The Prison Epistles
Sermon Number Thirty-One
Paul's Testimony Regarding His Ministry (Part 1)
Colossians 1:24-29
November 6th, 2005
Jim Bordwine, ThD
 Introduction

If I asked you to take a piece of paper and write down those things for which you are willing to endure personal suffering and sacrifice, what would be on your list? If I then qualified this assignment by telling you that whatever you write should also be that for which you are willing to expend your strength and resources, what would you have on your list? And if I went even further and said that whatever you write down must be that to which, if necessary, you will dedicate the remainder of your life on earth, what would you record? Finally, if I told you that whatever you put on your list must, in fact, be that for which you are ready to die, what would appear on that piece of paper?

I would imagine, and hope, that everyone here would have at least one item on their list--family. I'm sure that this is what most people think of immediately when asked the questions I just posed. But what else do you suppose people would put on their list given those qualifications I offered? My guess is that our lists would be short and, beyond family, we would probably want to take some time to think before writing anything else. If we are going to ask ourselves what we would be willing to suffer and, possibly, die for, and what we would be willing to dedicate the rest of our days to, then we want to ponder our answers. We all understand that when we talk of those things for which we are willing to suffer and those things that we are willing to have consume our time and resources, we're talking about things really dear to us, things that are the most cherished and important. We all know that you don't make rash declarations about being willing to suffer hardship or have your life expended for just anything. If we identify something that fits the criteria I've put before you, then it's going to be something that means more to us that anything we might possess, more to us, in fact, than our own lives. And that is why our lists would be short.

Occasionally, however, we encounter individuals who have the kind of attitude I've described in regard to something that wouldn't come to mind immediately. And dedication to that matter, whatever it happens to be, leads them to give all their efforts and resources to the pursuit of that cause. When you analyze such people, you always find at least three elements in their thinking: one, a willingness to suffer hardship for that which is of such importance to them; two, a sense of destiny or calling related to that which is of such importance to them; and three, a clearly defined aim or objective.

We all know that Paul wrote more than any of the other apostles. We also know that he gives us a greater insight regarding his personal struggles than any other apostle. As it turns out, Paul spent a short amount of space in his letter to the Colossians addressing the very topic I've been talking about thus far. As he wrote to these believers, he included a few comments about that which was of greatest importance to him, that for which he was giving all his efforts and resources. And, of course, we won't be surprised to learn that the thing to which Paul was dedicated, that for which he was willing to suffer, that to which he was willing to give himself completely, and that for which he had in mind a particular objective or aim was the Church of Jesus Christ.

Paul's writings reveal that there were few things more treasured by this man than the Church. I dare say that few Christians would put the Church on their short list of things most important to them, but Paul would have. He shows a truly inspiring dedication to that which we take for granted, the Church. He was a man who was willing, as noted, to suffer intensely for the Church, to have his very existence defined in reference to the Church, and to have the welfare of the Church as his primary objective in life. Paul truly was a remarkable servant to Christ and His Church. And we owe much to men like Paul, men who answer God's call to serve the Church and who truly do invest their lives in service to Christ's Body. Those who, like Paul, are willing to give their all for the sake of the Church are rare because to follow Paul's example means the surrender of many things men typically hold dear.

Today, we come to that text where the apostle briefly gives us this glimpse into his heart in regard to the Church. You'll recall that he has been describing the Person and nature of Jesus Christ, and has given us a report regarding the absolute sufficiency of our Savior and the atonement He accomplished. For a moment, now, this man reflects on his relationship to the Church, that Body being brought into existence on this earth as a result of what Christ did. Briefly, Paul shares with us some personal thoughts about his life as one called to serve the Church.

Our text is Col. 1:24-29:

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. 25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to 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 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Paul's suffering (v. 24)

The first verse of this passage puts together two words normally not found in the same sentence: "rejoice" and "suffering." We know we are supposed to rejoice when we suffer because the Scripture says so. Everyone knows what James said: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." (Jam. 1:2) We are also familiar with the examples we find in the Bible of those who did maintain joy and contentment even though they had to endure very harsh circumstances. But we also know that this kind of response to suffering is easier said than done. One of the things that allows a person to rejoice in the face of suffering, however, is the recognition that such suffering is, in fact, for the good of someone or something dearly loved.

