Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

So here’s the deal. We’re going to start in verse 24. We’re going to read from Colossians 1:24 to 2:5, and let me go and give you a heads-up. You might get lost in this text because it is loaded with meaning, potent words and phrases. But after we’ve read through it, we’re going to hone in together on just seven words, seven, simple, powerful, awe-inducing, life-changing words in this passage. I’m convinced most professing Christians are missing out on the magnitude of what these words mean. If you could just understand these words we’re going to look at today, it would utterly revolutionize your entire life and that is not an overstatement or an exaggeration. So, here we go. Let’s read this passage starting in Colossians 1:24. I’ll read it out loud. 

Paul’s writing this from prison. He says, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flesh I’m filling up what is lacking in Christ’s affliction 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.” 

So let me actually just pause there real quick just to give you an idea of how loaded this passage is. What we just read from verse 24 to 29 is actually one sentence in the Greek, so the original language Paul wrote it in. It is a massive run-on sentence and the ESV graciously splits it up into four sentences for us. But Paul writing this from prison to this church and Colossae, to these Christians, he’s just pouring out his heart with all kinds of truths for them, which then leads him to say in Colossians 2:1, remember the chapter divisions came later to help us organize how we can walk through a book. So, this is just one thought to the next. 

He says in verse one, “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’m absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” 

Again, so much here as Paul’s writing this just pouring out his heart for these believers who were walking through a time in which plausible arguments, deceptive ideologies are being presented to them to keep them from experience the fullness of life in Jesus and he wants them to experience all that Jesus has for them. I can totally identify with this. I’m obviously not in prison for my faith the way Paul was at this point, but I long for you to not be deceived by prevailing ideologies in the world. I long for you to experience the fullness that God has for you in Jesus. That’s the heart of this whole passage. So, that leads us back to the seven words we’re going to camp out on.

So, at the end of verse 27, after Paul’s talking about all the saints at the end of verse 26, which is a reference to all followers of Jesus, he says to them, “God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles.” So among all the nations, not just the Jewish people, but anyone anywhere who trusts in Jesus, God wants you to know the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is… So, here are the seven simple, powerful, awe-inducing, life-changing words. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Can we say those seven words together? Christ in you, the hope of glory. So, let’s do this. Let’s just take those words one by one and meditate on them. Let them soak in light of this whole passage. In these seven words, I want to show you five descriptions of the Christian life of your life if you’re a follower of Jesus. 

If you’re not a follower of Jesus, I hope, I pray that seeing, hearing this will cause faith to rise in your heart and you’ll say, “I want this life.” So here they are. If you’re taking notes, five descriptions of the Christian life in these seven words. 

The Christian Life is the Empowered Life

First, Christ. Let’s just soak in that word. I want you to think with me about how the Christian life is the empowered life. The Christian life is the empowered life. So, the verses that come right before this passage, which is part of what we’re memorizing, contain one of the most glorious pictures of Jesus in the entire Bible. That’s why we’re memorizing them. So, Jesus is, as we just memorized, the image of the invisible God. Jesus is God revealed to us in the flesh. It’s breathtaking. Jesus is not just a man. He is God himself with us. 

So, hold on to that. He’s the firstborn of all creation, which we saw last week. It doesn’t mean that he was created, because he’s God. It means he’s supreme over all creation because he’s the author of creation for by him all things were created, all things including everything in heaven and on earth. So, he’s not created. He is the creator of all things, visible and invisible, everything. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. Just let this soak in. Jesus spoke and this happened. He spoke. World came into being. He spoke and there was this. Jesus spoke and moon and oceans came to be. Jesus spoke and this was there and mountains to canyons created by his Word. He’s the author creator of all these things and more. 

He’s holding these things together at this moment. Not to mention he’s the author, creator, sustainer of you and me and eight billion other people who Jesus is sustaining right now with beating hearts and breathing lungs. Even if you were here today and you hate God, the reality is your breath comes from the very one you hate. He’s sustaining you. Not to mention 200 billion, trillion stars that he calls by name and that’s only the ones we can see. Jesus holds all of this in his hands and he is the head of the body, the church. So, don’t think Pope. Think the preeminent king over an entirely new creation God is forming because in him, all the fullness of God dwells, is pleased to dwell in him. He’s the reconciler, the savior of the entire world. So, that is Christ. 

