“He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the
temple.
He set up the
pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and
he set up the pillar on the north and called its
name Boaz.”
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary suggests that these names "may
reflect the relationship of God and king, Jachin (Yah-keen; 'he established') referring to the initiative of God, and Boaz
('by him is he mighty') expressing the dependence of the king." These twin
pillars may well have been a memorial in which David (the planner) and Solomon
(the executor) give humble testimony to the grace of God in establishing for
David a perpetual dynasty and an acknowledgment as well of the king's continued dependence on God for a successful reign.”
Our lives need the same
kind of reminder that it is God who establishes us and we are dependent on him
for any strength we may have. So I offer a stripped-down version of our study
from last Sunday, containing merely the passage and the points with no
elaboration, except to mention that much of what he was writing was aimed at
the pre-Gnostic false teachers that were present in Colossae.
As part of our preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday let us remind
ourselves of why and how we worship…
1.
Our Great Lord (v. 15-19)
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of [over] all creation.
16 For by him
all things were created,
in heaven
and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones
or dominions
or rulers
or authorities—
all things
were created
through him
and for him.
17 And he is before all things,
and in
him all things hold
together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church.
He
is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything
he
might be preeminent.
19 For in him
all the fullness of God
was
pleased to dwell.
- Jesus is the image of the invisible God made visible (v.15)
- Jesus is the Creator and sustainer of the universe (v.16-17)
- Jesus is the Creator and sustainer of the church (v. 18-19)
Our Worshipful Response is Praise!
2.
His Great Work (v. 20-23)
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all
things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
making
peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in
mind,
doing
evil deeds,
22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh
by his death,
in order to present you holy
and blameless
and above
reproach before him,
23 if indeed you continue in the faith,
stable and
steadfast,
not shifting
from the hope
of the
gospel that you heard,
which has been proclaimed
in
all creation under heaven,
and of which I,
Paul, became a minister.
- He reconciled all things to himself (v. 20)
- He reconciled us though we were hostile, through his physical body (v.21-22)
- He changed our attitude, our relationship, and our behavior
- He did this through his actual physical death
- He establishes us in faith and hope through the gospel (v. 23)
- His message has been, and is now, being proclaimed widely (v.23)
- Even Paul had responded to become a minister of the gospel (v. 23)
3.
His Great and Mysterious Mission (v.
23b-29)
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.
- Ministry involves purposeful suffering (v.24)
- Ministry is a stewardship, a responsibility entrusted to us. (v. 25)
- Ministry reveals a mystery, rather than conceals it. (v.26)
- The Kingdom is Wider than you thought = Gentiles too
- The Kingdom is Closer than you expected = Christ in you
- Jesus Christ is our message, not angels (v. 28)
- Maturity in Christ is our destination, our goal.
- Ministry is a partnership (v. 29)
Our
Worshipful Response is Obedience
Many today get to enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie with thankful hearts, but they are not the real reason for our gratitude. Let us celebrate this Thanksgiving
Day with all three pillars of our worship in place—
- Praise for who God is,
- Thanksgiving for what he has done, and
- Obedience to the mission into which he invites us today!
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