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We Do It All For You

Sermon by Rev. Doug Pratt — June 15, 2008
 

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Introduction
Our study this summer of THE COLOSSAL GOSPEL, described in the New Testament book of Colossians, continues as we bring chapter one to a close.

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ’s sufferings for His body, the church. ²⁵God has given me the responsibility of serving His church by proclaiming His message in all its fullness to you Gentiles. ²⁶This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to His own holy people. ²⁷For it has pleased God to tell His people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in His glory.
      ²⁸So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect [or mature] in their relationship to Christ. ²⁹I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
Colossians 1:24-29 (NLT)

Amid the clanging noise of all the advertisements and commercial messages that constantly bombard our senses—and researchers estimate that each American, consciously or subconsciously, receives over 300 different product appeals every day—only occasionally does a slogan or jingle actually stick in your memory. A few come to mind: “Just Do It” (Nike), “Like a Rock” (Chevy Trucks), “Think Different” (Apple Computer), and “Where’s the Beef?” (a Wendy’s campaign from a generation ago).

Of all the billions that are spent on advertising, just a few real successes emerge. One of the biggest advertisers is the Illinois-based McDonald’s Corporation—the largest restaurant chain in the world. I personally think that the best ad campaign they ever ran was a memorable slogan: “We do it all for you.” That is actually a good motto for anyone in business, because when you serve your clients and customers with excellence, you prosper. The same is true for so many professions. The best coaches and teachers are motivated not by personal gain, but by doing everything they can to help young people reach their potential. The best doctors and nurses place their patients as their highest concern, as do the best attorneys and financial analysts with their clients, and the best pastors for their congregations.

And this motto—“We do it all for you”—is the one I think Paul would latch onto if he had to give a title to our scripture text for today. At the end of Colossians chapter 1, as he is writing to some new Christians who have never met him, he wants them to understand his heart and his passion for them. He also wants them to understand the love and concern that their own pastor, whose name is Epaphras, holds for them. With fatherly or pastoral compassion brimming over, Paul shares with them his great heart.
 

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ’s sufferings for His body, the church.
Colossians 1:24

No Pain, No Gain
Paul talks about the place of pain and suffering in the life of a Christian, and the role of sacrifice in the life of the church. This is not something we like to talk about or hear about. The modern world resists suffering and does everything it can to minimize pain. And yet it’s inescapable—built into the reality of life on this imperfect planet. Indeed, nothing of real or lasting value is ever achieved without a price, without some pain or sacrifice or cost involved:

• No child has ever been born—by natural delivery or Caesarean section—without pain to its mother.
• No great athletic achievement—reaching the Final Four, the World Series or the Super Bowl—ever comes without discipline and hard practice.
• No successful company can be built without countless hours of hard work.
• No comfortable retirement can be provided without diligent saving and controlled spending.
• Nobody ever earned a medical degree without years of exhausting study and internships and residencies.
• No army ever was victorious without monotonous drilling.
• No great church was ever built without sacrificial giving and devoted praying.

“No pain, no gain.” Paul wants us to hold onto this concept when the going gets tough—and it’s especially relevant to a generation that is impatient and wants it all now, with no pain or sacrifice involved.

The theology of suffering is a neglected topic among modern Christian writers (probably because it’s something we don’t want to hear), but previous generations have understood this much better. To put it simply: for a follower of Jesus, no pain or suffering is meaningless or random. God always has a purpose and an end to the hard experiences of life. There is always some good He can bring about from even the worst disasters—if believers will earnestly look and patiently wait to discover that good. I know this can seem impossible when you’re going through cancer treatments, or grief, or your parents’ divorce, or a job layoff. At that moment, any meaning or good that would come out of our pain can look so far away.

But scripture repeatedly calls us to believe and cling to this conviction—as Paul does here in Colossians. He is even able to “rejoice” in what he has suffered, knowing that the God who rules history and controls the seemingly chaotic world can bring good out of it. Whatever you’re going through now, cling tightly to the hope that God will bring something good out of your pain.
 

God has given me the responsibility of serving His church by proclaiming His message in all its fullness to you Gentiles. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to His own holy people.
Colossians 1:25-26

The Mystery Solved
When we read a mystery novel or watch a suspenseful movie, we have to wait patiently for the author or director to reveal the solution, piece by piece. And those of us who are impatient by temperament try to figure it out for ourselves first.

The challenge of solving mysteries is something our modern world has become obsessed with. We have indeed, in the past century, been successful at solving some mysteries of the natural world (such as the structure of the atom and the human genetic code). There are other mysteries of nature that will probably always elude our grasp (such as exactly how and why the Universe came into being at the so-called “Big Bang” or moment of creation). But some mysteries in the spiritual and eternal realm can only be revealed by God. With our most powerful telescopes we could never look into the mind and heart of our Creator to discover His desire to redeem us by His own death on the cross. That mystery has been explained by the Author of the great human drama; we would never have figured it out on our own.

One evening a few months ago my wife and I were watching a favorite detective show called “Monk,” about an eccentric detective who is brilliant at solving mysteries. Early in the program we got a phone call I needed to take. Then I visited the rest room, and then I fixed myself a snack in the kitchen. When I finally got resettled in the family room, I tried to pick up the action. But I was confused. “I don’t get this plot,” I complained to her at the next commercial break. “This doesn’t make sense.” She explained to me some of the twists and plot developments I had missed while I was distracted or out of the room. And then things began to make sense to me.