So, suffice to say at this point, before we go any further, if this Christ is anywhere near you, your life is radically different and the mammoth truth of this passage is that this Christ is in you. Talk about an empowered life. That’s a different life. Christian, when you put your trust in Jesus, you did not just get forgiveness of your sins and eternity in heaven, both of which are glorious. You got the image of the invisible God, the author and sustainer of creation, the sovereign ruler and savior of the world inside you. Right now where you’re sitting, he’s in you. So, that’s the second word. It’s the Christian life. It’s the empowered life and the Christian life is the transformed life. 

The Christian Life is the Transformed Life

So, Paul’s talking about this mystery that’s been kept hidden for ages and generations that God has chosen to now make known. So, what’s that about? Well, Paul uses this word mystery four times in Colossians, and he’s not talking about a secret that he’s hiding from his people. He’s talking about a truth that God has been waiting to reveal to his people. So, all throughout the Old Testament, we see God interacting with his people in love and mercy and grace, but we don’t see anything this astounding until we get here and we’re seeing this. Our church is reading through the Bible right now. Over and over again, what is the constant refrain we are seeing in God’s relationship with his people throughout the Old Testament? 

God is saying over and over again, “I am with you.” I’m with you, Abraham. I’m with you, Isaac. I’m with you, Jacob. The Lord was with Joseph. I will be with you, Moses. When we get to Joshua, I will be with you, Joshua, just as I was with Moses. I will never leave you or forsake you. I will be with you always. I’ll be with you, David. I’ll be with you, Solomon, just as I was with David. We’re reading this all throughout the Old Testament. God dwells with his people first in a tabernacle and eventually in a temple, and over and over again, he’ll say through the prophets to his people, “Fear not for I’m with you.” So that’s the whole testament. Then New Testament starts. Jesus comes on the scene and his name shall be called Immanuel, which means God what? With us. 

God with us in the flesh. He is the tabernacle. He is the temple. God with us in Jesus. But then John 13:33, Jesus looks at his disciples and he says, “I will be with you only a little longer.” What? And then Jesus God with us is gone. Jesus dies on a cross for our sins. He rises from the grave and ascends to heaven. So, what’s going on in this story? All God’s people have known is God with them in the tabernacle, in the temple, in the flesh, but now he’s not with them. Paul writes, “Now disclose to the saints to you, God has chosen to make known among you.” By the way, again, not just the Jewish people, but to all people from all nations to make known to people in all nations, the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is not God with you but Christ the image of the invisible God inside you. 

That is amazing and that changes everything about how we view the Christian life. So many Christians believe Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins and that they’re going to heaven as if that’s the whole story, which that’s a great story, but so many Christians are completely missing out on all that means here today and so many live compartmentalized Christian lives where Jesus is over here, but the daily stresses of life and family and work and stuff in this world are over here. In the middle of it all, many Christians are living frail, frustrated, anxious, restless, sometimes rote Christian lives where you constantly feel spiritually defeated, sometimes feel that you’re honest, spiritually bored. 

Jesus Died So that He Might Live in You

The reason is because you’re missing out on the mammoth truth that you have Christ himself in you in the middle of all of this, the mammoth truth that I’ll put it up here, that Jesus died for you 2,000 years ago so that he might live in you today. 

The Christ who died for you is not dead. He is alive and not just alive in heaven. He is alive in you, which means that Jesus is more than just your savior. As awesome as that is, Jesus is your life. He is your life. He doesn’t just forgive your debts. He transforms your days. Do you realize this? Are you experiencing this, the life of Christ in you on a moment by moment, day by day basis? Some of my heroes in the faith describe the moment when they first realized this. Their lives were changed forever. 

I think about Hudson Taylor, 19th century spreading the gospel across China, remarkable ways. Tens of thousands of people coming to Christ, almost a thousand missionaries mobilized to spread the gospel across China. The fruit of his life still is flowing centuries later today. I was just talking this last week with Patrick Fung who has led the ministry that Hudson Taylor started centuries ago and Hudson Taylor’s whole biography is entitled Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. So, he wrote to his sister one day about the spiritual breakthrough he experienced when he realized this, that Christ was in him. He’d been a Christian, but he knew he was missing something, trying his hardest to seek Jesus until he realized, “Wait a minute. He’s inside me.” 

