1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:04,500 Our text this morning is from Colossians chapter 1. 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,100 I'll give you a chance to get there. 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,900 Do you know one of the things that happens in our worship 4 00:00:09,900 --> 00:00:13,500 service and worship planning is that there's actually some 5 00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:17,000 thought in how all of these things tie together. 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,500 So I just want to review where we've been so far this morning. 7 00:00:20,900 --> 00:00:25,000 We started this morning with a reading from Isaiah 42. 8 00:00:25,700 --> 00:00:30,100 Did you notice it? It talked about the servant of 9 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:35,500 God who was coming who was going to do a wonderful thing for 10 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:40,800 Israel and then God says, but that's far too small, a thing. 11 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:46,500 I am going to have you be a servant to the nation's a light 12 00:00:46,700 --> 00:00:50,300 to the Gentiles and you're going to do it. 13 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:57,400 Gently kindly, you're not going to hammer the nation's you're 14 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,800 going to gently call out. The Nations and lift them up, 15 00:01:03,100 --> 00:01:06,200 what a beautiful passage and then we sing Hosanna. 16 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,600 Now Hosanna, it is a strange word, you know, it means help. 17 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:17,900 We tend to make it being praised, but it means help. 18 00:01:18,900 --> 00:01:23,800 And you all saying, over and over hell, Hosanna, help. 19 00:01:24,700 --> 00:01:29,600 And it's that picture of Jesus coming into Jerusalem, the 20 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,900 Messiah coming in and he's riding on a donkey. 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,400 He's not coming as a triumphant conqueror on a horse, who's 22 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:44,400 going to overwhelm this city, instead he Becomes one ready to 23 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,400 hear a people who cry help and you all did not. 24 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,000 You didn't know it this morning but you've done it. 25 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,800 We're connecting the dots and then we sang, the song, Reckless 26 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,800 Love. That that speaks of God loving 27 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,300 us before we were even born that he saw us. 28 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,300 And he comes for us and it while we were singing that song I was 29 00:02:07,300 --> 00:02:12,600 reminded of Eugene Peterson and that he had a secret in Ministry 30 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,500 and his secret and Ministry was that on every occasion, that he 31 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:21,200 preached and spoke, he said, the secret of the sermon was this, 32 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:26,600 God is coming for you. He loves you. 33 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:34,100 So we sang of God's Reckless, love that he's coming for us and 34 00:02:34,100 --> 00:02:37,800 then we read from John 17. Thank you. 35 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:43,500 We read the prayer of Jesus and we heard again a prayer that 36 00:02:43,500 --> 00:02:50,200 Echoes through eternity of Jesus saying oh I so enjoy the love of 37 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:54,800 our communion. And I can't wait for it to be 38 00:02:54,800 --> 00:03:02,200 shared with Humanity, you and me, and I in them, huh. 39 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,300 Did anybody get excited in that moment when you heard that 40 00:03:06,300 --> 00:03:10,000 prayer of Jesus? And Jesus was not only talking 41 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,000 about the disciples who were with him, but he was praying for 42 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,700 the disciples who would come because these disciples would 43 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:19,700 share the message and guess who they were going to share it 44 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:26,000 with. Jews and Gentiles, the nations 45 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:29,900 were connecting, the dots. Did you know that our worship 46 00:03:29,900 --> 00:03:33,300 Services were woven together this way? 47 00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:36,600 You just thought this was something happening up here, but 48 00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:40,800 but there are dots being laid down and they need to be 49 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:46,200 connected in worship and then we sang that song. 50 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,200 Oh, How He Loves? Thank you. 51 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:49,900 Nana. Wow, where's Nana? 52 00:03:49,900 --> 00:03:54,900 There's that. How he loves and and we reminded 53 00:03:54,900 --> 00:03:58,300 again of how God loves us and I thought of how that song was 54 00:03:58,300 --> 00:04:03,600 written that that song was written