Citizens of the Kingdom
Introduction:
After Paul reminds the Colossian Christians about what the gospel,
the truth, has produced, he then informs them about the Kingdom of
Christ. He tells of the entrance into it, the blessing of being a
citizen and how one is to live while in the kingdom of Christ.
Text:
Colossians 1:9-14
Body:
I.
Entrance into the Kingdom
Colossians 1:13
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into
the kingdom of the Son of His love,”
NKJV
Delivered:
We are snatched from the power of darkness; rescued from the
authority of Satan and evil; freed from the rule of sin. (Romans
6:16-18)
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey,
you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to
death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked
that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been
set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
NKJV
Darkness enslaves us. It is our master and tyrant. When we were
“children of disobedience”, when we “loved darkness rather than
light,” that was because our deeds were evil. But God be thanked
that we can be delivered from that power of darkness and be
translated into the kingdom of Christ. The word “translate” was
used in literature of that period to describe the removal of persons
from one country in order to settle them as colonists and citizens
in another. So we have been transported from the realm of darkness
into the realm of light. (I
Peter 2:9-10)
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises
of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who
once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not
obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
NKJV
We, who once were under the rule of sin, have been reestablished
under the rule of Christ and are made citizens of His kingdom. Thus
the Kingdom was in existence in the first century. People entered
it by the act of Christian baptism. (John
3:5)
“Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”
NKJV
Thus those in the Kingdom are those “called out” of the world. The
Bible uses the term “church” to refer to the called out ones.
II.
The Blessings of the Kingdom
Colossians 1:12,14
Colossians 1:14
“in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins.”
NKJV
A.
Verse 14
Those who are in the kingdom, who are in Christ, are those who are
bought at a price and brought back into a saved relationship with
the Father. The word “redemption” was used for deliverance of
slaves from bondage. This redemption is made possible by Christ’s
blood, which was shed so we might have forgiveness of sins. But who
are those who are in the kingdom, who have been redeemed, whose sins
have been forgiven by the blood of Christ? The Church! Read
Acts 20:28.
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
God which He purchased with His own blood.”
NKJV
Colossians 1:12
“giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
NKJV
B.
Verse 12
Just as each Israelite was allotted a share in the inheritance of
the Promised Land, God the Father qualifies or entitles each
Christian to an inheritance in Christ’s Kingdom now and then
in the Kingdom of Heaven one day. (Matthew
25:34)
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come you
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom Prepared for you from the
foundation of the world:”
(II
Timothy 4:18)
“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me
for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”
NKJV
Let’s be thankful for these wonderful blessings.
III.
Living in the Kingdom
Colossians 1:9-11
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being
fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11
strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for
all patience and longsuffering with joy;”
NKJV
A.
Means Increasing One’s Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding of the
Kingdom
(Verses
9,10b)
Knowledge is that which comes through much study and hard
work. We must pay the price and “search the Scriptures daily.”
Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge we have learned through
study. Knowledge is allowed to sit in our minds and we contemplate
it for a while. Understanding is the ability to use what we
have learned to change our lives, our thoughts, speech, and
behavior. (Proverbs
9:9-10)
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a
just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is
understanding.”
NKJV
B.
Means Walking Worthy of the Lord
(Verse
10a)
Paul in the companion epistle of Ephesians, puts it this way.
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy
of the calling with which you were called.” (Ephesians 4:1)
Paul wanted the Christians to live as they knew they should, in
accordance with their belief in Jesus as Lord of their lives.
Knowing the truth wasn’t enough, they had to put that knowledge into
action. (James
1:22)
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves.”
NKJV
We deceive ourselves if we think hearing is all we need to be
pleasing to God. Why is this so important? (II
Corinthians 5:9-10)
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well
pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
NKJV
C.
Being Fruitful in Every Good Work
(Verse
10b)
The Scriptures thoroughly equip us for every good work. (II
Timothy 3:16-17)
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work.”
NKJV
These works can be classified into three broad groups:
Evangelism [seeking the lost], Benevolence [helping the
needy], and Edification [strengthening the saved].
(Matthew
9:35-36)
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in
their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw
the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they
were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
NKJV
Paul says in
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
NKJV
Carrying out this great task means that each of us must find our
area of service. What can I do personally? Every citizen of the
Kingdom has responsibility to the king and other citizens to do his
part in carrying out the mission of Christ’s Kingdom. (I
Corinthians 12)
Verses 4-6
“There
are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are
differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in
all.”
The strength to perform these good works comes ultimately from the
power of God. (Ephesians
3:16)
“that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to
be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,”
NKJV
D.
Means Being Patient and Joyful
(Verse
11b)
These are qualities we need to acquire in our lives. Don’t confuse
patience with inaction! This refers to going ahead regardless of
what life throws at you; standing tall when the easiest thing to do
would be to give up. We must look for the good, even during times
of sadness. (Romans
8:28)
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
NKJV
Longsuffering
is not losing patience with people, not giving up on them, but
continuing to have hope for them. Being Joyful comes from
being redeemed, being saved from our sins, being part of the Kingdom
of Christ. This joy is seen in Paul’s words of
Philippians 3:20.
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
NKJV
Invitation:
Where is your citizenship? Are you eagerly waiting for the Savior?
Why not today be translated from the power of darkness into the
kingdom of Christ? Bobby Stafford
November 6, 2016 [Evening]
Colossians: Lesson 2
Colossians 1:9-14
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