Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Introduction

A. Attention-getter:

Examples of how words can be used to build up or tear down.

Examples of how my life and conduct can either put Christ on display, or bring shame upon the name of Christ.

This evening, as we consider these verses from Colossians 4:5-6, we must see the emphasis that Paul places on the use of our lives and our lips in the service of Jesus Christ.

We need to keep in mind that this is approaching the end of Paul’s letter to the Colossians.

The first 2 chapters were spent outlining the theological truths for Christians in Christ.

He presents these grand and glorious truths about who Christ is, and what Christ has done for these Christians.

And that forms the basis for his exhortations in terms of how they are to live and to relate to one another, which is what we considered from chapter three, and into chapter 4.

We’ve spent a number of weeks looking at those exhortations in terms of how they are to live.

And, if you’re like me, you’ve probably been somewhat convicted and challenged in terms of how radically different the manner of life of a Christian ought to be when compared to the world.

We are called to live lives that are different.

But we need to make that connection between the doctrine and the life of a Christian.

I do want to emphasize that.

It’s regeneration that enables us to live differently, but God uses truth to sanctify us.

John 17:17

In other words, as we grow in our convictions and understanding of doctrine, our life changes.

If our lives are not honoring Christ, the first step is not simply to try harder, but rather to study further the truth of God, and to pray for a clearer and deeper appreciation of those truths.

The Christian life, practically speaking, has been the focal point of our study.

But Paul ends off this section on Christian conduct with some exhortations to the church in terms of their testimony and witness to the world that is watching.

While the previous exhortations have honed in on our relations with other Christians, both in the context of the church, and also in households, Paul now turns his attention to focus in on how we as Christians are to behave towards those outside of the church.

This is really important.

God is concerned not merely with how Christians treat one another, but with how Christians put Christ on display through their interactions with those who are not Christians.

With that in mind, we are going to be considering these two verses under two main points.

1.

A Life in Service of Christ

Paul writes in Colossians 4:5…

Notice Paul’s exhortations here.

There are two key instructions here from Paul as he encourages the Christians.

1.1 Be Wise Towards Outsiders

Firstly, he calls upon Christians to “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders.”

The “outsiders” that are referred to here are those who are not in Christ, those who are not Christians.

The manner of our interactions as believers with those who do not know Christ and the Gospel is very important.

There are a few things that we need to consider as we think what Paul is referring to here.

One aspect is that Christians are called to be ambassadors for Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV84)

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us...

Christians need to be wise in their manner of conduct, in their way in which they live before outsiders, because we are the ambassadors of the eternal God, and the King of kings.

We understand the significance of an ambassador in terms of representing their country.

In 2002, it was revealed that Amanda Vanstone (Australian Ambassador to Italy) had appointed her hairdresser as a cultural attache at the Australian embassy in Rome, despite the individual having no qualifications or experience for the role.

This led to widespread criticism and calls for her resignation, with many arguing that she had brought shame to the Australian diplomatic corps and the country as a whole.

She later resigned from her position as a result of this controversy.

For us as Christians, our home, our true citizenship is in heaven, and we are acting as ambassadors in this world, prior to Christ coming to finally establish His kingdom.

We need to ask ourselves, as Christians living in this world that is not truly our home, am I living my life as a noble and worthy ambassador for my King, Jesus Christ?

What do my actions and decisions in life communicate to the watching world about Jesus Christ?

In the early church, there are godly examples of Christians who refused to engage in the practices of society around them, because they knew that they were serving their Lord and master.

One commentator writes this:

Colossians and Philemon (4:5, 6)

In the days of the early church believers were often slandered by these outsiders.

For example, they were called atheists because they served no visible gods, unpatriotic because they did not burn incense before the image of the emperor, and immoral because, of necessity, they would often meet behind locked doors.

The apostle knew that the best way to defeat this slander was for Christians daily to conduct themselves not only virtuously instead of wickedly but also wisely instead of foolishly.