God has revealed the solution to the mysteries of the invisible, spiritual world. Do you wonder about who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we’re going? The answers are all right here in this Book.

But today many people are missing the solution because they’re distracted. They’re doing other things, and they’re in danger of missing what they most need to hear. Our job, as Christians who—by God’s grace—have heard and understood the solution to the great mystery, is to proclaim that basic, life-changing message as clearly and understandably as we possibly can. But it is God alone who can open their eyes, and direct their attention to the answers they long for.

Many of you are praying for people you love who haven’t yet awakened to God’s grace—as I am praying for some of my family members and friends. We must not quit doing that. But we need to remember that only the Lord can truly open their eyes. We can’t argue or pressure or plead or bribe anyone into the Kingdom!
 

For it has pleased God to tell His people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in His glory. … I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
Colossians 1:27 & 29

It’s What’s Inside That Counts
The important common word, found in both these verses and connecting them to each other, is the little preposition “in.” It’s a seemingly innocent, innocuous word that actually has great significance. In verse 27, Paul tells us that the great secret of the ages, the great mystery of all times now revealed, is that Jesus Christ—the eternal God Himself—offers to come and live inside the hearts of all who will place their faith in Him.

Wow! Think about the implications of that. You and I have God inside of us. And not just some impersonal “Life Force” like George Lucas invented for Star Wars, but a real, personal, holy, all-powerful and loving Savior and Lord. Again, in verse 29, Paul acknowledges the secret of his own success: it is the “energy” or “power” of God living within him. Paul all by himself could do nothing. But Paul with the almighty power of the One who made the atoms and the galaxies and creates tornadoes and meteors and earthquakes: now that is a force to be reckoned with. The Greek word Paul uses here is the word “dunamis,” from which we get our words “dynamite” and “dynamo.”

We’ve discovered, haven’t we, that no matter what the outer package may look like, it’s what’s inside that counts. That’s why, at our airports, so much attention is given to checking what’s inside everybody’s luggage—for a small bomb in an innocent-looking suitcase or briefcase can do great damage. We know that size and outward appearance can be misleading. Compare the massive room-size mainframes of the 1960’s to a little laptop Dell or Apple Computer, vintage 2008. Guess which one has more computing power: the tiny new laptop, by far!

Here’s what this means: You and I, in spite of our outward appearances, actually carry around inside of us the awesome power of God. If we are Christians, we have no business letting sin and bad habits and temptations control us, because the power within us, at our disposal, is ultimately much greater than our enemies. If only we, like Paul, will learn how to tap into this great “dynamo” of spiritual power and strength to deal with the challenges and trials of life, we can be victorious as he was.
 

So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect [or mature] in their relationship to Christ.
Colossians 1:28

The Drill Sergeant’s Goal
The modern American military is the most awesome fighting force the world has ever known. The commitment of our nation’s leaders is that our soldiers not only be the best-equipped (with the latest in high-tech firepower), but also that they be the best-trained. A modern infantry or Marine soldier has to go through rigorous boot camp and then specialized training. The drill sergeants—who sometimes seem to be merciless and cruel—really have just one goal: to make their raw recruits into mature and effective soldiers, so that when the shooting starts they will be able to protect themselves and to triumph over the enemy. They know that no soldier is ever perfect, but the drill sergeants want to make them ready for action.

This is Paul’s desire for his troops-in-training in the Army of Christ. He is like our sergeant, teaching us the right weapons and tactics to arm us for the struggles of the Christian life. The word translated “perfect” in verse 28 needs to be carefully understood. It does not actually mean “without any flaws” or “completely sinless.” That is not possible for any of us in this life, any more than an American Marine can be perfect.

What the term actually means is “mature” or “complete.” It was used in the ancient world to refer to students who have completed a course of study in the Academy and are “graduated” or given a degree certifying their competence. And it was used of soldiers who had completed their training and were declared battle-ready for active duty. That’s what God wants to accomplish in us: to grow us up, to mature us, to make us ready for effective service for Him, and to arm us to deal with the struggles and challenges of life.

Conclusion
We might think that such a goal is simply not possible for us. But God sees in you and me a potential we may be blind to. In the year 1501, a wagon drawn by two oxen pulled up to the studio of a young sculptor in Florence. A massive piece of fresh-cut marble was carefully unloaded. An onlooker commented that the chunk of stone was ugly and unpromising, and nothing good could be made of it.

But the artist, Michelangelo Buonarotti, stared at the formless piece of marble as if he were hypnotized. “Can’t you see it?” he cried. “David is in there. I can see him clearly. All he needs is for me to bring him forth.” And sure enough, under months of the sculptor’s hammer and chisel, there slowly emerged that great statue of young King David, one of the world’s masterpieces.

Our God is the great sculptor of human lives, and He wants to make masterpieces out of you and me. He sees who we really are inside, though we and others may only see an ugly block of marble. What Paul is calling us to do, here in Colossians, is to allow the Lord to keep chipping away at us until that great masterpiece emerges, to His glory.