Maturing in Christ

Colossians 1:24-2:1-5

Good Morning,

A little over a week ago, Pastor Luke called and asked if I’d consider preaching on Colossians as part of the series he and the visiting Grace Harbor pastors have been doing. When I read the verses Luke wanted me to preach on, my first reaction was clearly this man does not know me very well.

You see, the central theme I draw from the verses we’ve just listened to is that Paul is writing to the church in Colosse about maturity. Something I don’t always feel qualified to teach on.

Specifically, maturity in Christ that provides for the resolve to resist false teachings and heresies.

When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he did so from prison, incarcerated not for any crime as we would understand, but for preaching the gospel.

As he sat in prison Paul received a visit from his disciple Epaphras, who delivered a report to Paul about the church in Colosse. Overall things were actually going pretty well. But one item of concern got Paul’s attention and drove him to write this letter. The Colossians were being influenced by false teaching.

In the early days of Christianity the tendency to slip into false doctrine was not unheard of. Many new converts to the faith likely clung to some of their old traditions. Other practices and cults, threatened by their loss of followers to the Christians may have sought to infiltrate the budding ranks of Christ followers and dilute the message with their own. And some would have certainly tried to manipulate new believers for their own personal gain.

As two examples consider the verses from two of Paul’s letters to the church at Rome and Ephesus.

“¹⁷ I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. ¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,” Ro 16:17–18.

“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, ⁴ nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship.” 1 Timothy 1:3–4.

Without going too much further into church history I believe it is important to discuss a point about heresy in the early church and how the church addressed it. As I said, it was not unusual for false doctrine to work its way in.

In part, as an effort to combat false doctrines the church, at this point being the Catholic Church, worked to determine which books should be in the Bible and which should not. With the exception of the seven deuterocanonical books in the Catholic Bible today, the Bible in your pews was officially recognized or cannonized in 382 AD at the Council of Trent. The canon was reaffirmed by the Council of Hippo in 393 and the Council of Carthage in 397.

In considering which books were included and which were not, it is easy to get caught up in the idea that some great conspiracy occurred or that political machinations drove the day. If you’ve read The Da Vinci Code, you’ve probably heard a lot about this. But maturity helps us understand that The best selling thriller was long on plot, and very short on accurate theology.

In fact, the process of deciding which books made it into the Bible was much more thoughtful. Presented with many different books making claims of legitimacy, those scholars and priests tasked with this process had to determine what books were genuinely apostolic and which were not. Which books were written by those who had known Jesus or been closely associated with those who knew Him, and which were not.

They used methods known as historical and textual criticism. They considered the age of the manuscripts before them, their dissemination and earliest uses throughout Christendom.

Books that did not meet this demanding criteria, though titillating to the imagination, did not make it in.

It may surprise you to learn that the New Testament, in the form we have it today is generally thought to have been completed and in circulation no later than the year 100 AD. Most recent scholarship puts that number closer to about 70 AD. This is quite remarkable when you consider how savagely the early church was persecuted, and how difficult it would have been to circulate these writings.

Why am I telling you all this? Why not just get to the scripture already? Well, as I said earlier, this is about maturity. And a big part of maturity is the ability to recognize when you are being scammed, when someone is trying to manipulate you. And this is what was happening in Colosse.

Max Anders writes of Paul’s letter, “This letter is written as a piercing rebuttal to the alluring enticements of theological and practical heresy. The heresy running rampant in Colosse attacked and undermined the identity and sufficiency of Jesus the Christ." Anders, 277.

In other words there were people claiming and even preaching that Jesus was not enough for salvation. In some way they claimed, He was lacking, and more was needed.

So now let us consider what it means to mature in Christ. I read, thought, and prayed over these verses quite a bit since that call with Luke. And what I’ve arrived at is there are four key elements involved in maturing in Christ.

Maturity Counts the Cost

Maturity Knows the Goal

Maturity Seeks to Be Wise

Maturity Does the Work

Maturity Counts the Cost

“²⁴ 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, ²⁵ of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, Col 1:24–25a.

Anytime we approach a new mission or a new task it is wise and even necessary to make an honest evaluation of both the goals, and the costs that will have to be paid in order to achieve them. Consider the words of Jesus as recorded in Luke 14:27-28.

“²⁷ Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” Lk 14:27–28.

In verse 24 of today’s reading we see Paul rejoicing in his sufferings. What an odd thing to say. Who rejoices in any sort of suffering? He also writes that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” But is there anything really lacking in Christ’s sufferings? Surely not.

