A Well Used Break | Colossians 4:2–6
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 88 viewsNotes
Transcript
Intro: Thank you so much, Grant, for leading us in worship tonight. Also, can we give a hand to Shiloh Baptist Church for bringing us food again tonight. We are so thankful for the support you have given BCM. If you have a Bible with out tonight, please turn to Colossians 4:2-6. As you are probably aware, the semester is quickly coming to an end. It feels like each semester goes by very quickly. Many of you are starting to turn your attention to the summer while trying to focus on the task at hand. With this being the last time we were going to have The Gathering for this school year, I wanted to take the opportunity to address you one final time. In the text we are looking at tonight, Paul is closing out his letter to the believers at Colossae. It was a church he had never met, but he had a relationship with through people in the church. And after addressing some theological and practical topics to do with the Christian faith, he closes with some final thoughts he wanted to leave them with. I think those thoughts apply to students preparing for summer break as well. The main idea of tonight’s text is that
We need to be diligent in prayer and and intentional with our time to see the lost come to know Christ.
We need to be diligent in prayer and and intentional with our time to see the lost come to know Christ.
If you would, would you please stand with me as we honor the reading of God’s Word. Colossians 4:2
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
At the same time, pray also for us, 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, which is how I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Verse 2
Exposition: The passage starts with verse 2 which reads Colossians 4:2
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Exposition: Paul gives several phrases here that are profoundly important when considering our walks as believers. First and foremost, the first thing Paul is addressing in the final thoughts he has here is the idea of prayer. He places a huge emphasis on prayer, showing how important he knows prayer to be. And with that in mind, Paul says in verse 2, to continue steadfastly in prayer. To be pray steadfastly is to be devoted to prayer. Don’t raise your hands on this, but how many of us would say we are devoted to prayer? How many of us would say that we spend regular time, and not insignificant amounts of time in prayer? There is a stark contrast to being steadfast in prayer that defines too many of our prayer lives, and that is we either don’t pray at all or we only go to God in prayer when we are in a crisis of the moment.
Illustration: I have probably told this story before, so forgive me if you have heard it before. When I was in seminary I worked at a little country church about 15 minutes away from the seminary. I remember one time I was having lunch with a young man who was no longer really a youth, but still kind of hung around and was somebody I was trying to spend time with. And I asked him about his prayer life. And I will never forget what he said. He told me he didn’t pray. He felt God already knew what he needed anyway so why did he need to ask him. And that sounds so cringy, but I imagine a lot of us are more like that than we like to admit. We ask God why when we have never asked him to work in the midst of a bad situation. When this happens we are like a person who finds themselves in the midst of a medical emergency in which they need help covering the costs of treatment for. And the person doesn’t know how he or she will pay for it, but has an uncle who is really wealthy. When somebody asks that person why he hasn’t asked his rich uncle, he responds, “He already knows I need the money, why should I ask.” It sounds arrogant when we hear it in that context, but that is the same attitude we have towards God in prayer sometimes. We need to humble ourselves and go before him and ask Him for help.
Expositions: Students, don’t fail to pray or only pray when in a moment that we cannot find our keys or wallet or have some momentary crisis we go to God. Know be devoted to prayer. If you have not made a regular habit of praying, this summer use some of the time you would typically be in class or doing school work to be a time you schedule to be in prayer. Allow prayer to be a regular part of your life. But don’t just pray and forget that you prayed. Don’t just pray out of obligation. No, pray because you believe that God can do big things. Paul says also in verse 2 for the Colossians to be watchful in prayer. He is telling them to be alert. So often when we pray, we pray as if what we are asking God is actually too much and we don’t expect that he can actually work in it. Paul then lastly tells the Colossians to pray with thanksgiving. In his commentary on Colossians, Mark Meynell says that you can gage one’s spiritual life based on how thankful he or she is. In fact, I will go one step further. I think we know how steadfast a person is being in prayer and how watchful that person is being in prayer based on how thankful that person is.
