WEBVTT 00:00:04.830 --> 00:00:07.910 Many thanks to our worship team, our music team, 00:00:07.990 --> 00:00:12.250 for leading us so well this morning as we have 00:00:12.250 --> 00:00:15.970 lifted the name of the Lord. I invite you to 00:00:15.970 --> 00:00:18.510 open your Bible with me to Colossians and the 00:00:18.510 --> 00:00:22.070 first chapter as we continue our study of this 00:00:22.070 --> 00:00:25.050 New Testament book, Colossians chapter 1, verses 00:00:25.050 --> 00:00:35.920 9 through 10. I remember as a young man meeting 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:39.020 a missionary from Japan whose name was George. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:44.280 I was an intern on a church staff at the same 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:46.979 time that George and his family were home from 00:00:46.979 --> 00:00:53.740 their work in Japan on furlough. One of the things 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:56.899 that impressed me about George was the way that 00:00:56.899 --> 00:01:01.179 he prayed. There were several of us who gathered 00:01:01.179 --> 00:01:06.569 several times a week for prayer. And I remember 00:01:06.569 --> 00:01:10.250 keenly till this day, thirty -some years later, 00:01:13.290 --> 00:01:17.150 how intensely and how fervently he prayed and 00:01:17.150 --> 00:01:21.409 how he longed to know the person of the Lord 00:01:21.409 --> 00:01:28.010 Jesus Christ. You can tell a lot about a person 00:01:28.010 --> 00:01:33.810 by the way that he prays. Prayer is a window 00:01:33.810 --> 00:01:38.799 to the soul. In a unique way, prayer shows the 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:43.379 content of the heart. That doesn't mean that 00:01:43.379 --> 00:01:46.180 the one who prays with the most flowery language 00:01:46.180 --> 00:01:50.980 or for the longest span is necessarily the most 00:01:50.980 --> 00:01:55.659 spiritual. I suppose we've all heard people pray 00:01:55.659 --> 00:02:01.239 with some oratorical fanfare and wondered in 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:04.180 the end just who it was they were trying to impress. 00:02:06.060 --> 00:02:10.020 But how a person addresses God and what he asks 00:02:10.020 --> 00:02:15.120 for reflects something of his experience with 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.639 God. For the better we know God, the better we 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:24.840 will pray. Maybe it's for that reason that prayer 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:29.539 is intimidating to some people. For there are 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:32.879 some who are afraid ever to pray in front of 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:36.979 others. lest they be judged for their words, 00:02:36.979 --> 00:02:41.180 I suppose. And I certainly have no desire to 00:02:41.180 --> 00:02:44.159 contribute to this prayer phobia that some suffer 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:51.479 from. I remember on one occasion when a strong, 00:02:51.819 --> 00:02:57.259 strapping, mature man was asked to pray in a 00:02:57.259 --> 00:03:01.449 service. He was a leader in the church. And when 00:03:01.449 --> 00:03:04.150 he was asked to pray, his face turned white. 00:03:05.610 --> 00:03:07.490 I thought his eyes were going to roll back in 00:03:07.490 --> 00:03:14.409 his head. And he absolutely froze. He was afraid 00:03:14.409 --> 00:03:18.710 to pray in public. And I understand that we've 00:03:18.710 --> 00:03:22.669 all been there some time or another. But after 00:03:22.669 --> 00:03:25.650 all, isn't prayer really intended for God's ears 00:03:25.650 --> 00:03:32.750 and God's evaluation and not people? And yet, 00:03:33.009 --> 00:03:37.650 it is also true that our personal spiritual understanding 00:03:37.650 --> 00:03:43.050 is inevitably exposed when we pray. The Apostle 00:03:43.050 --> 00:03:46.569 Paul knew that, and he was willing to openly 00:03:46.569 --> 00:03:50.909 share his heart to tell us about his prayer life. 00:03:52.090 --> 00:03:54.569 We read something more of it in our text for 00:03:54.569 --> 00:03:59.020 today in Colossians 1. where he says, for this 00:03:59.020 --> 00:04:03.379 reason also, since the day we heard it, we have 00:04:03.379 --> 00:04:07.500 not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you 00:04:07.500 --> 00:04:09.939 may be filled with the knowledge of his will 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:15.060 in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so 00:04:15.060 --> 00:04:18.399 that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:22.740 to please him in all respects, bearing fruit 00:04:22.740 --> 00:04:27.000 in every good work and increasing in the knowledge 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:32.920 of God. The Apostle Paul shares his heart in 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:37.920 prayer in these verses. First he begins with 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:41.519 thanksgiving. We looked at that last week. Now 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:47.560 he continues with his petitions. Prayer, in its 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:52.519 essence, is directing our desires or our wishes 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:56.379 toward God. When the Apostle says we have not 00:04:56.379 --> 00:05:01.160 ceased to pray for you." That's the word he uses. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:05.279 It means to lift your heart to God and to give 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:12.339 to God the petitions that are heavy there. Prayer 00:05:12.339 --> 00:05:17.180 is also the asking, and he uses that word. We 00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:23.600 ask, he says, God. Prayer is the asking of a 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:31.079 superior by an inferior for what he needs. And 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:34.000 so we learn something very quickly about prayer 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:38.120 as Paul shares his heart. First we recognize 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:41.560 that God and only God is the source of the blessing 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:46.720 that we need. And that this God who is holy and 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:48.759 mighty and great that we have worshiped this 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:53.569 morning is a God who