You're there in Colossians chapter one. Look at verse nine. He said, For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work. I mean, that was Paul's prayer for these people, for the Colossians, that they would be able to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work.
I mean, that was Paul's prayer for these people, for the Colossians, that they would be fruitful in every good work. You know, that's what we want here for our people at this church. We want everyone to be fruitful in every good work. And I know we talked about soul winning a lot, but there's a lot of other works to be done. You know, serving in a local church and, you know, helping with the cleaning and, you know, today the cooking is a big part of it. You know, there's a lot of little menial tasks that we have to do, right? Or what about, you know, raising families? That's a lot.
Okay. Now the church doesn't raise your family, but we can definitely help. You know, we can definitely give advice. We can give wisdom. We can give a place where you could, you know, do that in a wholesome environment. You can make long lasting relationships. And that's what Paul is saying. Look, he wants them to be fruitful in every good work. That's what we want here. We want people to have those relationships, to win those souls, to do that labor. Okay.
And he says, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. You know, we want people to learn the Bible, to know doctrine, and to understand Scripture. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power. Look, if you're going to be in it for the long haul, it's going to take what? Strength, might? And it's not of your own, right? Strength with all might according to his glorious power. You're going to need the strength of the Lord to do that. But notice what he says there, even with all that strength unto all that power.
All that strength unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness. Look, there's patience. You know, patience is a huge ingredient when it comes to living the Christian life because it's not easy.
And he says there unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness. You know, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about this message this morning that the Christian life is just this long painstaking drudgery that you just have to endure until the Lord comes.
Look, you can do it with joyfulness. Now, can the Christian life become a long painstaking endurance match? Yeah, it can be, you know, a life of attrition if you make it into one.
You know, if we're going to live in the flesh, if we're going to resist God, if we're going to have one foot in the world and one foot in the church, you know, don't be surprised when you start walking around in circles.
Okay. But if we're going to, you know, run the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus, you know, we can do that with patience, but also with joyfulness.
It might not be easy. It might be hard. But, you know, a job well done often brings, you know, a sense of accomplishment. It brings joy in your life, right? When we do something hard, we endure, we get through it, then we're able to look back and it puts a smile on our face.