Grow With Pastor Joe

As the Nazi party rose to power during the late 1930’s in Germany, many were silent. However, one name is recognized although there were many who stood against the Nazi party and the evils they committed. That name is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor in Germany who is perhaps most known for his writing “The Cost of Discipleship,” which has become a classic in Christian literature. During the dark days of WWII, Bonhoeffer became a part of the German intelligence agency while secretly protecting Jews (and other persecuted individuals) and assisting the Allied Nations in seeking to overthrow Adolf Hitler. Upon discovery, Bonhoeffer was arrested and placed in imprisonment for two years. During that time, he wrote other works and continued to minister under the harsh circumstances for the sake of the gospel. Just weeks prior to the German surrender in May of 1945, Bonhoeffer was hanged by the SS for high treason against Germany and Hitler. In “The Cost of Discipleship,” Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.”

            The call to live for Jesus is the call to die to the world and especially self. Every believer is called to do the exact same. I am afraid that we have promoted an easy-believism which only promises Heaven without ever pointing new believers (or potential believers) to the high cost of a life of following the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. In our study of Colossians, we have seen that it is the gospel that saves us, secures us, strengthens us, sanctifies us, and sustains us to serve the Lord Jesus Christ throughout all our days. We are a gospel people. Today, we will continue our study by beginning to look at Col. 1:24-29 which says, “²⁴ Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: ²⁵ Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; ²⁶ Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: ²⁸ Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: ²⁹ Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is the declaration and demonstration of the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus. The gospel is the supreme message and motivation of life. It is the sufficient message that alone can save, sanctify, and sustain us. In the closing section of the first chapter of Colossians, Paul now shifts from his detailed declaration of Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency to now focus on the gospel itself. The transition happens in Col. 1:23 where we see the phrase, “hope of the gospel,” and the ending phrase “whereof I Paul am made a minister.” Our focus today is going to be on the ministry of the gospel. Not just what the gospel has done, but now what it means for Paul, myself, and every believer to serve Christ in the gospel ministry. Before we go further, please understand that while not everyone is called to vocation ministry, every believer is called to be a minister for the glory of Christ and good of the church. We will see today, the foundation, formation, and fixation of gospel ministry.

            First, we must see the foundation of the gospel ministry. To see this, as we stated above, go back to the previous verse. Between Col. 1:23-25 we see two separate times that Paul says that he is a “minister.” The word that he uses is “diakonos” which has a meaning of one who humbly, quietly, and willingly serves. This is also where the biblical office of a deacon comes from. To make it simple, Paul identifies himself as a servant above all else, but as well a servant below all others. There is no gospel ministry or serving Jesus of any kind apart from such humility. What we see throughout the New Testament is that Paul was God’s man with God’s message sent to do God’s mission. Paul didn’t do this arrogantly, but in humility and power of the Spirit. There are three things that show us the foundation of the gospel ministry.

One, the foundation of the gospel ministry begins with conversion. Paul wasn’t always Paul the Apostle or servant of Jesus Christ. Long before Paul was writing to the Colossians from jail, he was a persecutor of the church. He hated Jesus. He despised His followers. He rejected the gospel. Paul is first introduced in Acts 7, being one who was there for the martyrdom of Stephen. Then, Acts 8 shows us that persecution ramped up which sent the Christians scattering abroad from Jerusalem with the gospel. Paul didn’t know it, but he was being used by God to spread the gospel then. Acts 9 finds Paul on his way to persecute Christians. Acts 9:1-9 shows us the dramatic conversion of Paul. Jesus made it clear to Paul that he wasn’t persecuting just Christians, but Christ Himself. The reason that people go against the church of Jesus and those who are faithfully following God is because they desire to go against Christ, but they can’t touch Him. In Paul’s attempt to conquer and defeat Christ, He is conquered and won by Christ. He was humbled by the Christ and gospel that He hated. While every believer doesn’t have that same sort of dramatic experience, yet we have the same thing in common. The foundation of serving Jesus is being saved by Jesus. Praise God that He meets you where you are and brings you to Himself.

Two, the foundation of the gospel ministry continues with a commission. In Acts 9:10-22 we see that Paul was blinded by the light of Christ. His sight would return by the end of the chapter, but not before Jesus would speak to Ananias (who was a disciple of Christ) that Paul was now a “chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (v. 15-16). In Col. 1:23, Paul says that he was “made a minister,” because ultimately it was not Paul who converted himself or commissioned himself. He knew that Jesus alone had saved and sent him. This was not the road that Paul chose for Paul, but it was the road chosen for him. The Lord Jesus had already planned to set Paul apart and commission him to suffer in the service of the gospel. These things are seen as Jesus proclaimed the cost of discipleship in Luke 9:22-25; 14:25-33. Every one that is saved by the gospel of Christ is sent with the gospel of Christ. This was recognized in the early church, and they willingly suffered and spread the gospel because they knew that Christ had commissioned them to be witnesses for Him.

Three, the foundation of the gospel ministry concludes with a commitment. Are you willing to suffer? Are you willing to be sent? Paul’s response to Jesus at his conversion was, “What wilt thou have me do?” (Acts 9:6). May we be humbled enough by the gospel of Jesus Christ and His supremacy and sufficiency to do the same.

