WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.660 Turn with me in your Bible to Colossians chapter 1. If you're looking in one of the 00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:12.080 few Bibles, it's page 983. Why don't we stand this morning as we read the Scripture? 00:00:14.580 --> 00:00:18.660 This morning we're looking at Paul's prayer for the Colossians, 00:00:19.539 --> 00:00:27.140 and which also expresses God's desire for us as a body of believers. Colossians 1, 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:33.660 starting at verse 9, let's read together. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray 00:00:33.660 --> 00:00:42.120 for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom 00:00:42.120 --> 00:00:49.939 and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:57.120 bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened 00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:05.079 with all power according to His glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy, giving 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:11.479 thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:19.039 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 00:01:19.739 --> 00:01:25.420 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Amen. You may be seated. 00:01:25.420 --> 00:01:31.500 Amen. So, we're looking at Paul's prayer for the Colossians. Now, as we've said, the church in Colossae 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:36.599 was a group of people that Paul had never met, but he knew about them because one of his co-workers, 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:43.099 Epaphras, had brought the gospel to them. Most likely, Epaphras himself had come to faith when Paul 00:01:43.099 --> 00:01:49.840 was ministering for two years in Ephesus. Ephesus was about a hundred miles away, but it was a central city 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:55.780 in that region. Epaphras then most likely went back to Colossae, where he was from, went to two other 00:01:55.780 --> 00:02:02.280 cities in that same valley, preached about Jesus, helped with the beginnings of the churches there. 00:02:03.079 --> 00:02:09.020 But when Paul wrote this letter, the church in Colossae had only existed for at most five or so years. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:15.300 There are sort of two main theories of when Paul might have written Colossians. Some people think 00:02:15.300 --> 00:02:21.400 Colossians was written while Paul was imprisoned in Ephesus around 57 AD. That would have been only 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:27.040 a year or two at most after the church began. Other people think that Colossians was written when Paul 00:02:27.040 --> 00:02:36.400 was under house arrest in Rome around 61-62 AD. But that is the latest that Paul could have written 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:42.240 this letter because right around that time, in the early 60s AD, we can't be sure of the exact date, 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:50.379 the city of Colossae was destroyed by an earthquake. So, regardless of exactly how the time works out, 00:02:50.460 --> 00:02:55.140 Paul was writing this letter to a group of new Christian believers. They had been following Jesus 00:02:55.140 --> 00:03:01.360 for a few years at most. And so, Paul's prayer this morning is his prayer for a group of people who are 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:08.000 just starting out on the journey of following Jesus. Now, in Paul's time, it was customary to begin a 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:15.199 letter like this with a brief prayer or wish for the recipient's good health. But Paul's prayer is 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:22.020 not just a polite custom or a routine gesture. Verse 9 begins, he says, from the day we heard, 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:26.800 that is from the day we heard about you, from the day that we heard that you had received the gospel 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:34.599 and turned to Jesus in faith and have hope and love through Him, we have not stopped praying for you. 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:39.579 Think of that. Paul, for several months or even a few years, 00:03:40.199 --> 00:03:44.459 Paul has been praying consistently for a group of Christians that he has never even met 00:03:44.459 --> 00:03:50.939 in person. And Paul's prayer here is a comprehensive and thoughtful and heartfelt plea 00:03:50.939 --> 00:03:56.379 for the spiritual growth and health of the church in Colossae. Before he instructs them, 00:03:56.459 --> 00:04:02.900 before he exhorts them, he prays for them. And I think Paul's prayer has something for each of us 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:08.980 wherever we are along the journey of following Jesus. If you're a new believer, like the Christians 00:04:08.980 --> 00:04:15.819 in Colossae that Paul was praying for, this prayer lays out a vision for how you should be praying 00:04:15.819 --> 00:04:22.780 and striving to grow as a follower of Jesus. If you've been a believer for many years now, 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:28.259 this prayer is a good diagnostic tool. In other words, as we walk through it, I want you to think 00:04:28.259 --> 00:04:34.360 about where you were five or ten years ago, spiritually speaking, in your relationship with God. 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:39.240 Compare yourself five or ten years ago to today and ask yourself, 00:04:39.539 --> 00:04:46.120 do I see any growth in the ways that Paul is talking about? You might be encouraged. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:51.259 Sometimes we need to look back a few years to see some of the ways that God has been growing us. 00:04:51.259 --> 00:04:57.019 Or you might be challenged to address an area that you've neglected or even regressed in. 00:04:58.219 --> 00:05:04.240 Or maybe you're a Christian leader like Paul. None of us are apostles, but if you're an elder, 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:08.240 if you're a small group leader, if you're a parent raising children who profess faith in Jesus, 00:05:08.339 --> 00:05:13.240 or even if you don't have a formal church leadership role, but you're intentionally seeking 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:18.719 to help other Christians grow in their faith, let Paul's prayer become your prayer 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:25.680 for everyone who is under your spiritual care. You know, sometimes we don't quite know what to 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:32.400 pray for each other. And this prayer gives us a good place to start. You can pray this for any 00:05:32.400 --> 00:05:37.000 other Christian. You can even pray this prayer for Christians that you've never even met but have 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:44.180 only heard about far away. Or maybe you're not yet a Christian. Maybe you're just exploring 00:05:44.180 --> 00:05:50.340 Christianity. If that's you, this is a glimpse of the path that God desires for you should you become 00:05:50.340 --> 00:05:56.480 a follower of Jesus. Because becoming a Christian is not the end of a journey. It's the beginning of 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:02.460 a lifelong walk with Jesus. So, there's something for every one of us wherever we are in this prayer. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:07.360 Now, Paul's prayer for the Colossians and God's desire for us is that we grow in four ways. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:12.060 First, in verse 9, we'll see that God's desire is that we grow in fuller knowledge. 00:06:12.060 --> 00:06:19.319 Second, in verse 10, that we grow in a worthy walk. Third, in verse 11, that we grow in empowered 00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:26.139 endurance. And four, in verses 12 through 14, that we grow in joyful gratitude. So, we'll take each of 00:06:26.139 --> 00:06:33.120 those areas in turn as we go along. So, first, a fuller knowledge. 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:44.480 Verse 9, Paul prays that they may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:50.120 and understanding. Now, before we delve into that, you might notice that Paul uses three words 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:55.840 here that mean pretty much the same thing. Knowledge, wisdom, understanding. And if you look 00:06:55.839 --> 00:07:01.779 down at verse 11, he does the same thing with power, strengthened, power, might. Now, when Paul 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:07.299 does this in Colossians, his purpose is not to emphasize the finer distinctions between these 00:07:07.299 --> 00:07:14.019 words. Rather, he's piling on synonyms as a way of driving his point home in an emotionally heightened 00:07:14.019 --> 00:07:20.459 way. Now, Paul does this a lot in Colossians and even more in Ephesians because this form of rhetoric 00:07:20.459 --> 00:07:26.120 resonated with people in that region called Asia Minor where Ephesus and Colossae were located. 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:34.279 People and speakers there liked colorful, evocative, even exaggerated language. And notice how often 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:40.779 Paul uses the word all in just these few verses. In all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 00:07:41.659 --> 00:07:48.339 fully pleasing to Him, same word, in all pleasing to Him, in every or in all good work, with all power, 00:07:48.339 --> 00:07:56.019 for all endurance. Paul's painting a grand picture with bold strokes. But if you compare Paul's letters 00:07:56.019 --> 00:08:03.039 and also his speeches recorded in Acts, you might notice that Paul doesn't always use the same kind 00:08:03.039 --> 00:08:08.500 of rhetoric. He doesn't always speak or write in the exact same style. In Romans, for example, 00:08:08.659 --> 00:08:15.559 Paul sounds much more like a lawyer, standing in court, arguing his case, answering potential objections, 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:21.860 and concluding with a verdict. Why? Because that's the style that communicated well in Rome. 00:08:23.259 --> 00:08:28.280 Many Romans criticized the style that was popular in Asia Minor. They thought it was too emotional and 00:08:28.280 --> 00:08:35.100 too over the top. And the people in Asia Minor didn't really like the Roman lawyer speak. That didn't 00:08:35.100 --> 00:08:40.220 really move them. But Paul didn't take sides in these sort of partisan debates about style. 00:08:40.220 --> 00:08:46.560 He, as a cross-cultural evangelist and teacher, was flexible. He recognized the values of different 00:08:46.560 --> 00:08:51.259 styles, and he varied his style in writing and speaking in order to communicate his message 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:57.680 faithfully and effectively to different groups of hearers. But getting back to the text, Paul prayed 00:08:57.680 --> 00:09:04.860 that the Colossian Christians who had already come to know God through Christ would grow in the knowledge 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:11.940 of God's will. And that's God's desire for all of us who know Christ as Savior and Lord, that we grow to a fuller 00:09:11.940 --> 00:09:15.919 knowledge of Him. Proverbs 2, verse 6 says, 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:21.000 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:22.940 The book of James says, 00:09:23.060 --> 00:09:25.720 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God. 00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:31.039 So that's God's desire for us to grow in our knowledge. Now think about it, 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:39.039 think about it this way. When a baby's born into a family, she is fully part of that family. 