Sunday, May 10, 2009

Colossians Study

The minister commenced a sermon series on Colossians this morning. He covered the first half of the first chapter, 1:1-14. Of particular note to me was the section that begins with verse 9:

9For 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. 10And 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. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption,[e] the forgiveness of sins.[My italics]

What has my particular attention is the prospect of "bearing fruit in every good work." That seems to be an important outcome of being filled with "the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding."

Although our church is all about "spiritual wisdom and understanding" at an important level, it has lost its way to some extent in the matter of "bearing fruit in every good work." What are these works that we are to bear, in addition to obedience in the realm of morals and ethics? Are we to be simply "good people" as many of our non-Christian neighbors appear to be? Is there something more, beyond presenting the Gospel where ever we can? What would "something more" be for FPC Miami Springs?

2 comments:

Rick Tuttle said...

Col 1:9-14 is my life verse. I think that every believer is in full-time ministry and should have this goal of bearing eternal fruit by using their God-given natural and spiritual gifts, whether in the church or in our mission field of the world.

Paul Stokes said...

Thanks, Rick!