October 22, 2017, Sunday Morning

SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS

COLOSSIANS 01:24-29

Christ relates to the universe

         He is preeminent

         Total control

Christ relates to His church

         Head of the church

Christ relates to the individual Christian

         Every person is a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ

1…THE JOY OF MINSITRY

Verse 24

Apostle Paul found great joy in serving others

You won’t ever find joy in this life unless you are serving others

1)…Never find joy in places!

Paul said I, now

In jail, prison, horrible, confined space, in chains

         No water, no toilets

    2)…Never find joy in people

In the Lord’s presence, there is fullness of joy

If you’re depending on people, You will always be miserable

No one will ever measure up to your expectations

You’re expecting a person to do what only God can do

    3)…Not going to find joy in stuff

Alone, in a jail cell with nothing

Yet Paul says I have joy

It's because Paul lived with the consciousness

Of the Holy Spirit…wherever he was, there was God

Lost people can look at a Christian and wonder what they have that makes them different... 

It’s not what we have its who we have...Jesus Christ!

2…MINISTRY HAS DEMANDS

Time

Emotions

Finances

Mental concentration

Verse 24

The ministry of Christ…

Continues to

·       Sing

·       Share

·       Change lives

Churches are trying to dilute the cost of discipleship

Trying to attract bigger crowds

3…RESPONSIBILITY OF MINISTRY

Verse 25

God gives us

·       Time

·       gifts

·       Talents

·       Opportunities

·       Resources

We have a responsibility to do something for Jesus

There’s nothing done for humanity more important than what you will do thru the local New Testament Church in the name of Jesus Christ.

4…THE GOAL OF OUR MINSITRY

Ultimately

• Teaching
• Sharing
• Singing
•          Doing for the glory of God

Verse 26

Two mysteries have been revealed

Something that has been hidden in the past has now been revealed

Mystery of the Body of Christ, the Church

In Jesus

·       Be one

·       Walls fall

·       Family

·       Brothers and sister

Second mystery is in Verse 27

Christ in you the hope of glory.

The Bible says we are in Christ

Also, Christ in us

5…THE ACTIVITIES OF MINISTRY

Warning every man…warn the lost

·       Need to know Jesus Christ

·       God is just, you will answer one day

·       One day he’s going to judge all sin

·       When you die without Christ, you’ll be in hell

·       They sent themselves to hell

·       Rejected offer of free grace

Warn the saved

·       Hebrews 2, How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation

·       Uselessness

·       Mediocrity

·       Spiritual dud

·       Prayerlessness

Halfhearted serving Jesus…

6…THE SUCCESS OF MINISTRY

Verse 29

The ones who succeed are the ones who don’t depend on themselves

But depend on God

Labor

Every ounce of energy