Colossians 4:7-18: Friendships

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord."

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Introduction
The concluding section of the book of Colossians consists of greetings sent by Paul and his co-workers to those in the church. This was a common part of Paul’s letters, and it is easy to miss their importance, since it seems to consist of a list of names with a few generic and sometimes cryptic remarks.

But really it gives us a fascinating look into the ministry of Paul, how it was structured and how his relationships with other people were both the joy and the pain in his ministry.

Anyone who has been involved in church for a long time knows what a quirky bunch of people we are. Each person sitting next to us on Sunday morning has a story all their own. Each person is at a different place in their spiritual journey. Each has a different personality and set of circumstances. And it is exactly that mixture that makes church incredibly rewarding and, at times, incredibly frustrating.

The people mentioned here at the end of chapter 4 are are a cross-section of what it is like to work in the church over a long period of time. There are some people who look up to you. There are some people who are always there. There are some people you can depend on. There are some people who will disappoint you. There are others who will reconcile with you over time.

Tychicus - Ambassador

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus… - Colossians 4:7-9a

Tychicus was close enough to Paul that Paul could trust him to act as his ambassador, so to speak. Paul sent him both to Colossae and to Ephesus, probably on the same trip, carrying the letters to those cities. Later, he may have gone to Crete to give Titus a break.

Tychicus is the person you send to a meeting in your place; the person who, when you know they are going to the meeting, you know you don’t need to go yourself. He was also known by three key attributes: faithful (he stick with Paul), humble (he did whatever it took) and encouraging (he spoke positively). You don’t worry about what they say when you aren’t in the room; you know they can handle sensitive issues with tact.

Acts 20, Ephesians 6:21, 2 Timothy 4:12, Titus 3:12

Onesimus – Changed Man

He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. – Colossians 4:9

We have already talked previously about Onesimus, the runaway slave who came to Christ after coming into contact with Paul in Rome. Here is the electric charge of ministry, watching God change someone who was “faithless” before into someone who is “faithful”, someone who was “useless” who has become useful; someone who was a slave who has become a brother.

Onesimus is the person who finally gets their act together; who seemed to fail again and again, but your patience was one of the avenues that God used to keep them same. Sara Groves, in her song, “When It was Over” talks about a situation like this:

When it was over and they could talk about it
They were sitting on the couch
She said what on earth made you stay here
When you finally figured out what I was all about
He said I always knew you'd do the right thing
Even though it might take some time
She said, Yeah, I felt that and that's probably what saved my life. [1]

This is what ministry is about, but it is so difficult because the outcome is so uncertain and it is so demanding.

Colossians 4:9, Philemon 1:8, 10;

Aristarchus – Sticks With You.

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings… - Colossians 4:10

Aristarchus met Paul in Greece and was travelling with him up through his home country of Macedonia. In Ephesus, where the people were whipped into a patriotic fervor over Paul’s preaching and the ministry there, they dragged Paul and Aristarchus into the theater in a near riot. Aristarchus went to jail with Paul, went to Jerusalem with Paul and eventually ended up in jail in Rome with him.

This is the friend who sticks with you even when other people turn against you. This is the one who takes the punches with you.

Acts 19:29, Acts 20, Acts 27:2, Philemon 1:24

Mark - Reconciliation

…as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) - Colossians 4:10b, 11

Mark’s mother, Mary was a member of the church in Jerusalem. The church met to pray at her house at least once in the New Testament (Acts 12:12) and early on in Paul’s ministry, when Barnabas was encouraging him in his young faith, they took Mark with them. It was during this trip that something happened that caused them not only to split up.

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, -- Acts 15:39

And when they had split up, Paul apparently spread the word to other churches about him, because he had to later tell the churches to receive him. We don’t know what it was, but it was serious. Yet we see that later, Paul and Mark have come back together and are together in Rome. It may have been that Mark was already there with Peter (see 1 Peter 5:13). Not only are they together, but Paul recommends him to the Colossians. And later in his life, as Paul sees the end of his life approaching, he writes to Timothy in loneliness and says:

Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:11

People in church can hurt us. People can disappoint us. But leaving the door open for forgiveness, taking the opportunity to restore can lead not just to civil politeness, but even strengthened affection.

Justus – Culture Comfort

Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. – Colossians 4:11

We don’t know about more about Justus. There are a couple of other Justus’ mentioned in the New Testament and a couple of other Jesus’, but none are likely candidates. We do know that he was a Jew, a Christian worker and a comfort to Paul.

When we have visited with missionaries and workers in other countries, the work is tough and the mental strain is even tougher. Families take a terrible hit. Ever action of yours is scrutinized and every choice you make second-guessed because it is all an act of incarnational translation. Sometimes having someone who you can talk to who just “gets” you is a great comfort.

This is the church, as well. When you struggle so long in the world and it is taking its toll, there is a great comfort in finding other brothers and sisters who “get” you, who understand the struggle, who refresh and comfort. Have you ever taken advantage of that? Are you a comfort or a thorn?

Epaphras – Local Boy Done Good

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. – Colossians 4:12-13.

Epaphras was the local boy who pioneered the faith in Colossae, and maybe even in the neighboring cities of Laodicaea and Hierapolis. Now those churches were sending him out again, to work with Paul. They knew his character. They knew the power of God that had flowed through this mighty man of prayer. Now they launch them out again with full confidence.

In this age of headhunters and professional services, we can “hunt” for new staff. But sometimes the best person for the job is the one you’ve known all along.
Colossians 1:7, Philemon 1:23

Luke – Minister of Presence

Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. – Colossians 4:14

We actually don’t know a lot about Luke. He is mentioned only three times in the New Testament, although church tradition assigns to him the authorship of The Gospel of Luke and Acts. But one thing we do know: he was close to Paul (called ‘dear’), was a doctor and felt close enough to Paul that those sections of Acts where Luke is present, he writes “we”. In the most difficult circumstances of Paul’s life, in prison, at the end of his life, Paul has Luke. Luke may have even been the actual hand that wrote down the words of Paul.
There are the people in church who are always there, not for the church events, but for the people of the church. They are not the errand runners; they are the people builders. They are the ones who keep you going in the toughest days and the ones that make you look good.

Demas – Disappointment

Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. – Colossians 4:14

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. – 2 Timothy 4:9-10a

Paul depended on Demas, and Demas left him behind. Paul is forced to recall Timothy earlier than planned. We know people like that. Promising followers of Jesus who turn off the way at some point, throw in the towel, growing perhaps cynical or disillusioned or simply tempted by an easier life.
Philemon 1:24

Archippus – Commissioned By God

Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord." – Colossians 4:17

Archippus not only heard the word of God from Epaphras and responded, he also opened up his home as a church. It is not clear whether he was (or had been) a soldier, or whether Paul simply referred to him as a fellow “commissioned officer” in God’s service, but it was clear that Paul knew of his story and how God had given him a special charge.

Here Paul is acting as the encourager, the reminder of God’s work in the past. In the same way he did with Timothy, reminding him of God’s gifting (1 Timothy 1), he tells Archippus: Do what you were made to do.
Sometimes people doubt whether they have heard God correctly. Time acts as a warp field that twists our memory and circumstances erode our certainty as to God’s calling and action in our life. We need people who know the whole story. Jason Danberg needs people who know the story; John Hossack needs people who know his story; Tim Lewis needs people who know the story; because when I become confused I want; I need; someone to remind me of what I have shared together.

Conclusion

After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea

[1] Sara Groves, “When It Was Over” on Add To The Beauty, 10/04/2005
Ministry is not ministry unless it involves other people. Those people are both the blessing and bane sometimes. But it is in this very arena that God has called us to show himself to the world and it is in this arena that we can experiment with the grace given us, knowing that there are Paul's in every church to encourage, guide and even rebuke us.Demas is a quick sketch in Paul’s disappointment. He ministered with Paul in Rome and possibly through one of the later missionary journeys. Paul puts him in the same sentence as “dear” doctor Luke. But as Paul’s life was coming to a close, Demas apparently throws in the towel and abandons the call of God:

Colossians 4:2-6: Ready

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Introduction
As with Paul’s other letters, the last portion of the letter focuses on personal news (vs. 2-6), recommendation of those who were carrying the letters (vs. 7-8) and greetings to members of the church from those who are with Paul (vs. 10-18). In many ways, this section is a match with the beginning of chapter 1.

