One of the curious features of art—fine art—is the variety of responses it evokes in people. It is unquestionably the case that if all of us listening to this message went to the national gallery in Ottawa and stood before the same painting—we would have the full spectrum of responses to it—from awed admiration to barely-veiled disdain or even disgust. And the responses don’t always make much sense. Some people rarely appreciate a great deal of modern art. Some people love it.

It is a very unsettling thing when you become aware that someone can see right through you. There are some people who seem to have an uncanny knack for doing that.

Have you ever considered how those who represent Jesus Christ should speak in every interaction, day by day? Paul provides the answer in Colossians 4: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (v. 6).

What does authentic gospel ministry look like? What are the marks of a ministry that is shaped by God’s Word and faithful to Jesus? What are the characteristics of a ministry that you would be willing to sit under? These are vital questions that every Christian believer needs to grapple with. And they are the very questions the Apostle Paul tackles head-on in the book of Colossians.

I wonder if you have ever suffered from the “impostor syndrome”—the sense that, although you occupy a role within a community of some kind, you’re not the real deal and you don’t really belong. Others are genuine and others fit in. But you’re just faking it—and soon enough everyone will find out. The feeling is common enough.