            Second, we must see the formation of the gospel ministry. Col. 1:24 says, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:” The gospel isn’t just our foundational starting point. It is what forms us in lifelong sanctification and service to Christ. As Paul writes about the gospel ministry, he comes now to the suffering that he endures for the sake of Christ and the church. Suffering was Christ’s experience and example. Suffering was Paul’s expectation as well as the early church (See 2 Tim. 3:10-12). We know little about it today. As Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison. Facing suffering and afflictions for Christ’s sake, but here we see that he believes it to be beneficial for others. How true that is. We are still benefiting from Paul’s imprisonment today as we study this book. There is a paradox in that where there is suffering for Christ there is rejoicing in Christ. Paul doesn’t shy away from suffering because he is constantly rejoicing in Christ and in the persecutions that he faces for the cause of the gospel. Paul and the early church rejoiced in and for their sufferings for Christ’s sake (See Acts 5:41; 16:25). Suffering was Jesus’ pattern and Paul’s pattern (See Heb. 12:1-3; 2 Cor. 1:3-11; 1 Pet. 2:21-25, 3:15-18). There is no serving Jesus apart from suffering. Paul uses the word “sufferings” which is the word “pathema” which describes actual physical suffering or pain. You can read about Paul’s physical sufferings in 2 Cor. 11:16-33 where he describes them. We must keep in mind as we look at this verse that Paul is not saying that Jesus’ sufferings were lacking. Rather, he is making the point that because Christ is the “head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:18) that there are union and communion with Christ in suffering. Jesus knows. He sees. He cares. What Paul is saying is that in Christ’s death He suffered for me, and in life I will suffer for Him and even suffer as Christ suffered. Paul then describes the “afflictions” which is the word “thlipsis” which means severe constriction or pressing. Sufferings describe outer pain, but the afflictions describe the inner anxiety and anguish of the soul. Jesus faced this throughout His whole life, ministry, and death. We see it especially in Gethsemane as Jesus prays. Paul describes the pressure of gospel ministry in 2 Cor. 2:4 saying, “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.” Furthermore, this suffering is for the formation of the servant of God. Suffering allowed Paul and us to then be good stewards for Christ. In Col. 1:25, Paul says, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;” Once more, Paul identifies with being a servant, but he adds that he is a steward. The word “dispensation” is the word “oikonomia” which means to manage a household on behalf of another. Often times people associate the idea of dispensations with just a period of time or how God was working during a particular age. However, the real issue is how God administrated His word, work, and will through His people. Paul was a household manager of God’s household (the church) which was founded and formed by the gospel. All stewards are to manage the abilities and resources that God gives us in Christ. Paul knew that it wasn’t his ministry. Paul knew the church wasn’t his. He knew that the fruit wasn’t his. Paul knew that he was just a steward and he only had one job. Be faithful. That was the job description, and it still is today. Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 4:1-2, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” God uses the sufferings of the ministry to form the minister to be a faithful steward of the ministry of the gospel. Matthew Henry wrote, “The injuries men do us should drive us to God, for to Him we may commit our cause.” We can’t be faithful stewards apart from being formed by suffering. Yet, serving Jesus is worth it.

            Third, we must see the fixation of the gospel ministry. Col. 1:25 ends with the phrase,“. . . to fulfil the word of God.” The gospel ministry is fixated on the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. True gospel preaching is fixated on the person and work of Christ. Gospel ministry is fixated on forming disciples through the foundation of the word of God. Paul’s fixation was on faithfully fulfilling the word, work, and will of God in his life. To “fulfil” is the word “pleroo” which means to fill or complete in every particular. Simply, in this case, Paul was fixated on preaching the whole gospel, the whole Christ, to the whole world. He would not sugar coat things. He would not cut corners in prayer, preparation, and preaching. He would not tailor his messages to the culture of the day. He would not be directed by man, but by God alone. He would not only preach what he liked or what people liked. He would be faithful to the full scope of the word of God (See Col. 1:3-8). At the very end of his life and ministry, Paul wrote the importance of the whole counsel of God as well as the importance of preaching the word (See 2 Tim. 3:13-4:5). Paul was fixated on Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency. Paul was fixated on doing God’s will and work according to His word. The same must be true of us today.            

As we bring this to a close, we see the need of true, faithful, consistent gospel ministry in our world today. Our communities are dying. Our churches are closing. Our families are splitting. Souls are in danger. God has called us as the church to be in the gospel ministry in our ordinary life. God desires to do His extraordinary work through ordinary believers in their ordinary homes, lives, routines, and communities. As we have seen today, Paul left us an example to follow. We must ask, are we willing to surrender to Christ? One, will you surrender today to the gospel of Christ and be saved? Two, will you surrender to Christ in serving Him as a faithful disciple? Have you counted the cost? Will you and I be willing to sacrificially suffer and serve Christ and His church? We must ask as well if we are being faithful stewards of what God has given us. Not just the gospel, but our head, heart, and home. Where is our focus? Fix your eyes on Christ, His gospel, grace, and glory! Be fixated on being a part of the gospel ministry for the good of the church and glory of Jesus Christ.