Please join me in turning your copy of God's Word to Paul's letter to the Colossians.
Our text for today is Colossians 1-24.
But before we get there, I want to catch you up to where we've been just beginning at verse 15 and working our way up to verse 23.
Two weeks ago, we looked at this great cosmic Christological hymn found in verses 15-20 which reads,
He, being Jesus Christ, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by Him, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
And He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.
For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven,
making peace by the blood of the cross.
And we saw that Jesus Christ is supreme in a number of different ways.
But finally, the fourth way in which He is supreme is that He has made a way of reconciliation by the cross.
And we talked about that at greater length last week, verses 21-23.
Stating the condition that all of humanity finds themselves in apart from Christ,
and the way in which we are once enemies of God, but made friends with God.
Verse 21 reads,
And you who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
He is now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death,
in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him.
If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast,
not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard,
which had been proclaimed in all creation under heaven,
and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
So you see there in verse 23, Paul has this ministry now of reconciliation,
as do we all.
And now we find in the next four verses,
verses 24-27, a bit of a fleshing out of that very ministry.
So I want us to see today the aim of Paul's ministry,
and also the means of Paul's ministry.
And I'm front-loading you here, and I'm aware of this,
but the means of Paul's ministry is suffering.
The means of Paul's ministry is suffering.
And this is such a weighty topic.
There's so much to this.
And I feel this week that I've been rushed right into the midst of something
that I can't possibly unravel in the next 30-45 minutes.
There's a great breadth of teaching in the Scripture concerning suffering.
Today's sermon will be just a small piece of the pie.
My head is a jumbled mess,
and my heart is wrestling still with the implications of such teaching.
Specifically, what does it mean for me?
For my life?
And specifically, what does it mean for the life of our church?
There's so much here.
In this example of Paul's ministry,
the means by which he is carrying out this ministry of reconciliation.
And it's very easy for us to just run past this type of teaching.
Give it a little wave or a tip of the hat as we go by.
Sure, suffering, yeah, doctrine about that.
We get it.
When that's a reality someday for us,
we'll have the knowledge to deal with it.
And we fail to really engage it.
To really work out its meaning
and all of its subsequent requirements of our life.
So I want to invite you to do that with me today.
To encourage you that sitting here for this bit of time
and thinking about these things while I'm talking about it
is not nearly enough.
But you need to go from this place and continue conversations.
You need to wrestle with it in your own heart.
You need to go back and read and re-read and re-read
and allow it to read you this particular text.
And so I read, beginning in verse 24.
Paul writes,
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.
And in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions
for the sake of His body, that is, the church.
Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God
that was given to me for you,
to make the Word of God fully known.
The mystery hidden for ages and generations,
but now revealed to a saint.
To them God chose to make known
how great among the Gentiles
are the riches of the glory of this mystery,
which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.
This is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good.
And we would all do well this morning
to listen to it in order to believe its promises
and to obey its commands.
Firstly, let's see the aim of Paul's ministry.
Verse 25, 26, and 27.
I hope you'll allow me to work backwards
and that won't bother you too much.
What is the aim of Paul's ministry?
A couple of key phrases here
to make the Word of God fully known.
He talks about this mystery that's been hidden for generations.
And what he's talking about is the way in which
the Gospel of God was meant to come
and extend to the entire world.
Not just a salvation for Israel,
but to go much further beyond.
And the way in which that would happen
in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Verse 27,
To them God chose to make known
how great among the Gentiles
the saints get to know
this great work among the Gentiles,
the riches of His glory,
which is Christ in you.
The hope of glory.
This Gospel of reconciliation,
bringing people back into right relationship with God
that was intended from the very beginning
to extend to the nations.
The purpose of God in history
is that the Gospel of reconciliation
spread to all peoples of the world
and yield God-centered,
Christ-exalting churches.
This is the purpose of God in human history.
This redemptive story is about
spreading the Gospel of reconciliation
to all the peoples of the world
to yield God-centered,
Christ-exalting churches.
This was the promise of the Old Testament.
Psalm 22, verse 27 and 28.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord
and He rules over the nations.
