WEBVTT 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:13.039 By the way, quick disclaimer for those of you who enjoy many of the songs we sing in our weekly email that goes out, we do include a playlist of all the songs we'll be singing on Sunday morning. 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:23.519 Or you can go on our website, RedeemerChurchGSO.com, and click the resources tab and see our Spotify playlist so you can play those uh songs in your home to prepare to worship with us. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:28.640 If you don't mind, let's just pray one more time as we get into the preaching of God's word. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:35.280 Father God, thank you for this opportunity to gather as a faith family to hear from you through your word. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:39.840 Lord, use me as an instrument in your hands to edify your people. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:45.280 Lord, anything that may come out of my mouth that's not of you of your word, may it fall flat on the floor. 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:55.920 But whatever is of your word that edifies your saints and brings hope to the lost and the hurting, Father, may you implant it on hearts today for your glory and for your good. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:57.520 Be exalted in this moment. 00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:58.880 In Christ's name I pray. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:00:59.840 Amen. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:08.239 Well, friends, in our culture, we all value wisdom and knowledge. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:15.760 I doubt anyone in this room would raise their hand and say, you know what, I really don't care about growing in wisdom and knowledge. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:35.760 This is a dominant theme in our culture, which is why self-help books are bestsellers, which is why people see therapists, listen to podcasts, or there's an entire career field of life coaches, because we all recognize we lack wisdom and knowledge, and we need to grow in wisdom and knowledge. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:49.840 Maybe the longer you've been a Christian and you read your Bible and you read books like the book of Proverbs, you sometimes realize I have a lot in common with this uh fool the Bible keeps referring to, which is a sign you lack knowledge. 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:50.959 We need to grow. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:55.680 So the question has never been, you know, do we as people do we want to be wise? 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:58.480 We all want to be known as wise to other people. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:05.599 The question is, where does true God-honoring wisdom come from and where does it take us? 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:10.319 What should that wisdom do in our hearts and in our minds and in our lives? 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:21.120 An example of this is in the Old Testament when King David realized it was time to hand the reins over to his son Solomon, who would be the new king of Israel. 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:29.520 And in 1 Chronicles chapter 22, David says this of his son Solomon and preparing him to become king. 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:44.800 1 Chronicles 22, verse 12, David says, Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:47.919 So for King David, he thought, you know what? 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:53.919 What would serve my son best so that he can be a faithful, righteous king over Israel? 00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:05.199 And to David, he knew he needed God to grant Solomon insight and understanding so that he may obey the Lord his God. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:09.919 Wisdom in the Bible, friends, is never an end in of itself. 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:12.080 We don't get wisdom for wisdom's sake. 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:23.120 We don't pursue wisdom so that we can brag about we're smarter than other Christians in our lives, or just so that we feel better about ourselves because we have a lot of knowledge stored in our minds. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:27.599 It always translates into godly living. 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:31.280 It's always meant to land in our lives. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:35.360 Knowledge sinks to our hearts and shapes how we live. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:38.319 Which brings me to Colossians this morning. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:43.840 Paul opens Colossians with essentially the same prayer David prayed for Solomon. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:56.639 He's praying for these Christians in Colossi: that they will grow in wisdom and understanding so that they can know who they are, know the God who saved them through the person and work of Christ, and live in light of that information. 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:00.719 So the big idea I want us to pay attention to this morning is this. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:08.080 Friends, what you know about God, his word, and his gospel should shape how you live. 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:14.560 What you know about God, his word, and his gospel should shape how you live. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:26.240 So let's look at what Paul prays on behalf of the church and Colossi, because what he asked for tells you everything about God, what God wants for your life as his disciples. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:36.560 We're going to be focusing on verses nine through 14, where Paul, maybe some of your Bible headings, say uh his prayer for spiritual growth. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:40.639 Let's look down briefly at verses nine through 10. 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:50.800 Paul says, For this reason also, since the day we heard this, heard of their faith, their faithfulness in following Christ, we haven't stopped praying for you. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:05:10.160 We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:17.199 Friends, your theology was never meant to primarily just stay in your head. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:22.399 Sound doctrine is not meant to just stay in your head. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:30.319 Let's just walk through line by line what exactly Paul is praying for on behalf of these Colossian Christians. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:37.680 He starts out by praying on their behalf that they may be filled with the knowledge of God's will. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:41.439 This isn't a prayer for mere head facts. 