Pattern Of An Unlimited Life Series

Intro: As the pastor’s wife lets out the dog: “Remember, Beauregard, you’re the pastor’s dog; all the other dogs will be watching you.”

—Cartoonist Rob Suggs

The pastor’s dog will impact the way people see the pastor today and relate to him tomorrow.

God’s church will impact the way people see Him today and relate to Him tomorrow.

Are we a Church of Today that will impact tomorrow? I mean impact tomorrow for the Glory of God.

How can we do that church? We can impact tomorrow for the glory of God if we live Life Unlimited. You are thinking in your mind, what!!?? How on earth can I and this church do that??

We can do that if we will see the Pattern of Unlimited life in Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. We can’t stop at seeing the pattern. We must make the pattern a practical part of our daily life.

We have already discussed the potential of an unlimited life. It is a gift of God, His grace, it comes from the presence of God, His peace, and it comes only from our position with God, our place.

Paul in his prayer gives the Colossians and us a practical powerful Pattern for Unlimited Life.

Paul’s prayer was a request for the continued growth of the Colossians in spite of the heresies of the false teachers.

The pattern begins with filling.

I. Filled Living

Colossians 1.9 “we have not ceased to pray for you that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Filled is the same Greek word used in Ephesians 5.18 “but be filled with the spirit”

A) Filled with His Spirit

The word means to fill up, to be liberally supplied.

1) Salvation brings the gift of the spirit

Acts 2.38 “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

When we turn to God accepting Jesus finished work He gives us a gift. The HS.

Acts 5.32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Obey by believing, accepting, and confessing Chirst!!!

2) Sanctification the ongoing work of the spirit

a) Continues to separate us from the pattern of the world

Oswald Chambers

Are we prepared for what sanctification will do? It will cost an intense narrowing of all our interests on earth and an immense broadening of our interest in God.

b) Continues to seal us to the pattern of Unlimited Living

Ephesians 1.13 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,”

We are sealed for God and from the world!!!

Unlimited Living is Spirit filled living. God liberally supplies our every need.

B) Filled with His Will

1) Spiritual Understanding (Have you ever had a tough time knowing God’s will?)

Knowing God’s will for your life. (Word)

2) Spiritual Wisdom

Webster’s dictionary: Good practical judgment; common sense

(Book of Good practical judgments is the Bible)

Spiritual wisdom is Attaining and Appling practical principles from God’s word to our lives.

Doing God’s will for your life.

Filled with His spirit and full of His word!!!

Transition: Spirit filled living will lead us to faithful living.

II. Faithful Living

Colossians 1.10 “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.”

Faithful living is the application of spiritual wisdom and understanding.

John 8.12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

The word walk here carries the idea of regulating or conducting ones life.

He who follows me will not regulate or conduct His life in the darkness!!!!

Colossians 1.13 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved son.”

A) If we are faithful our character is regulated by Christ!!!

Why did the apostle Paul want us to be filled?

1) So that we would have character that exalts Christ (walk worthy)

Our character is slowly chiseled out moment by moment as we either submit to the world or to Jesus. Paul called forging our character a marathon, a spiritual war. These do not end in moments but will take a life time to cultivate. Sadly what takes a lifetime to form can be fractured in an instant.

CHARLES R. SWINDOLL

Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificed on the altar of conformity and popularity.

We must guard our character because in our character people either see Christ High and lifted up or low and of little use!!!