30.01.11AM Sermon Christ and the Christian Gospel # 3
The Church of Christ (Col. 1:1-14) - Paul - The Prayer he voices (Col. 1:9-14)
We continue this morning to focus upon Paul’s opening words to the Colossians - we have heard the greeting that he sends and the thanksgiving that he offers - we now hear the prayer that he voices.
As Paul reflects upon the good that there is in the church at Colosse and how much growth there is in the church worldwide, he prays for even more. And there are three things that he prays for:
1. He prays that they may have knowledge (v9)
2. He prays that they might be holy (v10)
3. He prays that they might experience power (v11-14)
Paul’s prayers are not short-sighted or self-indulgent, as prayers can so often be, but he prays for what is good for them – for an increase in their knowledge, their holiness and their power.
Oh, how we need an increase in these areas also!
1. He prays that they may have knowledge (v9)
Knowledge is a vital ingredient of our spiritual development.
If we want to develop as deeper disciples, then we need to grow in our knowledge and understanding.
Paul, in his writings regards this as foundational in the Christian life.
But this is not a knowledge about God, but a knowledge of God – here he speaks of a knowledge of God’s will.
Now, we can typically think of God’s will as whether he wants me to buy a particular car, or go for a certain job, or move home, or marry a particular person, but this is a very narrow understanding of God’s will.
Don Carson says that this kind of prayer is just “another form of self-centredness, no matter how piously we dress it up.” It can be really about our will, not his.
When the Bible speaks about the will of God, it has in mind a much grander idea.
It is talking about what God has revealed to us about his plan of salvation as well as how he wants us to behave.
If we seek out His will, over and above our own, then we deliberately place ourselves in submission to him, his greater purposes for our lives – and this will result in worship and obedience.
The Psalmist in Psalm 143:10 prays “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.”
As Carson puts it, “It is folly to pretend to seek God’s will for your life, in terms of a marriage partner or some form of Christian vocation, where there is no deep desire to pursue God’s will as he has already revealed it.”
Sometimes Christians can approach seeking God’s will by firstly knowing what the scriptures say about a particular thing, yet praying to God, seeking a different answer - an answer which just so happens to be the very thing that they want to do.
For example – a Christian may want to marry someone who isn’t a Christian and ‘seek the Lord’ about it – when what they are really seeking is a different answer than the one revealed in Scripture.
We need to obey God’s already revealed will in scripture, and as we seek the Lord for his will in particular situations let us trust him to know best, tell us the truth and set us free to obey.
Paul prays that the Christians at Colosse will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Paul wants a right kind of knowledge for the Colossians - the spiritual ability to think soundly and act wisely.
Joshua was encouraged to pursue such a knowledge - in Joshua 1:8 he was instructed to meditate upon God’s law “so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”.
Some Christians read their Bibles so that they can show others how knowledgeable they are – so that they can recite passages to people’s amazement, or so that they can tie others up in knots with theological intellectual discussion, or make themselves out to be something because they are clever with their words.
But the knowledge of God is not about how clever, how intelligent, how quick you are – but how willing you are to apply whatever truth you know, however little, in faith-filled obedience.
I would rather know little and apply it wisely than know much and fail to apply it, so living foolishly.
Paul is asking God to reveal more of himself to the Colossians, that they might know him better.
He prays for the Ephesians in a similar way : (Ephesians 1:16-17) “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
Such a knowledge is granted by God, is something that God ‘fills’ a person with. A knowledge that is about a relationship. Knowing about God and knowing God are two different things.
Our capacity to know Almighty God is of course limited, but God wants to give increase to our ability to know him - this is why he sends his Holy Spirit to indwell the Christian, so that they might truly know God in an intimate way. Know what God thinks and feels, what delights him and hurts him.
We are to rely upon the knowledge that God gives and increases, not on human knowledge and understanding
(Proverbs 4:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
So many people in this world seek to acquire learning and knowledge but are barking up the wrong tree.
Relying on Human knowledge alone might well lead us to address the wrong question, start on the wrong premise and arrive at the wrong conclusion.
The source of our knowledge of God and his will must be God himself, with the Holy Spirit as our teacher instructing us through minds which are both renewed by him and dedicated to him, as we submit ourselves to his Word. May we grow in our knowledge of God and his will.
2. He prays that they might be holy (v10)
1 Thessalonians 4:3 says it clearly “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified”.
Paul desires that the Colossians might not only be filled with the knowledge of God, but that they might also live lives which are worthy of the Lord.
Paul lived in a society which was acutely conscious of questions of honour and shame.
It was the basic value system of virtually all societies in Paul’s day.
People would do all they could to avoid bringing shame on their families and would fight to defend their family’s honour.
There was an expectation that one would live in a manner that was worthy of your family’s name – else your family’s name would be disgraced or dishonoured.
What Paul prays for is that Christians would bring honour to the name of Jesus by the way in which they live – to be worthy of wearing the Christian name. To be worthy of being associated with Jesus Christ.
It also meant avoiding bringing shame on the name of Jesus.