in response to grief and 55 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:09,300 loss, a tragic loss of a young person who was killed in an 56 00:04:09,300 --> 00:04:14,700 accident and the writer of this song says my only lament and 57 00:04:14,700 --> 00:04:17,800 comfort was there. Oh How He Loves Us? 58 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,400 Oh, how God loves us? because this suffering, I felt 59 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,100 he feels too. How He Loves Us. 60 00:04:29,300 --> 00:04:33,200 And then we prayed a response. To love. 61 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,000 We prayed a response to the love of God. 62 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,700 Where we said I'll give me a clean hand. 63 00:04:40,900 --> 00:04:43,500 Give me a pure heart. Help me. 64 00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:48,200 See the way you see and we talked about o God of Jacob. 65 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:52,800 Now I get excited Every Time We Sing About God of Jacob because 66 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,200 Jacob was a scoundrel. He was a cheater. 67 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:05,200 He was a Deceiver. and yet, we sing that song with with such 68 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:13,200 abandon But we're like Jacob. So we have to pray. 69 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:18,100 God, help us cast down. Our Idols, Give Us Clean Hands. 70 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,000 Now did you go on that? Journey through worship? 71 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,300 Anybody. You're like, oh my goodness, 72 00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:33,800 that's all new. So there's a thoughtfulness and 73 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,200 a weaving in worship that happens. 74 00:05:39,100 --> 00:05:44,100 There was great intention in the planning of worship and then 75 00:05:44,100 --> 00:05:48,200 sometimes, God just doesn't it's there for us. 76 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,600 There's a feast laid out for us. If only will take it up and eat, 77 00:05:55,900 --> 00:06:02,800 So our passage in Colossians pulls some of this all together. 78 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:09,000 This is from Colossians chapter 1 beginning in verse 24 and will 79 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:14,000 read into chapter 2 as well. Now, I rejoice in what I am 80 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,500 suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh. 81 00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:22,000 What is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the 82 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,300 sake of his body, which is the church. 83 00:06:26,100 --> 00:06:29,100 I have become its servant by the commission. 84 00:06:29,100 --> 00:06:33,800 God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness. 85 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,800 The mystery that it's been kept hidden for ages and generations, 86 00:06:39,100 --> 00:06:44,400 but is now disclosed to the law. Lord's people to them. 87 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:50,100 God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles, the Glorious 88 00:06:50,100 --> 00:06:54,700 Riches of this mystery which is Christ in. 89 00:06:54,700 --> 00:07:01,700 You the hope of glory he is the one we Proclaim admonishing and 90 00:07:01,700 --> 00:07:03,700 teaching everyone with all wisdom. 91 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:09,800 So that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ to this 92 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:15,600 end I strenuously Sleek contend with all the energy Christ. 93 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:22,200 So powerfully Works in me chapter 2, I want you to know 94 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,300 how hard I am contending for you. 95 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,300 And for those at laodicea and for all who have not met me 96 00:07:29,300 --> 00:07:33,900 personally, my goal is that they may be encouraged and heart and 97 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:39,300 United in love so that they may have the full Riches of complete 98 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:41,800 understanding in order that they may not. 99 00:07:41,900 --> 00:07:47,900 A know, the mystery of God, namely Christ in whom are hidden 100 00:07:47,900 --> 00:07:51,600 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 101 00:07:52,300 --> 00:07:54,900 I tell you this so that no one may deceive. 102 00:07:54,900 --> 00:08:00,000 You by fine sounding Arguments for though, I am absent from you 103 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,600 and body. I am present with you in spirit 104 00:08:03,900 --> 00:08:08,300 and Delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm 105 00:08:08,300 --> 00:08:18,100 your faith in Christ is Do you remember the first movie you 106 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:21,600 saw? In a movie theater. 107 00:08:30,300 --> 00:08:37,400 The first movie I saw in a movie theater that I remember is one. 108 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:42,200 I went to see with my father, when I was 13 years old. 109 00:08:45,700 --> 00:08:50,300 It was 1981 seems like a long time ago, right? 