Enduring Hard Times – Colossians 1:7-14

Colossians chapter 1 our text today is going to be verses 7 through 14 if you're not already there I'll have you turn there and then once you do if you're able I'll ask you to stand if not where you're seated is fine you can follow along with me as I read the Apostle Paul is writing to this church that he's never been to we talked about that last week very interesting and begins by the Spirit of God in verse 7 saying you learned it from Epaphras we're introduced to this man this godly man who it appears was the pastor of this church there in Colossae Paul writes our dear fellow servant who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf and verse 8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit I really like this guy he's talking about them behind their backs and it's good he's not talking stink about them he's talking about them as being these Christians who have faith and these Christians who have love in the Spirit now verse 9 Paul says for this reason since the day we heard about you we have not stopped praying for you we continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives so that verse 10 you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way bearing fruit in every good work growing in the knowledge of God and I want you to really pay attention to verse 11 he goes on this is what he's praying for them and he's praying continually and specifically this for them verse 11 being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and verse 12 giving joyful thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light for He verse 13 has rescued us from the Dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins oh let me catch my breath did you notice that was one very long sentence up to about verse 13 let's pray if you would join with me loving Heavenly Father thank You for this portion that we have before us this morning here in Your Word Lord we need for You at this time by the Holy Spirit to get our attention and hold our attention so that we can hear You speak into our lives in and through Your Word that's why we're here today You know every need of every heart of every one that is here in this beautiful church and also watching online as well and so Lord as only You can would You satiate the hunger the thirst of our souls we pray in Jesus' name Amen and Amen you can be seated thank you so I know you probably tire of me saying this and I know that I say this often but this is another one of those places in the Word of God that I've really been looking forward to and the reason is because of what the Apostle Paul writes to them concerning what he has continually and specifically been praying for them this is one of the most to me magnificent prayers in all of the pages of Holy Writ there's many prayers that are recorded for us in Scripture and to me this is one of the most beautiful powerful as we'll see prayers in all of the Bible Paul very interesting and very specifically prays that they would be strengthened with all power pretty much covers it according to His glorious might in order that they might have great endurance and patience well that's interesting it begs the question of why would Paul specifically pray for this for them I mean if you think about it Paul could have certainly prayed for any number of things for this Collossian church but he prayed very specifically for this why I would suggest that the answer is in verses 9 and 10 where Paul asks God to fill them with the knowledge of His will and to do so through all wisdom and understanding notice again very interesting the words that the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to write wisdom understanding strength power endurance patience would you agree that those are the very things that we ourselves want in our lives then in verse 11 he prays that they would continue being strengthened this is a continual process it's really emphatic in the original language it kind of carries the idea of being constantly strengthened and empowered these are not the same to be strengthened to continually be strengthened with all power for what purpose you can be strong and have power to conquer no you can be strong and have power to do all things no what is the purpose of the intended purpose of where are the goal posts for said strength and power oh it's for endurance with great patience that's the purpose I was thinking of it this way God will only give us that which He knows we will use for its intended purpose which ultimately has to be for His glory this is by the way and I use this word carefully because it's been sort of hijacked by the world the word secret I know Arab shouldn't use the word hijack in a you know illustration but the the the secular world has hijacked this word secret but this is the secret to answered prayer Jesus says that any prayer you pray that brings glory to the Father it's a done deal it's a done deal if it's God's will and it brings God glory you can have whatever you ask for which might explain why it is that you've prayed for something and God hasn't answer it maybe it wasn't for your good or His glory God's not going to answer a prayer like that it has to bring Him glory and this is what Paul is saying this is God's will for you it's God's will for you because it ultimately in the end brings God the glory I suppose you could say that God knew what they needed more than they themselves knew what they needed now I know that that sounds like a firm grasp of the obvious right I mean that God knows us better than we know ourselves but I would venture to say that more often than not we act like we know better than God we know what's best for us more than God knows what's best for us this is what the Collossian Christians needed more than anything else by virtue of the great hardship and difficulties that they faced on a daily basis make no mistake about it they struggled with very difficult circumstances in that early church in that day at that time and much like we do in our day at this time and so too is this true for us such that one of the greatest needs we have especially in these the last days is for strength power endurance and I'll add perseverance and patience do you want that I do I'm coming to the place in my Christian life where I cannot go even a moment without it God as only He can has ever so gently brought me to that place in my walk with HHim where I'm realizing that I am completely and totally dependent upon Him if I have any hope