Knowing is Growing - Col 1:9-11

Wow, this week was a big week. School is over. It is the time of year where teachers are celebrating and parents are getting afraid. Eden graduation.

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I remember when I was in Elementary school, every year we would have a music program. One year we sung the song, “Knowledge is Power.” It goes like this -

And I think it is true isn’t it? Knowledge is power. In the church at Colossae they were struggling with some weird beliefs and strange practices (, .) These things were getting their focus off and it was causing a lot of problems for themselves and how they related to others.

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Because of this the book of Colossians has a ton to say about what we know. The Bible sees knowledge as a big deal. The type of knowledge I am talking about is knowledge that leads to action. That type of knowledge is invaluable. I want to look at just how the book of Colossians treats knowledge.

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1. 1:6 - Good News Going Everywhere è It’s changing lives

Why do we act like that?

2. 1:22-23 - Stand firmly in the Truth you were taught è holy and blameless

The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians The Essence of Prayer’s Request (Colossians 1:9–11)

C. F. D. Moule has said, that prayer makes two great requests. It asks for understanding and insight into God’s will and then for the power to perform that will

Some ask to know God better and others ask that God would give them strength, but this verse sees the importance of both. Without knowledge we are blind and we are flailing in the dark. But we can have all the knowledge in the world, but if we don't use it and perform God's will then we are useless.

3. 1:28 - teaching everyone with all wisdom, (teach believers) è that we may present everyone mature in Christ

4. 2:2 - understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery è no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

5. 2:7 - Roots Grow è so lives can flow (established / bounding in thanksgiving)

6. 2:20-23 - Do not submit to human regulation è they are of no value

7. 3:9 - renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator è put on the new self

8. 3:16 - word of Christ dwell in you richly è teaching and admonishing one another

STORY - Flipping the Switch - $10,000

And this is at the heart of our passage we are looking at tonight in .

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, 10 so as to 1walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 2fully pleasing to him: 3bearing fruit in every good work and 4increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 5being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;

Colossians tells us over and over and over again that knowledge is important. They were dealing with these weird beliefs at Colossae and it was affecting how they behaved and Paul prays that they have a knowledge of God that will change the way they behave. Because knowledge changes behavior.

TPing my coach

Known he was on a main road probably would not have done it

Known cops patrolled that area probably wouldn’t have done it

Known running away from the cops will cause the cops to chase you and pull their gun on you, probably wouldn’t have done it.

If I had the right knowledge it could have saved me a lot of trouble!

Look at three key words in this text.

v. 9 - “be filled” spilling over, saturated,

This word right here sums up the Christian problem. I think 2 of the most dangerous words in Christianity is “just enough” or “that’s enough.” We do this in school with grades. We do this with chores. And we do this with God. Many people believe that once they become Christians they have all they need. They are good to go. They say, give me “just enough” of God so I can go to heaven. Let me be good “just enough” so I can still consider myself a Christian. Let me know “just enough” so am know what I am supposed to do. And we go so horribly wrong.

I find it amazing where Paul is praying this prayer. Paul is in prison in Rome and he could have been praying for a lot of things, like to get out of jail. But instead his is praying for the church at Colassae. Which by the way, we could learn something from that. Paul could easily be worried about his own problems, because he had enough, but instead he was more concerned with others. And so the question is, what is Paul so concerned with that he is going to be praying from jail for another church. It is this, that they are filled.

He is not praying that they have “just enough,” that is not the word here. The word means “be filled” spilling over, saturated.

Sponge, squeeze that is what comes out (demo)

The word for knowledge is “full knowledge”

This filling leads to 4 things…

It says we are filled “so that” certain things happen. This passage is saying the knowledge of his will and spiritual wisdom and understanding are the fuel for the fire; it is the steam that powers and drives the train.

So many of us are not filled we are on empty. We are spiritually hungry and starving ourselves and wondering why it is so hard to do these things.

GIVING BLOOD AFTER TRACK PRACTICE

v. 10 - “knowledge” is not the word for just information but a deep, thorough, understanding, deep insight through living according to Jesus’ teachings.

So many times when we think of knowledge, we think of this stale thing we see in school. A bunch of random facts that have to be learned. But that is not what God is talking about here. This is like when you go on vacation to the beach and you have an amazing day and eat amazing sea food and then at the end of the day experience a beautiful sunset. It makes you fall in love with the beach that much more. Or you are dating a girl or guy and you are attracted to them at first but you hang out with them more and you do things together. Then you see them open the door for a person in a wheel chair. Then you see them at the lunch table tutoring someone on their math homework. You experience them always seeming to put your needs first and always caring about how your day has gone. As you get to know them, you like them that much better. You liked them at first but the more you get to know them the more amazing you find them! This is the type of knowledge Paul is talking about. He wants us to read his word and go try it out and has this deep knowledge of him that comes from reading his word and then applying it to our life.

you need to be filled with this knowledge to walk.

“Paul prays that they may increase in knowledge of God’s will, with the result that the Colossians will live as God wants them to and so increase in the knowledge of God! Understanding will fuel holiness; holiness will deepen understanding”[1]

v. 11 - “power” - Greek word dynamo or dynamis, which Paul was referring to here with the words “strengthened” and “power.”

Knowledge leads to action. It gives us the motivation and tools we need to get the job complete.

Some ask to know God better and others ask that God would give them strength, but this verse sees the importance of both. Without knowledge we are blind and we are flailing in the dark. But we can have all the knowledge in the world, but if we don't use it and perform God's will then we are useless.

[1] Wright, N. T. (1986). Colossians and Philemon: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 12, p. 62). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.