Gospel Influence

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Big Idea: Increased understanding of the wisdom of God influences the walk of the believer.

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Sermon #781

Speaker

Rev. David Thomas

Venue

FHCC;

Date

November 4, 2018;

Introduction:

I use quite a few sports illustrations, so I would like to start today’s message with a word picture that may be more relevant to those of you who nurture young children. What is the difference between a toddler and a young walker?

In my mind’s eye I imagine a toddler to be someone usually 11-14 months who is able to pull himself or herself up to stand on 2 feet and has discovered that being upright is more efficient than crawling on knees. The toddler is usually slow and unsteady as he takes a few steps at a time. On the other hand, the young walker is a couple months older and has mastered balance and gained confidence so that he or she is able to put one foot in front of the other and take off without much thought. It is the young walker for which baby gates were invented.

While both the toddler and the walker depend upon the same skills and follow the same mechanics, the walker has a confidence and a competency that have often been described as fearless.

Just as a parent is excited to see those first steps, and encourages the young child to take more and more steps, in today’s text the apostle prays that young Christians would move toward maturity and demonstrate confidence and mastery in their walk.

Colossians 1:9–14 ESV:2016

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, 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; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1. Knowledge implies fullness or breadth (I know little about a LOT of things).

2. Understanding implies depth (I know a LOT about few things).

St. Anselm of Canterbury was an 11th century philosopher-theologian who coined the phrase “Faith seeking understanding.” He clarified this by saying “I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe-that unless I believer I shall not understand.”

3. Paul prays that the faith of the Colossians (that I described last week as a thermostat rather than a thermometer) would be rewarded by broader knowledge and deeper understanding.

4. Notice that the knowledge described is knowledge of God’s will in spiritual wisdom. This is not just factual knowledge, it is applied knowledge.

5. Some do not move toward maturity (increased knowledge & full understanding) because instead of 20 years of growth, they choose to repeat 1 year of growth 20 times. God calls us to press deeper toward maturity.

1. Today many are on pathways that they hope will lead to success. Success is usually determined by comfort, accumulation or influence.

Bob Buford wrote a couple of books that have been well received by men in mid-life crisis. His first book was titled Half Time: moving from success to significance. He then went on to write Beyond Half Time and Finishing Well. These books have been so popular because after pursuing success for 20 or 30 years, men found themselves longing for something else.

2. The second part of v.10 describes the life that is worth living. “Worth” is determined by the Lord’s pleasure.

a. The folly of man-pleasing is detailed in ; ; and ).

b. Paul made it his ambition to please the Lord ()

3. “worthy” is used 4 times by Paul (; ; here; ) and once in 3 John (v.6) to describe the relationship between our lifestyle and the Gospel.

Transition: The WALK mentioned in v. 9 is further described in the following verses.

1. Last week we saw that the Word of God bears fruit and increases, in this half of Paul’s prayer he exhorts the people of God to this purpose. We saw that these 2 commands were first given to Adam in .

2. Fruit bearing communicates the idea of usefulness (barren trees don’t produce) and maturity (juvenile plants are incapable of reproduction).

3. As Adam and Eve were made in the image of God and to fill the earth with human image-bearers, so believers are to submit to Christ Lordship and fill the earth with other Christ-followers.

4. In Jesus told a parable about a fig tree. The point of the parable is that if a farmer plants a tree, he expects figs. When we are called to a worthy life, we are expected to bear fruit.

1. Knowledge can be displayed in Trivia.

In the late 80s common board game was Trivial Pursuit. This famous game then launched Christian versions like the Bible Trivia, Bible Challenge and the TV gameshow The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy which earned a Daytime Emmy nomination and lasted 3 seasons.

2. But there is a world of difference between knowing facts about the Bible, and knowing God. It is this intimate, relational knowledge that is the goal of v.10.

3. Knowledge of God’s will has ethical implications because it requires that our daily conduct and thinking must be brought in line with God’s intent.

1. The Greco-Roman world frequently sought power for the purpose of protection from evil and a resource to gain goods. The book of Acts records many times that the power of God was demonstrated in signs and wonders.

Illustration: In the 1980s I was introduced to a group of Evangelists who used feats of strength to wow and audience, then present the Gospel. Their feats would include things like breaking flaming cinder blocks, crushing ice blocks with their heads, or breaking apart a pair of handcuffs. They would bend a steel bar in their teeth, blow up a hot-water bottle until it burst, or tear a phone book in half. In the public relations materials of the Power Team, they would equate God’s power with these demonstrations.

2. This verse gives a different reason to acquire power – to endure and display joyful patience. In this way we see power connected to the sermon series we just finished—it take a strong person (or someone with God’s enablement) to endure through suffering. The strength in v. 11 is not for offensive or impressive purposes, but stabilizing effect.

If you are following along in the NIV you may be a little confused right now. The words translated with joy, joyously or joyful can either modify patience or thanksgiving. Where the KJV, NASB & ESV chose to translate “patience in joy”, the NIV team chose to connect “joyful” to thanksgiving and puts it in v.12.

