Colossians 1:24-29

Paul’s Labour for the Church

24Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

We proclaim Him the LORD Jesus Christ. The message is Christ in you. Once you grasp that Christ in you, you get sense of boldness and courage and your testimony is going to flow through you, you will know what to say how to say because Christ living His life through you and that very moment when you share your message with someone else.

The message is; we are to announce to the world that LORD Jesus Christ came into the world, died at Calvary, paid your sin debt in full, now you can be forgiven of your sins, and that same Christ came through the Holy Spirit to live in you through you. This is the message to be preached.

Believers are to grow in the LORD in spiritual maturity. Our understanding who GOD is and understanding how GOD works in our lives. When we start to understand the way GOD works then we begin to mature, when we begin to understand and experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and sharing the Gospel and encouraging others and counselling them we are growing to maturity.

When you want to know more, you want to spend all your time to discover who He is, then you know you are on your way to maturity. Its endless growing, limitless. You know every day more, you hear it and apply it. You know whether you have deep hunger to know the LORD and His ways.

GOD’s plan, method is – admonishing everyone, warning every man, confronting everyone with the consequences of their sin. Then teaching every man with wisdom, instructing them in the principles of GOD.

Maturing in Christ is that you cannot keep quiet about LORD Jesus. He is living His life in us, to live through us, make us sufficient with every circumstances in our lives.

For this purpose you labour to mature them, to grow them up, through teaching, sharing, instructing. For our love for LORD Jesus Christ, it is the power of the Holy Spirit keeps us going, energising us.

< Message of the church is ‘Christ in you’

< GOD’s purpose is maturing the body

< GOD’s plan is teaching, warning, and labour in the power of Holy Spirit.

LORD Jesus Christ is the only message and be willing to work at it. Explain to people Christ paid our debts in full and He is within you. You are saved by grace not based on your merits.