1. Colossians
Chapter 1:24 – 2:3

2. The prayer ladder The Prayer Ladder
First Timer
Beginner
Skilled
Expert
The Prayer Ladder
Spiritual disciplines assessment / prayer section
Prayer Maturity Ladder
Frequent conversations w/ God
15-30 min, 4x/day,
+1hr/mo, +1day/yr
Regular conversations w/ God
5-30 min, 2x/day
Regular simple prayers to God, some intercession
5-10 min/day, 3x/week
Work to grow from “Hail Mary” prayers to more frequent simple prayers

3. Colossians background
A letter from Paul to the church(es) in Colossae (near Turkey)
Paul is in prison in Rome (house arrest) or possibly planting churches in Ephesus or Caesarea
Written around the same period as the letter to the Ephesus church and the letter to Philemon
Responding to some threats to the early church including:
Jewish Ceremonialism
Asceticism
Angel Worship
“Secret” knowledge
Downplaying of Jesus
Reliance on Tradition and general wisdom or philosophy

4. Chapter 1 review
Paul opens the letter with a fairly standard opening – recognizing the believers in the church and acknowledging their faith
Paul continues with a prayer for the church asking:
“That they may be filled with the knowledge of his will…” (vs. 9)
“So that they may walk worthy of the Lord…” (vs. 10)
“May you be strengthened with all power… for all endurance and patience…” (vs 11)
The next section of chapter one deals with who Christ is

5. Paul tells Us Who Christ is Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

6. THE centrality of Christ
In Paul’s introduction, we see Christ as:
Creator – The first born over all creation, everything was created by him, and nothing exists without him.
Reconciler – The fullness of God dwelt in him, and he reconciled god’s creation and is the firstborn from the dead.
Christ is central in creation and in redemption

7. Whose side are you on Colossians 1:21-23
Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him ​-- ​ if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.

8. The end of the beginning
After establishing who Christ is, Paul is going to close out his introduction to the Colossians before he begins to deal with the specific issues of the Colossae church.
Paul gives us his short spiritual resume which begins with last verse from the last lesson
Vs 23 - “This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.”

9. Background on Paul
originally a respected Jewish teacher who persecuted Christians (Acts 8)
Paul experienced a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus in acts 9
Becomes the apostle most known for preaching to the gentiles
First missionary journey with barnabas in Acts 13 & 14 from Antioch
Second Missionary Journey with Silas in Acts 16 – 18
Third missionary journey in Acts 19 – 21
Arrested in Jerusalem and appears in multiple courts acts 22 – 26
Paul sent to Rome in acts 27-28

11. Paul the apostle 1 Corinthians 1:24 - 29
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for his body, that is, the church. I have become its servant, according to God's commission 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. God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

12. What is lacking in Christ’s afflictions?
NLT: “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.”
Major takeaway: Paul suffered for the body of Christ in his ministry
Possible Interpretations:
All reproach directed at us is really animosity directed towards Christ. So any suffering we experience is a result of the world’s hatred of Christ
Christ is no longer physically present to endure the sufferings, therefore Paul is enduring the suffering which cannot be physically endured by Christ any longer.

13. Paul’s resume 2 Corinthians 12:22-27
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I'm talking like a madman ​-- ​I'm a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death. Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches.

15. Your spiritual resume
Question: What would be on your spiritual resume?
Reworded in more spiritual talk
How are you using your spiritual gifts? / where are you called?
What are your spiritual gifts?
Where are your opportunities to teach others?

16. The mystery Colossians 2:1-3
For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery ​-- ​Christ. In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

17. The mystery of Christ
μυστήριον: (moos-stay`-ree-on) – a hidden or secret thing not obvious to the understanding. This word occurs 27 times in The new Testament Matthew 13: 11 He answered, "Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. Romans 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages 1 Corinthians 2:7 On the contrary, we speak God's hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory.

18. God’s plan
Step 1: create man and give man a choice so he can choose to reject you Step 2: make a promise to one man that takes 40 years to fulfill Step 3: start a nation that rejects you to show your power to the world Step 4: wait until that nation is conquered, then become a man yourself Step 5: allow yourself to be rejected by that nation and killed in one of the most gruesome ways possible Step 6: spread the message to the world while the original nation rejects it

20. Preaching what no one wants 1 Corinthians 1:20-25
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

21. Application: mystery build on prayer and stillness
Have you considered how blessed you are to understand the mystery?
In 2010 only 8% of the world’s population was evangelical Christian
Have you considered that it’s not your own understanding that comprehended the mystery, but god’s spirit revealed it to you?
Matthew 16:17 Jesus responded, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.
Have you considered that god doesn’t execute his plans the way we think he should?
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways." This is the LORD's declaration. "For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.