I think I mentioned not too long ago the fact that my dad spent the last fifteen years of his life having kidney dialysis treatments three times a week for six hours at a stretch. His illness required a shift in just about every aspect of his life--he couldn't work, he was physically depleted, he suffered from all kinds of complications due to his failed kidneys. You can believe that our family learned a lot during those years about medical procedures and such things as the intense emotional strain this kind of condition puts on a family. Eventually, of course, my dad died of complications related to his condition. Because I was away from home during most of his latter years, studying at seminary and then serving in one church or another, I had very few opportunities to talk with my dad at length about spiritual things. Part of the problem was the distance, of course, and part of the problem was that I was young in the Lord and didn't realize how much I could have benefited from long conversations with this man who had endured so much.

There was one time, however, when he said something to me that really didn't register until many years later after I had been in the pastorate for a while. He once told me that even if the Lord gave him the option of going back to the time when he was 39 years old, back to when he was first diagnosed with kidney disease, and then living a different life, one free from his disease and all the tremendous suffering--emotional and physical--that his condition produced, he would say "no." He told me that he would never make such a choice, not because his life had been easy--it had not been easy, it had been terribly difficult--but because of all the good he saw accomplished in his life, his family, and in the lives of others as a result of those hard circumstances through which he was living.

Like I said, it was a number of years later before I understood in a personal way what he meant. Eventually, however, I did come to realize the truth of what my dad said. He learned that he could accept what had happened to him and even be thankful for it because of the multitude of ways the Lord used his circumstances for good. This included my mother's conversion, my sister's conversion, my brother's conversion, and my conversion, just to name a few. Now I'm positive that my dad did not have that perspective when he first became ill and was forced to quit working after laboring for years to reach the position he then occupied and was forced to stop eating all of his favorite foods and forced to face the fact that the rest of his days were not going to be pleasant and there was nothing he could do about it. But, in time, he did come to have such a perspective because, over the years, he grew closer to the Lord and matured in his perception of how the Lord works. By the time we had this conversation, my dad was well-seasoned in suffering as a Christian man, which meant that he could be thankful and joyful because he knew that things of greater good were being accomplished.

Notice I didn't say my dad was "happy" about what had occurred, but he was still joyful. And that is one of those rare qualities that only Christians can exhibit. We can give thanks for hardship and be joyful in the Lord even though we are weighed down by troubles or, like some, must live lengthy periods of our lives with suffering. That's what we have, you see, with the apostle Paul. Here he is referring to all the hardship, mistreatment, deprivation, and danger he experienced specifically because of his role as an apostle and minister of the gospel. And it was because his suffering occurred in the context of his labors for Christ that he could rejoice. There is that odd connection again seen in a saint who rejoices in suffering. Paul rejoiced because he recognized that his suffering was, in fact, for the good of that which he dearly loved, the Church.

Do you remember that passage in 2 Cor. 11 where Paul is mocking some who bragged about the great sacrifices they had made? He says:

23 Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

When Paul refers to suffering for the sake of the Colossians, as he does in our passage, and suffering for the sake of bringing the gospel to the lost, he's not talking about a few mere inconvenient circumstances; he's not talking about a few problems or a few opponents or a few times when he lost a couple of hours of sleep. Paul is describing his life. His existence was one of near-constant suffering in one form or another--physical, emotional, spiritual. Take a look at that list he gave to the Corinthians: Paul was put in jail numerous times, was beaten so many times he couldn't name the number, came near death on more than one occasion, had been exposed to that awful and torturous punishment of the thirty-nine lashes--not once but five times, had rocks hurled at him in an attempt to kill him, experienced three shipwrecks, floated around in the water all night and all day. And that's not all. The list goes on. Wherever he went, someone hated him, either his own Jewish countrymen or the Gentiles. And this was all because this man was following Christ and seeking to serve his Savior. This truly was suffering directly related to Paul's labors for the Church.

