Martin Luther King Jr. experienced tremendous pressure throughout his life. In addition to the strain of leadership and political infighting, he endured slander, beatings, imprisonment and death threats. His house was firebombed.

So what kept him going? It was his strong sense of God’s call upon his life.

King was just 26 years old when he was appointed leader of the civil rights campaign in Montgomery, Alabama. Apart from terrifying threats from Klan, King was harassed by police. Arrested for driving 5 miles per hour over the speed limit he was given his first stint in jail. The night after his release he was at home when the phone rang. A menacing voice on the other end said, “We are tired of you and your mess now. And if you aren't out of this town in three days, we're going to blow your brains out and blow up your house.”

King was unnerved and very afraid - for himself, for his wife and for his little children. Shortly after the phone call he sat at his kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. “And I sat at that table, he said, “thinking about that little girl and thinking about the fact that she could be taken away from me at any minute. And I started thinking about a dedicated, devoted and loyal wife, who was over there asleep...And I got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I was weak…”

“And I discovered then that religion had to become real to me, and I had to know God for myself. And I bowed down over that cup of coffee. I will never forget it… I said, ‘Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right. I think I’m right. I think the cause we represent is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now. I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage’…And it seemed to me at that moment that I could hear an inner voice saying to me, Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you, even until the end of the world…”I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No, never alone. No, never alone. He promised never to leave me, never leave alone.”

Three nights later the menacing threat made in the phone call came true: a bomb exploded on the front verandah of the King home. Thankfully no one was hurt. But King was able to get through it: “My religious experience a few nights before had given me strength to face it.” Time and again throughout his ministry Martin Luther King returned to that experience to strengthen him as he faced terrible difficulties.

Many people, throughout the centuries, have discovered the same source of courage and strength from the Lord. The promise of the Lord and the call of the Lord have emboldened missionaries, soldiers, statesmen, reformers and crusaders for social justice for almost two thousand years. Their impact on the world has been immense.

The Apostle Paul has, perhaps, had the greatest impact of all God’s servants. One reason for this impact is Paul’s incredible focus. Paul was very clear about who he was, what God had called him to do, and what the result should look like. He also knew that, while he could not rely on his own strength, he could rely without a doubt on the strength of Jesus.

How did Paul see himself? Who was he in his own eyes?

He is, first of all, a minister. That’s what he titles himself in verse 25.

There are a lot of words that are used for a member of the ordained clergy. In my role at Moorpark Presbyterian, I am a pastor. That comes from the image of being a shepherd of the people of God - pastor and pasture being related words. In my official title, I am “the Reverend,” which carries an implication of special holiness, just as the title “the honorable” for a judge carries an expectation of deep personal integrity. Sometimes titles like “the Reverend” and “the honorable” connect to reality. Sometimes they are just silly titles.

Then there is the old fashioned title, Parson. This is the most puffed-up title of all -- for the parson is just the Scots way of saying “person”. The pastor of the local church in the Scottish village was called, “the person”. Nowadays we would say, “the Man,” or “the Commandant”, or “the Grand Poobah.”

Minister is a much more humble title. The root word of minister is “mini” which of course, means “small.”

Some pastors seem to think they are “maxisters,” but they aren’t. They are ministers. So even a Prime Minister is only the most important unimportant person. Paul knows this. Paul knows he has no message of his own that is worth anybody’s attention.

But he does have a message. Paul says that his ministry is nothing less than a stewardship of the Word of God. Like all spiritual gifts, this ministry is not given for Paul’s personal benefit. Paul says to the Colossians that the stewardship was “given to me for you.”

Paul is very aware of the grace of God. It was grace that enabled Paul - who describes himself over in Ephesians 3:8 as “less that the least of all the saints” - to be made a minister of Jesus Christ. Grace is shown to Paul in that, despite his past and his actual persecution of the church, he was chosen to be a minister of the church. Grace is shown to the Colossian gentiles in that Paul, a Jew, has been sent to them to preach God’s word.

Paul knows that he, himself, is nothing. But he also knows that the message that he has been given by the Lord is an absolutely wonderful mystery. That’s the very interesting word for Paul uses in verse 26 – “the mystery hidden from the ages and generations.”

What does Paul mean? Why does he use this word?

