When most people in our churches speak of ministry, unfortunately they consider only the pulpit or the mission field, the preacher or the missionary. Is it not telling of the degree of fuzziness in our churchy-imaginations that we equate “the pulpit” as the total symbol of the pastor’s ministry. Thus, I have thought it appropriate to do a series on, well, “ministry.”
In the last sermon we spent most of our time in Colossians 1, ending with verse 23. Paul became a “minister” of the Gospel. My contention was that when Paul speaks of his becoming a “minister,” he is not referring to his Apostleship specifically. He is referring to his general call to active service for the Gospel. This general call is one that has been made to all believers. Paul’s specific ministry is as an Apostle. Paul’s general ministry is as a Christian, as saint. In this sermon I will continue his thought process through the end of Colossians 1.
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. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me (Col 1:24-29; ESV).
Here Paul more specifically describes his general ministry as “mak(ing) the word of God fully known.” Of course the specific “word of God,” of which Paul teaches is the mission of God to “mature” everyone “in Christ.”
There is a problem, though. What are we to make of Paul’s declaration that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body”? Is there something deficient or “lacking” about Jesus’s work of Salvation on the Cross? When Jesus cried out “It is finished” on the Cross, was He delusional from the mutilation the Cross wrought on his flesh?
Here is a question. Were these Colossian believers following in the dust of Rabbi Jesus, during His life in the flesh on earth? No. They are vastly removed from the authentic Jesus. There is a gap between Jesus and them. Paul is standing in that gap with his teaching and his lifestyle. Paul is being Jesus to them. Thus, we can quip–Paul is helping them to cross that gap and come into maturity in Christ.
Paul is doing this as an Apostle, but I suggest that this is the calling of every minister of the Gospel (which is every believer). Every Christian/minister is called to stand in the gap, fill up what is lacking, for the folks around them. What if every Christian were driven to church by the following question: “How can I fill in the gap between Jesus and you today? Paul did it as an Apostle. The ways in which we can do this are legion.
Consider the following passages:
- Romans 12:3-8
- Ephesians 4:1-16
- I Corinthians 12
These are but a few of the ways in which the Spirit of God may use us to fill in the gap between Jesus and the world–the Church and State, the Nations and the neighborhoods. I Corinthians 12:7 is quite a telling definition of spiritual gifts (ie. the ways in which the Spirit of God may use us to fill in the gap between Jesus and the world):
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (ESV).
Let us pray that the Spirit of God will give us an entrepreneurial spirit for ministry.
