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Introduction

If you knew of a Church that was being threatened by false teachers how would you pray for them?

Would you pray that they would be filled with the knowledge of the Word of God?

This was the situation of the Church at Colosse and this was the prayer that Paul prayed

The Church at Colosse was founded by Epaphras and had seemed to be growing in the Lord.

But false teachers were trying to teach a heresy in the Church and so Epaphras travelled to Rome, where Paul was in prison, in order to get Paul’s advice on what to do.

As a result Paul wrote this letter to the Church and sent it to them.

In the letter he deals with the heresy by teaching the truth.

But at the beginning he prays for them.

It is this prayer that I want to look at this morning.

In this prayer we learn how the Christian can grow in their walk with God, how they can be strengthened by God’s power to endure trials with patience and joy and how they can live a life of thankfulness for their salvation.

These are all things that we as Christians should desire very strongly.

I hope that we do desire them.

If you want to grow in your walk with the Lord, be strengthened by His power, and live a life of thankfulness towards God; then Paul’s prayer for the Colossians contains very important truths.

In this prayer we see Paul’s great desire for the Church at Colosse and then we see three things that will result if this desire is fulfilled.

First we will look at what Paul’s great desire for the Church was.

I. Paul’s great desire- Knowledge of God’s Will

Verse 9 begins with Paul telling the believers at Colosse that since he heard from Epaphras about their salvation and their love in the Spirit, he has been praying for them regularly.

Look with me at v.9 “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you”.

The phrase “We do not cease to pray for you” doesn’t mean that he prayed without end, every second of the day.

But Paul was saying that every time he prayed he made mention of the church at Colosse.

Paul obviously had a deep care and concern for the believers there.

App- Here Paul is an example to us.

We too should have the Lord’s people on our hearts, so that we pray for them regularly.

A deep care and concern for the well being of God’s children.

Paul tells the believers at Colosse that he prayers for them regularly and then he tells them his prayer for them.

This is Paul’s great desire for them;

“and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”

In Paul’s prayer for the Colossians he asks that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.

The word filled means to be fully and totally controlled by it.

The word is passive which means that they can’t do it but that it must come from God. God must reveal this knowledge to the believers at Colosse.

The word Paul used for knowledge means deep understanding.

Knowledge of what?

The knowledge of His will.

The knowledge of God’s will means simply- to know what God wants for them and what he wants them to do.

Where were the believers to find such knowledge?

Where has God revealed His will?

Of course the answer is the Bible, the Word of God.

God has revealed his will in the Scriptures.

says All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Paul wanted the believers at Colosse to be controlled by a deep understanding of God’s truth that He has revealed in the Scriptures.

Again and again the Word of God reveals the will of God.

God’s will is for people to be saved ,

God’s will is for those who are saved to be sanctified

God’s will is for believers to be thankful

Just to give a few examples.

So, Paul desires that the Colossians are controlled by a deep and thorough knowledge of God’s will, and then he says “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

By wisdom Paul means that they would be able gather this knowledge and by understanding Paul means that they would be able to put it into practice.

Its one thing being able to know what God wants but its another thing to apply it to your life by obedience.

Paul probably emphasised this need of knowledge because of apparent false teachers at the church of Colosse who were trying to lead people astray by claiming to have a special kind of knowledge.

Paul in his prayer reminds the believers that true knowledge is revealed by God, and that they can have this knowledge for themselves.

It isn’t just given to a select few.

App- Just as the believers in Colosse needed to be filled with this deep knowledge of God’s will so do we.How do we get this knowledge?

Well the Bible tells us how.

First we must ask of God-James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

we must ask of God

Second we must study the Bible- “ The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

We must prayerfully study the scriptures and seek to apply them to our lives.

We must find out what the Bible says and do it.

We must find God’s will revealed in the Scripture and obey it.

Of course we cannot do this unless we study the Word of God.

How is your study of the Scripture?

Are you like the Bereans spoken of in the book of Acts who studied the Scriptures daily?

Do you know the Scriptures?

Or have you neglected the word of God?

The New King James Version.

(1982).

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Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

False teachers were threatening the church at Colosse and Paul’s prayer was that they would have a full knowledge of God’s will.

No doubt, one reason was so that they would not be deceived.

There is a lot of false teaching today and many Christians cannot spot the error.

Why?

Because they aren’t familiar with the Word of God.

They don’t know their Bibles.

But not only will the Christian be able to stand against error if they are filled with the knowledge of God’s will.

They will also grow in fruitfulness and in their personal knowledge of God, they will be strengthened by God’s power to be able endure trials with joy and they will live lives of thankfulness to God for their salvation.

This what Paul tells the Colossians is the result of being filled with such knowledge.

There are three results- Growth, Strength and Thankfulness.

We will look at them in the order given in Paul’s prayer.

The first result of being filled with the knowledge of God’s will.

Growth.

The first result.

Growth

II.

First result- Growth

Paul tells the Colossians that the first result is growth.

Growth in Christian service and growth in a personal knowledge of God.

Look with me at verse 10, Paul says “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Paul starts by saying he wants them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will so that they “may walk worthy of the Lord”.

The word walk comes from the OT.

“Enoch walked with God...” God says to Abraham “I am, almighty God; walk before me and be blameless.”

It has to do with the daily life of the person, their conduct, the way they live.

The phrase “Worthy of the Lord” means of equal weight.

By this Paul means that they may live their daily lives in such a way that reflects their position in Jesus Christ and what He has done for them.

A parallel verse may be when Paul says to Timothy, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

The New King James Version.

(1982).

().

Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Next Paul expands on this with the phrase “Fully pleasing him”.

No doubt, this phrase adds to the one before.