hears us. and who desires 00:05:53.569 --> 00:05:58.810 deeply to answer our prayers. We also learn that 00:05:58.810 --> 00:06:04.350 God is greater than we, that we are subordinate 00:06:04.350 --> 00:06:10.610 and He is sovereign. And so however God answers 00:06:10.610 --> 00:06:17.009 and when God answers is left to Him. Paul joins 00:06:17.009 --> 00:06:22.870 with his prayer team to petition God. He says, 00:06:23.069 --> 00:06:25.550 we've not ceased to pray for you. In other words, 00:06:25.730 --> 00:06:28.230 their prayer was an intercessory prayer. It was 00:06:28.230 --> 00:06:31.670 on behalf of others. That is the most unselfish 00:06:31.670 --> 00:06:35.350 kind of prayer there is. It is one thing to pray 00:06:35.350 --> 00:06:38.069 for ourselves and for those directly related 00:06:38.069 --> 00:06:41.089 to us, but it's another thing to pray for others 00:06:41.089 --> 00:06:44.430 that you've never met. And that was the case 00:06:44.430 --> 00:06:48.430 with Paul. And notice the intensity of it. He 00:06:48.430 --> 00:06:53.079 says, we've not ceased to pray for you. And he 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:55.620 says this in such a way that he shows his own 00:06:55.620 --> 00:06:58.720 involvement in it and his own passion for them 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:05.079 as he prays. We as a church pray for one another 00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:07.439 and we pray for others that we've never met. 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:10.560 May it be with the same sort of passion and intensity 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:13.860 that Paul exhibits here on behalf of the Colossians. 00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:19.360 Now notice what he asked for. He says, here is 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:24.350 what I'm praying for you. First, he asked for 00:07:24.350 --> 00:07:28.610 enlightenment of their hearts, in verse 9, and 00:07:28.610 --> 00:07:35.110 then for the enrichment of their lifestyle. Let's 00:07:35.110 --> 00:07:37.310 think first about the enlightenment of their 00:07:37.310 --> 00:07:40.790 hearts. They had already understood the grace 00:07:40.790 --> 00:07:45.389 of God, according to verse 6. That is, they had 00:07:45.389 --> 00:07:48.430 come to personally experience God's grace in 00:07:48.430 --> 00:07:53.050 the gospel. They had come to understand that 00:07:53.050 --> 00:07:55.810 salvation is a gift from God, it's not something 00:07:55.810 --> 00:07:59.310 we earn or work for, that God freely gives it 00:07:59.310 --> 00:08:02.910 to us, that it is an act of grace and favor on 00:08:02.910 --> 00:08:08.949 his part. Now having understood the grace of 00:08:08.949 --> 00:08:12.230 God, Paul goes on to pray that they might also 00:08:12.230 --> 00:08:16.430 know the will of God. He uses the same word, 00:08:16.629 --> 00:08:19.129 understood and know are exactly the same word. 00:08:21.389 --> 00:08:25.250 He says, I want you to have knowledge of God's 00:08:25.250 --> 00:08:31.089 will. In other words, he wants them to have a 00:08:31.089 --> 00:08:36.730 full, comprehensive, personal, intimate acquaintance 00:08:36.730 --> 00:08:41.610 with God's will for their lives. I was surprised 00:08:41.610 --> 00:08:44.830 to realize that every letter Paul wrote while 00:08:44.830 --> 00:08:48.389 he was in prison in Rome, this first time, included 00:08:48.389 --> 00:08:52.879 a prayer something like this. Go back with me 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:58.779 to Ephesians chapter 1 for a moment. This was 00:08:58.779 --> 00:09:01.759 heavy on Paul's heart as he nears the end of 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:04.019 his ministry and really does not know as he writes 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:06.779 these words whether his ministry will continue. 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:11.879 This may be his last correspondence with these 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:16.039 churches and he prays in Ephesians chapter 1 00:09:18.090 --> 00:09:20.990 Again, notice in verse 16, he doesn't cease to 00:09:20.990 --> 00:09:23.750 pray for them, making mention of them in prayer. 00:09:24.570 --> 00:09:27.730 Verse 17, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:09:27.889 --> 00:09:31.649 the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit 00:09:31.649 --> 00:09:35.990 of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of 00:09:35.990 --> 00:09:42.129 him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be 00:09:42.129 --> 00:09:47.860 enlightened. Turn over a few more pages to Philippians 00:09:47.860 --> 00:09:52.960 chapter 1. For Paul wrote this letter to the 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:55.080 church in Philippi while he was in prison as 00:09:55.080 --> 00:10:00.179 well. And look at verse 9. And this, I pray, 00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:05.460 that your love may abound still more and more 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:12.080 in real knowledge and all discernment. so that 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:14.799 you may approve the things that are excellent." 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:18.059 Paul prays that they might come to have their 00:10:18.059 --> 00:10:26.779 minds enlightened about God. And then turn the 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:28.899 other direction from Colossians to the little 00:10:28.899 --> 00:10:32.299 book of Philemon, a personal letter written by 00:10:32.299 --> 00:10:37.320 Paul to a friend of his over a certain issue. 00:10:38.019 --> 00:10:42.080 But notice how he addresses Philemon in verse 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:46.259 6. He says, and I pray that the fellowship of 00:10:46.259 --> 00:10:50.179 your faith may become effective through the knowledge 00:10:50.179 --> 00:10:56.220 of every good thing which is in you for Christ's 00:10:56.220 --> 00:11:01.960 sake. And so Paul prays frequently at this mature 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:05.960 point in his life that the saints of God may 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:09.039 be enlightened with regard to something. Now 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:15.019 we need this. Because so easily our minds become 00:11:15.019 --> 00:11:19.879 clouded and confused. And the evil one is always 00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:24.500 at work seeking to confuse us. He is always seeking 00:11:24.500 --> 00:11:27.820 to darken our minds so that we don't understand 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:33.649 God. And so Paul prays that we may be enlightened. 