Colossians 1:9-18 - Walking Worthy of Christ
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Intro:
Intro:
Good evening.
We are back in the book of Colossians this evening.
This morning we looked at how this congregation had a reputation of faith.
We talked about Colosse’s faith in Christ and their love for all the saints.
We talked about the hope that is laid up in heaven.
We talked about how the Word of God had gone out into all the world in the first century, and we need to continually do what we can to see that happen again and again through evangelism.
How the Gospel brings forth fruit, and that we as Christians need to bring forth fruit as well, whether it might be an 100-fold, or 60-fold, or 30-fold or some other number.
And we briefly mentioned the preacher Epaphras, who Paul had come into contact with and he had told Paul of this congregation’s good reputation.
We also made mention of the wonderful reputation that Marietta church of Christ has, and how we need to maintain that good reputation.
Tonight, we are looking at verses 9-18 with the topic “walking worthy of Christ.”
That surely is what we all desire to do, so let’s begin reading verses 9-18.
The Text:
The Text:
(Read through all of 1:9-18, then go back through verse by verse).
Col. 1:9
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
For this reason — that Paul had heard of Colosse’s good reputation — He made sure they knew that he was praying for them continually!
This is exactly what a preacher should do for his congregation, what elders should do for their congregation - Pray continually.
How many problems could be solved, how much greater focus could be obtained, how many things could be accomplished in our congregation if we would all do a lot more praying?!
Church, we’ve got to fight a good fight.
We have a strong adversary in the devil, but our King is stronger!
But we need to remember to do our fighting on our knees in prayer!
Notice that Paul’s prayer for Colosse was that they “may be filled with the knowledge of (God’s) will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
That’s the prayer of a preacher right there!
That the congregation would take the lessons that are being taught from God’s Word, ponder them, meditate on them, glean all there is to glean, use them to embark on even further personal study, and …
Gain all the wisdom and spiritual understanding there is to be gained from the neverending well that is the Word of God, and experience true personal growth!
Why?
(Look at verse 10).
Col. 1:10
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
What a verse?!
This is the “why” for the previous verse.
“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him!”
Question: Who wants to be fully pleasing to the Lord?
All of us, right?
Question number two: Is it even possible?
According to the verse it is! Right?
So let’s make that our aim (all of us) — To be fully pleasing to the Lord! (Would make a great motto!)
And then here’s that concept again that we talked about this morning: “being fruitful in every good work” — and notice that comes with “increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Col. 1:11-12
strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Again, we talked about the importance of fighting our battle with Satan, fighting on our knees in prayer!
Ephesians 6:12 - Parallel passage - “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
And when we walk worthy of Christ, seeking to fully please Him, increasing in knowledge (all this goes hand in hand) — We become strengthened with all might!
Notice the words “patience,” “longsuffering,” “joy” — Those are fruits of the Spirit aren’t they?
Thus, metrics for measuring Christian growth.
And then verse 12 about giving thanks to God because He has qualified us to partake of the inheritance of heaven!
If that’s not a reason to give thanks then I don’t know what is!
Col. 1:13
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
This verse shows the stark difference between a person’s status BEFORE he becomes a Christian and AFTER he becomes a Christian.
A Christian has been delivered from the power of darkness — That’s why he is told in 1 John 1 to walk in the LIGHT, not darkness, for God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all!
A Christian is delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed (or “translated,” KJV) into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.
Do you remember the two men in the Bible who did not taste of death?
Enoch (Gen. 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).
Heb. 11:5 (in the KJV) calls this phenomenon of not tasting death being “translated.”
So I’ve always found that interesting when we come to this verse in Colossians — God has conveyed us (or “translated”) us into the Kingdom (the church) of the Son of His love!
Col. 1:14-15
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
You can’t get any plainer than this — It is the precious blood of Jesus Christ that redeems us (or buys us back) from our sins.
Thus, whos is the Savior? (Jesus Christ!)
What is the cleansing agent? (His blood).
When does that cleansing take place? (When we by faith are baptized into Jesus Christ - Gal. 3:26-27).
And notice that redemption means “forgiveness of sins,” which means we cannot have forgiveness of sins without the blood of Christ having been shed on our behalf!
Let’s quickly turn over to the book of Hebrews and see what Hebrews says about that — (Read Heb. 9:11-22).
What about verse 15? Jesus is the image of God - Heb. 1 says that He is the “express image of God.”
He is God incarnate, God in the flesh - John 1:1-3 and John 1:14.
He is “the firstborn over all creation,” meaning that He is preeminent — He has OWNERSHIP over all creation because He is the CREATOR.
Again, from Hebrews 1:1–2 - “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”
Look also at the next verse here and it makes it clear that Jesus (God the Son, 2nd Person of the Godhead) is our Creator.
Col. 1:16
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Or “BY Him and for Him” (KJV).
Jesus has authority over all creation; Jesus is King over all creation!
Col. 1:17-18
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Before - Certainly Jesus is “before” all things in preeminence.
But I think here Paul means that Jesus is “before” by the fact that He is ETERNAL!
Remember, Jesus said, “Before Abraham WAS I AM!” (John 8:58)
“In Him all things consist” - Paul preaching to the Athenians on Mars’ Hill put it this way - Acts 17:28 - “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”
“And He is the head of the body, the church …” — There is one Head (Jesus Christ) of one body (Jesus’ body), the church which is His body (Eph. 1:22-23), and one body (Eph. 4:4), so one church.
This is very important, doctrinally-speaking.
Thus, it would be a great idea to star or underline or highlight this verse in you Bible and connect it to Eph. 1:22-23 and Eph. 4:4.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
There’s a LOT in this section isn’t there?!
And there’s a lot to digest in this entire epistle — 4 short chapters but a lot in them — in the Book of Colossians!
(Give invitation).