He prays that they seek to please God in every way (v10). In every way ! Not in some ways. In every way!
If we desire to pursue holiness then it has to be a comprehensive pursuit.
It is not holiness only on Sundays but also during the week, not just holiness when you are with churchy people, but also when you are with your family, or with your work colleagues, or with friends for a night out, or on holiday.
JI Packer describes holiness in this way :
“Holiness is a matter of both action and motivation, conduct and character, divine grace and human effort, obedience and creativity, submission and initiative, consecration to God and commitment to people, self-discipline and self-giving, righteousness and love. It is a matter of Spirit-led law keeping, a walk, a course of life, in the Spirit that displays the fruit of the Spirit. It is a matter of seeking to imitate Jesus’ way of behaving, through depending on Jesus for deliverance from carnal self-absorption and for discernment of spiritual needs and possibilities. It is a matter of patient, persistent uprightness; of taking God’s side against sin in our own lives … and of single-minded, wholehearted, free and glad concentration on the business of pleasing God.”
The holiness that Paul is praying for will be “bearing fruit in every good work” (v10).
A Christian is called to do good works, though they are not saved by them.
And holiness also leads to believers growing in the knowledge of God - his ways, his character, his likes and dislikes. Obedience leads to greater understanding.
As a person continues to obey God they get to know God better and better.
3. He prays that they might experience power (v11-14)
Paul’s prayer, so far, has been that the Colossians would grow in knowledge and in holiness - this is a big ask, and so he also prays for power!
Oh, how we need to know and receive and act with God’s power in our day!
That we too might be “strengthened with all power according to his glorious might.”
None of this desired spiritual progress and impact is possible unless God gives the strength for it.
It is beyond our own resources.
(John 15:5) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remains in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
God’s might, Paul states, is glorious - His might is the might of a Sovereign Creator who brought the world into being out of nothing, a Miraculous Saviour who brought an oppressed people out of Egypt, a Majestic awesome deity who expressed himself on Mount Sinai in thunder and lightning, a triumphant life-giver who brought Jesus back from the dead.
Our own resources are inadequate, but God’s resources are inexhaustible.
Our own might is puny, but God’s might is powerful.
Our own strength gives up on us, but God’s strength just keeps on going!
We may feel feeble and inadequate, and this is good to recognise and acknowledge.
But we must not stop there – we must turn towards and rely upon the Mighty God who strengthens us
(Philippians 4:13) “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
With such a bold assertion of the power of God what does Paul go on to say?
Does he say that they are to be strengthened … in order to take the world by storm?
Or in order to live perpetually in the realm of the miraculous? No he does not …
Such great might, Paul prays, is so that they may “have great endurance and patience”!
It seems a bit of an anti-climax. As Don Cason puts it: these “are less than stellar qualities”.
But, Paul realises that what Christians need, when faced with difficulty, is the ability to carry on, to not give up!
If there is a difference between endurance and patience, we could say that Endurance is what we need in response to circumstances and patience is what we need in response to people.
Note that Paul is not saying, “grin and bear it”, nor is he saying accept your situation with weak resignation.
Rather is praying for the stamina of a marathon runner who needs to keep focused on the prize.
In a short-term, instant society, we don’t like the idea of endurance and patience.
After all, “I want my McDonalds meal now!”
I don’t want to work hard and think hard and plan hard for success – I want it on a plate please.
And we can approach church in much the same way – instant church, with instant disciples, instant healings, instant buildings – just add ….?
Paul’s prayer for power to endure be patient and is just as relevant for us today as it was back then.
And he goes on to point out that endurance and patience are to be accompanied by joy and thankfulness.
There is a need for an attitude and a gratitude.
An attitude of joy - that approaches difficulty not with stoical resignation but active endeavour
A gratitude that is expressed towards God, the Father, keeping us humble and reliant upon him.
Paul reminds the Colossians that there is a bigger picture – that of God’s great plan of salvation for his world.
An inheritance that God himself has prepared, the darkness which has been defeated, the rule he has inaugurated, the redemption he has worked – all through the Lord Jesus Christ – the Son whom he loves.
Eugene Peterson, in the Message, puts it this way : “We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.”
Paul has introduced for us the church at Colosse.
He has told us about its character – holy, faithful and in Christ
He has told us about its strengths – faith, love and hope
He has told us about its needs – knowledge, holiness and power.
It is a church that has come into being because of the gospel.
It is a church that he cares for very deeply even though he hasn’t met them.
It is a church that he writes to respectfully, even though they are far from perfect.
Paul loves the gospel and he loves the church – and we should do also.
In a world where destructive criticism of the church abounds, both from the outside and the inside, may we learn to imitate Paul - Don’t destructively criticise, but be thankful and be prayerful.
Never lose sight of the bigger picture – that Wollaston and beyond need to hear and respond to the gospel as it is told to them through our very lives lived out in our communities.
Paul reminds us that behind this feeble collection of fallible human beings there lies a mighty God who rescues people from the dominion of darkness and brings them into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Amen.