Growing Mature Christians

Growing Mature Christians
Col 1:28-29

Introductory Thoughts—What God wants believers to be—Col 1:9-11

1. What We Do: The Basic Task—28 Him we preach…” as it diagrams, this is the central declaration of the entire verse—everything is connected to it.

a. Language—“Whom we proclaim,” literally—that is, “Christ in you, the Hope of glory…”

b. This is the heart of the verse—Him we preach—The Message is Christ

(1) The Person of Christ

(a) Very God of Very God—Jehovah, the Rock of Ages, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, The Redeemer, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Creator, the Sustainer, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords—We proclaim HIM!
(b) Man, born of a woman, born under the Law, Virgin Born

(2) The Work of Christ—Perfect life, substitutionary Death, literal, bodily resurrection, ascended unto Glory, seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, returning for us, to rule and reign!

c. “Proclaim…” The Medium is proclamation, not just preaching

(1) The word means “…to publicly declare a completed truth or happening. It is a general term, and not restricted to formal preaching…” (MAC)
(2) “we” is plural
(3) “Proclaim” is present tense

d. “We proclaim…” These actions are not restricted to preachers—these are things every believer should do— “…We proclaim (kataggellomen). …in N.T. it means to announce (aggelloô) throughout (kata), to proclaim far and wide (Acts 13:5)…” ATR
e. Bottom line, what we do is we proclaim Christ, we preach Christ, in every way possible…

2. How We Do It—Him we preach—warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,

a. Language
(1) “…warning…” and “…teaching…” are present participles.

(2) Nouthetic discipleship—

(a) Definition (NIDNTT)—“…from [two words] meaning… (mind) and …(put), describe the exertion of influence upon the … (mind), implying that there is resistance…”

(b) “…By means of admonition, advice, warning, reminding, teaching, and spurring on, a person can be redirected from wrong ways and his behavior corrected. In contrast to [the word for regular teaching] which is concerned with the development and guidance of the intellect, noutheteo has to do with the will and feelings of a man.”

(c) Didaskolos—regular teaching

b. Exposition

(1) Warning every man…Nouthetic admonitionèconfronting believers with the truth!

(a) Admonition is particularly the ministry of the men of God

(i) Acts 20:31 ""Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."

(ii) 1 Cor 4:14 "I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you."

(iii) 1 Th 5:12 "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you…:14 "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all."

(b) However, it is also something that believers may use to minister to one another.

(i) Rom 15:14 "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."

(ii) Col 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

(2) “Teaching…”—Didactic discipleship—Mat 28:19-20—teaching

(a) Eph 4:12-16
(b) Acts 2:41-47

(3) “…In all wisdom…” —see 1 Cor 2:1-13—Doctrinal and practical depth—

3. Why We Do It— Him we preach —“…That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. …”

a. That we may present--aorist “…the final presentation to Christ…” ATR

b. We present—the real receiver of the work is the Lord!

c. Complete— ôÝëåéïí Eph 4:13-16

(1) “…the unity of the faith…”
(2) “…the knowledge of the Son of God…”
(3) “…to a perfect man…”
(4) “…to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”
(5) “…14 that we should no longer be children…”
(6) “…tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…”
(7) “…15 but, speaking the truth in love…”
(8) “…may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ…"

d. In Christ

(1) 2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

(2) Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"

(3) Eph 1:6 "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."

4. For Whom We Do It—“every man…”

a. Universal discipleship—every man—repeated three times— “…Every man (every human being), (panta anthroôpon). Repeated three times. “In opposition to the doctrine of an intellectual exclusiveness taught by the false teachers” (Abbott), From ATR.

b. Every man—discipleship, mature Christianity, is the goal for EVERY believer!

c. 1 Th 1:4ff

5. The Stress of the Work— Him we preach …29 To this end I also labor, striving…”

a. “…To this end…” Proclamation of Christ is for one purpose and for no other—to make disciples!

b. Labor—to work with the hands, “…to the point of exhaustion…” (MAC)

(1) Rev 2:3 ""and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary."

(2) 1 Tim 5:17 "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."

(3) 1 Tim 4:10 "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."

c. Striving—agonizing, like an athlete in training

(1) 1 Cor 9:25 "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."

(2) 2 Tim 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

6. The Power Behind the Work—Him We Preach, …according to His working which works in me mightily."

a. His working—Zec 4:6 "… Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

(1) Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

(2) Acts 4:33 "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."


b. Working in me Mightily

(1) The Words for “energy” and “dynamite” are both in this phrase!

(2) These are present tense participles, speaking of continuity

(3) The Gospel is a field of labor for the preacher

(Mat 9:37-38) "Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.""

(1 Cor 3:5) "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?"

(1 Cor 3:9) "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building."

(2 Cor 6:5) "in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;"

(1 Tim 5:17-18) "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine….”

(4) But the power to make it all effective comes from God Himself

1 Th 1:5 "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."