Growing Upward

Growing Upward Colossians 1:9-14 Questions on prayer: 1. Do you pray because you have to or because you want to? 2. Are you so busy during your day you often forget to pray? 3. Do you ever just talk to God about your day, or do you turn to Him only when you have a need? 4. Are you so plagued by guilt over sin or lack of prayer you don’t want to pray? 5. Can you make it through the day without praying? 6. Do your prayers sound alike all the time? 7. Are you so ritualistic in your prayer times that you don’t remember what you prayed? Colossians 1:9-14 9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease (Greek: stopped, ceased, or finished - Like when Jesus finished praying in a certain place, then His disciples came and asked Him to teach them how to pray Luke 11:1) They noticed His active prayer life. to pray for you, Prayer is to be personal — “for you” ILLUSTRATION: Once there was a rich man who had a son to whom he promised an annual allowance. Every year on the same day, he would give his son the entire amount. After a while, it happened that the only time the father saw his son was on the day of allowance. So the father changed his plan and only gave the son enough for the day. Then the next day the son would return. From then on, the father saw his son every day. and to ask (with a claim on receipt of an answer; demanding like the crowd did for Christ’s crucifixion in Luke 23:23); asking) Prayer is to be petitioning to God - “to ask” that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Prayer is to be productive - “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His wisdom and spiritual understanding” The devil laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. Ephesians 3:19 - and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Filled = supplied His will: Equipping us for doing good (Hebrews 13:21) Counsel (Ephesians 1:11) We seek to ask anything according to His will (I John 5:14) In this verse — Paul is praying for the counseling will of God which provides wisdom and spiritual understanding 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Worthy - God is the one who establishes the criteria to which their conduct should conform. Working - Being fruitful - 2nd time mentioned in Colossians 1 (vs.6) - Not necessarily bound to evangelism, but also that the Christian is bearing the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. - increasing in the knowledge of God What we know of God and ethics are integrated together. We are ones who seek those riches and wisdom of the knowledge of God (Romans 11:33). By doing this we will be… 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; Interesting word play here: strengthened (dynamoo) - to be enabled Like when Paul said, “the Lord stood by me and strengthened me” (II Timothy 4:17) A faithful God does not expect you to do what you cannot; He supplies the needed strength. (Erwin Lutzer) Enabled Empowered - “all might (dynamis), according to His glorious power” (kratos) This is not a booster rocket that gets you to a certain point then leaves you on your own. Endurance - “patience and longsuffering” If God be for you who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Therefore, we endure life’s hardships with joy. 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified (Greek: made you sufficient through salvation - God offers the conditions for our salvation) us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. This verse continues to expand the purpose of Paul words in vs. 10 “walking worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.” Praise - Giving thanks = praising the Father This is the genuine thankfulness you have when you recognize your salvation. You read of those 10 lepers healed in Luke 17:11-19 Only one “turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.” (vs.16) Salvation brings joy to everyone. 3 times in Luke 15: angels rejoice on a sinner repenting Acts 8:39 - The Ethiopian eunuch went on his way rejoicing after his baptism. Partakers - “of the inheritance of the saints in the light” Heavenly home = inheritance … in the light 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Delivered - Importance of the church here given. Another word is “rescued” Sin had taken hold of us but now through salvation we are rescued from the power of darkness. Depositing “conveying”/“transferring”/translate/transplant Same word “set” like Jesus was set on the pinnacle of the temple (Matthew 4:5). Jesus “put” a child in the midst of them (Matthew 18:2) This verse shows an important fact about the church. You cannot simply join a church, but the Lord adds you to the church - He transfers you from sinner to saint. (Acts 2:47) 14. in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Redemption - The buying back power of God — through His blood We have sweet release from sin and it’s guilt He purchased us through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7) Paul uses the picture of adoption (Romans 8:23) This word implies both legal status in the family of God as well as the birth into the family of God. Remission (forgiveness of sins) Those in the church are forgiven people. The church is not a stage for the holy, but a hospital for the sinner. There is only forgiveness of sins in Christ “in whom” Acts 2:38 - And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.