All right, please take your copy of God's Word out and turn to Paul's letter to the Colossians.
!
I hope not this morning.
I will tell you that I struggled this week with finding the bearing of the text.
Some months ago, I took the time to sit down and break apart the book of Colossians,
leading up to a little bit of a break that I'm going to be taking here in a couple of weeks,
and trying to keep us on pace so we can get to that point.
For those who have volunteered to preach on my behalf and have given them text to deal with,
I want to keep us moving along well.
I certainly could make this into mini-sermons, not just one this morning.
Our text is chapter 1, verse 28, through chapter 2, verse 3.
And I really, I worked, I mean, I had tons of notes.
I've worked it and worked it and worked it,
and I finally saw that it's really a continuation of our look at Paul's ministry.
And some of this began to coalesce for me this morning at about 4 a.m.
So this is, it's 11 o'clock now.
This is like a 1 o'clock in the afternoon sermon for me.
Hopefully, I'll keep the energy high for you.
Two weeks ago, we looked in Colossians 1, 21 through 23,
where Paul states that he has become a minister of the gospel of reconciliation.
He's now going on to elaborate more on what that ministry looks like.
Last week, we began to look at the ministry itself, and we had two points.
Firstly, the aim of Paul's ministry.
And secondly, the means of Paul's ministry.
So join me in looking at your text, Colossians 1, and let me read to you 24 through 27,
before we get to our text today.
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 affliction 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 His saints.
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.
And so today will be sort of a part two of this as we continue to look at Paul's ministry
and give application from his ministry for our daily living.
Our text for today, Colossians 1, 28 through 23.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea,
and for all who have not seen me face to face,
that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love,
to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding,
and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
This is God's Word to us.
It was written for our good and His glory.
We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
So I'll give you a bit of the outline for today's sermon.
As I said last week, we looked at the aim of Paul's ministry.
Secondly, at the means of Paul's ministry, verses 24 through 27.
Today I'm going to add points to that.
So the third point, or first if you prefer,
would be the work of Paul's ministry.
Fourthly, or secondly, the strength of Paul's ministry.
And fifthly, the aim of Paul's ministry further developed.
An expansion of this idea that we looked back at last week.
Now I'm going to switch into points 3, 4, and 5 so as not to confuse you back and forth.
But that's what I'm doing.
You didn't miss point 1 and 2 unless you were not here last week.
So point number 3.
The work of Paul's ministry.
And we see this in verse 28.
Him we proclaim.
Who is the Him?
It is Jesus Christ.
It was mentioned just before this in verse 27.
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Him we proclaim.
Paul's driving desire was to proclaim Him,
the hope of glory,
who had done so much on His behalf.
Who had rescued Him from His apostate Judaism.
Who had delivered Him from His sin.
It's Paul's desire to proclaim Him.
Proclaim means to publicly declare.
Here in the Greek, it is a general term,
and it is not restricted to formal preaching.
Not restricted.
All preaching is proclamation.
Not all proclamation is preaching.
And this will be important in just a moment.
Remember that all preaching is proclamation.
Not all proclamation is preaching.
And Paul says,
Him we proclaim.
And presumably, he's referring to himself and Timothy.
If you recall that the salvation of the Colossians,
excuse me,
this letter to the Colossians,
the salutation,
darn you autocorrect,
is addressed from them both.
Verse 1, he says,
I, Paul, and Timothy, our brother.
And this is likely the we he's referring to here.
And there is two aspects of their proclamation.
There's one negative and one positive.
Or stated in the negative,
the warning that he says here.
We proclaim warning everyone.
Some of your translations may say admonishing.
Warning or admonishing.
This is encouraging counsel in view of sin and coming punishment.
This is a warning to flee from the wrath to come,
stated in the negative.
In the positive,
there is teaching happening as well.
Not this, but this.
Imparting truth in their ministry.
So they're warning everyone
and they're teaching everyone
with all wisdom.