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:53.920 It is a prayer that the gospel, God's redemptive plan for the nations that save these Christians in Colossae, would saturate them and penetrate their hearts and lead to godly living. 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:55.040 Now, here's the problem. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:06:06.079 Now, I've already alluded to this a few times, but the problem is someone, or a group of people rather, had been tempting the Christians in Colossi with some form of heresy. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:12.800 The author, Paul, does not give us the specifics of the false teaching, but there's hints sprinkled throughout this leather. 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:30.399 So what is clear is that whatever they were teaching, it was like some kind of esoteric mysticism of believe in Jesus, but also believe in like worshiping angels and keeping the law and all these other secret avenues by which you could have a more impressive intimacy with Christ. 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:42.639 Because if you pay attention when you read Colossians, you actually notice Paul uses this word fullness often, which makes many think maybe that's he's using that word fullness because that's what the false teachers were saying. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:50.800 You can have fullness in Christ by believing in Jesus and the gospel, but also by pursuing these other avenues to have a deeper relationship with God. 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:54.399 And Paul is saying, no, no, no, fullness is found in Christ. 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:56.800 Fullness is found in the gospel. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:06:58.240 I believe there is something there. 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:09.920 I believe Paul is strategically using that word, but my point is the problem is that the Colossian Christians were being tempted by these false teachers to add to Jesus in the gospel. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:14.800 And Paul is saying, friends, you have all that you need in Christ. 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:17.600 So I believe he's trying to help them. 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:26.319 Hey, this heresy that's infiltrating the church is promising some kind of secret, elite, spirit, uh, elite spiritual insight. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:34.399 And Paul's response isn't to, well, let me compete with that by offering some new knowledge or some new version of Christianity. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:40.720 He prays that they would properly use what they already have in Christ Jesus. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:46.079 So Paul isn't praying on their behalf when he says that they should be filled with the knowledge of his will. 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:50.079 He's not praying that they be filled with some new knowledge that they don't already possess. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:08:04.000 He's praying that the gospel they already have believed in and that has saved them would grip their hearts and remind them of the overflow of God's love they already have received past tense. 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:06.079 So let me just modernize this a little bit. 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:10.879 It's almost like when we as Christians, we have everything we need because we're united to Christ. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:16.160 We have the gospel, we have God's Spirit indwelling in us, but we feel like, but there's something missing in my faith. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:25.120 I need to go to like some Christian conference and get this like this high, or I need to go do this, or I have to have some experience because then I'll feel fulfilled. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:33.840 And it's like, well, then you're saying what Jesus did on the cross is not enough, because you're trying to add to what God has already supplied. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:37.600 So he prays that they would be filled with the knowledge of his will. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:41.120 It reminds me of his prayer on behalf of the Ephesian Christians. 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:42.159 It's very similar. 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:52.159 He it's almost like he's praying, God, would you just open the eyes of their hearts so that they grow in an experiential knowledge of what they already possess? 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:56.320 That is what Paul is seeking the Lord on their behalf for. 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:02.320 But he prays that they would grow in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:13.600 These two words appear together in the Old Testament in 1 Chronicles, as I just read, and when David prays for his son Solomon, wisdom typically is knowing how to live. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:21.120 So in biblical times, especially in a Hebrew context, wisdom and knowledge was not equated with facts in your head. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:26.960 It was skillful living, living in light of what you knew factually in your head. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:42.799 So he, Paul is praying that these Colossian Christians will grow in their wisdom, but also in their understanding, which is another way of saying their discernment and how to lead a life in which they apply in their daily life what they already know through God's word. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:47.039 So he wants them to grow in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:56.000 So Paul isn't asking God to give these Colossian Christians or us today something they don't already have. 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:01.840 He's asking God to help them properly use what is already theirs in Christ's. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:12.000 Now I know I'm repeating myself, but isn't this the Christian life, friends, where we're constantly having to remind ourselves of stuff we already know and believe because we're prone to wonder from the God we love? 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:17.679 Because we know we're justified by faith, but sometimes we still feel like I have to earn God's favor through my good deeds. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:23.200 Because we know that Jesus spilled his blood to purchase us, but we still wonder, does God love us? 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:30.399 We have to constantly, repetitiously remind us of what we already possess in Christ. 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:35.120 And when you look at verse 10, Paul makes a connection here. 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:42.639 He says, so that, whenever you see that phrase, that's an indicator to you that this is connecting something. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:58.799 He wants them to grow in wisdom and understanding and knowledge of his will and all spiritual, uh and all spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:04.720 God honoring knowledge that comes from Scripture has a destination. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:11.360 The purpose of being filled with wisdom is so that you walk worthy of the Lord and you bear fruit. 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:16.399 The purpose of being filled with wisdom is walking worthy of the Lord. 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:25.519 Theology, Bible intake is never meant to be purely an academic endeavor, ever for the Christian. 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:27.919 It is an ethical endeavor. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:30.720 The knowledge shapes the living. 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:38.000 What you know about God has to reach what you do on Monday morning, not just what you study and store in your mind. 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:43.440 This language of walking in a manner worthy, we're familiar with that language if you if you've been a Christian for a while. 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:48.720 Whenever the Bible talks about walking, it's referring to a lifestyle, a pattern of life. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:12:00.879 It's your habitual pattern, though everyone in this room is a flaw center struggling forward, but the normative pattern is striving to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel. 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:08.159 Not a one-time decision that you made many moons ago, but an ongoing lifestyle. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:13.120 Now, let me be careful because I know many of us come from different church backgrounds, religious backgrounds. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:37.200 When Paul uses this language of walking in a manner worthy, that worthy does not refer to owning or rather earning God's love by showing or proving your worth, as if there's this exchange of look at all the deeds I'm doing, God, look at the boxes I've checked, look at all the sins I've abstained from, the temptation I fight, my church attendance, how often I read my Bible, am I worthy? 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:38.879 And then Jesus says, you know what? 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:40.159 Yes, good resume. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:41.679 You are worthy of my love. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:43.039 No, no, no, no, no. 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:48.480 Walking in a manner worthy means you already have God's love set on you. 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:52.639 You already have been judicially declared justified in the courtroom of heaven. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:57.039 God has chosen to forever think of you as forgiven and as a child. 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:01.440 Therefore, live your life in light of who you are. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:07.919 If you truly are a justified adopted child of God, then live as if you are that. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:13.039 It reminds me of growing up when, unfortunately, I was a problem in the public school system. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:14.240 I was the class clown. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:16.399 I got in trouble as early as I can remember. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.480 We can go all the way back to preschool. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:23.200 And often I would be disciplined and get in trouble, both in school and at home. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:29.279 And my mom sometimes would remind me when you step out of this house and you go to school, you represent me. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:31.519 That's kind of like our sanctification. 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:33.679 Like live what you already are. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:35.679 Live out who you are in Christ. 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:40.720 Represent your heavenly Father in a manner worthy of his name. 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:49.440 And all of us who are in Christ should be bearing fruit in every good work, as Paul goes on to pray on their behalf. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:52.879 This is the output of the Christian life. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:59.360 Wisdom that does not bear fruit in the life of a Christian is no wisdom at all. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:00.960 Just receive that. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:16.159 If you claim to know God's word and you have the knowledge of what God calls you to in daily living, of what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, and yet that's not exemplified in your life, then you are lacking in wisdom. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:26.799 There is a disconnect because the wisdom should lead to a worthy walk that also bears fruit, which gives, remember, we went through the book of James, right? 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:33.039 Those who have faith, that faith is evidenced through our deeds, through our lives. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:40.960 But Paul also prays that they are increasing in the knowledge of God. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:43.039 Increasing. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.480 That is an ongoing pattern, Paul is praying. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:58.559 Paul is praying that these Colossian Christians, as they walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, bearing fruit in every good work, will have an ongoing, increasing knowledge of God. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:03.759 Notice it's like Paul gives us uh the sanctification loop process. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:21.279 Here's how it goes True God-honoring knowledge leads to godly living, which then leads to a deeper knowledge of God, which leads to obedience that deepens your intimacy with God, and walking with God teaches you more about God. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:33.200 It's like God created this like built-in cheat code to make sure that you're always growing in holiness and growing in your intimacy and love for the Father by following and obeying the Father. 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:44.559 Knowledge leads to godly living, living, which leads to a deeper knowledge of God, which leads to obedience that deepens intimacy with God, and walking with God teaches you more about God. 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:47.360 Isn't that helpful just to know? 