Daily Bread 2010 - Colossians 1
Paul's Labor for the Church
24Now 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. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To 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. 28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
In this first chapter of Colossians, we see Paul’s passion and labor for the Church. We see that he sees the church as one body, and he is a servant for it. Paul sees his sufferings in light of the church for which he has been called to serve. He makes a deep connection between Christ and His body the Church.
Today, we often see the church split up into thousands of denominations. We rarely see the unity of the church Paul and Jesus envisioned. The mystery that Paul talks about is Christ dwelling in and through the Church and us, as His body. Part of this commission Paul felt was that he needed to present the Word of God in all its fullness.
Verses 28-29, are a synopsis of Paul’s purpose and goal for the church. First Paul says, “We proclaim him and admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom.” Proclamation of who Jesus is and teaching how we living according to His will for us is the first, and foremost function of the church. And the goal of this endeavor is to “present everyone perfect in Christ”. Paul deeply longed for the believers not only to come to Christ, but to mature and grow up to become like Christ. As this happened the Church could be the body of Christ here on earth.
This is a HUGE need in the church today. We need people like Paul who are passionate for the Church to be the place where Christ is proclaimed and taught in all His wisdom and where the mystery of God’s plan is made known. And our goal today is the same as Paul’s, “To present every “perfect in Christ”. This was the end to which Paul labored, not just with his own strength, but with the strength of Christ which so powerfully worked within him. As we dedicate ourselves to this same task, we can expect that same power to be at work in us too for Jesus’ sake.
Jesus, we thank you for the Church, where we have heard you proclaimed and taught. Help us to take this proclamation and teaching and grow up into all you would have for us so we can be Your body in the world today. Give us a heart like Paul’s to labor for this goal in the power of Your name and Your Spirit, Amen.
24Now 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. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To 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. 28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
In this first chapter of Colossians, we see Paul’s passion and labor for the Church. We see that he sees the church as one body, and he is a servant for it. Paul sees his sufferings in light of the church for which he has been called to serve. He makes a deep connection between Christ and His body the Church.
Today, we often see the church split up into thousands of denominations. We rarely see the unity of the church Paul and Jesus envisioned. The mystery that Paul talks about is Christ dwelling in and through the Church and us, as His body. Part of this commission Paul felt was that he needed to present the Word of God in all its fullness.
Verses 28-29, are a synopsis of Paul’s purpose and goal for the church. First Paul says, “We proclaim him and admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom.” Proclamation of who Jesus is and teaching how we living according to His will for us is the first, and foremost function of the church. And the goal of this endeavor is to “present everyone perfect in Christ”. Paul deeply longed for the believers not only to come to Christ, but to mature and grow up to become like Christ. As this happened the Church could be the body of Christ here on earth.
This is a HUGE need in the church today. We need people like Paul who are passionate for the Church to be the place where Christ is proclaimed and taught in all His wisdom and where the mystery of God’s plan is made known. And our goal today is the same as Paul’s, “To present every “perfect in Christ”. This was the end to which Paul labored, not just with his own strength, but with the strength of Christ which so powerfully worked within him. As we dedicate ourselves to this same task, we can expect that same power to be at work in us too for Jesus’ sake.
Jesus, we thank you for the Church, where we have heard you proclaimed and taught. Help us to take this proclamation and teaching and grow up into all you would have for us so we can be Your body in the world today. Give us a heart like Paul’s to labor for this goal in the power of Your name and Your Spirit, Amen.
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