Wisdom can be rightly understood
as a practical discernment.
Taking those things that we see as true
and giving them good and practical application
in our lives.
I like this little equation
that my father has taught me across the years.
That knowledge plus understanding
equals wisdom.
It's one thing to know something.
It's another thing to know
what to do with that thing
that is known.
So you can know
that a tomato is a fruit,
but it's really important to know
that a tomato should not go
in a fruit salad.
Knowing the proper application,
like a BLT,
would be knowledge plus understanding.
And then you're wise about the tomato.
Sometimes my off-the-cuff analogies
just don't play out.
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17,
All scripture is breathed out by God
and profitable for teaching,
for reproof,
for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work.
So how is it that we give
this type of teaching?
This proclamation that they're giving
is being done
by the Scriptures.
The tool that's granted to us,
for us to proclaim,
warning everyone,
teaching everyone,
with all wisdom.
Paul says,
we proclaim,
speaking of himself and of Timothy,
and this certainly,
what he's referring to here,
is the job of church leaders.
There's a work to be done in this way,
this proclamation,
warning,
and teaching.
We can see both aspects,
the negative and the positive,
in the Scriptures.
To warn in Acts 20, 31,
Paul describes his ministry at Ephesus.
He writes,
Therefore,
be alert,
remembering that for three years
I did not cease,
night or day,
to admonish or warn
everyone with tears.
The church leaders
are also supposed to teach.
Paul writes to Timothy
in 1 Timothy 3, 2,
concerning the qualities
of an elder in a church,
that an overseer
must be able to teach.
So it is certainly
the job of church leaders,
but we must be very careful
at this point
that we don't exclude ourselves
from this ministry.
Because while it's the job
of church leaders,
it is also the job
of every disciple
of Jesus Christ.
Remember,
as I said to you before,
proclamation is not restricted
to formal teaching.
This point's driven by Paul
later in the letter,
Colossians 3, 16,
the first part of it,
where he says,
let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
Listen to the words.
Teaching and admonishing
or warning one another
in all wisdom.
So if you think that potentially
the text for today
is merely talking about
the responsibility of Paul
and his ministry to the churches,
which I could give you that here,
he certainly broadens
the scope of the exhortation
later on in chapter 3,
verse 16.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you,
you believers,
you Colossian disciples,
teaching and admonishing
one another in all wisdom.
In other places,
Acts 8, 3-4,
we get a great example
of proclamation going forth
from the early church.
This is just after
the stoning of Stephen,
if you are familiar with that.
In verse 3 of chapter 8,
it says,
But Saul,
pre-conversion Paul,
Saul was ravaging the church
and entering house after house,
he dragged off men and women
and committed them to prison.
So this great persecution arose
on the early church
and it caused people
to be scattered.
Listen to what verse 4 says.
Now those who were scattered
went about preaching the word.
A very similar,
not the exact same word here
used for proclamation,
but it carries with it
the idea of gossiping
the word of God.
They were going about
telling people about Jesus
as they were scattered.
Saul, even here,
is used by God
to advance the church
across the known world
of time.
Again, we see both sides
of this stated in the negative
and stated in the positive
for all believers.
We are to warn
or admonish one another.
Paul read to the Thessalonian believers
in 2 Thessalonians 3, 14 and 15.
If anyone does not obey
what we say in this letter,
take note of that person
and have nothing to do with them
that he may be ashamed.
Do not regard him as an enemy,
but warn him as a brother.
We are meant to work together
and minister the word of God
to one another.
We are meant to bring correction
to one another.
Beloved, it is our job
as a church to hold each other
accountable to the standard
of Scripture.
We need to call a spade a spade.
We need to say,
you cannot live in this way
and let me show you
by God's holy writ
why you cannot.
You must be brought
into line with this.
This is the great practice
of church discipline
which happens not just
at a church leadership level,
but it's happening all the time
if we're a healthy
and vibrant church.
