Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20070923.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Colossians: Maturing Over False Beliefs By Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency
Part IX: Applying Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency To Godly Living
I. Relying On Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency For Effectively Discipling Believers
(Colossians 4:7-18)
  1. Introduction
    1. When Christ called us Christians to make disciples of all nations in Matthew 28:18-20, He directed us to teach them all truths He has taught us (Matthew 28:19a), that we not leave our new converts immature.
    2. Yet, anyone involved in discipling knows that to reach such an objective takes superhuman ability; for that reason, Christ added in Matthew 28:20b that He would be with us in our discipling work!
    3. Just how we can rely on Christ's supreme all-sufficiency in this effort is illustrated in Colossians 4:7-18:
  2. Relying On Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency For Effectively Discipling Believers, Colossians 4:7-18.
    1. Paul relied on Christ's supreme all-sufficiency effectively to comfort believers under trial, Col. 4:7-11:
      1. Since the Colossian epistle was penned during Paul's first Roman imprisonment (Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, 1978 ed., p. 1690, "Place of Writing"), his Christian readers were concerned about his welfare.
      2. Accordingly, he had sent this Colossian epistle with Tychicus and Onesimus, announcing Tychicus' credentials (they already knew Onesimus, cf. Philemon 10-21) so they could report on Paul's welfare for their comfort, and report back to Paul of their welfare for his encouragement, Colossians 4:7-9.
      3. He also supplied encouraging greetings from friends the Colossians knew and loved, Col. 4:10-11.
      4. Paul thus relied on Christ's involvement in other believers to do the actual comforting beyond his own inability to meet these folk in person, holding Christ to be the Head of all the Church, cf. Col. 1:17-18.
    2. Paul relied on Christ's supreme all-sufficiency effectively to teach believers, Colossians 4:12-16, 18:
      1. One of the greetings Paul conveyed to the Colossian readers came from Epaphras, one of the Colossian believers who was with Paul, and Paul noted he had labored in intercessory prayer for the Colossians and her sister churches at Laodicea and Heliopolis that they all might mature in Christ, Col. 4:12-13.
      2. This concern for the maturity of these believers is clarified by Paul's words in Colossians 1:28-2:3 to refer to their need to stand solid in trusting Christ's supreme all-sufficiency versus to the errant teachings they faced from pagan philosophy, legalism, mysticism and asceticism, cf. Col. 2:4, 5-23.
      3. In adding other encouraging greetings in Colossians 4:14-15, Paul urged that the Colossian letter be read in the Laodicean Church, and that Paul's letter to Laodicea be read to the Colossians, Col. 4:16.
      4. So, upon exercising the human efforts of intercessory prayer and teaching by way of correspondence, though restricted from personally meeting these folk, Paul left the results of such efforts to Christ, the Supreme, All-Sufficient Head of the universal Church, to make such efforts effective in protecting these believers at Colossae, Laodicea and Heliopolis from the errors they faced.
    3. Paul relied on Christ's supreme all-sufficiency effectively to admonish a fellow believer, Colossians 4:17:
      1. For reasons unknown to us, Archippus, who was part of the Colossian Church, had been tempted to cease doing the ministry assignment in the Church that he had received from the Lord, Colossians 4:17.
      2. Trusting Christ's supreme all-sufficiency over the whole Church, including over the waning Archippus, Paul directed that, in his absence, the believers there admonish Archippus in his place to fulfill the ministry he had been assigned by the Lord, Col. 4:17. Paul thus left to Christ to apply his vicarious admonition effectively to Archippus since Christ was the spiritual Head of Archippus, Col. 1:17-18!
    4. Paul closed his epistle by urging his readers to recall his bonds in intercessory prayer in faith so that Christ, his own Supreme, All-Sufficient Head, would help him in prison, Colossians 4:18 with 1:17-18!
Lesson: With confidence in Christ's supreme all-sufficiency in His Headship of the discipling of all believers unto maturity, though humanly severely restricted by his imprisonment, Paul comforted, taught, admonished and asked others by letter to pray that each might be effectively discipled in Christ!

Application: Though God calls us to perform ministry activities such as intercessory prayer, teaching and admonishing in His assignments for us, for such efforts to be EFFECTIVE takes Christ's infinite oversight of us all! May we thus trust Christ's supreme all-sufficiency to make our ministries effective!