22/10/18 TREASURE BLOG 7 - BE STRENGTHENED TO KEEP VALUING WHAT IS MOST VALUABLE (COLOSSIANS 1:11-12)

THIS BLOG CONTAINS:

• Community group/family study
• Daily bible studies 
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COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY 7

COLOSSIANS 1:11-12 BE STRENGTHENED TO KEEP VALUING WHAT IS MOST VALUABLE

Colossians 1:11-12…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

If you have ever done any form of endurance sport, you will know how important food is. Without the correct food, no matter how fit you are, no matter how much training you’ve done, no matter how confident you feel, without food you will fail. Food empowers our minds and bodies to finish the race. Likewise, the Christian life requires the empowering of the Holy Spirit if we are to live a ‘life worthy of the Lord…’ not in lifeless obedience but in joyful love for God.  

1. We need Gods’ strengthening 

• What does Paul pray for in verses 11-12 and what will be the result? 
• Acts 4 paints a potentially discouraging picture that could unnerve the best of us. However, what happens in Acts 4:31-32 to keep the church from discouragement? 
• Paul prays that they would be ’strengthened’, which means to be enabled to do what we otherwise could not do.  He adds that this strengthening is ‘with all power’, which is miraculous force. How would our prayer-life be transformed if we truly grasped these 2 terms?  

2. Strengthening to endure with patience

Throughout the course of our lives, 'endurance' and 'patience' are characteristics that we all need. ‘Endurance’,means to abide under under suffering. ‘Patience’,means long-suffering whilst being slow to express anger. Only by God’s strengthening will we flourish and continue to treasure Jesus against so many obstacles and pressures. 

• What are the kinds of things that Christians have to endure, that threaten our joy, hope, test our patience and push one toward rage?

3. So that we Give joyful thanks to God the Father

• As we have ‘endurance’ and ‘patience’ what will we be enabled to keep doing and for what reasons? (V.12)

RESPONSE

There are many discouragements. If one is to keep valuing what is most valuable, that is, to remain faithful to Jesus, and keep ‘giving joyful thanks’, one needs God’s strengthening. Without the grace of the Spirit, the pressures of life may overcome us. 

• How is your joy and how will you nurture this?
• Are you having to endure anything at the moment, your patience being tested by circumstances that you would like prayer for?

DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEEK 7

COLOSSIANS 1:11-12 BE STRENGTHENED TO KEEP VALUING WHAT IS MOST VALUABLE

MONDAY – STRENGTHENED WITH ALL POWER

Colossians 1:11-12…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

At the beginning of each day, how much time do you spend in asking for God’s strength and power? The time that we give to something reveals how important we think it is. If you drive a car, you are convinced, I assume, that you have to fill it with fuel as often as is needed. You know that the car needs the empowering of petrol. Maybe once or twice in our lives we have run out of petrol. We ignored the warning light and paid the price of being stranded, but you won’t make a regular thing of it. So why is it that we allow ourselves to go through life without conscientiously asking for and relying on the Holy Spirit? 

To value Jesus as we should we need to be ‘strengthened with all power’. 

Paul prays that they would be ’strengthened’(dunamoó) –  which means to be enabled to do what we otherwise could not do. 

He adds that this strengthening is ‘with all power’(dumanis) –  which is miraculous force. 

Without asking for God’s empowering we will be weaker and more limited. Our faith in Jesus, and ability to do His works will be diminished. Our love for His people will be short of the devotion that they deserve. Our love for God will dim and we will prefer other things instead.

Christianity seems to have things in common with other religions and self-help teachings. But it differs fundamentally in it’s reliance Jesus for salvation and the empowering of God for any positive change we want to see. 

RESPONSE

Paul is not telling them to think positively or to merely be self-disciplined; he prays for miraculous strengthening. Meditate and pray out of the following, 

John 15:5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

TUESDAY – STRENGTHENED ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT

Colossians 1:11-12…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

There are many powerful things – A lion, elephant, whale, a waterfall, storms, oceans, the sun, a star… But all of creation is as nothing compared to the infinite size, power and knowledge of God – He alone is infinite and independent. Isaiah 40 is a correction to the people of God who have stopped trusting in God, and He has much to say to us also. 