We are to warn
those who are around us
who think they're believers
and may not be.
Or those who certainly
are believers,
but they think that they
can persist in sin
and that there will be
no consequence for said sin.
It's the loving and right thing
for us to do with one another.
We are to warn
or admonish one another.
We're also meant to teach.
Jesus gives to us
in Matthew 28, 19-20
what is most commonly called
the Great Commission
where He says,
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.
This is the mission,
the commission given to the church.
Not just church leaders,
but all of those
who are part of the family of God.
We are to be teaching one another.
I know that many of you
may feel inadequate for such a task,
but all of you have something
to impart to somebody else.
If you are in fact a Christian,
you have the Spirit of God within you.
You are an expression of God's grace.
I need you.
I just can't tell you
how much I need you.
I am in no way
on some kind of a platform
elevated above you figuratively.
I need you.
I need your perspective.
I need to learn
how God is working in your life.
I need to see fresh pictures
of the way that Jesus Christ
is bringing about redemption
in your life.
It is encouraging to me
wherever you are
in your walk with Christ
to see that you're walking.
We need one another.
And this activity,
all of this activity
of admonishing, warning,
and teaching,
and all wisdom
is in order that
they and we
may present everyone
mature in Christ.
This is the goal
of the Christian ministry.
That the saints
would be mature
in their faith.
That they would
properly yield fruit
as a result
of their maturity.
A passage that I hope
is very familiar to you.
Ephesians 4,
verses 11-13.
Listen carefully.
And He, being Christ,
gave the apostles,
the prophets,
the evangelists,
the shepherds and teachers
to equip the saints
for the work of ministry
for building up
the body of Christ.
Until we all attain
to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge
of the Son of God
to mature manhood,
to the measure
of the stature
of the fullness
of Christ.
And so you'll see
that Jesus Christ
gave gifts to the church
that those leaders
may work
to build up the body
for the work
of ministry,
which is the building
up of the body.
You see the language here.
To equip the saints
for the work of ministry.
What is that work?
For the building up
of the body of Christ.
All of us play a part
into this
until we all attain
the unity of the faith
and the knowledge
of the Son of God
to mature manhood.
This is the desire
of Epaphras.
Epaphras is likely
the man who established
the church in Colossae.
It was not Paul.
It was Epaphras
who probably received
the Gospel in Ephesus
and carried it back
to Colossae.
Look at his desire
in Colossians 4.12.
Paul writes,
Epaphras,
who is one of you,
a servant of Christ Jesus,
greets you,
always struggling
on your behalf
in his prayers
that you may stand mature
and fully assured
in all the will of God.
His great desire
for the church
as he's not with them,
as he's currently
with Paul,
likely in his Roman imprisonment,
is that the church
that he loves,
the place that he's from,
would be mature
and fully assured
in the will of God.
It's probable
that a praxis
actually traveled
to be with Paul
because of the heresies
that are encircling
and are within this church
in this time.
This letter seems to be written
to address these particular things.
We don't know the exact nature
of the heresies,
but likely Epaphras said,
I don't know how to address
these things,
but Paul will know.
Maybe I could get him
to write a letter
and set some of these things straight.
So his great desire
is that they be mature
in Christ.
So the work of Paul's ministry
was to warn and teach everyone
concerning coming judgment
and the way of salvation
in order that those
he ministered to
would become mature
in Christ.
And this is also
the work of our ministry.
You have a part
to play
in the sanctification
of the saints.
We need you.
If you're not a part
of this church,
someone needs you.
A fellowship of Christ
needs you.
There's limited capacity
of individuals.
I don't know how many of you
know me very well,
but something that you
should know about me
is that I'm extremely introverted.
I really don't like
being in the spotlight,
literally and figuratively.
It's not really the place
I enjoy playing.
If I've ever insulted you
unintentionally
because I walked by you
on a Sunday morning,
it's because I've recessed
into my head
and I've got something
on my mind
and I just zip right past you.