Well in English a “mystery” is something dark, secret, and puzzling. What is a mystery is incomprehensible. We love mystery movies where we try to recognize and decipher clues along with the detective.

But the Greek work “mysterion” Paul uses in verse 26 is different. Although it still a secret, it is ultimately meant to be understood.

Originally the Greek word “mysterion” referred to a truth into which someone had been initiated. It was used of the secret teachings of the pagan mystery religions like the cult of Dionysius. These teachings, while understandable, were restricted to the initiates. Other mystery religions included that of Isis and that of Mithras where people stood in a pit under a grate to be covered with the blood of a slaughtered bull.

Well there are also true mysteries. Paul also uses this word “mystery” because Paul knows that in all His dealings with humanity God had been working on a deep plan. God has been working with a secret purpose that can only be known by the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

This message about a mystery and accessible ultimate truth is especially important to the young believers in Colossae. Remember that the Colossians are under attack by various heretical groups which we’ll talk about in more detail in chapter 2. One of these groups was the Gnostics whose name comes “gnosis” -- the Greek word for knowledge.

The Gnostics are telling the Colossian Christians that Jesus is not the real mediator between God and people. They believed that there were all sorts of heavenly intermediaries between people and God. In the Gnostic systems, the words “ages” and “generations” were applied to these heavenly hierarchies. Paul knows what the Gnostics teach. So these are the exact words Paul uses in verse 26. The word Paul uses in verse 26, ages, is literally aeons which, in the Gnostic system, refers to a great hierarchy of angelic powers that stand between God and the material world. In Colossians 1:26, Paul says that the mystery of God has been hidden from this supposed spiritual hierarchy but has been revealed to the church.

Over in 1 Corinthians 2: 6-8, Paul says the same thing. He says that God’s plan was concealed from “the rulers of this world” which are, in fact, the spiritual powers which conspired to crucify our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here in Colossians, Paul says that the mystery of God was hidden from the so-called “knowing ones” of Gnostic teaching. But it has been made known to God’s saints.

Who are the saints? We are.

When we looked at Colossians 1:2, over a year ago, we learned that saints are all those set apart by God to belong to Him. You and I are saints. Saints are not a spiritual elite who we venerate, make statues of, and name churches after. The saints are all of us. You are a saint.

You are a saint just as the Colossian Christians were saints because you have been set apart by God. He has called you and you have responded to His call. That is the mark of a saint.

Paul says that you, as a saint, are in the ultimate in-crowd of the universe. You know something that spiritual powers are clueless about. You already know the most important thing you can possibly know. You know the mystery of God. And it’s there for each and every one of you.

In Christianity, unlike the mystery religions or the Gnostics, there are no special mysteries reserved for a spiritual elite. Christian mysteries are truths that have been revealed by God and now belong openly to the whole church.

If you are ordained here as an elder of deacon, we aren’t going to hand you a secret book that contains the real “Insider’s Information.” You aren’t going to learn the secret Moorpark Presbyterian in-crowd handshake. Our entire statement of faith is posted on the web site and there are no secret codes to let you into the web site behind the web site. There is also no secret code in the Bible just as there is no secret code in DaVinci’s “Last Supper.”

What you see here is what you get. It was no different in the first century. The mystery has been made known to the saints and Paul’s life is dedicated to making these open mysteries known to even more saints.

It’s a wonderful mystery. Paul, in verse 27, talks about “the riches of its glory.”

It’s also a mystery with a very unexpected subject. Unless you are a Jewish Christian, you are the target audience for this mystery. Europeans, Asians, African, American Indians, Arabs are all targets because they are all Gentiles. In fact, the mystery is targeted is everyone on earth but the Jews.

Does this mean that God doesn’t like Jews? Not at all. They have always been the chosen people. But the ancient mystery that Paul says has now been revealed in Christ is that God also loves the non-Jews. That’s the application of the mystery Paul gives in verse 27 -- it is “the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles.”

Paul says that the mystery is a surprise because of who it is for. Had God’s grace been shown to believing Jews alone, it might not have excited much wonder. They were recognized as the messianic people. But Paul says that now non- Jews are included as well. Not only are they included but they are on an equal footing with believing Jews.

This mystery has now been made known in Christ. But it was God’s purpose from the get-go. He promised it to Abraham when he declared that through Abraham, all the peoples of the world would one day be blessed.