Remember that even as he writes these words to the Colossians, he's under arrest in Rome and he is going to stay there and eventually, his head is going to be chopped off under the wicked Nero. Now, go back and read that verse again: "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake ..." "My sufferings for your sake," Paul writes. We see the connection. What Paul endured as an apostle and minister was for the sake of others; what he endured had something to do with their welfare and good coming to them. When you consider that Paul's role, the role in which he encountered so much suffering, was that of preaching the gospel, then you can understand what benefit and good he has in mind.

Paul persevered through his trials because the most important issue was not his comfort and safety; the most important issue was the redemption of people like the saints in Colossae and their subsequent growth in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here you have Paul's perspective on his suffering. It was his pain, his fear, his uncertainty, but it all was part of a greater good being accomplished by the Savior, which was the spread of that glorious gospel Paul had come to understand and cherish.

Let Paul continue: "and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." There are a couple of truths here that must be emphasized. First, notice that Paul accepted the idea that, as a servant of Christ, he would have to suffer in this life on behalf of the Church. This isn't hard to understand; he means, as we already know, that his life as an apostle and minister was characterized by a unique kind of hardship. And if Paul wished to see the Church of his Savior grow and prosper, he had to accept that truth. There was a one-to-one correspondence between Paul's suffering and the progress of the gospel. That's simply the way it was for those appointed by Christ to lay that foundation during the first century.

So, this man knew that he could not be useful and he could not really help the Church except by following a course that would require his personal suffering. If Paul chose to avoid suffering, then that also meant he would be avoiding the kind of ministry needed to spread the gospel and build up congregations like the one he is now addressing. Therefore, he writes, "in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church ..." There, once again, is the thing that Paul loved dearly, the Church. His suffering was necessary so that the Church might prosper. Paul knew this correlation existed and he knew it had to exist, and he could rejoice because the good being accomplished was worth every hardship he faced.

The second truth I want to stress has to do with that phrase "filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." I read this verse many times over the years and wondered exactly what Paul meant by it. I was puzzled because, like most evangelicals, I tended to think of Christ's work as His alone, which it is, so when Paul writes about "what is lacking" in Christ's afflictions, I wondered about what he was saying. How could he say that something was "lacking" in Christ's afflictions? The problem was that I was thinking strictly of the atonement, which only the Savior can make, and not about the larger context of the application of that atonement. I think that is what Paul has in mind here.

Paul has already made a strong case for his relationship to Christ as one serving the Savior here on earth as the Church is being built. Christ has secured atonement, yes, but the manifestation of what He achieved is now entering its third millennium. The Savior has chosen to work through servants and those servants are found in every generation. They are the ones on the front lines, so to speak, as our King plants His flag on this earth and claims it as His territory. A battle is going on; in fact, it is raging. This fallen environment puts up a tremendous opposition against the reign of righteousness. Every servant of Christ worth the name has come to understand this truth at some point. That's why, in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul spoke of the Christian experience as putting on armor and going out to do battle with the enemies of righteousness. From Gen. 3 where God promises to crush the head of the serpent to the Book of the Revelation, we are taught that the Church's establishment and progress in this fallen world is warfare; it is not an easy procedure. Therefore, it requires those who, like this apostle, are willing to put the good of the Church ahead of all else.

The Church has been expanding from day one and it is much larger now than it was two thousand years ago and it will be even larger as time goes on, but the history of the Church's growth is one of much hardship and much bloodshed. In this process, there is little room for servants who count their comfort of greater value than the Body of Christ. That kind of thinking is not compatible with Kingdom growth and the sanctification of saints. The plain truth is that the expansion of Christ's Kingdom on earth does not come without hardship. And those who stand in the ranks of His servants in this world, beginning with men like the Apostles, are going to taste the bitterness of this struggle. But, like Paul, the effective ones endure with joy because they realize the good that is resulting from their labors.

It may sound like the main use of this passage so far is to cause us to admire men like Paul. But there is far more to what we have covered than that. The Savior of the Church hasn't said "I'll choose a few men who will, in each generation, suffer and bear the burden of declaring My gospel and tending to My redeemed; and the rest of you can just sit back and relax. Just enjoy what My servants provide for you, but don't worry about the labor necessary to expand My Kingdom." He said no such thing, but you wouldn't know that by looking at many in the Church. We'll come back to this passage, Lord willing, next week. For now I want to talk to you about the implications of Paul's words for you.