110 00:08:51,500 --> 00:08:54,600 And the movie was Chariots of Fire. 111 00:08:57,700 --> 00:09:01,400 Dot, dot dot. Anybody seen the movie? 112 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,200 There's an amazing scene in the movie Chariots of Fire about 113 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,000 Eric little. And the whole movie is about 114 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:16,100 Eric little who became a missionary to China and who was 115 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:21,800 also a runner who won races in the 1924 Olympics. 116 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:28,000 Now there was this amazing scene in the movie that some people 117 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,200 thought. Oh, surely, that was a made-up 118 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:34,200 scene. But it was a true event in his 119 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:39,900 life where he was running in a qualifying meet between Ireland, 120 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:44,900 Scotland and England. And in that qualifying meet, he 121 00:09:44,900 --> 00:09:51,000 ran in three races. but in the 440, which was a longer race, 122 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:59,400 any runners in here, One, two. Only three runners, three of us 123 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:04,100 who like to run. I don't know if this is going to 124 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:05,800 work, but I'll try, you'll get it. 125 00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:11,100 So in the film, he starts the 440 and there's this massive 126 00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:14,800 them running to get on the interior Lane so that they can 127 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,200 run and they're bunched together. 128 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,700 And his feet, get tangled with another Runner, and he smacks 129 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:26,900 the ground really hard. And the pack is getting away. 130 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,300 And Eric little is laying on the ground. 131 00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:33,600 Wondering, what should I do? What's happened to me? 132 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:34,900 What should I do? And there's enough. 133 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:41,800 Vishal yelling at him, get up and run, get up and run! 134 00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:50,300 So he gets up and he runs the pack is about 20 yards ahead of 135 00:10:50,300 --> 00:10:56,600 him and getting away quickly. And Eric little had this strange 136 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,800 way of running. He didn't have a usual Runners 137 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:06,000 form. But he was fast and he threw 138 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,200 back his head. And once he reached full stride, 139 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,500 he sort of running like this flailing away. 140 00:11:12,500 --> 00:11:17,400 And one would imagine how could anyone be fast the way he runs? 141 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:26,500 But 20 yards, became 10 yards, 10 yards, became five yards, and 142 00:11:26,500 --> 00:11:31,800 right at the Finish Line. He lunges forward with his chest 143 00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:36,100 and he wins. He immediately falls to the 144 00:11:36,100 --> 00:11:42,700 ground again, the medical staff have to carry him away. 145 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,100 The newspapers riding about this event, said the circumstances in 146 00:11:49,100 --> 00:11:52,800 which little won the race, made it a performance. 147 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:57,400 Bordering on the miraculous Veterans of running whose 148 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:02,600 memories take them back, 35 years and in some cases longer 149 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,600 in the history of Athletics, were unanimous in the opinion 150 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,500 that Littles. When in the quarter mile was the 151 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:15,200 greatest Track Performance they had See. 152 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:23,500 Now, I remember watching that race as a 13 year old kid and my 153 00:12:23,500 --> 00:12:31,400 heart just beating inside of me. And I said, inside of myself, I 154 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:40,900 want to run like that. I want to run like that as well. 155 00:12:42,700 --> 00:12:46,000 I want to be in a great contest like that. 156 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:54,200 And so I started running. And I must say, I never became 157 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:58,800 that fast. But Iran. 158 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:09,800 I got in the contest. the danger for many of us is that we live 159 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:16,900 our life and our Christian Life, as spectators We watch. 160 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:27,900 We watch. And we never get in the race. 161 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:36,100 We never get in the battle. We never get in the fight. 