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Colossians - New LifeSeries: Colossians - New Life · Talk No. 4

The mystery made known

Sunday, 02 March 2008

Donny Kwan

Colossians 1:24-2:5 ESV or NIV

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Introduction

Everyone at the university knew that Donner Hall had the best parties. All-night dancing and beer guzzling attracted the largest weekend crowds by far—especially on the notorious second floor. By midnight every Friday and Saturday, the entire second floor was three inches deep in smashed beer cans, empty wine bottles, and stale potato chips.

But by about 7:00 a.m. the next morning all of the garbage was removed. The second floor residents assumed the conscientious school janitors came bright and early, before anyone woke up, to sweep up the mess.

Early one Saturday morning Chris, still hung over from Friday night’s party, stumbled out of his bed to head for the bathroom. Noticing a freshly vacuumed second floor, he mumbled to himself, “I guess the janitors came early again to get rid of the mess.”

On reaching the bathroom, however, his nose warned him the mess wasn’t completely eliminated. A trail of vomit soiled the bathroom floor, ending at the point where someone was just then mopping it up. Chris thought to himself, I’m glad the janitor is doing the dirty work so we don’t have to.

At the sound of Chris’s shuffling, the supposed janitor looked up. Shocked, Chris realized the person mopping up the vomit was Marco, his next door neighbour.

“Marco, man, what are you doing?” Chris asked. Marco answered simply, “I’m cleaning up.”

“Why? You weren’t even at the party last night.” “Because I’m a Christian.” No janitor had ever cared enough to clean up every Monday morning. It had been Marco the whole time.

This mystery janitor was known by accident because he room mate accidentally saw him one morning. But tonight the mystery of God is not made known by accident as if someone stumbled across it. The mystery is made known quite deliberately and specifically by God. 

Firstly, the mystery of God is made known by Paul’s commissioning.

1. Paul’s Commission by God

a) Paul’s Sufferings

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.

  • Paul rejoices in his sufferings for the Colossians. By preaching to the Colossians Paul experienced all kinds of afflictions and sufferings. He is happy to have gone through suffering because of he wants all Gentiles to know of what the Christ has done for them.
  • Yet Paul talks about being filled up in his flesh what is still lacking. What does he mean?
  • He does not mean that what Jesus suffered on the cross for us was insufficient.
  • What is lacking is that the world does not know what the Christ has done for them. It is still a mystery to most peoples. God's intention is that the mystery be revealed, extended to all the Gentiles.
  • What Paul means is that the afflictions are lacking in the sense that they are not seen and known among the nations. He himself will continue to suffer afflictions because he will continue to preach the good news about the Christ.
  • Paul is experiencing what the Lord said he would experience in Acts 9:15-16  5 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.  16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (blank screen)
  • Paul had the ministry of preaching to the Gentiles and as he did so he would face sufferings for it. As Paul faced the sufferings that in turn meant the Colossians did no have to suffer as much when preaching the gospel because Paul would have born the brunt of the sufferings.
  • The more Paul preached the gospel the more sufferings he would experience. The more sufferings he experienced preaching the gospel the less the Colossians would have to face.
  • Paul himself faced many things like imprisonment, flogged, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked, in danger from both Gentiles and from Jews.
  • It’s like someone saying you go first you talk to the strangers first so that it is not so bad by the time I go and talk to them. The first person breaks the ice in the conversation making it less painful for the next person.
  • Paul is not only going to face sufferings when preaching mystery of the gospel but he is commissioned to…

b) Preaching the Word in its fullness

  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.  27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

  • Paul is a servant of the gospel because he was commissioned by God to bring the word of God in all its fullness.
  • He had been given the task of speaking the very words of God and to do it to completion in the power of the Spirit.
  • When he preaches the Word of God, the mystery of God that has been kept hidden in the past is now made known to the saints.
  • This mystery is not about something mysterious as in something unknowable but rather it means the mystery that has previously been hidden by God is now made known and made clear.
  • It was hidden in the past because no one knew the exact time or precise person in whom God will bring about fulfilment of his promises.
  • But God has now made it known to the saints. God has chosen to reveal the glorious riches of this mystery to both Jews and Gentiles alike so that both can belong to the body of Christ. (blank screen)

Illustration: It’s like saying something big is coming, but leaving out the details so it remains a mystery. A sense of expectation is built up. It’s much like the TV series Lost. Something big is going to be revealed in the next show or next season. Once it is revealed the show begins to make sense. The same is said of here. God’s word when preached in all its fullness reveals the complete mystery that has been kept hidden in the past. Preaching Christ in all its fullness removes any mystery.

What does preaching in all its fullness do?

c) Present people perfect in Christ

28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  29 To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

  • The purpose of Paul’s ministry to the Colossians was so that they would be people who would be presented perfect in Christ.
  • When one becomes a Christian they do not instantly know all there is to know about the Christian faith. Rather when one becomes a Christian we begin a journey of understanding and living in a way that God wants us to live.
  • The way that Paul goes about helping people grow in maturity is by proclaiming, admonishing, and teaching everyone with all wisdom.
  • Notice it is not just preaching. It also involves instructing and teaching everyone with all wisdom.
  • This gospel is not for the select few but for all people from all races, classes and cultures.
  • The purpose of ministry is to present all people mature and perfect in Christ.
  • This is what Paul spends his time energy and efforts. But notice that is it not in his efforts that he achieves this, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • All that Paul does as he commissioned by God is done in the power of God’s Spirit. It is God who provides the strength to bring people back to himself. (blank screen)

Illustration: At the moment we are renovating a house. When we first got there and saw how it was it was atrocious. With crumbling kitchen, rusted and mouldy bathroom, walls were filthy. But after putting on a coat of paint and ripping out the bathroom and kitchen and replacing it anew the house looks superb. It almost looks like a new house. It’s amazing how a coat of paint and new furnishings can make a house look brand new. And that is exactly how that works in us. As the word of Christ is preached, admonished and taught we are being transformed to be presented perfect in Christ.