00:11:34.830 --> 00:11:37.250 Now in Colossians he specifically prays that 00:11:37.250 --> 00:11:41.090 they may be filled with the knowledge of God's 00:11:41.090 --> 00:11:48.590 will. What does he mean by God's will? It's a 00:11:48.590 --> 00:11:54.450 comprehensive term, the will of God. Let me say 00:11:54.450 --> 00:11:57.490 briefly that when we speak of the will of God 00:11:57.490 --> 00:12:03.000 it means what God does of his own good pleasure. 00:12:06.139 --> 00:12:10.779 It is what God purposes to do. That is his will. 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:15.000 And in conjunction with that, God's will embraces 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:20.860 what we should do in carrying out his pleasure 00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:25.519 or his divine purpose. And so when Paul prays 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:28.159 that they may understand and be enlightened in 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:31.889 their hearts, about God's will. He's praying, 00:12:31.950 --> 00:12:35.409 I pray that you understand what God is doing 00:12:35.409 --> 00:12:42.289 in the world and what your part in that is. What 00:12:42.289 --> 00:12:46.370 an amazing thing to pray. Have you prayed that 00:12:46.370 --> 00:12:51.590 for yourself? For this church? For your student 00:12:51.590 --> 00:12:57.190 body? For that Bible study group you're in? Paul 00:12:57.190 --> 00:12:59.740 tells us here how to pray for one another. He 00:12:59.740 --> 00:13:05.340 says, pray that you may be enlightened, that 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:08.159 you may understand, that you may have knowledge 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:12.179 of God's will, what He's doing in the world, 00:13:12.539 --> 00:13:17.539 and where you plug in to what God is doing. To 00:13:17.539 --> 00:13:21.700 me, that's a very exciting way to pray. He asked 00:13:21.700 --> 00:13:26.879 God that they might be filled with this knowledge. 00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:31.720 Notice that? He doesn't ask that they might get 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:35.559 a little dose of it. He says, I pray that you'll 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:38.039 be filled with it. Now the word filled is a significant 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:41.720 word. It is in Colossians in particular as well 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:44.360 as in the New Testament. There are times when 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:48.120 the word fill that's used here means the filling 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:52.799 of a net with fish or the filling of a house 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:58.320 with the fragrance of perfume. Most of us are 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:00.840 familiar with this word in relation to the Holy 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:05.200 Spirit in Ephesians 5, 18, and be filled with 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.159 the Holy Spirit. In that context the same word 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:14.580 means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, to 00:14:14.580 --> 00:14:18.899 be empowered by the Holy Spirit. It's the picture 00:14:18.899 --> 00:14:22.960 of a sail on a boat that blows out with the wind 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:26.220 and as the wind If it fills the sail, the boat 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:30.500 is empowered to move along the lake. Be filled 00:14:30.500 --> 00:14:35.440 with the Holy Spirit, he says. And then the word 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.679 filled is sometimes used in the sense of being 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:43.679 completed or finished or filled up or brought 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:47.539 to the end of something. It is used this way, 00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:51.360 for example, in Matthew chapter 1 verse 22, Matthew 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:56.649 2 verse 15. of Old Testament prophecies being 00:14:56.649 --> 00:15:02.309 filled out to completion in New Testament events 00:15:02.309 --> 00:15:07.389 surrounding Jesus Christ. Now how does Paul mean 00:15:07.389 --> 00:15:10.269 this in Colossians 1, that you may be filled 00:15:10.269 --> 00:15:15.429 with the knowledge of God? Well, undoubtedly 00:15:15.429 --> 00:15:19.750 he means that they may be filled out to completion 00:15:19.750 --> 00:15:23.190 with the knowledge of God. But I don't think 00:15:23.190 --> 00:15:27.570 we can lose sight of the idea of being controlled 00:15:27.570 --> 00:15:30.789 by the will of God, empowered by this knowledge 00:15:30.789 --> 00:15:36.049 of God's will. So if we put that together, I 00:15:36.049 --> 00:15:38.070 believe that what Paul is praying is that these 00:15:38.070 --> 00:15:47.909 people and we may be so filled to completion 00:15:47.909 --> 00:15:53.409 with a deep personal knowledge of God's will, 00:15:53.509 --> 00:15:57.210 what He's doing in the world, and how we plug 00:15:57.210 --> 00:16:03.330 in, that we will be motivated to serve Him. That's 00:16:03.330 --> 00:16:06.690 what He's praying for. Now, how is this going 00:16:06.690 --> 00:16:10.250 to take place? Well, Paul says in the context 00:16:10.250 --> 00:16:14.460 of spiritual wisdom and understanding, You see, 00:16:14.460 --> 00:16:17.279 we don't discover what God is doing in the world 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:20.659 and what our place in it is by reading the newspaper, 00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:26.000 or by watching cartoons on television, or game 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:31.019 shows, or going to movies. I'm not saying those 00:16:31.019 --> 00:16:34.240 things are necessarily bad. They may have a place 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.980 in one's life, but I'm saying that we don't come 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:39.500 to this kind of understanding by entertainment 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:44.080 and amusement. We don't come to this kind of 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:47.919 understanding by being passive in our Christian 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:50.820 lives. We come to this kind of understanding 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:59.600 by spiritual wisdom and understanding. Paul is 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:02.059 suggesting here that he wants them to be so connected 00:17:02.059 --> 00:17:05.660 with God in a vital way that they will possess 00:17:05.660 --> 00:17:08.680 spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. 