This was the promise of Jesus
to His disciples.
Matthew 24, verse 14.
And this Gospel of the Kingdom
will be proclaimed throughout the whole world
as a testimony to all nations.
And then the end will come.
This was the design of God in the cross.
As heaven's worship proclaims
in Revelation 5-9,
you were slain,
and by your blood you ransomed people
for God from every tribe
and language and people and nation.
This was the final command
of our risen Lord.
Matthew 28, 18-20.
All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples
of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you.
And behold,
I am with you always
to the end of the age.
This was the God-given aim
of Paul's apostleship.
Romans 1-5.
Through Christ we have received grace
and apostleship
to bring about the obedience of faith
for the sake of His name
among all the nations.
This was Paul's holy ambition.
It was rooted not just in a unique apostolic call
to Paul to go to the Gentiles,
but also in the Old Testament promise
that is still valid today.
Paul writes in Romans 15, 20-21,
citing from Isaiah 52-15,
I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel,
not where Christ has already been named,
lest I build on someone else's foundation,
but as it is written,
those who have never been told of Him will see,
and those who have never heard
will understand.
Also in Acts 13-47,
citing from Isaiah 42-6,
the Lord has commanded us, saying,
I have made you a light for the Gentiles
that you may bring salvation
to the ends of the earth.
This was the purpose of the sending
of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1-8.
You will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria
and to the end of the earth.
Again, the purpose of God in history
is that the Gospel of reconciliation,
the ability for people to be reconciled
to God through Christ,
be spread to all the peoples of the world
and yield God-centered,
Christ-exalting churches.
And this is the aim of Paul's ministry
as we see in those last three verses
of our text today,
25, 26, and 27.
This is the goal of his ministry,
that these peoples might know Christ,
the hope of glory.
Secondly, though,
what is the means of Paul's ministry?
What is the vehicle that carries along
this great, high, divine call
on Paul's life?
And this is where we'll spend
the rest of our time in v. 24,
where he says,
Now I rejoice in my sufferings
for your sake.
And in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in Christ's afflictions
for the sake of the body,
that is, the church.
So these two broadening objects
of his ministry.
The sake of the Colossian believers.
I rejoice in my suffering for your sake.
And all believers,
for the body of Christ,
the church.
He's speaking in large terms here.
The entirety of the church.
And in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in Christ's afflictions
for the sake of the body.
That is, the church.
The vehicle by which
his ministry is being carried along
is suffering.
It's very interesting, isn't it?
Very curious that we ought to really
stop and pay attention
to what's being said here.
If God's historical,
global purposes still stand,
which they do,
and we are part of that process,
now given as ministers of reconciliation,
we really need to look
at Paul's example
for the means by which
we are to carry the gospel
to the world.
The suffering of Paul
was not a consequence
of his ministry.
Some would look at it that way.
Here, the suffering he's referring to
is his imprisonment.
He is right now in prison
writing this letter.
Likely a Roman prison.
He's referring to that
specifically,
but it's not a consequence
of his ministry,
but rather
a strategy
of his ministry.
A God-given,
a divine
strategy
of his ministry.
Suffering was a primary means
by which Paul spread
the gospel of reconciliation
to all peoples of the world
in order to yield
God-centered,
Christ-exalting churches.
Hear me say that again.
Suffering
was a primary means,
not the only,
but a primary means
by which Paul spread
the gospel of reconciliation
to all the peoples of the world
in order to yield
God-centered,
Christ-exalting churches.
And nothing has changed.
If you believe that it has,
then you have failed
to believe the gospel rightly.
You have discarded
the sufficiency
of the Scriptures.
You think in some way
we live beyond this age.
That this wasn't really written
for us
as Americans.
But it was.
Let me assure you
of that.
This is the era
of much modern preaching.
And it is very Achan
to the prosperity gospel
which I hope all of you
reject fully.
Rather than saying
believe in Jesus
and He will make you
wealthy and healthy.
This type of teaching says
believe in Jesus
and you can keep your wealth
and your health.
You've already got it.
Just hang on to it.
Jesus is a little addition
to that.
