Colossians 1:1-12 - Praying Always for You

Introduction

At the end of Acts, we last saw Paul under house-arrest in Rome. He spent two years there waiting to stand trial on fraudulent charges of defiling the temple in Jerusalem.

During that time, Paul welcomed all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered (Acts 28:30-31).

During that time, Paul also wrote letters.

One such letter was written to the church at Colossae…

[READING - Colossians 1:1-12]

Colossians 1:1–12 NASB95

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

[PRAYER]

[INTER] How would you go about growing fruit on a farm an ocean away? How would go about growing fruit on trees you didn’t plant? How about on trees you’ve never seen?

[CONTEXT] The Apostle Paul had never been to the church in Colossae.

He didn’t plant the church there, but he was eager to see the followers of Jesus in Colossae produce good spiritual fruit by following Jesus closely.

So, what did Paul do?

He prayed.

Colossians 1:3 NASB95

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Colossians 1:9 (NASB95)

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you…

The Gospel is the only reliable spiritual fruit producer, and Paul said that with or without him it had been producing spiritual fruit all over the world just as it had among the Colossians.

Paul had heard of their faith, their love for all the saints, and their love in the Spirit.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected had produced this fruit in the Colossians Christians.

This Gospel is faith in Jesus Christ alone.

This Gospel is the hope laid up for believers in heaven.

This Gospel is the word of truth.

This Gospel is the grace of God in truth.

This Gospel produces good spiritual fruit, and now Paul is praying that it produces more good spiritual fruit among the Colossians.

[CIT] In vv. 9-12, Paul said that he had made three requests of God on behalf of the Colossians…

…that they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will,

…that they be strengthened with God’s power,

…and that they be bursting with thanksgiving to God alone.

[PROP] Brothers and sisters, these should be our requests for one another.

The Gospel is the only seed that produces this kind of spiritual-fruit and prayer is its best fertilizer.

[TS] Let’s take a look at each of the REQUESTS that Paul makes…

Major Ideas

Request #1: The Knowledge of God’s Will (vv. 9-10)

Colossians 1:9–10 NASB95

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

[EXP] The Colossian church likely got its start when a Colossian named Epaphras (v. 7) heard Paul preach the Gospel in Ephesus. Epaphras believed the Gospel and then took it back to his people in Colossae.

The Gospel they first believed rested on Christ alone. It was pure. It was undiluted. It was uncontaminated by the false ideas of Judaism or paganism.

But since that time false ideas had crept into the Colossian church, and the church was in danger of wandering away from the salvation that rests on Christ alone.

This is why Paul prayed that the Colossians would have the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

This would enable them to distinguish fact from fiction, truth from lie.

It would enable them to walk (i.e., live) in a way that honors and pleases the Lord.

It would enable them to increasingly bear good spiritual fruit.

It would enable them to increasingly know God.

[ILLUS] I received many wonderful gifts for Father’s Day this year—a coffee cup, a football, a knife, and a compass. If you know anything about a compass, you know that for it to help you, it has to point north. This is so you can discern your way if you’re ever confused about which direction to take.

I think Dalton was concerned that in my old age I’d get turned around walking in the field behind the church and wouldn’t be able to find my way back.

That’s why he gave me the compass—so I could find my way.

[APP] Knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding is like a spiritual compass, and that spiritual compass only works by having its north set on Jesus.

If we are to find our way, Jesus must be our north.

If He isn’t, then we will not walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

We will not please Him in all respects.

We will not bear fruit in every good work.

We will not increase in the knowledge of God.

We will lose our way and wander into all sorts of error.

[TS]…

Request #2: The Strength of God’s Power (v. 11)

Colossians 1:11 (NASB95)

11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;

[EXP] Knowledge of God’s will would enable the Colossians walk in the way of Christ, and the strength of God’s power would enable them to hold on to Christ.

Notice that Paul doesn’t pray that the Colossians would be strong in and of themselves but strong according to God’s glorious might.

The Colossians needed God’s strength working in them and through them so that they steadfastly and patiently held to Christ.

Question: Why would the Colossians need God’s strength endure in holding on to Christ?

Answer: Because they were too weak to hold on to Christ themselves.

[ILLUS] holding Lillian’s hands on the bar at the Exploreum when she was too weak to hold herself

[APP] Jesus is the bar we must hold to, and we are simply too spiritually weak to hold to him.

Question: Why would the Colossians need God’s strength to patiently hold to Christ?

Answer: Because they were too impatient to hold on to Christ themselves.

[ILLUS] holding Lillian’s hands on the bar at the Exploreum when she didn’t know that holding the bar would be fun for her

[APP] Jesus is the bar we must hold to, and we are simply too spiritually impatient to hold to him.

[TS]…

Request #3: Thanksgiving to God Alone (vv. 11b-12)

Colossians 1:11b-12 (NASB95)

11b joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

[EXP] The inheritance of the saints is salvation, and that salvation only comes about through the Light, that is through Jesus Christ. John 1:4-5…

John 1:4–5 NASB95

4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Only by the grace of God did the Colossians hear the Gospel and comprehend the saving Light of God in Jesus Christ.

And because it was only by God’s grace that this took place, the Colossians were to joyously give thanks to Him alone.

[ILLUS] Foxe’s Book of Martyrs recounts the martyrdom of Polycarp. He was bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Apostle John. Given the opportunity to deny Christ instead of die for his faith in Christ, Polycarp said…

“Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?”

Because Polycarp was grateful, he remained faithful even unto death.

[APP] We will only remain faithful to Christ insofar as we are grateful to God.

We must be in the practice of reminding ourselves what God has done for us in Jesus Christ so that our thankfulness to Him increases and our faithfulness to Him endures to the end.

We must understand the Gospel as something that God has done by Himself, and is therefore something He should get the praise for by Himself.

He saved us from Himself for Himself and to Himself.

Therefore, He gets the glory.

He receives the thanksgiving by Himself!

[TS]…

Conclusion

The Gospel is the only seed that produces this kind of spiritual-fruit and prayer is its best fertilizer.

“We give thank to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…” (Col. 1:3).

“We have not ceased to pray for you…” (Col. 1:9).

Brothers and sisters, will we pray for one another as Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians?

Will we pray for each other to have…

…the knowledge of God’s will…

…the strength of God’s power…

…and the thanksgiving that belongs to God alone?

May the Gospel produce this fruit in us, and may we fertilize it with prayer for one another, so that we may all remain faithful to Christ to the end.

[PRAYER]