00:17:11.049 --> 00:17:13.410 And he's saying is, I pray that you may have 00:17:13.410 --> 00:17:22.450 a grasp on what you ought to be, what God wants 00:17:22.450 --> 00:17:24.789 you to be, and then how to go about becoming 00:17:24.789 --> 00:17:30.089 that, spiritual wisdom and understanding. And 00:17:30.089 --> 00:17:32.890 we gain spiritual wisdom and understanding by 00:17:32.890 --> 00:17:36.410 the work of the Spirit of God, working through 00:17:36.410 --> 00:17:43.180 the Word of God in our spirit. That doesn't happen 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:47.380 playing Nintendo. It doesn't happen on the golf 00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:50.319 course, although a lot of people talk about God 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:58.299 out on the golf course. This kind of spiritual 00:17:58.299 --> 00:18:03.759 insight is grasped only as we spend time with 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:09.960 God himself in this book. And then he begins 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:14.759 to show us in the inner person, what he's about 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:19.559 in the world, what he's doing. And he lays upon 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:24.380 our heart how we fit into that picture. Oh, that 00:18:24.380 --> 00:18:28.039 we too may be filled with this knowledge of God. 00:18:31.259 --> 00:18:34.079 Now, Paul doesn't ask this so that they might 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:39.589 get a big head. He has a very practical purpose 00:18:39.589 --> 00:18:42.569 in asking for this first request, it ties right 00:18:42.569 --> 00:18:48.069 into the second request. That they might be also 00:18:48.069 --> 00:18:53.390 behaving in such a way that the Lord is honored. 00:18:54.650 --> 00:18:57.430 He puts it this way, so that you may walk in 00:18:57.430 --> 00:19:03.789 a manner worthy of the Lord. He prays that their 00:19:03.789 --> 00:19:06.609 experience with God and the Word will be so real 00:19:06.609 --> 00:19:09.789 and so vital that it will produce an understanding 00:19:09.789 --> 00:19:11.829 of what God is doing in the world and how they 00:19:11.829 --> 00:19:15.970 fit into it. And as a result of gaining that 00:19:15.970 --> 00:19:20.970 insight, they will then begin living in a way 00:19:20.970 --> 00:19:25.710 that honors Jesus Christ. And so we move to the 00:19:25.710 --> 00:19:28.809 second of his requests, the enrichment of their 00:19:28.809 --> 00:19:35.480 lifestyle. The purpose of knowing the will of 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:40.140 God is that we might bring about change in the 00:19:40.140 --> 00:19:44.460 way that we live. When Paul uses the word walk, 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:48.640 it's a word that means to walk about. And the 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.660 Greeks used it as the outward expression of a 00:19:51.660 --> 00:19:55.740 person's life, his inner life. And so his walk 00:19:55.740 --> 00:20:00.400 was his behavior, his conduct. The King James 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:03.970 puts it, his conversation. but it's the outward 00:20:03.970 --> 00:20:09.789 expression of what one is on the inside. And 00:20:09.789 --> 00:20:12.549 so he prays that their walk, this expression, 00:20:14.049 --> 00:20:17.890 may change, may be transformed and enriched by 00:20:17.890 --> 00:20:21.009 the power of God. He prays that there may be 00:20:21.009 --> 00:20:24.829 an improvement of attitudes and actions that 00:20:24.829 --> 00:20:29.329 will signal a vital relationship to God in them. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:34.380 Now, Paul prays for this in a number of places 00:20:34.380 --> 00:20:38.099 in the New Testament. He writes about it. For 00:20:38.099 --> 00:20:41.519 example, in the book of Titus, he writes to a 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:44.740 specific group in the church, slaves, who had 00:20:44.740 --> 00:20:49.740 been converted. And he says, serve your masters 00:20:49.740 --> 00:20:57.119 in this particular way. Because if you do, you 00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.740 will be so different. others will notice, and 00:20:59.740 --> 00:21:07.599 it will adorn the doctrine of God. The word adorn 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:13.059 is where we get our word for cosmetics. Now Paul 00:21:13.059 --> 00:21:16.059 isn't thinking superficially, but what he's thinking 00:21:16.059 --> 00:21:20.619 about is making something attractive. That's 00:21:20.619 --> 00:21:24.160 the purpose of cosmetics, isn't it? It usually 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:29.640 works. He says, I pray that your lifestyle will 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:34.200 make the doctrine of God attractive to others. 00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:39.880 It is sad, isn't it, when the lifestyle of Christians 00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:45.660 turns others off instead? They get repulsed of 00:21:45.660 --> 00:21:51.859 Christianity and of God. Rather, let our lifestyle 00:21:52.119 --> 00:21:55.339 be so enriched by God that as Paul says here, 00:21:55.400 --> 00:22:02.859 we will walk worthy of the Lord. Spiritual knowledge 00:22:02.859 --> 00:22:08.920 can be dangerous. A little of it is dangerous. 