00:09:40.099 --> 00:09:45.779 Right? There is nothing else that a little baby has to do to prove herself or to achieve her status 00:09:45.779 --> 00:09:51.559 or to earn her place in that family. And in the same way, the Bible says that when we're born again, 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:56.559 when we come to believe in Jesus and belong to God's family through Christ, we belong to God 00:09:56.559 --> 00:10:02.879 fully and completely. God is now our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is our brother. We're new 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:07.819 creations born of His Spirit. There's nothing more that we have to do to prove ourselves or establish 00:10:07.819 --> 00:10:15.639 ourselves in God's family. But then let's take this analogy one step further. A newborn baby has a very 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:22.859 limited understanding of her parents and their purposes. Right? You change the baby's diaper and the 00:10:22.860 --> 00:10:29.740 baby starts crying. Why are you wiping me with this cold cloth? Right? You try to put the baby down to sleep 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:35.779 and sometimes she kicks and screams and protests, sometimes even for no apparent reason. Why? 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:41.860 Because the baby cannot fathom what her parents are up to. Much of raising children involves setting 00:10:41.860 --> 00:10:48.840 patterns and habits that children don't yet understand or fully appreciate. And over time, 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:55.280 explaining why those habits and patterns make sense in the world that God has made. So that one day they 00:10:55.280 --> 00:11:04.460 can grow up and say, ah, now I understand what you were doing all along. And you see, that's God's purpose 00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:12.759 for us as His children. That we grow into a fuller knowledge of Him. You see, God doesn't want us as His 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:18.580 children to live in ignorance and folly and confusion, sort of perpetually kicking and screaming in response 00:11:18.580 --> 00:11:24.500 to God's fatherly initiatives. God wants us to be filled with the knowledge of His will. 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:32.799 Now, when Paul talks about God's will here, Paul's not talking about our imperfect intuitions 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:38.899 as to what God might be doing through the nitty-gritty, sometimes messy circumstances of our lives. 00:11:38.899 --> 00:11:43.939 There's a place for that. But I think Paul wants us to see something far more glorious. 00:11:45.659 --> 00:11:52.439 Paul wants us to gaze at God's eternal purpose, to reconcile sinners to Himself by His grace, 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:57.439 and to renew the whole creation for His glory. That's God's will writ large. 00:11:59.220 --> 00:12:03.879 Paul wants us to grasp God's great plan of salvation that He promised in the Old Testament 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:09.299 and fulfilled in the person of His Son, Jesus, and is carrying out in the world through the work of 00:12:09.299 --> 00:12:14.980 His Spirit. And He wants us to participate in that plan as His sons and daughters, as His co-laborers, 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:21.960 as co-heirs with Christ, because we see the goodness and rightness and steadfastness of God's purposes. 00:12:23.419 --> 00:12:28.379 In other words, God wants us to see what kind of people He's made us to be all along, 00:12:28.379 --> 00:12:32.659 to bear His image, and to bear witness to His Son. 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:41.879 You see, God wants us to grow up into a fuller knowledge of Him and of His will. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:45.220 So, let me ask you this. If you're a new believer, 00:12:46.299 --> 00:12:51.179 if you've just begun following Jesus, are you seeking to grow in your knowledge of God's will? 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:54.539 Or very practically, let me ask, 00:12:54.539 --> 00:12:58.139 what are you doing to get to know the Bible better? 00:12:59.819 --> 00:13:01.959 You know, some Christians never read the Bible. 00:13:03.620 --> 00:13:08.719 And for the most part, Christians who never read the Bible grow very slowly, if at all, 00:13:08.980 --> 00:13:11.219 in their knowledge of God and His purposes. 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:15.319 Now, some of you may say, well, wait a minute, that's not fair. Most people, 00:13:15.599 --> 00:13:19.579 most Christians throughout history were illiterate and didn't own copies of the Bible before the 00:13:19.579 --> 00:13:24.159 printing press. Well, you know what? That's why the early church met every day to listen to the 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:30.480 apostles' teaching and pray. If they couldn't read the Word, they would come and listen to it. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:36.799 So, join a small group. And many of those illiterate Christians throughout history would 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:43.120 repeat and memorize whole chapters of the Bible and learn them by heart. They would know the Psalms. 00:13:44.079 --> 00:13:47.939 They would learn the stories. They would repeat them to one another. 