In chapter 1, we see Paul’s greeting. In chapter 4:18, we see Paul’s handwritten greeting.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God… - Colossians 1:1a

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. – Colossians 4:18

In chapter 1, we see the greeting from Paul’s companions. In chapter 4, we see an extended greeting from Paul’s other companions. For example:

and Timothy our brother, - Colossians 1:1b

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. – Colossians 4:10a

Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. – Colossians 4:11

. – Colossians 4:12

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings

Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. – Colossians 4:14

This kind book-ending, where you have topic 1 and then topic 2 and then topic 3 and then back to topic 2 and then go back to topic 1 is called chiasm. In this chiastic structure, the most important topic is placed in the middle. In Colossians, this falls on Chapter 3:1 where it talks about setting your mind on things above, right between his practical advice on religious life and his practical advice on relationships. You can see this similar sort of structure in many Psalms. This is why we sometimes get confused when reading them and why outlining them sometimes makes no sense, because they aren’t written Thesis Statement, Supporting Statement A, Supporting Statement B, then C, then Conclusion. They are written Thought A, Thought B, Really Important Point C, Back to Thought B, and then wind down with Thought A and maybe a little tag at the end. And it isn’t always 100%. Drives OCD Bible scholars nuts.

Now as we come to verses 2-6, we see Paul encourage us:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Now, sneak back to chapter 1 again:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you… - Colossians 1:9

You see, Paul is working his way out from his central theme, back to the theme of prayer that he started the book with. Paul and his fellow workers (“we”) were praying continuously for the Colossians and now he asks them to pray.

If there is one word that characterizes these verses, it is readiness. Be ready. God is on the move. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we missed the movement of God; if it just passed us by without our notice? Or if we saw the movement of God and decide not to join him? One of the few times where Jesus was moved to years is recorded in the book of Luke:

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he [Jesus] wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes…because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." – Luke 19:41,42,44b

God is not passive. He is not some senile old man in the sky who once in a while gets his act together. And while his character is predictable, his methods are not. He continually is able to surprise us with his creativity and inventiveness. With a God on the move, we who are his servants can only stand on tiptoes, looking for what he will do next.

This past weekend we picked up a man who lived in a tent on a 2 acre parcel in the lovely town of Snake Pit California. He struggled to stay awake each night, because as soon as he would sleep, someone has been stealing stuff from his tent: Pillsbury biscuits, soup, his driver’s license. He couldn’t sleep because of fear of theft. For us, what would life be life if we wouldn’t sleep, not because of fear, but because we were afraid we would miss something that God was doing?

Paul gives us three areas:

1. Be Ready To Pray
2. Be Ready To Speak
3. Be Ready To Answer

Be Ready To Pray

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. – Colossians 4:2

If God is moving, then we must be ready to act when He is on the move. That readiness is cultivated by the habit of prayer. Notice how Paul couples “prayer” with “watchful”-ness and “thankful”-ness. To be watchful is to look forward with expectation. Our hope is in heaven, so what is heaven up to? Prayer is the key to getting on God’s channel; tuning into God’s station; syncing with his agenda. When you read an Agatha Christie novel, or watch one of her great detectives like Hercules Poirot or Miss Marple, you know that they have a knack for noticing the details and understanding which are significant and which are not. In one story, Poirot discusses his methods. In order to get the “little gray cells” working he must have just the right setting: lighting, tea, sitting position; lack of interruptions. For the follower of Jesus, prayer is the method. With it God helps us notice details and discern what is significant and what is just static.

We also pray thankfully. Thankfulness is the 20-20 hindsight version of watchfulness; watching carefully behind us to see how God has marvelously worked. Someone has once said that a mystery novel starts at the wrong place; that all of the interesting bits--all the passion and stress and action--have already happened in the past; that the detective is piecing together the amazing drama of the past. That is praying with thankfulness. Detailing God’s work yesterday gives us perspective for today.

Sometimes God is moving, but we don’t see it.

The journals of Mother Theresa reveal a woman who was on fire from a young age, whose very call to ministry was from Christ. But then, except for a brief period in 1959, she confessed repeatedly of being lonely and struggled with the sense of God’s absence until she died.

When Jesus was brought to the temple as a baby, they met Simeon, an old man, who had received a word from God: that he would see the hope of Israel before he died. He heard just this one word from God and then had a lifetime of waiting, in a nation which had not heard from God in over 400 years.

That is why Peter wrote:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. – 2 Peter 3:9

Many of Jesus’ parables are of the absent master who comes back and finds servants or his bride in various states of readiness. Some live like he is going to be around soon. Some have lived like he is in permanent holiday. That is why Paul instructs us to “devote yourselves to prayer” That word “devote” is actually an adverb: pray devotedly or, stickily. The same word is used in Mark 3:9, where it says:

And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; - Mark 3:9 (NAS)

That phrase “stand ready” is the same word. It has the idea of faithfulness or keeping it close by.

First, we are ready, when we pray, because it allows us to see God at work. Second, because God is always at work, we need to be ready to proclaim when he gives us the opportunity.

Be Ready To Speak
The second place where Paul wants to be ready is in speaking.

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. – Colossians 4:3-4

When Helen and I go walking in the morning, there are two kinds of dogs: there are those that just lazily watch you as you go by and then there are those who are testing the length of their leash. When Paul is asking to pray that the door may be open for the message, he means that literally. How frustrating it must have been for Paul to be at the end of a chain. We know from the 1st chapter of Philippians that Paul wished he could be out doing the work of proclaiming.

So Paul is staring at his prison door, waiting for a crack, so that the message can go out. He wants to be ready. The word for “proclaim” here is just the normal word for speaking to someone. But the context here is someone who initiates; who puts forth the word first.

The second aspect of Paul’s request for prayer is that he would speak clearly. Wouldn’t it be a shame for you get to get your golden opportunity to insert a word and to bungle it because no one could understand what you said? Holding up signs saying John 3:16 doesn’t mean much to a generation that has never cracked open a Bible. Holding up a cross means little if people think it resembles a cute piece of jewelry. Sometimes we try to just toss out the gospel in a form that we can understand and hope against hope that someone else will figure it out. But the responsibility for communication lies with the communicator, not the listener. This was a great lesson from God himself, when, in order to communicate himself, sent Jesus as a man.

Be Ready To Answer
The third place where Paul wants to be ready is in answering. While speaking is active, answering is reactive.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. – Colossians 4:5-6

Life happens. In the grocery store, in the hospital, on an airplane, on the soccer field, in an office, God presents countless opportunities. And God encourages you: make the most of every opportunity. Not every chance is special, but when the special chance does come we have to be ready.

And your opportunities are squandered if you can’t talk in a winning, life-changing way. The way you talk earns you the right to be heard. When we were in Turkey, the workers there told us, “You can say anything to someone with a smile on your face.” And this phrase “full of grace” is referring to a winning, generous way of speaking, not stingy in praise or love.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ… - Ephesians 4:15a

But it is not enough to win favor. Whether in religion or in politics, there are plenty of people who will tell you what you want to hear.

…but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires – 2 Timothy 4:3b

And there are plenty to people who speak in clichés. But the difference between friends and friendly can drive you to your knees. In order to be ready, the few moments, the few words need to count. That’s why the Bible says our conversation needs to be “seasoned with salt” It needs to make a difference in the moments we have.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. – Matthew 5:13

It is not enough for people to hear the truth, they must hear that we care. Don’t tell them Jesus loves them until we’re ready to love them too.

Conclusion
How to answer everyone.

``I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,'' said Darcy, ``of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.''

``My fingers,'' said Elizabeth, ``do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practising.

I am not very good at being ready. I tend to drift along with whatever is happening, trying to keep my head above water. Life seems moment-by-moment and my mind is focused on the momentary and not the eternal. But even in those moments, Paul enourages us to pray, to speak and to answer.

