WELCOME and THANKS for joining us.
OPENING COMMENTS
- Today’s Sunday Gathering is in three parts:
- Sunday LinkUp
- Sunday MeetUp
- Sunday School
- The theme for this week is the central importance of hearing and speaking God’s word.
- The selected readings for today — the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost — are intended to support that theme …
- In our call to worship psalm (Psalm 52:1–9), there are strong denouncements toward those who are using their words for deceit and destruction rather than truth and life.
- The Old Testament reading — from Amos 8:1–12 — contains accusations of Israel oppressing the poor and a warning that Israel will be visited with a famine of hearing God’s word.
- The reading from Colossians 1:15–28 places emphasis on sharing the word of God with others as the response of being reconciled by Jesus’ death.
- The Gospel text in Luke 10:38–42 recounts Jesus’ words to Martha that her sister Mary had chosen wisely to prioritize listening to what Jesus was saying instead of being worried and distracted by urgent* demands.
* (Cf. book, The Tyranny of The Urgent … by Charles Hummel)
Part ONE
Sunday LinkUP
FIRST READING
Luke 10:38-42
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
FIRST MESSAGE
- Mrs. Fidget
- Greg Williams
Program Transcript +
In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Four Loves, Lewis writes a descriptive picture of love gone bad. He introduces us to Mrs. Fidget, who is known for living for her family. But it turns out that this is not a complementary description. Mrs. Fidget displays a distorted expression of love that makes the objects of her love miserable. For example, Lewis writes:
“For Mrs. Fidget, as she so often said, would ‘work her fingers to the bone’ for her family. They couldn’t stop her. Nor could they — being decent people — quietly sit still and watch her do it. They had to help. Indeed, they were always having to help. That is, they did things for her to help her do things for them which they didn’t want done.”
Lewis had other humorous descriptions of Mrs. Fidget that painted a picture of someone serving themselves in the name of “love.”
Have you ever known someone like that? Someone who tries to control you on account of looking out for your best interest. “I’m only doing this for you” they might say. They give gifts no one wants that end up being demanding burdens. Lurking behind their posture of “love” is a deep-seated self-interest. Their “love” for others is really a love for themselves.
This distorted love may be easier to spot in someone else, but have you ever seen it in yourself?
It may sneak into our actions more than we think. Even Martha, who welcomed Jesus into her home, seemed to be slipping into this trap while serving him. The story relays that Martha’s sister, Mary, is listening to Jesus while sitting at his feet. Mary is exactly where she needs to be. But Martha begins to act a little like Mrs. Fidget:
“But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’”
Luke 10:40-42 (NRSV)
Jesus was gentle, but he wasn’t going to let Martha rob Mary of the words of life he was giving her. Maybe we need to hear Jesus’ gentle correction ourselves and ask ourselves if we are focused on the more important things of life – following Jesus, and loving others as he loved them.
Either way, Jesus opposes the Mrs. Fidget approach to life, where we get so distracted serving others with self-seeking expressions of love that we neglect what they need and what we need – to stay focused on Jesus. This is the better part, Jesus says, which cannot be taken away from us.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
Part TWO
SUNDAY MEETUP …
BIBLE READING
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight — 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
SERMON
Knowing and Proclaiming the Word of God
Colossians 1:15–28 ESV
A well written hymn can proclaim God’s word as powerfully as the most elegant of sermons. Perhaps you know of a few hymns that speak to you in that way. A good hymn may have a pleasing tune with a memorable melody, but what makes a hymn great is its words. Today, our text for the sermon begins with a hymn that Paul writes down in his letter to the church in Colossae. And it is a hymn that belongs in the “great” category. So, regardless of the sermon that follows, you are guaranteed to hear at least one great sermon today.