00:13:47.940 --> 00:13:55.140 Today, you can even listen to the Bible online for free if you have trouble reading or if you're 00:13:55.140 --> 00:14:00.980 having trouble with your vision. Go to Bible Gateway. You can get it right there. 00:14:02.420 --> 00:14:07.480 When my dad was growing up in rural Maine, there was a man in his church who was mentally handicapped. 00:14:08.260 --> 00:14:13.000 But God enabled this man to read the Scriptures and to spiritually profit from them, 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:19.860 even though he never read another book in his adult life. If you want a fuller knowledge of God's will, 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:28.519 God will make a way for you to get it one way or another. So, let's pray and strive to be filled 00:14:28.519 --> 00:14:33.360 with the knowledge of God and of His purposes. That's the first thing Paul tells us to pray for. 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:38.639 But the second thing we see is in verse 10 that we should pray not just for a fuller knowledge, 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:44.639 but also for a worthy walk, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:49.960 Paul's prayer is not that we increase in knowledge for knowledge's sake, 00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:55.360 or so that we can be puffed up with pride and a critical spirit and look down on others. No, 00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:02.960 Paul wants us to grow in knowledge for the purpose of godliness, so that we walk worthy of the Lord 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:10.860 in all things seeking to please Him. Now, that phrase, walk worthy, it doesn't mean that we're 00:15:10.860 --> 00:15:17.460 constantly trying to prove ourselves worthy of God. That would be a futile endeavor. We could never do 00:15:17.460 --> 00:15:22.980 that. No, it doesn't say prove yourself worthy of God. It says walk in a way that's worthy of God. 00:15:22.980 --> 00:15:27.060 In other words, walk in a way that reflects and displays how worthy God is. 00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:34.019 It's not about how worthy we are. It's about showing people how worthy God is. So that people 00:15:34.019 --> 00:15:41.779 would look at us and say, what an amazing God you believe in. I can see that God is making a 00:15:41.779 --> 00:15:49.219 difference in your life. And you know, when God sees us learning to walk in a way that reflects 00:15:49.219 --> 00:15:55.519 His worthiness, it gives Him great pleasure. It is fully pleasing to Him. 00:15:57.059 --> 00:16:03.239 You know, there's an amazing amount of pride and joy that parents take in seeing their child 00:16:03.239 --> 00:16:08.839 learn to scoot around the floor, and then to crawl, and then to pull themselves up, 00:16:09.239 --> 00:16:16.919 and then to walk around the coffee table, and then to step out and walk without holding on to anything. 00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:23.959 And that's only a small picture of the delight God has in seeing the spiritual growth of us, 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:30.160 His children. Brothers and sisters in Christ, you realize that God is pleased with even your 00:16:30.160 --> 00:16:38.560 spiritual baby steps. When you begin to walk by faith and trust that God is by your side instead of 00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:46.920 just cringing in fear. Or when you begin to forbear and forgive as God has forgiven you instead of 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:55.779 holding on to bitterness and lashing out in anger. Or when you try to pray, even though the words don't 00:16:55.779 --> 00:17:01.059 seem to come naturally, even when you fall down and call out to Jesus for mercy, and by His grace, you get 00:17:01.059 --> 00:17:10.659 back up again and keep going. God is pleased as we learn to walk in a way that reflects His worthiness. 00:17:10.660 --> 00:17:18.320 Now, the converse is also true. Imagine you're a parent, and your child is getting older and older. 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:25.120 They're, say, two years old now, and they show no interest in learning to walk. They just lie on the 00:17:25.120 --> 00:17:30.980 floor all day and occasionally scoot around a bit, and if that's the case, you would be very concerned. 00:17:32.460 --> 00:17:37.040 You'd say, something's wrong here. This child isn't growing in the way they're meant to. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:44.180 God's desire in Paul's prayer is that we grow, that we not be complacent or apathetic or stagnant. 00:17:45.619 --> 00:17:51.619 Notice all the emphasis in this verse, verse 10, on movement, walking, bearing fruit in every good 00:17:51.619 --> 00:17:56.539 work. That's the outward dimension. Increasing in the knowledge of God, that's the inward dimension. 00:17:56.680 --> 00:18:02.440 There's sort of this virtuous spiral. A fuller knowledge of God leads to growth in godliness, 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:08.320 which in turn leads to increasing knowledge of God. That's the kind of movement God desires for us. 00:18:09.860 --> 00:18:16.000 We saw it last week in verse 6, where it says, the gospel of Jesus is bearing fruit and increasing, 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:22.460 and in verse 10, those same verbs are used of us. Paul prays that we would become like the gospel 00:18:22.460 --> 00:18:32.799 itself bearing fruit and increasing. Now, let's consider this. For those of us who have been 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:39.900 Christians for many years, let me ask this question. Are you still spiritually active 00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:49.259 and moving and growing? Is your life in Christ characterized by walking, stretching, exercising, 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:54.800 bearing fruit, increasing? Are you actively seeking to grow in godliness? Are you actively attacking 00:18:54.800 --> 00:19:00.540 sin in your life? Are you actively sharing your faith with others? Those things don't just happen 00:19:00.540 --> 00:19:04.340 automatically, normally, apart from our participation. 