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:53.360 It's like the more I walk with God, the more I learn about God and myself as a byproduct. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:57.360 Let me just give some some thoughts here to apply this. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:05.840 We, you can have a lot of Bible knowledge and still be spiritually stagnant as a Christian. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:13.279 You can know a whole lot of Bible, you can memorize passages of scripture, you can wax eloquent topics of theology. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:23.600 I have known people like this who can defend the faith, who can quote the Puritans and all these things, and yet are spiritually stagnant in their Christian walk. 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:38.000 The goal of every church gathering, the goal of every sermon, the goal of why we do everything as a local church isn't to, for me to stand up here and look at all of you as brains on the stick and I just need to transfer information into your heads. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:41.360 No, the goal is transformation. 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:44.799 The goal is transformation. 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:51.360 We are trying to reach the head, the heart, and the hands through the transforming power of God's word. 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:54.080 It is God's word that creates God's people. 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:59.679 God's word is always meant to transform those it encounters. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:09.519 So let me ask you something, if we're going to be honest this morning, is your knowledge of the gospel, is your knowledge of God and his word actually changing you? 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:13.279 Or is it just content you're becoming more and more familiar with? 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:16.559 Because those are, friends, two different things. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:26.400 There are people who sit in churches for decades and they know a lot of Bible, a lot of Bible, a lot of theology, and none of it is really changing them all that much. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:29.200 I'm not saying those people are not Christians. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:31.759 I'm just saying something is off. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:34.559 There is a clear disconnect. 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:40.880 If you've been in church for a while, you can fall prey to knowing the lingo, speaking Christianese. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.759 But is what you know about God showing up in your life? 00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:53.599 Is what you give verbal assent to, what you say you agree with when you study the Bible, is it showing up in how you love your spouse? 00:17:54.079 --> 00:18:13.359 And when you're faced with temptation and no one is around you and the decisions you make in those moments, and how you confess sin, how you pursue reconciliation, how you steward your finances, how you love other people, how you share the gospel, or whether you share the gospel at all, is God's word actually shaping your life? 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:20.480 If not, then some self-examination respectfully, lovingly, is in order. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:25.359 That's like if I told you guys I'm I play for the Los Angeles Lakers. 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:26.480 I'm the start. 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:27.839 Why you laugh so quickly? 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:29.519 What my goodness. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:32.480 I do got a little bit of game. 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:41.599 If I'm running around saying I play for the Los Angeles Lakers, and yet y'all go on the website and look on the roster, and you're like, Cam, you ain't on the roster. 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:43.920 I ain't seen you dress up for a game. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.240 I haven't seen you record a single stat. 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:48.000 That would make sense. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.519 Yes, because there is no evidence of what I am professing. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:54.400 The same goes for those who profess to be children of God. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.359 I'm a child of God, and yet you look like a son of Satan. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.039 There it had there can't be that disconnect. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:05.519 Those who know God's word are transformed by his word. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:11.759 Here's a good diagnostic question for all of us looking at Paul's prayer. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:15.039 Paul's prayer forces on every one of us this. 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:17.440 Where is your theology landing? 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:22.160 Is it landing primarily in your head or is it landing in your life? 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:29.200 And if you recognize through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, there are areas where I feel like it's just stopping in my head, Lord. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:30.559 Praise be to God. 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:39.440 I think that's a gift of God's kindness to us to reveal to us areas where maybe we are succumbing to sin and temptation or where we're weak and immature and need to grow. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:46.079 That is a gift of his grace to say, son, daughter, I want you to enjoy more of me in this area of your life. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:50.319 So then we just agree with the Lord and say, Lord, help me in this area. 00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:57.279 Help me to connect the dots from what I believe in my head to sink into my heart and shape how I live. 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:03.839 But Paul doesn't stop at calling you and I to walk worthy of the Lord and his gospel. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:10.079 He immediately prays on behalf of the Colossians for the power to do the very things he's praying for. 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:14.880 And what he asked for might surprise you if you look down at verse 11. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:34.480 Verse 11, he goes on, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has enabled you to share in the saints' inheritance in the light. 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.759 You see that so that phrase again, don't you, in verse 11? 