Disciple Up Show Notes #137
Colossians: The Supremacy of Christ, Pt 3
Paul’s Prayer for You and Me, Col. 1: 9-14
As we study Colossians you might also want to read Ephesians since there are many parallels between them.
If you were asked to pray for a small, struggling group of Christians who you had heard of but never met, what would you pray for? Would you pray for revival, more warmth in their fellowship, more evangelism or that they try some new exciting program to grow? Well Paul didn’t he prayed that the Colossians – and us! – would know God’s will! Why? Lets see…
- I) THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL (vs. 9)
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Colossians 1:9 (ESV)
- A) Filled Up
1, filled = filling out to completeness. We should be completely filled with knowledge of His will.
2, This knowledge comes from receiving God’s grace (vs. 6)
6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, Colossians 1:6 (ESV)
3, Knowledge = a full grasp of something MUCH deeper than mere mental understanding.
a, THIS IS THE PLAGUE OF BIBLE STUDY!!
4, Paul is asking that we be filled with a complete knowledge of God’s will? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??
- B) Through Wisdom & Understanding
1, Wisdom = a mind controlled by the Spirit of God.
2, understanding =applying this God given wisdom to our circumstances
3, This means that we must PRAYERFULLY ANALYIZE situations before jumping into them.
- C) But What About God’s Will?
1, We’ve been talking about it!
2, God’s will in the N.T. isn’t primarily concerned with which job should I take etc.
3, It’s really concerned with verses 10-11.
- II) RESULTS OF THIS KNOWLEDGE (vs. 10-11)
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, Colossians 1:10-11 (ESV)
A) Living Worthy of the Lord (vs. 10)
1, Paul doesn’t want our knowledge to be barren orthodoxy!
2, He wants our total understanding of God’s will to show in a transformed life!
a, Knowing God’s will is the only way to live a life pleasing to Him.
b, Full knowledge will make us want to please Him in every way!!
3, A transformed life bears fruit.
a, just as the Gospel does (vs. 6)
b, our fruit is our CONTINUAL good works for Christ
c, the more our full knowledge of God’s will grows the more fruit we’ll show.
- B) Powered By God (vs 11)
1, I’m tired, I can’t produce fruit! You need some power to do it!
2, We are to be strengthened with all power.
a, power = dunamis (Acts 1:8) dynamite, dynamic, dynamo
b, Might = Kratos = God’s perfect power, used of Him almost exclusively.
3, This means that God’s Kratos continually becomes dunamis in us!
a, so we depend on God – not circumstances – for the power to live.
- C) The Purpose of the Power (vs 11)
1, Notice how these 3 qualities parallel the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5)
a, the purpose of God’s power is to bear fruit in our lives
2, Great endurance = the kind of perseverance which enables one to hold the position already taken in battle against enemy attacks from without.
3, Patience = not striking back when attacked
4, Joyfully – these 2 qualities must be tempered with joy for we are not stoics!
III) FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT (vs. 12-14)
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14 (ESV)
- A) Give Thanks!
1, for what? The Power and the will of God! And for what follows.
2, Qualified to share with the saints.
a, notice that GOD qualified us – we didn’t qualify ourselves. HOW?
- B) Rescued From Darkness (vs. 13)
1, Dominion = exousia = the right or legal authority to rule
2, How does the Darkness or the Devil get this authority over us?
a, We give it to him by sinning
b, ALL non-Christians are helpless slaves of the Dark rebel kingdom – totally helpless to free themselves, just as all of us once were!
3, The Father must rescue us!
a, How? Through Christ’s death for us and His resurrection which gave Him the exousia, the legal authority, over Darkness.
b, The Beloved Son died – that we might live.
c, And He died that we might be transferred to the Kingdom of Light!
1, aorist tense – it’s an accomplished fact for those who believe!
- C) The Way Out! (vs. 14)
1, Redemption – the O.T. concept is of paying a price to buy something back that once belonged to you.
a, Christ died to buy us back from Satan to God Again (Mark 10:45)
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 (ESV)
2, Forgiveness of Sins.
a, Forgive = to release or let go
b, What happens when WE don’t forgive?
1, It’s like an ancient penalty for murder, being chained to the corpse till it falls apart!
2, By dragging around your pain you’re stinking up your life, and everyone else’s you know!
3, Christ’s death forgives ALL OUR SINS!
4, You must receive Him for this forgiveness to be yours!
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