I. The basic meaning of the word "church" in the New Testament is found in two Greek words:
A. KURIAKON meaning "that which belongs to the Lord." Illustrations: I Corinthians. 11:20, "The Lord's Supper." Romans. 14:8, "We are the Lord's."
B. Most common: EKKLESIA (used 111 times in the New Testament). It is made up of "ek" meaning "out of," and "kaleo" meaning "to call." So the word actually means "that which has been called out from."
II. FUNCTIONS OF THE CHURCH (The duties and activities of the early church)
A. Special positions of service: Prophet, Evangelist and Teacher Ephesians, Bishops, Elders and/or Pastors, Deacons
Romans 12:4-6 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
B. While we all have special gifts, observe where it leads
NKJ Ephesians 4:11-15 -- And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ.
C. The saints -- the entire church family.
1. They were to lead a holy and blameless life to the glory of God's grace, Ephesians 1:4,6.
2. They were to "grow in grace", II Peter 3:8 and seek to attain the full measure of the stature of Christ, Ephesians 4:13.
3. They were to evangelize the world with the gospel, Matthew 29:19,20; Acts 1:8; 8:4.
4. They were to have fellowship with God and with one another, I John 1:3 7, "they continued in the Apostles fellowship" Acts 2:42.
5. They were to strive for unity, Ephesians 4:3, 4,13.
6. They were to love one another, I Peter 1:22;
7. Pray much, Acts 4:32, 12:5,
8. Claim for themselves the power of the blessed Holy Spirit to function as God ordained and to preach the Gospel to the world, Acts 1:8; II Tim 1:7; Romans 15:19
III. Responsibility in the Church is to know and to do God's will
A. NKJ Mark 3:35 "For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.''
1. From the heart (Eph 6:6).
B. NKJ Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
C. NKJ 1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
IV. Comes to three important questions.
A. What is the will of God?
B. How do we know the will of God?
C. How do we do the will of God?
1. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a nice little step by step process to follow the Will of God? Why would God ask / command us to do His will and not tell us how?
2. It requires effort and some know how.
Colossians 1:9-11
9. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10. that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11. strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
12. giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14. in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
We observe the prayer of a saint for his friends
D. Hard pressed to find a better verse that is plainer teaching about living the Christian life.
1. C. F. D. Moule has said, "It asks for the discernment of God's will and then for the power to perform that will."
I. "filled with the knowledge of His will"
knowledge -- epignosis: ep-ig'-no-sis -- "exact or full knowledge, discernment, recognition," and is a strengthened form of expressing a fuller or a full "knowledge," a greater participation by the "knower" in the object "known," thus more powerfully influencing him.
KNOWLEDGE THAT CHANGES US
A. Not to make God listen to us BUT TO LISTEN TO HIM
1. Lord's Prayer."Thy will be done." doesn't say, "Thy will be changed,"
NKJ Luke 11:2 -- So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.)
B. Not to persuade God to do what we want, BUT TO FIND OUT WHAT HE WANTS
Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
C. WHAT IS GOD'S WILL?
1. Iceberg
D. Much of His will is simple and specific - to mention just a few.
1. Saved -- 1 Timothy 2:3-4 -- For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2. Spirit Filled -- Ephesians 5:18 -- And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
Which will lead to our growing in the fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 -- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
3. Sanctified -- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - - For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
4. Submissive -- 1 Peter 2:13-15 -- Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men
5. Suffering -- 1 Peter 2:20 -- For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
6. Thankful -- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 -- in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
7. Obey your parents. Ephesians 6:1 -- Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
E. At this point in your life, to grow and become a mature Christian.
NKJ 1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
NKJ 2 Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
F. God is more interested in who you are than in what you do. Marriage example.
Do we have all of this down? If not, look to...
1. Jesus -- the supreme example of all these.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
1 Peter 2:21-24-- For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth''; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.
2. We can look to our brothers and sisters
NKJ Philippians 4:9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
a) Examples of specific character qualities (WW ? D)
(1) Ron - gracious
(2) Rollo - takes time
(3) Kirt - leans on God's Word in all he does
(4) John, Pete - doing the work with their kids.
G. We need to take time to listen.
1. Time for reading and assimilating God's nature through His word
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
2. Time for still and quiet
Psalms 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Job 3:26 -- I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.''
Job 37:14 "Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.
II. "in all wisdom and spiritual understanding"
A. MUST BE translated into our human situation.
1. Spiritual applies to both wisdom and understanding
2. wisdom is sophia -- Phonetic: sof-ee'-ah
wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual): --wisdom.
a) knowledge of first principles - the basics.
Mark 6:2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
Luke 2:40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.''
3. Understanding is sunesis -- Phonetic: soon'-es-is -- a mental putting together, i.e. intelligence or (concretely) the intellect: --knowledge, understanding.
a) critical knowledge -- application,
Mark 12:33 "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.''
Luke 2:47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
(1) ability to apply first principles to any given situation which may arise in life.