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:44.880 Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:51.920 Praise be to God that one of the realities of your sanctification, Christian, is that God supplies what he requires. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:54.480 God will never command you to do anything. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:57.359 He doesn't supply the power for you to obey. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:00.799 God supplies what he requires. 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:10.160 When Paul prays for these saints to be strengthened with all power according to God's glorious might, he is not referring to their willpower. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:16.319 He is not praying, I hope y'all work as hard as you possibly can to be holy. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:25.119 He's not encouraging them to go buy a book on Amazon and implement next week some discipline habits. 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:36.559 This is divine resurrection level power at work in ordinary Christians in the ordinary, quote unquote, mundane aspects of their lives. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:40.240 Now, don't get me wrong, as Christians, we are called to work. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:48.079 So there is like this tension in a lot of Christian circles where most just seem to like be very confused about how sanctification works. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:57.119 So you got one camp that might, you know, be more in the legalistic of, well, it's all about you got to do, do, do, do all the right things, check the right boxes. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:21:58.559 And they're partially right. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.839 That's why these are always controversial. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.240 You. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:06.720 Then there's the other camp that's kind of like borderline antinomianism, if you're familiar with that phrase, where it's all grace. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:16.160 Your sanctification is just keep rehearsing the gospel to yourself and just meditate on what Jesus did for you on the cross, and that will change you into the image of Christ. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:17.920 And that's partially true. 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:22.720 But it's like this middle one that's the correct answer, which is no, no, no, no. 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:33.200 We meditate on what God's done for us in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and we work really hard to be holy, but not with our own power and strength to check boxes, but for various reasons. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:36.240 One being we're grateful for what God has done for us. 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:45.599 We realize in his word he's empowered us by his spirit to be a new creation who can now say no to sin and temptation and say yes to righteousness and to put off and put on. 00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:52.880 Therefore, I work towards my holiness, but I do so under the umbrella of God is the one supplying the power. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:58.960 Or let me illustrate like this in 1 Corinthians 15, 10, this is how every Christian should think of their sanctification. 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:00.240 This is how you should talk. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:11.599 Where Paul compares himself to the other apostles in their ministry and how fruitful it was, he says, But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:15.759 On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them. 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:19.759 Yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:21.599 That's how you should talk. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:26.079 That if that's helpful for you, go memorize that, and that's how you think of your sanctification. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:37.920 I want to work harder than any other Christian in my church at my personal holiness, but not in a prideful, arrogant, I want to be better than them since, but I'm working because I know God calls me to be holy as he is holy. 00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:44.559 But as I work hard, I realize it's not my own strength, but the grace of God that is with me. 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:47.440 That is a proper perspective. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:50.799 But Paul, he adds that so that phrase again. 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:56.559 He says, so that, and then he adds, for all endurance and patience. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:58.720 Here's the one that we wrestle with, isn't it? 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:00.160 For all endurance. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:11.440 So being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father. 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:16.720 How many of you would say, I have great endurance and patience by the grace of God? 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:18.720 If you're humble, you won't say it. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:19.839 It's okay. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:24.720 But that's Paul's prayer that they would have great endurance and patience. 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:26.960 But notice what the power is for. 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:35.279 He doesn't say he's praying that they have this great endurance and patience in the spectacular moments of their Christian life. 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:43.920 Meaning, you know, the big moments of, well, maybe I'll have to lay down my life for the faith and I'll have a great moment of endurance and patience then. 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:46.880 No, he's not talking about highlight real moments of our lives. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:54.880 He's talking about in your ordinary, week-to-week, month-to-month life, do you have faithful endurance and patience? 00:24:55.039 --> 00:25:03.359 He's talking about sustained faithfulness because the power of God makes ordinary endurance possible for the believer. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:07.839 This is expected of us as Christians to have endurance and patience. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:13.680 Now let me just add a disclaimer because all of us suffer, all of us are touched by the effects of the fall. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:17.279 All of us taste death, suffering, sin, you name it. 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:22.799 Faithful endurance and patience does not mean you walk through life with the biggest smile on your face. 