Sermons

Colossians: A Letter from Jail

Paul’s Example of Prayer

Colossians 1:9-12

This Fall we are going to be doing all we can do grow in experiencing community – especially in our home groups.  This means loving each other, serving each other, listening to each other, spending time with each other, speaking the truth to each other, advancing the mission with each other.  Those are all crucial to experiencing Christ-centered, missional community

But this week as I studied Colossians I saw another aspect of community; an aspect that might be more important, more significant than any other.  But it’s also an aspect of community that I think we are weak in.  To see what this aspect of community is, let’s turn together to Colossians 1.  If you need a Bible, please raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring one to you.  Colossians 1 is on page 983 in the Bibles we are passing out. 

Let me remind you of the background of this book.  In about the year AD 51, Paul was in Ephesus telling people about Jesus.  At the same time, Epaphras, who was from Colossae, traveled to Ephesus; and Epaphras ended up hearing Paul’s message of Jesus.

Epaphras heard that God, with great love and goodness and wisdom, had created the world – but that all of us have rebelled against God, and face God’s wrath and judgment.  But Epaphras also heard that in astonishing love and mercy God came to the earth in the person of Jesus, and that Jesus had died on the Cross, being punished for our sin.  And that if anyone repented of their sin and put their trust in Jesus, they would be completely forgiven, adopted into God’s family, be brought into heart-relationship with Jesus, and know God’s love and care for the rest of their lives.

And that’s exactly what Epaphras did – that’s what he experienced – and then he traveled back to his hometown of Colossae and told his family members and friends about Jesus.  As a result, many of them also repented of their sins and trusted Jesus, and a church was established. 

Four years later, Paul was in Rome, and he was put in jail for telling people about Jesus.  Epaphras came to visit him in Rome, and while he was there he told Paul about what God had done in Colossae.  So Paul wrote this letter to the followers of Jesus in Colossae.  He had never met them – but he wrote this letter to them to encourage them and strengthen them and help them.

And last week, in vv.3-8 Paul tells them about how he thanked God for their faith in Jesus, and for their love for all the saints.  And now in vv.9-12 Paul tells them how he prays for them --

⁹ And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,

¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

So here Paul talks about how he prays for them.  And as I studied these verses, I saw that a crucial part of Christ-centered, missional community is prayer – prayer for each other.  And this morning my longing is that God would this passage to bring us to a new level of prayer for each other.

Notice that Paul starts off, in v.9, telling them how he prays for them.  Let’s read that again –

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you…

Underline those words “have not ceased.”  From the time that Epaphras told Paul and Timothy about the Colossian believers, Paul and Timothy had not ceased praying for them.  That does not mean they prayed for them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  That means they prayed for them persistently.

So picture this.  Paul was in jail, probably in chains, and Timothy was probably in jail with him.  So picture them together on their knees, in chains, praying for the Colossians persistently – day after day, week after week, month after month.

Now let me ask you, honestly.  I don’t want a show of hands, but just think about this.  How many of you over the past week, have prayed for those in your home group persistently?  I would guess that many of us have not.  And yet Paul did.  So why?  Why did Paul pray for them persistently?  Paul must know something we don’t.

So I sat and pondered these verses to try to figure out why Paul prayed for others with a persistence that not many of us have.  And as I looked at these verses, I saw three reasons that Paul prayed for them.

Why Paul prays for them.

The first reason is because Paul knew that God has a breathtaking plan for them.  In vv.9-12 we read what Paul prays for them.  And when I studied this list, we see that Paul is asking God – do this, and this, and this for them.  So this list of prayers is a description of God’s plan for them – and it’s breathtaking.

Look at what Paul prays.  In v.9 Paul asks that their hearts would “be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”  Now this covers a lot of ground, but if your heart is filled then it’s secure and satisfied.  So I restated it this way: God’s plan is that their hearts would be filled (secure and satisfied) with the knowledge of God’s will. 

Imagine a brother in your home group who constantly feels insecure.  He’s insecure in leading his marriage; he’s fearful when disciplining his kids; he’s anxious when he’s given an assignment at work.

Now it might be easy for us to think – well, that’s just his personality.  But that’s not what Paul thought.  Paul understood that God wants this brother to be filled – secure and satisfied – with the knowledge of God’s will.  God’s plan is that this brother understands God’s passionate love for Him in Christ, that he understands God’s sovereign authority over everything, so that this brother’s heart is secure in the knowledge of God’s will.

The next aspect of God’s plan is found in v.10 --  

… so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.

So it is God’s plan that those in your home group have lives that are worthy of Jesus, pleasing Him. 

Maybe there’s a sister whose life is full of bitterness and gossip and anger – which is not worthy of Jesus, which displeases Jesus.  Now we might say – well, that’s because of how she was raised.  Maybe  But Paul understood that God’s plan is that she live a life worthy of Jesus, pleasing Him.

We can see the third aspect of God’s plan as we continue in v.10 --

…bearing fruit in every good work…

This word “bearing fruit” usually means helping people come to know Jesus or grow stronger in knowing Jesus.  So God’s plan is that all those in your home group bear fruit in every good work.

But maybe there’s a brother in your home group who doesn’t do good works – doesn’t talk encouragingly to people, doesn’t serve people at work, doesn’t meet his neighbors – and so as a result he doesn’t bear any fruit. 

Now it might be easy for us to think – that’s just him, that’s just the way he is.  But that’s not what Paul would have thought.  Paul understood that God’s plan for this brother is that he bear fruit in every good work.

Then the fourth aspect of God’s plan is at the end of v.10 --

…and increasing in the knowledge of God.

God’s plan is that we would not get complacent, not get stagnant; but that we would always be increasing in the knowledge of God; that our hearts would be increasingly captured with God’s love, and goodness, and glory, and majesty in Jesus Christ.

