospel.
And who did Paul suffer for? Yes, we may say that he suffered for Christ. But in this verse, he emphasizes Christ’s church. “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…” Paul not only suffered for Christ as a Christian, but also as a minister of the church of Jesus Christ. He suffered these things as he sought the salvation and sanctification of God’s elect by exalting Christ through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ministers of Jesus Christ must be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ and the church, for if persecutions come, they are typically aimed at the ministers first. And do not forget what Paul said about his anxiety for the churches. Any seasoned minister will know what this is about. The Christian ministry will always involve suffering to one degree or another.
And why was Paul suffering? Have you ever asked the question, why, Lord? Why this suffering? Why this trial? We know Paul asked why, for he gives an answer to this question when he says, “in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church…” This is such an interesting statement. What did Paul mean when he said, “in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions…”?
One, it is clear that Paul suffered in the flesh, that is to say, bodily. That is what he means when he says, “in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”?
Two, as Paul suffered bodily afflictions, he understood these afflictions to be filling up something that was lacking. Perhaps it would help to picture a large container of water that is nearly empty, but must be filled, and then to imagine it being filled little by little, one teaspoon at a time. This seems to be how Paul understood his sufferings. His sufferings were contributing to the process of filling something up. This must mean that, in Paul’s mind, a certain amount of suffering had been decreed by God, and that the suffering he personally endured contributed to that total.
Question: Has God decreed that his people will suffer? In other words, is it the will of God that his people will endure suffering? The answer is, yes. You can see this in the words of Christ found in John 16:13. He spoke to his disciples, saying, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV; see also John 15:18). In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12, ESV). Paul wrote to Christians in Philippi, saying, “For it has been granted [graciously given] to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have” (Philippians 1:29–30, ESV). And the Apostle Peter has the same perspective. He mentions suffering a lot in his first epistle. After clarifying that it is good to suffer for doing good, not evil, he concludes this theme in 1 Peter 4:19, saying, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19, ESV). So yes, God does will his people suffer. And this must be what Paul had in mind when he said that the afflictions he endured filled up what was lacking in Christ’s afflictions. God had decreed a certain amount of suffering for Christ’s body, and when Paul suffered in his body, he knew that it contributed to that total.
Three, Paul knew that his bodily sufferings contributed to filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Why does Paul say that his afflictions filled up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? Does Paul mean to say that Christ did not suffer enough in the days of his earthly ministry? Does he mean that Christ suffered to atone for our sins and to earn our salvation only so much, but that we must do more? Does he mean to say that Christ suffered in the flesh to start the work of our redemption, but that we must finish the work through our suffering? In other words, is this suffering that Paul here speaks of about making atonement for sin and earning salvation, or is it about something else?
You should know that the Roman Catholics point to this verse to support their teaching on indulgences and the superabundant sufferings of believers being given to those in purgatory. We wholeheartedly reject the idea that our sufferings in any way add to the sufferings that Christ endured in the days of his earthly ministry for the accomplishment of our salvation for two reasons:
One, there was nothing at all lacking in the afflictions of Christ as it pertained to the sufferings he endured in his life and death on the cross for the accomplishment of our redemption. Christ finished his work (see John 19:20). He drank his cup of suffering to the dregs (see Matthew 26:39). He paid the price for our sins in full (see 1 Peter 1:18-21). He has earned our redemption and reconciliation. We could go many places in Scripture to support this, but we need not go far. Colossians 1:20 says that Christ has reconciled all things to himself and that he has made peace by the blood of the cross. It is a finished work. There is nothing more to do. And in Colossians 1:21, Paul speaks to Christians, saying, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him…” (Colossians 1:21–22, ESV). Again, I say, Paul describes this reconciliation as a work that is finished and fully applied to all who have faith in Jesus. Paul would flat contradict himself if he then said, only a few verses later, I must, by my sufferings, finish the work of reconciliation that Christ began. Yes, he suffered to atone for sins, but only partially. We must fill up what is lacking in Christ’s sufferings with our own. He started the work by suffering for us, but we must finish the work by suffering for him. Again, I say, this interpretation would not only flat contradict many other Scripture texts that speak of Christ’s work of redemption as being finished (see John 19:20; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 10:12), it would also contradict what Paul has just said in Colossians 1:19-22.
The second reason we reject the interpretation that our suffering adds to Christ’s sufferings for our salvation is that the text clearly points in a different direction. “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…” (Colossians 1:24, ESV). Properly speaking, the Son of God suffered in the body he assumed from his birth till his death on the cross. When Christ was raised from the dead bodily, he was raised to life and glory, and so he suffers bodily no more. But there is a sense in which Christ suffers even still. How so? He suffers through his mystical body, namely, the church. Do not forget what Paul said about the Son of God in Colossians 1:18: “And he is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18, ESV). So then, thought Christ’s actual body is in heaven at the Father’s right hand, he has a body—a mystical body—on earth, and he is the head of it. Those who are united to him by faith are members of his mystical body. And there is a sense in which when the members of Christ’s mystical body suffer on earth, Christ suffers in heaven.
In his commentary, Davenant quotes one named Lyra, who says, “The sufferings of Christ are taken in a twofold sense; in one, for those which he actually sustained in his own body, in which nothing remains to be completed; in the other, for those which he should sustain in his mystical body, even to the end of the world; and thus there remains the residue of many sufferings still to be completed.” In other words, we must distinguish between what Christ suffered in the days of his earthly ministry for the accomplishment of our redemption (these are called “preceding sufferings”) and what the members of Christ’s mystical body, the church, must now suffer as they live for him on earth in these last days (these are called “succeeding sufferings”). God has decreed both! Thus, when Paul suffered in his flesh, he, being united to Christ by faith, and a member Christ’s mystical body on earth, knew that he was “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”
And how does the glorified Christ suffer when we suffer? In what sense is this true?
One, through the mystical union of which we have been speaking. “And he is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18, ESV). In 1 Corinthians 12:27, Paul speaks to Christians, saying, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27, ESV). Immediately before that, he said, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26, ESV). And the same principle may be applied to Christ, the Head. If we have faith in Christ, we are spiritually connected to him even as he sits in heaven. When his people suffer on earth, there is a sense in which these sufferings belong to Christ, for we are his body.
Two, when Christ’s people suffer on earth, he suffers with them, through sympathy. Hebrews 4:15 speaks of Jesus, saying, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV). The point is this: The risen and ascended Christ sympathizes with his people on earth.
Paul understood these things. And where did Paul first learn this precious lesson? Do you remember what Paul was doing prior to his conversion? He was persecuting Christians. He was causing many who were united to Christ by faith to suffer. In fact, he was there consenting to the murder of the first martyr of the church, Steven. And do you remeber what Steven said immediately before he was killed? “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56, ESV). Why was Jesus standing at the right hand of God in heaven immediately before Steven was killed? He was standing to indicate his interest in and support of Steven. Paul heard Steven say this before consenting to his murder—I’m sure he never forgot it. And do you remeber what the risen and ascended Christ said to Paul when he appeared to him on the road to Damascus to convert him? Acts 9:4 says, “he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’” (Acts 9:4, ESV). Think of it! It was before his conversion, and at the time of his conversion, that Paul learned this valuable lesson: when those united to Christ by faith suffer for righteousness ‘ sake, the risen and ascended Christ suffers with them. When a Christian is persecuted, it is Christ who is persecuted— Paul was persecuting Christians on earth, and yet Christ spoke to him from heaven, saying, “why are you persecuting me?” And now, Paul, no longer being the persecutor, but the persecuted, says, “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…” (Colossians 1:24, ESV).
The last question I have to ask of verse 24 is this: What did Paul think of his sufferings? “Now I rejoice in my sufferings…”, Paul said. Brothers and sisters, we need to take Paul seriously here. I wonder how many Christians read these words and think, well, that’s just something that Christains say, but no one means it, for how can anyone possibly rejoice in their sufferings? I’m afraid that Christians will sometimes do something similar with the command of James 1:2-3, which says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4, ESV). I have actually heard professing Christians dismiss this command as if it were hyperbolic or mere Christianese. I’m afraid that some assume it is impossible to rejoice in suffering and to count trials and tribulations as joy, and so they dismiss these words, somehow.
A much better approach is to take Paul (and James) seriously, and to ask the questions: how can it be that a man would rejoice in his sufferings and count his trials and tribulations as joy? The answer must be that these men were thoroughly convinced that their sufferings were for a purpose, that they were producing something exceedingly valuable, and were, therefore, worth it. James commands us to take joy in the various trials of life that we endure, knowing that the trials are used by the Lord to work something very precious in us, namely, steadfastness and maturity in Christ. And Paul says he rejoiced in his sufferings, and it’s not hard to see why.
One, Paul rejoiced in his sufferings because they were decreed by God. As has been said, he viewed his sufferings as “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” You know, I’m sure there are some who would be really troubled by this idea that God has decreed the sufferings his people endure. In their minds, it brings God too close to the suffering we endure, and so, in an attempt to separate God from suffering, they reject the doctrine that says, “God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass…” (Second London Confession, 3.1). This is a terrible mistake, and for two reasons. One, it does not agree with Scripture. And two, knowing that your sufferings have been decreed by God should, in fact, bring great comfort to your soul. If God has decreed your suffering, this means he is in control of it, has a purpose for it, and is near to you as you endure it. Paul knew that God had decreed his suffering. Do you remeber what he says in Ephesians 1:11? “In [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of [God] who works all things according to the counsel of his will…” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV). And here in Colossians 1:24, he reveals that he knew his sufferings were contributing to the filling or completing of something that God had decreed, namely, the afflictions to be endured by Christ’s mystical body, the church. And so he rejoiced in his sufferings.
