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Text: Colossians 1:11
Paul’s prayer requests were that the Colossians would fully understand the will of God, that they would walk in a way that honors Jesus Christ, that they would be able to endure in good work, and that they’d be grateful to God the Father for His gifts. In this verse, Paul’s prayer is for the Colossians to live out their faith with patience and joy.
The gardener doesn’t produce fruit in his garden. He creates conditions suitable for the seed to produce fruit. The rancher doesn’t produce cattle. He creates conditions suitable for cattle to be multiplied.
It is the word of God that bears fruit. You and I don’t produce fruit. This is why it’s said over and over about those who keep the commandments of God, or abide in my word in John 15. The word of God is what produces fruit. And if the word of God gets trampled on, choked out, or cannot find a place to take root because of other things that enter your life, voluntarily or involuntarily, the word of God will not be able to produce fruit.
Parable of the sower and seed in Luke 8:11-15
- …bring forth fruit with patience… (vs 15)
- The Lord Jesus Christ describes in the parable the things that cause the word of God not to bear fruit.
Equipped to protect the seed from the world
- …strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power…
- Capture your thoughts – 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 – Jesus Christ is preeminence
- Put on the armor of God – Ephesians 6:10-17
- Lay aside the sin and the weight that hinders your race – Hebrews 12:1
Goal is patience with joy
- While we might suppose that if we’re strengthened with all might according to God’s glorious power that it will result in some great outward display of brilliance and popularity and revival! But then Paul says unto all patience and longsuffering…with joyfulness.
- How do we measure patience?
- Patience and longsuffering are measured by not giving up on God’s word while you address the cares of this world, tribulation, persecution, and affliction.
- Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
- Unto all patience and longsuffering … with joyfulness … So this is what the Lord requires of you.
- That added joyfulness means I’m not going to stoically grit my teeth and hang on to the words of God. My God is so good that in the trials of my faith that are necessary, He wants me to have joy, not just grit to get through it. God wants you to enjoy the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the word of God, the seed, while you’re stewarding it.
- Count it joy, don’t count it trouble – James 1:2-4