Colossians 3:11-17: No Distinctions or Favorites

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Introduction: God’s Bold New Venture
The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence contains this phrase: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But is that true? Is it really true that “all men are created equal”? I would argue that it is clearly not true. Pick a category: color, size, brains, agility, background, genetics or personality—we are not the same; we are not equal; we are different. Dave Babb and I are different. Einstein and I are different. Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods and I are different. Helen and I are different. Pick any means of categorizing and classifying and measuring and you and I will not turn out the same. In fact, we depend on the fact that, whether by fingerprints or DNA or dental records or passwords, we can be told apart.

So, in what sense are we created equal? If it can’t be measured, is it real? Maybe it can be measured, if you are God. What criteria does God use? It is in the next phrase that the authors of the Declaration express a profound theological truth: “that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Stop and think about this for a minute: are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness stamped on my forehead? Are they built into my DNA, tied into one of the 46 gene pairs? No! The founders felt those rights were unalienable because God endowed us and enforces them. Equality is relational.

Paul uses a similar idea as we pick up the thread of his argument in the middle of Colossians, chapter 3.

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. – Colossians 3:11

At the end of chapter 2, we talked about boundary markers, which we defined as: “the highly visible, relatively superficial practices that allow people to distinguish who was inside and who was outside the family of God.” There were whole lists of things which people have used and still use to determine whether someone is in or out. We are categorizers and classifiers and labelers. We use these labels as a sort of short-cut to determine how we should deal with people. When we first meet, we size each other up to determine which folder we should file someone away in: “loser” or “leech” or “stuck-up” or “know-it-all” or “sleeze” or “nice” or “helpful” or “worrying” Not only do these help us organize other people, they also help us define our own identity.

When Paul says that these are unimportant, he is setting up an identity crisis. How can he say that all of these types of people are the same? How can Jews be considered the same as non-Jews? How can Greeks be equal to barbarians? How can slaves be worth as much as free men? The boundary lines have been erased because Christ, who lives in each believer, is equally available to you, regardless of your background. What distinguishes us now is not our skin color or our strange clothing or our language, but our relationship with God. “Christ is all, and is in all.” (vs. 11)

The next six verses hold four key guidelines, based on this one thought:

1. Choose What God Has Chosen
2. Forgive As God Has Forgiven
3. Unite As You Were United
4. Teach As You Have Been Taught

Choose What God Has Chosen
Paul says:

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. – Colossians 3:12

Here are two key observations:

1. God makes us equal because we are equally chosen. We don’t know what God’s criteria are for choosing, he never tells us. But the Bible is clear that if our standards are higher than his, we are in the wrong. Steven Colbert, a TV talk-show comedian, was interviewing the dean from a prestigious Christian college back east. Steven asked the dean, “I understand that in order to get into your college, you have to profess a saving faith in Jesus Christ.” “That’s right,” the dean answered. “And yet you also have certain academic requirements for admission, such as GPA or test scores.” “Yes” “So you’re telling me it is harder to get into your school that it is to get into heaven?” Laughter. “Yes, I guess so.”
2. We have trouble remembering that we are equally chosen. Why is this verse in the Bible? Certainly not as a pat on the back! We find it easy to not only divide, but be divided. We are easily annoyed, offended, put off, insulted, snubbed and hurt by other believers.

God wants us to choose what he has chosen. We are his chosen people. He picked us out. But just look who he put together. Are our standards higher than God’s?

I remember my sister telling me a few weeks ago about their son Jason, who was just learning how to pull himself up on things. You know the stage where curiosity gets them off the ground and that strong grip helps them leverage themselves. But once he got up, he didn’t know how to get down again. So he would stand there, paralyzed, unable to go anywhere, as his little legs got more and more tired and then he would cry for momma or daddy to come and rescue him. The first several times, my sister did it, but she realized that he needed to learn how to fall down. So the next times, when he pulled himself up, she let him grow so tired so that eventually, he had to fall. And it was a safe landing and that allowed him to be even more daring the next time.

The church is a sort of training ground; a place full of real, quirky and annoying people. But it is also, God willing, a place full of grace and mercy, sort of bumper guards so that we can grown up. It’s a place to try out new things. That’s why Paul tells us to “clothe” ourselves with compassion and kindness and humility and gentleness and patience. Try them on. See how they look. They aren’t our normal clothes. But they are the clothes we will wear for eternity. And the people of the church are the people we will spend eternity with.

It is easy, in California, to just pick up and leave a church you don’t like and go somewhere else. And I can’t say I am immune, since that is how Helen and I came to El Dorado Hills. But God has taught me so much here by working through really tough times with people and I can feel God working off the rough edges.

Forgive As God Has Forgiven
God holds no grudges against you. You need to give up on grudges also.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. – Colossians 3:13-14

So what does legitimately divide us, in the church? Sin. I have been in churches where there have been issues between families that have gone back 10 or 20 years; where so-and-so was jealous of the attention that her husband gave to such-and-such and froze out that woman forever. I have also seen remarkable instances of forgiveness in this very church; where families have gone through incredible hardships at the hands of another have made it through. The difference is spelled forgiveness.

Unite As You Were United
In order for a church to move forward, it needs to be working together. Working together with Christ, the head and working together with each other. You only have to look at a 2 year old trying to walk one direction when his mother calls from behind. His head swivels back to make eye contact with Mom, but his body continues the other direction. Various limbs windmill in an attempt to balance before there is a stumble and a fall.

The only difference between “unite” and “untie” is an “I” out of place. Why? Because unite is an active verb. Why? Because unite is a verb which requires the cooperation of more than one person. The motion of your fingers requires a coordination of muscles that pull in different directions. Entire systems work together to process our food, or deliver food or process sight. Paul says:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Notice it doesn’t say “let the peace of Christ rule in your heart” Working together is just that…work. This is another case of where our situation and our behavior don’t seem to match. We belong to the body of Christ. But we act like we are an independent agent.

If you have been deeply involved in a church, you have known frustration. There are always a thousand things undone; things done poorly; decisions foolishly made. That’s the church. And we haven’t even touched on the messes people make in their personal lives. And it can be the most difficult thing in the world to “let the peace of Christ” rule in my heart. It requires an act of surrender.

I have put together a list of four counterfeits to the peace of Christ that I have seen. Maybe you have seen others, or different versions of these:

1. Snipe From The Sidelines. You don’t like the way things are going? Sit on the sidelines and make snide comments. It is easy to be witty and funny at someone else’s expense. This one goes with with second-guessing, instant-replay and mistake magnification.
2. Death by a Thousand Details. Keep asking questions and bring up all the possible things that could go wrong. When those are answered, ask more and do nothing until all are answered; until we have “a peace” about it.
3. Kingdom of Tim. This counterfeit has the motto: “As for me and my ministry, we will serve Tim.” And if I don’t like it, I won’t cooperate. I may outwardly agree to participate (to avoid a firestorm), but will slow down until someone becomes so frustrated they eventually leave me out of the loop.
4. Better Left Unsettled. This counterfeit avoids all contact with the other person, rather than be upset.

How many times I have had to relinquish ownership of Cornerstone Christian Church and its problems and give ownership back to God? I am not the salvation of the church or the ministry. I won’t sabotage someone else. I am not indispensable.

Teach As You Have Been Taught
We are all equal. Part of that is that we all being tutored by God and he, in turn, is using us to tutor others. Here is what Paul said:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Humility is the posture of learning. We all have something to learn. Helen always reminds me that other people have good ideas, too. And that’s true. Around this table and around this room is a wealth of experience and wisdom. But this verse teaches me two things:

1. Don’t hesitate to put what you have learned forward. The verse says as you teach. You are unique. Your experience is unparalleled in human history. God’s gospel comes differently to each person and works differently. Sometimes we are afraid that we have nothing special to say.
2. Filter what you have learned with the word of God. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. When you gold pan on the American River, you start with a pan full of dirt. Then you add some water and let it swish around and slop off the edge. What is left is the gold. Otherwise you end up like me: full of words without any real insight as to what is important.

Conclusion: I Don’t Have My Own Name

In the church, God has embarked on a new experiment. In the Old Testament, he took a people of similar ancestry, culture and language and chose them. But in the New Testament, he took people of every conceivable ancestry, culture and language and chose them. Much more ambitious, much more difficult. Nothing short of the Tower of Babel in reverse. At the Tower of Babel, God separated the peoples and confused the languages and then he chose Abraham to be a great nation. But now, through Jesus, he has drawn from everything he separated to create one nation.