He wrote, “Oh, my dear sister, it is a wonderful thing to realize I really am one with a risen and exalted savior.” he said, “It is joy to feel Jesus living in you, to find your heart all taken up by him, to be reminded of his love by his seeking communion with you at all times, not by your painful attempts to abide in him. He is my life, my strength, my salvation.” he went on to say, “I’m no longer anxious about anything.” Keep in mind he had all sorts of reasons to be anxious about a lot of things, risking his life to spread the gospel in a hard place. But Taylor said, “It makes no matter where he places me or how. That is rather for him to consider than for me for in the easiest position, he must give me his grace. In the most difficult, his grace will be sufficient. 

So, if God should place me in great perplexity, must he not give me much guidance, in positions of great difficulty, much grace, in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength. I have no fear that his resources will be unequal to the emergency and his resources are mine for he is mine and is with me and dwells in me.” Christian, have you come to this realization that Jesus Christ really is in you in a way that transforms everything about you? As an illustration, I’ve drawn these concentric circles before. Don’t get dizzy by the circles, but I’m just going to put them back up here on the screen just as an illustration for your life and I can point to different texts to show how. So, just picture the core of who you are. 

So, picture your heart and then flowing out from your heart, affecting everything about you, the way you think, your mind, what you feel, your emotions, which affect the way you act, your will, what you do, which affect your relationships, the way you interact with people around you, which ultimately play out in the purpose for your life, your reason for living. So, just picture these circles as an illustration of how your life works. For example, how we act according to how we feel and think. Think about the first sin in the Bible. Adam and Eve didn’t just eat a piece of fruit just out of nowhere. No, no, no. At the core of their heart, they turned from God and their mind. 

They started to believe that they knew better than God what was best for them, and they saw fruit from a tree that was pleasing to the eye, desirable to make one wise. So, they ate it like their actions with the overflow of something much deeper in them. We act according to what we think and how we feel, what we desire. The problem is many of us don’t realize this. So, for many people when it comes to the Christian life, we work hard at these outer circles. How do I do this or that better? How do I stop giving myself to that sin? How do I change this habit or my relationships? How do I be the single husband, wife, mom, dad, student I’m supposed to be? For so many people, we feel exhausted out here or oftentimes defeated or maybe we just grow apathetic. 

We just give in and so much of it because we’re trying to do it on our own when the reality is that we can’t. 

The Christian Life is Impossible Without Christ

The Christian life is impossible at every single point without the power of Christ at the core of who you are supernaturally transforming the way you think, what you desire, how you act, how you relate to people around you, your whole reason for living. So, write this down, the Christian life is impossible without Christ in you. You can’t live and love, be and do all that God has designed you to be and do without his life and his power and his love and his strength and his peace and his wisdom, his life at work in you from the inside out. That’s Christianity, transformation from the inside out. 

I think of Ian Thomas, he was a leader with University Christian Fellowship. He’s preparing to go overseas, going out every night in the slums of London to do ministry and he writes, “I had been reduced to a state of complete exhaustion spiritually until I felt that there was no point in going on. Then one night in November just at midnight, I got down on my knees before God and I just wept in sheer despair. I said, ‘Oh God, I know that I’m saved. I love Jesus Christ. I’m perfectly convinced that I’m converted. With all my heart, I’ve wanted to serve you. I’ve tried to my uttermost and I feel like a hopeless failure.'” 

But then he wrote, “That night things happened. I can honestly say I’d never once heard from the lips of men the message that came to me then, but God that night simply focused upon me the Bible message of Christ who is our life. The Lord seemed to make plain to me that night through my tears of bitterness, you see, for seven years with utmost sincerity, you have been trying to live for me on my behalf, the life that I have been waiting for seven years to live through you.” he said, “I got up the next morning to an entirely different Christian life.” This is the essence of Christianity. 

It’s why Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. I am dead. It’s no longer who I live but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I don’t live anymore. Instead, I’m living moment by moment, day by day by faith in Jesus who loves me. He gave himself for me and now he lives in me. It’s his life in me.” The Christian life is not the morally improved life. The Christian life is the totally transformed life. It’s entirely new life. That’s why Jesus says in John 3, you must be what? Born again, a whole new heart, a whole new Spirit, a whole new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. New creation, totally new person. 

The Christian life is the transformed life, Christ in you. I got to speed this up. We’ve got two words done. Okay, so Christ in you. 

The Christian Life is the Purposeful Life

So, the Christian life is the purposeful life. Wish I had more time here, but I want you to see how the life of Christ in you leads to glorious purpose for you as you begin to spend your life for others. So, they can experience the life of Jesus in them. It’s what this whole passage is about. Did you notice how many times Paul says, “I am working, I’m suffering, I’m toiling, I’m struggling for your sake”? Did you see it? Verse 24, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake. In my flesh, I’m filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, for the church of which I became a minister. 

