INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• One of the questions I get a lot concerns the issue of God’s will for their life.
• I really believe that most Christians have a desire to know God’s will for their life. I also believe that people do want to live in God’s will.
• Where the wires get crossed that keep us from being able to accomplish that desire stems from a lack of KNOWING God and because of that we lack the understanding of what His will for our life is.
• Knowing God does not happen by chance, it happens through effort on our part. It takes a strong desire for each one of us to get to know God.
• A desire that will lead us to absorb God’s word, to spend time communicating with God through prayer.
• It will take a determination on our part to allow God to work on our life, to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives.
• Today we are going to explore the content of Paul’s prayer for the Christians at Colossae.
• Contained within this prayer are three things we can do to help enable you to be able to be live in God’s will.
• God’s will for your life is something that God is not trying to hide from you, if we seek it we will find it!
• Let us turn to Colossian 1; we will start in verse 9.
• SLIDE #2
• Colossians 1:9 (ESV) 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
In order to live in God’s will…
I. Open yourself to being filled with the knowledge of His will.
• As Paul opens with this prayer for the Colossian church, he is petitioning God on their behalf for some blessings he knows that God wants them to have.
• He wants the Christians at Colossae to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will!
• We have to understand that God is not trying to hide His will from you. He really does want you to know what He wants from you.
• Really, wouldn’t it be nice if God would just call us on the cell phone or send us some emails or text messages.
• One thing we need to really grasp, and if we do not grasp this thought we will never reach the potential we have in Christ.
• The issue we need to grasp and embrace is this: Through Jesus, God has made one thing very clear, He lives and values YOU!
• If you desire to live in God’s will, you must open yourself to being filled with the knowledge of His will.
• Being filled with the knowledge of His will can happen for EVERY Christian!
• Why would Paul ask for something that cannot happen, or rarely ever happen?
• Being filled with the knowledge of God’s will is more than just an academic pursuit.
• It is not something that if you have enough degrees or go to enough Bible Colleges you will necessarily master.
• The word Paul uses that we translate KNOWLEDGE is a compound form which is not the normal usage for the word.
• In this form it denotes a deep and thorough knowledge, it is a knowledge which grasps and penetrates into the object. A deep and accurate comprehension.
• This word implies that what you KNOW will saturate all your being, thoughts, affections, purposes, and plans.
• This word does not mean that you “know” it long enough to pass a test and then forget it, it is something much deeper.
• John MacArthur Jr states: The Bible views knowledge of doctrinal absolutes as foundational to godly living. Most of Paul’s letters begin by laying a doctrinal foundation before giving practical exhortations. For example, Paul gives eleven chapters of doctrine in Romans before turning to godly living in chapter 12. Galatians 1-4 are doctrinal, chapters 5 and 6 practical. The first three chapters of Ephesians detail our position in Christ, while the last three urge us to live accordingly. Philippians and Colossians also conform to the same pattern of doctrine preceding practical exhortations. Godly living is directly linked in Scripture to knowledge of doctrinal truth. (MacArthur Jr)
• This word at its core means that which you know will change you at your very core!
• SLIDE #4
• Proverbs 19:2 (ESV) Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
• We have to realize that in order to be filled with the knowledge of His will, we will need to more than just read the Word.
• Knowing God’s will for us takes more than just speed reading through the Bible.
• WE need to do more than just see words on the page, we need to go deeper.
• WE need to couple what we read with spiritual wisdom.
• Wisdom is the ability to collect and concisely organize principles from scripture.
• In order to have spiritual wisdom, we must be spiritual.
• SLIDE #5
• 1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV) 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
• We need to have the mind of Christ which is given to us through the Spirit that is given to us when we are immersed into Christ.
• We need to be able to apply the knowledge we gain in the way it was meant to be applied, but to in order to do this, we must have understanding.
• This means we have to have a grasp on what we know. This goes back to the cram session for the test, you may know the answers for the test, but did you really understand what you were taught?
