God’s Work and Our Service
1. God’s Work:
20-23 – Reconciled to God
• The Plan of Reconciliation – vs. 20 “by Him to reconcile all things to Himself…”
•
The Means of Reconciliation – vs. 20b, 22a “having made peach through
the blood of His cross…He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body
through death…”
• The Aim of Reconciliation – vs.
22 “In order to present you before Him holy and blameless and
beyond reproach”
• The Evidence of Reconciliation
– vs. 23 “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and
steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel.”
2. Our Supreme Service
23-29—Paul’s Act of Service
* The Source of the Service—23(b), 25(a) “the
gospel…of which I, Paul, was made a minister…Of this church I was made
a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for
your benefit.”
* The Spirit of Service—“Now I rejoice”
* The Attitude of Service—24 “in my sufferings for your sake”:
1. There are the sufferings of Christ which He endured and in
which we cannot
share.
2. There are the sufferings Christ endured which we can share
* suffering for righteousness’ sake.
* suffering in the measure we identify ourselves with Christ.
a. sufferings brings believers closer to Christ.
b. suffering assures the believer that he belongs to Christ.
c. suffering brings a future reward.
d. suffering can result in the salvation of others.
c. suffering frustrates Satan.
• The Charge of Service—25(b) “…that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God”
Jesus:
a. Limited His service to God’s will
b. Limited His service to God’s timing.
c. Limited His service to God’s objective
d. Limited His service to God’s kingdom
e. Limited Himself to God’s people
• The Purpose of Service—28(b) “that we may present every man complete in Christ.”
•
The Energy of Service—29 “And for this purpose also I
labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”
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