Christ-Centered Discipleship
Colossians 1:28-29
It’s a joy to come again to Paul’s letter to the Colossians. We have seen already in Colossians 1 that Colossians is a Christ-centered book. To protect the Colossians from false teaching that was invading the church, Paul focuses on the supremacy of Christ and the sufficiency His atoning work on the cross. We saw the centrality of the gospel of Christ in Paul’s thanksgiving (Col. 1:3-8) and prayer (Col. 1:9-14). We saw the preeminence of the person and work of Christ in Colossians 1:15-23. And we saw that Christ was central to service or ministry in the church (Col. 1:24-27).
Now in Colossians 1:28-29, Paul emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the church’s discipleship. Paul does not use the word disciple or discipleship in these verses, but that is what he is describing. Remember that Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28, saying,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matt. 28:19-20).
This is the mission of the church: to make disciples, baptizing and teaching them by the authority of Christ and the empowerment of His Holy Spirit. Disciples are devoted learners of Jesus Christ who follow Him as Lord, observe His commandments, and teach others to do so.
In these two short verses at the end of Colossians 1, the Apostle Paul gives us five principles for Christ-centered discipleship.[1]
1. The Message of Christ-Centered Discipleship: Preach Jesus.
Colossians 1:28 begins, “Him we preach.” Who is Him? In the verses that precede this one, Paul said that the great mystery—now revealed by God to the world—is this: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). And so, Paul affirms, “Him we preach.” “Preach” means “to announce or proclaim as a herald or messenger.” First and foremost, discipleship is about proclaiming Jesus Christ. God has given us a message to proclaim, and that message is a person named Jesus Christ.
Paul, his ministry partners and the other apostles did not preach politics, philosophy, self-improvement principles, a system of theology, or a theory of knowledge. Paul didn’t preach himself, his opinions, or entertaining stories and illustrations. No, he said, “Him we preach.” He preached Jesus. He proclaimed a Person because Christianity is Christ.[2] He is the sum and substance of the Christian life. So, Jesus Christ must be at the center in making disciples.
Sadly, you can attend some churches for weeks, months, or years and hear multiple messages on health, wealth, and happiness, without hearing one clear and faithful proclamation of the divine person and redemptive work of Christ.[3] One preacher wrote, “If one were to look closely at many churches today and assess the shape and form of ministry, v. 28 would likely need to be rewritten as follows: ‘Him we mention only in passing, lest we offend seekers or sound excessively religious. [Rather than warning and teaching . . .] We seek to please and entertain everyone so that they might feel good about themselves and be reassured that all is well in the world.’”[4]
There may be many interesting and helpful things we can proclaim to the world—and that the world would love to hear. But we have something higher and more valuable to declare to this world than anything else that anyone else in this world can proclaim. “Him we preach!” One commentator wrote, “This Christ, so glorious in person and perfect in work—the incarnate God—the bleeding peacemaker— the imperial governor of the universe—it is He, none else, and none besides Him, whom we preach. Not simply His doctrine, but Himself.”[5]
It’s not only essential that we preach Christ, but that we preach the Christ presented in the inspired scriptures. We aren’t to preach Jesus as merely a great moral teacher, or a great religious figure, or a great example of self-sacrifice and care for others. He is those things; but if we fail to proclaim the whole truth of what the holy Scriptures reveal about Jesus, we aren’t really preaching Him at all. Paul has taken great pains to explain the content of a true proclamation of the person and work of Christ in Colossians 1:15-20. We must preach Christ Jesus as “the image of the invisible God,” the creator and sustainer of all things, the one in whom all the fullness of God dwells, the head of the church, the firstborn from the dead, and that His death on the cross is the only means of reconciliation between God and men. To preach Him as anything less is to fail to preach Him as He truly is—and thus fail to preach our God-given message. It is not Christian preaching if it is not about Him.
The message of Christ-centered discipleship is that we preach Jesus. Second,
2. The Method of Christ-Centered Discipleship: Warning and Teaching with Wisdom.
God’s word not only dictates the message we must preach, but the methods we must use. Paul goes on to write that we preach Christ, “warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom” (Col. 1:28). In warning there is a moral emphasis, in teaching a doctrinal emphasis. Admonishing and teaching correspond to the two main responses to evangelistic preaching—repent and believe.
The verb “warning” literally means “putting sense into someone’s mind”, admonishing them, alerting them of the serious consequences of their actions. We see an example of this in Paul’s parting words to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. He reminded them that ” Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves,” (Acts 20:30), and “Therefore,” he instructed them, ” watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:31). What a wonderful model for admonishing one another! Even though he was earnestly, urgently, ceaselessly correcting and warning them, he did so with tears. Out of love for those we disciple, we must not be silent when they are living in opposition to the Scriptures.
