A Walk That Pleases God – Part 2 – Colossians 1:10-11

Fifth sermon in a verse by verse series through the Epistle of Colossians. This sermon continues to cover Paul’s prayer for the spiritual advancement of the Colossian believers.

1. Brief review of theme, background & previous lesson
2. This section: Paul’s prayer for the Colossians spiritual advancement.
3. There are 4 marks/characteristics of a worthy walk in these verses.
4. Key observations relating to each of these:
   • While each of these truths present a unique facet of the Christian walk, there are two thinks that are common to all.
   • Each of these is in the present tense, indicating they are to be an ongoing, habitual part of the Christian’s life.
   • Each of these requires our part and God’s part. That is, we are to cooperate with the inner workings of God in us.

A Fruitful Walk (Vs. 10b)

The Source of Fruitfulness

1. Fruit comes from life
2. Life – key characteristic of the Christian faith (1:6)

The Key to Fruitfulness

1. The Indwelling Christ (1:27)
2. Abiding in Christ (John 15:4-8)
   1. The impotence of the branch without the vine (Vs. 4)
      Andrew Murray: “There is but one way for the branch to bear fruit, there is no other possibility, it must abide in unbroken communion with the vine. Not of itself, but only of the vine, does the fruit come…it is such a wonderful privilege to be called and allowed to abide in the heavenly Vine; one might have thought it needless to add these words of warning. But no – Christ knows so well what a renunciation of self is implied in this: “Abide in me”; how strong and universal the tendency would be to seek to bear fruit by our own efforts; how difficult it would be to get us to believe that actual, continuous abiding in Him is an absolute necessity! He insists upon the truth: Not of itself can the branch bear fruit; except it abide, it cannot bear fruit.” (The True Vine Pg. 38-39)
   2. Union with Christ, indispensable for fruit bearing (Vs. 5)
      Andrew Murray: “In everything the life of the branch is to be the exact counterpart of that of the Vine. Of Himself Jesus had said: “The Son can do nothing of himself.” As the outcome of that entire dependence, He could add: “All that the Father doeth, doeth the Son also likewise.” As Son He did not receive His life from the Father once for all, but moment by moment. His life was a continual waiting on the Father for all He was to do. And so Christ says of His disciples: “without me ye can do nothing.” He means it literally. To everyone who wants to live the true disciple life, to bring forth fruit and glorify God, the message comes: You can do nothing…A deep conviction of the truth of this word lies at the very root of a strong spiritual life. As little as I created myself, as little as I could raise a man from the dead, can I give myself the divine life. As little as I can give it myself, can I maintain or increase it: every motion is the work of God through Christ and His Spirit. It is as a man believes this, that he will take up that position of entire and continual dependence which is the very essence of the life of faith. With the spiritual eye he sees Christ every moment supplying grace for every breathing and every deepening of the spiritual life…The sense of helplessness, and the true abiding to which it compels, leads to true fruitfulness and diligence in good works.” (The True Vine Pg. 54-55)
   3. Filling of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)

The Sphere of Fruit bearing

1. In the area of Christian Service (good works)
2. The believer is saved UNTO good works: Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” “You don’t work to get saved, but if you’re saved, you’ll work!” This touches every area of the believer’s life. In Scripture, all the activities of the believer’s life are to be viewed as acts of service to Christ.
3. Some areas mentioned in Scripture
   1. Soul-winning: John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” The fruit of a Christian is another Christian!
   2. Holiness: Romans 6:20-22 “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
   3. Character: Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
   4. Giving: Philippians 4:15-17 “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”

Other practical areas: Service in the home, service in the church, service in the work place

Challenge: In every form of service to Christ, our prayer should be, “Lord make me fruitful in this for your glory. Is your walk barren? Is there spiritual fruit?

A Growing Walk (Vs. 10c)

1. ‘increasing’
   1. Means to grow
   2. E.g. Luke 12:27 “Consider the lilies how they grow…”
   3. Means to increase
   4. E.g. John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
   5. 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…”
2. ‘knowledge’
   1. Knowledge of His Person – “of God” (2 Peter 3:18)
   2. Knowledge of His Will (Vs. 9)
   3. Key Principles:
      1. The inner work of the Spirit
      2. The Word of God
3. Kent: “Paul knew that genuine Christian conduct can be produced only when people are thinking correctly about Christian truth.”
4. Psalm 1 picture of growth: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Vs. 1-3)

An Empowered Walk (Vs. 11)

The Character of this power (11a)

1. All Power
   1. ‘might’ and ‘strengthened’ come from the Greek word (◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻which refers to miraculous power. So it literally means to “be empowered with all power”
   2. It is translated elsewhere as ‘wonderful works’; ‘mighty works’; ‘ability’; ‘miracle’; ‘virtue’ & ‘strength’
   3. It is the same word translated ‘mightily’ in verse 29.
   4. It is the word used to refer to Christ’s resurrection power in Phil 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
   5. It is the same power the Apostle requested for the Ephesian believers: “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” (Eph 3:16)
2. Divine Power
   1. ‘glorious’ = the outward manifestation of God’s attributes
   2. ‘power’ = ú power that is almost exclusively attributed to God (11 out of 12 usages in the N.T.)

The goal of this power (11b)

1. Patience
   1. Means to endure, to stay under. Refers to “uncomplaining suffering, the endurance of the soul, perseverance, under trials in the will of God.” (Moule)
   2. “patience with respect to things” (Trench)
2. Longsuffering
   1. Means “to have long passion”; ‘non-retaliation’ (Kent)
   2. “patience with respect to persons” (Trench)
   3. E.g. family life, fellow believers, workplace etc…
3. Joyfulness
   1. To accompany both patience and longsuffering
   2. Something deeper than surface happiness as defined by the world
   3. Examples: martyrs of church history, men & women of God who learned victory in the midst of great suffering like Fanny Crosby & Evangelist Tom Williams.
4. Example: We see all three in Christ (patience, longsuffering and joy)

H.C.G. Moule: “The fullness of Divine power in the saints is to result primarily not in “doing some great thing” but in enduring and forbearing, with heavenly joy of heart.”

Conclusion

1. Is your life barren and dry? Are you allowing the life of Christ to produce fruit in your Christian life? Do you have a deep sense of dependence on the Holy Spirit?
2. Are you seeking to diligently add ‘knowledge’ to your faith? How much time do you spend in the Word? How much do you prioritize your week around the preaching of God’s Word in your local church?
3. How are you responding to trials and difficulties in your life? Are you drawing on Divine power to see you through or are you trying to handle them in your own strength and in so doing, allowing yourself to be worn down?

Sermon 5 of 28 in Colossians Series

Sermon Audio Id: 7316646380