The word means a servant according to stewardship from God that was given to me for you to make the Word of God fully known to you. Then he starts talking about Christ in you, the hope of glory. Then you get to verse 28. Him we proclaim warning everyone, teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present, here’s the purpose, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I want other people to experience life 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. For those that lay out to see for all who’ve not seen me face to face, I’m struggling for your sake because I want you and your hearts to be encouraged and knit together in love. 

I want you to purpose reach all the riches of full assurance, of understanding the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, then we’re hidden to all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that purpose no one may delude you with plausible arguments. I want to keep you from deceptive ideologies. For though I’m absent in body, I am with you in spirit and I’m rejoicing to see you, your good order, the firmness of your faith in Christ. Paul’s giving his life to help others experience the life of Christ, which makes sense, doesn’t it? If Christ is in you and Christ loves the people around you and he wants the people around you to experience life in him, then Christ in you will lead you to live for them, totally transform your whole outlook of life, your purpose for living. 

So, I want you to think for a moment. Just picture in your mind the faces of people in your life. Picture your family members. So, picture their faces, picture your friends, picture your classmates. See their faces, your coworkers, your teammates. Just whoever is in your sphere of influence in your life, picture their faces and realize right now them in your mind, Christ is in you for them. 

Christ is in You for Them

That just infuses all kinds of meaning and purpose into waking up tomorrow morning. Christ in you for their sake. There’s so many applications of this. Let me just make a few. Moms, dads particularly weary moms and dads, which I think is most moms and dads, it is good to toil and struggle for your kids but not with your strength. You don’t have to do this alone. 

You have the supernatural power of Christ in you for the purpose of parenting that changes everything. Your greatest need is to be abiding in Christ in you. Husbands, wife, by the Spirit and power of Christ himself in you, lay down your life to love and serve your spouse. It changes everything about marriage when Christ is in you, transforming everything about you. Students, by the Spirit and power of Christ in you, live for the good of parents in your home and friends in your life and so many other ways for all of us by the Spirit and power of Christ in you. I was talking with a single sister in between worship gatherings today, by the Spirit and power of Christ in you to pursue Jesus and steward singleness for the sake of others around you. 

For all of us, when we think of the brothers and sisters in this church, family, Christ is in us for them. We have gifts for their building up. We don’t just come to receive in church. No, we come to pour out our lives for the sake of brothers and sisters around us. We need them to pour out their lives for us and obviously not just for those who are in the church, for people all across the city who need the life and the love of Christ. He’s in us for them, for those classmates and coworkers, for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy, and not just here. I just got back from a week overseas. 

I was in Turkey at one point, over 80 million people in Turkey, approximately 10,000 followers of Jesus. I was in Istanbul, about 20 million people in Istanbul. There are more believers gathering together at MBC locations today than in all of Istanbul, Turkey, which means Turkey needs people with Jesus in them, loving people, living for the sake of people in Turkey. So, just be aware next time a job transfer opportunity presents itself in a part of the world where there’s little to no access to the gospel, seriously consider. God, are you calling me? your Spirit in me leading me to go and live for them and not even just waiting for the job opportunity. 

I was with one student who was in another country that I won’t mention which one, but in this other country where they’re doing graduate school. Instead of looking for a graduate school where the gospel has already gone, she intentionally, single girl, says, “I’m going to do graduate school where the gospel hasn’t gone. It’s really hard to get in this country, really hard to stay in this country. Missionaries get kicked out of this country, but students can be in that country and I can go study, get a degree, and share the gospel as I’m doing it.” Christ in me for them, that’s the whole picture, for the nations Christ in me, for the nations. So, all of this knowing, so follow this, none of this will be easy. Remember Paul’s writing this from prison. He’s suffering and we saw it. 

So, just to clarify, he said, “I rejoice in my sufferings, for your sake, and in my flesh, I’m filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” That does not mean that Jesus’ death on the cross was not sufficient for our salvation. Something needs to be added to that. Paul’s just spent verses right before this saying the exact opposite of that. What he’s saying here is that suffering savior will be made known in the world through suffering people, which makes sense. How will we make a suffering savior known to the world if everything always goes perfectly for us? But Paul is saying here, “I’m suffering for your sake, but I’m rejoicing in my suffering.” 

