Praying in Pursuit of God's Priorities:
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Text: Acts 26:16-21
Intro: The last time we were in the book of Acts we discussed Paul’s conversion and how it isn’t a pattern for us, but it is a pattern for the Jew “On that day”. Now, that being said, does this mean that there is no pattern for us? No, of course not, just because Paul’s salvation is not our pattern, that doesn’t mean the result of what came after is not a pattern. God uses Paul, to lay out a pattern for us to follow, and we see part of it here in Acts 26, but today we are going to turn to the book of Colossians chapter 4.
I’d like to lay some ground work before we begin. Colossians is a prison epistle, meaning Paul is writing from a Roman jail. In Col. 4, Paul encourages the saints is Colosse to continue in prayer, and then he goes on and asks them to pray for him.
What really touched my heart about his request is this. We might think that Paul would ask for prayer concerning himself because of his situation. Because he is imprisoned and has been suffering for the cause of Christ, for food, clothing, sickness, his family, or freedom. In this life if difficult circumstances, we often find ourselves praying for those things that have become priorities in our life. The loss of a job, our car breaks down, a loved one gets sick, we pray for those things often and we should, we pray for them because they are a priority in our life.
The prayer pursuit of God’s priorities: Col. 4:2-6
Here is the question: Our priorities often receive our most fervent prayers, in pursuit of resolve, but do we ever pray in pursuit of God’s priorities?
Paul’s request for prayer is not actually a prayer for Paul, but a prayer for people.
1. God must open the door: Col. 4:3
The door spoken of here is the door of opportunity, but doors are not our responsibility, they are God’s. That being said then, when it comes to doors being closed, that is not so that we become excellent locksmiths, or that God has the intent that we power them open, or even that we pry them open. God intends for us to pray them open.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
What the Bible is teaching us here, is that in order for someone to get saved, the sovereignty of God must be at work! And that is not a Calvinistic statement, it is a Bible statement. I do not have a Calvinistic bone in my body… So we compare spiritual with spiritual, undeniably, God must work in order for someone to be saved, but that work at some time or another, is a work that works in everyone's life.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
In a prayer that is in pursuit of God’s priority, is a prayer that seeks an open door, so that we are working in the same place that God is working. That’s what Paul is praying for… Paul didn’t want to waste time being ineffective in a place that God was not working in, and he would have done that if he was prying open the doors, it is the ineffectiveness of reaching people today. An ineffectiveness caused by a work without God, and an ineffectiveness that has led, to a greater pursuit of work, based entirely on self. Meaning, if we cannot open the door, we change the tactic…
Please hear me this morning, if God doesn’t open the door, then the door must not be opened.
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
If Jesus did nothing away from where the Father worked, then neither should we… Our prayers must be in pursuit of God’s priorities, so that we pursue the doors that God has opened.
Acts 16:1-5 Record for us the start of Paul’s second missionary journey. He has broken away from Barnabas and is not working with Silas. They are working in region of Phrygia and Galatia, but as God begins to close the door there, they pursue the next opening. Read verse 6-10.
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
If we were looking at a map of the area, Galatia is to the East, they attempted to go North, but God closed the door, they attempted to go South, but God closed the door, so what is left? West, so west they went and when arriving in Troas, which about as west as you can go from Galatia because of the Aegean Sea, there God led them to Macedonia, which was on the west side of the Aegean sea.
Jesus worked where the Father was worked! We must pursue the work where God is!
2. We must walk: Meaning we must live the life. It must be believable by the evidence of our life! Col. 4:5
Without being without Christ...
What does this look like? Since the beginning of Col. 3 Paul has been showing us, and we must look no further than our relationship with Christ.
Vs. 1-2 Our affections set on things above.
Vs. 5 Mortify the deeds of this body which is a result of vs. 1-2, and takes place when we follow vs. 8.
vs. 8 Put off the old man, stop walking as you once walked, and...
vs. 12 Put on the new man.
Which are the very things that Christ had on when He made you a new man, so the results are this: Vs. 12-14
So what does that look like?
Vs. 15 - The peace of God will rule in your heart
vs. 16 The word of God will dwell in you richly
vs. 17 So that every word from your mouth, and deed through your body, is effected by it.
vs. 18-21 Shows us what walking in wisdom looks like in relation to the family.
vs. 18 Wives submitting
vs. 19 Husbands loving.
Vs. 20 Children obeying.
Vs. 21 Fathers not provoking.
Vs. 22 Shows us what walking in wisdom looks like in relation to work. Servants serve their masters, like they would serve God, and masters, take care of servants, like God takes care of them.
We become most effective in the work of God, when the work that God is doing in becomes evident. Meaning we are different, then the people we are trying to reach, why? Because we walk in a different wisdom.
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Not in the wisdom of the world, but in the wisdom of God!
It is not because they see us leave our house Sunday morning to head to church, it is not because we dress differently, it is not because we have learned Christian lingo, (Christainese). It is not by how we talk, but through the evidence of our walk.
It is not through lifestyle evangelism, however, it starts there.
They will know by how we walk that what we then say is believable.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
3. We have to open our mouth: (vs. 3 to speak the mystery of Christ) (vs. 4 ought to speak), (vs. 6 your speech) (vs. 6 ought to answer).
We have to first walk, and there is no replacement for that, and there is no overcoming it when we don’t...
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
I think most of us here today, would say that God has opened more doors that we have walked through...
This is something we ought to do. Vs. 4
We can be part of a good church, a great work, but do we take responsibility...
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
Paul is stating here, that the same gospel that transformed him, and transformed his life, is the same gospel that has been entrusted to him. Meaning he became a steward of it, it is not his but his Masters, and a good steward is in the business of pleasing the Master.
If you have been transformed by the gospel of Christ this morning then understand that, that came with responsibility. You have become a steward of the gospel, to live it, the to share it!
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
This is not the first prayer meeting of the NT church, but the first one that we know what they prayed for… They prayed for boldness
Could you imagine if we prayed like this? If we prayed like this?
For God to open doors:
For us to walk through them:
For us to live the abundant life:
For us to open our mouths boldly for His name!
4. We must know the message: vs. 3-4 The right message, the right way:
What is the mystery of Christ?
In the NT a mystery is not the great unknown or it is not that which remains unsolved. It is something that previously was unknown but know is made known!
Col. 2:2-3, Col. 1:25-27
The mystery is this: God taking up residence inside of us. This is something that previously was unknown, God had taken up residence, in the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, and they knew that, but we are know the Temple!
We pray, God opens doors, we follow, we open our mouth, but what is it that we are supposed to speak? The Gospel!
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
New Tract:
Know that when we do this, there is an enemy...
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Col. 4:6 - Notice it doesn’t say sales pitch, it says speech. Notice is says “that ye may know how” This doesn’t mean that we give an answer to every man, it means that we have discernment concerning the door. Has God opened this door, and if not, know that your prying it open isn’t a work of God, and that you very well may cause more harm then good.
Seasoned with salt: This isn't’ much in this world that is more enjoyable than a big bowl of buttery popcorn that has been seasoned just right with salt. There ins’t much in this world less enjoyable than a bowl of salt, seasoned with a little popcorn.
There is an enemy, expect persecution, Col. 4:3 Paul is in bonds...
For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
Paul is writing from Ephesus, notice he doesn't say but there are many adversaries, he says “and”. Open doors and adversaries go together.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
We must make the most of every opportunity.
Because of vs. 5, (them that are without)
redeeming the time: Financial term, bind up every opportunity that the Lord gives, because doors that opened before us, do not always remain open.