INTRODUCTION

1. The Lord has done much for us

2. His provision is amazing

a) Faith and Hope

b) Strength and Power

c) The Church

d) His promises to provide

e) His commitment to be with us and to protect

3. What is our challenge?

“To walk worthy of the Lord!”

 

PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIAN CHURCH

9 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; Colossians 1:9-10

1. Prayer (Part 1)

a) To be filled with the knowledge of God’s will

b) To have the needed wisdom

c) To have spiritual understanding

2. Prayer (Part 2)

a) To walk worthy of the Lord

b) Fully pleasing Him

c) Being fruitful in every good work

d) Increasing in the knowledge of God

 

THE CALL TO WALK WORTHY

32 “Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;

36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.

And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:32-39

1. The Context

a) Appointment of the Apostles

b) Sending them out as His servants

2. Some challenges highlighted

a) Confession of Denial

i) This was the choice

ii) The choice has to be made

b) Peace or a Sword

i) Accord

ii) Discord

c) The Family

i) United

ii) Divided

3. The Challenge to walk worthy

a) Love for the Lord

b) Love for Family

c) The challenge:

i) To deny self

ii) To take up cross

iii) To follow the Lord

iv) To be prepared to lose one’s life for the sake of the Lord

 

ANOTHER CHALLENGING WORD

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me,

et him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels,

and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:24-27

1. Three things to consider

a) To deny self

b) To take up his cross

c) To follow

2. Profit and Loss

a) To gain the world

b) To lose one’s soul

3. The promise of Reward

a) From the Lord

b) When He returns

 

OUR CHALLENGE

1. To walk worthy of the Lord’s calling

2. To consciously practise what the Lord challenges us to do

3. To pray humbly that we will be faithful to the very end