Application: What about us? Do we rejoice in our sufferings as we proclaim the word of God? Do we preach the word of God in its fullness so that all may know the mystery of Christ? Is our ministry and service to people helping present people perfect in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit or in our own strength?

2. The mystery of Christ

a) Paul struggles for those not met

1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 

  • Paul struggles for the Colossians and the Laodiceans. For a group of people he has not met face to face Paul wants to build a stronger relationship with them.
  • He wants to continue wrestling and struggle for the spread, growth and strengthening of the gospel to others as they have benefited from him.
  • He wants them to know how much he has gone through not just inwardly but also outwardly in his activity to preach the gospel to them.
  • Paul will go through much as we have heard earlier to preach to the Gentiles the mystery of Christ.
  • Even though Paul himself could not go to the Colossians he has sent others like Epaphrus to participate in the mission of spreading the gospel.
  • Paul wants to ensure that all people hear the gospel especially since he himself can not do it. Even if it is a struggle when he has not met them personally.

Illustration: One of the great things we have is sponsor children. While living in an affluent country like ours. There are some who struggle to here to help out those who are not so well off. I’m very excited to hear that the One80 group has a sponsor child when we first came. Even though we have not met our sponsor child face to face yet we do what we can to help provide for the child’s needs. A little over a dollar a day!

  • In the same way Paul struggles for the Christians in Colosse whom he has not met. But what is the purpose of Paul’s struggles?

b) Disclosed in Christ alone

Look with me to verse 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. 

  • Paul’s purpose in struggling for the Colossians is to encourage them in heart and unite them in love, so they will completely understand the mystery, namely Christ.
  • He wants to strengthen their hearts. Paul is concerned that his readers would be in danger of being lead away by false teachings. They needed to be strengthened. One of the greatest things on can do to build up the heart is to encourage someone in their faith in Jesus alone.
  • Not only are we to strengthen the heart but also to be united in love.
  • Love that should bind them together. A love for Jesus and a love for one another that unites them.
  • The revelation of God cannot be properly known apart from the cultivation of love within the community of believers.
  • To understand Jesus fully we need to live out a life of love in community.
  • It is not just head knowledge but it is lived knowledge.
  • For when Christ is proclaimed among the nations and pointing to him as the source of hope the contents of the divine mystery are made known.
  • There is no divine wisdom and knowledge that anyone can know apart from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • The mystery is revealed when we know and have a relationship with the Jesus.
  • All the treasures and riches of wisdom and knowledge were formally stored up in concealment by God. But now he has made known it known to all who believe in him. Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. . (blank screen)

Illustration: It’s like knowing a person by name only. They are a complete mystery until you have a relationship with them. You don’t know very much about the person. (Perhaps if you read a gossip magazine but we all know they like to spin it in a way that will sell magazines.) But one you have a relationship with them you begin to know them and understand them.

So to when we know the Jesus Christ, the mystery of God is disclosed.

Why do we need to know it is through Jesus Christ alone?

c) Spiritually present

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.

  • Paul for the first time points to the danger facing the church.
  • He doesn’t want the church to be deceived by plausible arguments of by false teachers.
  • The message and behaviour of the false teachers is so different to that of the true messenger of the gospel. And the danger is that the false teachers are among them
  • For Paul although he is not physically present with the Colossians he is with them in spirit.
  • You might ask how can Paul be there in spirit if he is physically sitting in prison.
  • The Spirit of God had united them both. For both Paul and the Colossians are in Christ and therefore both live with Christ. Since they both live with Christ he is present in spirit with them.
  • Paul rejoices in what he has heard of the Colossians. While there is the threat of false teachings he is pleased to hear that they are orderly and still firm in their faith. False teachings have not affected their core beliefs in Jesus. . (blank screen)

Illustration: In a way that tries to draw on the same parallels is Star Wars. Obi-won Kenobi is killed when he fights Darth Vader. He is no longer physically there but is he still there spiritually advising the young Luke Skywalker. He keeps watching over him to ensure he stays with the force and not cross over to the dark side.

Application: The mystery of God is made known in Jesus. Do we struggle and make the effort to help people know the mystery of Christ better? In our conversations with people we point to Jesus and how everything to do with the mystery of God is found in Jesus. Every time we engage with cults of other religions do we bring it back to Jesus? All well and good to talk about the details but at the end of the day do we bring it back to Jesus? For God has revealed the mystery through Jesus.

Conclusion

Do we know the mystery of God, namely Christ? The mystery is no longer there. We now know who the Christ is. It is Jesus. We have all been given a mission to proclaim, admonish and teach one another in Christ! We have all heard about the great mystery of the Christ revealed in the person Jesus. Do we know Jesus? Perhaps a good place to start is in one of the gospels. Come talk to me if you don’t know Jesus. I’d be more than happy to help make this mystery known.