00:22:11.180 --> 00:22:13.500 Some people when they get a little bit of spiritual 00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:16.559 knowledge or they get an insight into this or 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:19.920 that, or they latch on to a particular doctrine, 00:22:20.329 --> 00:22:23.849 And they just sort of camp on it. And it almost 00:22:23.849 --> 00:22:29.369 becomes divisive. People turn away from them 00:22:29.369 --> 00:22:32.109 because all they can do is talk about that little 00:22:32.109 --> 00:22:35.809 bit of knowledge they have. Spiritual knowledge 00:22:35.809 --> 00:22:37.849 can be a dangerous thing. It can be divisive 00:22:37.849 --> 00:22:40.690 in a church. It can be destructive in one's life. 00:22:41.269 --> 00:22:46.509 As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8 .1, knowledge 00:22:46.509 --> 00:22:55.079 puffs up. Love builds up. Spiritual knowledge 00:22:55.079 --> 00:22:57.079 can be dangerous because it can lead us to have 00:22:57.079 --> 00:23:02.740 a big head. It can puff us up. Paul doesn't want 00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:04.660 that. He's not praying that they may have this 00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:07.279 insight, this magnificent insight into the will 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:10.839 of God so that they will be puffed up, but so 00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:14.240 they will live out the life of Jesus Christ. 00:23:17.070 --> 00:23:19.930 In Ephesians chapter 4 he prays something very 00:23:19.930 --> 00:23:22.630 similar. Let's look back there just because of 00:23:22.630 --> 00:23:25.730 the significance of the words. He elaborates 00:23:25.730 --> 00:23:31.049 a bit on this theme. He begins in verse 17 in 00:23:31.049 --> 00:23:33.329 this paragraph by saying, don't walk anymore 00:23:33.329 --> 00:23:37.390 like you used to. That is, don't let the outward 00:23:37.390 --> 00:23:42.690 expression of your life be what it used to be 00:23:42.690 --> 00:23:45.309 because you're different. If you're a Christian, 00:23:45.450 --> 00:23:47.890 you're different on the inside. So don't walk 00:23:47.890 --> 00:23:50.289 like the Gentiles, like the pagans anymore. Then 00:23:50.289 --> 00:23:57.549 he says, he explains what they're like. And he 00:23:57.549 --> 00:23:59.869 says earlier in the chapter, in verse one, how 00:23:59.869 --> 00:24:02.829 they are to walk. He says, I entreat you to walk 00:24:02.829 --> 00:24:08.130 in a manner worthy of the calling with which 00:24:08.130 --> 00:24:10.349 you've been called. Now, what do you mean, Paul? 00:24:10.410 --> 00:24:18.880 He elaborates. With humility. gentleness, patience, 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:26.880 showing forbearance to one another in love, being 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:29.599 diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:33.960 in the bond of peace. That helps us get a little 00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:36.180 bit of a handle on what Paul is praying for. 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:39.119 He says, I want you to walk in a manner that 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:41.880 is worthy of the Lord, worthy of your calling. 00:24:42.660 --> 00:24:45.259 Now that you have this insight, this understanding 00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:47.920 that we're praying for, so that you see what 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:50.119 God is doing in the world and how you fit into 00:24:50.119 --> 00:24:55.140 that, don't get the big head. Be humble and gentle, 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:58.819 forbearing with others. Be loving and patient. 00:25:00.220 --> 00:25:03.579 Preserve unity. That's what the knowledge of 00:25:03.579 --> 00:25:07.160 God's will brings as it enriches our lifestyle. 00:25:09.069 --> 00:25:11.470 Going back to Colossians, he says that you may 00:25:11.470 --> 00:25:15.490 walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please 00:25:15.490 --> 00:25:22.769 him in all respects. In other words, to be willing 00:25:22.769 --> 00:25:31.690 to do whatever the Lord asks us to do. If we're 00:25:31.690 --> 00:25:34.150 going to do that, it's going to demand of us 00:25:34.150 --> 00:25:40.400 the attitude of servanthood. Last week, we saw 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:45.319 a marvelous example of that in Epaphras, in his 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:49.660 faithful ministry, in his service as a slave 00:25:49.660 --> 00:25:54.599 for Jesus Christ. That's the kind of a spirit 00:25:54.599 --> 00:26:00.240 it takes if we're going to walk worthy of the 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:03.660 Lord and please Him in everything. It means, 00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:08.200 Lord, whatever you say, I will do it. Lord, I'm 00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:11.039 not setting any boundaries, saying, you can tell 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:14.099 me here what to do, but don't talk to me over 00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:17.259 there. I'm not putting any limitations, Lord. 00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:24.799 Whatever you say, I will do. In Philippians, 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:27.920 Paul thanks God for another fellow servant of 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:30.839 his whose name was Timothy, and you remember 00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:33.019 Timothy as part of his prayer circle in Colossians. 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:36.359 And listen to what he says about Timothy. Just 00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:41.720 listen to these words. I have no one else of 00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:48.920 kindred spirit who will genuinely care or be 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:54.400 concerned for your welfare. For they all seek 00:26:54.400 --> 00:27:00.079 after their own interests and not those of Jesus 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:11.960 Christ. That last verse just seems to describe 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:15.380 so much the culture of Christianity in America 00:27:15.380 --> 00:27:19.920 today. Everyone seeking after their own interests 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:27.079 and not those of Jesus Christ. If we're going 00:27:27.079 --> 00:27:29.660 to please the Lord in all respects, it means 00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:32.240 that we have to be concerned about the things 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:35.509 that are Jesus Christ's. It's not that we're 00:27:35.509 --> 00:27:38.109 completely unconcerned about ourselves. There's 00:27:38.109 --> 00:27:40.809 a place to be concerned about ourselves and others, 00:27:41.089 --> 00:27:43.309 but it means that Jesus Christ is above all. 00:27:43.450 --> 00:27:48.869 He's preeminent. Oh, Paul says, I pray that you 00:27:48.869 --> 00:27:53.529 may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please 00:27:53.529 --> 00:28:00.430 him in all respects. Then he explains a little 00:28:00.430 --> 00:28:03.440 more of what he means. He tells us what that 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:06.440 kind of a life looks like as he's writing to 00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:09.500 the Colossians. And you will notice that he uses 00:28:09.500 --> 00:28:14.819 four expressions to explain what this walk that 00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:20.319 is worthy looks like. Verse 10, bearing fruit. 