of enduring the trials the hardships the difficulties of this life and they are many and they are many especially in these last days I was thinking this morning as we were praying in our prayer meeting before first service about the prophet that spoke to king Asa about how the eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro throughout the earth and what is He searching for He's searching for hearts that are fully devoted to Him why so that He can be strong on their behalf He is their strength but He's looking for a heart first that is completely dependent upon Him relying on Him for His strength not operating in the strength and the energy of the flesh it's that coming to that place and bear with me on this because this is something that God has been ministering to me so powerfully just in the last week I'm rereading a book that I have in my library I've lost count of how many times I've read it it's a great devotional book it's written by Roy Hession and the title of the book is The Calvary Road I don't recommend this book for the faint at heart it's very intense example and this is what God's been ministering to me and dealing with me concerning we are so strong in our own strength and the eye remains unbroken stiff necked obstinate stubborn full of self full of pride but God again He's a good shepherd He's very gentle but He breaks us and that I becomes a C as we are bowed and broken and living for Christ in the power of His might in His strength I'm ashamed to say that for most of my Christian life I have been walking with the Lord for over 37 years it was the I life it was operating in my own strength it was a work of the flesh and oh I have so many Ishmael's to show for it if you will and here all along God has desired to do this work in the power of His might and He was but searching to and fro looking for that heart that would say Lord not me You not I but Christ and that I would break and bow and humble itself the reason I share all of that is because that's what hardship does doesn't it would you agree that this is why it is that God allows hardship and difficulty into our lives He's not being cruel He's actually being very loving we were talking about this on Thursday night where we're in the Psalms Psalm 119 actually and how it is that God again as only He can is able to bring you through suffering through pain through hardship through tragedy through trial bring you through that fire without being burned bring you through those waters without being overcome and drowning and when you're on the other side of it you look back on it and as painful as it was you would never trade what God did in your life for anything you actually find yourself thanking God for that painful trial and it was so painful and the reason you can thank God for it is because of what He did in your life that's what Paul is praying for them this is a dangerous prayer by the way you know how it is when you pray for patience I can almost hear the angels given charge concerning me said don't pray that prayer did he you didn't just do that did you yes he did he just prayed for patience okay that is my will that is what I want and that does bring glory to Me so you've got it now watch what I'm going to do and so God is going to bring patience into my life but He's going to do so by way of the trials in my life I hope you'll kindly allow me to share with you how God does it why God does it and the purpose for God doing it I suppose you could say this is the purpose of that trial that difficulty in your life the one that you brought the church with you today and you know what I'm talking about and God knows how hard it is and God cares and God sees and don't think for a second that God isn't doing a deep work in your life producing precious fruit that can only be produced in and through that painful set of circumstances that you are going through this is how God strengthens us in and through the trial and it's that which God produces in us by way of the trial namely that of strength power endurance perseverance and patience now we need to first define and differentiate between them because it does seem that they could be seen as synonymous they are not synonymous I think it would be good to see them more as harmonious and I'll explain what I mean by that strength is not synonymous with power endurance is not synonymous with perseverance and the product the end product what it produces is patience and oh by the way it's a fruit that grows Galatians 5 you know it well the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace goodness kindness meekness patience self-control it's a fruit that grows and it takes time and it takes fertilizer and water and it has to be nourished and fed in order to grow and bear fruit and if you ever noticed that you'll never see a mango tree grunting trying to produce fruit that would be really weird wouldn't it you walk by a mango tree and it's like grrr I've got to I've got to be stronger and produce more fruit grrr no takes time I'm sorry for the silliness of that see trials as the fertilizer that grows this fruit see trials and hardship and pain and suffering and difficulty as the fertilizer the water the Miracle Grow if you will that produces endurance perseverance strength power patience so they're harmonious in the sense that both endurance and perseverance along with strength and power are roommates of sorts they live together they go together they work together endurance is the strength in the difficulty and perseverance is the power to press on and get through the difficulty you see how they work in concert one with another let's talk about this let's talk about how do I get this strength and power to endure and persevere and produce patience in my life because we've already agreed you've already agreed we have witnesses we actually have camera documentation that you all agree that you want this right okay just making sure so presupposing that we want endurance strength perseverance power patience how do we get it where do we get it how does it come how does it grow in my life ready for the answer wait for it here it comes you get it in the trial you get endurance perseverance strength power patience by going through the trial oh how I wish you know like they advertise those medications on television with all the side effects I wish they had a pill that I could get a prescription for for endurance for strength for perseverance for power I especially need a prescription for patience it doesn't