162 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:43,600 And in the Christian Life, Paul insist In this passage, we read 163 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:49,800 that he is in the fight, he is in the struggle. 164 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:57,400 You may not have noticed it but in he uses the phrase several 165 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:02,300 times at the beginning of chapter 2 he says I want you to 166 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:09,900 know how hard I am contending for you I want you to know how 167 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:16,300 hard I am contending for you. Other translations that you 168 00:14:16,300 --> 00:14:20,700 might read say, I want you to know I desire for you to know 169 00:14:20,700 --> 00:14:25,300 about my great struggle. I want you to know about the 170 00:14:25,300 --> 00:14:31,400 fight, I'm in the great contest. I'm in and the the actual word 171 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:38,000 that's there in the Greek is agon agon sounds familiar. 172 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:44,700 What does it sound like agon? Agony, it's where we get it. 173 00:14:45,100 --> 00:14:50,100 It's the route. I God for Agony, a great 174 00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:55,600 struggle, a great contest. In the secular Greek world, that 175 00:14:55,600 --> 00:15:01,000 word would have been used of a fight between two people. 176 00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:08,000 And Paul is using that very word to speak of the spiritual 177 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,900 exercise. That was not only one in prayer, 178 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:18,400 but one in physical presence to say this is the fight I'm in 179 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,500 It's the greatest struggle in the world. 180 00:15:24,700 --> 00:15:27,800 It's the greatest contest in the world. 181 00:15:28,900 --> 00:15:34,200 The contest for making Christ known and seeing his people 182 00:15:34,700 --> 00:15:38,800 become like him. The struggle to make Christ 183 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:43,200 known. And seeing his people become 184 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:48,200 like him. This is the great contest of the 185 00:15:48,208 --> 00:15:51,200 world. Are you a spectator? 186 00:15:53,600 --> 00:16:01,100 Or are you a participant? We began the text with Paul 187 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:04,400 saying I rejoice in my sufferings. 188 00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:08,600 He's going on to say I rejoice in my Agony. 189 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,200 I rejoice in this contest and this was no Idle Word. 190 00:16:13,300 --> 00:16:17,300 Paul was in prison. When he wrote this, he saying I 191 00:16:17,300 --> 00:16:22,400 rejoice in my sufferings. Now most of us, we don't rejoice 192 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,100 in our sufferings when we've been knocked down by a bug. 193 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,100 We don't say, I'm so glad Glad, I've got the flu. 194 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,200 We don't, we're like to have ready to get out of that. 195 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,600 And so, but the sufferings Paul speaks of here, are those that 196 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,300 have become intentional engagement. 197 00:16:42,300 --> 00:16:45,500 They're the product of intentional engagement in the 198 00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:50,000 mission of God and he says, I rejoice in that, in fact we can 199 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,700 understand why he's able to rejoice in that. 200 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:56,400 Because Jesus says, in The Sermon on the Mount blessed, are 201 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:00,900 you when people persecute you because of me or say things that 202 00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:03,900 are true because of righteousness in your life 203 00:17:03,900 --> 00:17:09,500 because of me, Blessed. Happy happy. 204 00:17:09,700 --> 00:17:13,000 It's hard for us to imagine in our current setting because most 205 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,700 of us, spend an enormous amount of time avoiding such suffering. 206 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:22,800 We'd rather be a spectator. Than a participant. 207 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:30,400 We are adverse. To the prospect of suffering. 208 00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:33,900 I am too. I don't blame this. 209 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:43,100 I am too. But Paul goes on to say, the 210 00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:48,400 source for this is actually his Union with Christ. 211 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:55,700 This all text conveys a sense of mystery about Union with Christ 212 00:17:55,700 --> 00:18:00,300 Christ in you the hope of glory. But first Paul says I'm 213 00:18:00,300 --> 00:18:04,800 rejoicing in my union with Christ and he uses a strange 214 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:06,300 phrase. I don't know if any of you 215 00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:08,700 caught it and wonder do, what is that? 216 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,700 In verse 24 of chapter 1. He says that now, I rejoice and 217 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,900 What I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh. 218 00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:21,900 What is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the 219 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:27,500 sake of his body, which is the church, What in the world is 220 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:32,000 that I fill up in my own body, what is still lacking? 