Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s People Pray: For Strength

Colossians 1:11

May 18, 2008

 

Intro: 

·        Many of us either in the past or more recently have bought exercise bikes, or treadmills, maybe a Stairmaster or a few free weights or possibly even a membership to a gym~/fitness centre to get in shape to become stronger.

I have recently joined a fitness centre (I know you were all thinking…Pastor it was about time) so I went to the Guinness book to set some realistic training goals….I learned that a man recently set a record for the amount of weight bench pressed in one hour….over

305,000 lbs.

That would be like lifted the combined weight of the congregation 5x in one hour.

He started at 200lbs and then after 1,280 reps (times) at that weight, he then bench press 100lbs only 493 times.

So I set my strength training regiment based on these numbers.

I don’t even think I could lift 200lbs at once. 

·        I’m not going to the fitness centre to set a Guinness World Record – I merely want to get a little stronger, maybe build up some endurance by jogging and it wouldn’t hurt to shed a pound or two if I was honest.

I want to turn the fat into muscle – to be strengthened.

·        It is beneficial to be strengthened physically, but more beneficial to be strengthened spiritually – and this is the Apostle Paul’s challenged to us today – He prays for the Colossian believers and ultimately for us too, that they would be strengthened in their walk with Christ.

Prayer

 

Background

 

·        This morning’s sermon is a continuation of sermon from last October (I’m sure you all remember the first part)….well

we will do a quick review.

·        The Colossian church was mainly made up of Gentile converts, one of which we learned was Epaphras.

You may remember that Paul had never been to Colossae, but he did spend three years in Ephesus on his third missionary journey.

·        Epaphras was from Colossae and likely came to Ephesus and heard the gospel that was preached by Paul, was converted and then went back and shared the message with his people and they too were saved – accepted Christ as Saviour and saved from their sin and the punishment for their sin.

v.4

·        Recap:  God’s People Pray: To Know His Will.

Paul prays for the Colossians that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that they would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God.

·        (*Read **Col** 1:11*) Today we will see the second thing Paul prays for the Colossians – that they may be strengthened with all power.

Paul prays that they would be strong!

·        Paul also indicates where this strength comes from and why we need this strength.

·        Psalm 121 - "/I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?

//My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth./"

(Psalm 121:1-2, NIV)

·        He is saying my help to keep going comes from the all powerful creator of all things.

·        Paul indicates the same – the power we need to live for Him comes from Him.

 

Let’s take a look at being “Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might”

 

·        If we are going to strive to know God’s will for our lives, as He unfolds that to us, we will need strength to live it out!

·        The word ‘strengthened’ in the Greek is a present participle – which means that it is a continuous action.

We are to be continually strengthened.

This is not a one time thing.

Fuel up illustration?

Abiding in the vine, apart from me you can do nothing.

·        We are not strengthened with physical power, rather we are strengthened with power according to his glorious might – power to live for Him, for His glory (spiritual power).

·        We must remember that Paul is writing this letter to believers, so it makes sense that it is only believers that will be receiving God’s power to equip them for his service.

That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t use unbelievers for His purposes, but unbelievers are denied access to his mighty power.

Others may know of God’s power, but do not have access to it.

Take for example in Luke 4:33-34, /“"//In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit.

He cried out at the top of his voice, //“Ha!

What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!/”"

Even the demons knew of Christ and his power – power to destroy them.

·        John Piper says, ‘The biblical call to endure in faith and obedience is a call to trust the Christ-purchased, empowering grace of God.

God’s grace is first the gift of pardon and imputed righteousness; then it is the gift of power to fight the good fight and to overflow in good deeds.”

So first by God’s grace we are saved from our sin, and then we are empowered to live for Christ.

·        So believers have access to this mighty power – not to do as we please, b~/c that would many times be contrary to accomplishing His plans – we know that b~/c as believers we still sin and go our own way sometimes, so we are equipped with God’s strength to do His will.

·        Paul knows that it is not easy living for the Lord, is not easy living out God’s will for our lives.