“Teaching” is the positive side of imparting God’s word. Some are gifted to teach publicly in the church, but every believer has a teaching role in some capacity. Parents must teach their children (Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 1:5). Older women are to teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5). More mature believers are to teach newer believers (Acts 18:24-26; Titus 1:9). Look ahead to Colossians 3:16. There, Paul combines these exact same words, speaking to the whole church “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
All of this warning and teaching is how we preach Christ. Paul says that we warn and teach everyone “in all wisdom,” and Colossians 2:3 says, that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Wisdom is the right use of knowledge, and in Scripture, is the ability to apply the knowledge of God’s will to real life situations. “The first principle of biblical wisdom is that people should humble themselves before God in reverence and worship, obedient to His commands.”[6] Isn’t this what Paul prayed for the Colossians earlier in this chapter? He prayed in Colossians 1:12-13, “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.”
How do we disciple one another “in all wisdom”? We do so by making sure that we ourselves are faithful students of the Bible, and that we work to get others into the word of God in such a way that they—and we—live it out in everyday life. It’s the Scriptures alone which, as Paul told Timothy, “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15-17).
And notice the emphasis in Colossians 1:28 on “every man”. Paul writes it three times. We should take the attitude of the unofficial slogan of the Marine Corps—“No man left behind.” Once again, the false teachers at Colosse taught that their special wisdom was just for the few or the elite. But Paul wants to bring every believer to maturity in Christ. As F.F. Bruce writes: “There is no part of Christian teaching that is to be reserved for a spiritual elite. All the truth of God is for all the people of God.”[7] No single man, and no single woman, and no single child is to be left behind.
The message is to preach Christ, the method is to warn and teach everyone in all wisdom. What is the goal or aim of this preaching, warning, and teaching?
3. The Aim of Christ-Centered Discipleship: Maturity in Christ.
Paul’s purpose is found at the end of Colossians 1:28, “… that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” As we saw in Colossians 1:22, the verb “present” was a term for offering a sacrifice in worship, for giving a bride in marriage, and appearing before a court of judgment. In each case, we are presenting ourselves and others before God. And the way we wanted to be presented before God is “perfect”. Paul wanted to present the church as holy and blameless and beyond reproach to Christ as His bride at His second coming (Col. 1:22).
The goal of Christ-centered discipleship is to “present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” The word translated “perfect” in this verse means “mature or complete.” In Colossians 4:12, Paul uses this same word “perfect” (teleios) to describe Epaphras’ ministry – “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may (passive – may be made to, probably “divine passive” – something the Spirit accomplishes – cp Jude 1:24) stand perfect (now, in this short life and then, at the judgment) and complete (fully assured) in all the will of God.” Our goal should be not just to bring people to Christ but to maturity in Christ.
Positionally, when a person comes to repent and believe in Christ and is saved by the His blood and righteousness, that person is complete and perfect in Christ. Nothing can change our perfect position in Christ because He has reconciled us to the Father by the blood of His cross. But we continue to preach Christ, warning, and teaching everyone in all the wisdom of God’s word, so that we will continually become more in practice what we already are in position. This is progressive sanctification, being more and more conformed to the image of Christ.
Sinclair Ferguson says… “In a word, maturity equals Christlikeness. No other standard may be allowed to substitute. All other standards will be lesser, man-made alternatives that disguise the all-demanding standard God sets before us in the Scriptures.”[8]
Are you becoming more and more like Christ? That’s the aim of Christ-centered discipleship.
Then, Paul gives us,
4. The Model of Christ-Centered Discipleship: Labor and Struggle.
Listen, discipleship requires diligent effort. Paul writes in Colossians 1:29, “To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” The word translated “labor” in this verse means “to toil or strain to the point of exhaustion.” The word translated “striving” means “to agonize or struggle as in an athletic contest.” It’s the same word used of Jesus agonizing in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44). Paul pictures tireless exertion, struggling against all obstacles and opposition along the way. These verbs use the present tense emphasizing that this was Paul’s lifestyle and the active voice indicating this was Paul’s volitional choice.
Here’s the point: Discipleship is hard work. Personal godliness is hard work. Doctrinal fidelity is hard work. Diligent prayer is hard work. Faithful preaching is hard work. Spiritual excellence is hard work. Paul fought and labored to the point of exhaustion to present believers mature in Christ. Discipleship cost him greatly, and it should cost us as well.
Our culture loves comfort and ease of life. It teaches us to believe that if we are uncomfortable and strained, then something is wrong. If we function under this lie, it will lead to half-hearted discipleship. If our discipleship isn’t involving struggle and sacrifice, we should evaluate whether we have become too comfortable.
