BIG IDEA:
PAUL’S PASSION FOR PROCLAIMING JESUS CHRIST DROVE HIM TO
FULFILL HIS CALLING TO SACRIFICIALLY MINISTER TO THE GENTILES
INTRODUCTION
Acts 9:4-6;15-16 – What was Paul’s ordained ministry? His Calling? His special role in the Body of Christ? Paul’s reflection back on how he has lived out this special calling:
– remembers the personal involvement of Christ in persecutions directed against His body
“Why are you persecuting me?”
– remembers the privilege of intimacy with Christ involved with suffering for the cause of the gospel
(Why did Christ choose him to be the “Apostle to the Gentiles”? Why not choose a Gentile believer?)
What is our passion in life?
cf. the language of quest or adventure … such as the movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark where
“the hero sets off on an extraordinary challenge, questing for something that is of great value, suffering and being deprived, but extending himself because the challenge is so worthy of the effort” – Zeisler
I. (:24) THE MISERY OF PROCLAIMING JESUS CHRIST TO THE GENTILES –
SUFFERING PHYSICALLY FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST
Hymn: “Must I be carried to the skies in flowery beds of ease,
while others fought to win the prize and sailed thru bloody seas.”
A. Physical Suffering – “in my flesh”
1. “sufferings”
2. “afflictions”
B. Spiritual Joy – “Now I rejoice” – so he didn’t look at it as Misery
What gave him cause for such surprising joy?
Didn’t love to get beat; but rejoices in his sufferings because they are purposeful
cf. in house arrest at Rome so he had oppty to write letters such as this
giving up his physical life so that others might have the privilege of spiritual life
“Now” is emphatic by position
C. Unselfish Orientation
1. “for your sake” (repeatedly emphasized in this passage)
2. “I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church)”
D. Fellowship with Christ – “in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”
1. Privilege of suffering for the cause of Christ
2. Distinction between Christ’s suffering for our sins on the Cross and His sufferings for righteousness sake by virtue of His identification with the Father;
Difficult phrase here – the word “lacking” does not refer to something negative, but rather to the concept of quantity – there is some sum total of suffering for the sake of righteousness which has yet to be completed; call it a predestined amount of suffering until we reach the culmination … just as there is a predetermined number of the elect that will eventually be saved
2. Contrast between physical body of Christ and spiritual body of Christ
II. (:25) THE MINISTRY OF PROCLAIMING JESUS CHRIST TO THE GENTILES –
SERVING AS A FAITHFUL STEWARD OF THE GOSPEL
(vs. 23 had called himself a minister of the gospel – to make the word of God fully known … here a minister of Christ’s church – to make the people of God fully mature — Lucas)
A. Ministry Characterized by:
1. Servanthood – “of this church I was made a minister”
NT concept of “deacon” vs. how Christendom has applied the term “minister” to that of a special office of church leadership; Should one man be called “the minister” of a specific local church?
one who gives up his rights and take a subordinate position to benefit others
(not one who asserts his rights and takes the highest position to benefit himself)
2. Stewardship – “according to the stewardship from God”
B. Ministry Fulfilled by:
1. Divine Calling and Giftedness – “bestowed on me for your benefit” (cf. spiritual gifts)
freely we have received, we need to freely give
2. Human Responsibility – “that I might fully carry out” (human initiative and follow thru)
C. Ministry Focused Around:
the Proclamation of the Word of God — “the preaching of the word of God”
cf. Acts 20:27 – Paul proclaimed the entire counsel of God; did not pick and choose certain sections and neglect others
III. (:26-27) THE MYSTERY OF PROCLAIMING JESUS CHRIST TO THE GENTILES –
SHARING THE SECRET OF THE INCLUSION OF THE GENTILES ON AN EQUAL BASIS WITH THE JEWS
A. Definition of Term – “Mystery”
not something that we try to figure out by searching thru all the clues and reaching a brilliant conclusion
B. When was it Hidden and Why?
“hidden from the past ages and generations”
C. When was it Revealed and Why and to Whom?
“but has now been manifested to His saints”
“to whom God willed to make known”
D. Substance of the Mystery –
“Christ in you, the hope of glory”
Lucas: “it seems that the walk of faith was being disparaged and something more immediate demanded. Did the new teachers offer something more dynamic, centred not at God’s right hand in heaven but in the human heart?
It seems very likely that they were the forerunners of those who have made a false, and ultimately fatal, distinction between God’s work for us and in us. To Paul these were two sides of the same work of grace. He may have feared a new outlook where activity of ‘God in us’ was a further work of grace not irrevocably linked with his activity ‘for us’. In that case justification and sanctification, forgiveness and life, would develop into separate gifts of God…
in this letter, where Paul might normally have spoken of the Holy Spirit, he substitutes the name of Christ”
cf. Harry Ironside’s disillusionment with pursuing the “second blessing” …
Lucas: “Such must always be the end of that road for an honest person. If we claim to receive what God has not promised, the result must ultimately be disillusionment.
How different is Paul’s gospel! The experience of Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith gives not the possession but the promise of full salvation. The greatest gift of Christ in the present is hope for the future. Since he is in heaven our hopes are inevitably centred there. For this life, grace is sufficient. Glory (Paul’s ‘second blessing’) belongs to the age to come.”
E. Richness of the Mystery –
“the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles”
IV. (:28-29) THE MISSION OF PROCLAIMING JESUS CHRIST TO THE GENTILES –
STRIVING FOR THE GOAL IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE POWER OF CHRIST
A. Focus of Proclamation – “And we proclaim Him”
a person; not a system of thought
how much of our preaching centers around Christ?
B. Two Methods of Proclamation
1. “Admonishing every man” – more personal; application-oriented (like counseling)
warning unbelievers of judgment to come and challenging believers to apply the truth to practical areas in their life
2. “Teaching every man” – more general; systematic; public and private teaching
contrast between the emphasis of Paul and the emphasis of the false teachers
“every man” mentioned 3 times
not just a message for the elite (like the Gnostic teaching)
C. Insight of Proclamation – “with all wisdom”
D. Goal of Proclamation –
“that we may present every man complete in Christ”
“Be all you can be” theme
cf. desire of parents to see their children function as mature, capable adults – would not be right for us always to act as children; obedient fulfillment of the divine will
mature believers will have caught Paul’s passion and be consumed in their own ministry
E. Energy of Proclamation —
1. Maximum expenditure of wearisome human effort
“and for this purpose also I labor, striving”
– image from workplace – grow weary in toiling
– image from sports – giving 100% effort
2. Maximum dependence on mighty divine power
“according to His power, which mightily works within me”
word used only of supernatural power – whether of God or the devil;
Kent: “always denoted effective power – power which was able to accomplish
whatever task it undertook”