Paul is not writing here that Jesus’ sufferings were insufficient, merely that those sufferings were not the end of the story. Christ is no longer physically here to take upon Himself the persecutions of the church and so others will have to “take up their crosses” as the mission of His Word moves forward.

Christ’s sacrifice for and redemption of all believers is complete, yet the work of bringing believers to Him is still underway. That work comes at a price for the worker, a price that Paul is willing to pay, and is paying as he writes this letter.

It is then, in this way that we should understand Paul’s use of the word rejoice. Certainly he’s not enjoying life in prison. And he will suffer for his faith and eventually be executed for it. But for Paul it is a privilege to be tasked with doing so. To be entrusted by Christ to do this most important work despite the horrible cost that comes with it.

Here in the United States and most of the Western world the Christian church rarely, if ever, experiences real persecution. Some people may say mean things from time to time, but we are far from persecuted. Sadly though, this is not true for Christians in many parts of the world, just as it was not true in Paul’s day either. But in considering the cost of our faith we must face the reality that the relative peace in which we worship may not always exist. Consider our Savior’s words in John chapter 15.

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” Jn 15:18–20.

As I said before, most of us have experienced little that could be described as persecution as a result of our faith. We are blessed to live in a country that, for now at least, allows us to worship freely. But persecution is not the only cost associated with following Jesus. In fact, from the moment you first turn to Christ you will begin to pay a price that you may have not even anticipated.

I wonder how many people, when they first seek Jesus, when they Walk through the foreign doors of a church for the first time, are there seeking an answer to one singular problem in their lives? How many look to God as a handy-man, someone they can call to fix whatever ails them in the moment, and then send away? I think when I was a less mature Christian, I probably have.

But you see, Jesus has no intention of doing half a job. He’s not interested in just fixing this or that and then leaving you alone. He means to come in and completely remodel. In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis writes this analogy which I’ve probably shared with you before;

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

As Lewis so wonderfully points out, God will meet you in your struggles. He will rejoice in your turning to Him. No matter how wretchedly you have messed up the situation, He will meet you where you are. But He has no intention of leaving you there. Christ commanded in Matthew 5:48;

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

When you invite Christ into your life, be prepared to begin a lifelong and difficult journey of being made perfect, because that is precisely what He intends to do.

Maturity Knows the Goal

As I said earlier when evaluating the cost one must also evaluate the goal. For that we turn now to verses 25-27.

“to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶ the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 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.” Col 1:25–27.

Paul’s goal is to spread the Good News of Christ to all, Jews and Gentiles alike. A mission that will cost him greatly in the end. It is a mission to which we are called as well, though we know it better as The Great Commission from Matthew 28:19-20.

“¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mt 28:19–20.

It is this goal for which Paul is willing to suffer. He sees the supreme importance of spreading the gospel as far and wide as possible as something for which He is willing to pay every cost. Now it is unlikely any of us here today will have to pay such a high cost, at least in the near term, but we all have to sacrifice something to follow Jesus.

It can be as simple as getting up a little earlier on the weekend to be at church. Or not picking up an extra shift so you can attend. Perhaps it is taking time out of your day to plan a Sunday School class, or to practice for the next Sunday’s hymns.

Or maybe the cost is higher. Perhaps friends or family don’t agree with some of the values you hold to because of your faith. Maybe you won’t do things you used to do because the Spirit has shown you they are sinful.

A mature faith tells us that there are far greater things to be had by following Jesus than there are in material things. The “riches and glory” of Christ are the true goal upon which we must focus.

Maturity Seeks to be Wise

“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.“ Colossians 1:28-29

Him we Proclaim.

To proclaim means to speak of what we believe.

Now, it can be easy to get lost in denominational ideas, interpretations, traditions, new ways to worship etc.

Those things have their place, but they are not the Good News of Christ crucified for our sins, resurrected in victory over death, and ascended to the Father to prepare a place for us.

Remember Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians to combat false teaching that was clouding the Truth of the gospels.

It seems to me that the best way to overcome heresy, is to be crystal clear about what we believe. So let us be clear and direct about what we are saying when we proclaim Christ.

1) Christ is the Messiah, God incarnated, came to earth to teach us of the Kingdom. He was crucified upon the cross, the perfect Lamb of God. On the third day He was resurrected from the dead, conquering death for Himself and for all of us. He ascended to the Father to prepare a place for us to dwell with God in eternity.