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. – Revelation 7:9

What unites these people who are otherwise so different?

[To] Him who overcomes…I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. – Revelation 3:12

We share the name: the name of Jesus.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17

Are we prepared to live for his name?

 

Colossians 3:1-10: Priorities and Values

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Introduction: Getting A Little Perspective (vs. 1-2)
What if we lived like heaven exists? As we start chapter 3 of Colossians, that is the question that Paul asks: What if we really lived like heaven exists? What if we lived like we will live forever? What if we lived like what we do will matter for eternity? Would we do things differently?

The first 1½ chapters focused on theology: what we believe. The next ½ chapter focused on religion. Now the next chapter, chapter 3, focuses on the personal. Here, Paul lays out his guiding rule:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 2:1-2

We need a little long-term perspective.

Recently, in the Wall Street Journal, they noted that Google has started to cut back, not only on the amazing perks which included 3 free meals a day, but also on the culture which had focused on long-term projects, allowing engineers to spend 20% of their time on pet projects. Instead, with the introduction of a new CFO, Google was starting to rank projects based on near term profitability, leading some people to fear that they would be sucked into the quarter-to-quarter mentality which hurts visionary companies. Sometimes we settle for the day-to-day when the eternal is more rewarding.

We need a little God-sized perspective.

Sometimes we start to take our cues from what we see around us and the people we interact with. Instead of being active, we are reactive. Instead of take our cues from God and then working those out in the day-to-day, we try to do the dodge and weave. Instead of being bowlers, we are pinball machines.
Jesus said:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:21

We follow what we value. We chase what we embrace. We pursue what we value. Paul said, back in chapter 1 of Colossians that our

…faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:5a)

When something is really important to us, we re-direct our heart and our mind to protect it. When someone is really important to us, we adjust the trajectory of our lives to orbit that person. Since we are people of limited resources and energy, in order for us to say “Yes” to that person, we have to say “No” to other things.

Because my kids are important to me, I get up at 5:45 with them and sit with them at breakfast. Because I need sleep, that means I have to go to bed early. Because I go to bed early, I can’t have those late night hobbies or start my own company or whatever. In order to say “Yes” to my kids, some things get left behind and other things, like flute practice and Monopoly games and winter walks get added.

The same is true of God: when we value our savior, when we start taking our cues from heaven, some things should naturally get left behind and some things added.

So, what does it mean to say “Yes” to God? What are the practical implications of setting our minds and hearts on the things above?

Paul divides his answer into three pieces:

B.C. before Christ: You are not who you were.
A.D. in the years of our Lord: Don’t waste your time.
A.R. After his return: You are not who you will be.

You Are Not Who You Were (vs. 5, 7)
Our reconciliation with God the Father has introduced not only a change in our relationship with God but also a fundamental change in who we are. Sometimes the Bible describes this change as the death and re-birth (“born again”), sometimes as the new self, and sometimes as a new change of clothes. Whatever the picture used, these all reflect the radical reorganization of our self which begins when God planted his Spirit in us and which is demonstrated by the fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.
But in coming alive to God, there are some things which ought to be dying:

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry…You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. – Colossians 3:5-7

There are three key ideas hidden here:

1. These sins are like zombies: better off dead, but with an annoying tendency to come back to life.

Ruthlessness is required. B.C. we spent our entire lives cultivating habits focused on ourselves. Starting from the time you were 2 years old, you actively worked to satisfy yourself, smile and throw tantrums to get what they want. Those habits are still there. Paul, talking about himself, says:

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. – Romans 7:18b-19

This is the discipline in disciple.

2. Willpower is not enough, but Christ is.

These sins are desires out of control. It doesn’t require a lot of insight to see the effects of the “I want” out of control, from the greed at the root of the financial system meltdown to the rise of crime and anti-social behavior. Nearly 1-in-100 Americans are currently in prison. But controlling those desires is not a matter of “getting my act together” Paul notes:

Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. – Colossians 2:23

We need to be transformed.

3. Desire is repackaged as deity.

Paul tags the word “greed” with the label “idolatry” Rejecting God as the object of worship, we fashion new things to worship out of our desires. Is it any wonder that so many mini-religions and cults throw sex and money into the mix? Paul commented “their God is their stomach.” (Philippians 3:19) You see, without God, all religions will degenerate into hedonism: seek pleasure and avoid pain. Even selfless giving tends to center around relieving pain (cancer walks) and giving pleasure (make-a-wish). Nothing against these. But they stem from a deep-seated feeling that all that’s left in life is padding our coffin.

Sometimes our lack of control is depressing. We find ourselves falling into the same trap, over and over again, and each time we fail, it becomes a heavier and heavier burden. Paul felt that keenly, both as one who felt his own failures B.C. (“for I am the worst of sinners”) and even A.D.:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? – Romans 7:24

But balanced against his own failures, he saw the graciousness of God:

Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! – Romans 7:25

We are not who we were. God has a plan for us and we don’t have time to waste.

You Don’t Have Time To Waste (vs. 3, 6, 8, 9)
Twice in these verses, Paul emphasizes the “now” portion of our lives.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. – Colossians 3:3

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. – Colossians 3:8

If this life is all there is, or even if this life is all that really counts, then doing the right thing is a waste of time. All that is left is intelligent self-interest. So why do anything?

Why don’t we just “be happy”? In the ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus is trying to get home after the Trojan War. Along the way his ship finds the island of the Lotus Eaters. His scouting party eats the flowers of the plant and become blissfully happy, sleeping and no longer caring about going home. Odysseus needs to drag them back to the ship and tie them up so they won’t jump overboard.

So here’s the question: Did Odysseus do the right thing? Why stop them from being happy? In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s character Elizabeth says, “I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.”[1] If the primary purpose in life is to make ourselves happy, then what’s wrong with drugging out in front of TV and letting the world go to hell?

Why did Odysseus do it? Cruel, cruel man. Because he was trying to return home! Long away from the his house, his wife and his now grown son, he longs to see them again. His purpose drives him on. He might be happy somewhere else, but he would not be home.

Likewise, God is calling us home. That home is not just a place, but it is also the culmination of God’s reform school for our character. Our life is “now” hidden with Christ. Our destiny has been redirected. Our home has been relocated from Planet Earth to heaven. Our purpose is no longer to fiddle our thumbs in the few years between birth and death.

…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1b

Like Odysseus going home, we have a purpose; a race. Life is not about comfort, it is about character. We are being conformed to the image of Christ. That is our destiny. What gets in the way? We already looked at how our desires and the habit of selfishness hinder us. But here, Paul lists out a few more items which entangle us: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language.

This list is not a list of desires gone wrong; this is a list of relationships gone wrong. What derails us? What sidetracks our spiritual lives? Many times it is the storm that surrounds people around us. Some of them are the people we love the most. Some of them are the people who control our circumstances. Whoever they are: they can pull us away from God and one of the main ways that happens is anger. Resentment over hurt that turns into a boiling pot of pus in side us, turning to rage and subtle acts of revenge and snide comments and swearing.

In a way, these damaged relationships become another form of idolatry. Our attention is diverted by our hurt until we forget what God put us here for. I don’t think God put us here to cut down others to size, to help them get what they deserve, to make them recognize their wrong towards us. In fact, that’s God’s job:

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. – Romans 12:19

God is calling you towards heaven, but heaven lies through this life. Your time is too important wasted in anger. You are not who you were B.C. Let these truly be A.D. :the years of our Lord”

You Are Not Who You Will Be (vs. 4)
I am not who I will be but thank God, I am not who I was. But what will we be A.R (after his return)?

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. – Colossians 3:4

The journey we are on will not be complete until Jesus returns. God’s kingdom be “on earth as it is in heaven” When that happens, we will share in Jesus’ glory because we also share in his life. We have died. The wages of sin are death. Jesus died and we died with him. But in his life, we also live and in his glory, we are also glorified. Paul says: For those he predestined, he all also called; and those he called; he also justified and those he justified; he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

So, when Jesus succeeds, we succeed. He is our life. He is the head of our body. He is the elder brother in the family. When his reputation is enhanced; when he gets the credit, we all share in that glory. When he is shamed, we are all ashamed.

