Is Knowledge Important for the Christian Life?

Introduction: Built Up in the Knowledge of Christ

If you have a Bible nearby, I’d encourage you to start turning with me to the book of Colossians. A couple weeks ago we began a new Sunday evening sermon series through this part of the Bible. And so far we’ve seen that God gave us these words of Scripture through a man named Paul. Paul, you may remember, was one of the special ambassadors Jesus sent out to establish the Church. And as Paul writes with this special authority from Jesus, he’s sending a letter to a local church that was located in the ancient city of Colossae. (That’s why this is called the letter to the Colossians). Colossae was a smaller city. In fact, interestingly enough, it probably wasn’t too different in population from the community around our church in Mt Pleasant, MI. But even though it was smaller than a few other cities in the region, this was a place where Christians needed encouragement, to be rooted in Christ and built up in his truth. And God knew, by giving this letter to the Colossians, he wouldn’t just be helping give knowledge to those Christians from 2000 years ago. But these words were also written with you and I in mind. God knew that his timeless truths would be just as important for us, so that we could be rooted and built up in Christ as well.

If you were here a couple weeks ago, you may remember we started in Colossians Chapter 1, looking at verses one through 8. And we specifically noticed Paul’s thankfulness. He was an example of gratitude, and he also encouraged gratitude among the Colossians. And in light of this, we spent some time considering the practical importance of being thankful people, for our endurance in the faith, for our joyful witness, and for our contentment in the face of temptation. But this evening, we not only see Paul’s encouraging prayers of thanksgiving. But we also see Paul praying in another way. He explains how he’s been making a number of requests, for the Colossians to be built up in Christ, and to be built up in knowledge for right living. And that’s where we’ll focus our attention this evening.

So if you haven’t already, please turn with me to Colossians Chapter 1. I’ll be reading from Colossians 1, verse 9 through the end of verse 14. But before I read our text, please join me again in prayer. [Prayer]

Sermon Text: Colossians 1:9-14 – “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

[For the rest of the sermon, check out the audio recording link, shown above]