Fire insurance policy.
Stick in your back pocket.
It also says
change isn't necessary
to follow Jesus.
Go about your life
as an American Christian.
It's fine and good.
Just add a little bit
of extra activity
and everything will be okay
in the end.
Beloved,
this is not the call
of the gospel.
And this is the great error
of our day.
It's cheap grace.
The gospel is a free gift to us,
but then it requires of us
our lives.
All of who we are.
Let's look at the call
of the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 8, 34 and 35.
If you've been with us,
you should be familiar with us.
If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross
and follow me.
For whoever would save his life
will lose it.
But whoever loses his life
for my sake
and the gospels will save it.
The cross was not a beautiful thing.
The cross was not some little burden
you have to bear day to day.
The cross was a place of death.
The cross was a place of sacrifice.
The cross was a place
where we lay down everything
in order to gain Jesus.
Matthew 10, 16.
Jesus says,
Behold, I am sending you out
as sheep in the midst of wolves.
So be wise as serpent
and innocent as doves.
In Romans 8, 36,
Paul writes,
citing from Psalm 44, 22,
As it is written,
For your sake we are being killed
all the day long.
We are regarded as sheep
to be slaughtered.
Look at the portion granted
to those in Christ in 8, 35.
Proceeding this, Romans 8, 36.
Romans 8, 35.
Tribulation, distress,
persecution, famine,
nakedness, danger,
and sword.
Jesus goes on in Matthew 10, 17, and 18.
Beware of men,
for they will deliver you over
to courts and flog you
in their synagogues,
and you will be dragged
before governors and kings
for my sake.
Why?
At the end of verse 18.
To bear witness before them
and the Gentiles.
The very purposes of God
are being carried out
in the suffering
of His people.
Verse 24,
this phrase is so very,
very fascinating.
It should draw our attention.
In my flesh,
I am filling up
what is lacking
in Christ's afflictions.
It's an interesting phrasing,
is it not?
We must be very careful
at this point
to not think
that the affliction
of the saints
is somehow salvific.
That Christ's suffering
and death on the cross
wasn't enough
for the salvation of people,
and so we also
bring about redemptive work
in our suffering.
That there's somehow
some kind of holiness
propitiated to people
who believe
because of our suffering.
Right?
Our suffering has
nothing to do
with the remediation
of sin.
Christ's suffering
was sufficient
for that.
Turn to the book of Hebrews
with me,
beginning in chapter 7.
I'm having you turn here
because I really want you
to see this.
I can't rattle past this.
I know so often
I just spit Scripture
at you.
It's my hope
that you go back
and listen to a recording
or that you're taking
fast notes.
For the sake of time,
I try not to have you
turn everywhere we go.
But you need to see this.
The blood of Jesus Christ
was enough
to pay for the sins
of the church.
For all of those
who would believe in Him,
it was sufficient.
It was not lacking
in that sense.
Right?
Make sure you get this right.
Hebrews 7.27
He has no need,
Jesus,
has no need
like those high priests
to offer sacrifices daily.
First for His own sins
and then for those
of the people
since He did this
once for all
when He offered up Himself.
A completed work.
The temple sacrificial system
was an ongoing,
a constantly ongoing work
happening.
But Jesus Christ
accomplished this
once for all
when He offered up Himself.
Hebrews 9.12
Jesus entered once for all
into the holy places.
Not by means of the blood
of goats and calves,
but by means of His own blood.
Thus securing
an eternal redemption.
A completed work.
A final thing.
Once for all.
Hebrews 9.26
The second part of it.
Jesus has appeared
once for all
at the end of the ages
to put away sin
by the sacrifice
of Himself.
Hebrews 10.14
For by a single offering
Jesus has perfected
for all time
those who are being
sanctified.
Not sacrificed.
Those who are being
sanctified.
Those who have believed
in the work of Jesus Christ
on the cross
are saved
for all time.
Okay?
This message
is the thing
that we believe in.
It's the way
in which the Word
comes to us.
So do not be mistaken.
Jesus' sacrifice
was not lacking
in its power
to redeem the church
from its sin.