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:26.160 It doesn't mean you act like things don't hurt, they do. 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:31.920 But there's a difference in God honoring joy and happiness. 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:33.759 Happiness is subjective. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:36.960 None of you has the capacity to flip a switch and make yourself happy. 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:37.839 It's an emotion. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:40.799 Emotions are not bad, but they're not always trustworthy. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:43.279 Joy in the Bible is very different. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:50.640 Joy is like this God-horing contentment where you recognize no matter what the Lord brings in my life, He is my sovereign King who controls all things. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:56.720 Therefore, if it's in my life, it's his will and he's forcing it to work out for my good and for his glory. 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:12.240 And so I entrust myself to a faithful creator, and that's where I find my joy, despite suffering a miscarriage, despite being laid off from my job, despite getting a cancer diagnosis, despite my spouse committing adultery, I can have joy because he is on the throne. 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:15.680 Joy and happiness are two different things. 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:27.200 And joy produces endurance and patience, because we also are reminded of the hope stored up for us in heaven, which we will receive in the final day. 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:34.720 But the surprise here is the power for patience that God supplies and that Paul prays for. 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:47.519 Now, if you're like me, when you read this, I you would expect, I would expect Paul to pray for like the power for the big stuff, for miracles, for boldness, for dramatic moments, but that's not what Paul prays for. 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:55.599 Paul prays for power to endure life with joy, which is countercultural, isn't it? 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:01.920 We live in a society where I'm gonna step on some toes, probably, but it's like almost everything's a mental illness. 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:04.640 It's like, oh, life hurts, so I have a mental illness. 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:12.000 Or, oh, that's or I go to try to find out how can I remove any suffering, any hardship in my life. 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:13.599 I just want it to be gone immediately. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:20.319 I'm not saying those are bad instincts, but when you look at the Bible, like suffering is just like commonplace. 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:21.519 It's just all over. 00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:25.359 Like, friends, our Christianity spread through suffering. 00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:29.440 The gospel went forth through the nations by way of persecution. 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:43.680 If you're reading an English Bible today, it came to you through the blood of martyrs who ran as fugitives from the Catholic Church to translate the Bible into English so average Jews like us can study God's word for ourselves. 00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:47.519 The Christian faith has known suffering since its inception. 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:49.200 That's not new. 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:59.440 But we have a countercultural faith that says, no, don't get me wrong, if you can remove suffering and pain from your life, please, by all means, do that. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:07.920 But we also recognize but whether the pain and the suffering leaves or not, that doesn't quantify whether or not I can have joy in the Lord or whether my God loves me. 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:13.680 And if I serve him, it just shapes the circumstances by which I serve my God and King. 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:23.920 So, friends, as a disciple of Christ, what Paul is trying to emphasize to these saints is that endurance, God honoring endurance and patience, is evidence of a transformed life. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:27.440 Anyone can look faithful in good seasons. 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:31.920 Anyone can look like a great holy Christian when things are going well. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:39.279 When you get the promotion, when you got the down payment to buy the new house, when you get the great parking spot at Costco around 12 p.m. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:41.039 when no one else does. 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.119 It's good when your spouse is loving you and your kids are obedient. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.799 It's good to look like a faithful Christian in those seasons. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:56.720 But Paul says, friends, you need endurance when life is hard, because that is when true faith is evidence. 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:03.279 Isn't this the example Jesus gave when he taught the parable of the farmer who sowed the seed on the soil? 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:20.720 And when it was on some soil, it kind of bore fruit for a little bit, but then the cares of the world, someone gets caught up in material possessions or they go through pain and suffering, and then they they walk away, showing that they never truly had God's seed implanted in their hearts in the first place. 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:25.359 So it's okay, it's easy to look faithful in the good seasons. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:33.119 It's the long obedience through hard seasons that reveals what you actually believe. 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:43.359 Or let me put it this way: a marathon runner, when the race first begins, they don't need a whole lot of like power and endurance at the start of the race because it's the start. 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:47.119 Adrenaline's kicking in, they're ready to go, they're ready to compete, right? 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:52.720 It's when they hit about mile 20, mile 22, and all of a sudden they need that second win, so to speak. 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:55.359 That's where training, not talent, shows up. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:57.839 And that is what Paul is praying for the church in Colossa. 00:29:58.160 --> 00:30:02.799 And that's what by application we also need to be praying for ourselves and for one another. 