Application:If we only pray when we feel we should or have to, I doubt we are taking the time to tell God thank you for all the blessings he has placed in our lives. If we are not being watchful in prayer and looking at all the ways he is answering our prayers. Beloved, take the time to thank God for all that He has blessed you with. The more you do this, the more aware you will become of His goodness and the more time you will spend with Him in prayer because you will become more aware of His Goodness.
Transition: Paul has told the people at Colossae to be watchful in prayer in their own lives, but now he is going to ask for prayer in his life.
Verses 3-4
Verse 3
Turning to verses three and four we read Colossians 4:3-4
At the same time, pray also for us, 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, which is how I ought to speak.
Exposition: Paul then turns his attention towards the sharing of the gospel. He asked that they would pray that God would open a door for him to share the gospel. Paul shows here he has a strong desire to see people come to know Christ. He’s not asking that more people would start showing up to churches. He’s not asking that other people with a little better circumstances be able to share the gospel. No, he is asking that the disciples pray that he have the opportunity to share the gospel.
Application: There are two applications for our lives that is found right here. The first is we should have a desire to see others come to know Christ. If we are not burdened for the lost, then what is our purpose? If it does not bother us that people are living without the hope of the gospel, what is our purpose. Paul took joy in people coming to know Christ and he was asking that he would be given that opportunity. Part of that burden, is asking for prayer with these things. Ask other believers in your life to pray that you would have that opportunity. If you feel like you are living in a Christian bubble, pray and ask others to pray that God would open the door for you to share the gospel. Also, pray for those in your life who you know seek to do this. Pray for your pastors to lead well and to have those opportunities. Pray for missionaries throughout the country and throughout the world to have an open door. Pray for leadership at BCM in this way. And pray for one another. Pray that you each would have that opportunity as well.
Illustration: I will never forget when I was a freshman at Georgia Southern, I went to orientation. And there was guy in my group who shared some things about his life that were just hard. The next year, I saw him in the library one day and he just looked angry. I remember praying that God would give me a chance to talk to him. A few weeks later we are doing The Great Exchange, and it was the first time I ever did Great Exchange. And this guy comes out of a class building and sits on a bench about 25 yards away from where I was standing. That was God opening a door to go and share the gospel. Pray that this would happen in others lives and ask that it would happen in the lives of others.
Exposition: It’s important to point out, that Paul had a special set of circumstances from which he was writing. Not only does he ask that for an open door to proclaim the mystery of Christ, he is asking for a chance to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which he is in prison. but Most scholars believe that Paul wrote this letter while in imprisoned in Rome. He was in jail for one reason, he proclaimed that Jesus was Savior and Lord. He proclaimed the resurrection. And even though this is why He was in jail, he wanted to continue to share the gospel. The only way this is possible is if a person turns his or her focus away from this world, and to the next.
Application: It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the present. Right now you all are approaching finals. You have papers you need to start working on so you can turn them in on time. You have finals and final assignments you need to make sure you are ready for. All of this while you are trying to work and handle personal things. It is very easy to get so focused on those things that we avoid any thing that could bring other trials. Anything that could bring ridicule from others. So we become less worried about what is happening right now. As you begin to prepare for summer, I encourage you students to begin to shift your focus from the temporary circumstances of this world, to the eternal hope we have in Jesus. In all things, remember that your eternity is secure and you are looking towards that day. Don’t be overcome by current circumstances. Focus on the future.
Verse 4
Exposition: Turning our attention to verse four, we see other examples from Paul to follow involving prayer. He is not only is he asking for prayer for the opportunity, but also the clarity to share has he should. I’ve read the NT more than once, as I’m sure many of you have. It’s hard to think of anyone that could proclaim the mystery of Christ more clearly than Paul. It doesn’t get any clearer. But that is what he is asking for. This shows humility and dependence upon God.