Application

We have in this passage an example put before us; it's an example of dedication and self-sacrifice for the good of something else. In this case, as I've said, that "something else" is the Church of Christ. Paul was willing to suffer and be expended for the sake of the Church. To him, the establishment and nurture of the Church was of greater necessity than his own personal comfort. That, as I said before, is the key to being able to endure hardship, not with a scowl on the face, but with true joy in the heart.

One of the major problems to be seen in the Church today is a lack of commitment to those things of true worth. That's what I meant when I implied that many Christians live as if the Lord told them to relax, take it easy, and live off the labors of others. This lack of commitment is certainly obvious in the way many believers treat the Church of Christ. It is taken for granted and few are those concerned enough about the Church of Christ to let that concern affect the way they live. Few are those who are willing to roll up their sleeves, as it were, and work for the good of the Church.

We are in a period in which many Christians see all the options that are out there in terms of churches and they shop. What is needed, of course, for the long-term good of Christ's Body in this world, is Christians who dig in and labor. Instead of standing at a distance and watching your church to see what mistakes are made or what progress is accomplished, get involved. Look for ways to help. You can be sure that you are not going to be called on to suffer like Paul, but every believer should pray that God will create in them a love for the Church of Christ. That is what the Church needs so desperately--those who love Her and are ready to dedicate themselves to Her. I'm not talking about giving up all else in life; I'm talking about seeing your presence in this church as a calling to serve. I'm talking about being inspired by the apostle Paul and seeking to join the building effort rather than simply remaining a spectator.

For some, what I'm saying only means that you will start thinking of yourself as part of this local body, responsible for the health of this local body, rather than someone who attends services here. Think of the Church as a multi-generational building project. Those who came before you did their part. They labored for the Church; they remained loyal to Her. They found the ways in which they were needed and they served. Now, this duty falls upon you and the kind of Church the next generation has depends on how you respond to this duty. Do you part well, be willing to serve Christ where He puts you as best you can, and you will have done the right thing. By your consistency, you will add to the work and those who come later will take up where you left off. That's the way to think of the Church of Christ and that's the way to think of this local congregation. We aren't here to be entertained; we are here to strengthen what we have inherited.

That means that when you make your list of what is most important to you, you do so with the understanding that whatever it is, it is going to require hard work. It's going to require dedication from you. You can't contribute to the strength of the Church by avoiding sacrifice. To raise a family, for example, that truly strengthens the Church, you have to be prepared to put that good ahead of your personal comfort. You may have to make hard choices to reach your good ends. To be a member of this body who truly contributes to the stability and, therefore, the long-term effectiveness of this church, you have to be prepared to put that good ahead of your personal comfort. In this matter, too, you may have to make hard choices to reach good ends. You may have to accept the imperfections you see now and accept the things that displease you now and work with the rest of us toward that goal of leaving behind a Christ-honoring ministry when we leave this world, one that the next generation will inherit and improve upon.

For others, although probably a very few, what I'm saying means that you should consider the possibility of God's call to labor for His Church as an occupation. I have to believe that out of the many young men we have in this congregation, for example, one or two must have a thought from time to time about entering the ministry or becoming a missionary. I'm sure that there are a couple of young men who hear Paul's words and truly are moved by them and do, at least for the moment, entertain the idea of serving the Church. To you I would say: pursue that desire in prayer and realize that you may be among those being raised up to proclaim the gospel and defend righteousness in your generation.

Let's pray...

Conclusion

Each week we have a reminder of the ongoing work of Christ in this world through His Church. We have this sacrament. It helps us to realize that there have been generations before us who lived for Him and labored for His Church, and there will be generations after us doing the same. We happen to be the ones in the midst of His great work right now. So be encouraged as you receive the elements. Be encouraged by the fact that what Christ has said He would do, He is now doing as He builds His Church. And be thankful, too, that you have been called into that wonderful work. It truly is a privilege beyond description to be able to labor for the cause of Christ.

The Scripture says:

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26:26-28)