Colossians 1:9 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 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 conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Tonight Paul talks about --- FEEDING BABIES Background..... 1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? In all honesty, we who have been parents and grandparents know that babies just like larger people, are not always pleasant to be around. Maybe you have heard the description, "A baby is a digestive apparatus with a loud noise at one end and no responsibility at the other!" My grandma made the mistake of saying in a Sabbth-school class one day that babies are the most selfish creatures in the world. That didn't go over too well with some, but it is true. Babies are notoriously selfish and self-centered. Immediately upon birth they bear the imprint of the fall of Adam; their whole world is centered around themselves. That is all they think about, all they know. Those who take care of them long for the day when they will begin to learn self-control: to sleep all night, to become potty trained, and to feed themselves. It is the same in the Christian life. Paul refers to new Christians as babies. Peter, in fact, says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby." Like newborn babies starting out in life, new Christians are loved and welcomed; but they need special care and though they show a great deal of promise and potential, yet everybody waits and hopes for them to grow up. 1. What was Paul's primary response when he learned of the Colossian Christians? ANS: Col 1:9a "So ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying _... NOTE: Paul's response was just to pray, but to pray continually. The things of faith that the Colossians needed to grow into were things not accomplished suddenly. Paul is not speaking of salvation, but rather the manifestation of the change that the Spirit brings. These things are to be sought, but they do not bring salvation. 2. In the middle of verse 1, what is the first thing Paul asking God to do for the Colossians? ANS: and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; TEV NOTE: First, it is important for us to understand what it is that God knows is best for our lives. Beyond that, Paul sets us an example of praying that others may find out what God knows is best for them. You could call this Knee-vangelism.God wants us to get beyond the "everything, everyone, in the world is to serve me" stage. Too often, we take the stance that Cain took: "Am I my brother's keeper?" God's answer is a resounding "yes." 3. Paul next prays for wisdom for the Colossians. What does he want them to be wise about? ANS: asking him to make you wise about spiritual things; TEV ...wisdom and spiritual understanding; NKJV NOTE: It is important that Paul does not ask that the Colossians be "knowledgable" about spiritual things. "Spiritual things are spiritually discerned." Knowledge of itself most often leads to pride. A wisdom that is from God is true spirituality. One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the realization that God is not calling us to knowedge as much as to be Wisdom. 4. As you may have noticed by now, we are in one of Paul's long sentences. As he closes this group of thoughts, he asks for one thing for the Colossians so that something else may be accomplished. What are these things? ANS: ... and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better. NOTE: Paul's concern, like that of David, Moses, Isaiah, and others is that God be glorified in what happens in our lives. Paul asks the Colossians to Walk worthy of the Lord to please Him, and do good works so that God's name might be glorified. It must be pointed out again that we are not talking about earning salvation here. That has happened. What we are talking about is Bringing glory to God 5. As we serve God and our fellow man, what will happen that we cannot achieve otherwise? ANS: while all the time you are learning to know God better and better.TEV _.and increasing in the knowledge of God; NKJV Note: The best way to know God is to let your actions reflect the Spirit of God. This knowledge is not just a head trip. 6. In the Bible in what intimate way is the word "Know" used? ANS: Gen 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD." Note: This Know-ing, or knowledge of God, is to surpass a mere mental assent. The relationship between husband and wife was to mirror the relationship that God wants with each one of us. This is not the mere act of assent, the mere equivalent of a spiritual wedding ring. It is rather a relationship that joins us with God mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically and truly becomes a "Mystical" experience. 7. What words elsewhere does Paul use to describe this mystery? ANS: Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; in Him. 1 Cor 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. NOTE: Research on the way that the mind works has given us a very interesting insight. The same area of the brain the provides us with sexual pleasure is also the area of the brain that is the seat of the religious experience. Each of these expereinces is for the "mature." Paul did not know how right he was when he wrote: Ephesians 5:31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 8. As we move on in the passage, we find Paul's concern moving on to include a prayer for strength. How much strength was to be given to the believer? ANS: Col 1:11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power,_. 9. If strength is to be given us according to God's power, what can the believer do in this strength. ANS: Matt 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 10. While we may rejoice in the seemingly blank check given to us in the first part of this verse, For what purpose is that power given us? ANS Gal 1:11b ...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. Note: we might wish that this power is given for some other purpose. It is clearly stated that it is given that we might endure hardships with with joy and thanksgiving. See 1 Cor 6:20 also Ray Steadman taking off on C.S. Lewis wrote: "I want you to travel back to the Garden of Eden with me for a moment and try to picture what things were like originally. Can you in your wildest imagination see God telling Adam when he created him, "Now Adam, I made it so that you can smile and laugh, but since you are mine, I don't want you to do that. I made you so that you could work with your hands, but what I really want is for you to sit around all day and talk to me. I made you so that you could enjoy eating, but only eat those things that don't taste good. I created you so that you could recreate, with the help of your lifelong helpmeet, but don't do it unless sin comes into the world. And don't enjoy anything!! Don't have any fun." "How does that strike you? Can you see that in the Garden of Eden? Then why do we think that is the way it is to be for us today? God created fun. Satan cannot create anything, just manipulate what God has already created. I believe to be fully pleasing to God that we should live full, happy, productive lives in the way that God designed us to. Loving. Sharing. Helping people. Showing them how attractive your family is and inviting them to join. Making Dad's way look satisfying." 11. How does Paul describe the drastic change brought over us by God? ANS: Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, NOTE: Paul's concern, like that of David, Moses, Isaiah, and others is that God be glorified in what happens in our lives. As previously suggested, that includes helping others see God in an attratcive light. The use of the word "conveyed" describing how we enter the kingdom is telling. We do not assult the gates of the kingdom demanding entrance. We are "Carried" into the kingdom of the Son, just as Elijah was carried into the kingdom of God. Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. 12. How is the carrying described in v.14? ANS: Col 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. NOTE: There is no way to overemphasize the power of redemption, or forgiveness. Without it there is no future for mankind. Yet so often we are afraid of the concept. Perhaps that has something to do with Jesus telling us that we must forgive to be forgiven. Maybe it is because there are some that we Do not want to see forgiven. 12. Summation: We should be giving thanks to the Father because He has: --delivered us from the power of darkness --conveyed us into Jesus' kingdom --redeemed us through the blood of Jesus. (forgiveness). This is the stuff of growing up. About growing up, living in the power of the Spirit, giving life, making dad look good, living with strength and joy, grabbing humanity from the clutches of emptiness and hopelessness, and redeeming them forever. That is what we are called to pray for. We are to pray that that pattern will flow through our lives, too. That is what we are called to do. Are you ready for that in your life? I pray that you are. The world needs Christians who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who do not hesitate to take chances; who will not lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest in small things as in great things; who will make no compromise with wrong; whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires; who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it"; who are true to their friends through good report and evil report in adversity as well as in prosperity; who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hard headedness are the best qualities for winning success; who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular; * who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes." ARE YOU THAT KIND OF A MATURE CHRISTIAN? * Thanks to Ray Steadman's materials for this passage.