221 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:37,500 What is lacking? In the afflictions of Christ. 222 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:41,900 What was was Paul? Just one who, who love to 223 00:18:41,900 --> 00:18:43,900 suffer? That's so weird. 224 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:46,700 Right? So that's one of our options 225 00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:50,100 that Paul loved suffering, that he was a masochist. 226 00:18:51,300 --> 00:18:54,600 Not a good option. Another option available to us 227 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,600 is that will, maybe Paul had a theology that said that the 228 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:02,100 sufferings of Jesus weren't enough to accomplish the 229 00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:06,300 Salvation, And so that now he needed to be a participant to 230 00:19:06,300 --> 00:19:09,500 suffer as well, so that salvation could happen. 231 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:14,600 He was like a stand-in Messiah. I offer that to you because it 232 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,900 is a stream of thought, within Christianity. 233 00:19:17,900 --> 00:19:22,700 That's been a little strange. But that actually doesn't make 234 00:19:22,700 --> 00:19:26,400 sense because the rest of Paul's testimony about scripture is 235 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,400 that the salvation has been accomplished, that it is already 236 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:35,800 done that once and for all Christ suffered for all it is 237 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,700 finished. Jesus himself said that. 238 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,000 So that option doesn't work for us. 239 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,900 Another option is an eschatological option. 240 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:52,700 The eschatological option is that we need to suffer just like 241 00:19:52,700 --> 00:19:57,400 Paul suffered so that we can hurry up and get the return of 242 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,900 Jesus. Here, the more we suffer now the 243 00:20:00,900 --> 00:20:06,400 quicker, Jesus will come back. You've heard that option. 244 00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:12,900 There's some strange thoughts in Christian thinking, at times, 245 00:20:13,100 --> 00:20:16,700 that has said, The more Christians suffer, the quicker, 246 00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:21,200 Jesus will come back. But that's not actually. 247 00:20:23,700 --> 00:20:28,000 A quote of you, and that doesn't seem to make sense either. 248 00:20:28,700 --> 00:20:32,900 That is, somehow God's got this account that God himself, is a 249 00:20:32,900 --> 00:20:36,900 masochist, looking to see how much the body of Christ has 250 00:20:36,900 --> 00:20:39,600 suffered. And, and then when it's finally 251 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,000 there, he'll do something. So, we have a dilemma. 252 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,000 What is this? What does this mean? 253 00:20:46,700 --> 00:20:51,900 What is lacking? It's a really interesting phrase 254 00:20:51,900 --> 00:20:59,100 that Paul uses in other letters as an idiom for being present. 255 00:20:59,700 --> 00:21:04,900 Physically being there physically on another occasion, 256 00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:11,100 Paul uses the very similar phrase and tends to use it as an 257 00:21:11,100 --> 00:21:17,200 idiom for a groups, absence but being represented by another, 258 00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:20,200 for example, in the letter to Corinthians, Has. 259 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,100 He tells them that stephanus, fortune us and a keas. 260 00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:28,300 Have a have arrived from those who sent them and says they have 261 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:34,000 supplied to me what was lacking It wasn't the money, it was The 262 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,100 Fellowship. They've supplied, what was 263 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:41,400 lacking physical presence on another occasion? 264 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:46,800 Paul uses this phrase to say, that Philip plans that 265 00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:52,800 epaphroditus risked his life making up. 266 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,400 What was lacking in your service to me? 267 00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:03,300 That by being present with him, epaphroditus came to serve him. 268 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,300 And epaphroditus happened to get sick on that Journey. 