00:28:22.099 --> 00:28:27.619 You may want to underline that. And then increasing 00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:32.319 Second word, increasing in the knowledge of God. 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:37.180 Verse 11, strengthened, or being strengthened 00:28:37.180 --> 00:28:42.779 with all power. And number four, giving thanks 00:28:42.779 --> 00:28:47.160 to the Father. Paul says, here is the kind of 00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:50.480 a life I'm talking about. The kind of a life 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:53.519 that pleases the Lord in all respects. It is 00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:56.480 one in which there are bearing fruit, Where you 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:58.240 are increasing in the knowledge of God, you are 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:00.460 being strengthened with all power, you are giving 00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:03.900 thanks to the Father. Now today we're only going 00:29:03.900 --> 00:29:06.200 to look at the first two of those words. We'll 00:29:06.200 --> 00:29:12.980 leave the rest for next week. But first he says, 00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:14.819 if you're going to live a life that is pleasing 00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:19.119 to God, it means bearing fruit in every good 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:22.759 work. This is the same word that Paul used earlier 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:27.400 in verse 6. When he says in all the world the 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:34.380 gospel is constantly bearing fruit He says the 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:38.539 gospel is bearing fruit now I want you to bear 00:29:38.539 --> 00:29:45.920 fruit In every good work every good work Often 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:48.380 we make the distinction between what we do in 00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:52.980 the church and what we do on the job We draw 00:29:52.980 --> 00:29:55.180 a line between the secular and the sacred, and 00:29:55.180 --> 00:29:57.700 we say, well this I have to do for the Lord, 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:00.859 this I do for others, and we leave the Lord out 00:30:00.859 --> 00:30:04.700 of it. The Apostle is saying in every good work, 00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:07.599 in every good work, we're to bear fruit for the 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:11.180 Lord. Whether it be working in a wanna, teaching 00:30:11.180 --> 00:30:13.460 a Sunday school, ushering, singing the choir, 00:30:14.299 --> 00:30:18.140 leading a cell group, whatever it be, or if it 00:30:18.140 --> 00:30:21.259 be typing a letter, be going on a business trip, 00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:25.619 It'd be writing an order, listening to a counselee, 00:30:25.980 --> 00:30:29.220 whatever it be, and every good work bearing fruit 00:30:29.220 --> 00:30:36.019 that honors Jesus Christ. And not only that, 00:30:36.019 --> 00:30:39.400 he says, increasing in the knowledge of God. 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:44.099 When the heart of the believer is enlightened 00:30:44.099 --> 00:30:48.200 about God's will and God's purposes, It brings 00:30:48.200 --> 00:30:51.500 about as a natural consequence an increasing 00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:57.480 and personal knowledge of God Himself. You see 00:30:57.480 --> 00:31:02.559 the knowledge of God's plan, God's purpose in 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:07.640 the world and for yourself is like water, like 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:10.839 rain that comes down upon you and as a result 00:31:10.839 --> 00:31:13.480 of it, it nourishes you and you grow and you 00:31:13.480 --> 00:31:19.420 increase in the knowledge of God himself. Paul 00:31:19.420 --> 00:31:21.779 is describing a Christian here not as one who 00:31:21.779 --> 00:31:27.420 is rigid and stagnant, who's part of God's chosen, 00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:32.859 frozen, who's passive and indifferent. He is 00:31:32.859 --> 00:31:35.960 describing a Christian here as one who is productive 00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:39.599 and dynamic, energetic, magnetic, vigorous, use 00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:41.740 the word you want, that's the way he describes 00:31:41.740 --> 00:31:47.099 us, in a walk that is worthy. Christianity is 00:31:47.099 --> 00:31:51.359 not a set of rules. It's not even a doctrinal 00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:55.140 position or an ethical philosophy. Christianity 00:31:55.140 --> 00:32:00.819 is a life. It is a life because it involves a 00:32:00.819 --> 00:32:05.240 vital relationship with the living God. So what 00:32:05.240 --> 00:32:11.819 a powerful way to pray for others. That the heart 00:32:11.819 --> 00:32:14.799 may be enlightened. That the lifestyle may be 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:18.410 enriched. so that God's life in them might be 00:32:18.410 --> 00:32:28.710 evidenced. A couple of closing thoughts. It is 00:32:28.710 --> 00:32:34.509 a powerful thing to gain insight into God's will. 00:32:36.049 --> 00:32:40.970 It is a powerful thing. For when you and I have 00:32:40.970 --> 00:32:44.819 that kind of insight, we gain through the Word 00:32:44.819 --> 00:32:47.380 by the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. 00:32:47.400 --> 00:32:53.599 When we are enlightened, when we are filled, 00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:58.460 dominated and controlled by an understanding 00:32:58.460 --> 00:33:01.619 of what God's about and what our place is, it 00:33:01.619 --> 00:33:07.859 produces dynamic within us. If my heart lacks 00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:13.329 motivation to serve Christ, if I am indifferent, 00:33:13.369 --> 00:33:18.089 and I've grown cold and stiff in my Christianity. 