So here’s where Christ in you shouts most clearly to the world when you face suffering and you have joy because you have a rock inside you to stand on no matter what this world brings at you. So, when the cancer comes and you still have joy because you know the Christ in you is more than sufficient for you, then the world sits up and takes notice. When the suffering lasts and you have joy because you know the sovereign ruler and sustainer of all things is dwelling in you and will ultimately satisfy you, that speaks volumes to this world. 

Not just when it comes your way, but when you hear about the number of people who still don’t know about the Christ in the world and you willingly suffer, you joyfully sacrifice possessions and plans and dreams in this world because you want people all over this world to know the life of Christ in them. That speaks volumes and you do it all with hope. All right. Let’s bring it home here.

The Christian Life is the Secure Life

The hope, the Christian life is the secure life. This word hope is not like we often use hope. I hope my team wins. I hope I get that job. It’s like maybe that’s going to happen. No, this is a confident, settled expectation in something that is sure. It’s not a wish or maybe. This is a guarantee. The point is clear. When you have Christ in you, you have nothing to fear in this world. 

I was thinking about this, praying for you, in light of this text. Think about many people who in light of what’s happening in our government right now, maybe for other reasons, maybe facing insecurity or fear for your job or for your family’s livelihood, for your family staying here. I believe there’s a word from God for you as his child today here, that you are secure in him. I’ve used this illustration before and I’m going to bring it about one more time. Just forgive me if you’ve seen it before. Well, if you have, hear it afresh and anew. If you haven’t, this going to be you. Okay, that’s you put on top. Well, yeah, we’ll just start. Okay? 

That’s you and what we’re reading here in Colossians 1:27 is that when you become a follower of Jesus, then you’re not just forgiven of your sins, guaranteed eternal life in heaven. When you become a follower of Jesus Christ himself, image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation, author, creator, sustainer of all things, he comes to live inside you and you are sealed. The Bible says, “Sealed with Christ in you.” So that’s you with Christ in you. But then what’s great is if you notice verse 28, verse 28 talks about how you are in Christ. Paul talks about that language all the time. So, just follow. I’m not saying this is all theologically like this master picture. It’s Tupperware. Just go with me. 

So, the Bible also talks about how here’s Christ, you are in Christ, sealed in Christ, so you with Christ in you and you’re in Christ. But then that’s not even the whole picture because when we get over Colossians 3, we’re going to read about how your life is hidden with Christ in… Here’s the big one. … in God, so Christ in you, you in Christ, Christ in God. This is you. Somewhere in there that’s you. It’s a picture where you are right now. This is secure life. I don’t know what this world is bringing your way right now. I don’t know what the adversary’s coming at you with, but I do know this. Adversary coming at you, well, he’s got to get through well, one, God the Father, which he does not have a good track record of doing. 

Then if some reason he was going to pass God the Father, he comes to Christ the Son, which Colossians 2 will make clear that Jesus has made a spectacle of the adversary by triumphing over him in the cross. He’s defeated sin and death and Satan himself. So, he gets through the Father to the Son and then somehow he gets to you, but he still got round two, Christ in you waiting on the other side. I would say you’re pretty secure. So, the beauty is your boss is not sovereign over your life. The President of the United States is not sovereign over your life. No circumstances are sovereign over your life. Cancer’s not sovereign over your life. Tumors are not sovereign over your life.

Suffering is not sovereign over your life. You are secure in the one who is sovereign over all things and your identity is rooted in him to see yourself today in this picture. That’s secure life. Last two words, the hope of glory. Oh man, it gets better. It gets better. 

The Christian Life is the Complete Life

The Christian life is the complete life, complete. Verse 28 here, Paul points to the goal of being mature or complete in Christ. Just to jump ahead, we don’t have time to dive into it in. We’ll get to it, Colossians 3:4. Listen to this. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in what? In glory. When Christ is your life’s what we’re talking about Christ in you, your life, and one day the Christ comes back, appears, you will, not might, maybe, will appear with him in glory. 

One day this transformation of your life is going to be complete and you’re going to be free from all sin. You’re going to be free from all suffering and you’re going to be free from death itself because the one who conquered death is your life. So, mark it down. Christ in you now means Christ in you forever, forever. Nothing can take that away from you. This is you forever, for all of eternity. Some of you heard me talk about my mentor in ministry, outside of my dad, the man who has had the most influence in my life, Jim Shaddix, who over the last year has been fighting brain cancer. 

