A Prayer For The Church On The Move
COL: 1:9-14 “ A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
IT IS ABOUT A.D. 60-61 AND PAUL IS IN PRISON. HE WRITES TO THIS CHURCH TO OFFER ENCOURAGEMENT AND TO EXPRESS HIS CONCERNS. COLOSSAE WAS A SMALL CITY IN THE PROVINCE OF PHRYGIA IN THE AREA KNOWN AS PRESENT DAY ASIA MINOR. IT WAS LOCATED ABOUT TEN MILES EAST OF LAODICEA. (REMEMBER THAT) HE STARTS HIS LETTER OUT WITH HIS USUAL GREETING, “GRACE AND PEACE BE UNTO YOU” BUT AFTER THAT HE IMMEDIATELY LAUNCHES OFF INTO PRAYER. HIS PRAYER IS TWO-FOLD IN NATURE, THE FIRST PART BEING A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING, FOR HE SAYS IN VERSE 3, “WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD AN THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, PRAYING ALWAYS FOR YOU. HE THEN GOES ON TO THANK GOD FOR THE SPREADING AND THE RECEIVING OF THE GOSPEL , AND ALSO THEIR LOVE THAT THEY SHARED IN THE SPIRIT. PAUL IS PRAYING FOR THEM, LET ME ASK YOU TODAY, HAVE YOU PRAYED FOR THIS CHURCH. HE SAYS IN CHAPTER 2 VERSE 1, FOR I WOULD THAT YE KNOW WHAT GREAT CONFLICT I HAVE FOR YOU, AND FOR THEM AT LAODICEA, AND FOR AS MANY AS HAVE NOT SEEN MY FACE IN THE FLESH. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING PAUL, SINCE I HAVE HEARD OF YOUR FAITH, I HAVE HAD A BURDEN TO PRAY FOR YOU. BUT NOW PAUL SOMEHOW SHIFTS HIS PRAYER FROM THANKSGIVING TO A PRAYER FOR THE GROWTH OF THIS CHURCH, FOR YOU SEE HE KNEW THAT THAY WERE ON FIRE, ZEAL, HAPPY, BUT HE KNEW THAT THEIR WERE GOING TO BE ROUGH TIMES AHEAD, SO HE PRAYS THIS PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH ON THE MOVE, LET’S EXAMINE THESE THINGS THAT PAUL WAS PRAYING FOR:
I) HIS PRAYER WAS THAT THEY MIGHT BE “FILLED” VS 9.
1) That they would be filled with the knowledge of his will in
All wisdom and spiritual understanding.
A) This prayer was not a prayer for growth in numbers, it was a
Prayer for those who were already there to be filled!!
(talk about the Corinthian church, (divisions, disorder, and difficulties, you won’t be filled in that environment )
2) How can we be filled, check out the process (it takes time) (in all)
A) We must participate (knowledge,)( we must come to church)
We can’t learn if we don’t show up!!)
B) Then we can possess (wisdom) Wisdom is knowledge
Applied. ( we come to learn at church, to apply it in our lives.
C) Then we will persevere ( spiritual understanding)
We will understand that this Christian life is hard,
Rough, cry, when we have spiritual understanding,
It makes the Christian life much bearable!!
D) There is also the Proof (rd. Romans 12:2)
(you will be able to prove to yourself , what God’s will
for you is) you must participate, possess, persevere, then
we have the proof. After that you can be filled. (A mind that is dedicated to God’s will, will produce a life that will stand the test of time!!!)
II) HIS PRAYER WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE FRUITFUL VS.10
1) Why should they be filled, so they can walk worthy of the Lord, fully
Pleasing him. ( To Walk worthy is a picture of the a Christian’s life being weighed on scales to determine it’s worth, how much is your walk worth?)
2) Secondly, Paul prays that those in the church would produce good
Fruit for good works.
A) How is fruit produced? : It is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism which in turns produces the
Visible expression of power inwardly by evidence of the
Power producing it!! (in other words, what you are on the inside will eventually show up on the outside
B) Talk about the apple tree ( some of us are shiny on the
Outside, but rotten on the inside ( god looks at the inside)
C) Not only does God know, but man knows also,
( fruit does not fall far the tree,) The bible says you can tell
the tree by the fruit it bears!!
D) Lastly, when you produce good fruit, you will increase in the
Knowledge of God!!!
III) HIS PRAYER WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE FORTIFIED VS.11
1) Another word for strengthen is fortified
2) We should be fortified in the might of Christ Jesus according to his
Glorious power. ( not our power!) the same power that rose him from
The dead!!
A) the reason why is because we are going to experience some bad
times during our Christian journey.
B) How do you respond to trouble?
C) Paul give us restrictions on how we should respond
( respond with patience. Patience is suffering without complaining
respond with longsuffering. Longsuffering is enduring without
retaliation) these are the proper responses, and we should do them with joy. My bible says, Blessed (joy) are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!!
IV) PAUL OFFERS US A FORMULA VS 12-14
1) Paul says to us, if we are having trouble making it, if we are ready to quit, use this formula.
2) Think about where you were at: ( he has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light)
( don’t you know that we were disqualified, by one man’s disobedience, we were made sinners!!!
Think about where you are now!! ( we are delivered from the power
Of darkness) I’m saved from the power of sin!!!
Think about where you are going!! ( we will be translated to the kingdom of his Son ( my bible says, when the last trump shall sound
The dead in Christ shall rise and we that remain shall be called up to meet him in the air!!!
Think about how it was made possible!! ( we have redemption through the blood and the forgiveness of sins ) By one man’s obedience, many were made righteous!!!
When I look at it from that prospective, when I think of the Father giving his only son to die for my sins,
When I think of my debt being paid,
When I think of my seat in heaven,
I didn’t deserve it, I didn’t earn it
All I can do is give Thanks to the father!!!
I get tired down here, I get weary down here but when I think of the Goodness of God and all he’s done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah
Thank God for saving me, Nobody told me that the road will be easy , but I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me!!!