The Simple Gospel Leads to Simple Family
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Throughout Colossians, we have seen again and again a series of SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS and SIMPLE TEACHING!
We have seen Paul’s SIMPLE explanation of who JESUS is! We have seen Paul’s SIMPLE explanation of how we are saved! We have seen Paul’s SIMPLE explanation of how we are TO LIVE in response to this! (EXPAND)
And now, as we come to Colossians 4, we see Paul give some SIMPLE final instructions!
The other thing about Colossians is that it isn’t just simple; it is APPLICABLE!
And the same is true in Colossians 4. It can be easy to think of Paul’s conclusions as unimportant for us today, but that isn’t true!
Paul’s greetings and his conclusions are very PURPOSEFUL and we can learn SO MUCH from them!
Main Point: As Christians we are called to engage in our worldwide family that is built off of the SIMPLE GOSPEL!
Main Point: As Christians we are called to engage in our worldwide family that is built off of the SIMPLE GOSPEL!
Body
Body
In Colossians 4:1 Paul wrapped up his section about how our RELATIONSHIPS should be TRANSFORMED by our NEW LIVES in JESUS!
Paul provides some final points of application in Colossians 4:2-6.
Let’s look at Colossians 4:2-4
2 Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, 4 so that I may make it known as I should.
As Paul wraps up Colossians, he reminds us of the importance of PRAYER!
We are to be DEVOTED to prayer! We are to be DEDICATED TO PRAYER! Another way to translate this word- devoted- is “PERSISTENT!” BE PERSISTENT IN PRAYER!
Do not waver in prayer! But not only that, STAY ALERT IN IT WITH THANKSGIVING!
Pray consistently, be DEVOTED, BE PERSISTENT in it and how should we do it? WE SHOULD DO IT WITH THANKSGIVING!
Thanksgiving! It’s being mentioned again. This is the 3rd time since Colossians 3:15 that Paul mentions thanksgiving and giving thanks!
It should be that engrained in us! We are to pray PERSISTENTLY and we are to GIVE THANKS THOROUGHLY!
ALWAYS, WE ARE CALLED TO GIVE THNAKS!
Our PRAYER LIFE SHOULD BE MARKED BY OUR THANKSGIVING!
But prayer isn’t just about thanksgiving. Paul gives a prayer request in verse 3.
Paul asks for prayer for two things.
First, Paul asks for prayer that God would OPEN A DOOR FOR THEM TO SHARE THE GOSPEL and secondly, Paul asks for prayer that he would MAKE IT KNOWN AS HE SHOULD!
That’s a lot of humility!
In all honesty, we probably think of Paul as the most effective and prolific evangelist in human history. But do you SEE what was going on underneath it?
PRAYER!
Cornerstone Family, I can’t stress enough, if we want to see Savoy TRANSFORMED, if we want to CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JESUS, then it all starts with prayer!
Notice that Paul doesn’t ask for prayer for a new technique or for a new evangelism training, or for someone else to do it; he asks for OPPORTUNITY AND FOR FAITHFULNESS!
Paul is asking for COURAGE! That’s a humble and powerful prayer!
Even as he is in chains, he is focused FULLY ON SHARING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!
I want to challenge us that it should be the same for us. What if we prayed for opportunity and faithfulness On our trips to the store, as we hangout with friends, as we go to the gym, as we go to work, as we get together on a friday night, or whatever else we do?
What if we approached EVERY DAY as a missional opportunity that has been delivered to us BY GOD!
Paul wants prayer because he wants to be faithful. And do you know the best part?
We have an assurance, just as Paul did, that God is not going to leave us!
Remember Matthew 28:20
“AND REMEMBER, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE!”
THAT IS REFERRING DIRECTLY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT! The HOLY SPIRIT IS WHAT PAUL IS RELYING ON AND PAUL KNOWS THAT GOD WILL NOT LEAVE HIM!
That’s a calming and encouraging reminder. Don’t overlook that. Instead, PRAY FOR FAITHFULNESS AND OPPORTUNITY! Let’s be like Paul and make this a CENTRAL POINT OF OUR PRAYER LIFE! And listen, I’m preaching this to myself also!