Over the last month or so, I’ve had the opportunity to be with him two months on a few different occasions just by his bedside hospice, barely able to speak or not able to speak, and just sweet moments that God’s provided there. There’s one moment where he spent probably four and a half hours by his bedside. He just said a few words here and there, just reading Scripture over him. But at one point I asked him, I said, “Jim, what’s on your heart?” he whispered two words, took him a while to get them out, but two words. Two words were fullness and completion. That’s a brother staring death in the face. He knows this is not the end. It’s the beginning. To live is Christ. To die is gain. Completion’s coming, completion, to look at death with confidence. 

Two weeks later, he breathes his last breath. Today, Jim Shaddix is experiencing fullness. Psalm 16, we were reading this over. I was reading this over him. At your right hand, our pleasure’s forevermore. This is glory that’s waiting for you. Mark it down. Brain cancer doesn’t have the last word. Suffering doesn’t have the last word. Toil, struggle, hardship does not have the last word. Glory has the last word for all who have Christ in them. 

Is Christ in you?

So, I ask every person within the sound of my voice, is Christ in you? Is Christ in you? Do you know Christ in you? If the answer to that question is not a resounding yes in your heart, I want to invite you today. God is saying he wants you to experience the life of Christ in you. He loves you so much. He wants to make known to you Christ in you. 

So, I invite you, I urge you today, let this be the day where you turn from your sin yourself and you trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life. I encourage you, urge, don’t play games here. Don’t look at Christianity as some religion. This is life that God desires you to have in Christ. Is Christ in you. Is Christ in you? For some of you, today is the day where that can be a reality for you for the first time. Then for those who know Christ in you, I would just ask you, are you living the empowered, transformed, purposeful, secure, complete life of Christ in you? I want you to see those words and see that God desires that for you. I want to give you a couple moments before God’s to pray. 

Maybe this is a Hudson Taylor and Thomas moment where you say there for the first time or maybe in a fresh way, Jesus, I want to experience your fullness in me. Inside out and think through, pray through what practical steps can you take to stop striving after Christ, but to rest in Christ in you and let Christ in you produce his life through you and ask him, “I want your strength in me, your wisdom in me, your peace in me, all the things that flow from you in me.” 

Observation: What do these passages say?

1) Read Colossians 1:24–2:5 aloud as a group. Let group members share observations. Try not to move into interpretation of the passage or application of what you read quite yet. Simply share what you observe.

• For what does Paul rejoice in Colossians 1:24–29?
• What does Paul suggest offers us encouragement in Colossians 2:1–5? 
• What and who is the mystery that Paul describes?
• How would you summarize Colossians 1:24–2:5 in your own words?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean?

1) The Christian life is the empowered life.

• How does knowing Christ give power?

2) The Christian life is the transformed life.

• How does knowing Christ transform lives?

3) The  Christian life is the purposeful life.

• How does knowing Christ give purpose to living?

4) The Christian life is the secure life.

• How does knowing Christ bring security?

5) The Christian life is the complete life.

• How does knowing Christ make life complete?

Application: How can we apply these passages to our lives?

1) Christ created you; Christ sustains you; Christ is in you.

• How are you fearfully and wonderfully made and how does that empower you?
• How does Christ provide for you in your daily life?
• How would others perceive Christ in you, as you walk through life?
• Where are you in the course of your transformation – are you a little transformed, somewhat transformed, or fully transformed? Give examples.
• What is the Christian purpose of your life?
• How can your Church Group support your Christian growth?

2) Christ secures you; Christ completes you; Christ is the Hope of Glory.

• What specific security does Christ bring to your life?
• What challenges do you face right now, where having hope in Christ gives you security?
• How do you share Christ’s glory today and what does it mean to you – that you will appear with Him in glory one day?
• How would you rate your completeness (Christian maturity) with (1) being totally incomplete and (10) being totally complete?
• How can your Church Group pray to strengthen your living of the empowered, transformed, purposeful, secure, complete life of Christ in you?

Colossians 1:24–2:5

24 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, 25 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, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 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. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

1For 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, 2 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, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 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.

Sermon Recap

• CHRIST
  • The Christian life is the empowered life.
• IN
  • The Christian life is the transformed life.
    • Jesus died for you 2000 years ago so that He might live in you today.
    • The Christian life is impossible without Christ in you.
• YOU
  • The Christian life is the purposeful life.
    • Christ is in YOU for THEM.
• THE HOPE
  • The Christian life is the secure life.
• OF GLORY
  • The Christian life is the complete life.