00:19:04.339 --> 00:19:15.439 There is no such thing as the spiritual equivalent of a Tesla, where you sit back and put it on autopilot, 00:19:15.699 --> 00:19:19.759 and you can lay back and fall asleep if you want and arrive safely at your destination. 00:19:20.139 --> 00:19:28.359 That's just not how spiritual growth works. There's nowhere in the Bible where we see people 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:37.819 drifting aimlessly and unintentionally into godliness. Now, sometimes as we grow older in Christ, 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:47.439 it's more of a challenge to stay spiritually active, just as sometimes as we're our bodies age, 00:19:47.639 --> 00:19:53.839 it's more of a challenge to stay physically active, right? May not always feel the same vigor 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:59.659 that you felt as a new believer. We may have sustained some bumps and bruises along the way, 00:20:00.699 --> 00:20:07.000 some injuries that we're still limping and recovering from. We feel the gravitational pull 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:17.079 of this fallen world toward inertia, or what we might call sloth. But Paul urges us to keep on walking, 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:27.960 to keep on pursuing godliness, to keep on being active in our faith and seeking to grow in our walk. 00:20:30.859 --> 00:20:33.779 But that leads us on to Paul's third topic of prayer in verse 11, 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:38.240 because in verse 11, Paul prays for persevering power. 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:45.079 Sometimes when we think about growing in a fuller knowledge and growing into a walk that's worthy 00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:54.000 of the Lord, it feels intimidating. And so, the next part of the prayer is very appropriate. 00:20:55.299 --> 00:21:00.039 In the ESV translation, verse 11 begins a new sentence, but in the Greek, this whole paragraph, 00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:06.059 verses 9 to 14, is one long sentence. In other words, it's all connected. 00:21:06.059 --> 00:21:13.139 A fuller knowledge and a worthy walk can only be sustained by God's persevering power. May you be 00:21:13.139 --> 00:21:21.960 strengthened with all power according to His glorious might. Now, on the one hand, I think this can be a 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:31.879 humbling prayer to pray because it expresses our dependence on God. And many of us, if we're honest, 00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:37.780 don't feel our absolute dependence on God moment by moment and day by day. 00:21:39.520 --> 00:21:42.680 You know, we can take a lot of things for granted in America. 00:21:44.560 --> 00:21:52.060 Running water, electricity, climate control, supermarkets with food on the shelves, freedom from war, 00:21:52.059 --> 00:21:56.740 immunity from deadly plagues, Wi-Fi almost everywhere you go. 00:21:59.899 --> 00:22:04.200 And if we're reasonably healthy and decently rested and clothed and fed and housed, 00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:07.940 and our minds are functioning well, we can think that we have quite a bit of power 00:22:07.940 --> 00:22:09.059 in ourselves. 00:22:09.059 --> 00:22:17.399 We can even start to give ourselves the credit for being well-adjusted and decent and reasonable people. 00:22:19.259 --> 00:22:28.019 But in fact, nearly everything that sustains us, the sun, the rain, the air, our minds, 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:31.359 our bodies, is not of our own making. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:38.879 Colossians says that underneath it all, it's only Christ who holds all things together. 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:49.379 And it's…we depend on the power of God, even when we don't realize it. 00:22:51.579 --> 00:22:55.839 And it's also only the power of Christ that sustains and grows God's church. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:23:01.759 Not our ingenuity, not our cleverness, not our natural resources, not our human initiatives. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:06.559 We need to pray for divine empowerment. 00:23:07.919 --> 00:23:10.379 There's an old Anglican prayer that goes like this. 00:23:11.740 --> 00:23:17.220 Almighty God, who see us that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, 00:23:18.059 --> 00:23:23.459 keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, 00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:28.420 that we may be defended against all adversities which may happen to the body 00:23:28.420 --> 00:23:34.079 and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul through Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:23:35.120 --> 00:23:36.120 That's a good prayer. 00:23:37.779 --> 00:23:43.680 To humbly recognize our dependence on the power of God to sustain us in body and soul. 00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:47.880 So this can be a humbling prayer, but on the other hand, 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:55.180 for all of us who do feel our creaturely weakness and our sinful tendencies and our inadequacies and vulnerabilities, 00:23:56.920 --> 00:23:58.860 verse 11 can be a very encouraging prayer. 00:24:01.280 --> 00:24:04.840 If you're beset by addictions, if you're tormented by anxieties, 00:24:05.840 --> 00:24:09.340 if you're weakened by illness, if you're weighed down with grief, 00:24:10.460 --> 00:24:12.220 pray for divine empowerment. 