Remember Odysseus’ dilemma: happiness or purpose? Jesus answered this in the parable of the faithful servant. When the master returned, he found the good servant and he said:

'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' – Matthew 25:23b

His happiness is our happiness. God has not given up on the idea of Eden, as some misguided have assumed. [2] Eden still awaits, but it would never really be Eden unless we have been renovated into the character of God. Once lost, Eden will be restored, when we are restored.

We have been predestined to the image of His Son so that He may be the firstborn of many brothers.
You are not who you will be.

Conclusion: The Wardrobe
In the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, it is the wardrobe which holds, not just the winter coats, but the possibility of a new world.

Paul concludes with these words:

…since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. – Colossians 3:9b-10

Those words ‘taken off’ and ‘put on’ are the words of clothing. we need a new wardrobe. Not a wardrobe of old habits and lies, but a new ones which opens up a world of possibilities.

I’m not one for changing clothes. If I get home from church and need to mow the lawn or trim a rose bush, I usually don’t notice the fact that I am wearing the same clothes. There is this peculiar green fringe which rings the bottom of each pant legs and stains my shoes. Bits of grass are stuck into my socks. Time to change my clothes!

I often take these short business trips where I work all day and then catch a late night flight home. I look pretty crumpled. I smell pretty terrible. My wife packs an extra shirt in my carry-on bag. Time to change my clothes!

It is not easy. My old, dead self, keeps wanting to return. It wants to focus on my pleasure, not my purpose. Left on my own, I would tend to slide off my real mission in life onto a shadow mission: one which makes my talents and abilities and experience and passion focus on myself. Time to change my clothes.

In Washington D.C. there is a beautiful hotel, the JW Marriott, that offered a $1 million “build-your-own-ball” package which overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue parade route for the Obama presidential inauguration. With, it you get 4 suites, 300 rooms and $200K worth of food and drink. Earl Stafford, the retired son of a Baptist minister, rented out the entire hotel for $1,000,000 so that he could invite “a cross-section of society – those who are distressed, those who are terminally ill, those who are socially and economically disadvantaged, those veterans who are wounded and served our country.” He intends to raise an additional $600K so that each guest can have tuxedos, breakfast and lunch that day.”The price tag was pretty stiff, but we felt that’s what the Lord would have us do.” [3]

Jesus told a similar story, but it was the story of a wedding feast. Many of the original guests sent their regrets, saying that they were too busy to come. So the groom sent the servants out to gather those who were willing to come; The wedding table was filled with the losers and the misfits and the also-rans. All who would be grateful, rather than disdainful. Then there is the interesting moment when Jesus throws a little twist in the story:

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. – Matthew 22:11-12

When I read this, something bothered me. How did the king pick out this one guest? It stuck in my brain. What did he mean, “how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” Which one of the losers, picked up from the streets had “wedding clothes” And then it dawned on me: they were given the new wedding clothes.

You can’t sneak in. God has invited you. We are the losers who have been granted new clothes so we can be with God at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Why stick with my B.C. habits when a more beautiful person has already been recreated underneath? Why stick with my B.C. lifestyle when a new lifestyle is granted? Take to change my clothes!

----
[1] Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, pp. 358 as cited in Jane Austen, Claudia L. Johnson, University of Chicago Press, p. 84
[2] Charlie Peacock, The Secret of Time
[3] Virginian to give needy coveted spots at inauguration, Michael A Ruane, The Washington Post, December 3, 2008.

Colossians 2:11-23: Christ’s Sufficiency

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Introduction: Boundary Markers
John Ortberg, in his article, “The Danger of Pseudo-Transformation vs. Authentic Christian Spirituality” says:

For example, imagine that you were driving through the Haight Asbury district of San Francisco in the nineteen sixties. If you came to a stoplight and a Volkswagen van pulled up next to you, plastered with peace signs and "Make Love Not War" bumper stickers and driven by a long haired, tie dyed, granny glasses wearer, you would have known you were driving next to a hippie. If it were the nineteen eighties and you were to see a BMW with a driver wearing Gucci shoes, a Rolex watch, and moussed hair so and nibbling on brie, you would know you were driving next to a yuppie. Bikers, too, are recognizable by their preference in fashion color (black), fabric (leather), skin ornamentation (tattoo), and beverage of choice ("great taste, less filling"). Farmers, doctors, politicians, and rock stars all have their own ways of distinguishing who is in their fraternity or sorority.

With this in mind, the importance of circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath keeping in the first century becomes clear. These were the boundary markers; the highly visible, relatively superficial practices that allowed people to distinguish who was inside and who was outside the family of God.[1]

Can you think of some examples of boundary markers that we use to distinguish? Helen used to tell the story when she came to Women’s Bible Study here for the first time and the appraising look one woman gave her, trying to decide whether Helen would fit in.

Like the 1st century believers, we have our set of “outward” indicators. In fact, sometimes it can be harder for us to accept believers with these markers than it is to accept pagans, because “they ought to know better.” The Apostle’s Creed or Baptist Faith and Message don’t come close to addressing these issues, but we can make them into issues that we break fellowship.

In the latter part of chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to the practical implications of the gospel: who is in and who is out? And who gets to set the rules?

You Are Free! God Has Chosen You (vs 11-15)
God does! It is God’s opinion that counts. In the first century, scholars have noted that three of the hot topics were: Sabbath keeping, dietary laws and…circumcision. Since the earliest parts of Genesis, we see that this was a sign of the descendants of Abraham:

You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. – Genesis 17:11

Just before Isaac was born, God reaffirmed his promise to Abraham and gave him circumcision as a reminder of that promise. In the Old Testament, you didn’t call someone a barbarian, you called them uncircumcised (often tied to the word “dog” or “Philistine”). And God took it seriously. When Moses was about to go to Egypt as God’s agent, there is a strange story in 3 verses:

At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. So the LORD let him alone. – Exodus 4:24-26a

Moses was about to call the people of Israel back to their God. What was the sign of the Israel? Circumcision! But his own son had not been circumcised! Can’t imagine what her son was thinking though, when Mom came at him with flint knife and told him to drop his robe.

When a Gentile became a follower of Yahweh, the usual procedure was a ritual bath and circumcision, making them, in a sense, a 2nd class Jew. They still couldn’t come into the inner courtyard of the temple. This was similar to the procedure used for foreigners who came into the household of a Jew.

In the early days of the church, almost of the believers were Jews, even if they were living somewhere else. But then, something strange happened:

The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. – Acts 10:45

God was saving the Gentiles. Then there was the big question: what to do with them?

Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." – Acts 15;1

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." – Acts 15:5

With this influx of Gentile believers, the issue of circumcision, specifically, was a hot topic. Apostles clashed over this issue (Galatians 2). God had to throw in a couple of heavenly visions (Acts 11). And what about half-Jews (Acts 16:3)? Both sides of this argument went back to Abraham:

Abram believed Yahweh, and he credited it to him as righteousness. – Genesis 15:6

Abraham was saved, prior to the introduction of the law, by faith. And what Paul, the good student of the Bible noticed, was that this was at least twenty-three years (Genesis 16:3, Genesis 17:25) before God talked to Abraham about circumcision. Here is what Paul concluded:

We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! - Romans 4:9b-10

This meant that Abraham had been, essentially, a “Gentile” and saved.

So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised…And he is also the father of the circumcised – Romans 4:11b, 12a

So, what was the role of circumcision?

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. – Colossians 2:11-12

Paul says circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant to create a new nation, and baptism is the sign of God’s covenant to create the church. But more importantly, it is God who decides who is saved, not us. The act of circumcision did not bring people into the kingdom and the lack of it did not keep them out.
We are not the people of God because of what we do, but because of what God does.

You Are Free! Don’t Enslave Yourself To Non-Essentials (vs. 16-17, 20)
When you live in the Philippines, you find that there are hundreds of sayings pamahiin which govern daily behavior. While Americans tend to couch our folk wisdom in pragmatism, in the Philippines, they talk about it in turns of fortune or luck. We say don’t do X or it will hurt, they say don’t do X because it is bad luck. Never have a maid prettier than your wife. Pregnant women shouldn’t look at anything ugly. You shouldn’t see the bride on the day of the wedding. Look out for number 1, because no one else is.

