The Bible Series Colossians
Notes
Transcript
Prayer… often thought of by the believer as the “last resort” or the “christian thing to do at certain times”.
Something done when there is a need, desire, or wish
We treat prayer often like a tool to get what we want from some cosmic genie
Then we wonder when the pastor speaks of the POWER of PRAYER!!! We lack understanding what the big hype is all about.
May I suggest to you this morning… we find prayer to be weak in our lives because we pray weak prayers and seldom acknowledge in our hearts and minds the One we are praying to...
To begin this morning, I want us to consider a PRAYER that was being prayed by two men… Paul & Timothy! Colossians 1:9-12
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
A Powerful Prayer
A Powerful Prayer
This prayer is filled with action...
God fill them! (no room left for self, the flesh, the world!)
Knowledge of God’s will - NOT a fleshly worldly mindset
Wisdom (practical working out of our faith)
Greater than knowledge
Tomatoes as fruit illustration
Understanding
A worthy walk pleasing God (the way they live)
We have the Holy Spirit… God let them BEAR FRUIT!!!… as they go
They would know God (RELATIONSHIP) deeper and deeper INTIMACY!!!
POWER & STRENGTH… WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD’S POWER
Steadfast or immovable… endurance
Patience… pray for this!!!
Joyous, filled with it (TO STAY!!! NOT JUST TUESDAY)
GRATEFUL… to God,(VERSE 3… “WHO” we pray to) say “Thank You!” He has given so much!!! an inheritance with Christ Jesus!!!!
Who were these people that would receive such an honor to be prayed for in such a powerful and intentional way? Colossians 1:1-2
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Letter Info
Letter Info
Timothy has visited Paul in prison in Rome and the two of them are writing this letter TO: Saint & Faithful ones IN CHRIST!
The letter is written about the same time as the other prison letters 60-61 AD
One might expect a prayer like that to be prayed for those you knew well, close to … BUT Paul has never met them. He has not been there!!!
REPUTATION vs.4: FAITH in Christ Jesus and… LOVE for each other & all saints!
Hands down this is the MOST CHRIST CENTERED book in the Bible.
It screams from it’s pages the supremacy and preeminence of Jesus Christ
It shares many similarities with the letter to Ephesus, where Timothy pastors.
Ephesians emphasizes the Church… as the body of Christ
Colossians emphasizes Christ… as the head of the body
Both… Illustrate our position in the first half and our practice in the second half of the letters
Paul uses the CENTRALITY of Christ as the basis to point out and warn them of heresies, false teachings, practices… that would either detract from Christ or add to the SUPREMACY of Christ Jesus!
Colossians Overview
Colossians Overview
Paul begins this letter commending their faith and praying for them… The closing of this letter challenges them to PRAY, and live out their faith all the more!
Every generation will face its share of HERESY & DELUSIONS… Colossians states these things stem from the Elementary Views of the World!
The summary of this letter can be summed up by stating & understanding,… “A proper view of Christ is the best ANTIDOTE for HERESY!”
With CHRIST being the central theme and emphasis of this letter we see develop a Cause & Effect
Our understanding of Christ supremacy or His preeminence in our lives…
Produces, a submission in our hearts and minds to Christ
CAUTION is given throughout this letter to these faithful saints… it was and is needed because DANGER lurks:
CAUTION is given throughout this letter to these faithful saints… it was and is needed because DANGER lurks:
Temptation to look to or rely on our works or deeds
To hold diets, days, feasts, celebrations in higher regard
These were all a foreshadowing Paul writes Colossians 2:16-19
Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
Paul warns of even: self- denial, angels, visions, worldly thinking…
So many false teachings and heresies stem from these
We are called to follow, hold onto Christ… who is the head!
BECAUSE OF CHRIST:
BECAUSE OF CHRIST:
The OLD self is now put off… the NEW self is put on
We were once DEAD in our sin… now we are RAISED with Christ, the first of the Resurrection
We were ENEMIES of God… now through the work of Christ we are RECONCILED (Payment was made)
We went from being residents of the KINGDOM of DARKNESS… to being co heirs with our inheritance in the KINGDOM of GOD!
SUPREMACY OF CHRIST (CAUSE):
SUPREMACY OF CHRIST (CAUSE):
Head of ALL Colossians 1:17-18
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Creator & Sustainer
Great detail is given to His redemptive work
Coming in the flesh to deal with sin
Sufficient Redemption
being God the payment to RECONCILE us to God was sufficient!
We enter into His baptism… A beautiful PICTURE!
Colossians 2:12-14 is powerfully descriptive!
having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
SUBMISSION TO CHRIST (EFFECT):
SUBMISSION TO CHRIST (EFFECT):
Our Conduct changes… Colossians 2:6-7
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Holiness is lived out in His people… Colossians 3:12-17
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
We have a right thinking (His knowledge, wisdom, discernment) Colossians 3:1-2
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
We engage in our relationship rightly
Chapter 4 looks at our relationships, how we engage, and it is counter to our worldly thinking
Wives and husbands
Parents and children
Slaves and masters
We look at WHO Christ is and WHAT He has done and it SHOULD change us!!!
Prayer & Conduct
Prayer & Conduct
We are to live out, to conduct ourselves in such a way that we draw the world around us TO CHRIST!!!
Colossians 4:2-6 gives us explicit instructions in both our prayers and conduct…
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
I love the concept of SEASONED…
Lead a horse to water illustration
Salt shaker Illustration
Oh may we live our lives seasoned in such a way that people around us loooong for the refreshing Word of God, they hunger for a true relationship with JESUS CHRIST!
MY PRAYER FOR GRACE BIBLE:
Oh God you know that there is not a ceasing in my prayers for you this church body. Lord may you fill them with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Please do so that they will walk in a manner worthy of You Lord. I pray they will please You in all respects, bearing the fruit of Your Spirit in every good work, and may they increase in the knowledge of You God.
I ask that You strengthen them with all power, according to Your glorious might, that they may attain all steadfastness and patience. In this understanding God may they joyously give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance along with all the saints in Light.
I pray with earnestness that they would devote themselves to prayer. God may they keep alert in their prayers and as they come before You may they do it with an attitude of thanksgiving; and may they pray at the same time for me as their pastor as well. I pray now that You will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the Gospel of Christ, and may we make it clear in the way we speak and live out our lives. AMEN!