00:24:12.220 --> 00:24:14.660 And know that, as Paul says in Ephesians, 00:24:14.740 --> 00:24:22.339 that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is at work in us who believe. 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:24.960 Isn't that an amazing thing? 00:24:26.900 --> 00:24:29.839 Sam Storms wrote in his devotional on this verse, 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:32.880 there is no addiction which God's power cannot break, 00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:35.759 no sin God's power cannot defeat, 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:40.059 no task to which we are called that God's power cannot fulfill, 00:24:40.059 --> 00:24:44.019 no fruit we are called to bear that God's power cannot produce, 00:24:44.419 --> 00:24:47.179 no broken marriage God's power cannot reconcile, 00:24:47.879 --> 00:24:50.519 no physical disease God's power cannot heal. 00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:55.399 Whatever God requires, He also provides. 00:24:58.339 --> 00:25:00.559 You know, Paul's particular emphasis in this verse 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:04.740 is that God's power equips us to persevere. 00:25:04.740 --> 00:25:09.660 For all endurance and patience. 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:12.000 N.T. Wright said, 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:17.880 endurance is what faith, hope, and love bring to an apparently impossible situation. 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:23.720 Patience is what they show to an apparently impossible person. 00:25:27.339 --> 00:25:29.759 Let me ask, are you walking alongside someone 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:32.680 who's facing an apparently impossible situation? 00:25:32.680 --> 00:25:37.580 Pray, verse 11, for them. 00:25:39.120 --> 00:25:43.640 That they would be strengthened with all the power of God 00:25:43.640 --> 00:25:46.580 according to His glorious might for all endurance. 00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:50.340 Pray that they would know the truth of Isaiah 40, 00:25:51.080 --> 00:25:51.519 which says, 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:53.660 The Lord is the everlasting God, 00:25:54.660 --> 00:25:56.680 the creator of the ends of the earth. 00:25:57.340 --> 00:25:59.460 He does not faint or grow weary. 00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:02.759 His understanding is unsearchable. 00:26:03.940 --> 00:26:05.819 He gives power to the faint, 00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:07.740 and to him who has no might, 00:26:07.799 --> 00:26:08.880 he increases strength. 00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:12.360 Even youth shall faint and be weary, 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:14.360 and young men shall fall exhausted, 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:16.079 but those who wait for the Lord 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:17.960 shall renew their strength. 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:20.680 They shall mount up with wings like eagles, 00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:22.819 they shall run and not be weary, 00:26:23.299 --> 00:26:24.700 they shall walk and not faint. 00:26:24.700 --> 00:26:28.640 You know, there are some days where we soar with the eagles, 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:33.259 and there are some days where we run the race with endurance, 00:26:33.799 --> 00:26:36.200 and there are other days when all you can do 00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:39.080 is put one foot in front of the other. 00:26:40.140 --> 00:26:41.539 But every day we can pray. 00:26:42.600 --> 00:26:44.880 And every day God's power is available 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:48.200 to sustain us and equip us for endurance 00:26:48.200 --> 00:26:50.160 in apparently impossible situations. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:54.019 And every day God's power is also sufficient 00:26:54.019 --> 00:26:55.700 to give us patience when we're dealing 00:26:55.700 --> 00:26:58.360 with apparently impossible people. 00:27:02.140 --> 00:27:03.720 If you feel like you're dealing with 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:04.980 apparently impossible people, 00:27:05.100 --> 00:27:07.519 remember, God is dealing with them too. 00:27:08.680 --> 00:27:09.860 In every case, 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:12.060 they have tried his patience 00:27:12.060 --> 00:27:13.840 far more than they have tried yours. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:18.679 Sometimes we want to experience God's power, 00:27:18.879 --> 00:27:20.539 but we don't want God's patience. 00:27:23.139 --> 00:27:24.679 Sometimes we pray for patience, 00:27:24.699 --> 00:27:25.619 and then we're unhappy 00:27:25.619 --> 00:27:27.139 with how God answers that prayer. 00:27:29.939 --> 00:27:32.019 But God says here that one of his purposes 00:27:32.019 --> 00:27:33.959 in strengthening us with his power 00:27:33.959 --> 00:27:36.579 is equipping us to be patient. 00:27:38.659 --> 00:27:40.919 It's one of the fruits of the Spirit, after all. 00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:45.700 Long-suffering, being slow to anger, 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:47.860 being patient as God is patient 00:27:47.860 --> 00:27:50.759 in working out his purposes in our lives. 00:27:52.920 --> 00:27:55.259 So that's the third prayer for persevering power. 00:27:55.380 --> 00:27:59.039 But fourth and finally, Paul prays for joyful gratitude. 00:27:59.880 --> 00:28:02.940 With joy, giving thanks to the Father. 00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:06.240 Now the phrase with joy comes sort of in between 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:07.279 verse 11 and 12. 