Colossians 1.24–29
Colossians 2.1-5

EQUIP
EQUIP is a ministry of John Maxwell which is designed to equip leaders abroad to do the work of Christ.

Bill Bright predicted that 1 billion people would come to know Christ in the first decade of the 21st Century (by 2010). This is creating a need in the church:
4,000 pastors needed each month
2 million churches needed
EQUIP needs 200 trainers in the next few months

Where there are stories of persecution, there are stories of people coming to know Christ.

In Iran, a University shows Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of The Christ” with 25 students giving their lives to Christ each night. It is overwhelming the Church. There are not enough leaders to sustain such growth.

Suffering of the Body of Christ
~When the Body of Christ suffers, Christ suffers. In Acts 9.4-5, when Saul is persecuting Christians, Jesus speaks that he is persecuting him:
"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
    5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
   "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.

~Suffering is a recurring theme in the books of the Bible following the Gospels.

~It is not in our nature to suffer
1 Peter 4.13 says, “Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ.”
Matthew 10.24 says, "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master." If Christ suffered, we will endure suffering.

~Can’t have the glory without the suffering.
Romans 8.17 "… if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

~When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer.
1 Corinthians 12.26 says, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

Persecution in our World Today
Open Doors International is a ministry founded by Brother Andrews (author of God’s Smuggler.) Read the Testimony of a Chinese Believer.

The Mystery of Faith
~God gives each of us gifts, not for our own good, but the good of the body, the church.
25I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God—given to me for you … 26that is, the mystery …

~The mystery is for all, Jew and Gentile alike
27God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Galatians 3.28-29

~The mystery of God in Christ
2 … they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

For Further Prayer and Reflection
Romans 8.18-39
Romans 5.1-11

For this series, we’re using the New English Translation. It’s posted
online by chapter, so you can read today’s text by clicking on
Colossians 1.24–29 and Colossians 2.1-5.

God call servants
First, let’s talk about God’s call. Paul writes, “according to the
stewardship from God.” Clearly (from here and other writings), Paul
understood that he was called by God for a special task in the body of
Christ. We, too, are called to play a vital role in the church. Have
you acknowledged your call? Do you know what you are called to do in
this world?

Called to be servants
Paul calls himself a servant in 1.23 (servant of the gospel) and 1.25
(servant of the church). First and foremost, we are called to be
servants.

Servants are called to suffer
"I rejoice in my sufferings for you," Paul writes, "and I fill up in my
physical body—for the sake of his body, the church—what is lacking in
the sufferings of Christ." At first, I wrestled with that last part,
"what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ." But then I remembered
what Paul’s (then Saul) experience on the road to Damascus. Jesus asked
Saul why he was persecuting him. Then, Jesus’ words to
Ananias, whom Jesus was sending to Paul, were that God would show him
what things he must suffer for the kingdom. We participate in the
ongoing sufferings of Christ when we serve God in a world that is
anti-Christ.

Servants are called to proclaim
Paul says, "We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people." He says this is his goal. So, let’s talk about our goal.

The Servants’ Goal — To form disciples of Jesus Christ

• “so that we may present every person mature in Christ”
• “that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be
  encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings
  in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely,
  Christ”

I love that we can see the Great Commission right here in Colossians.
Our goal is to form disciples of Jesus Christ, to lead others toward
maturity in Christ.

Today, we want to get very practical. The following "church ministry
plan" and my "personal ministry plan," you will see or hear again and
again. This is our (and my) goal. This is the direction we’re going in.

Our Church Ministry Plan

• Embrace our call to be servants
• Pray!
• Gain willingness to risk, to suffer (we need courage)
• Cultivate relationships (with brothers/sisters; with unreached friends)
• Develop a missional focus to proclaim Christ
• Grow disciples (ourselves and others)

Interestingly, Paul talks about how hard this work is. We, too,
need to realize that it’s going to be hard work: to turn things around,
to become missional again, to grow ourselves and others, to sow seeds
in the Valley, to follow God in a world that’s not as receptive to the
church as it once was.

My Personal Ministry Plan
The following is my understanding of the role of pastor. I’m going to do my best to follow these guidelines and priorities.

Read Acts 6.1-7 and Ephesians 4.11-13.

My goal is to spend 80% of my time doing these things …

 
• Pray

 

• Teach (preach, cast vision, proclaim, etc.)

 

• Equip (self, leaders, servants)

and the remaining 20% of my time in other areas, such as …

 
• Caregiving

 

• Administration

 

• Etc.

My job is to give away ministry. I will do this by equipping you
for the work of the ministry. As more and more people are equipped,
more and more ministry and outreach will happen in our Valley. More
seeds will be sown, and as a result, a greater harvest will be
experienced!

I am excited about what God is doing in, through, and among us! May God use us for his glory!