Rightly Dividing God's Word for a Steadfast Life (Colossians 1:11)
This sermon unpacks vital principles for engaging with the Bible, moving beyond surface reading to a deeper, life-transforming encounter with God's truth. It invites listeners to cultivate a teachable heart and understand the profound distinctions that illuminate God's grace for daily living.
This sermon encourages believers to approach God's word with a humble heart, seeking revelation over mere knowledge, and to rightly divide scripture to live a life of patience and endurance, empowered by God's grace.
Overview
The sermon emphasizes the vital importance of occupying one's time with God's word, meditating on it day and night as Joshua did. This constant engagement is presented as the key to making one's way prosperous and achieving true success, which is defined not by material gain but by having time to serve the Lord and experiencing His blessings.
A teachable and humble heart is identified as the most crucial element when approaching scripture. The preacher distinguishes between accumulating intellectual knowledge, which can puff up, and receiving revelation knowledge, which makes a person like a stable rock and allows God to speak a "now word" directly into their lives.
A core principle highlighted is the necessity of "rightly dividing the word of truth." This involves understanding the distinction between the Old (law) and New (grace) covenants, and interpreting biblical passages within their proper historical and redemptive contexts. Examples include Jesus's initial instruction to disciples to go only to the Jews and His selective reading from Isaiah 61 to mark the shift from the year of salvation to the future day of vengeance.
The sermon culminates with an application of Colossians 1:11, revealing that God's glorious power strengthens believers primarily for all endurance in adverse circumstances and for patience with people, to be exercised with joyfulness. This internal transformation, expressed through kindness and humility in relationships, is portrayed as deeply pleasing to God, often more so than outward achievements.
Key points
- Meditating on God's word day and night, as instructed to Joshua, is essential for prosperity and achieving good success.
- Approaching the Bible with a teachable and humble heart enables believers to receive revelation knowledge, providing stability and impact.
- Rightly dividing the word means discerning between the Old Covenant (law) and New Covenant (grace), and understanding the specific context and audience of scripture.
- Jesus's first coming was to save, and the sin of rejecting grace is presented as more severe than the sin of Sodom.
- God's power, as prayed for in Colossians 1:11, strengthens believers for endurance in trials and patience with people, always with joyfulness.
- True love and pleasing God are demonstrated through patience, kindness, and humility in relationships, valuing others above self-interest.
- Believers are encouraged to "work out" the divine desires, willingness, and power that God has already "worked in" them, allowing these gifts to flow into their lives and ministries.
In Joseph Prince's words
“What you need is a revelation knowledge and revelation when revelation I want you all to become revelation junkies.”
“The son of man did not come to destroy man's life, but to save them.”
Outline
- I. The Importance of Occupation with God's Word
- A. Meditating Day and Night (Joshua 1:8, Psalms 1)
- B. The Need for a Teachable and Humble Heart
- C. Seeking Revelation Knowledge Over Mere Accumulation
- II. Understanding the Covenants: Law and Grace
- A. Jesus Born Under the Law to Redeem (Galatians 4)
- B. Distinguishing Jesus's Earthly Ministry from the Ascended Christ's Words
- C. Jesus's Ministry Primarily to Jews Initially (Matthew 10)
- D. Rightly Dividing the Word: The Acceptable Year vs. Day of Vengeance (Isaiah 61, Luke 4)
- E. Jesus Rebukes the Judgmental Spirit (Luke 9, Elijah example)
- F. The Sin of Rejecting Grace (Sodom and Capernaum)
- III. Principles for Interpreting the Bible
- A. Contextual Interpretation: To Whom and When (1 Corinthians 10, Hebrews 10)
- B. Understanding "Working Out Your Salvation" (Philippians 2:12-13)
- C. God's Strengthening for Patience and Longsuffering (Colossians 1:11)
- 1. Endurance in Adverse Circumstances
- 2. Patience with People
- 3. With Joyfulness
- IV. The Greater Value of Love and Humility
- A. Pleasing God Through Patience and Kindness in Relationships
- B. Giving and Loving Without Expecting Return
- V. Call to Salvation and Final Blessing
Scripture references
- Joshua 1:8
- Psalms 1
- Galatians 4
- Matthew 10
- Isaiah 61
- Luke 4
- Luke 9
- 1 Corinthians 10
- Hebrews 10
- Philippians 2:12-13
- Colossians 1:11
- Mark 16
- Deuteronomy
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Insights
Occupation with God's word shapes our pathway to true success.
A humble, teachable heart opens the door to divine revelation.
Rightly dividing scripture reveals God's heart of grace and salvation.
Questions & answers
What does the sermon say is most needed when approaching God's word?
A teachable and humble heart is essential, allowing God to speak a "now word" and seeking revelation knowledge rather than just accumulating facts that can lead to pride.
How does the sermon explain "good success" from Joshua 1:8?
Good success, according to the sermon, is not about endless work or wealth accumulation, but rather having time to serve the Lord, come to church, and experiencing money working for you instead of the other way around.
What is meant by "rightly dividing the word"?
Rightly dividing the word means understanding the correct context of scriptures, differentiating between the Old (law) and New (grace) covenants, and knowing to whom specific instructions were given at what time.
What is the significance of Jesus's act of closing the book in Luke 4, after quoting Isaiah 61?
By stopping after "the acceptable year of the Lord" and not reading "the day of vengeance of our God," Jesus indicated a 2,000-year gap, showing his first coming was for salvation, not judgment.
How does the sermon define "work out your own salvation" from Philippians 2:12?
It is explained as believers working out what God has already worked in them (divine desires and willingness), not earning salvation, but expressing the wholeness and blessings already received through Christ.
What does God's strengthening (Colossians 1:11) primarily empower believers for?
God's glorious power strengthens believers for endurance in adverse circumstances and for patience with people, both to be experienced with joyfulness.
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