00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:09.600 You could link it with what comes before, 00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:12.859 enduring joyfully, 00:28:13.059 --> 00:28:14.299 or with what comes after, 00:28:14.399 --> 00:28:15.419 giving thanks joyfully. 00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:16.939 In Greek, there are no punctuations, 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:18.240 so you can't… 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:20.419 It's hard to say with one way or the other. 00:28:20.519 --> 00:28:22.279 It's more of a both and than an either or. 00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:25.500 But if you come back to the parent-child analogy, 00:28:27.439 --> 00:28:30.019 which I think runs through this… 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:31.199 is underneath this passage, 00:28:31.299 --> 00:28:32.939 one of the most satisfying things 00:28:32.939 --> 00:28:35.039 that I experience as a father 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:38.359 is when one of my children expresses sincere 00:28:38.359 --> 00:28:40.599 and joyful gratitude. 00:28:42.839 --> 00:28:44.980 When they run up to me and give me a hug 00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:46.200 and say without any prompting, 00:28:46.259 --> 00:28:47.460 Daddy, I love you so much. 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:49.339 You're the best daddy in the whole wide world. 00:28:50.500 --> 00:28:51.940 Now one day they may grow up 00:28:51.940 --> 00:28:53.559 and see more of the world 00:28:53.559 --> 00:28:55.279 and revise their comparison estimate. 00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:59.299 Even today, the assessments vary widely 00:28:59.299 --> 00:29:01.619 from one day to another. 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:04.359 Could be the best parent in the world one day 00:29:04.359 --> 00:29:06.759 and the strictest parent in the world the next. 00:29:07.639 --> 00:29:08.899 But comparisons aside, 00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:13.000 when my children express sincere and joyful gratitude, 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:15.579 I think it's a wonderful gift to be your dad. 00:29:15.579 --> 00:29:19.299 And I think they see 00:29:19.299 --> 00:29:22.720 that the time my wife and I spend with them 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:25.279 and the instruction and correction that we give them 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:26.599 and the things we buy for them 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:28.139 and the many things they want us to buy 00:29:28.139 --> 00:29:30.019 that we refuse to for their own good 00:29:30.019 --> 00:29:31.639 and the food we cook for them 00:29:31.639 --> 00:29:32.859 and the prayers we pray for them, 00:29:32.899 --> 00:29:35.759 it all comes from our deep love and commitment to them. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:37.419 And of course, children don't recognize 00:29:37.419 --> 00:29:38.939 half of what their parents do for them. 00:29:40.659 --> 00:29:42.039 And none of us remembers 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:43.779 what all of our parents did for us 00:29:43.779 --> 00:29:45.279 before we were about four. 00:29:45.579 --> 00:29:48.759 But still, as a parent, 00:29:48.819 --> 00:29:49.759 it's deeply satisfying 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:51.319 when your child can see and receive 00:29:51.319 --> 00:29:53.159 and rest in your love for them. 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:57.079 And it can be deeply wounding when they don't. 00:29:58.399 --> 00:29:59.259 But here's the point. 00:29:59.259 --> 00:30:01.619 The work that God the Father has done for us 00:30:01.619 --> 00:30:04.139 far surpasses the work 00:30:04.139 --> 00:30:05.799 of any human father or mother. 00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:08.960 And that's what Paul points us to 00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:10.299 in verses 12 to 14. 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:13.000 The great saving work of God 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:14.059 on our behalf 00:30:14.059 --> 00:30:17.159 that all comes from the Father's deep love for us. 00:30:18.339 --> 00:30:19.940 Paul wants us to look up 00:30:19.940 --> 00:30:21.059 at God the Father 00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:22.700 with joyful gratitude 00:30:22.700 --> 00:30:23.899 as we recognize 00:30:23.899 --> 00:30:26.279 the greatness of what He's done for us 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:29.539 and the love from which that springs. 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:32.299 He has qualified us, 00:30:32.299 --> 00:30:32.879 verse 12, 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:34.079 to share in the inheritance 00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:35.500 of God's holy people 00:30:35.500 --> 00:30:36.440 in the kingdom of light. 00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:38.320 We have an eternal inheritance in heaven 00:30:38.320 --> 00:30:40.039 that far surpasses 00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:42.019 the most generous earthly inheritance, 00:30:42.500 --> 00:30:43.940 the most generous provision 00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:44.980 that any earthly parent 00:30:44.980 --> 00:30:46.019 can make for their children. 