Striving according to His working which works in me mightily

Text: Colossians 1:24-29
18 May 2008

(I) THE POWER OF GOD DEMONSTRATED IN JESUS

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Luke 4:1

“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee…” Luke 4:14

The Lord Jesus as the supreme example

(II) THE POWER OF GOD PROMISED

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

1. Promise of power by the Lord Jesus (Cf. John 14-16)

2. Promise of power through the ministry of the Holy Spirit

3. Promise of power to witness

4. Promise of power to reach “the end of the world” for Christ effectively

(III) THE POWER OF GOD AS EXPERIENCED BY THE APOSTLE PAUL

“To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:29

1. The power to labour

a) Preaching ( Colossians 1;28 )

b) Admonishing ( Colossians 1:28 )

c) Teaching ( Colossians 1:28 )

d) Producing mature believers ( Colossians 1:28 )

2. The power that creates Drive

“…striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:29

a) Striving

b) God’s working (in a believer)

c) Mightily

(IV) POWERFUL CHALLENGE

1. To discover that promised power

2. To be driven by that power of the Spirit of God