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:13.920 Lord, help me to be a marathon Christian, not someone who just starts out well or is is doing well in a good season, but I am faithful even when I spiritually hit mile 22. 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:17.440 And I feel like I'm my knees are weak, I'm gonna collapse to the ground. 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:23.359 I don't even know which way is up, and yet I'm still clinging on to Jesus who's dragging me forward. 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:34.559 Now, Paul arrives at the foundation of everything he has prayed for, and this is where the gospel lands with full weight in verses 12 through 14. 00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:41.200 Before Paul tells you how to walk, he reminds the Colossians and by way us as well. 00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:44.000 He reminds you where you stand. 00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:55.039 In verse 12 of Colossians 1, Paul continues, giving thanks to the Father who has enabled you to share in the saints' inheritance in the light. 00:30:55.359 --> 00:31:02.240 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:09.680 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. 00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:13.519 Here's why what Paul is saying here changes everything. 00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:27.759 Everything in verses 9 through 11, the pursuit of wisdom, the godly walk, the joyful endurance, is only sustainable when it's grounded in something greater than your willpower. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:35.759 If our sanctification, if our joy in the Lord, if our endurance was all based on our willpower, all of our faith would be shipwrecked. 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:38.720 We all are going to fail at some point. 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:46.000 It's only sustainable when it's grounded in something greater than your willpower. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:49.119 And this is where Paul lands the gospel at the end of this prayer. 00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:50.480 And I love how he does this. 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:58.880 Your motivation, friends, for pursuing holiness is not guilt-driven or duty-driven, primarily. 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:01.519 It's plenty of things. 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:05.200 Primarily, it could be gratitude for the fact that God saved my soul. 00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:06.640 I was an enemy of God. 00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:11.119 Under his just wrath and condemnation, I deserved his wrath for all eternity. 00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:16.000 And yet he poured it out on Christ so that I can be born again. 00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:19.839 Therefore, out of gratitude, I am motivated to joyfully obey the Lord. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:25.839 That is one reason we should be motivated to pursue walking in a manner worthy of the gospel. 00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:30.559 That is a past benefit that motivates us presently. 00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:42.559 But then we also have the promises of scripture that should motivate joyful obedience when we recognize God promised me that he will complete the work he's begun in me, that he is indwelling me and sanctifying me through the power of his spirit. 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:47.119 That then motivates me to cooperate with the Spirit of God for my own sanctification. 00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:50.480 I want to work with the Spirit of God, not against the Spirit of God. 00:32:50.640 --> 00:33:07.599 But then we also have future grace that motivates us to joyfully obey the Lord, knowing that God has promises for me laid up in heaven that are mine when he returns and brings me with him in a glorified state where I will live with him for all eternity. 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:11.519 As a matter of fact, John Piper wrote an excellent book called Future Grace. 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:19.200 The whole book is on that theme of all the future promises laid up in heaven for the Christian and how that should motivate us to joyfully obey the Lord today. 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:22.160 Don't buy it now because a revised version is coming out in September. 00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:23.519 So don't get it yet. 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:26.799 But it's an excellent book to encourage you in that. 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:29.599 So it's not guilt-driven obedience. 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:36.880 And if you're if your Christian walk is you obeying God out of guilt, then you need to study the gospel some more. 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:44.400 Because that's just gonna lead to spiritual depression, a spiritual roller coaster where you feel like, I gotta just keep making these exchanges. 00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:50.079 I'm guilty, so I gotta work on that guilt and I gotta, I gotta add up some deeds to then offer those to God, and then he loves me. 00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:56.559 No, friends, we obey because of past grace, present grace, and future grace. 00:33:57.200 --> 00:33:59.839 This is what Paul's pattern is in a lot of his letters. 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:10.079 He first starts out by reminding the Christians he's writing to what God has done, past tense, to then encourage them on how they should respond in godly living in the present. 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:16.480 You pursue holiness because you've been rescued, not in order to be rescued. 00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:18.159 Do you understand the difference? 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:24.800 We pursue holiness because we have been rescued, not in order to be rescued. 00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:31.840 But he also in verse 12, he uses this language of you have been qualified. 00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:34.239 You have been qualified. 00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:37.840 Before salvation, the implication is you were disqualified. 00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:39.119 Pretty simple, right? 00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:41.840 You were disqualified from the grace of God. 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:48.320 You stood before God not as a son or a daughter, but as a defendant, as a plaintiff. 00:34:49.039 --> 00:34:56.159 The Father has qualified you through the Son, not based on your performance, your knowledge, or your spirituality. 