00:33:18.670 --> 00:33:23.230 Perhaps it's because I have not gained enlightenment 00:33:23.230 --> 00:33:26.390 into God's will, what God's doing and how I fit 00:33:26.390 --> 00:33:33.190 into it. Maybe I've forgotten that. As I said 00:33:33.190 --> 00:33:35.109 before, we don't find that kind of knowledge 00:33:35.109 --> 00:33:39.789 sitting in front of a television set, sitting 00:33:39.789 --> 00:33:43.490 sleepily in church. We're approaching our Bible 00:33:43.490 --> 00:33:47.109 on an occasional basis. We gain understanding 00:33:47.109 --> 00:33:49.650 in what God is about in the world and what our 00:33:49.650 --> 00:33:53.470 place is in it by being in the book, by being 00:33:53.470 --> 00:33:57.710 in the Word with diligence, and choosing to lay 00:33:57.710 --> 00:34:02.470 aside the amusements and entertainments that 00:34:02.470 --> 00:34:05.130 attract so much of our attention in this pleasure 00:34:05.130 --> 00:34:09.110 -oriented society. Have you ever wondered why 00:34:09.110 --> 00:34:13.090 these things are often called amusements? What 00:34:13.090 --> 00:34:17.670 does it mean to muse on something? It means to 00:34:17.670 --> 00:34:21.510 think. If you put the letter A in front of it, 00:34:21.610 --> 00:34:26.210 it negates it. It means not to think. That's 00:34:26.210 --> 00:34:28.789 why they're called amusements, because you don't 00:34:28.789 --> 00:34:34.449 think. If you and I are going to gain insight 00:34:34.449 --> 00:34:38.519 into God, If we're going to experience the dynamic 00:34:38.519 --> 00:34:40.780 of understanding what God is doing in the world 00:34:40.780 --> 00:34:42.840 and what our place is in it, then it means we've 00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:45.159 got to think. And we have to think about the 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:48.539 Word. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to be our 00:34:48.539 --> 00:34:54.579 teacher. Jesus said, ask and you will receive. 00:34:56.059 --> 00:34:59.079 Seek, you will find. Knock, it will be opened 00:34:59.079 --> 00:35:06.639 to you. But not if you're quiet. and still and 00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:12.139 passive. You'll miss it. My challenge today on 00:35:12.139 --> 00:35:16.579 this GraceFest is as a church, as never before 00:35:16.579 --> 00:35:19.659 in our lives as a congregation, as individuals, 00:35:19.880 --> 00:35:24.800 let us be seeking God. Let us get into this book 00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:28.909 and ask the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. Let 00:35:28.909 --> 00:35:31.849 us ask God for ourselves and for everyone else 00:35:31.849 --> 00:35:35.250 in our church that we may be filled with the 00:35:35.250 --> 00:35:40.510 knowledge of His will. That we may understand 00:35:40.510 --> 00:35:43.610 what God is about in our world and get plugged 00:35:43.610 --> 00:35:54.469 into it. A good friend of mine passed away this 00:35:54.469 --> 00:35:59.289 last week. Mark Bates, who sang this morning 00:35:59.289 --> 00:36:03.250 with the choir of his grandpa. George was 89 00:36:03.250 --> 00:36:10.309 years old. A pastor all of his life. He had not 00:36:10.309 --> 00:36:12.269 been active in the ministry for a number of years, 00:36:12.269 --> 00:36:16.610 but he was a pastor of pastors. He was the kind 00:36:16.610 --> 00:36:21.230 of man who had an inquiring mind. He was intimidating 00:36:21.230 --> 00:36:24.050 to be around because he always was asking, what 00:36:24.050 --> 00:36:27.400 are you reading? Have you read? and then he would 00:36:27.400 --> 00:36:29.820 name some book that was, you know, down the list 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:32.880 somewhere for me. He had already read it, was 00:36:32.880 --> 00:36:35.840 thinking about it, was growing. A disciplined 00:36:35.840 --> 00:36:40.920 student of the Word of God. Prayed for me, prayed 00:36:40.920 --> 00:36:44.659 for hundreds of missionaries and pastors in the 00:36:44.659 --> 00:36:50.519 course of a month. What an example people like 00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:58.860 that set. He was a man who knew God. He was a 00:36:58.860 --> 00:37:02.179 man who was energized by this knowledge of God. 00:37:04.300 --> 00:37:08.539 And even at 89 years of age, he was pressing 00:37:08.539 --> 00:37:13.679 on. He was like Caleb saying, give me this mountain, 00:37:14.519 --> 00:37:18.320 until the Lord called him home. Dear people, 00:37:18.900 --> 00:37:21.380 let's follow that kind of an example. Let's not 00:37:21.380 --> 00:37:23.900 retire. Let's not sit back on what we've done. 00:37:24.360 --> 00:37:26.840 Let's not be content and complacent and indifferent. 00:37:29.210 --> 00:37:32.250 Let's ask God to do a work in our church this 00:37:32.250 --> 00:37:36.070 year and in each of us that we may be filled 00:37:36.070 --> 00:37:39.670 with the knowledge of God and the knowledge of 00:37:39.670 --> 00:37:42.610 His will and bearing fruit and increasing our 00:37:42.610 --> 00:37:47.210 lives being changed by that. Let's press ahead 00:37:47.210 --> 00:37:51.829 for all that God has for us. The second thought 00:37:51.829 --> 00:37:57.519 is this, if your knowledge of God is real, It's 00:37:57.519 --> 00:38:03.260 going to make you like Jesus. If your knowledge 00:38:03.260 --> 00:38:05.460 of God is real, it's going to make you like Jesus. 00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:09.460 You can know doctrine. You can quote the apostles' 00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:12.199 creed and all the creeds of the old. You can 00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:14.880 quote theology statements and not at all be like 00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:18.579 Jesus. There are liberal seminaries full of people 00:38:18.579 --> 00:38:21.940 like that. They can tell you about the books 00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:26.139 of the Bible as they understand them. But they're 00:38:26.139 --> 00:38:29.480 not like Jesus. If the knowledge of God is real 00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:32.340 in us, it's going to make us like Jesus. It's 00:38:32.340 --> 00:38:34.960 not going to make us proud and divisive and puffed 00:38:34.960 --> 00:38:38.039 up. It's going to make us humble and patient 00:38:38.039 --> 00:38:40.659 and forbearing and concerned about unity and 00:38:40.659 --> 00:38:49.480 loving. It's going to make us like Jesus. If 00:38:49.480 --> 00:38:55.250 your lifestyle is not honoring to the Lord, If 00:38:55.250 --> 00:38:59.190 the choices that you're making are not pleasing 00:38:59.190 --> 00:39:04.329 Him in all respect, let this day of festival 00:39:04.329 --> 00:39:07.869 in God's grace be a day when you say, enough 00:39:07.869 --> 00:39:12.590 of that. I've gone far enough in that direction. 