The Book of Colossians Part 3 – Christ in You: The Hope of Glory

 (Colossians 1:24–29)

SERIES REVIEW                                                                                              

Part 1 — Rooted in the Gospel

•   The roots of our faith as believers are only strong when they are founded in Christ.

•   Rooted in the Gospel — The same message that saves us is the one that continues to sustain and grow us daily.

•   Rooted in the Word — God’s Word anchors us in truth, fills us with wisdom, and keeps us from drifting.

•   Rooted in Relationship — A close walk with God gives us strength, patience, and joy through His power, not our own.

•   Ultimately, your roots determine your fruit—so make sure your life is planted firmly in Christ.

Part 2 — Supremacy of Christ

•   Lord over all creation —Everything in heaven and on earth was created by Him, through Him, and for Him. He holds all things together and rules over all that exists.

•   Lord of the church — As the head of the body, Jesus leads, directs, and sustains His people. The Church must take its direction from Him alone.

•   Lord over redemption — Through His death and resurrection, Jesus reconciled us to God. The fullness of God dwells in Him, and peace was made through His cross.

•   Lord of over your life — He made you, saved you, and sustains you. Therefore, He deserves full authority over every area of your life—don’t let culture redefine who He is.

PART 3:  Christ in You: The Hope of Glory                                     

Have you ever noticed that some of the most powerful things in life are actually the things we can’t see?

-    Electricity

-    Influence

-    The mind

-    Gravity

-    The internet

-    Your conscience

Think about your phone. On the outside it is just metal and glass. What makes it powerful is what’s on the inside. The software, the battery, the technology, that is what makes it special.

You and I are the same way. As good as we look on the outside, what is on the inside of us is even more incredible. Our nervous system, our circulatory system, the heart, blood cells. They are all incredible!

However, there is something in us that is more powerful than any of these other things listed. Paul refers to in in Colossians 1 as a mystery that God has revealed— something hidden for generations but now made known through Jesus. And that mystery is this:

Colossians 1:24-27

24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is…”

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” 

That means the very presence of Jesus lives inside you.

He is with you. He is beside you. He is all around you. But not only that, He is also in you.

Let that sink in — the same Jesus who walked on water, who healed the sick, who conquered death — lives on the inside of you.

Powerful right!? So what does it mean? Why is that important for you today?

1. Christ in You Means You Are Never Alone

Before Jesus came, God’s people had to go to the temple to experience His presence. But now, because of Jesus, you are the temple.

When you give your heart to Jesus, His Spirit takes residence inside of you.

Wherever you go — Christ goes with you.

•  When you’re at work — He’s with you.

•  When you’re tired or discouraged — He’s with you.

•  When you don’t know what to do — He’s guiding you.

You don’t have to “feel” God to know He’s there. His Word promises that He will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

Because Jesus lives on the inside you, it means that you are never alone. Every place you step, every word you speak, every challenge you face — you carry the presence of the living God.

2. Christ in You Brings Change from the Inside Out 

When Jesus moves into your heart, He doesn’t just visit — He renovates.

He begins to change your thoughts, your desires, and your actions.

Before Christ, we try to fix ourselves from the outside — we try to look better, act better, do better. But Jesus changes us from the inside.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17,

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

It’s like planting a seed — the change starts underground where no one can see. But over time, that seed grows and shows fruit.

That’s what Christ in you does — He grows His character, His love, and His strength inside your heart.

Real change happens not because you try harder, but because Jesus lives in you.

3. Christ in You Gives You Hope for the Future

Paul calls this truth “the hope of glory.”

Hope in the Bible is not just a wish, it’s a confident promise.

It’s knowing that your story isn’t over because Jesus lives in you.

No matter what you face — pain, struggle, loss, or confusion — you can have hope because Christ inside of you guarantees a glorious ending.

Romans 8:18 — “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

That means the best is yet to come.

Jesus living in you is like a preview of heaven. One day, you’ll see His glory fully — but even now, you carry a piece of it in your heart.

The presence of Christ in you gives you hope that no situation, no season, and no struggle can take away.

4. Christ in You Is Meant to Shine Through You

Paul said his mission was to help others know this truth — to “present everyone mature in Christ.” (v. 28)

If Christ lives in you, people should see His light through you.

That means:

•  When you show kindness, you reflect Jesus.

•  When you forgive someone, you reveal Jesus.

•  When you love your family well, you honor Jesus.

•  When you stand firm in faith, you point others to Jesus.

Christ in you is not meant to be hidden — He is meant to shine through you.

Matthew 5:16 — “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven

When Christ is in you, He not only changes your life — He changes other’s lives through you.

Takeaways

Because Christ lives in you:

1.     You are not alone

2.     God is renovating your life

3.     There is hope for the future

You may not feel strong, but Christ in you is strong.

