Sermon Central
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Focused In On Ministry Series
Contributed by Gordon Weatherby on Nov 25, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: Once Paul accepted the Superiority of Christ in his own life he was able to Put Christ and His Church first in his life even to the point of enduring suffering because of what Christ had done for him.
FOCUSED IN ON MINISTRY
Greenmount and O’Leary Churches of Christ Nov 6, 2016
(Message 4 on the Book of Colossians)
Link to hear an MP3 recording of this message: http://chirb.it/kD6cLm
FOCUSED IN ON MINISTRY
Greenmount and O’Leary Churches of Christ Nov 6, 2016
(Message 4 of __ on the Book of Colossians)
Link to hear an MP3 recording of this message: http://chirb.it/kD6cLm
INTRODUCTION:
1.) In our message last week we examined the Supremacy of Jesus Christ.
A.) The Apostle Paul was a man who had earlier rejected Jesus as the Christ, and had even persecuted those who would follow. Him.
B.) Jesus had to personally appear to Paul and completely defeat this great man, before Paul could come to see Jesus for who He really is.
2.) It was only after Jesus had proven himself to be Superior that Paul had come to glorify Him in every part of His life and ministry.
A.) Today as we come to the final part of Colossians 1 we will see the impact this had on Paul and his ministry.
I) THE PERSPECTIVE OF MINISTRY.
1.) He could rejoice in his sufferings if it meant the cause of Christ would be advanced.
A) The ultimate goal for the Apostle Paul was that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be proclaimed to the entire world.
aa.) This became Paul’s goal wherever he would go.
ab.) In another of the New Testament Churches there were others preaching the message of Christ.
aaa.) From what is revealed to us in Scripture, those Philippian evangelists were preaching the truth.
aab.) Yet even though these men were proclaiming the truth their desire was not to spread the news of Christ, but to because they thought it would hurt Paul.
.01) Instead of being hurt, Paul rejoiced that the message of Christ was being proclaimed.
.02) Philippians 1:18
B) Paul’s perspective for ministry was to do whatever it would take to spread the news of Jesus Christ, and to advance the Gospel of Christ.
ba.) This perspective of ministry meant that many times he suffered for the name of Christ.
bb.) Many servants of Christ could have been disheartened by this, but not the Apostle Paul.
C) Each time Paul would suffer for Christ he would recall how much Christ had suffered for him.
ca.) Colossians 1:24-25
2.) He considered himself a Servant of Christ and of the church.
A.) Many times Paul refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ.
B.) Paul does not merely refer to himself as a servant, but even as a bond servant or slave.
ba.) These were not just idle words that Paul would use.
bb.) Paul spoke these words during a period of time when slavery was a common thing in the Roman Empire.
bba.) In Paul’s day people knew what it meant to be a slave.
.01) Some would have sold themselves into slavery because of poverty.
.02) Others would have become slaves as a result of being prisoners of war, or in some other set of circumstances beyond their control.
.03) Regardless of the circumstances that brought you there it was not an easy life.
001. It was certainly not a chosen pathway that anyone would want to walk or to live.
002. Once you became a slave you lost your own personal rights, and became the property of someone else.
003. Paul had his freedom in Christ, but had become so convicted by the greatness of the cost that Christ had paid\for him that he surrendered himself completely to Jesus Christ.
004. Paul was surrendered not only to Christ, but also to Christ’s Church.
cb.) Paul saw the church as both the body and the bride of Christ.
cc) As such, he gave the Church a dedicated loyalty, love, honour, and respect because of the place the church held in the heart of Jesus.
cd.) Paul was so sold out to Jesus the Christ, that it was only natural that he would be so focussed on giving himself to the church and the ministry of the church as well.
II) THE PERSON OF OUR MINISTRY.
1) It’s all about Christ.
A.) When Jesus Christ is the focus of your life everything else will be determined by that reality.
aa.) The things of this life become secondary to our relationship with Christ.
2) It’s all about the commission of Christ.
A.) The Greatest part of knowing Jesus Christ is to have a relationship with Him.
B.) The second greatest part of knowing Jesus Christ is to give others the opportunity to also have a relationship with Him.
ba.) Paul had the desire that everyone would come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
baa.) 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
bb.) Paul’s love and concern for his own people was so great that one on occasion as he wrote to the Romans, that he would even be willing to go to hell himself if it meant that the Jewish people would come to Christ.