00:34:56.320 --> 00:35:01.119 God did not save anybody in this room if you're a Christian because he saw future potential in you. 00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:03.440 Okay, some people date like that. 00:35:03.840 --> 00:35:07.440 It's like this guy, this girl, they're not super holy, but there's potential. 00:35:07.519 --> 00:35:09.679 I think there's no, don't do that. 00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:11.840 That's not how God saved us. 00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:18.719 But God through Paul often uses this pattern. 00:35:18.800 --> 00:35:21.119 But he says, You have been qualified. 00:35:21.280 --> 00:35:26.719 The father has qualified you based entirely on the finished work of the Son. 00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:30.400 The same Father who was once, think about this reality, friends. 00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:36.320 If you're in Christ, the same God who was once your judge is now your father. 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:39.760 Those are very two distinct pictures, isn't it? 00:35:40.079 --> 00:35:45.119 The God who was once your judge by the blood of Jesus Christ is now your father. 00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:47.360 Sit on that for a moment. 00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:55.760 And because he is now your father instead of your judge, you now share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:58.800 I love how Paul just starts weaving gospel into stuff, man. 00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:10.559 You now share in the inheritance of the saints in light, eternal life, the new creation, the promises of God, the presence of God, all of it, it is now yours. 00:36:10.800 --> 00:36:20.639 Right now, if you're in Christ, as you sit in that pew and stare at me, all of these benefits are yours, not just for the future, but presently. 00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:23.440 Well, Cam, I don't really feel like that's true, though. 00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:26.079 Like you don't know the spiritual depression I wrestle with. 00:36:26.239 --> 00:36:27.760 I don't even know if God loves me. 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:28.880 I don't care. 00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:30.880 That's the beauty of the promises of God. 00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:34.079 They're not determined on whether you believe them or not. 00:36:34.239 --> 00:36:39.119 They're determined on what has God proclaimed to his children in his word. 00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:46.320 That's why Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.5 said that children of God will inherit the earth. 00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:51.840 Romans 8.17 says, if you're in Christ, you are a co-heir with Jesus. 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:54.079 I still don't fully grasp that one. 00:36:54.480 --> 00:37:06.800 We're co-heirs with Jesus, and yet we get caught up in, oh man, like life would be a lot better if I could just live in that neighborhood and buy that house, or if I can get that car, or if only I could get that job. 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:13.679 Not that those are inherently bad things, but we kind of attach ourselves to those things as if like they have more significance than they really are. 00:37:13.840 --> 00:37:16.559 But then we read our Bibles and it's like, wait a minute. 00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:30.000 So the Bible tells me that in Colossians, Jesus created all things, all things exist for him and are for him, and I'm a co-heir with him, which means all his stuff is my stuff. 00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:33.039 So why do I care about all this stupid material stuff? 00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:42.960 When literally when I drive home and I look at the mountains, I look at everything in created order, I could say, mine, because I'm a joint heir with Jesus Christ. 00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:47.280 Ephesians 1.11 makes the same, uses the same language. 00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:50.159 We have obtained an inheritance. 00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:52.400 You are an adopted child of God. 00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:56.159 When God sees you, he sees the righteousness of his son. 00:37:56.559 --> 00:38:00.239 You won't fully understand that on this side of heaven because we have indwelling sin. 00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:03.280 It just hinders us from fully appreciating what that means. 00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:04.960 But friends, it means what it means. 00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:10.320 When God looks at you, he sees the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:16.480 As if you lived a perfectly holy life, never sinning once, never having a sinful thought. 00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:19.679 That's how God sees you because of Jesus. 00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:22.960 But he says in verse 13, I love this, man. 00:38:23.039 --> 00:38:24.400 Uh, this is so good. 00:38:25.039 --> 00:38:28.559 You, friends, have been delivered and transferred. 00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:29.920 Let's just look at that real quick. 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:30.880 Verse 13. 00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:40.559 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the king into the kingdom of the Son. 00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:47.920 He loves in him we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. 00:38:48.559 --> 00:38:51.760 Now notice the language and the word pictures here. 00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:54.000 You know what a domain is. 00:38:54.320 --> 00:39:04.719 He says, You were once under the domain, the reign of sin, and Satan, captive to sin, captain to death. 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:06.079 And what happened? 00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:08.719 He transferred us. 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:13.440 This is this is kingdom conquest language, if you're paying attention. 00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:29.599 A conquering king transferring an entire population from one realm to another, which means God didn't negotiate your release, he conquered sin, death, and Satan and rescued you. 00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:31.519 Let me illustrate this. 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:52.480 Imagine you are living in your hometown, and an enemy invading country came in that has a tyrannical leader, an oppressive leader, an evil, wicked leader, and his army comes in to your hometown and takes you captive. 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:54.639