Paul doesn’t take long to include a hymn that most likely was known and sung by many in the early church. His letter to the Colossian believers begins with some typical introductory remarks where he names himself, along with Timothy, as the sender, and identifies the recipients as the saints and faithful in Christ at Colossae (Colossians 1:1–2). Then he writes twelve verses expressing his thankfulness for their faith, hope, and love. Paul is thankful because he knows that they have heard and responded to the gospel by the Spirit. On this basis, Paul prays that the Colossian believers will grow to know God more so they can “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,” a manner likened to “bearing fruit” in all they do. It’s after this introduction, thanksgiving, and prayer that he chooses to include one of the deepest Christological passages of the New Testament. It may have been an early confession of faith set in the form of rhythmical prose. And notably, he transitions from his introduction to this hymn with a reminder that it is Christ who is the center of our salvation and redemption.
Before we look at the first 6 verses that compose this hymn, it is instructive to note what Paul is trying to achieve by including it. He has spent considerable time expressing his gratitude that his brothers and sisters in Colossae have heard and responded in faith to God’s word of good news in Jesus Christ. In short, he is thankful that they have come to know who God is, and what he has done, as revealed in his Son Jesus. On that basis, Paul’s prayer reveals what he wants to accomplish in his letter. Namely, he wants them to be “filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” and to live accordingly and to increase “in the knowledge of God.” In other words, he wants more of what he is thankful for. Paul’s gratitude is that they know God and his concern is that they come to know him more. Everything else is secondary and of less importance. So, the rest of his letter will aim in aiding this church to that end. He is going to remind them once again of who Jesus is, what he has done, and who we are in relationship with him.
If you do a parallel study of Paul’s letters, you will find this common desire. He wants people to know the Lord and grow in that knowledge. Do we have the same priority in our own lives? How often do we think knowing who God is is “good enough” to move on to something “more important?” Obviously, if we think there is something “more” to move onto then we clearly do not know fully who God is. We may fall into the temptation of thinking that once we get our theology, or knowledge of who God is, reasonably straight, we can then move on without him, like checking a box on our to-do-list. But following Paul’s approach, once we come to know who God is in Jesus Christ, we are set on a path of growing in knowing him more. That is the “fruit” we are to bear in our walk with Christ. Other fruit may come from that primary goal of knowing God, but that’s not the ultimate reason God saved and redeemed us. He has reached down in Jesus Christ to bring us up to know him in the same way the Son knows the Father.
Now we can see why Paul begins his message with a deep Christological hymn. He wants to take his brothers and sisters even deeper in knowing who God is and what he has done. These first 6 verses serve as a rich reminder to the church in Colossae, and us as well, of who Christ is.
Who He is
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15–20 ESV
This is a hymn worth putting to memory. Each statement made represents countless hours of meditation needed to scratch the surface. It seems Paul knows this hymn is the best start for reminding us of who God is. It is a sermon before the sermon. So, for our purposes, we can at least take a cursory review of this hymn before moving on to see what Paul wants to say in addition.
First, Jesus is said to be the “image of the invisible God.” That is a startling and paradoxical statement. How can something be an “image” of something that is “invisible?” What this statement conveys is exactly what Paul wants to achieve. It is only in Christ that we are able to come and know who God really is in his very heart and character. Without Christ, God remains invisible to us. We are left in the “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13) and left to our own mythological and sinful projections of who God is. Without Jesus, God becomes Zeus and worse. The best we can muster is a “bigger and badder” version of ourselves. Paul uses this hymn to remind us that if we are to grow in our knowledge of God, we must begin and remain with Jesus. There is no other place where we are to see who God is.
Second, Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation.” The hymn fills this out to mean that Jesus is the creator of all there is and that all that there is was created for him. This has cosmic implications for us and all creation. All things, us included, belong to Jesus. Everything answers to him. Also, everything finds its meaning in him. We are not in a position to determine our own destiny or claim our own identity, no matter how often we may hear that message from others. Additionally, Christ is in charge throughout all history and in fact existed before history. He is involved in all creation and history to bring about his glorious purposes for it. As the hymn states, “in him all things hold together.” We do not have to cower to all the fear-mongering in our world that is thrown at us. There are lots of messages that try to exert great power and control over people by warning of some impending doom if we do not comply to whatever agenda is being pushed. This hymn lets us know that our world and the entire cosmos belong to the Lord, and we can trust he is not going to let us destroy it. He gets the final word. That doesn’t mean we don’t work towards being good stewards of the world he has created.