I don't mean to do this thing.
I don't mean to insult you,
but it's the way
that God has made me.
I have to work hard.
I have to rely deeply
on his grace
to be open
and be with you
and to impart myself to you.
It's a difficult thing for me.
Very small capacity,
I think,
for relationship.
Some of you have more capacity.
For relationship.
Some of you
are incredibly extroverted.
You absolutely exhaust me
with your extroversion.
It's astounding to me.
Absolutely astounding to me.
But what a beautiful picture
of the way in which
God brings us together
and gives us varying gifting.
But whether you're extremely introverted
or extremely extroverted,
we all have some capacity
for deep relationship
because we have
only so much time
in our days.
In deep relationship,
meaningful relationship
takes time.
It's a necessity of it.
We have to work at it.
In an article published
in Psychology Today,
this is a secular article,
British anthropologist
Robin Dunbar
wrote a book called
How Many Friends
Does One Person Need?
And in it,
he argues that
you can only keep friendships
with about 150 people
at any given time
because,
quote,
Don't ask me to explain
what that means.
And,
this in turn
limits group size
where stable
interpersonal relationships
can be maintained,
end quote.
Dunbar says
his number of 150,
quote,
refers to those people
with whom you have
a personalized relationship,
one that is reciprocal
and based around
general obligations
of trust
and reciprocity,
end quote.
There's just only so much
we can handle.
Social media is making
this more difficult for us
because now we have
so many friends.
We're not really,
by this definition,
friends with any of them.
We're very wide
and not very deep
with our relationships
these days.
It makes it very difficult
to be devoted to people
when you feel like
so many people
expect so much of you.
It seems that you just
can't make anybody
happy.
And what I'm positing to you
is that our problem
is that we're extending
ourselves way too far
because some people
don't extend themselves
at all.
There are too few people
in many churches,
including ours,
that do a lot of work.
And it's difficult to do well
because of the limit of time.
But if we would all be involved
and engaged in these processes,
we could easily
manage the load.
This article goes on to say,
our theoretical circle of 150
is not a homogenous social group.
That is to say that it's not 150
and they all interact
just with each other.
Right?
There's a lot of overlapping
in our spheres of influence.
Dunbar explains,
but rather consists of four layers
or, quote,
circles of acquaintanceship,
end quote,
which scale relative to each other
by a factor of three.
I don't know what that means.
An inner core of five intimates
and then successive layers
of 15, 50,
and 150.
Oh, now I know what it means.
With each successive circle,
the number of people included
increases,
but the emotional intimacy
decreases.
You get what he's saying.
You can only be so close
to so few
and you can know these people
on some degree
and you can know the names
of people out here
or recognize their faces.
Right?
But there's a reality to this.
The way that we're designed,
the way that we're geared,
is that we can only do
so much
with so many.
We have to get this.
I can't minister personally
to each and every one of you.
It's an impossibility.
My wife
can't minister individually
to each and every one
of the women
in this church.
It's an absolute impossibility.
And if we try,
we will most certainly
die.
I didn't mean to rhyme that,
but that's the word
that popped into my head.
It's just too,
it's too much.
We get spread too thin.
And there's a great deal
of challenge,
and Sam and I talk about
this much,
that we really feel like
we don't do anybody
any real service
because we're spread too thin.
We can't really devote
ourselves to anybody.
And what that means
for this church
and any church
that you may be a part of,
whether you're a guest here today
or just across your life,
that you need to invest yourself
in people.
So this is the work
of Paul's ministry.
And it's our work
as well.
Let's look fourthly
at the strength
of Paul's ministry.
Verse 29.
For this I toil,
struggling with all
his energy
that he powerfully works
within me.
For this,
the things that were
aforementioned
in the text,
right?
Him we proclaim,
warning everyone
and teaching everyone
with all wisdom
that we may present
everyone mature in Christ.
To this end,
I toil.
The word toil
means to work
to the point
of exhaustion.