But in many cases, these sayings run counter to the gospel and the victory we have in Christ. And when I confronted believers about some of these, they would say, “Well, it doesn’t hurt!” But it does hurt, because you are voluntarily enslaving yourself to something else besides Christ.

Paul found that, in addition to circumcision, people were consciously adding rules and regulations to their lives, either from their Jewish background or from the mini-religions. It was like saying to the IRS, sure, could you please find a few more tax regulations for me to obey; can you devise more and stricter traffic laws for me to pass on to my children?

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. – Colossians 2:16-17

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules? - Colossians 2:20

There are times when we are called upon us not to exercise our Christian freedom, when it distracts others from following God. There are times we restrain the exercises of our Christian freedom because it actually ends up harming us. But these are a restraint of compassion and progress. But these restrictions-these boundary markers-are governed by fear: “do not let anyone judge you” (fear of other people) “as though you still belonged to it” (fear of rules) oh…oh…oh…gotcha!

The core of the Law was this: Love God, love people. You don’t start your spiritual walk by the little, unimportant things: you start your spiritual walk always at the center. Love God, love people. Why? Because the gospel’s great promise is that we are transformed; that we are new creates; that we are being remade in the image of God. We aren’t defined by the boundary markers! We are defined by our common faith.
But when authentic transformation stalls, sometimes we settle for pseudo-transformation. We know we are supposed to be different from the world. We are called saints—people who have been set aside or called out of the world, holy in our calling. But, as John Ortberg notes:

“But if we are not marked by greater and greater amounts of love and joy, we will inevitably look for substitute ways of distinguishing ourselves from those who are not Christians. This deep pattern is almost inescapable for religious people: If we do not become changed from the inside out…we will be tempted to find external methods to satisfy our need to feel that we're different from those outside the faith”[2]

The things which Jesus said should distinguish us from the world are: unity, love for each other and fruitfulness. We are free! Don’t load up on extra guilt! We are so used to feeling guilty that if we don’t feel guilty, we start looking around for something. And there are people who are willing to supply it to you.

You Are Free! Listen To The Right Voices (vs. 18-19, 21, 23)
Did you ever wonder how the so-called experts on TV are chosen? My brother works as a professor of political science, specializing in presidential politics, so these past several weeks have been interesting as media outlets call him up looking for his scholarly opinion on current events. We like to have experts. We like to have people who specialize in a certain area of knowledge. We can’t all be experts in everything, so it helps to be able to consult—if we trust the expert.

Now that is the real trick: who to trust. Even with the best credentials, my brother could be a complete nut-case. How do you know? Obviously, Paul could probably give you a read on whether someone was a good spiritual advisor, but, as he has already pointed out, he isn’t present. So he leaves the believers in Colossae (and us) a series of hints about how to detect a phony or a well-intentioned nincompoop. I call this the quack doctor list:

1. They Promote Themselves Privately, While Pretending To Want No Praise

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. – Colossians 2:18

These are people who pretend to deflect praise, but manipulate the spotlight so it always returns to them.

2. Fondness For The New And Disdain For The Old

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. – Colossians 1:18

3. They Divide The World Into The Informed And The Uninformed

Therefore do not let anyone judge you… - Colossians 2:16

Judging is the act of separating.

4. God Spoke To Them, But Nobody Else
There is a pattern in the Bible of confirmation of visions: repetition, circumstances and 3rd party revelation. We saw that with Paul when he had his vision at the time of his salvation and again in 2 Corinthians 12, where he saw things he was not permitted to tell and given a thorn in the flesh to prevent conceit. Paul said these people have:

He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. – Colossians 2:19

5. They Are Fond Of Knowing Who Is In And Who Is Out.
They are followers of the outside-in model of spiritual transformation. If you can just change what your diet, you will be a new person. If you just have the willpower, you can live your dreams. Paul said:

Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. – Colossians 1:23

Conclusion
Some people play Monopoly. We used to play our sister Jennifer. Once of the most famous “rules” we would try is to give her all of the money and we would get all of the property. She could never figure out why we always won. And she never traded well, long been the victim of the “If you give me a bite of your hamburger, I’ll take some of your French Fries.”
Ever heard of these Monopoly rules:

1. All fines go to the middle and any player who lands on Free Parking gets the accumulated amount.
2. Double-money if you land on Go instead of just passing it.
3. No Income If You Are In Jail
4. No Property May Be Purchased Before All Players Have Gone Around Once

But none of these rules are in the official rules of Monopoly. My brother David and I loved Monopoly. I competed at Monopoly a few times. We read the Monopoly book, studied the rates of return on each property, knew the most commonly landed on properties, could tell instantly which space you had landed on as soon as you’d roll the dice. There is a big difference between tournament play and play at home.
But it was always interesting to find someone who insisted that one of the “house rules” was a real rule. Patiently we would pull out the real rules and ask them to find it. Some of them were interesting, most were generally harmless, but they were not the rules of the game.

[1] The Danger of Pseudo-Transformation vs. Authentic Christian Spirituality, John Ortberg, http://www.walk-this-way.com/ (viewed in November 2008).
[2]Ibid

Colossians 1:24-29: The Mystery

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Introduction
Did you ever see one of those movies or read one of those books where everything appears normal, but below the surface, there is actually another story playing out, a story at once more sinister and marvelous? That the events we read about in the news or watch on TV are really the backdrop for another more “real” story. In fact, when I was younger I used to try and re-imagine what was going on around me and see if I could take the same events but fit them into an alternate plot; usually a spy novel. Is that guy following me? Why?

In the previous verses, Paul introduced two key ideas that he is going to spend a little more time on here at the end of chapter 1. First, Jesus was died to so that we would have a path back to God and, second, this good news had seriously impacted Paul’s life.

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature
under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. – Colossians
1:23b

Now I took a look at the headlines this morning, but I didn’t see the word ‘gospel’ anywhere. The news this morning was full of politics and elections, sports results and stock market projections, a few comics, and a whole lot of ads. But the gospel ? Zippo. Nothing. Nada. So, where is this thing that was ‘proclaimed to every creature under heaven’? It sure is keeping a low profile. Is it sort of a stealth effort? A grassroots effort with a lot of roots and not a lot of grass? The topic of conversations held in secret by gospel agents?

A few weeks ago, I read an interview with two of the companies in the Sacramento area that produce campaign material, like banners, fliers, yard signs and campaign posters. They usually know who is thinking about running because they start getting requests for pricing and designs. They also said they always request cash up front, because, after the vote, sometimes its hard to find someone left to bill.

For someone without a campaign manager, Jesus sure does seem to get around. You seen his name popping up in all sorts of strange places. Never the front page. But there is a plot; a gospel conspiracy to turn the world back to God; a mystery that shows that history moves forward not on the backs of politicians and power-brokers and big-time CEOs, but on the service of his saints, agents of this Jesus and his good news.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a
testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:14

History has an end. The timetable is not set by man or by Satan, but by God.

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after
he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. – 1 Corinthians 15:24

History moves forward with lives transformed by Jesus. What part will you play?

Paul tells us what his part is: servant. Servants don’t set the agenda. Apostles don’t make the message. They do anything short of sin to see people come to Christ. They look to see where their Lord looks, go where he goes, give to what he gives to, live for what he restores and die for what he died for. Paul said:

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what
is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body,
which is the church – Colossians 1:24

Christ has no body now on earth but us, his people. Now that he is gone, we take the hits for the advance of the gospel. We’re not talking about what it took to rescue us from sin. We are talking about what it takes for the next step. Jesus did:

…just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her … - Ephesians
5:25b

Paul looks back at his own life and beckons to us to join him in following God. Here’s what he found out:

God Has A Mission For You (vs. 25)

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the
word of God in its fullness— Colossians 1:25

This word commission here is actually a word for management (see Luke 16:3). God was delegating! God put out a job application: “Wanted! Smart, high-energy, God-fearing Pharisee looking for a new boss. World-wide church franchising opportunities. Tough hours, poor pay but excellent benefits.” Saul responded, starting up new churches wherever he went, training new pastors, delivering all the goods in God’s word. Paul was a manager and the thing he managed was the gospel. God was his boss.