2) Christ exists in you if you have believed and accepted Him into your heart. As He dwells with you in Spirit He will, if you allow Him, work to make you perfect, to sanctify you. And He charges you to not keep this gift a secret. In your way and by what gifts you are granted you are to spread the Good News of Christ to others.

3) Christ for all nations. The Good News is not merely for those of Jewish descent, or in modern days those who have been born into the church. He is for all nations and for all people. All are equally precious to Him, and equally in need of His saving grace.

Paul continues by telling us to proclaim with all wisdom to present everyone mature in Christ.

The sentiment appears also in 1 Peter 3:15

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,“

In Matthew 22:37 Jesus commands us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

Peter, Paul, and Jesus, are telling us that we must be wise. We must know what it is we believe, and why we believe it. Part of the reason the Colossians were giving in to false doctrine was that they had failed to understand correct doctrine. They had failed in wisdom, and given themselves to falsehood.

So how do we prevent ourselves from doing the same?

Shortly after Erika and I got married, faith took on an new importance in my life. I wasn’t really sure why then, but I think in part it was the prospect of being a husband and soon a father. Life had become a lot more serious now that it was more than just me I had to worry about.

As I pursued knowledge, I obtained a study Bible with copious notations and explanations. that was a good start. Then I began consuming books from a big bookstore’s religion shelves. That was not so good. I consumed every History channel special on the Bible I could find. that was the worst.

See the books that live on those shelves at the big book store, and the History channel specials, were less about informing, and all about entertainment. These methods lacked rigor, and discipline. They didn’t carry any guardrails to ensure what I was reading or watching were good sources of information. They merely competed for my attention, and my money.

For me the answer was to pursue a graduate degree in theology. This path brought the rigor and discipline I was looking for. It turns out, most of those books are also really good if you have insomnia.

Now, this does not mean that everyone needs to go out and get theology degrees. The point I want to make is that if you are seeking to acquire wisdom and, I think you should, then be careful of the sources from which you acquire it. Speak to people you trust, mentors in the faith you can count on.

Maturity Does the Work

“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. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.“ Colossians 2:1-5

I originally called this section doing the hard work, and perhaps it is hard, but its also the really good stuff. Look at the words Paul uses here, “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.”

I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty awesome to me. See he’s talking about building a community. Not just to support and care for one another, which are obviously vitally important aspects. But also to be able to stand up to attacks and threats to our community.

We sometimes get a little stuck in our New England Baptist ways. We go to church on Sundays, holidays, weddings and funerals. But church is so much more than that. The church, and I’m not talking about a building, is a community of people. People we care about, people we are bound to in Christian love as Paul says. A community in which, as it experiences growth and maturity, it also grows in closeness with Christ.

The overall community can take on many aspects. And it should because not everyone is made for every thing. The Christian community can have prayer groups, outreach events, opportunities to serve and feed the downtrodden. A community should have small groups of people committed to one another, holding one another accountable in their walk with God.

In my own experience, Bible study has been the community that has offered me the most growth. Being responsible to teach has required me to mature in Christ. I told you above that I had pursued an education in theology and that was great. There I learned a lot of theology, and history, some philosophy and logic. And those are neat. But even with all those things, it was the small community we built in Bible study where I learned the most about God.

I learned from people who had lived a much harder life than I and still faithfully followed God. From their faith trials, I learned better how to face my own. Their maturity helped mine, and I can only pray I helped them too.

There’s one more point I want to make. One that doesn’t really fit anywhere Perfectly but maybe belongs with wisdom. When we worship God, when we seek to do His work, in whatever form it may take, we can’t let perfect become the enemy of good. Not every note, not every, lyric, and not every sermon has to be just perfect.

More importantly, the people who are the church do not have to be perfect. Every one of us is a sinner, every one of us is a hypocrite in some way. Every one of us has failed to live up to that most high standard that cannot be achieved without the grace of Christ.

I’ll leave you with something that struck me last week when we celebrated communion. As we sang Blest Be the Tie that Binds I looked around and thought, “after all these years, we are still completely incapable of forming a circle and holding hands.”

And its true. Every time we try we leave a group over in the back. And we have sort of a weird oval up front that doesn’t really close, or we have multiple joints where people arms are cross-crossed to make it work.

But we also look around I think with the same thought as I’m expressing now. And we smile, we even laugh. Because I think we all know deep down that God doesn’t care if our circle is perfect or not. He cares that we have gathered together. That we have come to worship Him in Christian love as a community, no matter how imperfect. As He will eventually do in us, God makes the circle perfect in His loving grace.