You may not see glory yet, but it’s growing inside you.

And you may not understand everything now, but you can have hope — because Jesus is living in you.

Christ in you is the hope of glory.

God Is Not The One With The Problem

Gtcotr/ss101225 

Jonah was a prophet who lived around 750BC. You probably remember the account of Jonah and the great fish. God spoke to Jonah and told him to “go to Nineveh and announce judgment against the city.”Jonah did not want to obey God, so he went instead to the port city of Joppa and purchased a ticket to sail on a ship that was headed to Turkey. 

God caused a great storm to arise on the Mediterranean that endangered the ship, the sailors and the cargo. When the crew found out Jonah was running from God and was ultimately the cause of their problems, they tried everything to keep the ship afloat. Finally Jonah convinced them to throw him overboard. They reluctantly complied and the storm ceased. 

The account continues by recording how God had already prepared a great fish which swallowed Jonah alive. Jonah lived in the belly of that fish for three days. It was then Jonah cried out to the Lord and began to pray and worship. Jonah finally recommitted his life to God’s service, and with that, the Lord caused that great fish to vomit Jonah up on dry ground.  

The story of Jonah teaches several great lessons of life. Like, “You will never catch God unprepared for what you are going to do.” The 3rd chapter of Jonah refocuses our attention on the heart of God and His message to the people of Nineveh. After Jonah got out of his personal hell:  

Jonah 3 NLT 

1 ¶  Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: 

• · Everyone say: “Thank God for a second time!”
  
• · Jesus came to save us from an eternity in hell and from the hell of this life … even the hell we often cause ourselves. 

2  “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” 

• · Have you noticed when God speaks: The second time sounds a whole lot like the first time. 

3  This time Jonah obeyed the LORD’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 

• · The next time does not have to look like the last time.  
  
• · The last time Jonah ended up: 
  
• o Wasting time and money;  
  
• o Running from God; 
  
• o Caused bad things to happen to good people; 
  
• o Was thrown overboard; 
  
• o Spent 3 days in the hell; 
  
• o He finally prayed, repented and was given a second chance. 
  
• · What made this time different than last time? 
  
• o Obedience to God’s Word. 
  
• · If Jonah would not have obeyed God, no doubt God would have revoked probation and then there would have been a third time. 

4  On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 

5 ¶  The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. 

• · Most people, just like the Ninevites, just need a chance. 
  
• · It’s amazing what an honest word from God can accomplish in the hearts and minds of men and women.  
  
• · Even the leaders hearts were touched and changed … 

6  When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 

7  Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:     “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 

8  People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 

9  Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change His mind and hold back His fierce anger from destroying us.” 

• · There’s always a chance. 
  
• · God is in the second chance business. 
  
• · God will give anyone another chance. 
  
• · Any time you earnestly ask Him for one … 

10  When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened. 

The next verse takes us into chapter 4. The mood and the message of the story changes from God dealing with the Ninevites back to God dealing with Jonah. We won’t read the whole chapter but let’s cover the first 2 verses to confirm our word for today. God changed His mind about destroying Nineveh at this time. God gave them another chance because they sincerely ask for one.

Jonah 4 NLT 

1 ¶  This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 

2  So he complained to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.” 

Jonah gives us candid looks at both God and man. 

I am so thankful I serve a God of second chances. History tells us that the Ninevites finally returned to their previous sinful wicked acts of violence and ultimately the city was destroyed about 138 years later, in 612BC, as prophesied by the OT prophet Nahum. It lies in ruins today along the eastern shore of the Tigris River outside the modern-day city of Mosul, Iraq. However, that’s not God’s fault. (Jonah 750BC; Nahum 713BC) 

Neither was Jonah’s attitude God’s fault. Jonah, like the people of Nineveh, had a choice. Jonah recognized God as a merciful and compassionate God who was slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Jonah recognized God was eager to turn back from destroying people … only Jonah did not appreciate that quality of life. But God was not the one with the problem. 

Jonah was a harsh, critical, judgmental type of person, much like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. People with whom there is no second chance, no compassion, and no appreciation for unfailing love. 

Jonah, who one of the most successful servants in the Bible, lived and died an angry, critical, depressed life. Jonah obeyed God when he had to, but he never appreciated or agreed with God, and he never expressed compassion for others … especially people he did not like. 

This morning I want to encourage you to be thankful and be appreciative of God’s unfailing love. Let God judge others while you strive to be content with whatever He decides. You can trust God, and you should agree with Him. He is aware of the situation and the circumstances surrounding you. He is committed to fixing your problem, even though He didn’t cause it.  

Malachi 3 NKJV 

13 ¶  “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the LORD, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 

14  You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts? 

15  So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ” 

16  Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. 

17  “They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” 

18  Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him. 

I thank God for being the God of another chance … for me and for others. He will not forget about your labor of love! You will be rewarded.