We have all been commissioned. God custom tailors each role to the unique way we are put together. Not all of us are Paul. Some of us work a different territory. Some are on the front lines and some are in supporting roles. But we all have a commission.

Jesus told a management parable once, in Luke 12. He compares two types of managers: the “faithful and wise” manager who consistently does what his master asks him and the foolish manager who abuses his position and gets drunk. Here’s what he says about the wise manager:

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. – Luke 12:48b

The job requisition that God has opened can only be filled by you because God designed it for you. My company has two openings in Folsom. It’s the first time in 7 years that they have tried to replace the position I had when I left working inside of Intel for my company. We have been searching for almost a year now for a candidate who is willing to come here. We have talked to plenty of talented engineers, but they aren’t from Folsom and don’t want to move here.

There are a lot of churches like that. God has open job reqs, but no one will take up the position God designed them for. So the church runs short-staffed and the person lives unfulfilled.

God Has a Message For You (vs. 26-27)

…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
– Colossians 1:26-27

It was Paul’s job to give the word of God in all of its fullness (vs. 25). In the same way that Jesus was presented as the fullness of God, Paul was commissioned to give them the fullness of God’s word. Everything that God wanted to say was available to the Colossians (the “saints”), without restriction or hierarchy. Remember our discussion about “special knowledge” for the chosen few? Paul is dismantling the system of have and have-nots in the kingdom of God.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and
in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. – Hebrews
1:1-2

There used to be secrets. There once were mysteries. Once upon a time, the special words of God were known only to a few. But now Jesus has come. If you are connected with him, you have full access to the wisdom of God:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him. – James 1:5

Paul uses the word “mystery” These mysteries were not unknowns, but in the minds of these mini-religions, they were Restricted Confidential, Top Secret, Need-To-Know Basis only. I remember once that Mike Stapleton, ex-FBI, told me that sometimes, at the crime scene, the people they had to keep out were other FBI bosses who thought they had a right to be there and just got in the way. So he developed the habit of not using the standard “Police” or “Caution” tape. Instead, he used “Biohazard”.

But when it comes to Jesus, the caution tape has come down, the mysteries are declassified, no top-secret clearance required. Why grovel at the feet of these gurus, when the good news is already in the open. And here it is: “this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The ultimate road block between man and God has crumbled, because God has set up residence with us.

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives
in you? – 1 Corinthians 3:16

This is the mystery: We have not become God. God has set his Holy of Holies within us, sending his Spirit to dwell in power in us, the same way he dwelt in the temple. We are special, unique, set apart, continually in the presence of God.

Not only is God with us always, it is just the start:

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,
set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come. – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

God Has a Method for You (vs. 28)
We aren’t all church-planters. God hasn’t made us seminary professors. But we can still learn from Paul:

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we
may present everyone perfect in Christ. – Colossians 1:28

First, we announce Jesus.
Second, we admonish or warn. This is the type of warning you give to someone you care about. Paul said:

I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. – 1
Corinthians 4:14

Third, we teach. The mysteries are not meant to be held back, but distributed freely.
We present. Remember when I said God delegates? Look at it here. We present everyone perfect in Christ, before God. In verse 22, it said:

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present
you holy in his sight without blemish and free from accusation- Colossians
1:22

Our goal needs to be the same as Gods. Last Friday I was really upset because my boss had first authorized me to start a new project, then cancelled it after I had really invested myself in it. I was stewing on it and stewing on it, even thinking about quitting or switching divisions. But then something Dave Babb told me over lunch came back to my mind. It seems that a church plant from his home church had its offices in downtown Mountain View. When the coffee house downstairs was going out of business, the church decided to buy the coffee shop. Red Rock Coffee. Now when I’m in town, I often go to lunch with my boss and he really likes to try new restaurants. But invariably afterwards, he wanted to take us to get quote-the best coffee in the Bay Area, bar none-end-quote. Red Rock Coffee. My goal is not to win my fight with my boss or get my project approved. My goal is to present everyone perfect in Christ.

That word “perfect” refers to someone who has completed a process, kind of like when you buy clothes for your kids a couple of sizes two big and you want your kids to grow into them. Then there are those few months when your kids actually fit what you bought them and you think: perfect. Well God’s shoes are big ones to step into, but he guarantees we will grow into them.

God Has the Means For You (vs. 29)
Sometimes we look at what God has for us and we look back. Maybe God has asked more than we are willing to give. Maybe God has asked more than we have. Here’s what Paul said:

To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works
in me. – Colossians 1:29

That word ‘labor’ has the idea of working until you are weary to the bone. Jesus used it when he talked about “come to me, all who are weary and burdened” (Matthew 11:28) Paul puts everything he has into fulfilling his commission. The next word ‘struggling’ is really agonodzimenos, where we get the word to agonize. It is used to talk about the effort put forth in sports competition to win the prize.

So, on one side, we have the weariness, the draining nature of doing what God has asked us to do. It is no wonder that many seek the short-cut the process, searching for the quick fix and the cheap alternative to maturity and mentoring, because it is so costly.

But on the other side, we see the energy put forth by God. Changing lives is God’s motivation and he is willing to expend all of his resources to make it happen.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us – Ephesians 3:20

As his hands and feet here on Earth, God will funnel into us what is needed to do his job.

Conclusion
In spy novels they always talk about sleeper cells. These are spies sent to live in a foreign country and live normal lives until the day when they are called upon to assist in some secret plot. They look like you and me, they have kids and jobs and shop for groceries. But really they have a mission.

God has placed his saints as sleeper cells into the kingdom of darkness. We have lives and kids and jobs and soccer practice and groceries, but that is just a front for God’s invasion plan.

This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and
Christ will shine on you." Be very careful, then, how you live—not as
unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are
evil. – Ephesians 3:14b-16

It is time for the sleeper cells to wake and take up the mission God has called us to and change the world.

Colossians 1:19-23: Coming Back To God

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and, through him, to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the
gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Introduction
On December 10, 2008, in front of the Oslo City Hall in Norway, Martti Ahtisaari will receive one of the world’s most prestigious awards, the Nobel Peace Prize “for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflict”[1] He has been a regular envoy for the United Nations and other countries in helping to resolve turmoil in Kosovo, Namibia, Northern Ireland and Indonesia.

The amazing thing about the Nobel Peace Prize is that they give it out every year. That’s right, we need to keep celebrating peace makers because we are so good at creating crises. In fact, in 2000, Martti founded the Crisis Management Initiative, a non-profit organization which helps the peace-making process.

Now, in the previous verses, we just talked about how Jesus was unique. He was unique because was God made flesh, because he was the firstborn, because he created everything and holds everything together and because he started the church. With this last point Paul is going to start talking about how the church was put together.

This week, we see Jesus was unique because of his mission. What was his mission? Peace with God. Peace with God. Not just a cease-fire. Not just a flag of truce, run out white flag. Peace with God.

In these verses, Paul paints a picture more bleak--more desperate—than any he has painted up to this point. In verse 12 of chapter 1, we were unqualified. In verse 13, we needed rescue. In verse 14 we were slaves in need of redemption. Each of those pictures shows us as lacking something. But listen to Paul’s language here:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your
evil behavior. – Colossians 1:21

Sometimes we draw a picture showing a canyon between us and God. We can’t get to God on our own. And that is true. But it is worse than that. We aren’t even facing God. We are walking away. These are the words of broken relationships; angry words; betrayal; apathy and contempt. Worse than a war between nations or a border dispute or a coup d’état, we are a world at war with God.

Is God an impersonal force for good? Is he the personification of the rules that are written down in the Bible? Is he the balance scales, weighing the good things we have done against the evil things we have done? Think about what I just said: “Is He…?” He. A personal pronoun. Remember the 2nd commandment? No graven images. That commandment goes on to say:

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a
jealous God… – Exodus 20:5a

Where you see “LORD” in that verse, it is the name of God: Yahweh. When the Israelites asked Moses about the God who was rescuing them from Egypt, Moses gave them the name that God told him on the mountain: Yahweh. Impersonal forces don’t have names.