269 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,600 But his presence made up for what was lacking and to, it 270 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,200 seems like Paul's actually using that phrase. 271 00:22:18,500 --> 00:22:22,500 Remember, we talked about how the church makes visible. 272 00:22:22,500 --> 00:22:30,000 The invisible Christ, And so, Paul is saying, Jesus is 273 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,900 actually suffering for the church and in his Union with 274 00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:40,300 Jesus, he has become a participant in the sufferings of 275 00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:47,800 Jesus for the church. that with the spirit of God, Paul writes 276 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:58,000 in Romans 8, the spirit groans with us That in fact, God him 277 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:03,600 stealth is still in company with us as we suffer. 278 00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:07,800 And Paul says, I'm getting a taste of that. 279 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,000 You know, Paul's Union with Christ is so apparent here that 280 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:18,200 he says, you know, I don't even strive in my work by myself. 281 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:24,000 He says, I strive in my work with all of the energy of Christ 282 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,000 working in me, did you get that in verse 29? 283 00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:33,000 He says, I strive I contend with the energy of Christ that work. 284 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:39,400 So powerfully inside of me. So he's like, I'm in this fight, 285 00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:45,100 but is not just my own power aren't being sustained by the 286 00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:50,500 power of God, you know, Paul in his sense of Union, with Christ, 287 00:23:50,500 --> 00:23:56,300 here is so strong that he says that in prayer, when he prays 288 00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:59,800 for the people of colossi, he's with them in spirit. 289 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,200 Even though he's not really there. 290 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,100 Now this this is a mysterious sense, right? 291 00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:14,900 He's not there physically but he says when we pray in Christ's we 292 00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:20,400 are present to others. Now, that'll push your prayer 293 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:25,200 life. That'll push your sense of the 294 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:30,900 bottle, does it matter today. If I pray for the church in Iran 295 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,500 and I can't be there, join the battle. 296 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,400 Does it matter today? When you contend in prayer for 297 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,900 someone who's struggling with their faith, be present to them. 298 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,100 And to God In Prayer, it matters. 299 00:24:48,300 --> 00:24:54,100 It's part of the battle. When Paul says I contend with 300 00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:58,600 you he's reaching into this mysterious realm of what 301 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:05,300 Christian life is about. It is life in the body but it is 302 00:25:05,300 --> 00:25:11,700 also life in the spirit. The second thing we see about 303 00:25:11,700 --> 00:25:18,200 Paul's battle this contending is that he did it because he was 304 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:23,000 determined to fulfill his commission notice in verse 25. 305 00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:27,700 He says, I have become its servant by the commission. 306 00:25:27,700 --> 00:25:33,300 God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness. 307 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,800 Paul had this enormous sense that his life was not his own 308 00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:43,200 and that he had actually received from God, a commission, 309 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:49,200 the phrase he's using here is that of one who is overseeing an 310 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:55,900 estate, usually the overseers of an estate in the Roman world. 311 00:25:55,900 --> 00:26:00,400 Were those who were beholdin to the estate owners. 312 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:06,800 Alder by indenture indenture that they had become a servant 313 00:26:06,900 --> 00:26:11,500 or a slave to this person. But they had elevated themselves 314 00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:16,100 just in showing some responsibility and accepting 315 00:26:16,100 --> 00:26:20,800 responsibility and now they were overseeing, the estate. 316 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:27,400 And so Paul says I've received a commission, but he he sees it 317 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:31,500 one of humility. And privilege. 318 00:26:32,700 --> 00:26:40,100 But deep responsibility. This is what moved him to become 319 00:26:40,100 --> 00:26:46,000 a participant with the church and not a persecutor of the 320 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,900 church. Paul doesn't seem to be one who 321 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:53,200 could just stand on the sidelines and be a spectator. 