00:30:47.259 --> 00:30:49.080 And God has qualified us for it, 00:30:49.120 --> 00:30:50.940 so no one can disqualify us. 00:30:51.220 --> 00:30:52.480 No one else can take away 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:53.660 what God in His grace 00:30:53.660 --> 00:30:54.480 has granted 00:30:54.480 --> 00:30:56.840 to all who trust in Jesus, 00:30:57.039 --> 00:30:57.519 His Son. 00:30:58.640 --> 00:30:59.519 Verse 13 says, 00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:00.559 He has delivered us 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:02.200 from the domain of darkness, 00:31:02.359 --> 00:31:02.960 from the world, 00:31:03.059 --> 00:31:03.519 the flesh, 00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:04.000 and the devil, 00:31:04.119 --> 00:31:05.319 from sin and death 00:31:05.319 --> 00:31:05.900 and the grave, 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.059 from fear and shame 00:31:07.059 --> 00:31:07.559 and hiding, 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:08.759 from lies and deception 00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:09.660 and accusation. 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:11.839 Christ is risen from the dead, 00:31:13.139 --> 00:31:15.019 trampling down death by death 00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:16.460 and upon those in the tombs 00:31:16.460 --> 00:31:17.819 bestowing life. 00:31:17.819 --> 00:31:21.000 We are no longer in bondage 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:23.419 to the powers of darkness 00:31:23.419 --> 00:31:25.879 because God has delivered us. 00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:28.139 He has qualified us. 00:31:28.200 --> 00:31:29.079 He has delivered us 00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:30.779 and He has transferred us. 00:31:30.819 --> 00:31:32.019 He has brought us in 00:31:32.019 --> 00:31:33.819 to the kingdom of His Son. 00:31:34.939 --> 00:31:36.639 We now have a place to belong, 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:38.619 a family to be part of together, 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:41.240 a kingdom in which we are citizens. 00:31:41.419 --> 00:31:42.259 We're redeemed. 00:31:42.379 --> 00:31:44.019 We've been bought with the price 00:31:44.019 --> 00:31:45.899 of the blood of His Son. 00:31:46.540 --> 00:31:47.960 We've been forgiven of our sins, 00:31:48.040 --> 00:31:49.240 set free from our guilt. 00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:51.720 You see, God, the Father, 00:31:51.820 --> 00:31:52.900 wants us, His children, 00:31:52.980 --> 00:31:53.880 to grow up 00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:55.660 and recognize the amazing 00:31:55.660 --> 00:31:57.280 and unending blessings 00:31:57.280 --> 00:31:58.960 that He's poured out freely 00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:00.960 and lavishly upon us 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:02.300 and turn toward Him 00:32:02.300 --> 00:32:03.420 and run into His arms 00:32:03.420 --> 00:32:03.960 and say, 00:32:04.120 --> 00:32:05.019 Thank you, Father. 00:32:05.300 --> 00:32:06.780 Lord, I love you so much. 00:32:07.019 --> 00:32:08.280 You're such a wonderful God. 00:32:08.360 --> 00:32:10.180 There's no one else better than you. 00:32:12.580 --> 00:32:13.780 Joyful gratitude. 00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:16.759 You know, if you're not a Christian, 00:32:18.059 --> 00:32:19.639 this is what Christianity is all about, 00:32:20.279 --> 00:32:22.339 the rescuing grace of God 00:32:22.339 --> 00:32:23.180 in Jesus Christ, 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:24.639 God doing for us 00:32:24.639 --> 00:32:26.259 what we could never do for ourselves. 00:32:26.779 --> 00:32:28.339 Will you simply receive Jesus 00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:29.660 and all that He's done for you? 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:31.079 Admit that you need Him 00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:32.940 and take Him as your Savior and Lord. 00:32:33.160 --> 00:32:35.039 That's the beginning of a journey 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:37.099 toward a fuller knowledge 00:32:37.099 --> 00:32:38.720 and a worthy walk 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:40.299 and persevering power 00:32:40.299 --> 00:32:43.059 and always joyful gratitude. 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:43.940 Let's pray. 00:32:45.879 --> 00:32:47.059 Father, we thank You 00:32:47.059 --> 00:32:50.700 for this prayer 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:53.079 that expresses Your desire for us. 00:32:54.399 --> 00:32:55.220 We thank You 00:32:55.220 --> 00:32:56.440 for how we can learn to pray 00:32:56.440 --> 00:32:57.720 with Paul 00:32:57.720 --> 00:32:59.659 for ourselves, 00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:00.740 for one another, 00:33:01.079 --> 00:33:02.079 for our church. 00:33:02.079 --> 00:33:06.240 we pray that this would be true of us, 00:33:06.819 --> 00:33:09.500 that we would be a growing people 00:33:09.500 --> 00:33:11.199 in all of these ways, 00:33:11.699 --> 00:33:12.939 growing up into all 00:33:12.939 --> 00:33:15.319 that You have made us to be 00:33:15.319 --> 00:33:16.139 as Your children. 00:33:18.159 --> 00:33:19.059 Thank You, Father. 00:33:19.220 --> 00:33:20.579 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:33:20.579 --> 00:33:20.699 Amen. 00:33:20.699 --> 00:33:20.759 Amen. 00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:20.799 Amen. 00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:20.839 Amen. 00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:20.899 Amen. 00:33:20.899 --> 00:33:21.399 Amen. 00:33:21.399 --> 00:33:21.460 Amen. 00:33:21.460 --> 00:33:22.740 Amen. 00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:22.839 Amen. 00:33:22.839 --> 00:33:22.899 Amen. 00:33:22.899 --> 00:33:22.960 Amen. 00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:23.339 Amen. 00:33:23.339 --> 00:33:23.439 Amen. 00:33:23.439 --> 00:33:23.579 Amen. 00:33:23.579 --> 00:33:24.579 Amen. 00:33:24.579 --> 00:33:24.639 Amen.