Let me go one step further: “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God.” Impersonal forces aren’t jealous. God says: I have chosen you. I have given you a special place in my heart. I have loved you. Don’t you start looking around. Don’t let anyone or anything have that place in your heart that is mine alone, because I am a jealous God.

Sin is not a weight on a balance scale. It is not arrows missing a target. It isn’t check marks against your name on the blackboard. Sin is hurting a God who loves us and striking out at the ones He loves. God is jealous of our affections. He loves. He gets angry. And because he is God, he is the guardian not only of his own heart, but he is also the referee between you and me. He is the defender of the weak and the oppressed, the widow and the orphan, the unfairly accused and abused.

What we have done to God and what we have done to each other places us against God. We are alienated. We are enemies. God loves us but God is also fair.

In the movie The Princess Bride, Grandpa says, “Who ever said life is fair? Where is that written?” Life isn’t fair. So why do we keep expecting it to be fair? The question isn’t “Why does the bad guy win?” but rather, “Why do we expect it to be any different?” We keep expecting the white hats to ride in and save the day. We keep waiting for the girl to recognize the bad guy for what he is and fall for the good guy.

Would it be fair if embezzlers inherited a fortune? Would it be fair if liars got what they didn’t deserve? Would it be fair if the envious got more than they ever coveted? If the murderers got away without punishment? If the disloyal survived the betrayal? No, it would not be fair. We know it would not be fair. But it is exactly what we ask from God.

We want fairness. We want justice. But we need mercy. We need forgiveness. But, forgiveness comes at a cost. The Bible says:

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and
without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. – Hebrews 9:22b

Forgiveness is not free. When we forgive, we don’t require a blood sacrifice. Forgiveness transfers the cost of the sin to the forgiver. This was still true in the Old Testament. The blood of a lamb or a bull could not buy forgiveness. Because that obedience and respect was the sign that you were serious about the relationship with God. If you left that out, you missed the point.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt
offerings. – Hosea 6:6

God wants to find us. He leaves the 99 to find the 1 and you are the 1.

Forgiveness is not free-it transfers the cost to the forgiver. Jesus paid, not for our sin, but for our forgiveness.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God's grace. - Ephesians 1:7

You see, only you can pay for your sin. But only God can pay for forgiveness.

God’s Peace Making Plan: Sending the Savior (vs. 19)
Forgiveness requires that the forgiver pay the cost. And the only cost sufficient was the blood. The only answer for the world was for God to be made flesh and shed his blood, as it says in verses 19 and 20:

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.-Colossians 1:19

Last week we talked about how Jesus was the image of the invisible God. Paul used a dangerous word: icon to describe how Jesus’ carried the full significance of God in human flesh. But that word icon was a double-edged sword. It illustrates the double-edged sword of communicating spiritual truth (or any truth, for that matter) into a world prepared to misunderstand at every turn. Sort of like being a politician.

The trouble with the word icon was that the Colossians might think Jesus was just the image and nothing else. Sort of the hollow-chocolate-Easter-bunny version of God. Is that all Jesus was: the reminds-me-of-God, Savior? No! Paul clears it up by saying that in Jesus had the fullness of God. This wasn’t just the smell-of-apple-pie Jesus, this was the fullness-of-apples-bursting-through-the-crust Jesus.

In order for the God’s peace plan to work, it had to really be God. In order for God’s peace plan to work, the blood had to be real. It required someone both human and divine. If Jesus was just the hollow chocolate Easter bunny of God, he wouldn’t be able to take on the sin of the world.

Go back to verse 19 and circle the words “all things” Jesus had to be God in order to carry out forgiveness on such a scale. To bring back the world to God. This isn’t God sneaking a few of his best disciples out the back door of Planet Earth before he lights the blowtorch. This is a wholesale evacuation of Planet Earth, taking anyone who is willing. This is the Titanic with enough room in the lifeboat for everyone. But there is only way to safety: Jesus.

God’s Peace Making Plan: Reconciling Us (vs. 20-22)

…and, through him, to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth
or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once
you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil
behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death
to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
— Colossians 1:21-22

In the movie National Treasure, Ben Gates is sitting down next to the FBI agent at the end of
the movie, having discovered the most fantastic treasure of all, but caught in his own guilt. The FBI agent puts his elbow on his knees and says, “Somebody’s gotta go to jail, Ben”

God did not—indeed, could not—shortcut the requirements of fairness. Job said:

It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert
justice. – Job 34:12

Somebody’s gotta go to jail. Forgiveness is not free for the giver. But at the same time, God was not content to leave us without hope; to let us wander into the darkness without the chance to come back to the God who made us. For each one of us, God has two goals:

1. Reconciliation. Verse 20 says that “and, through him, to reconcile to himself all things.” To himself. The end of God’s movie for the world includes a reunion between people: you and God. God left the 99 to find the 1 and you are the 1. And when you return, he rejoices; he throws a party. The relationship is restored.
   
2. Restoration. Verse 22 says that he desires to “present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…” Do you want to come into heaven as the ugly step-child? Does God admit you grudgingly? Is the list of your failures forever foremost in His mind?

Somebody’s gotta go to jail and that somebody is Jesus.
Some people assume that because justice is delayed that justice is forgotten. Or some assume that justice delayed is the impotence of God. Where is God? Why doesn’t He do something. He is doing something. In Greek, patience is not a passive verb. It literally means: to suffer long or carry long. Like in 1st Corinthians 13 where it says “Love is patient” it really says: “Love suffers long.”

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Patience from God is not incompetence or blindness: it is love. It is justice deferred as long as possible to allow as many as possible to be re-united with him. That includes you and me. He is patient with us. He has waited for us to come back to the one who has loved us. The window of opportunity is open for each man and woman before patience expires and justice is enforced.
This idea of holy and without blemish come from the world of the sacrificial alter. When a lamb or bull was chosen for the sin offering, it was set apart for God (holy) and it was a perfect animal, without blemish. When Jesus went to the cross, he was the perfect sacrifice and, when we come to Christ, we identify with him, so that his death is our death and his life is our life:

…having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith
in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. – Colossians 2:12

God the Father accepted Jesus and now he accepts us as fully as Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus:

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him,
because he always lives to intercede for them. – Hebrews 7:25

As it says in Colossians 1:21: free from accusation.

God’s Peace Making Plan: Changing Me (vs. 23)

…if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope
held out in the gospel. –Colossians 1:23a

The gospel is meant to be life changing. If it is not life changing, it is either not genuine…or we are not. Your life should gradually progress in the same direction as God’s. It may not be a straight line, maybe sort of a spiral; maybe a jagged line.

Do you want a sneak peak of you, 100 years from now?

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness (the
icon) of his Son. – Romans 8:29

You are destined to look like Jesus. You were set apart for God, now act like it.

The greatest tests of a man or a woman are the commitments they make. The decision of a moment, made in the spur of the moment may show great bravery or foolishness, but the thousands of choices which result from a commitment are the truest form of heroism.

That heroism is also consistently saying “Yes” to God and “No” to the world. The gospel hasn’t changed. Sometimes we need a history lesson, a reminder of where we have come from and where we are going so that we are renewed in the choice we have made to be devoted followers of Jesus.

Conclusion: Changing The World
Paul ends his letter by inviting the readers to join him in the service of the gospel.

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature
under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. –Colossians 1:23

On January 24th, 1848, men working in the tail run of a new saw mill in Coloma found nuggets of a shiny metal: gold. After confirming the news, Samuel Brannan, a newspaper publisher in San Francisco set up a shop to sell gold-panning supplies and then walked the streets of the city shouting, “Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River” From those humble beginnings, tens of thousands of people from Latin America, Europe, Australia and Asia and, of course, the east coast of the United States rushed to California to make their fortunes in gold.

We have found the gold: the good news of Jesus. Paul speaks with the voice of experience; someone who has had to make tough choices for his decision to follow Jesus. But it is a bit of a strange sentence: Paul has become a servant of the good news. Something about the good news is so powerful, so compelling that it changes Paul’s life. Does it change ours?

Does the gospel compel us? I see people outside the church more worried about whales than souls. I see people inside the church worried more about dirty carpet than cleansed hearts. I don’t want to make people guilty but I do want to redirect their joy so that what makes God celebrate also is what makes us celebrate.

[1] http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2008/