In no way
was it lacking for that.
Jesus' life and death
was fully sufficient
to save for all time
those who have placed
and will place
believing faith
in Him.
Accomplished work.
It is fully sufficient
for that.
So how then
are Christ's afflictions
lacking?
Because they seem to be
in some way, right?
Paul's saying that
he's filling up
what is lacking
in the afflictions
of Christ.
Let me read to you
a quote
from John Piper's
great book
he wrote called
Filling Up
the Afflictions of Christ
in which he wrote,
What is lacking
in the afflictions
of Christ
is not that they
are deficient
in worth
as though they
could not sufficiently
cover the sins
of all who believe.
What is lacking
is that the infinite
value of Christ's
afflictions
is not known
and trusted
in the world.
These afflictions
and what they mean
are still hidden
to most peoples.
And God's intention
is that the mystery
be revealed
to all nations
as I proved
to you previously.
So the afflictions
of Christ
are lacking
quote unquote
in the sense
that they are not
seen and known
and loved
among the nations.
So they must be
carried by us.
The afflictions
must be taken
by us
and put on display
by us.
And in so doing
we complete
what is lacking
in the afflictions
of Christ
by extending
them to others.
We put on display
what Christ
accomplished
for those
who would believe
in His person
and His work.
A little help in this
for us
from a man named
Epaphroditus.
Those of you
who are part of
community outreach groups
you're meeting last week
you studied this.
If you'll turn to
Philippians chapter 2
I'll show you quickly
the similar language
that Paul is using
to help us understand
what he means here.
I'm going to read
this for you quickly
just to set the stage
for you.
We're really trying
to get to verse 30
so hang with me
if it drives you crazy
I'd read fast
I apologize.
Philippians 2
verse 25
I have thought it necessary
to send to you
Epaphroditus
my brother
and fellow worker
and fellow soldier
and your messenger
and minister to my need
for he has been longing
for you all
and has been distressed
because you heard
that he was ill
indeed he was ill
near to death
but God had mercy on him
and not only on him
but me also
lest I should have sorrow
upon sorrow
I am the more eager
to send him
therefore that you may rejoice
at seeing him again
and that I may be less anxious
so receive him in the Lord
with all joy
and honor such men
for he nearly died
for the work of Christ
risking his life
to complete
what was lacking
in your service
to me.
Okay so this man
named Epaphroditus
was sent by the Philippian believers
to bring some gift
money
food
books
something of that sort
to Paul
and on the journey there
it would seem
he became
really ill
almost to death
of interesting note
Epaphroditus
is really worried
about what they think
about that
not so much
about his physical state
God spares him
of that
and as Paul
is going to send him back
he's saying
honor this man
for the way
in which he has lived
for your sake
and he has come
he's almost died
risking his life
gone through some affliction
some suffering
risking his life
to complete
what was lacking
in your service
to me
and that is to say
that it would have been ideal
it would have been
most perfect
for the Philippians
themselves
to have been there
but instead
Epaphroditus
was sent
as an ambassador
he filled up
what was lacking
he himself
came
and presented it
before Paul
and it's the exact
same phrasing
the exact same
Greek phrase
that's used
in both places
to help us
understand this
so suffering
was a primary
means
by which
Paul spread
the gospel
of reconciliation
to all peoples
in the world
in order to yield
God-centered
Christ
exalting
churches
again
a divine
strategy
not merely
a consequence
this is the way
God
has worked
and is continuing
to work
in the world
in the advance
of his kingdom
Tertullian
who was a Christian
who lived from
about
AD 160
to about
AD 225
said of Roman
persecution
the oftener
we are mown
down by you
the more
in number
we grow
the blood
of Christians
is seed
the way
in which
the gospel
advanced
so very
rapidly
in the very
early days
of the church
was through
the persecution
of the church
it had
saving effect
not that it was
powerful for that
but people
looked at
a people
who were
so strange
who had
their gaze
so fixed
heavenward
who worshipped
God in such
a way
that even
to the point
of death
they remained
true
to him
this is a
phenomenal
thing
John Piper
adds to
Tertullian's
statement
for almost
300 years
Christians
grew in
soil
that was
wet
with the
blood
of martyrs
the suffering
of God's
saints
ought to
be the
norm
not the
exception
it ought
to be
the norm
not the
exception
it should
be
normative
not
exceptional
and it's
really difficult
to know
what this
may look
like
in our
American
setting
it's a
place where
praise God
