"Christ in You, the Hope of Glory"
May 29, 2011
Senior Pastor Dr.
David Craig
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Date: May 29, 2011 - WEFC
Sermon Title: "Christ in You, the Hope of Glory" - Sermon 22 of Colossians Series
Text: Colossians 1 : 24 - 29
Sermon Notes for
"Christ in You, the Hope of Glory"
( Click here to download or open the Word
document file for these notes. )
“Christ in You, The Hope of Glory”
“Christ in You, The Hope of Glory”
Colossians 1:24-28 – May 29, 2011 – Dr. David P. Craig
Colossians 1:24-26, “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 his saints.”
We Share in the “Mystery”
of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” by:
1)
Participating in suffering
with the help of an eternal perspective (Col. 1:24)
Colossians
1:27, “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.”
2) Relying
on the indwelling presence of God (Col. 1:27)
Romans 8:10-11,
“But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of
righteousness. If the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Colossians
1:28, “Him we proclaim, warning
everyone and teaching everyone
with all wisdom, that we may
present everyone mature in Christ.”
Colossians
3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly, teaching and
admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, with thankfulness
in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him.”
3) Communicating the gospel both negatively
and positively (Col. 1:28).
2
Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is
coming when people will not endure sound
teaching, but having itching ears
they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and
will turn away from listening to the truth
and wander off into myths.”
Colossians
1:29, “For this I toil, struggling
with all his energy that he powerfully works
within me.”
4) His power
working in and through us (Col. 1:29).
Philippians
2:12,13, “Therefore, my beloved, as
you have always obeyed, so now, not only as 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.”
“Christ in You, The Hope of Glory”:
Guide for Discussion
Colossians 1:24-28 – May 29, 2011 – Dr. David P. Craig
1)
John Piper asks this excellent
question “If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends
you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure
activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the
physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural
disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?”
("God is the Gospel," p. 15). Try to answer this question honestly.
2)
There are numerous passages where
Paul uses this Greek word translated "warning" that describe ministry
to believers (see Acts 20:31; Romans 15:14; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:16; 1 Thess.
5:12,14; 2 Thess. 3:15). What are some of the reasons that you can discern from
these passages where Paul needs to admonish his readers? What do you learn from
this?
3)
Look at what Paul says later in
Colossians 3:16 about the responsibility of EVERY Christian – "Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all
wisdom . . ." In case you missed it, the very words that Paul uses in Colossians
1:28 to describe HIS apostolic ministry on behalf of all men is used in
Colossians 3:16 to describe YOUR responsibility in ministry on behalf of others
in the body of Christ! The words translated "teaching" and
"admonishing" and "in all wisdom" in Col. 3:16 are the same
Greek terms found in Col. 1:28! The growth and maturity in Christ of every
believer is, in a certain sense, the responsibility of every other believer in
Christ. We must look not only to ourselves but to one another, passionately
admonishing and wisely teaching so that we all might stand complete in Christ
on that day. In what kinds of practical ways can we do this?
4)
How might one know when God is
energetically and powerfully working in us? If, when you are slandered, you
respond by entreating (1 Cor. 4:13), you can rest assured that divine energy is
working mightily in you. If, when you are reviled, you bless instead of curse
(1 Cor. 4:12), you can rest assured that divine energy is working mightily in
you. If, when you are persecuted, you endure (1 Cor. 4:12), you can rest
assured that divine energy is working mightily in you. If, when you are
afflicted but not crushed, are perplexed but do not yield to despair, are
struck down but not destroyed, you may rest assured that divine energy is working
mightily in you (2 Cor. 4:8-9). If, when you are sorrowful you still rejoice,
possess nothing yet are rich, you may rest assured that divine energy is
working mightily in you (2 Cor. 6:10). If, when you are in poverty you give
generously and joyfully (2 Cor. 8:1ff.), you may rest assured that divine
energy is working mightily in you. In these ways and others, how have you seen
God’s power at work in your life?
( Click here to download or open the Word
document file for these notes. )
“Christ in You, The Hope of Glory”
Colossians 1:24-28 – May 29, 2011 – Dr. David P. Craig
Colossians 1:24-26, “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 his saints.”
We Share in the “Mystery” of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” by:
1) Participating in suffering with the help of an eternal perspective (Col. 1:24)
Colossians 1:27, “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.”
2) Relying on the indwelling presence of God (Col. 1:27)
Romans 8:10-11, “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Colossians 1:28, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
3) Communicating the gospel both negatively and positively (Col. 1:28).
2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Colossians 1:29, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”
4) His power working in and through us (Col. 1:29).
Philippians 2:12,13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as 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.”
“Christ in You, The Hope of Glory”:
Guide for Discussion
Colossians 1:24-28 – May 29, 2011 – Dr. David P. Craig
1) John Piper asks this excellent question “If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?” ("God is the Gospel," p. 15). Try to answer this question honestly.
2) There are numerous passages where Paul uses this Greek word translated "warning" that describe ministry to believers (see Acts 20:31; Romans 15:14; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 5:12,14; 2 Thess. 3:15). What are some of the reasons that you can discern from these passages where Paul needs to admonish his readers? What do you learn from this?
3) Look at what Paul says later in Colossians 3:16 about the responsibility of EVERY Christian – "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom . . ." In case you missed it, the very words that Paul uses in Colossians 1:28 to describe HIS apostolic ministry on behalf of all men is used in Colossians 3:16 to describe YOUR responsibility in ministry on behalf of others in the body of Christ! The words translated "teaching" and "admonishing" and "in all wisdom" in Col. 3:16 are the same Greek terms found in Col. 1:28! The growth and maturity in Christ of every believer is, in a certain sense, the responsibility of every other believer in Christ. We must look not only to ourselves but to one another, passionately admonishing and wisely teaching so that we all might stand complete in Christ on that day. In what kinds of practical ways can we do this?
4) How might one know when God is energetically and powerfully working in us? If, when you are slandered, you respond by entreating (1 Cor. 4:13), you can rest assured that divine energy is working mightily in you. If, when you are reviled, you bless instead of curse (1 Cor. 4:12), you can rest assured that divine energy is working mightily in you. If, when you are persecuted, you endure (1 Cor. 4:12), you can rest assured that divine energy is working mightily in you. If, when you are afflicted but not crushed, are perplexed but do not yield to despair, are struck down but not destroyed, you may rest assured that divine energy is working mightily in you (2 Cor. 4:8-9). If, when you are sorrowful you still rejoice, possess nothing yet are rich, you may rest assured that divine energy is working mightily in you (2 Cor. 6:10). If, when you are in poverty you give generously and joyfully (2 Cor. 8:1ff.), you may rest assured that divine energy is working mightily in you. In these ways and others, how have you seen God’s power at work in your life?
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