In fact, there are several churches today that would preach what is called a prosperity gospel – meaning that God wants us all to be rich and free from sickness and suffering if you have enough faith!

Can you believe that.

What about Romans 5, “/suffering produces endurance/”…Paul knows that there will be tough times, in fact Paul lived it – furthermore, when he wrote this letter he was imprisoned in Rome for his faith in Jesus.

·        Life as a Christian is not easy going, in fact the real danger for Christians is when they fail to see that there is a spiritual battle that rages, that there is a race to be won.

When this is not on the radar (the battle and the race) this is when Christians are really in trouble.

When theses biblical truths are ignored many Christians just drift and coast through life and some even grow weary of the hoe-hum church life.

These folks become more and more enamored by the world and what it offers, it seems more exciting than the boring Christian life.

They have totally missed the excitement and the call of believers in Jesus Christ.

Christianity is not for wimps and a crutch for the weak…no it is for those willing to engage in the battle and willing to run the race full out for His glory and to see people saved and others grow in Christ.

So we need strength to fight this battle.

·        How significant is this power that is available to us?

This power according to His glorious might! 

·        The word might in the Greek is /Kratos/ which speaks of God’s power and is used only of God in the New Testament.

The late J. Hampton Keathley described ‘might’ like this, “Might speaks of manifested power, power put forth in action, specifically , the historic acts of creation, with Israel and especially in the person of Jesus Christ.

It also speaks of a power that overcomes some form of resistance like the resistance of sin, of Satan, of the world system under Satan’s grip and of death (both spiritual and physical).”

(see bible.org)

o       Look at Eph 1:18-21 “18 /I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which *he* has called you, the riches of *his* glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 //and *his* incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of *his* mighty strength, 20 //which *he* exerted in Christ when *he* raised him from the dead and seated him at *his* right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 //far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come/.”

o       Paul tells us that this same power the God exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead – is the same power that is available to us who believe.

That is amazing!

o       Did you notice in that Scripture it was all God…he has called you; his glorious inheritance; his incomparably great power; his mighty strength; which he exerted in Christ; when he raised him from the dead; at his right hand – it is all God.

Apart from Christ, we can do nothing.

Our power and strength comes from God.

o       What is important to note is that God does not just use his power in the big things – parting the red sea, raising Christ from the dead – but his strength is available to you and I on a daily basis – when we are contemplating doing something in our own strength, going our own way – he is there to provide strength to go His way for His glory.

·        So God provides this power to us, but we have a responsibility to utilize it.

You see this in other passages of Scripture where God provides and we have an individual responsibility to act – like

o       Eph 4 – Paul instructs to put off your old self and put on the new self….

There is an individual responsibility to act.

Likewise, we need to put on God’s mighty power and utilize it.

·        What areas of your life are you operating under your own strength?

o       Is there some area of your life where you say…I just do that everyday w~/o thinking about God – then we wonder why we run into struggles and complications…

o       Are you trying to deal with circumstances and people in your own strength?

o       Do you ever wonder why you struggle with certain areas of your life…are you utilizing God’s power that he has provided…to overcome

 

Paul prays that the Colossians would be strengthened….what

do they need to be strengthened for?

*1.

Well the first thing Paul prays…is for strength to endure*

 

·        What is interesting about this text is that Paul is not praying that we would be strong and powerful believers as the goal; rather Paul is praying that we would be strong to endure and stand for His glory – seeing His empowerment in our lives.

God’s power is to produce Christlike qualities – his power in our lives should produce behavior consistent with His character.

·        The two words in our text endurance and patience are very similar in meaning, however the first word – endurance in the Greek denotes being steadfast in circumstances, while the second word patience denotes being steadfast in relationships with people.

·        As believers we are going to have trials to endure or circumstances to stand firm in.

Some trials come as a result of our own sinful behavior and other trials come to sharpen us, to grow us, to make us more Christlike.

o       "/Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him/."

(James 1:12, ESV)

o       Jesus said, “/The one who endures to the end will be saved./”

(Matthew 24:13)

o       Ephesians has a great passage on standing firm…of engaging in the battle.