Regardless of our life stage, there are people for us to FAITHFULLY share with! Maybe it’s a coworker, maybe it’s a friend; maybe it’s a grandchild! Let’s be PRAYING FOR OPPORTUNITY AND FAITHFULNESS!
5 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
Paul continues on talking about how we should behave.
Paul challenges us to “ACT WISELY towards OUTSIDERS.”
What is an outsider? It’s simple! It’s anyone who is not saved by God’s grace.
The Christian life exists in two stages. Either you are saved or you are not. If you are not saved, you will die someday and you will spend eternity in HELL, separated from God.
If you are SAVED, you will SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN!
It’s that simple! That’s the bottom line. That’s what you need to hear today! Either you embrace the simple gospel- Colossians 1:13
13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
Or, you will go to hell!
And so Paul tells us to ACT WISELY towards those who aren’t saved, but he goes one step further.
See, it’s easy to act wisely, but it’s another to do this second part.
Paul challenges us to MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME!
Do you want to know what Paul is challenging here?
He’s saying, “YOU HAVE TIME NOW TO SHARE THE GOSPEL! DO IT! MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME!”
We are to act wisely- or to discern where someone is and what’s going on in their lives, so that we can then EFFECTIVELY SHARE THE GOSPEL!
When we talk about CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH JESUS, we need to first MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE!
And to do that, we need to act wisely, discern where someone is and then MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME TO BE WITH THEM and point them to GOD!
Paul then talks about our words. He says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.”
I want to really focus on this first phrase. As we share the gospel, we should do so in a GRACIOUS WAY! This word for ALWAYS- it’s the same word PANTOTE that we talked about in chapter 1. it’s complete! AT ALL TIMES, IN EVERY SITUATION, NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON, OUR SPEECH SHOULD BE GRACIOUS!
That doesn’t mean that we don’t call out sin, or point people back to Jesus. But it does mean that we are GRACIOUS AND LOVING!
It means that we share the gospel not out of guilt or out of disdain, but because we LOVE THAT PERSON!
Similarly, Paul says that our speech should be seasoned with salt.
Salt was so valuable in this time period that the Romans used it as a form of currency!
In other words, one thing we should pray for is for our words to be CORRECT and GOD-HONORING!
When we talk about REMEMBERING THAT GOD IS WITH US, this is something for us to consider!
We entrust our WORDS TO GOD WHEN WE SHARE THE GOSPEL! We know that the HOLY SPIRIT WILL GIVE US THE RIGHT WORDS, just as the HOLY SPIRIT did for Stephen in Acts 7!
And after giving us this encouragement to go SHARE this great news with the world, Paul then turns our attention to a time of conclusion.
Remember, this shift doesn’t make it any less important.
In fact, as we go through this, we are going to see forgiveness, unity, love and sacrifice throughout these greetings!
7 Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
Paul starts by talking about Tychicus. Tychicus is called a DEARLY LOVED BROTHER, a FAITHFUL MINISTER AND A SERVANT OF THE LORD!
Tychicus works with Paul and Paul has SENT HIM WITH THE LETTER ITSELF!
But further, he comes with a specific task. He is to bring an update about how Paul and those with Paul are doing.
He is coming to ENCOURAGE THE BELIEVERS THROUGH THIS UPDATE AND OTHER ACTIONS!
Onesimus is sent with him.
Onesimus is also called FAITHFUL AND A DEARLY LOVED BROTHER. Paul then says that Onesimus is ONE OF YOU.
Do you know who Onesimus is?
He’s the central figure in a book of the Bible!
Onesimus is the slave who runs away from Philemon!
Instead of being called THAT RUNAWAY SLAVE, he is called FAITHFUL AND DEARLY LOVED!
Truly in CHRIST THERE IS NO SLAVE OR FREE, GREEK OR JEW!