our religious
freedoms are
protected
or at least
are supposed
to be
protected
we are
reaping the
benefit of
that now
getting to
drive onto
this property
with a
sign
kind of
and meeting
at a certain
time in a
very public
manner
the fact that
my preaching
will be
recorded and
posted online
I have no
fear of
somebody kicking
in my door
as a result
of this
we reap
benefit of
this type of
thing so it's
hard to know
exactly what
this is supposed
to look like
what does
persecution look
like for
the American
Christian
I'm not sure
I completely
know
this is where
my heart
is wrestling
and turning
over
I do
believe that
we're not
there though
maybe it's
just a bit
of discomfort
maybe just a
tiny bit of
derision
you may not
be the cool
person at
your work
or in your
class
but I think
there's got to
be more to
it than that
I wonder how
we would
respond
our church
how we would
respond
if there were
picketers at
the front of
our property
on a Sunday
morning
people with
signs
saying that
we're
hateful
or that
we're
evil
because we
pursue the
ways
of God
worse yet
what if there
were threats
made on our
lives
what if I got
an email
this past
week
that said
that those
who show
up to
this property
on this
day
will certainly
be killed
how do we
respond to
that type
of threat
would you
all gather
at dawn
in a secret
place
because you're
so hungry
for Christian
fellowship
and for the
word of God
preached
that you
would make
the effort
to do
that
you wouldn't
just show up
to church
when it's
convenient for
you
when there's
nothing else
going on
that weekend
you decide
to pop
in
would you
so desire
Christian
fellowship
to be part
of the
work
of the
kingdom
of God
that you
would
work hard
to get
enough rest
on Saturday
night
so you're
ready to
go
at the
very crack
of dawn
on Sunday
morning
rather than
just
incidentally
you happen
to get
enough sleep
that evening
would you
arrange your
week around
such activity
to get to
be with
the people
of God
to be
encouraged
by them
to go
back out
into a
world
that is
hostile
towards who
you are
and to
what you
believe
I hope
that you
can answer
with a
resounding
yes
it would
be foolish
for us
to meet
early
but if I
said
next week
we have
to
there's
no way
around
some
threat
that's
been
given
to
our
church
we have
to meet
at dawn
next week
that every
one of you
would be
there with
us
that all
of us
would boldly
proclaim
the gospel
come what
may
Paul writes
in 2nd
Timothy 3
12
let this
stick in
your mind
indeed
all who
desire to
live a
godly life
in Christ
Jesus
will
be
persecuted
not
maybe
but will
be
persecuted
it's not
something held
for a
select few
for those
who are to
be the
loudest
but anyone
who desires
to live
a godly
life in
Christ
Jesus
and beloved
anyone
who has
been saved
by Christ
Jesus
wants to
do that
wants to
follow him
wants to
pick up the
cross
wants to
go wherever
he leads
wants to
turn away
from the
world
and turn
towards
righteousness
will be
persecuted
will be
hated
in some
respect
this shouldn't
be some
far removed
foreign
theory of
the Christian
life
oh that's
true of so
many other
places and
so many other
people but
not us
because we
live here
in America
you have to
ask yourself
what is
missing in
your life
that prevents
your
affliction
what thing
are you
not doing
or thing
that you
are doing
that is
preventing
your
affliction
what comfort
in this
world do
you hide
behind
what sacrifice
do you need
to make
I think
that if our
lives looked
much more
sacrificial
than they
do
the way
in which
we are
treated
in this
world
would be
much
different
some
would
love
us
those
people
who love
Christ
would be
drawn
to us
those
people
who don't
will
hate
us
that
should
be
the
response
not this
lukewarmness
not this
you're okay
I'm okay
kind of
response
but some
people should
absolutely
hate us
and what we
stand for
and this
should be
no surprise
to us
and others
should love
us
we would
be an
aroma
to them
of
Christ
the
contemporary
Romanian
pastor
Joseph
San
who
suffered
greatly
at the
hand
of
Russian
communists
stated
Christ's
suffering
is for
propitiation
our
suffering
is for
propagation
God
has always
used
suffering
in this
way
and he
has
promised
it to
us
the
seed
of
the
gospel
is
sown
through
the
suffering
of his
people
and the
way
in which
we
suffer
as well
it's
not just
enough
that we
suffer
but that
we
experience
proclaim
and display
the
supremacy
of Jesus
Christ
in
our
suffering
in
John
12
24
and
25
Jesus
said
truly
I
say
to
you
unless
a
grain
of
wheat
falls
into
the
earth
and
dies
it
remains
alone
but
if
it
dies
it
bears
much
fruit
whoever
loses
his
life
I'm
sorry
whoever
loves
his
life
loses
it
and
whoever
hates
his
life
in
this
world
will
keep
it
for
eternal
life
he's
not
just
talking
about
martyrs
at this
point
the
seed
that
falls
into
the
ground
and
dies
certainly
refers
to
martyrs
and
the
martyrs
!