322 00:26:54,200 --> 00:27:01,300 Maybe he was a spectator to Stephens death. but then he 323 00:27:01,300 --> 00:27:06,100 became a participant and the persecution of the church fully 324 00:27:07,500 --> 00:27:13,500 and God says, hey, I see you. I'm going to transform your 325 00:27:13,500 --> 00:27:18,200 heart and desire, and I'm going to give you a new commission and 326 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:23,100 your new Commission. Will take you to the Gentiles. 327 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:29,600 Paul himself could not have imagined such an assignment, but 328 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:33,000 it was that very assignment preaching, the gospel to the 329 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:37,800 Gentiles that had created so much persecution for him. 330 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:45,300 I think most of us. Are Gentiles. 331 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:52,100 And we are the beneficiaries today of Paul's participation. 332 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,600 His refusal to just be a spectator. 333 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:04,400 Paul understands that his suffering and struggle increases 334 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:09,400 on every occasion where he says, I must fulfill this commission. 335 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:14,100 I'll preach the word to Gentiles. 336 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:20,200 I will cross a boundary to share the message of Jesus. 337 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:27,700 I will insist that others become like Jesus that they become 338 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,400 mature. Notice, he doesn't think his 339 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,900 commission is done, when he just says the word. 340 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:40,700 The commission is complete. As people become like, Jesus, 341 00:28:41,700 --> 00:28:46,000 discipleship isn't finished because you announce the gospel 342 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:50,400 to somebody. The commission is being 343 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:55,300 completed and fulfilled when others are becoming like Jesus, 344 00:28:55,800 --> 00:29:00,400 notice what he says in verse 28, he is the one we Proclaim 345 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,100 admonishing and teaching everything with all wisdom. 346 00:29:03,300 --> 00:29:10,800 So that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ to this 347 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:15,000 end. I strenuously contend with all 348 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,500 the energy Christ. So powerfully Works in me. 349 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:23,600 He didn't think it was done when he just announced the word. 350 00:29:25,500 --> 00:29:32,100 It wasn't done until people were becoming like Jesus mature. 351 00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:40,100 Are you a spectator? Or a participant in the mission 352 00:29:40,100 --> 00:29:57,300 of Jesus and his church. Yo, Paul was concerned for their 353 00:29:57,300 --> 00:30:00,700 struggle to also be participants. 354 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:05,000 He's writing this letter in part because he's aware of the 355 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:09,700 challenges, their face that the powers that be are trying to 356 00:30:09,700 --> 00:30:17,700 persuade them and seduce them and just press them to neglect 357 00:30:17,700 --> 00:30:22,500 this mission. And so he says into chapter 4 358 00:30:23,100 --> 00:30:26,100 verse 4. He says, I tell you I'm doing 359 00:30:26,100 --> 00:30:28,800 this. So no one may deceive. 360 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:34,000 You by fine sounding arguments. He was aware. 361 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,400 That their discouragement because of the pressure they 362 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:44,300 were facing. Could create drift their 363 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:48,100 discouragement that they might find that their their life is 364 00:30:48,100 --> 00:30:51,400 always playing. Catch up to this Grand Vision of 365 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:58,100 being like Jesus. Their finances are difficult. 366 00:30:59,300 --> 00:31:02,400 That their social settings are fraught. 367 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,000 He was aware. He was aware. 368 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:13,300 And so he's concerned that they might give up the struggle as 369 00:31:13,300 --> 00:31:18,700 well. Do you know when Eric little won 370 00:31:18,700 --> 00:31:21,700 the Olympics? There were lots of people who 371 00:31:21,700 --> 00:31:25,900 wanted him to just keep running and prepare for the next 372 00:31:25,900 --> 00:31:32,600 Olympics. But he announced that he was 373 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:39,400 going to leave the running. And attend to the Great 374 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:41,700 Commission that Jesus had given him. 375 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:47,800 But he was going to go to China and to share his life and the 376 00:31:47,808 --> 00:31:53,600 gospel there. Do you know he was very cautious 377 00:31:53,700 --> 00:31:57,200 about his approach for sharing the gospel there in China? 