Ministers of the Mystery / Colossians 1:24-2:5

Making a Living vs. Making a Life

Well, church, good to see you this week. It is good to be with you. If you’ve got a Bible with you, turn to Colossians chapter one. We’re going to finish out chapter one today and dive a few verses into chapter two.

As I set up where we’re heading at the end of Colossians 1, one of the things I’ve realized in my brief forty-two years on this planet is that one of the most significant things we are going to do in this lifetime is the work that God has put before us. By that, I mean even our raw vocations. Whether you are in industry, the marketplace, agriculture, working in the home, education, or entertainment—wherever it is that you find yourself working right now—that work is both God-designed from Genesis chapter 1 and God-redeemed, as we’re going to see in a few weeks in Colossians chapter 3.

The work that we commit ourselves to, even if you are a student and that is your work right now, is divinely purposeful and put in place by God for many things: the subduing of the earth, the revitalization of cultures, and the opportunity for human flourishing, sustaining where we live and caring for what God has entrusted to us. Work and vocation are good things. I say that upfront.

Yet, as many of us probably know, either through personal experience or watching others, it is quite possible to succeed in making a living through your vocation and yet utterly fail when it comes to making a life. There is a vast difference between making a living and making a life, especially in terms of the investments we make for eternal life. Jesus Himself asks this crucial question in Mark’s Gospel.

Mark 8:36 (NASB)

’For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

What shall it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?

As we dive into Colossians today, we are going to see through the personal testimony of the Apostle Paul that for the believer in Jesus Christ, there is a work and a mission we’ve been called into that actually transcends any other work we commit ourselves to. That doesn’t mean we abandon our vocations, but we will see that our vocations, as noble and God-oriented as they can be, are a means to a greater work, not an end in themselves.

The Transcendent Mission of the Apostle Paul

Last week, we looked at one of the loftiest passages in all of Scripture. Verses 15 through 23 of chapter one painted a breathtaking picture of a faithful Christology—showing who Jesus Christ is, both in His supremacy as God and His sufficiency as Savior. It is meant to lead us into worship, in awe of the preeminence of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

The Apostle Paul was so enraptured by the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus, and so transformed by His person and work, that he tells us at the end of verse 23 that it led him into a life-altering path change. The rest of his days would be spent preaching and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. When you truly grasp verses 15 through 23, verses 24 through 2:5 naturally follow.

In Acts chapter 18, we learn that Paul’s vocation was tentmaking. As a tentmaker, he was building tents—part architect, part construction engineer—creating structures for gatherings, homes, and marketplace trades alongside friends like Priscilla and Aquila. But Paul’s vocation is not what defined him. It was never an end; it was always a means to a greater end.

In verses 24 through 29 of chapter one, we see the work Paul did—the mission he was called into that you and I have the privilege of joining. Then, starting in verse 28 through chapter two verse five, we see why Paul did that work, what it produced, and what the implications are for us.

What Paul was committed to, far and above his vocation, was one thing: proclaiming Jesus Christ. At the end of verse 25 and beginning of verse 28, we see that he carried out this proclamation through the preaching of Christ’s Word, explaining Jesus to anyone who would listen. Why? Because when you understand the cross, when you realize that you who were far from God have been brought near through the blood of Christ, and that He is sufficient for every human need, you cannot help but want to know that Christ and make Him known.

There are four things in verses 24 through 27 that characterize this mission.

Four Characteristics of the Gospel Mission

1. It is God-Appointed

Colossians 1:25 (NASB)

Of [this church] I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the [preaching of] the word of God,

Paul says he was made a minister according to the stewardship bestowed upon him by God for their benefit. This was a God-given commission. Paul didn’t dream this up on his own; God called him to it at his conversion in Acts chapter 9.

Before he was Paul, he was Saul—a self-righteous, Christless, Christian-murdering Pharisee on the road to Damascus to bring harm to the church. He had an encounter with Jesus Christ. Some of you have had encounters like that, where you weren’t looking for Jesus, but He came looking for you. In that moment, Jesus exposed Saul’s sin, called him to repentance, saved him by grace, renamed him Paul, and gave him a commission: the same gospel that saved you is the message you will now take to the remotest parts of the world.

While the office of an apostle was unique to Paul, the general calling to preach the good news applies to every believer. In Matthew 28, Jesus gives us the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)

‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’

And in 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds us of our identity as ambassadors of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NASB)

Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

We who received reconciliation vertically now have the unspeakable privilege of ministering that reconciliation horizontally. This is our God-appointed work: to proclaim Jesus wherever He is not named.

2. It is Church-Focused and Self-Sacrificing

Colossians 1:24 (NASB)

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

Paul says he rejoices in his sufferings for their sake, filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of the body, the church. Now, that phrase sounds startling at first. Is Paul saying Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was insufficient? Absolutely not. He just spent verses 1 through 23 explaining that Christ’s atonement is completely sufficient to cover every sin and wash us white as snow.

What Paul means is that the church shares in the afflictions and persecutions begun by Christ, carrying them forward until He returns. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4 that we participate in the sufferings of Christ.

1 Peter 4:13 (NASB)

but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

Paul writes in Romans 8 that being co-heirs with Christ involves sharing in His sufferings.

Romans 8:17 (NASB)

and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him].

Paul is chained to a prison wall as he writes this, yet he rejoices because his suffering is advancing the gospel and building up the church. He isn’t talking about church buildings; he is talking about souls. Paul is saying, “If getting thrown into prison and killed allows me to share the gospel so that souls are saved for eternity, then bring it on. My time on earth is a small price to pay compared to eternal glory.”

Our job is not to stand on the sidelines in comfort while the gospel movement halts. Our joy is to join God in advancing His kingdom so that everyone has the opportunity to hear about Jesus. He who found us sends us to find others.

3. It is Christ-Centered

Colossians 1:26-27 (NASB)

[that is], the mystery which has been hidden from the [past] ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Paul speaks of the mystery hidden for ages but now revealed to the saints: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” In the New Testament, a mystery is not a riddle to solve; it is a divine truth once hidden that is now fully unveiled.

At the center of Paul’s preaching is the mystery of the gospel—salvation not by human effort, but through a Messiah who saves us, continually transforms us into His image, and will one day bring us into the presence of God. Jesus saves us from the penalty of sin, is currently saving us from the power of sin, and will ultimately save us from the presence of sin.

That is why Paul told the Galatians that he would boast only in the cross.

Galatians 6:14 (NASB)

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

It is why he told the Corinthians that he determined to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NASB)

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

I hope that when you come to The Well, you hear this same message every single week. It is all about Jesus. As Paul writes later in Colossians:

Colossians 3:17 (NASB)

Whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

4. It is God-Empowered

Colossians 1:29 (NASB)

For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Paul labors and strives according to God’s power working mightily within him. This ministry cannot be accomplished through raw human effort. We cannot change hearts in our own strength. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we default to fear, shrink back into comfort, and stay silent to avoid hostility. But through prayerful dependence, God’s power produces boldness—just like the early church prayed for in Acts chapter 4 when facing persecution.

Why We Proclaim: Six Fruits of the Gospel

In Colossians 1:28 through 2:5, Paul explains why he labors for people he has never even met face-to-face. He outlines six motivations and fruits of gospel ministry:

1. Maturity in Christ

Colossians 1:28 (NASB)

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

Paul proclaims Christ, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, to present every person complete in Christ. That word complete means mature, whole, brought to its intended fulfillment.

The gospel is not merely a transaction where you walk an aisle, pray a prayer, grab your “fire insurance,” and walk away unchanged. The gospel is after transformation. It seizes your heart, puts off the old self, puts on the new self in Christ, and grows you in sanctification. (This verse is the foundational heartbeat behind Rick Taylor’s book, The Anatomy of a Disciple—outlining what it looks like to grow as a mature follower of Jesus).

2. Encouragement in Christ

Colossians 2:2 (NASB)

that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, [that is], Christ [Himself],

Paul labors so that their hearts may be encouraged. Discouragement is fertile ground for doubt. Paul preaches truth to counter the false teachers whose hollow philosophies brought despair. The gospel fuels us, holds our lives together, and gives us strength to endure the harshest storms.

3. Unity in Christ

Paul desires to see them “knit together in love.” False teaching fractures the church, but the gospel breaks down dividing walls of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It brings us together on the level ground of the cross as sinners redeemed by the same grace.

4. Treasure in Christ

Colossians 2:2-3 (NASB)

that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, [that is], Christ [Himself], in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Paul wants them to reach the full wealth of understanding God’s mystery, which is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The love, affection, and riches our souls crave are found in Jesus alone. As Paul reminded the Ephesians, though we were dead in sin, God made us alive, raised us up, and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 2:4-6 (NASB)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus,

There is no greater treasure than Jesus.

5. Preservation in Christ

Colossians 2:4 (NASB)

I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

Paul says this so that no one will delude them with persuasive arguments. The false teachers were selling pyrite—fool’s gold. It looked appealing, but it was fake. Paul wants believers to know the genuine treasure of Jesus so thoroughly that they will instantly recognize the counterfeit and guard their faith against deception.

6. An Anchor in Christ

Colossians 2:5 (NASB)

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

Though absent in body, Paul rejoices to see their good discipline and the stability of their faith in Christ. The gospel is the only anchor strong enough to secure the ship of faith. If you anchor to anything else, the storms of life will rip you away. To survive the fiercest winds, you need the strongest anchor: Jesus Christ and His finished work.

What Defines Your Life?

Paul was a tentmaker by trade. It was a good, noble vocation that contributed to society, but it never defined him. His life was defined by the gospel. When you grasp the supremacy of Christ in verses 15 through 23, your heart catches fire to proclaim Him so that others may experience that same grace. Gospel in, gospel out.

So let me ask you: What is your work? What defines your life right now? Are you living with the end game in mind? Are your career, skills, and resources treated as means to a greater end—reconciling souls to God?

Or have the things of this world choked out the mission? Has your career become a functional savior?

If that is where you find yourself today, I invite you to join God in His transcendent mission. If He has saved you by the blood of His Son, He has called you to this great work. As missionary Jim Elliot famously wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Let us embrace that joy today.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for this letter. Off the heels of one of the loftiest Christological passages in all of Scripture, Paul peels back the curtain to show us what he was committed to and why.

God, use his testimony to fuel us. If anyone in this room is drifting from the mission, help us return to Colossians 1:15–23 and fall in love with Jesus all over again. Let Your grace fuel us to live for a kingdom that will never perish. We pray this for Your glory and the good of Your church.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.