But most first century people, including most Jews, had forgotten that part. They rejected the Gentiles as a group. Some first century Jews taught that we Gentiles were only created as fuel for the fires of hell.

That was never God’s intention. But even though we Gentiles had been included in the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we were not aware of our inclusion. But now, because of Christ Paul writes, in verse 27, we Gentiles have the hope of glory -- we have assurance of eternal life.

The reason we have this great hope is the core of Paul’s message and the core of the passage. We are going to miss what Paul is telling us unless we realize that we are now about to take hold of the live wire of electrifying truth. This is not a sideline thought for Paul. This is not a peripheral detour. In one way or another, Paul says this over 176 times in his letters. This is the heart of it – that Christ the Lord of Creation now actually lives in us, in us, through faith. Christ Himself now dwells in you.

Think about what this means in light of what we have learned about Jesus in Colossians 1. Jesus Christ -- by whom and through whom all things were created, now lives in you. Jesus Christ, who is before all things and in whom God was pleased for all His fullness to dwell, now lives in you. Jesus Christ, the first born over all creation, the image of the invisible God lives in you. Christ who has primacy over all things, in whom all things hold together, who is the head of the church - this Christ, who will stand at the end of time and be the final judge and triumphal Lord, lives in you.

Do you hear what Paul is saying? Far from you being separated from God by endless levels of spiritual bureaucracy, God is actually in your life. He relationship is hat close. The access in prayer is that immediate. The guarantee of sharing God’s glory is that certain. Even in those times when you feel that God is absent, He is very present. And His promises to you have not gone away including the promise that you will one-day share His glory. God is also in the people who are sitting next to you his morning, so treat them well.

Paul is using mystical language here and we’re not always comfortable with mysticism. I mean, I’m the guy who came out with “shaboom” when I was supposed to speak in tongues. Do a search for “shaboom” on our web site and you’ll find the story.

But there is still something in me that lets me know that I am being led – and which tells me that the Lord and I are meant to go together like a lock and a key.

In this powerful passage, Paul is flying right in the face of contemporary society - especially in Colossae. The Jews in Colossae would never have agreed that God had any use for every one; he would have refused to accept that God was the God of the Gentiles. The Gnostics in Colossae would never have agreed that every person could be warned and taught and presented complete to God. He believed that the knowledge necessary for salvation was so involved and difficult that it must be the possession of the spiritual aristocracy and the chosen few. But Paul says - all.

I would be personally be content to reach part of this county and help some people grow somewhat stronger. But Paul says, “Aim bigger.” Not some people - but every person. Not some growth, but total maturity in Christ.

He writes of Jesus: “Him we preach, warning every person and teaching every person in all wisdom, that we may present every person perfect on Christ Jesus.”

In the words of William Barclay, “The fact is that the only thing in this world which is for every person is Christ. It is not every person who can be a thinker. There are gifts which are not granted to every person. Not every person can master every craft, or even every game. There are those who are color-blind and to whom the loveliness of art means nothing. There are those who are tone-deaf and for whom the glory of music does not exist. Not every person can be a writer or a student or a preacher or a singer. Even human love at its highest is not granted to all people. There are gifts a person will never possess; there are privileges a person will never enjoy; there are heights of this world’s attainment which a person will never scale; but to every person there is open the good news of the gospel, the love of God in Christ Jesus and the transforming power which can bring holiness and hope into life.”

Every person includes us. This is the truth that gives us both a great hope, and a great resource for living. It also gives us a great responsibility.

For not only are we the recipients of a mystery. We are also the communicators of the mystery. This communication -- this stewardship of the word of God – is the only goal of Paul’s life and should be our aim as well..

Recently I read of a young missionary to China during the 1920’s who was offered a large salary to work for an oil company. The oil company needed someone who knew the language and culture and was skilled in dealing with the Chinese. An executive said to the board of directors, “ I know such a man. I’ll see if he’s interested.” That executive went to the missionary and offered the position. The salary for a month was more than the missionary made in a year.

But the young man said, “No, I don’t want the job.”

Amazed, the executive asked, “Isn’t the salary big enough?”

“Oh, yes, the salary is fine. The job isn’t big enough.”

Paul would have agreed. Whatever your place of employment, your true job has to be big enough to be worth your life.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That is the job. That is the mystery. That is our message.