(2) Paul is asking for wisdom and understanding, to apply them to the tasks and decisions which meet them in everyday living.
(3) As Christians we must know what Christianity means,
not in a vacuum but in the business of living.
III. "that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God".
Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
"being fruitful in every good work".
A. We are commanded to good works
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
NKJ Titus 3:14
14. And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
NKJ Ephesians 2:10
10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
NKJ Titus 2:6-8
6. Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7. in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
8. sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
NKJ Hebrews 10:24
24. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
"and increasing in the knowledge of God".
Doing increases understanding
knowledge -- epignosis: ep-ig'-no-sis -- "exact or full knowledge that powerfully influences.
KNOWLEDGE THAT CHANGES US
B. This knowledge of God's will, and this wisdom and understanding, must issue in right conduct. Paul prays consistent with God's will for our lives that our walk be worthy of His calling; a walk that pleases God.
1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby
Psalms 119:97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
IV. "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power"
A. To do this we need power.
1. The great problem in life is not to know what to do but to do it.
2. For the most part, we are well aware in any given situation what we ought to do; our problem is to put that knowledge into action.
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.''
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Cor 4:16. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
V. "for all patience and longsuffering with joy"
A. Paul's prayer ends with a prayer for three great qualities. He prays that his Colossian friends may possess all fortitude, patience and joy.
1. Fortitude and patience are two great Greek words which often found together -
2. There is a distinction between these two words. Very similar and can be used interchangeably EXCEPT when used together as here.
a) Patience (fortitude) is hupomone (Phonetic: hoop-om-on-ay' -- enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).)
b) But it does not mean patience in the sense of simply bowing the head and letting the tide of events flow over one.
(1) It means not only the ability to bear things, but the ability, in bearing them,
(2) To turn them into glory. It is a conquering patience.
(3) The ability to deal triumphantly with anything that life can do to us.
c) Longsuffering (patience) is makrothumia (Phonetic: mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah
d) i.e. (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude: -- longsuffering, patience.).
e) Its basic meaning is patience with people. It is the quality of mind and heart which enables a man so to bear with people that their unpleasantness and maliciousness and cruelty will never drive him to bitterness, that their unteachableness will never drive him to despair, that their folly will never drive him to irritation, and that their unloveliness will never alter his love.
Makrothumia (GSN3115) is the spirit which never loses patience with, belief in, and hope for men.
B. So Paul prays for:
1. hupomone, the fortitude which no situation can defeat, and
2. makrothumia, the patience which no person can defeat.
3. He prays that the Christian may be such that no circumstances will defeat his strength and no human being defeat his love. The Christian's fortitude in events and patience with people must be indestructible.
NKJ 1 Peter 3:3-4 Do not let your beauty be that outward adorning of arranging the hair, of wearing gold, or of putting on fine apparel; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
Never defeated à Victorious à Abundant !
NKJ John 10:10"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
NKJ Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
LVB 1 Corinthians 15:57 How we thank God for all of this! It is he who makes us victorious through Jesus Christ our Lord!
C. "filled with the knowledge of His will"
1. Listen to God and to find out what HE wants
2. We've a lot of work to do in His will for our lives.
D. "in all wisdom and spiritual understanding"
1. To know what to do and to apply it to life.
E. "that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord,
1. That once you know and apply, you will execute it in a way pleasing to God.
F. "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power"
1. Have the power not only to know what but to do it!
G. And for the fortitude and patience that:
1. no situation can defeat, and
2. no person can defeat
VI. Then he adds JOY.
A. The Christian way is not a grim struggle with events and with people;
1. The travails of this life have nothing to do with your joy.
Ephesians 6:12 -- For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Romans 14:17 -- for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
2. We are commanded to be joyful.
James 1:2 -- My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3. It's not always easy
1 Peter 4:12-13 -- Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13. but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
1 Peter 1:6-8 -- In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
Acts 13:51-52 -- But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
4. Can you carry your joy through trials...can you mix fear and confusion with joy?
Matthew 28:8 -- So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
5. How?
Hebrews 12:1-3 -- Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
B. We can carry that radiant and sunny-hearted attitude to life.
C. Joy in any circumstances.
NKJ 2 Corinthians 7:4
4. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.
NKJ 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
NKJ 1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
NKJ James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
NKJ 1 Peter 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
D. It's Okay to have some suffering, in fact it's expected! Jesus promised us !
Speaking to his disciples he said, (great final message to them in John)
NKJ John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.''
"If joy is not rooted in the soil of suffering, it is shallow." C. F. D. Moule
It is easy to be joyful when things go well, but the Christian radiance is something which not all the shadows of life can quench.
VII. So the Christian prayer is: (WITH CONFIDENCE !)
"As I strive to know and to do your will, as a responsible member of your church, make me, O Lord, victorious over every circumstance; make me patient with every person; and in your infinite grace and love, grant me the joy which no circumstance and no man will ever take from me."
VIII. Watch the final hurrah !
A. vv 12-14 -- "giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
