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Introduction
We have talked a lot about prayer and its importance in evangelism.
But I want to challenge you this morning about praying with purpose.
Have you thought about praying for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?
What about your fellow churches in the community?
God has given me a burden for other churches.
Here is why, we are not in competition with the other churches in Elizabethtown and Hardin County.
We are in partnership with them!
If they do poorly the Kingdom suffers.
If we do poorly or fail then the mission God has for Hardin County suffers.
We are all one body and we need one another.
Here is the disconnect, however, I don’t believe most of us (churches) see it that way because we have functioned under a business model for church for the past 25 years.
So, in order for us to come together God has to work in our hearts.
He has to breakdown our bad methodology, shake us out of apathy, and convict us of our complacency.
So, how should we pray for one another, our fellow Christians and our sister churches?
I believe that Paul gives us a model in Colossians 1:9-14
This morning I want us to look at trademarks that we should pray that God will work into our fellow Christians and churches.
In fact, your prayer should be that someone is praying this prayer for you.
I. Trademark 1: Filled with the Knowledge of God’s Will.
A. Churches don’t need another program, bigger building, bulging budget or glimmering lights until they have in hand the will of God.
First, Paul prayed that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God will.
It is interesting that Paul used epi-gnosis rather than gnosis.
The difference is this God’s will goes beyond intellectual enlightenment.
It is a personal knowledge of God’s will, that God has worked into you.
The word filled is passive which means God is the One who fills you.
Second, God’s will comes with Spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Do you know what is interesting about the Will of God? God doesn’t paint a picture with all the details in the beginning.
You must walk with Him and discern His will.
It is a journey.
I have thought a lot about the will of God.
At one point in my life and ministry I felt like I removed myself from the Will of God.
During that time I got this picture of God’s will as a fast moving train with many cars, and many seats.
We can occupy any one of those cars or any one of those seats.
We can move through all the ebb and flows of God’s will at the pace that the engineer of the train travels, but we can also jump from the train and lose your seat.
Now I think that it is possible to catch back up with the train and get back onboard, however, you may never occupy the same car or the same seat.
That is why it is so important to have Spiritual wisdom and understanding.
We need to keep pace with the engineer.
3. Third, as we think about the Will of God.
The Will of God enables us accomplish things that we can never accomplish outside of God’s Will.
Doesn’t that make sense that experience increases knowledge?
We will conduct our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord (v.
10).
We will be fruitful in every good work (v.
10)
We will increase in personal knowledge of God (v.
10)
Now let’s apply a little.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this happened in our lives?
How much more though if this were the trademark of every Christian and every church in Elizabethtown and Hardin County?
Do you think that Paul prayed thinking that God couldn’t do this in the church at Colossae?
II.
Trademark 2: Strengthened by the Power of God
A. Thursday night I went to revival services at New Salem in Greensburg where Brother Ron was preaching.
The singing group there sang a song that I remembered from at least 20 years back, “I Can’t Even Walk.”
I thought number one would surely be me, I thought I could be what I wanted to be.
I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand.
But now I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.
Verse 2: I thought I could do a lot on my own, I thought I could make it all day long.
I thought of myself as a mighty big man.
But Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.
The Will of God brings the realization that in order to accomplish it we need God’s strength.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is that they would be filled with God’s might.
I want to give you a few reasons why:
First, God’s might pushes out all of our arrogance and sufficiency and usher in a dependence that is required to fulfill God’s will.
Not to go too heavy on the song illustrations but do you remember the song “Breathe” that we used to sing?
This is the air I breathe, this is the air I breathe.
Your holy presence living in me.
And I, I’m desperate for you.
And I, I’m lost without you.
God’s might removes our arrogance and replaces it with dependence.
2. Second, God’s might equips us to endure with patience (v.
11) the difficulties of fulfilling God’s Will.
Listen to Paul’s parting words to young Timothy.
B. How many can give a testimony that following the Lord can be difficult?
It calls for sacrifice, and it is hard work.
Listen to Matthew 8:18-27
Matthew 8:18–27 (ESV)
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Following Jesus comes with discomforts, demands, and dangers, but it comes with joy! Colossians 1:11
Colossians 1:11 (ESV)
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
C. Now again let’s apply.
When the world looks at us and our churches, do they see us dependent on the strength of God or sufficient in our own strength?
I don’t want people to see what I can do, I want them to see what only God can do!
How would the church landscape look if we began to pray for each other and all the churches in the area to be strengthened with all power according to God’s glorious might?
III.
Trademark 3: Filled with Thanksgiving to God.
A. I believe that this trademark ties all the others together because it speaks of our attitude toward God’s Will and ministry.
Paul is praying for the Colossians that they will be filled with Thanksgiving to God who qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saint in light.
Thanksgiving is an interesting attitude.
You cannot manufacture thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving springs from a heart of genuine appreciation and realization that you don’t deserve what you have.
Many of us men as we get older and see the dedication of our wives are filled with thanks because we realize that we didn’t deserve that gift.
B. We see three gifts given to us that should result in Thanksgiving and even motivation to fulfill the Will of God.
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