Listen, it’s easy to say that in Christ we are all united. But here’s what it actually means. It means that we ACTUALLY TREAT EACH OTHER IN THAT WAY AND THAT WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT EACH OTHER AS DEARLY LOVED- as AGAPETON, or SACRIFICIALLY LOVED!
Regardless of our past agreements or disagreements, we are called to LOVE ONE ANOTHER SACRIFICIALLY and to truly FORGIVE OR MOVE FORWARD!
I mean consider the example of Philemon just for a second.
15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me.
That’s TRUE FORGIVENESS!
Philemon is challenged to FREE HIS SLAVE AND TO FORGIVE HIM!
But not just to tolerate him, he is to WELCOME HIM AS A DEARLY LOVED BROTHER!
That’s UNITY and FORGIVENESS THAT CAN ONLY COME THROUGH CHRIST, but it will OVERCOME ANY FIGHT, or DISAGREEMENT, or HURT!
In Colossians 4:10-11 Paul gives us his next
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and so does Jesus who is called Justus. These alone of the circumcised are my coworkers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
Paul next talks about Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner who greets the Colossians. Aristarchus is from Thessalonica. Not much is known about him.
But then we see Mark, who is Barnabas’s cousin.
Mark is also called JOHN MARK!
He wrote the GOSPEL OF MARK!
And he is Barnabas’s cousin. In fact, Mark is the reason that Paul and Barnabas split.
Their split is not laid back, it is intense and they are angry!
But they don’t spend the rest of their lives hating each other.
Instead, we see that MARK now is with Paul!
And as if that isn’t enough- Paul talks about Mark in this letter and tells the Colossians to WELCOME HIM!
That’s the power of forgiveness!
Despite the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, they could forgive each other and move forward WORKING WITH MARK!
Paul also mentions a man named Jesus, who goes by Justus.
Paul then makes clear that these are his only JEWISH coworkers.
Why does that matter? BECAUSE IT REMINDS US THAT PAUL WORKED WITH JEWS AND GREEKS BOTH!
It’s an encouragement to us because it reminds us yet again of how there is no GREEK OR JEW but how our focus is on the GOSPEL!
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills. 13 For I testify about him that he works hard for you, for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the dearly loved physician, and Demas send you greetings.
Paul then gives them an update on Epaphras.
If you recall, Paul has never met most of these believers. The church in Colossae was started by Epaphras not Paul!
And Paul tells them of how EPAPHRAS is PRAYING FOR THEM!
He “WRESTLES FOR THEM.”
That’s powerful!
We should pray that fervently and WRESTLE for one another!
Paul then testifies that he works hard on behalf of the Colossian believers and the Laodicean and Hierapolis churches- which are neighboring towns.
In other words, Paul is furthering his demonstration of how these believers all work together!
Paul also sends greetings from the DEARLY AGAPETON’D, or loved physician, LUKE!
And from Demas. Notice what Paul doesn’t say about Demas. He doesn’t call him a fellow servant, or dearly loved.
Demas would leave Paul in one of his darkest hours because he loved the world more than the LORD, something we know from 2 Timothy 4.
15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home. 16 After this letter has been read at your gathering, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And tell Archippus, “Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.”
Paul finally instructs the Colossians to greet the church of Laodicea and the one that meets in the home of Nympha. There is some debate about whether that is one or two churches, but it doesn’t honestly matter. The point is clear- Paul is encouraging the believers to WORK TOGETHER!
Paul then tells the believers to swap letters. They are to send COLOSSIANS to the Laodiceans and they are to read that letter!
These NT epistles were never intended for just one church to read! The instructions in them are APPLICABLE TO BELIEVERS ALL OVER THE WORLD!
Paul also encourages Archippus to PRAY AND TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN HIM.
Archippus has historically been said to be the son of PHILEMON, who hosts the Colossian church.
This instruction is not a rebuke, it is an encouragement, much like what Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4!
He’s encouraging Archippus to continue on towards the LORD!
And finally, Paul closes out his letter by saying Colossians 4:18
18 I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Paul ends his letter by saying that he writes this greeting with his own hand. He would have dictated this letter to the Colossians, but this he writes himself to PROVE AUTHENTICITY!
But not only that, he asks them to remember his chains, or in other words, to be PRAYING FOR HIM!
But what is his final instruction?
GRACE BE WITH YOU!
GRACE CAN ONLY COME FROM GOD, so Paul is saying in essence, “IN ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU FACE AND IN ALL THE THINGS I WROTE TO YOU ABOUT, MAY GOD’S GRACE AND SPIRIT BE WITH YOU COLOSSIANS! MAY YOU BE POINTED BACK TO GOD!”
Application
Application
Pray for What Really Matters
Purposefully live your life
Engage with God’s Family
Pray for what Really Matters
Pray for what Really Matters
Colossians has been highlighted by the simplicity of Paul’s argument. So I want to keep our final three applications really simple.
Colossians gives us a clear vision of what we should pray for!
We should pray with thanksgiving for opportunity to share the Gospel and for Faithfulness to share it!
It’s not that we shouldn’t pray for other needs and desires, it’s just that this is something that we can be guilty of neglecting.
So let me encourage you; make it a habit to PRAY with THANKSGIVING AND ALSO to pray for OPPORTUNITY AND FAITHFULNESS IN EVANGELISM.
Do you know what the first step is in evangelism? (Pause)
It’s prayer! Evangelism starts with us praying! If we want to be a MISSIONAL CHURCH that CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH JESUS then it starts with us being a praying church.
PRAY 1:08, Pray for the Fathauer’s
Purposefully Live your Life
Purposefully Live your Life
I promised simplicity, so let’s keep it up. Colossians 4:5-6 addresses the way that we live and the way that we speak.
Our lives are to be lived with WISDOM AND URGENCY and our speech should be GRACIOUS!
Hear me on this. This is purposeful living. This is living out Colossians 3:12-17! This is our response to Colossians 1:13! That’s what Purposeful living is.
Purposeful living is living in a way that intentionally takes advantage of every opportunity to make a difference for the GOSPEL!
Colossians 4 calls us to this!
In our ACTIONS, our TIME MANAGEMENT, our RELATIONSHIPS and in our SPEECH, we need to live purposefully!
One of the most convicting verses from James, which is a deeply convicting book, covers this.
10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
The way that we speak is an easy way to see where our heart is because the words of our mouth are a reflection of our hearts.
Matthew 12:34 tells us that!
Jesus rebukes the Israelite religious leaders for their sin and how their words are fake!
As we seek to have some takeaways from Colossians, let me challenge us, if our lives are TRULY BUILT ON CHRIST- WHICH IS THE MAIN POINT OF COLOSSIANS- then our words should reflect that!
So let me ask- do your words reflect your walk with God?
If someone just heard everything you say, would they grow to be closer to God?
It’s that simple. So practically, let me encourage you to CONSIDER AND TO CHANGE THAT!
If you need to stop watching something on TV, or stop hanging out with some people, or SPEND MORE TIME WITH GOD, then do it!
Let’s be people who HEAR GOD’S WORD AND DO IT!
Engage with God’s Family
Engage with God’s Family
Paul closes his letter out with greetings to and from a number of different believers from all sorts of different backgrounds.
There’s a simple reason for this.
God’s family- all exists because of Jesus which is the entire point of Colossians!
GOSPEL- WHAT JESUS DID TO UNITE US!
Regardless of the challenges we face, we are UNITED BY BEING PART OF GOD’S FAMILY!
So practically, I want to encourage us to see how we can engage with the CHURCH AS A WHOLE!
We want to see Cornerstone grow, because we wnat to SEE GOD’S CHURCH GROW!
We want to welcome people into God’s family.
100 for 100.
Let me close with a reminder of what Paul tells us in Colossians 4:18!
“IN ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU FACE AND IN ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, MAY GOD’S GRACE AND SPIRIT BE WITH YOU and MAY YOU BE POINTED BACK TO GOD CORNERSTONE CHURCH!”
Let me pray for us