Third, Jesus is “the head of the body, the church.” The hymn now narrows from the cosmic picture of who Jesus is and focuses on his personal and intimate involvement within it. It is the Church that Jesus calls into existence with his resurrection, making him the “beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus is not only “head” of the Church in the sense that he is its Lord, but he is also the source of the Church’s life. The picture of body and head points to the intimate relationship Jesus has with his Church. Where Jesus goes, the body follows.
The Church is where we see what God has been up to all along in his Son Jesus, namely to dwell with us. In Jesus, God has created the ground for this “by the blood of his cross,” reconciling all things to himself. And take note that it was God’s good pleasure to do this. God is not hesitant or reluctant to dwell with his people, and there is no cost he won’t pay to bring it about. This is the God we are called to worship and enjoy forever. And he is given to us in his Son Jesus Christ.
Now that the hymn has done the heavy lifting for Paul, reminding his readers of who Jesus is, he is going to add some words of his own about what Jesus has done.
What he has done
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. Colossians 1:21–23 ESV
Paul expresses one long continuous thought in these verses which are all connected by what we today refer to as supporting clauses and connecting participles. We refer to this as a run-on sentence typical from Paul that is packed with deep theological insight. Did you notice how Paul makes it personal? His address is to “you” directly. The first thing he says is not a word of affirmation or flattery, but a real assessment of our predicament — one Paul can identify with after coming face-to-face with the Lord on the road to Damascus. Considering all that has been said in the hymn, we are put in a place to hear such a hard word about our alienated, hostile, and evil orientation.
When we come to know who God is as revealed in Jesus, we cease to fear all that is against us in this world, including our own sinful rebellion against the Creator of all. We can come to confess, or agree with, Paul’s assessment of our fallen state along with our need for salvation. And we have such a salvation in Jesus Christ. He has done the work of reconciliation “in his body of flesh” setting us on a whole new basis of being “holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” That’s a staggering new reality to grasp, so much so that Paul knows he needs to add the qualifier that we must “continue in the faith” and take our stand over and over on the hope held out to us in the good news of Jesus the living Word. It’s to this end that Paul sees his ministry.
This can give us a pretty good clue to a focus we have in the Church — God’s Word. That’s why all that we do in our worship gatherings needs to be grounded in and springing from the written word that points to the living Word. This good news must be proclaimed, not only to the world by the witness of the Church, but to each other as worshipers who make up that Church.
How often do we take the opportunity to encourage one another with the hope we have in Christ? Like Paul, that is our primary ministry. Proclaiming God’s word of reconciliation and hope flows out of knowing that Jesus has accomplished that reality for us. We are no longer enslaved by our “alienated and hostile” minds. We are freed from our bent toward “evil deeds” and set free to be reconciled and live “holy and blameless” lives beyond reproach. This is the life of faith, hope, and love that Paul referred to in his introduction. We may not see it in our lives fully yet, but we live in the sure hope that Jesus will complete what he started. We trust him as the “firstborn from the dead” to bring us fully into the new resurrection life he has for us.
On the basis of who Jesus is (as Paul has illustrated by use of a hymn) and on the basis of what Jesus has done for us, Paul will now draw out the implications of who we are in relationship with him.
Who we are in relationship with him
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Colossians 1:24–28 ESV
Paul begins by putting into perspective that the sufferings he has endured are in some way connected to “Christ’s afflictions” and both are for the sake of the Church. That speaks of the great value Jesus has placed on us. There is nothing he won’t do, and hasn’t done, to save his people. Those who are called to proclaim his name to others reflect that costly service. For Paul, this calling is a cause of rejoicing.