death
but
he's
referring
to
the
daily
dying
of
disciples
of
Jesus
Christ
the
putting
aside
of
our
desire
and
our
direction
the
comfort
of
this
world
and
living
sacrificially
!
to
them
those
who
take
up
their
crosses
and
follow
him
follow
the
example
of
his
life
and
his
death
I
feel
the
same
way
about
it
Graham
our
Lord
was a
suffering
servant
he
didn't
come
and
live
a
pleasure
life
John
13
16
he
says
truly
I
say
to
you
a
servant
is
not
greater
than
his
master
nor
is
a
messenger
greater
than
the
one
who
sent
him
the
proper
Christian
life
is
one
of
daily
death
it's
one
of
daily
death
putting
aside
ourselves
and
pursuing
with
all
that
we
are
our
Lord
and
Savior
Jesus
Christ
Paul
gives
example
of
this
in
this
way
2nd
Corinthians
4
8
through
12
he
says
we
are
afflicted
in
every
way
but
not
crushed
!
Perplexed
but
not
driven
to
despair
persecuted
but
not
forsaken
struck
down
but
not
destroyed
always
carrying
in
the
body
the
death
of
Jesus
so
that
the
life
of
Jesus
may
also
be
manifested
in
our
bodies
for
we
who
live
are
always
being
given
over
to
death
for
Jesus
sake
so
that
the
life
of
Jesus
also
may
be
manifested
in
our
mortal
flesh
so
death
is
at
work
in
us
but
life
in
you
and
what
he's
just
saying
is
that
!
the
way
in
!
you
is
that
we
suffer
and
we
die
it's
the
cycle
that's
happening
in
our
lives
of
all
of
the
comfort
and
all
the
things
of
this
world
being
stripped
away
from
us
that
we
might
have
more
of
Christ
now
there
are
people
in
this
world
that
seek
suffering
just
for
suffering's
sake
there
are
people
in
this
world
that
are
rightly
persecuted
for the
wrong
reasons
though
they're
just
dumb
about
the
way
they
go
about
doing
things
we
should
be
wise
as
serpents
and
harmless
as
doves
Sam
Storms
wrote
in his
devotional
book
on
Colossians
entitled
The
Hope
of
Glory
Suffering
for
sin
is
a
reproach
suffering
for
suffering's
sake
is
perverted
suffering
for
the
sake
of
Christ
and
his
people
is
grounds
for
joy
1
Peter
4
13
16
Peter
writes
rejoice
in so
far
as
you
share
Christ's
sufferings
that
you
may
also
rejoice
and
be
glad
when
his
glory
is
revealed
if
you
are
insulted
for
the
name
of
Christ
you
are
blessed
because
the
spirit
of
glory
and
of
God
rests
upon
you
but
let
none
of
you
suffer
as
a
murderer
or
a
thief
or
an
evildoer
or
as
a
meddler
he's
saying
don't
pervert
that
kind
of
suffering
to be
about
suffering
for
the
name
of
Christ
verse
16
yet
if
anyone
suffers
as
a
Christian
let
him
not
be
ashamed
but
let
him
glorify
God
in
that
name
and
all
this
is
why
Paul
was
able
to
say
now
I
rejoice
!