• Understanding is the ability to apply the principles of scripture to everyday life.
• You cannot APPLY what you do not understand.
• We need to be connected to God in order for us to really grasp what God’s will is for us.
• We need to not only read the word, but we must pray and meditate on it. The more we know our Jesus, the more we will understand what He wants us to do.
• Let’s examine verse 10 together.
• SLIDE #6
• Colossians 1:10 (ESV) so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
• SLIDE #7
In order to live in God’s will…
II. Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of your calling.
• In order for us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, we must KNOW what a worthy walk consist of.
• Having the knowledge of God’s Word guides our minds and that is the key to righteous living. What guides your thoughts will be reflected in your behavior.
• Self-control is a result of a Spirit-controlled mind, which is dependent on knowledge of God’s will.
• Knowing God’s will as we talked about in verse 9 will help us to do many things.
• If we know God’s will, we can do many things that will be exciting in our lives.
• One of the things that in intimate knowledge of God’s will produces in our life is a worthy walk.
• How can we walk in a manner worthy of the calling that we have if we do not know God’s will for our lives?
• Our lives are to act in conformity with our union with Christ and with His purposes for our lives.
• SLIDE #8
• 1 Thessalonians 2:12 (ESV) we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
• I get a lot of questions over time pertaining to what one can do to be pleasing to God as they live their lives.
• We get one answer in this verse. One way to please God is to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
• WE see we told if we walk in said manner we would be fully pleasing to Him.
• To please means we are to have an attitude of mind that anticipates one’s very wish.
• Have you tried to please someone, but you did not know what they expected? Can you imagine trying to please God when you have no clue as to what pleases Him?
• Valentine’s Day just pasted, for those of who bought gifts for someone else, did you think about what would please them?
• How do you know what pleases someone? You get to know them.
• God wants you to know Him so you can know what pleases Him.
• We are also told that the worthy life is one that produces fruit in every good work!
• For the Christian, we should NEVER stop bearing fruit.
• The phrase translated “bearing fruit” is in the present tense which denotes a continuous non-stopping action.
• If it were in the aorist tense it would be a one-time past action with continuing present day results.
• We are to constantly bear fruit. We can only do that if we are on the vine!
• SLIDE #9
• John 15:4–5 (ESV) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
• Fruit is what we do for God, it is what comes from our life lived for Him. In 1 Corinthians 16:15, converts are called fruit also.
• What kind of fruit are we bearing for God? How about the fruit of someone we helped lead to Jesus?
• Also we see that IF we are walking a worthy walk we are is that we are called in increase in knowledge!
• Here is something interesting. Did you know that the word translated “increasing” is also in the present tense form?
• This means that we are to NEVER stop increasing in our knowledge about God.
• NEVER!
• SLIDE #10
• 1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
• AS we grow in knowledge, guess what, our obedience increases as does our love for others, and we become more Christ-like!
• Let’s look at our final thought from verse 10!
• SLIDE #11
• Colossians 1:11 (ESV) May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
• SLIDE #12
In order to live in God’s will…
III. Let God strengthen you with all power!
• Have you ever felt that you cannot do it alone? YOU CAN’T!
• To be strengthened is the continuous empowerment that enables us to stand during the battles.
• It is given out of God’s abundant supply, not our need.
• God wants us to be strong! He gives YOU the strength to fight the battles; He does not leave you alone. The battle belongs to the Lord!
• SLIDE #13
• Philippians 4:13 (ESV) I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
• It is God’s will that you allow Him to strengthen you!
• God wants you to be able to endure, in order to do that we need to rely on His POWER!
• The one made strong by God is able to withstand temptations and trials and sufferings with patience and joyfulness.
CONCLUSION
• It may seem far-fetched, but you can live in God’s Will.
• Are you ready to do that today? Maybe you have been striving and desiring to do so but it just has not been working for you.
• Maybe today’s message can help give you a roadmap to follow!