The model of Christ-centered discipleship is to labor and strive. How can we do that? I know how weak I am. How did Paul do it? He worked hard, but he relied on God’s power, not his own. He worked hard, but he relied on God’s power, not his own, because,
5. The Empowerment for Christ-Centered Discipleship: His Energy.
Paul says that he toils and struggles, but he follows those words with a very important clause. He writes, “according to His working which works in me mightily” (Col. 1:29).
While discipleship takes a lot of energy, the good news is that the Lord gives us His power. We toil and struggle, yet we have Him to depend on. No matter how experienced you are in discipleship, it is crucial that you are constantly coming to the Lord to ask for His energy and power. God knows how weak we are on our own. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthains 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” We are just earthen vessels, clay pots, easily broken and worn out. But God purposefully chooses to use us jars of clay in order to show His great power. We are all to do our work of proclaiming Christ in the full confidence that the Spirit Christ Himself works mightily in us. And as Paul once testified, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). An excellent illustration of working according to our power versus God’s power is found in Luke 5. Jesus gave Peter the famous fisherman is instructions to “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch“. (Luke 5:4) Peter was an experienced fisherman and could have ignored Jesus’ command, but instead he submitted and said “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless (this term of contrast is like a hinge – here it separates spiritual failure, from spiritual victory!) at Your word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5) What was the result when Peter worked according to “His power”? Luke records that he experienced supernatural results and “they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking” (Luke 5:6). Martin Luther clearly understood the vital importance of Colossians 1:29 in every Christian’s life writing those famous words, “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing” (A Mighty Fortress is our God).
So, Paul labors and strives, but he does it by the power of God. Paul instructs the Philippian believers, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12-13). Paul describes his ministry this way in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” John Piper said it this way – “God does not work instead of our working, but through our working. God does not energize instead of our having energy; He energizes our energy.”[9] Someone else put it this way, “The work of salvation is “all of Christ and none of me.” The daily practice of discipleship is “all of Christ and all of me.” So Jesus says discipleship is to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23).
An old hymn by James Montgomery says,
1 ‘Tis God’s own Spirit leads
In paths before unknown;
The work to be performed is ours,
The strength is all his own.
2 Supported by his grace,
We still pursue our way,
And hope at last to reach the prize,
Secure in endless day.
3 ‘Tis he that works to will,
‘Tis he that works to do;
His is the power by which we act,
His be the glory too.[10]
You and I will never be the apostle Paul. But Christ-centered discipleship is not just for the super-Christians. It is for all of us. R. Kent Hughes told the story of a woman in Africa who became a Christian some years ago. Being filled with gratitude, she decided to do something for Christ. But she was blind, uneducated, and seventy years of age. She came to her missionary with her French Bible and asked her to underline John 3:16 in red ink. Mystified, the missionary watched her as she took her Bible and sat in front of a boys’ school in the afternoon. When school dismissed, she would call a boy or two and ask them if they knew French. When they proudly responded that they did, she would say, “Please read the passage underlined in red.” When they did, she would ask, “Do you know what this means?” And she would tell them about Christ. The missionary says that over the years twenty-four young men became pastors due to her work.[11]
We want to be a church that makes disciples and presents them fully mature and perfect to Christ. Let’s make sure, then, the wonderful Person of Jesus Christ—as He is presented in the pages of Scripture—is our message to this world. Let’s admonish and teach each person in our care to trust in Jesus Christ fully. Let’s faithfully impart to them the wisdom of God’s word for daily living. Let’s labor to present each person who has trusted Christ as complete in Him. And let’s labor at it all diligently—not in our own power, but with full trust in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
[1] https://discipleship.org/blog/5-principles-of-discipleship-from-colossians-128-29/
[2] https://www.preceptaustin.org/colossians_128-29#1:28
[3] H.B. Charles, A CHRIST‑CENTERED VIEW OF MINISTRY Colossians 1:28‑29, https://hbcharlesjr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/A-Christ-Centered-View-of-Ministry.pdf
[4] Sam Storms, https://www.samstorms.org/all-articles/post/everyone-for-everyone–1:28
[5] Eadie, John. “Commentary on Colossians 1”. Eadie’s Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/jec/colossians-1.html.
[6] Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
[7] F.F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, 87.
[8] Discipleship Journal. Issue 24. Nov/Dec, 1984.
[9] John Piper, God Has Allotted to each a Measure of Faith.
[10] James Montgomery, ‘Tis God’s own Spirit leads, https://hymnary.org/hymn/DHSP1850/S78
[11] R. Kent Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ: Crossway Books.