Application: Too often when we share the gospel, we think we know it and what to say and we don’t need any help. Or, we think there is no way we can do it because we don’t have the words. Either way, ask others to pray that you would proclaim it clearly as you should. Paul understands that without the presence and power of God, words are of no use. He needs the Help of the Holy Spirit. He wasn’t resting on what he had done and his ministry success. He was trusting that The Holy Spirit could help a flawed man. Pray this prayer for one another. My prayer is that BCM would become a prayerful ministry and asks God to work in this way.
Transition: After asking for prayer for his ministry, giving us an example to follow, he then tells the church how it should conduct itself among unbelievers.
Going to verses 5-6 we read Colossians 4:5-6
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Exposition: The ESV Study Bible points out that Paul is making an assumption here that believers will spend time with non-believers and be in regular communication with them. He tells the church to let their speech be gracious and seasoned with salt.
Explanation: The seasoned with salt idea is not unique in scripture to this verse. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Explanation: Salt in this time period was used for two main things. The first is to season food, much like it is today. But it had another purpose, preservation. In a time in which there was no refrigeration, there was no other way to preserve meat than to just cover it in salt. If a meat did not have salt like this, and uncorrupted salt at that, it did not last. For one’s speech to be seasoned with salt, it means it is capable of preserving and not letting it go bad. It means that your speech isn’t using words that don’t honor God. It means you don’t talk about people the way that doesn’t honor God.
Exposition: Paul also says that you ought to knowhow to answer each person. This means that you are prepared to speak as to why you are different and why you believe what you believe.
Illustration: Here is one of the main ways we blow it as Christians when talking to people that are not believers. It’s when you are sitting in class and somebody asks if you are going to go out that night, or go to a party and go wild or do drugs of any kind. And we tell them no. but we don’t really say why. When that person asks you why, you respond by giving some lame excuse or just saying you don’t do that kind of thing without offering a reason as to why. 1 Peter 3:15 reads 1 Peter 3:15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Exposition: We need to be ready to respond with why we live the way we do to those that do not believe the same things we do.
Application: These verses should shape how we behave on campus. Students, people from BCM should not be the only friends you have on campus and most certainly shouldn’t be your only interactions. As you are making your schedules for next year, I would encourage you not to go fully online. Put yourselves in positions to be around those that do not know Christ so you may build relationships with them and tell them who Christ is. Paul says to walk in wisdom toward outsiders and make the best use of time, it is hard to see how coming to campus for BCM and leaving is doing that. Going into class and looking at your phone until class starts and leaving right after does not allow your speech to be seasoned with salt and answer each person as you should. As you prepare for next semester, prepare to engage people in your classes so that you may share the gospel with them. But this also goes for your summer. This summer you will be around friends from high school who maybe are coming home from college or you just have more time to hang out with. I suspect many of them are not believers. Make the most of that time. Let your speech be gracious, and seasoned with salt so you may know how to answer that person.
Illustration: My two best friends in high school were not believers. They both came from catholic backgrounds, with one’s family being more devout than the other. I knew they did not have a saving relationship with Jesus. And you know what, I don’t think I shared the gospel with them one time the entire time we were in high school. One of them I played golf with every week during the summer after our senior year of high school and our freshman year of college. The other was with us all the time during those two summers. Rarely, if ever, did I ask them who Jesus was. I can’t sit here and tell you my speech in high school always resembled what Paul is saying here. And it should come as no surprise to you that neither of them are walking with Jesus today. I live with that regret every day. Students, as you gather around your friends and family this summer who do not know Jesus, make the most of your time. Take the opportunity to tell them who Jesus is.
What are your plans for this summer?
What are your plans for this summer?
Conclusion: I want to conclude the message by asking you one simple question. What are your plans for this summer. Some of you plan on working, some of you plan on visiting friends and family. But I want you to view the question in regard of how you can use the time you have. Will you commit to spending more time in prayer each day? Will you commit to being intentionally about how you spend the time with friends and family that are not believers?