happen that way it is only produced in the trial in the hardship listen to how James says it and I have to confess that when I was a young believer I had a really hard time with James chapter 1 verses 2 through 4 because James says by the Spirit to consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds you go into the original language of the Greek New Testament to make sure that this is not you know translated incorrectly because maybe it is supposed to say consider it pure hell my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials come on don't look at me like that isn't that what we do when we're facing a trial joy not just joy pure joy are you kidding me I'm in a trial I'm like Lord why what what are you doing oh I'll show you you'll see just wait you'll see you'll see what I'm doing yeah Lord this is really painful I know but you'll see what I'm going to do James qualifies it and in effect answers the question of why it is that we can consider it pure joy he says verse 3 because this is why because and this is a key word you know not you hope you think you wish you wonder know you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything wait you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance yeah remember didn't you pray for perseverance yeah that's right I did didn't I well that's what's going to produce the perseverance is the testing of your faith by way of the many trials that you're going to face that's how its produced God's going to answer your prayer but He has to bring the trial in order to answer that prayer for perseverance Romans five verses three through five this is another one like James that at first read you look at it and you go how because Paul writes and says we also glory in tribulations we do how is that possible to actually consider it pure joy and glory when you face many different types of trials and tribulations in your life oh here's that word again knowing this is how you can consider it and why you can consider it pure joy is because you know where God is going to go with the trial that is in your life you know what God is going to do what God is going to produce in your life you prayed you asked God for it and now He's going to grant you that but in order to do that He has to bring that trial that tribulation that hardship Paul writing says knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance character and character hope and here's the thing hope does not disappoint you will never be disappointed God will never fail you God will never disappoint you God will never let you down because the hope that comes from the character that's built from the perseverance that comes by way of that trial this is the endgame now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us and what is the fruit of the Holy Spirit love joy peace gentleness goodness meekness patience self-control one last verse and I want to share something in closing this is a actually very well-known verse you've probably heard it paraphrased in different ways but it kind of goes like this God's not going to give you more than you can handle they're quoting or I should say really paraphrasing what Paul says in 1st Corinthians 10:13 God is not going to give you more than you can handle there have been times in my life again i have to confess where I thought to myself and cried out to God and said God You think way too much of me because You think I can handle this I again you know hanging on by a thread and that thread just broke and by the way it's when that thread breaks and you're no longer holding on and you're sinking that's when God rushes in and He grabs you and He has His grip on you and He lifts you up like He did with Peter when Peter started to sink and he prayed that famous prayer a three word prayer which gives me great hope when it comes to prayer because God answers three word prayers Lord save me as he's sinking I know it's not in the text but maybe it was something like this Lord say blub blub me down he goes and here the Lord just sometimes that thread is going to break but God will lift you up so Paul writing to the Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13 in his first epistle now some of your translations are going to render the word temptation other translations in the original language of the Greek New Testament it's the same word for trial as one said every trial is a temptation and every temptation is a trial so they are synonymous in terms so for purpose of discussion i should say i'm going to use the word trial no trial has overtaken you except such as is common to man but God I love those two words changes the whole complexion of everything that you're going to read from this point on but God is faithful Who will not allow you to be tried beyond what you are able this is why we say God's not going to give you more than you're able to bear but listen to what he says next but with the trial dare I say in the trial enduring the trial He will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it in other words you're going to get the endurance to persevere and the strength in that trial by going through the trial that's where the strength comes that's where the endurance comes that's where the perseverance comes and by the way the power this word power we know it well it's in the original language the word Dunamis where we get our English word for dynamite that's where the power comes it's in and through the trials we go through that's how we're able to bear up under it he will get us out of it we will bear up under it and the only way that we're going to have that which we need to endure it and persevere through it comes by going through it it's with the trial it's in the trial it's during the trial it's because of the trial that's where it comes that's how it comes well let me in closing just share that there have been times in my life and you'll forgive the personal reference but I'll close with this where it looked like to me that I was not going to make it through and endure and persevere through the trial I was in again I'm being very transparent very vulnerable and I never want to portray myself as this great man of faith you know I wish I was I wish I didn't kick fight bite and scratch so much during the trial I wish I didn't complain so much during the trial but there have been many trials over the years more so recently in my life just personally speaking personally from the heart here but God has brought me through every trial and not just given me