God's Check List
Part 2
Colossians 1:9-12
Last week we began the checklist of things that should mark the walk of a "saint" or a "faithful brother, or sister, in Christ."
1. Intercessory prayer for spiritual needs of others
2. Love for the brethren
3. Hope
Today we shall continue with that check list.
This list comes from Paul's prayer for the saints.
4. "Filled with the Knowledge of His will ... "
Paul uses three words here that reveal the three steps of education.
Knowledge .... understanding .... wisdom
Paul first prays that they will be filled with knowledge.
Filled is the Greek word- , which means to be filled or to make full.... it implies A PROCESS OF FILLING.
Paul was praying for the process to begin and proceed and come to completion in his readers.
That is God's will for us. Begin .... proceed ... completion
But knowledge, here, is just the first step.
Think of this as Head knowledge .... you can learn the basic facts ...
2+2=4 3+3=6 4+4=8
a two year old can learn that. .. but does not understand it ... can't use it to count toys.
But, YOU HAVE TO CRAWL BEFORE YOU RUN
you have to start at the bottom.
The absolute least that any of us can do is to learn the facts ...
read the Word, learn God's will
memorize the 10 commandments
memorize the golden rule
Put it in the computer. .. later you will learn to use it.
Every one of us should be "Filled with knowledge of God's will"
And how do we get filled?
READ THE WORD!!!!!!
Even when it doesn't make sense, ever when it is hard to understand, even when it is
boring .... READ THE WORD!!!
Go to church and listen to the lessons and sermons
You can't understand the bible until you first READ IT! ! !
5 ... and understanding ...
Mikey wanted to go to the store and buy some gum. His father gave him 2 pennies, 1 nickel, and 1 dime. He told the Mikey ... This is like 5 pennies, this is like 10 pennies. The little boy repeated it over and over. Then Mikey went to the store. The price of the gum was 4 cents per piece. The Mikey got three pieces, one for himself and two for friends. The clerk told him it would cost 12 cents. Trying to help Mikey, the clerk said, "That will cost 12 pennies." The Mikey pulled out his money and counted ... one big shiny one, one little shiny one and two pennies. He did not have enough pennies. Sadly, he put the gum back and left. his father asked him if he got the gum and he said, NO, I didn't have enough money." His father knew better and again taught him about the nickel and the dime. Mikey could repeat it fine. The next day his father gave him three nickels and 3 pennies... Same trip, same store, same price... still not enough pennies and he went home with no gum. That night his dad spent two hours teaching him again about the pennies. Finally, Mikee got it ... he understood the concept of the nickel being 5 pennies. So, the next day Mikey went to the store and gave the clerk the nickel and asked for five pennies. Then he changed the dime for 10 pennies. Then he bought 4 pieces of gum .. the forth was for his lad for working so hard to teach him... and gave the man 17 pennies. He was so proud because now he understood nickels and dimes.
Understanding God's will is a lot like that story. Often we have the head knowledge, but we lack understanding. We know that God teaches "You must be born again. "
But you don't understand ... like Nicodemus
Then one day it clicks ... you understand Born again means that the old nature, the old way of living has to die, stop, cease to exist. You have to stop living like lost people, stop living for the flesh, stop lying, stealing, lusting, hurting others, etc.
Now, the New nature, the new creation has to come to life ... you have to live differently, think differently, talk differently.
Now you understand what it means to be born again.
Now you, like Mikey, are ready to take the next step ...
6. in all spiritual wisdom
You now know the facts, understand the process, and are ready to put them into
practical application.
Mikey goes to the store, has 2 dimes, 3 nickels and 2 pennies .... he counts 10 ... 20 ... 25 ... 30 ... 35 ... 36 ... 37 ... lays the money on the counter and tells the clerk, "I have 37 pennies here, How many pieces of gum can I get." His Dad smiles from ear to ear because he has grown, he has gained understanding and wisdom. You may be thinking, 'He doesn't know how to tell how many pieces he can get. "
Don't worry, he is still learning to add ... he does not have to understand it all ... yet. AND
NEITHER DO YOU.
Just BEGIN with learning the knowledge ... reading the Word and learning what it says.
The CONTINUE in understanding ..... learning the concepts, why it is that way, what God wants to teach, what is the important lesson.
And you will come to COMPLETION in wisdom .... you will be able to put it to work.
You know it is God's will for you to be born again .
You know that means living a new way ....
And you are beginning to change your ways
It does mean that we should be ever mindful to the tremendous price that our Lord paid
leaving Heaven
being born to a poor family
being hated and rejected of men
being publicly humiliated, publicly stoned, an outcast
being arrested as criminal
stripped of his rights, stripped of his clothes, stripped of his dignity
a hideous, lingering, torturous death
Think of the great price he paid for you .... what can we do for such a one, what gift would be worthy of his gift?
Of course NO GIFT would be worthy, no sacrifice would be worthy .. so that creates a great burden, a tremendous indebtedness in our mind and heart and we realize that we owe him everything and that is not enough.
How should we live, in light of our Lord's death?
The only possible answer is to walk in the way of obedience to his will .... that is the only walk that is worthy .... OBEDIENCE ROAD
And that leads us to the last thing on the list ....
7 .... to please Him in all respects ...
I
When we begin with KNOWLEDGE, continue in UNDERSTANDING, and come to completion in WISDOM
it will lead us to be able to walk in a way that is worthy of our Lord.
And if we walk that way we will please God because we will "Bear fruit. "
That is what pleases God .... FRUIT ... BEARING FRUIT.
God wants us to bear spiritual fruit.
What is spiritual fruit?
Galatians 5 :22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
These are the fruits of a life that is worthy of the Lord, a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
There are other fruits that are not pleasing to God, not worthy of our Lord.
Now, I want you to remember something about these two fruits .... they do not grow on the same path.
The fruits of the flesh grow on the old path ... the old nature, the old life, the un- redeemed life.
The fruits of the spirit grow on the new path ... the new nature, the new life, the life of the spirit, the redeemed life.
Look at the fruits ... which do you see in your life?
Are there fruits of the flesh? If there are, then you are not pleasing God. walking on wrong path.
God does not grade on a curve ... and he does not take the average .. so you can blow it now and make it up with a good grade later.
When you die your deeds will not be placed on a scale to see if you have more bad or good.
Answer this: If your spouse was faithful to you 29 days out of the month, 96.6% of the time... would you be pleased?
What about 364 days out of the year... 99.9% of the time? Would you be pleased?
Why do we think 75% should please God?
Are you pleasing to God?
If not.... walking on wrong path.
Why?
maybe it is a lack of knowledge don't know what His will is
maybe it is a lack of understanding don't understand how important it is
maybe it is a lack of wisdom don't know how to work it out
maybe it is a lack of desire don’t want to be pleasing
You are in luck ... Phillipians 2: 13 says, "F or it is God at work in you both to desire and to
do his good pleasure. "
No matter whether your disobedience comes from lack of knowledge or lack of desire ....
God can give you both.
You just need to admit it and ask for it .... and work very hard to do what would
foster it.
come today .... and get His forgiveness and His help.
