Walk in Wisdom Toward Those Outside

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak.

PRAYER

STORY 1: STAR WARS

POINT 1: INDIRECT INVOLVEMENT THROUGH PRAYER

Prayer is not an intercom for God to serve our domestic comforts.

It’s the walkie talkie between soldiers and headquarters.

Paul is in spiritual battle to capture hearts for God, but has met counterforce.

Now a prisoner of war he smuggles a letter. In it he asks them to ask headquarters to fire a missile that will blast open the prison, so he can get on with the mission.

The point is this: soldiers to the rear with walkie-talkie of prayer are crucial in the frontline success of evangelism. If they weren’t, this text would be a sham.

How To Pray

All analogies are imperfect, so let’s look straight at the text

I see three things on how to pray and three on what to pray for evangelism support.

1. Persistently

Verse 2: “Continue steadfastly in prayer.”

Prayer is no phone that stores energy when not using it, and runs down when you do.

Prayer is the opposite.

It increases in power the more it’s used, hang it up the power drains.

If you want to have a crucial role in spiritual warfare and not just be passed over as a useless soldier, you need to keep on the walkie talkie.

2. Watchfully

Verse 2: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it.”

This means that the enemy knows the danger of these walkie-talkies.

He will try to jam the airwaves, steal the transmitter, or just put you to sleep.

Jams the airwaves by filling our lives with the clutter of nonessentials.

Steals the transmitter by deceiving us it is broken and won’t work.

Puts us to sleep by tempting us to stay up late so we are tired and can’t concentrate.

The only way to get victory over Satan’s devices is to be watchful.

Vigilance must mark our lives every day.

3. Thankfully

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

At times our hearts thump our hands clam, but the Christian soldier keeps going!

Headquarters in heaven is in control, progress is being made on all fronts, the battle is the Lord’s, the victory on the cross and empty tomb have all been won by Christ, and He is leading His church in triumph!

Our praying is to be done with thanksgiving, because we keep our eyes on the victory of God. We do not fight as losers or even as those who are uncertain.

What To Pray

In verses 3-4 Paul tells us 3 things to pray in our support of frontline evangelism.

1. For the Storm Troopers

Verse 3: “Pray for us also …”

All Christians are soldiers. All have walkie-talkies.

But there is different assignment on the battlefield. ”He has given some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastor-teachers”. We can call these the storm troopers.

All Christian should use their walkie-talkies for the sake of the storm troopers.

Every one should have some missionaries and pastors that they focus on specifically.

2. For Openings for Gospel Opportunities

Verse 3: “Pray for us also that God may open to us a door for the word.”

There is a difference between ordinary speaking about Christ, and periodic, extraordinary opportunities for effective proclamation.

In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul says, “I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” And in 2 Corinthians 2 he said, “When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord.”

This should be our constant request going over the walkie-talkie.

3. For the Mystery of Christ to Be Made Plain

Verse 3b–4: “… to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak.”

The goal of evangelism is to make a mystery clear. The gospel is not a mystery because it is confusing or a tricky riddle, but because no one would ever know unless God made it plain.

These are the mystery hidden from the ages in God, but now to be revealed and made plain to the world—that is evangelism.

STORY 2: STRUGGLE TO WATCH SPORTS

SCRIPTURE 2:

So I want to turn now to verses 5 and 6 and shift our focus off of our indirect involvement in evangelism through prayer for the storm troopers, to the daily direct involvement in evangelism that every soldier is supposed to have where we live and work and play.

“Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.”

POINT 2: DIRECT INVOLVEMENT THROUGH

CONDUCT AND SPEECH

These verses answer how all of us believers are supposed to relate to unbelievers.

How we accomplish as much spiritual good as we can in these relationships.

That’s what he means in verse 5 when he says to “make the most of the time.” Literally, “Buy up the opportunity.”

No moment is insignificant for the Christian who is devoted to purchasing of moments.

How Can We Buy Up Every Opportunity?

1. Wise Behavior

Verse 5: “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders.”

Wisdom is knowing what to do for the glory of God.

How to become all things to all men without compromising holiness.

There Are 4 Sources Of Wisdom.

Meditation on the Scriptures: Psalm 19:7

Prayer: James 1

Sound counselors (the book of Proverbs!).

The practice of principles in real life experience (Hebrews 5:14).

2. Salty Speech

Verse 6: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.”

I take this to mean that what we say about Christ and about the Christian life should be made as appetizing as possible. When food is not salted, its taste is bland. It’s unappetizing.

How can you speak about Christ so that there is an appetizing flavor to it?

Simply spending time daily reminding ourself from Scripture why the gospel tastes good.

Some of us neglect enjoying Christ. Then an opportunity comes along and we realize that our taste buds has grown dull. It’s hard to salt your speech when you haven’t been enjoying the taste yourself.

3. Individual Attention

Verse 6b: “… so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.”

Each person is different and each situation is different. The gospel is the same, and Christ is the same, but there are countless ways to serve the meal.

We need wisdom how to serve and wisdom how to season it.

Story Of Mom Making Spaghetti

CONCLUSION

So let’s pick up the walkie-talkie and support the storm troopers with persistence and watchfulness and confident gratitude.

And let’s buy up every opportunity for eternity with wise conduct and salty speech and individual attention.

Here’s How:

Take one name of a missionary and pastor

Write down one name of a friend whose life you will season this month

PRAYER

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