Struggling.
This word here,
we get our English word
for agonized,
derived from the Greek word
for struggling here.
To work
and to struggle
to this end.
What I would say to you
is that no one
can faithfully serve
Jesus Christ
without working hard.
And there's a great deal
of apathy in the church.
A great deal of laziness
in the church.
Christians should be
the busiest people
on the planet
because we work
in weighty matters.
Now,
don't hear me saying to you
that it's not okay
to rest at times.
It is.
It's good and important.
To work hard,
you have to rest
or else you'll run yourself
into the ground.
But we should be
the busiest people
because the things
that we're to be about
have great eternal weight.
They matter
in eternity.
We're not simply
building businesses
and making money.
We're not simply
storing things away.
Stuff that's all
turning to dust.
We're dealing with
eternal things.
We must work hard.
There's a mandate
placed upon us
as Christian people
to do so.
But we must do so
by the strength
that God works in us.
The power of Paul's ministry
was not in his education,
a brilliant man,
or his cultural heritage,
in his preaching prowess,
or in his charisma.
ministries built
on these types of things
are absolutely doomed
to fail
or meet some measure
of success
that's not a measure
that God would use.
Paul relied on
God's energy
that he powerfully
worked within.
And he kind of stacks
these descriptors up.
God's energy
that he powerfully
works within me.
And this doesn't mean
in proportion with.
I work and I labor
in proportion with
the energy
that God gives me.
Paul's not talking
about measures of grace
given in gifting
to the church.
He rather means
I work with
or by means of
in reliance upon
God's power.
The things that I'm doing
don't happen
apart from
God's work
in me.
1 Corinthians 15.10
Paul writes,
But by the grace of God
I am what I am
and his grace towards me
was not in vain.
On the contrary
I worked harder
than any of them
though it was not I
but the grace of God
that is with me.
Philippians 2.12-13
I love these types of texts
that so
he so carefully
weaves together
our responsibility
and God's sovereign strength
in our lives.
Philippians 2.12-13
Therefore my beloved
as you have always obeyed
so now
not only in my presence
but much more
in my absence
work out your own salvation
with fear
and trembling
for it is God
who works in you
both to will
and to work
for his good pleasure.
Sam Storms
in the Hope of Glory
said it like this
Apart from the
conscience
consistent
concentrated reliance
on the power of God
burnout
is a sure
thing.
You try to
operate
under your own strength
for all of this
ministry
that we are
we are meant
to be doing
this call
that's laid upon
our lives
as a body
of Christ
burnout
is a
sure
thing.
So
how do we
consciously
consistently
and
concentratedly
rely
on the power
of God?
How do we do
this thing
that Sam Storms
is suggesting
that we do?
Paul gives us
a clue
to that
chapter 3
verse 16
this letter
to the
Colossians
I mentioned
it previously
let the word
of Christ
dwell
in you
richly
let the word
of Christ
dwell
in you
richly
fam
we need
to be
studying
this book
and knowing
it
I fear
that too
often
this book
is just
a book
amongst
a knot
of other
books
I've got
a whole
study
downstairs
just full
of books
too many
books
to even
handle
my father
gifted me
his library
I've got
books in
boxes
I don't
even know
what they
are
there's
so many
of them
and the
great danger
is that we
put the
Bible up
on that
shelf
with all
of the
others
and we
hold it
in the
same
regard
this is
God's
word
to us
and beyond
that
the spirit
of God
uses the
word of
God
to affect
us
this is
the tool
that he
uses
as Wes
mentioned
previously
the sword
sharper
than a
two-edged
sword
this is the
way in
which the
spirit
affects us
not through
our
feelings
right
but through
the word
of God
knowing
his word
J.I.
