What should I look like
Sermon by Joe Clark on Sunday, January 17, 2010.
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Strengthened With All Power
There seems to be a significant gap between the power we experience as christians and the power the bible says we should experience. The power we should experience is unlimited and capable of accomplishing anything. Â It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him to the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:19, 20).
When writing to the believers in Colosse, Paul made sure they knew he was praying for them to experience the fullness of God’s power in their lives. His prayer was that they “be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11).
To overcome our own weakness, we must believe that God will strengthen us with “all power.” Â All power refers to every kind of power and ability necessary to accomplish what ever God wants us to do. Â He will never put us into a situation that He is not willing to give us the power to handle it. No matter how overwhelming the situation may be, His “glorious might” is sufficient to deal with it.
When we are experiencing the fulness of God’s power, we will also experience joy in our lives. Â Regardless of what situation we find ourselves in, we will have all the endurance and patience needed to fulfill God’s will for us in that situation. Â This is a comforting thought since life is often trying and difficult.
In order to experience the power of God that produces endurance and patience with joy, we need to believe it is real and ask God to strengthen us with it. Then, as Paul did for the Colossians, we should ask Him to also strengthen other believers with His power as we pray for them.
Knowledge Of His Will
Knowing God’s will is something that most all believers struggle with. There seems to be the general opinion that we can’t know much about it. Yet, when reading the bible there seems to be the assumption that His will is knowable and that we should know it.
The apostle Paul apparently believes that God’s will is very knowable. Â In Colossians 1:9, he reveals his prayer for them.
And so, from the day we heard [of your faith in Christ Jesus], we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will
His request is that they would be filled all the way to the top with complete and accurate knowledge of what God wants them to do. Â Paul obviously believes that they can and should know God’s will.
Why then are we so clueless about God’s will in our lives since it is knowable? Knowledge of His will is conditioned on us believing it can be known and diligently seeking to know it with a sincere heart.
Why is it important for us to know God’s will? Because it is the only way we can live a life that is “worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (Colossians 1:10).
Spiritual Misconceptions
Sermon by Joe Clark on Sunday, January 10, 2010.
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The Holy Spirit’s Work
Sermon by Joe Clark on Sunday, January 3, 2010.
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