378 00:31:59,500 --> 00:32:03,000 It's one of the things he said that had to be thought of a 379 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:08,800 great and long time, he says, how can I go to a country in 380 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:13,200 which so many great philosophies, and inventions had 381 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,700 come? How can I go to a country that 382 00:32:16,700 --> 00:32:24,700 had such depth in its culture? And share the gospel there. 383 00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:31,100 He called The Gospel, the great message, he said this great 384 00:32:31,100 --> 00:32:34,600 message and this calling is so great. 385 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,900 That it is worthwhile trying to add to what those great 386 00:32:37,900 --> 00:32:40,900 philosophers had already given to China. 387 00:32:42,300 --> 00:32:47,500 What we have to give to China? Is the love of God in their 388 00:32:47,500 --> 00:32:52,400 hearts. It's very easy at times for us 389 00:32:52,400 --> 00:33:00,700 to want to look back and come with the frame of our impulse to 390 00:33:00,700 --> 00:33:08,200 decolonize. and to say that somehow evangelism itself is 391 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:13,500 suspect, But this is the great message. 392 00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:22,700 And it requires careful study. Not just of this message, but 393 00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:30,400 also of the people whom God would call you. when Paul went 394 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:35,700 to Athens, he didn't just barge into that City, he sat and he 395 00:33:35,700 --> 00:33:42,400 studied and he listened until he understood something of an 396 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:47,600 opening where he could add the great message to what they had. 397 00:33:48,300 --> 00:33:53,800 So that the love of God might reside in their hearts Christ. 398 00:33:54,100 --> 00:34:01,100 In you the hope of glory So when you see Vancouver, you must 399 00:34:01,100 --> 00:34:05,600 think of Vancouver Christ in you the hope of glory. 400 00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:11,300 And when you sit and sociology 101, you should look around and 401 00:34:11,300 --> 00:34:14,699 think Christ in you the hope of glory. 402 00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:18,300 And when you sit across from the students that you're teaching 403 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:24,300 Christ in you the hope of glory. And when you operate on the 404 00:34:24,300 --> 00:34:28,800 heart of a person and you see their heart beating in their 405 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:35,400 chest Christ in, you the hope of glory, oh, God, help me repair 406 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:40,400 This Heart. Are you a spectator? 407 00:34:42,199 --> 00:34:47,300 Where are you a participant? That's pretty. 408 00:34:50,199 --> 00:34:54,300 Heavenly Father, there's a great challenge for us today in the 409 00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:58,700 living of our faith. that we might just become Spectators 410 00:34:58,700 --> 00:35:05,900 rather than participants And so, we pray that as you look upon us 411 00:35:05,900 --> 00:35:08,400 today, you would find Faith among us. 412 00:35:08,900 --> 00:35:10,900 We are reminded you. You Lord. 413 00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:14,700 Jesus asked the question yourself when the son of man 414 00:35:14,700 --> 00:35:19,000 returns. Will he find faith on Earth? 415 00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:25,400 O. Lord, may you find faith in us 416 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,800 today. Maybe we contend with all the 417 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:33,800 energy that you provide to see that this faith deepens and 418 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:39,900 grows inside of us and that we become like you That we become 419 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:46,300 fully mature in you father. Every one of us has a part to 420 00:35:46,300 --> 00:35:49,600 play. In this great battle. 421 00:35:51,500 --> 00:35:55,200 We don't need to manufacture enemies or treat ourselves as 422 00:35:55,200 --> 00:36:00,300 great victims. We don't need to fight for our 423 00:36:00,300 --> 00:36:06,100 rights. Instead, we need to persist in 424 00:36:06,100 --> 00:36:09,800 pursuing you and building our life on you. 425 00:36:11,500 --> 00:36:16,500 So that in the Overflow, we share the Life of Christ with 426 00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:31,000 others. Lord, we thank you for the 427 00:36:32,100 --> 00:36:34,700 testimony and the example of the Apostle Paul. 428 00:36:36,300 --> 00:36:41,600 He wasn't riding with arrogance. What was riding with humility 429 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:45,500 and great, hope that the people in colossae, many of whom he had 430 00:36:45,500 --> 00:36:53,100 never met Would truly be your light in that Valley? 431 00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:01,700 and so I pray today that here among us, we would truly be the 432 00:37:01,700 --> 00:37:05,700 great light that you want us to be in this city. 433 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:08,600 And on this campus.