What Do You Trust In?

A LIFE OF PROMISE

Colossians 1:1-12 ~ Sunday, May 2, 2007

I. THE PROCESS

Colossians 1:3-5

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel

· The process begins with hope, Faith and love. Spring up from the hope that is in you.

· And hope draws us to faith and faith leads us to love in a whole new way.

DEFINTION: The Bible calls everybody who’s a believer in Christ “saints”. The Bible word for “saints” and the word we have in church for saints are two different things.

• A couple questions about this hope since it’s so important. When does it happen?

1. The hope that’s stored up for you in heaven is talking about hope right now stored up for you in heaven.

· And if this hope is so important where does it come from?

2. That’s where hope comes from. Hope comes from the gospel. Hope comes from the good news.

II. The Power Of

Colossians 1:5-8

the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel ⁶that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. ⁷You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Let’s list some things Paul wished for us:

He says, “you heard about this gospel of truth.”

1. It is universal. It’s worldwide.

2. It is growing.

3. It’s delivered by people.

3. The purpose of… God’s will in our lives.

Colossians 1:9

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Definition: What is God’s will?

• Most of us when we think about discovering God’s will what we really want is God’s answer.

• Sometimes we try to skip from what God wants us to be and try to go straight to “God, what do You want me to do?”

• The highest kind of knowledge is the knowledge of what God wants. Not just God’s answer for a particular situation but what does God want for my life?

• He uses three words. They are very key. He uses the word “knowledge” and the word “wisdom” and the word “understanding”.

What is a worthy and pleasing life?

Colossians 1:10-12

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

1. You are bearing fruit in every good work.

2. Then He says it’s also growing in the knowledge of God.

3. The third part is being straightened with God’s power.

4. Giving thanks.