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It was then as it is now: in the long run the reputation of the gospel depends on the conduct of its devotees.

It is as if the apostle were saying, “Behave wisely toward outsiders, always bearing in mind that though few men read the sacred scrolls, all men read you.”

Now, that is certainly true in our own day.

Although few would seek to read the Scriptures, they are daily reading the lives of Christians around them.

As we live as Christians in this world, what do our lives say about our belief in God, our hope?

What do our lives say about the power of the Gospel to transform us?

As you look at your own life, and evaluate your actions and conduct in the arena of unbelievers (in other words, outside of the church life) how are you living?

What are you indulging in?

Are you acting in every respect, and in every moment, as an ambassador of Christ?

Taking this a step further, being wise in interactions with outsiders is an expression of love and respect for those who do not yet know Christ.

In other words, we need to always be conscious of how we are engaging with and treating others.

The tone with which we are engaging.

The words that we use as we engage with them.

Do the promote the advancement of the Gospel because our lives have a winsome character to those interacting with us?

While we are to put Christ on display in our lives, and while there is necessary time and place to call people to repentance, we need to ask if our lives demonstrate a love and care for those who are not in Christ.

All of these speak to the importance of acting in a wise way that will win over the hearts of the people.

Beyond this, there is the possibility that Paul had in his mind the words of Christ as he penned these words.

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said…

Even as we go out into a world that is hostile towards Christians, we need to go with a good measure of wisdom and understanding.

We should not be naive about the way in which the world would operate.

How should we do this practically?

Firstly, we need to be discerning in our relationships: Christians should be cautious about who they spend their time with, and should be aware of people who may try to lead them astray or take advantage of them.

Another area of wisdom is being prepared for persecution: Christians should be aware that their faith may lead to persecution, and should be prepared to stand firm in their beliefs even in the face of opposition.

The question is, are we being wise.

1.2.

Make the Most of Every Opportunity

Paul very clearly exhorts these Christians that as they live out their lives as ambassadors in this world, they are to make the most of every opportunity.

This generally means that Christians ought to live sober and careful lives, knowing that the world in which we live is not only sin-cursed, but that our time here in preparation for our true home is limited.

There is a spiritual battle being waged in the world, and we have a duty and responsibility to wise living.

Satan is at work; people not in Christ are seeking opportunities to bring the gospel into disrepute, and to dishonour Christ.

We thus have a responsibility to live very carefully in the world.

We also need to live with the realisation that our days in this world are numbered, and we thus need to be careful to live each of them wisely.

We need to live with a constant reminder that our days are numbered, and the time for living with wisdom, and the time for bringing honour to Christ is not next year, or even next week.

We ought to make the most of every opportunity.

Now, do keep in mind that all of this is to be done for the sake of the Gospel.

In other words, live each day as an ambassador for Christ, making the most of every opportunity in every day to glorify Him.

2. Our Lips in the Service of Christ

As Christians, the words we speak hold a great deal of weight and power.

They can be used to build others up or tear them down, to bring healing or cause harm.

As such, it is crucial that we are intentional in our speech and use it to glorify God and serve others.

Notice how Paul says that our lips are to be used in the service of Christ.

Firstly, he says that our conversation must be always full of grace.

In other words, as we as Christians engage with others, the words and the tone, and the manner of our speech should that which is filled with grace.

This means that our words should be spoken in a way that brings honor to God and blesses others, rather than causing harm or offense.

The word "grace" in this verse is translated from the Greek word "charis", which means "unmerited favor" or "free gift".

So, Paul is calling upon Christians to speak words of grace, which are words that reflect the undeserved kindness and love of God.

That ought to be the manner of speech of the Christian.

Now, I think it’s important to see that Paul is saying here that our words are to be such even to those who are unbelievers, even those who we may deem to be unworthy.

Keep in mind that the grace of God was freely given to us.

It was not on the basis of merit, but God freely gave it.