Colossians 1:1-14

Colossians 1:9

COL 1:9 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you”

The example that Paul is giving us here is to pray for one another. Understand what a privilege we have to pray. Bearing one another burdens. Eph.6:18 Tells us to pray on all occasions 1 Tim. 2:3 tells us that it pleases God. Most of the time we regard prayer as simply one more thing to do. We quickly run down our list.

Matt. 26:36 Jesus in the garden of Gethsemene, instructed his disciples to keep watch with Him. Going forward he stopped and prayed. He comes back to find them sleeping.

MT 26:40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.

MT 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Be careful that you don’t fall asleep. God’s church must constantly be praying that we will not fall into temptation. We must be constantly lifting each other up so that the enemy will not gain a foothold.

Paul says that he has not stopped asking God for you. To fill you with knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom. RO 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Vs. 10 Bearing Fruit - MT 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

MT 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

How can we tell if someone is professing to be a believer, but really isn’t? We can tell by watching their lives. If there is no change in the way that they live then we can reason that there hasn’t been a change in their soul. Our heart and our lives go together – you cannot separate them. Paul says in Phillipians 3:14 “That he presses on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called him…” constantly moving forward; not letting himself grow stale, or stagnant; growing in the knowledge of God.

And he prays this for the readers at Colosse as well as you.

Vs 11 – “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully”

Now we see a progression. Bearing fruit, growing in knowledge of God, bearing more fruit. We find that we are getting spiritually stronger. We see God working carrying out His plans. We know that we can endure from day to day. We have patience in the things that are around us, the circumstance that are day to day.

Vs. 12 – We give thanks to the Father. But this is more than just “Thank you Lord for this day.” This is more of an excited, expectant, joyful day. He has not only made it possible for you to get through this day. But he ha qualified you share the inheritence of the saints in the kingdom of light.

What a marvelous statement. There are three things for which to be grateful. First, we should be thankful for privileges we don’t deserve. The resources available to all the saints are available to us. What are these? A Father’s love, a Savior’s presence, a family of brothers and sisters to support and uphold, a sure destiny of glory after death. Nothing can take these away from us. If we remember these we can rejoice in the midst of whatever comes.

COL 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, n the forgiveness of sins.

January 14, 2001

Lafayette Advent Christian Church

714 Ten Rod Road

North Kingstown, RI 02853