the endurance and the perseverance and the strength and the power and the patience that was produced in the trial because of the trial but on the other side of it looking back on it I have been able and God knows my heart as God is my witness when I say this I have been able to raise up holy hands and say God had I not gone through that I would not have the compassion that I have for others you have made me more loving I did not used to be loving I want to be more loving that's how people are going to know that I'm a JD which is what my initials stand for a Jesus Disciple a disciple of Jesus by my love one for another I could have never had that love had I not gone through such difficulty and such hardship would have never been as patient with people I could be always more patient I need to be more patient as a father first as a pastor certainly but with my children just being more patient I could have never been more patient had it not been for that trial and as I look back on it it's everything that is the fruit that is growing in my life the fruit of love the fruit of joy the fruit of peace the fruit of gentleness you know I maybe this is a sermon unto itself and a topic for another time but just talking about gentleness and kindness I saw a bumper sticker the other day this is this is interesting you know God speaks to me through bumper stickers just personalized license plates too you know it's bad when God has to use a bumper sticker or a personalized license plate to get through it you I saw a bumper sticker that said make America kind again I thought wow that's really interesting you know just an act of kindness a kind word you know people are hurting this is why I prayed this morning I felt impressed on my heart to pray God You You know every need of every heart of every one that is in this church and watching online as well and you know we're let's be honest we pastors are the worst okay so I'll just there I said it pastors are the worst at putting on the mask because after all aren't we supposed to be the holy ones right reverend oh come on don't ever call me that I think you know that right so we put on the facade we put on the mask to cover it up we don't feel safe making ourselves vulnerable and when we do that we're really playing right into the hand of the enemy that's exactly what the enemy wants that's exactly what the enemy intends because if we can't take the mask off if we can't be open and honest with others then how are we ever going to have the deliverance from it the encourage that can come we we rob ourselves of that which God intends for us encouraging one another stirring one another up in good works that's how a healthy body functions you know you know what they you know what cancer is cancer is when cells in the body go rogue if you will and attack the healthy cells that's cancer and I think in a lot of ways a spiritual cancer can spread when it comes to this some of the best experiences that I've ever had in my Christian life as a pastor has been when I've been willing to just open up to somebody I'm not saying you just bare your soul to everybody you've got to be prudent and discerning but that brother that sister in Christ and you know they come up to you and they say hey how're you doing fine great praise the Lord I often wonder what would happen if the next time somebody says hey how you doing your answer was honest and you shared with them you know I'm not doing that great actually really having a hard time struggling going through a real difficult and painful trial you know I could use someone like Paul to pray for me I need you to pray for me and oh it's so sad let me just this would be the last thing and then we'll close and go to the prophecy update but it's so sad to me you know we're afraid to ask people to pray for us because we fear that they will gossip about us behind our backs I mean think about this here's a brother and sister in Christ and they're going through tremendous difficulty in the marriage and they open up and ask for prayer would you pray for my marriage pray for my husband pray for me unless God does something we're not going to make it we're not going to make it and then that person that you make yourself vulnerable to goes to somebody else and says hey we need to pray for so-and-so did you hear oh and what's the result you just close up I think about parents with their kids and how here they are just aching in their hearts my son my daughter would you please pray for them and instead of praying for them everybody hears about them and then there's this different dynamic now because everybody looks at you and your failure as a parent and there's judgment that comes maybe that's a word for somebody here today I thank God for the guys in my life that God has brought into my life that I can just be very open with and say hey man I'm struggling going through a really hard time I know God is producing a work in me and fruit is growing in my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world as painful and as hard as it is but I just need somebody to come alongside of me and lift up my hands and pray for me you know sometimes just an encouraging word or a pat on the back man I can go like a good month on something like that you know just a kind word just a gentle spirit just a brotherly love from someone during a hard time let's pray Father in heaven I thank You Lord if there's somebody here or watching online that knows that they were here today and heard this today because of what they're going through today I pray that You as only You can would encourage them and strengthen them give them the endurance the perseverance that they need the patience the power and Lord even put it on the heart of another brother another sister to come alongside them and them and pray for them as Paul did for the Colossians in Jesus name Amen

Channel: J.D. Farag

Views: 20,438

Rating: 4.9132791 out of 5

Keywords: Hardship, Hard Times, Faith, Illness, Affliction, Suffering, Happy, Joy, Humility, Fear, Death, Future, Love, Storms, Loneliness, Impossible, Problems, Prayer, Jesus, Weary, Discouraged, Despair, Quitting, Kindness, Compassion, Brokenness, Gentleness, Trials, Pain, Depression, Holy, Bible, Hope, Help, Free, Life, Strength, Peace, Truth, Happiness, Rest, Harmony, Light, Salvation, Forgiveness, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Lord, Pastor, Grace, Mercy, Ministry, Messiah

Id: ptjLBunDZ3k

Length: 46min 4sec (2764 seconds)

Published: Sun May 19 2019