A central role of that calling is to “make the word of God fully known,” a word that Paul calls a “mystery hidden for ages and generations.” This mystery is not meant to remain a secret, but is being proclaimed to “the Gentiles,” which is another way of saying, to everyone.
And what is this great mystery to be proclaimed? The one who is the “image of the invisible God,” and the one who is “the firstborn of all creation,” and the one who is “the head of the Church,” the one who existed for all eternity before creation and the one who created all that exist and the one who holds all things together, is the Christ who is “in you.”
That’s the “hope of glory” we are to proclaim to all. And notice that this proclamation includes both warning and teaching. The reality of “Christ in you” changes everything. To go against that reality is to undo ourselves and to miss out on the grand purpose of glory God created us for. Because of the weight of this reality there are stark warnings throughout Scripture to not go against it.
We proclaim Christ, warning and teaching with “all wisdom” to “present everyone mature in Christ.” As the Church, we are to continue to grow up into that reality. As we live in faith, hope, and love, which is the life shared with us in Christ, we will join in the same ministry Paul found such joy in — proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
As we look at how Paul has answered the questions — who is Jesus, what has he done, and who are we in relationship to him — we are not really left with any question about what we should do. It is implied throughout that the proper response to this reality is to live more and more into the reality. A way this gets articulated is with a focus on hearing and proclaiming this word of the gospel. As believers, if we are to grow up in Christ, we are to remain in God’s word. Jesus is that “Word” which we remain in, and it is his written word, the Bible, that serves to that end. This is also a word that we proclaim to one another, and also to the world. Believers are left with the joy to know the living Word by feeding deeply on the written word. (Note 1 Peter 2:2) So, Paul has fed us deeply today with the inclusion of a rich Christological hymn along with his reminders of what Jesus has done for us for the sake of bringing us into the deepest relationship possible with the Father, in Jesus by the Spirit. Now we can be encouraged to once again to receive this word for ourselves, and also to pass it on to others. This profound mystery is not a secret to keep to ourselves. Amen!
CLOSING SONG of Response
CLOSING PRAYER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- As of Sunday, August 3 … I’m planning to have our Sunday Fellowship Meeting (aka the LinkUp) in two (2) phases:
- the first phase will feature the Speaking of Life video and an interactive review of the transcript … ONLINE … starting at 9:00 a.m. (JM time) … lasting for about 40 minutes.
- the second phase will feature our usual interactive sermon – based on the Lectionary Notes from Home Office … ON-SITE and ONLINE … starting at 10:00 a.m. (JM time) … lasting for about 90 minutes
- As of August 3, the Sunday School will offer actual remedial reading lessons, which will be offered FREE to children from the communities around us. The Sunday School will be scheduled to go from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. and will include Bible-based reading lessons, miscellaneous activities and snacks.
- Prayers for both the fellowship meetings and the Sunday School will be greatly appreciated … and the opportunities for ministry that they provide.
- Prayers being requested also for our ONLINE MINISTRY, which is being retro-fitted to make it more efficient and effective … as a ministry arm of GCJ and a funnel to the Sunday fellowship meetings.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- What are some hymns that have spoken to you like a sermon?
- Paul uses a hymn to remind us of who Jesus is. Was there anything that expanded your understanding of who Jesus is?
- What was significant for you in Paul’s articulation of what Jesus has done for us?
- Why do you think Paul rejoiced in his sufferings that came from proclaiming God’s for the sake of the believers in Colossae?
- What are some implications you see of knowing that Christ is in you?
- According to the sermon, why would a proclamation of the gospel contain both warning and teaching?
- What are ways we can participate in hearing God’s word spoken to us?
- What are ways we can participate in sharing God’s word with others?
CLOSING SONG
CLOSING PRAYER