in
my
sufferings
how
odd
right
he's
able
to
rejoice
in
his
suffering
for the
name
of
Christ
is
to
join
Christ
in
his
suffering
and
this
is
why
this
was
so
precious
to
Paul
right
there's
a
wonderful
example
of
it
in
the
beginning
of
Acts
chapter
5
we
see
the
apostles
taken
before
a
council
a
Jewish
council
and
verse
40
says
and
when
they
had
called
in
the
apostles
they
beat
them
and
charged
them
not
to
speak
in
the
name
of
Jesus
and
they
let
them
go
put
yourself
in
that
position
for a
moment
you're
caught
speaking
about
Jesus
Christ
you're
called
into
a
council
you're
beat
and
charged
to
not
do
it
anymore
what
would
be
your
response
to
that
how
would
you
feel
about
!
that
verse 42
says
and
every
day
in
the
temple
which
would
have
been
in
the
very
face
of
this
council
and
from
house
to
house
they
did
not
cease
teaching
and
preaching
that
the
Christ
is
Jesus
beloved
if you're
not
okay
with
this
teaching
then
you
do
not
treasure
Christ
the
way
you
ought
to
if
you're
sitting
here
and
you're
saying
wait
a
second
!
what
you're
!
if
I'm
really
going
to
follow
Jesus
Christ
that
I'm
inviting
suffering
I'm
inviting
affliction
that's
going
to
be
a
reality
of
my
life
and
my
response
to
you
is
assuredly
yes
if
you're
not
experiencing
suffering
something's
wrong
something's
amiss
in your
life
we need
to be
observing
that
we need
to be
introspective
about
that
we need
to be
asking
!
if
the
Lord
would
show
us
ways
in
which
we're
being
disobedient
to
his
call
in
the
gospel
ways
in
which
we
don't
carry
our
cross
this
is
what
I'm
saying
to
you
and
if
you're
not
okay
with
that
then
you
don't
love
Jesus
the
way
you
should
you
don't
treasure
him
the
way
that
you
ought
to
you
have
not
counted
the
cost
of
following
Jesus
Christ
it
will
cost
you
everything
Matthew
13
44
Jesus
said
the
kingdom
of
heaven
treasure
hidden
in
a
field
which
a
man
found
and
covered
up
then
in
his
joy
he
goes
and
sells
all
that
he
has
and
he
buys
that
field
Christ
is a
more
supreme
thing
so
much
higher
and
cannot
be
lost
so
we
give
away
all
those
things
that
are
temporal
in
our
lives
all
of
our
wealth
and
all
of
our
health
all
of
the
comfort
in
order
to
have
more
of
him
Paul
rejoiced
in his
sufferings
because
he knew
that it
was for
the gain
of the
Colossian
church
he knew
that it
was best
it was
part of
God's
purpose
in
Christ
for the
Colossian
church
to
witness
his
suffering
and he
could
rejoice
in that
these
larger
things
this
heavenward
perspective
in
conclusion
suffering
is a
primary
means
by
which
we
are to
spread
the
gospel
of
reconciliation
to
all
the
peoples
of
the
world
in
order
to
yield
God
centered
Christ
exalting
churches
after
all
Christ
family
church
exists
to
glorify
God
by
experiencing
proclaiming
and
displaying
the
supremacy
of
Jesus
Christ
in
all
things
to
all
peoples
beloved
we must
ask
ourselves
if we
are
living
to
this
high
mark
as
a
community
of
faith
I'm
confident
that we
have
much
work
to
do
let
us
then
together
yield
ourselves
to
the
will
of
the
Father
live
such
radically
God
oriented
lives
that
come
what
may
we
will
hold
high
the
supremacy
of
Jesus
Christ
so
that
God
will
draw
men
to
himself
let's
pray
together