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"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.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ." (Colossians 1:24-2:5)

Three amazing realities to fire up thanksgiving in you...

1. The profound gain to the pain of pushing back darkness (1:24,29; 2:1).

Let’s break down the rich reality of rejoicing in this kind of suffering...

In what? Suffering persecution and pain for intentionally ministering to people

Why? The dark hold evil has on fallen humanity

For whom? For the sake of the salvation mission of the church and the filling up of afflictions you must yet endure (deny self, carry cross) as you continue to face the same afflictions Christ encountered (Christ’s afflictions—both then and through His identification with us now)

The verse is best understood this way...

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, AND I fill up what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions in my flesh, for the sake of His body, which is the church.

2. The profound responsibility of being entrusted as stewards of the Word of God (1:25,28; 2:2,4).

The stewardship/house management of God’s affairs in the world, namely, the guardianship of
God’s Word in its fullness...

Calvary BC is called to be a fine spiritual dining experience in a sea of toxic junk.

...to know the purpose of God in Christ
...to be a finishing school for souls
...to not be deceived by “fine-sounding arguments”

3. The profound privilege in having the hidden mystery of God disclosed to us (1:26-27; 2:2-3).

The Great Prize - THE MYSTERY of God

CHRIST!
- Being awakened (manifested, revealed) to the supremacy of Christ in whom is all God’s
treasures of wisdom and knowledge—the true wisdom of faith in Jesus Christ for reconciliation with God.

- Being gifted with the indwelling Christ, and by that transaction, being a living advertisement of the hope of glory—a glorified bodily existence, freed of every encumbrance, forever!

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