Colossians 1:9-14 - We Pray For the Church
Notes
Transcript
Our passage today talks about what it looks like to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
I desire that, don’t you? To be fully pleasing to your Creator.
I want to be like a dog to it’s master
greeting my Lord when He enters the room
curling up in a ball at His feet wherever He sits
running to fetch the ball wherever He throws it
The pleasure of a dog is that it’s only goal in life is to please you…and eat.
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,
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 the Spirit, in contrast to “spiritual”
We live in a context that is all about generally embracing that which is “spiritual”
This is good in the sense that we ought to be aware that the spiritual realm is real
The problem with this is there is very little discernment of the spirits going on
And so, I want to take the NIV translation of this verse for the moment, which reads this way and better captures Paul’s intentions here...
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
You see, he is not praying for some GENERAL spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is that they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will
>>Understanding His will by the power of the Holy Spirit
>>Wisely applying His will by the power of the Holy Spirit
Understanding & Application of God’s Will by the power of Holy Spirit results in a life lived worthy of the Lord...
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 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
10 - you would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him
Paul outlines FOUR fruits of a life being lived worthy of the Lord...
1) Bearing Fruit in every good work
1) Bearing Fruit in every good work
2) Increasing in the knowledge of God
2) Increasing in the knowledge of God
3) Being Strengthened by God
3) Being Strengthened by God
Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might
for all endurance and patience
with joy
4) Giving Thanks to the Father
4) Giving Thanks to the Father
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,
13 - He has delivered us
FROM the domain of darkness
TRANSFERRED us to the kingdom of his beloved Son
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
14 - in whom we have redemption
the forgiveness of sins
GO WITH THIS...
Pray for the Church
Prayer is not just for your requests...
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
If you don’t know what to pray for your brothers and sisters, pray this:
that they be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and understanding in the Spirit
Seek to live a life worthy of the Lord
Bear fruit
Thirst for Knowledge of the Lord
When you are weak, find your strength in the Lord not in your self
Give Thanks to God for the inheritance He has given you
God has transferred you from the DOMAIN of DARKNESS to the KINGDOM of the BELOVED SON
He has qualified you for an inheritance of the saints in light
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.