Packer said
well the
holy spirit's
ordinary way
of working
in us
is through
the working
of our
own minds
and wills
he moves
us to act
by causing
us to see
reasons for
moving
ourselves
to act
read that
last sentence
to you
again
he moves
us to
act
by causing
us to
see reasons
for moving
ourselves
to act
that we
know the
scriptures
that we
have an
eternal
perspective
that we
see things
from where
God
stands
that we
recognize
who he
is and
how he's
working
in the
world
we have
this
biblical
world view
not one
that's caught
up in the
momentary
pleasures
but in the
long lasting
in the
eternal
things
it makes
it easy
for us
to make
decisions
about
our money
as an
example
I want to
store it for
myself
Trevor
in heaven
if I
know this
to be
true
the
spirit
works
it in
me
he
changes
my
desires
to
desire
the
things
that
God
desires
he wants
me to
gain more
of him
to know
him
more
that one
day I'll
know him
forever
we gotta
know
the
scripture
we have
to make
ourselves
available
for the
application
of the
scripture
in our
lives
and I'll
talk a
bit more
about our
minds
and hearts
in the
next point
to further
drive the
point of
Paul's
labor
chapter 2
verse 1
he writes
for I want
you to know
how great a
struggle I
have for you
that word
struggle again
and for
those at
Laodicea
and for
all who
have not
seen me
face to
face
again
Paul had
never
visited
the
Colossian
church
he also
had not
the
Laodicean
church
and there
were others
right
the gospel
was having
its effect
apart from
Paul
God was
moving and
working in
the known
world
apart from
Paul's
ministry
but he
finds himself
having a
struggle for
them as
well
right
having a
great and
deep concern
for the
church
I want to
show you a
wonderful
scriptural
example of
this
if you
will turn
with me
to 2nd
Corinthians
chapter 11
I'll
begin reading
in verse
23
are they
servants of
Christ
I am a
better one
he says I
am talking
like a
madman
he is
making
tongue
in
cheek
comparison
I'm
talking
like a
madman
with far
greater
labels
far more
imprisonments
with countless
beatings and
often near
death
Paul lays
out for us
the suffering
of his
ministry
verse 24
five times
I received
at the hands
of the Jews
the forty
lashes
less one
three times
I was
beaten
with rods
once
I was
stoned
three times
I was
shipwrecked
a night
and a day
I was
adrift
at sea
on frequent
journeys
in danger
from rivers
danger
from robbers
danger
from my
own
people
danger
from
gentiles
danger
in the
city
danger
in the
wilderness
danger
at sea
danger
from
false
brothers
in toil
and hardship
through many
a sleepless
night
in hunger
and thirst
often without
food
in cold
and exposure
and then here's
what I'm leading
us to
verse 28
and apart
from other
things
there's the
daily pressure
on me
of my
anxiety
for all
the churches
you see the way
in which he
toiled
and struggled
Paul was
spending himself
for the sake
of others
we see at the
beginning of
Romans chapter 9
that Paul wishes
that he himself
would be accursed
cut off from the
blessing of Christ
that his
brothers
the Jewish
people
would know
the glory of God
in the face of
Jesus Christ
this deep
yearning
longing
desire
for the good
of others
in the church
and those
who are yet
to be counted
in the church
do we
yearn
in this
way
Paul worked
hard by the
strength of
God
and we
also
should work
hard
to warn
and teach
everyone
concerning
coming judgment
and the way
of salvation
in order
that those
who we
minister to
will become
mature in
Christ
and we
should most
certainly do
so by
meditating
on the
strength
that God
graciously
supplies
fifthly
the aim
of Paul's
ministry
further developed
last week's
point one
verse 25
chapter one
Paul says
to make
the word
of God
fully
known
and I
posited to you
that the purpose
of God
in history
and Paul's
aim in ministry
rightly so
is that the
gospel of
reconciliation
spread to
all the
peoples of
the world
in order to
yield
God centered
Christ
exalting
churches
to make
the word
of God
fully
known
verse 2
and 3
are an
expansion
of this
that their
hearts
may be
encouraged
being knit
together in
love to
reach all
the riches
of full
assurance
of understanding
and the
knowledge
of God's
mystery
which is
Christ
in whom
are hidden
all the
treasures
of wisdom