Isaiah 40:15, 27  Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust…Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord…

Isaiah 40:29-31He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Here we see that a small view of God’s power causes us to fear; whilst a correct vision of His greatness and power causes us to trust and ‘renew our strength’ and ‘sour on wings like eagles’. 

RESPONSE

Have you diminished the resources of God that are available for you? No one would go to a well they believe to be dry! No one tries to charge their phone by plugging it into a socket they believe to be dead! Likewise, our failure to come to God for empowering says a lot about our judgement of Him!

Read what Paul says about the power available for you and the church and pray out of Ephesians 1:20

Ephesians 1:18-20I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, andhis incomparably great power for uswho believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength  he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

WEDNESDAY –  POWER TO VALUE WHAT IS MOST VALUABLE

Colossians 1:11-12…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

Paul prays for them to have ‘endurance and patience’ with ‘all power’ and ‘glorious might’ so they, despite opposition, would continue to treasure Christ and the gospel. Likewise, Acts 4 paints a potentially discouraging picture that could unnerve the best of us. However, depending on God in prayer and receiving His empowering enabled them to keep going with exemplary faith.  

Acts 4:31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Likewise, you and I will be enabled to have endurance and patience, to keep valuing what is most valuable, as God gives us His great strength. 

How are you running?

Paul rebukes the Galatian church,

Galatians 5:7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?

They were still going to church, they still believed, but they were not running as God intended. Are we going through the motions, but underneath have lost our joyful love for Christ?  In his prayer for the Ephesians, Paul make it clear that for a heart filled with Christ and His love we need the Spirit’s empowering.  

Ephesians 3:16-18I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

REPONSE

Read the following text on loving Christ and respond as the Spirit leads. 

Revelation 2:3-4You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

THURSDAY– POWER TO GIVE JOYFUL THANKS TO THE FATHER

Colossians 1:11-12…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

A joyful and thankful person is good to be around. A sour and complaining person is a challenge to be around. It’s all to easy to be in the second group! Which group are you in? God wants to empower us so as to be filled with hope and share this with others. 

Joyful thanks

No matter what our circumstances, if one asks for, and relies on, the strength, power and might of God, one will not only endure and be patient, we will have joy as we do so. Paul commanded,

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This would be tyrannical if, by God’s grace, it were not possible! And it is possible as we receive His strengthening and comforting presence. 

Thanks to God the Father

Paul adds another incredible facet to His prayer that we could easily miss. The ‘joyful thanks’ that we give are to ‘God the Father’.  As we are ‘strengthened by God’s power’ – the Spirit, He reveals our adoption, thus enhancing our joy and thanks. Paul writes, 

Romans 8:14-16The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Galatians 4:6Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 

RESPONSE

What has the Spirit spoken to you about in this study? Pray as you feel led. 

FRIDAY – JOYFUL THANKS THAT YOU SHARE THE INHERITANCE

Colossians 1:11-12…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

Just imagine going to university and, on the first day, they call you into the office and tell you that you have passed! You no longer have to go to classes, do assignments, get into debt! On graduation day, you climb onto the stage and receive your First-class honours award. Years later you find that they had mistaken you for another student, who had in fact done all the work that had been credited to you; further, he was expelled and failed for not doing the prescribed work.  

Likewise, Jesus has done all the work for you and His perfect life is credited to you; He took the guilt for your sin, died for your sin in your stead, so you are justified and qualified for eternal life, without any of your work! Paul also adds that you are now a child of God and have the inheritance of being with God in glory. 

As we are ‘strengthened with all power’ the Holy Spirit gives us revelation and assurance of our ‘hope’ – our ‘inheritance’. As Paul prays,

Ephesians 1:18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

The Father wants us to endure with patience inspired by a vision of our final destination. Vision is powerful. Without a goal we lose motivation. God gives us the ultimate vision of eternal glory – the restoration of all things. 

Paul prays that we would be‘Giving joyful thanks’is the Greek word eucharisteó. It is built on the word ‘charis’ - grace. Our adoption, hope of heaven and glory are all by God’s abundant grace. 

RESPONSE

Do you know that you are qualified for the inheritance? Are you giving joyful thanks for this eternal vision? Is Paul’s attitude in the following text yours?

Philippians 1:21-23For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. 

Let’s, by the Spirit’s grace, endure in valuing what is most valuable – ‘to live is Christ’ whether in life or death.