But maybe there’s a sister in your home group who just seems to be in a rut.  She is not learning more about God, she doesn’t seem to be very excited about Jesus.  This happens to all of us, doesn’t it.  And it would be easy for us to say – well, people are people.  People just don’t change. 

But that’s not what Paul would have said.  Paul understood that God’s plan for this sister is that she be constantly increasing in the knowledge of God – constantly increasing in joy and awe in worship of God the Father and Jesus the Son.

Then the last part of God’s plan that Paul states is in vv.11-12 –

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father…

So God’s plan is that we be strengthened for patient, joyful, and thankful endurance.  That whenever trials come, we are strong in trusting Jesus and His promises, and as a result we are patient, joyful, thankful, and enduring in every trial.

So what do we think when someone in our home group does what we all do from time to time – and responds to trials with impatience, joylessness, ingratitude?  It’s easy at that point to think – well everyone goes through this from time to time.  But what Paul understands is that God’s plan is that they be strengthened for patient, joyful, thankful endurance.

So Paul understands that God has a breathtaking plan for those in your home group.

But Paul also understands that God is able to accomplish His plan in them.  God has a breathtaking plan for you and everyone in your home group – and God is able to accomplish this plan in them.  Where do I get that?  I get it from the fact that Paul asks God to accomplish His plan in them. 

Why would Paul ask God to fill them with the knowledge of His will?  It’s because God is able to fill them with the knowledge of His will.

Why would Paul ask God to cause them to live lives that are worthy of Jesus?  It’s because God is able to cause them to live lives that are worthy of Jesus.

Why would Paul ask God to cause them to bear fruit in every good work?  It’s because God is able to cause them to bear fruit in every good work.

Why would Paul ask God to cause them to increase in the knowledge of God?  It’s because God is able to cause them to increase in the knowledge of God.

Why would Paul ask God to strengthen them for patient, joyful, and thankful endurance?  It’s because God is able to strengthen them so they have patient, joyful, and thankful endurance.

But now what if someone doesn’t want this?  Does that stop God?  No.  God loves us too much for that.  In great love and mercy God is able to subdue our sinfulness, overcome our rebellious wills, and cause us to will His will – all in such a way that we do not become robots or automatons.  God is able to reach down from heaven and change me so I want His will. 

Now don’t draw wrong conclusions from this.  This does not mean I am supposed to wait for God to change me.  Jesus never says “wait for God to give you faith,” or “wait for God to make you want to pray.”  No.  What Jesus says is “have faith,” and “pray.”  And so what we are supposed to do is – choose to have faith, and choose to pray.  But when we have done those things, we also understand that it was ultimately because God changed our hearts and made us willing to do them.

So think about those in your home group.  Understand that God has a breathtaking plan for them, and understand that God is able to accomplish His plan in them.  But there is one more reason that clinches the case for why we should pray for others – and that is to understand that God accomplishes His plan in answer to prayer. 

Where do I get this?  It’s from vv.9-12.  It’s from the fact that Paul comes before God and asks – “Father, fill them with the knowledge of your will.”  Now why would Paul take time to ask God to do this?  It must be because Paul understands that God accomplishes His plan in answer to prayer.

Paul understands that God has chosen to work in response to prayer.  So, if Paul longs for God fill the Colossians with the knowledge of His will, then Paul knows that he should pray that God will fill them with the knowledge of His will.  And Paul knows that as he prays this, God will fill the Colossians with the knowledge of His will.  And – Paul knows that if he does not pray this, then God might not.

So let’s say that you know a brother who is struggling with prayer.  He’s not motivated to pray.  So how should you respond to this?

You should think about these three reasons.  First, that God has a breathtaking plan for him – and part of that plan is that he be devoted to prayer.  Second, that God is able to accomplish this plan in him.  God loves him too much to leave him to himself.  God can sovereignly change his heart, change his will, so that he loves to pray, and delights in prayer.  And third, that God accomplishes His plan in answer to prayer.

Now if you believe that God has a breathtaking plan for him, that God is able to accomplish this plan in him, and that God accomplishes His plan in answer to prayer -- what will you do?  You will pray for him.  You will pray for him persistently.

So you pray – persistently – crying out to God to change his heart, to incline his will to the prayer, to give him delight in prayer.  And what will God do?  God will reach down from heaven, and change his heart, incline his heart to prayer, and give him pleasure in seeking and meeting God in prayer.

That’s why Paul prayed for others.  That’s why he prayed persistently for others.  It’s because he understood that God has a breathtaking plan for them, that God is able to accomplish this plan in them, and that God accomplishes His plan in answer to prayer.

So if we don’t pray – then it’s because we don’t understand, or don’t believe, one of these truths that Paul understood and believed. 

So which of these truths do you find hardest to believe?

Picture a reservoir of God’s breathtaking plan, with a pipeline coming down over someone in your home group.  There’s a faucet at the end of this pipe, called “prayer.”  As you pray, you open the faucet, and some of God’s breathtaking plan comes down to this person.

Conclusion

For a while Jan and I have been talking about praying through our home group notebook for our home group people after dinner.  So Monday night Jan suggested that we do that.  So we pulled out our trusty home group notebooks – and spent maybe 20 minutes praying for our home group people.  It was pure joy.

I want to call you to regular, persistent prayer for those in your home group.   Think of what would happen if each person in our home groups had these five requests persistently prayed for them.

Prayer is a wonderful and sobering privilege, because through prayer we can bring astonishing good to our brothers and sisters.

Here’s what I want us to do. 

I want us to take time right now and pray for someone we know – pray one of these five requests for him or her.

I want us to come forward during this last song as a way of recommitting yourself to persistent prayer for those in your home group.