1. A huge difference between other religions and grace-based Christianity is the difference between “in order to” and “because of”.

2. Most religions are focused on behaviors that must be performed in order to attain. Grace-based Christianity is focused on what has been done, rather than what we do. And what behaviors we do pursue are because of a thankful response to what God has done.

Thanksgiving is not a one-day event in November

Transition: The GRATITUDE in v. 12 is more than a warm, fuzzy feeling; it is rooted in specific actions by our Heavenly Father.

1. The story of the Exodus recounts how God took a people who were oppressed slaves and turned them into a nation with power, possessions and a land. The whole 40 years they wandered in the dessert, they lived as nomads who had seen the Land that they would inherit, and in the meantime lived on the goods they had plundered from Egypt as God supernaturally provided meat and water.

2. Likewise, God has promised us an inheritance so that we walk as those who may sojourn on earth, but our citizenship is in Heaven.

“Lions” as recorded by Skillet

Today we live, today we breathe Today we know that we are strong when we are weak Today we trust, we overcome Take every chain that kept us slaves and throw em' off

We're not waiting for permission We defy our inhibition Like our middle name is "fearless" Unafraid

If we're gonna fly, we fly like eagles Arms out wide If we're gonna fear, we fear no evil We will rise By your power, we will go By your spirit, we are bold If we're gonna stand, we stand as giants If we're gonna walk, we walk as lions We walk as lions

Today is ours, it's always been Before we face the fight We know who's gonna win We live by faith and not by sight We don't want safe and quiet We don't wanna run and hide

This is not an intermission It's our time, not gonna miss it You've already called us fearless Unafraid

Oh, everywhere we go The battle has been won We know you've gone before us So, we take it hard in faith With every step we take We know we'll rise victorious

We walk as lions

Songwriters: John Robert Cooper / Korey Cooper / Mia Fieldes / Seth David Mosley

1. I actually prefer the translation of the NASB and the NIV over the ESV in this instance. These translations use “rescue” rather than “delivered”.

2. The Exodus is not the only time that God rescued His people. In 605 B.C. Jeremiah prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would lay siege to Jerusalem and the Jews would be in captivity for 70 years because of the sins of Judah. In Good News Club our children are studying the life of Daniel when this prophecy came true. As the people lived amongst the Babylonians, many of them became too comfortable so they stayed after they were emancipated. It would take another 90 years until Nehemiah the politician and Ezra the priest would lead many out of exile and back to rebuild Jerusalem.

3. It is not a stretch to describe the time of the Babylonian captivity as spiritually dark because the temple had been desecrated and the lampstand of the Holy temple had been extinguished. Under Ezra the law is read, the temple is purified, and the lampstand and the altar began to glow again.

4. To the Jews who had been given an inheritance in the Exodus and rescued from the Babylonians, they understood exactly what Paul is saying.

C.S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia describe the contrast between dark and light with the picture of living in a land where it is always winter, but never Christmas.

1. Under new management – Paul says that believers have not just added God to our value system, but that we are led by another. This is the biblical idea of repentance.

A people marked by redemption

A people marked by forgiveness

4. When a sinner repents and puts his or her faith in Christ, a two-fold process happens. In the 1st step the sinner turns from sin (indicated by the “admit” that appears in the gospel section of our bulletin each week). In the 2nd step the convert turns to Christ. (indicated by the “believe” in the gospel section).

5. If you read theology books you may encounter the words propitiation (occurs 4x in some translations) and expiation. Essentially expiation is pictured in the Day of Atonement in the OT when the High priest would cover over the sins by appeasing God’s wrath for one year. It is covered in the word forgiveness in v.14.

6. But the death of Christ doesn’t only satisfy the wrath of a Holy God, it is also the means by which we are adopted so that God views us favorably. It is covered in the word redemption in v. 14.

7. By transferring us so that we now belong under the ownership of his beloved Son, we have the authority to walk with heads held high as we have confidence and strength to walk in a way that pleases Him.

Transition: The context of this prayer is Paul’s encouragement for believers in Colossae, but the application is just as relevant for Chase County in 2018.

Conclusion:

The more we understand about God’s will, the more fruit we should bear. We are just as qualified, rescued and transferred, and should also walk in a manner worthy of our Lord.

Song of Response #339...... Since I Have Been Redeemed

Benediction: (ESV) Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Gospel Influence

Introduction:

The Apostle Prays for 2 Needs (vv.9-10a)

The Apostle Prays for 2 Needs (vv.9-10a)

Increased knowledge and understanding of WISDOM (v.9b)

A WALK that pleases the Lord (v.10)

A Worthy Walk shines in 4 directions (vv.10-12a)

A Pleasing Walk bears fruit (v.10b)

A Pleasing Walk increases in relationship (v.10c)

A Pleasing Walk applies power appropriately (v.11)

A Pleasing Walk reflects gratitude (v.12a)

The Father gives Ability and Motivation for a Worthy Walk (vv.12b-13)

An ability to walk differently (v.12b) [qualified]

A reason to walk differently (v.13a) [delivered]

An authority to walk differently (v.13b-14) [transferred]

Conclusion: