Studying Colossians - Serving Christ

Studying Colossians – Serving Christ

 

In these next few weeks we will continue studying the Book of Colossians from the Bible.  Colossians is a letter written by Saint Paul to the Colossian Church.  The Christians in the Colossian church were excited about their new faith and were eager to follow Christ.  

 

False teachers had found their way to the new Christians in Colossae and were telling them that Jesus wasn’t enough to save them and that they needed more.  The new Colossian Christians became confused and Paul was anxious to build up their faith in Jesus Christ so that they would not falter the next time that false teachers came their way.  Today we will read more of Paul’s letter to the Colossian Church.  Today we will be reading Colossians 1:24-29. 

 

Colossians 1:24-29

“I rejoice in my sufferings for you.  There are things that Christ must still suffer through His body, the church.  I am accepting, in my body, my part of these things that must be suffered.  I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do that helps you, and that work is to tell fully the message of God.  This message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to God’s holy people.  God decided to let His people know this rich and glorious secret which He has for all people.  This secret is Christ Himself, who is in you.  He is our only hope for glory.  So, we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ.  To do this, I work and struggle, using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.”  (Colossians 1:24-29)

 

We modern Christians don’t talk much about suffering for Christ.  Some expect our faith to be “logical” and instead we discover “mysteries”!  Our Scripture reading today begins with the mystery of Christ’s sufferings and the mystery of our suffering with Him!  Paul tells the Gentile churches that he “rejoices in his sufferings for you. There are things that Christ must still suffer through His body, the church.” (vs. 24) Paul was suffering because he was serving Christ.  And all who serve Christ will suffer too. Scripture mentions “the fellowship of His sufferings.” (Philippians 3:10) Like the early apostles, many of whom were martyred, Paul rejoiced that he was “counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name” (Acts 5:410   

 

 An old Christian hymn goes: “Are you able, asked the Master, to be crucified with Me.  “Yes” the sturdy dreamer’s answer, to the death we follow Thee.”  We followers of Christ are commanded to “take up our cross and follow Him”. (Matthew 16:24) We too are asked to suffer with Christ. All Christians who serve Christ must take up their cross.  The apostles, the prophets and the early believers were all devoted to God, all committed to serving Him and all constantly in trouble.  Scripture says: “If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him.”  (Romans 8:17) The old hymn asks the question- “Are you able to be crucified with Christ? “ What is your answer?   

 

God called Paul to go out and serve as a missionary to the Gentiles and spread the gospel – to make disciples for Christ. Nearly everywhere Paul traveled and preached, a new church of believers sprung up. Of course, the Holy Spirit was with Paul, and through him the Christian faith, like a flame of fire, ignited hearts and minds and soon spread throughout all of Europe.  But along with the great joy that this ministry gave Paul, it also came with a great cost.

 

 Paul suffered many things because he served the Lord.  Among other problems, during Paul’s ministry, he suffered hunger and cold, he was persecuted by many, was shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, whipped and beaten, jailed and finally martyred. How would things have been different in early church history if Paul had chosen not to suffer with Christ and spread the gospel to the Gentiles?

In our Scripture readings today, we also read: “This gospel message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now is made known to God’s holy people.  God decided to let His people know the secret which He has for all people.  This secret is Christ, Himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory.”  (Colossians 1:26-27) Here is another mystery in God’s Word.  The mystery of God’s amazing love! And a secret too, which has been revealed to us.

This secret, “Christ in you the hope of glory”, was “hidden from everyone since the beginning.” (vs.26)   The ancient peoples who loved God tried to follow His laws.  The ancient Israelites knew that God had promised them salvation through the blood of the lamb. The Jewish prophets foretold of the coming Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. They saw Him from a far off.  But when He came, the mystery and the secret was finally revealed.  Revealed to those who believe in Him and follow Him.   A very rich and glorious secret.  The secret Is Christ Himself!  Christ in you, the hope of glory!

 

Many of the ideas for this blog were taken from Max Lucado’s book, “Colossians and Philemon”  and “The Wiersbe Bible Study Series”