and knowledge
there's a
phenomenal amount
to be said
about those
two verses
and I'm
going to
pick up
some of
that in
next week's
sermon
to lead us
into our
next text
but briefly
concerning
these two
verses
this morning
Paul has
this desire
this aim
of his
ministry
that their
hearts
may be
encouraged
the heart
is the
inner person
the very
center
of our
lives
and how
does this
relate to
what has
been
previously
stated
verse 28
him we
proclaim
warning
everyone
and teaching
everyone
with all
wisdom
that we
represent
everyone
mature
in Christ
it's
connected
to
this
proclamation
the warning
and the
teaching
which are
things that
come into
our
minds
and affect
who we
are
the mind
and the
heart
are never
divorced
from each
other
you need to
get this
straight
the mind
and the
heart
are never
divorced
from each
other
the proper
view of
man
is a
dichotomous
view
we have
the external
and the
internal
beloved
please don't
understand it
any other
way
right
too often
Christians try
to separate
the mind
and the
heart
there are
whole
denominations
that
very
largely
worship
feeling
experience
both
should be
true
both
should
be
at
play
but
the
two
should
never
be
divorced
from one
another
let me
give you
a couple
of
examples
from the
scriptures
proverbs
4
23
says
keep
your
heart
with
all
vigilance
for
from
it
flows
the
springs
of
life
some
translations
say
guard
your
heart
with
all
vigilance
how
do
you
do
this
type
of
thing
with
your
mind
psalm 26
2
prove
me
oh
lord
and
try
me
test
my
heart
and
my
mind
god
used
paul
for
the
strengthening
of
the
church
the
encouragement
of
their
hearts
the
strengthening
of
their
hearts
acts
18
23
luke
records
after
spending
some
time
there
referring
to
antioch
paul
departed
and
went
from
one
place
to
the
next
through
the
region
of
!
Galatia
and
Phrygia
strengthening
all
the
disciples
and
God
uses
us
for
the
very
same
purpose
with
all
the
things
that
we've
said
before
this
proclamation
this
warning
and
this
teaching
in order
that
we
may
present
one
another
mature
in
Christ
our
hearts
are
encouraged
our
hearts
and
minds
!
strengthened!
He
goes
on to
say
that
they
would
be
knit
together
in
love
or
united
together
in
love
and this
aorist
verb
helps
explain
the
main
verb
of the
sentence
which is
that they
may be
encouraged
the
strengthened
heart
and mind
is one
filled
with love
the
properly
encouraged
heart
is one
filled
with
love
in
fact
love
is the
necessary
balance
of a
strong
mind
many
of us
know
those
people
who
get
their
knowledge
before
their
maturity
love
seems
to come
with
the
maturing
process
and
they
go
picking
fights
about
unnecessary
things
many
of us
are like
babies
learning
to walk
because our
heads
are just
so big
and heavy
Wes
mentioned
Graham
earlier
it's a good
example
not walking
quite so well
sometimes
because his
head
causes him
to fall
over
John
MacArthur
said
Christianity
is not
mindless
enthusiasm
but neither
is it
lifeless
intellectual
orthodoxy
there's a
healthy balance
to be found
in this
and Paul's
desire for
them
is that
they would
have
hearts
encouraged
minds
strengthened
and they
would be
knit
together
in love
in the
high priestly
prayer
Jesus
prayed
for
Christian
unity
these
hearts
knit
together
John
17
verses
20
through
23
let me
invite you
to turn
there
with me
this is
enough
text
for you
to see
it
for
yourself
I would
always
invite you
to turn
with me
anywhere
I go
but for
the sake
of time
I try
to roll
through
some
things
John
17
beginning
of
verse
20
I do
not ask
for
these
only
he's
just
been
praying
for
the
disciples
but also
for those
who will
believe in
me
through their
word
all of
us
that they
may
all be
one
just as
you
father
are in
me
and I
in you
that they
also may
be in
us
so that
the world
may
believe
that you
have
sent
me
the glory
that you
have given
me
I have
given
to them
that they
may be
one
even
as
we
are
one
I
in
them
and
you
in
me
that
they
may
become
perfectly
one
so that
the world
may
know
that you
sent
me
and
love
them
even
as
you
loved
me
I guess
prayer for
them is that the
Christian church
we bound
together in order to
give this
expression of
the way in
which the
father and
Christ are
one that
the father
sent
Christ
into the
world
it's
astounding
!