Two, it seems that Paul was able to genuinely rejoice in his sufferings because he really viewed them as Christ’s sufferings. In other words, he was thoroughly convinced that the sufferings he endured in his flesh on earth were shared by Christ in heaven through his Holy Spirit-wrought union with him. Stated another way, as Paul suffered for Christ, his gospel, and his church, it did not cause him to think that Christ was distant and despair. To the contrary! His suffering only heightened his awareness of Christ’s nearness! Paul knew that as he suffered in that jail cell, he was really and truly united to Jesus Christ by faith as a true member of Christ’s mystical body on earth, the church. Friends, the union between Jesus Christ, our head in heaven, and his body, the church on earth, is not merely theoretical. It is a real, living, and vital connection that we enjoy. When we, as Christ’s people, suffer for his name’s sake, or when we experience trials and tribulations of various kinds, our sense of Christ’s nearness to us, and our union with him, ought to be heightened, not diminished. When we suffer for his name’s sake and in his service, by faith we must see Christ standing in heaven for us (see Acts 7:56) and know that our sufferings are, in a sense, his (see Colossians 1:24). He sympathizes with us in our weakness (see Hebrews 4:15). He has not left us as orphans, but has come to make his abode with us through his Holy Spirit (go and read John 14:15-17:26). He is with us always to the end of the age (see Matthew 28:18-20).
Dear friends, I think you have probably found this to be true. Is it not during times of suffering and affliction that Christ comforts you the most? Have you not found this to be true, that when the trials and tribulations of life are heavy and great, Jesus Christ proves himself to be a Savior who is greater still? Paul actually speaks of this dynamic in 2 Corinthians 1:5-7, saying. “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:5–7, ESV). Dear Christian, I know this is true. When God calls you to share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, he will also provide you with comfort in Christ Jesus to support you through the trial. And no, it will not be a meager supply of comfort—just enough to keep you holding on by a thread—it will be an abundance of comfort—enough to enable you to count the trials and tribulations as joy, and rejoice in your sufferings in Christ Jesus. But here is the thing: You must know that Christ stands for you in heaven and sympathizes with you in your weaknesses. You must know that, by faith, you are united to Christ in a vital and living way through the Holy Spirit. And you must abide in Christ Jesus through the means of grace that he has provided for our salvation and sanctification. Far too often, when trials and tribulations come, we lose sight of the precious truths, we diminish Christ in our minds and hearts, and we fail to abide. We do not flourish through the trials and tribulations of life; therefore, we begin to languish on the vine. Christ says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, ESV).
The third reason Paul could genuinely rejoice in his sufferings is that he knew they were for the sake of Christ’s church. “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…”
What did Paul value supremely? He valued God, Christ, and Christ’s church supremely. And this is why he genuinely rejoiced to suffer for the sake of these things. You’ll happily suffer for things you value. You’ll say things like this: It was so hard, but it was so worth it! Suffering has a way of exposing what we value most. When a profesisng Christians faces suffering for their faith, it will quickly reveal the genuineness or the depth of their faith. Suffering will reveal what we really love most. If our hearts are fixed on this world, we will not happily suffer affliction for the sake of Christ. But if our hearts are fixed on God and Christ in heaven, and on Christ’s body on earth, then we will not hesitate to suffer affliction to see God glorified, Christ exulted, and the church built up, strong and true.
That Paul’s heart was with God and Christ in heaven is seen clearly in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18, ESV). That Paul valued Christ more than all earthly pleasures is seen in Philippians 3:8: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—” (Philippians 3:8–9, ESV).
Conclusion
So what about you? Do you value Christ in the way that Paul did, such that you would be willing to suffer the loss of your earthly comforts to have him? And do you value the growth of his church, the salvation and sanctification of souls through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, such that you would suffer affliction to see this accomplished? I think that would be a wonderful question to meditate on on this Lord’s Day afternoon. Think of the pleasant things you enjoy in this life and, after giving thanks to God for them, ask the question, if pressed, would I happily give them all up for the sake of knowing Christ, being found in him, and seeing others come to know Christ as well? And do I so love Christ’s mystical body on earth, the church, that I would suffer loss for the sake of seeing the church flourish? I would urge you to ask yourself that question this afternoon and to meditate upon it.
If the honest answer is no, then I would urge you to go to God in prayer, to confess your idolatry to him, and to ask the Lord to change your heart so that it is no longer fixed on the things of this earth, but on god and Christ in heaven. Ask the Lord to give you a better understanding of who Christ is and what he has done so that your love and appreciation for him would be supreme, as it ought to be. And ask the Lord to strengthen you to walk worthily in the Lord, in a way that is pleasing to him, from this day forward.
If the honest answer to the question, if pressed, would I happily give up my earthly pleasures for the sake of knowing Christ, being found in him, and seeing others come to know Christ as well?, is yes, then I would urge you to go to God in prayer, to thank him for the mercy and grace he has shown to you to give you that perspective, and ask him to strengthen you further, so that you would show your love and appreciation for Christ, not only in times of great tribulation, should they come, but in your day to day walking. Dear brothers and sisters, the things that occupy first place in your mind and heart, and the way you spend your time, your treasures, and your talents day after day, and Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day, reveal a great deal concerning the condition of your mind and heart before God. Those who supremely value Christ and his work will regard themselves as servants of Christ. That is how Paul regarded himself. We will pick up the theme of Paul’s stewardship and struggle next Sunday, Lord willing. Until then, may the Lord help us to apply the word we have heard today to our thoughts, words, and deeds.
