Paul’s Prayer For The Saints

Recap

Context

Written to Colossae

Refute false worldly teachings

Last time we looked at pauls gratitude

Gospel gratitude

Thankful for

Faith in Christ Jesus

Love for all the saints Hope

Hope laid up for them in heaven

Gospel that is working in and among you is working everywhere

Today, we will look at Paul’s prayer

petition this week, praise next

Is Prayer 9-14 or 9-23

If not all prayer, still connected idea of thought

Pauls prayer blends with his doctrine and his doctrine with his prayer

Connected to previous thought

“and so”

“For this cause”

“for this reason”

“because of this

Paul has shown us the reason for his prayer and now he is going to flesh out the contents of his prayer

Initial OBS

Paul believes prayer is essential for this church

“Ceased to pray”

Continually

Paul is working to grow the church through prayer

We ask once and go “god heard it”

Paul prays continually knowing that God works through prayer to accomplish his mission

Investing in something… ONGOING

“Invest in my marriage (One date)

Invest in my business (One day)

Invest in my children (One conversation)

From the first day, to this day, paul is praying for this church

Paul is praying for “thriving” Christians

This church is off to a great start

Faith, love, hope

Gospel is bearing fruit among them

Faithful minister among them in Epaphras

Prayers started before Paul heard of false teaching

Don’t just pray for “fires” or “crisis”

No atheists in a foxhole

Christians should be marked with continual prayer

Pray for the traits needed in the situation, not just deliverance from it

Prayer is a reminder for them to continue as they have started

“since the day you heard vs 6 - Since the day we heard vs 9

“thank” vs 3 - giving… thanks” vs 12

“always” vs 3 - “not stopped” v 9

“when we pray for you” vs 3 - “praying for you” v 9

“understood” v 6 - “knowledge” v 9,10

“bearing fruit & growing v 6 - “bearing fruit… growing”

Colossians and Philemon 1. The Evidence of the Gospel’s Power among the Colossians (Thanksgiving and Prayer) (1:3–14)

the Colossians’ good start and genuine progress should lead not to complacency but to renewed effort

Christian, are you coasting?

Finish the race (stopping a marathon halfway through because your in the lead)

We as Christians must never rest in our spiritual growth but rather pray for and desire further sanctification

Quick Word on Prayer

Pray the scriptures

Pauls Prayer

Knowledge

Holiness

Strength

Thanksgiving

Knowledge - SHOW

“Knowledge… wisdom... understanding…”

How a Christian thinks is not a fly by prayer for Paul but rather a continual theme throughout the book

Colossians 1:28 “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Colossians 2:2–3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Colossians 3:10 “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”

It would make sense that Paul focuses on knowledge with false teaching and worldly philosophies floating around. But the importance of knowledge, wisdom & understanding is not unique to this Colossian church.

Importance of knowledge throughout bible

1 Corinthians 1:5 “that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—”

Philippians 1:9 “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,”

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

take every thought captivve

God cares about what you know

Ephesians 4:11–15 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,”

This Knowledge is specifically of his will

What will?

Will of decree or will of command

Decree - God’s sovereign will to bring about all that is to pass

Isaiah 46:9–10 “remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”

Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

Command - God’s moral will revealed to us

10 commandments

OBJ: “Aren’t those the same thing??”

TURN TO ACTS 2

Acts 2:22–23 ““Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

I believe Paul is speaking of his will of command or moral will, because he says “SO AS” vs 10

What is his will

Thank

What we know is essential. Truth matters. Theology Matters. Doctrine Matters. Who Christ is Matters

Not Jesus as michael the archangel

Not Jesus as lucifiers brother

Not Jesus as a merely good moral example

Jesus Christ as the messiah. The son of God. The second member of the trinity. The God man himself who robed himself in flesh to come down from glory and save his people by dying in their place.

What you know to be true matters. Truth matters

Paul about unbelieving israel in Rom 10

Romans 10:1–2 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”

The amount of christians & churches I see today that think spiritual means emotional

guy said he doesnt get caught up in theology

spiritual milk, solid food hebrews

God made us with minds and is greatly concerned with what you know

It is what you know, not what you feel, that will cause you to persevere

Train illustration

“How do you feel”

Ask me what I know

Okay, now we've got something to sing about, for we have been reminded of truth. You have been ransomed; you have been healed; you have been restored; you have been forgiven. You're looking away from yourself now. You're looking out and to Christ. And it is in this that we have something that fuels our praise.

The fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge

In a society that is peddling secret esoteric spiritual knowledge that is inaccessible, God

It starts with knowing things but doesn't end there

Qualifiers - wisdom & understanding

Wisdom - “Proper application of truth”

Understanding - “Think through perhaps complex situations, discernment”

not just heady but practical

Your knowledge of God’s will should be seasoned with wisdom and understanding

One of the beauties of Christianity is that God has revealed himself to us.

His word

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Psalm 1:1–2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

JOHN PIPER - THE MORNING I HEARD FROM GOD

Interesting language

be filled - passive

passive

Full to the brim/Complete

We ought to be bible saturated people. So full of the word of god that we can not help but regurgitate it when we speak

meditate, memorize

“Why, this man is a living Bible!” Prick him anywhere—his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you, beloved.

spiritual wisdom - from the spirit

As you expose yourself to God’s word, God’s spirit will make you look more like Gods son

Sun illustration

“So what? What is the point of gaining knowledge, wisdom, understanding?”

Paul gives a reason for this petition to God

Read vs 10

You could call this holiness - The second request of Paul

To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him

“What is Paul saying here?”

To walk - jewish & biblical idiom

A persons lifestyle is pictured as the path their walking

Proverbs 2:12–20 “delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.”

“Worthy”

Of who?

Jesus vs 3 “Our Lord”

NOT SAYING

Perfection

Earn your worth

Saints vs 1

Hope that is laid up

By his death he has reconciled us to present us holy, blameless, and above reproach

Colossians 1:22 “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”

Buried and raised with him

Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

Canceled the record of our debt

Colossians 2:14 “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Gods chosen ones

Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

No, your worth is secured in Christs worthiness.

Two wonders here that I confess My worth and my unworthiness My value fixed, my ransom paid At the crossI rejoice in my Redeemer Greatest treasure, wellspring of my soul I will trust in Him, no other My soul is satisfied in Him alone

My worth is not in what I own

What Paul is saying:

Reflect the worth of Christ in how you walk in every aspect of your life

ALL wisdom

FULLY pleasing

EVERY good work

ALL power

Does the reflection of your life shine the worth of Jesus?

Does the path you walk demonstrate the great value you have for jesus

Fully pleasing

our aim

2 Corinthians 5:9 “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”

Paul expounds on what this looks like

Bearing fruit in every good work

Similar to vs 6 but now its the people that bear fruit

Fruit of the spirit?

PUT 1 COR 5 9 SOMEWHERE HERE

A human that has been tilled up by gospel blades will sprout healthy gospel fruit

Paul doesn’t leave it at fruit, he also adds increasing in the knowledge of God

we need to grow in knowledge to grow in knowledge?

is this circular reasoning?

NO

It’s compounding

Understanding will fuel holiness; holiness will deepen understanding

In order to do that, Paul is going to pray for our 3rd request; Strength

“being strengthened with all power”

Paul prays for strength because the Colossians, and by extension, us, so desperately need it.

To live in a world that is trying to abduct your mind and your heart, it will take strength to persevere.

It will take strength to open our Bibles tomorrow and know more of God’s will

It will take strength to not give in to the peer pressure of those around us

It will take strength to die to self and live to christ

It will take strength to face the so called brightest minds of intellect in our society, who mock us, and call us fools for believing in God, and know it is in fact the fool who says there is no God

We need strength because the task at hand requires it.

That strength is given to us by God

According to his might

According to the measure of his might

You draw your strength from a bottomless well of might

Ephesians 1:18–22 “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,”

Specifically, as Paul highlights, for endurance & patience…

Endurance - the act. Patience - the attitude

You know who needs endurance, someone who is in a race

Maybe someone in here is tired of running. How easy it would be to throw in the towel.

I’m tired of people snickering at me

I’m tired of fighting against my flesh

I’m tired,

Brother, sister, pray for your endurance

Patience

not just what you do but your attitude doing it

And on top of that that, let it be marked with Joy

Joy

The stoics would endure. Patient endurance was a virtue of stoicism

But what would distinguish the Christian in their patient endurance is their joy through it all.

Remember, paul is in prison

Joy is not happiness

Happiness is fleeting, Happiness is circumstantial, Happiness is a snapshot

Joy is so much more.

You can have Joy not only on the peaks but also in the valleys

and the good news is; in Christ we have it.

Because of the gospel, because of our inheritance, because of Jesus we can face whatever tirals and tribulations we may face with Joy, looking to Jesus