Growing In Christ Series

GROWING IN CHRIST

Text: Col. 1:9-14

Introduction

A. Read Col. 1:9-14

B. Illustration: One of the most comforting things that you can say to anyone is “I am praying for you.”

C. Last week we look at the fact that Paul was praying for the believers in Colosse. This week we will look at what Paul prayed for.

D. But one thing we need to keep in mind is that this is what God wants for us too.

Transition: First, God desires that we be…

I. FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL (9)

A. Notice some key words in Paul’s Prayer

1. “Filled”

· Not just a little bit.

· Filled to overflowing.

· It is not God’s desire for His people to settle for good enough.

2. “Knowledge of His Will”

· This is what God desires for us to be filled with.

· Refers to knowledge that is the result of practical and personal experience.

· Not just academic or intellectual knowledge, but the knowledge of Him.

· We come about this by practice and application in our lives.

3. “In all wisdom and spiritual understanding”

· To possess a knowledge of God’s will requires prayer.

· James 1:5 – “If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask…”

· To have spiritual understanding requires spiritual insight.

· Eph. 3:3-5

B. Why Is This Important?

1. Because we are destroyed by a lack of knowledge.

· Hosea 4:6 – “My people are being destroyed by a lack of knowledge.”

· We have no shortage of worldly knowledge, but we need a knowledge of God.

· We need to be more like Him and less like ourselves.

· In order to be more like Him we need to know more about Him.

2. It is essential in our being renewed in the likeness of Christ.

· Col. 3:8-10

· The new man needs to be like Christ.

Transition: It is also God’s desire that we…

II. WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD (10)

A. This Is The Object Of Being Filled With The Knowledge of God’s Will.

1. To conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord.

2. Eph. 4:1 – “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you were called.”

3. We are Christ’s ambassadors.

· We represent Christ to our world.

· They are watching every step we make.

· We must live our lives worthy of the name of Christian.

B. Being Fruitful In Every Good Work

1. Not just one, but every good work.

2. This is what we were created for.

· Eph. 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…”

· We were created to reflect the goodness of God in everything we say and do.

· The reason we need to do this is so that God gets the glory.

Transition: Finally, God’s desire is that we…

III. STRENGTHENED WITH ALL MIGHT (11-14)

A. Strengthened By His Power

1. God desires for us to be strong.

· 2 Tim. 1:7 – “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and of power and a strong mind.”

· God doesn’t expect us to cower in the corner.

· God doesn’t expect us to run at the sight of the enemy.

2. God desires for us to be strong in His power.

· Eph. 6:10 – “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

· We don’t have to depend on our own strength.

· We don’t have to depend on our own abilities.

· ALL WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON IS THE LORD!

B. For Patience and Longsuffering With Joy

1. These are fruits of the Spirit.

2. God expects His people to be patient and not to fall apart at the first sign of opposition.

3. God expects His people to be able to endure the opposition He promised would come to us.

4. God expects His people to deal with all of this with joy because their joy is dependent upon Him and not our circumstances.

C. Giving Thanks To the Father

1. Thanks for qualifying us as partakers of the inheritance of the saints.

2. Thanks for delivering us from the powers of darkness.

3. Thanks for bringing us into His kingdom

4. Thanks for redeeming us by His blood.

5. Thanks for forgiving our sins.

Transition: Have you given thanks for these things?

Conclusion

A. Have you been seeking to be…

1. Filled with the knowledge of His will?

2. Walking worthy of the Lord?

3. Living in His power?

B. If the answer is yes, do you have enough?

C. If the answer is no, what are you going to do about it?

THESIS: THE SECRETE TO GROWING IN CHIRST IS MOVING TOWARDS CHRIST.