final
apologetic
the
final
proof
of the
gospel of
glory
he went on
to write
in John
13
the point
was that
if an
individual
Christian
does not
show love
toward other
true
Christians
the world
has the
right to
judge
that he
is not
a
Christian
here in
John
17
the text
I just
read to
you
Jesus
is stating
something
else
which is
much
more
cutting
much
more
profound
we
cannot
expect
the world
to
believe
that
the
father
sent
the
son
that
Jesus
claims
are
true
and
that
Christianity
is
true
unless
the
world
sees
some
reality
of
oneness
of
true
Christians
now
that is
frightening
should we
not feel
some
emotion
at this
point
end
quote
the
way
in
which
one
of the
primary
ways
in
which
God
intended
for the
gospel
to be
believed
is that
Christian
people
are
united
together
in
love
this
takes
a
great
deal
of
work
we've
been
talking
about
toiling
and
struggling
to this
great
end
that we
work
to
maintain
the
unity
of the
spirit
the
spirit
has
unified
us
already
we
just
have
to
work
at
maintaining
said
unity
this
means
that
you
don't
dip
when
things
get
a
little
bit
rough
you
get
slightly
offended
!
by
somebody
you
work
out
these
types
of
things
church
is not
a thing
that we
come
and consume
it is a
people
called out
by
God
I think
one of our
major problems
is that we
too often
think of
the church
as something
outside
of us
right
Walmart
is a
store
I have
no
allegiance
to
Walmart
it's
where I
occasionally
go get
things
because
it's
convenient
they'll
likely
have
what
I'm
looking
for
that's
not
what the
church
is
the
church
is
the
people
the
church
is
not
this
property
in
this
building
it's
us
commit
yourself
to a
group
to a
fellowship
of
believers
whether
it's
here
or
someplace
else
commit
yourself
to
the
people
not
the
programs
that
exist
work
through
the
hard
things
that
we
have
to
work
through
together
as
a
church
progress
in
truth
together
I'm
not
always
going
to
get
it
right
and
I
need
you
I
need
you
to
partner
with
me
you
may
have
noticed
twice
this
morning
I've
called
you
fam
I'm
going
start
doing
that
a lot
more
often
right
you don't
just
dip
out
on
your
family
it
may
be
hard
sometimes
to
be
with
your
family
they
invite
you
on
a
vacation
and
you
go
right
you
spend
time
with
them
you
invest
in
them
we
should
do
the
same
thing
with
our
faith
family
it's
important
that we
get
this
the
church
is
not
something
outside
of
us
the
church
is
us
he
expands
upon
this
and
like
I
said
I'm
going
to
get
into
it
next
week
for
the
sake
of
time
he
wants
them
to
have
full
assurance
of
understanding
and
the
knowledge
of
God's
mystery
which
is
Christ
confident
knowledge
of
Christ
and
lives
that
act
according
to
said
knowledge
this
is
the
aim
of
his
ministry
and
ours
Paul
desired
that
the
Colossian
believers
hearts
and
minds
would
be
strengthened
and
that
they
would
be
united
in
love
and
we
should
desire
the
exact
same
thing
if
you
don't
you
have
to
ask
yourself
why
we
should
labor
to
see
this
become
a
reality
amongst
us
to
the
glory
of
God
let's
pray
!