00:39:14.389 --> 00:39:17.030 I'm going to stop, and by God's grace I repent 00:39:17.030 --> 00:39:19.489 of that. I'm going to go the other way. I want 00:39:19.489 --> 00:39:22.940 Jesus Christ to be honored in my life. I want 00:39:22.940 --> 00:39:25.159 to honor Him in all respects. I want to live 00:39:25.159 --> 00:39:31.320 a life that is worthy of the Lord. What a great 00:39:31.320 --> 00:39:37.039 day for you to do that. And what a difference 00:39:37.039 --> 00:39:41.219 it will make. And whether it's when you're 89, 00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:47.559 like my good friend this last week, or it's 29, 00:39:48.360 --> 00:39:50.679 when you leave this world and go to be with Christ. 00:39:51.769 --> 00:39:54.050 You'll be able to step into a heaven and hear 00:39:54.050 --> 00:39:57.989 his words of commendation. Because not only have 00:39:57.989 --> 00:40:02.030 you known him and be filled with the knowledge 00:40:02.030 --> 00:40:03.750 of his will and where you've plugged in, but 00:40:03.750 --> 00:40:07.849 you have been like Jesus. Your heart has been 00:40:07.849 --> 00:40:10.210 transformed. Your life has been enriched and 00:40:10.210 --> 00:40:18.500 changed by him, to be like him. the evangelist 00:40:18.500 --> 00:40:20.440 of the last century, and a friend were talking 00:40:20.440 --> 00:40:24.860 one day, and their attention was drawn to a man 00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:27.559 who was walking nearby. Moody's response immediately 00:40:27.559 --> 00:40:31.280 was, he must have been in a military school. 00:40:33.960 --> 00:40:36.420 And his friend said, well, Moody, that's right, 00:40:36.460 --> 00:40:38.860 I happen to know him, but how did you know that? 00:40:39.699 --> 00:40:41.440 And he said, I could tell it by the way that 00:40:41.440 --> 00:40:47.050 he walked. Oh, the people can tell that we have 00:40:47.050 --> 00:40:50.769 walked with Jesus. Because as they see the conduct 00:40:50.769 --> 00:40:55.449 of our lives, they can say, I recognize that. 00:40:58.550 --> 00:41:03.650 That life, that conduct, that behavior, reminds 00:41:03.650 --> 00:41:09.349 me of Jesus. The greatest compliment I think 00:41:09.349 --> 00:41:12.170 I've had in 25 years of ministry I got from a 00:41:12.170 --> 00:41:14.210 little child in Sunday school who probably didn't 00:41:14.210 --> 00:41:17.969 realize what he was saying. And when I tell you 00:41:17.969 --> 00:41:19.949 what he said, you'll say, surely he didn't realize 00:41:19.949 --> 00:41:25.250 what he was saying. I was in a Sunday school 00:41:25.250 --> 00:41:27.210 class for something I don't even recall what 00:41:27.210 --> 00:41:29.829 it was. And when I went away, he said to his 00:41:29.829 --> 00:41:37.119 teacher, he reminds me of Jesus. And I thought, 00:41:37.300 --> 00:41:41.559 dear God, were it true? And would it be true 00:41:41.559 --> 00:41:44.280 of my life and of yours that when people see 00:41:44.280 --> 00:41:46.960 us, they're reminded of Jesus? For that to happen 00:41:46.960 --> 00:41:50.519 is going to take a change in our hearts. We're 00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:51.679 going to have to open our hearts to the Lord 00:41:51.679 --> 00:41:54.400 and say, Lord, teach me. Show me your will. Fill 00:41:54.400 --> 00:41:57.420 me with this knowledge. Lord, enrich my life 00:41:57.420 --> 00:42:00.239 so that I may walk worthy of you, pleasing you 00:42:00.239 --> 00:42:04.599 in all respects. Are you willing to make that 00:42:04.599 --> 00:42:07.900 kind of change? today, to open your heart to 00:42:07.900 --> 00:42:14.119 it, whatever it may mean? I hope so. I am. As 00:42:14.119 --> 00:42:16.659 we celebrate God's grace, let's let it do its 00:42:16.659 --> 00:42:22.980 work in our lives. Let's pray. With your head 00:42:22.980 --> 00:42:29.000 bowed and with God the Spirit bringing to a consummation 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:31.360 what He wants to do in your heart this morning, 00:42:32.619 --> 00:42:37.719 are you willing to say that, Lord? bring about 00:42:37.719 --> 00:42:44.000 change in me. My life's going the wrong direction. 00:42:46.760 --> 00:42:49.719 Lord, enlighten my heart, fill me with the knowledge 00:42:49.719 --> 00:42:56.239 of your will, so that then I may walk in a manner 00:42:56.239 --> 00:43:00.579 worthy of you, the Lord I can confess, and please 00:43:00.579 --> 00:43:04.119 you in everything. That I may bear fruit and 00:43:04.119 --> 00:43:07.800 increase in the knowledge of you. Lord, do what's 00:43:07.800 --> 00:43:12.719 necessary in my heart to change me. Is that your 00:43:12.719 --> 00:43:20.139 prayer? It's mine. Father, I pray that none of 00:43:20.139 --> 00:43:23.900 us will escape that point of conviction that 00:43:23.900 --> 00:43:27.179 the Holy Spirit is bringing. If there be some 00:43:27.179 --> 00:43:29.800 friend who's here without Jesus as Lord and Savior, 00:43:30.539 --> 00:43:33.949 I pray for them. God helped them to understand 00:43:33.949 --> 00:43:40.110 that He died for them. He rose again. He paid 00:43:40.110 --> 00:43:42.690 for their sins on the cross and He loves them 00:43:42.690 --> 00:43:47.989 and desires to come into their lives. Help them 00:43:47.989 --> 00:43:51.889 today, right now, to repent of sin, to turn to 00:43:51.889 --> 00:43:55.809 the Savior, the only one who saves, the Lord 00:43:55.809 --> 00:44:01.070 Jesus Christ. And I pray that all of us who have 00:44:01.070 --> 00:44:03.230 made that decision at some time in our lives, 00:44:03.289 --> 00:44:10.070 Lord, may today commit ourselves afresh to the 00:44:10.070 --> 00:44:14.170 knowledge of your will. I pray that you will 00:44:14.170 --> 00:44:18.010 enlighten us as a church, that you will fill 00:44:18.010 --> 00:44:23.989 us with the knowledge of your will. What you're 00:44:23.989 --> 00:44:26.449 doing in our world today, what your purposes 00:44:26.449 --> 00:44:29.829 are, and show us how we personally fit into that, 00:44:29.929 --> 00:44:34.289 how we as a church fit into it, so that then 00:44:34.289 --> 00:44:38.710 we can walk worthy of the name that we lift up. 00:44:41.969 --> 00:44:46.230 And this I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.