Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV)
As we begin the New Year, what are the goals for our church?
Every church is different and every individual Christian is different. Some make resolutions and some do not. But all of us have spiritual goals, whether we state them explicitly or aim for them implicitly. As our church embarks on its journey in 2024 toward independence, we should look to the scriptures to guide us toward the right goals.
Paul’s concern for the Colossian church is outlined in chapters 1 and 2. He is very thankful for them and their faith in Christ, and writes to them about what his desires are for them. In this Sunday’s sermon, we will apply Paul’s desires for the Colossian believers to us.
The passage extending from 1:24-2:7 is a beautiful expression of the Apostle’s goals for the brethren he prayed for. While there are several aspects of those goals, this Sunday we will focus on what seems like the 3 general ideas: maturity, rootedness, and abundance. Put another way, Paul wants to see the Colossian church mature in Christ, established in the faith, and abounding in thanksgiving.
Likewise, our church ought to strive, in the Holy Spirit, for these 3 things. These 3 things are righteous and good goals no matter what happens this year. If your church achieves the independence we’ve prayed for, or we still need to wait; if our church adds to the eldership and diaconate or not; if our church grows or shrinks; if our church remains in our current building or needs to move again; if our church reaches, exceeds, or falls short of our financial needs – no matter what happens, we should always be looking to be mature in Christ, established in the faith, and abounding in thanksgiving.
All of us can grow in these areas, so come to church hungry for the word of God, being willing to be challenged, and confident that God will supply all we need to achieve these goals, by his grace, and for his glory!