Speaking Christ in All Things Colossians 4:2-6

Have you ever said, “I shouldn’t have said that or I can’t believe I said that or I should have said this.” The gospel gives us hope that even when we fail in our speech we can have hope and change.

Read Colossians 4:2–6 “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.”

Paul is going to show us how our speech should be changing as Christians in 3 areas:

The 1st area that our speech should be changing is:

1. Our speech should be filled with thanksgiving v. 2

Have you ever considered that prayer is the measure of health for believers? It is the most important way we communicate.

Prayer is our communication towards God.

We are to remain steadfast or persistent in prayer which can often be a challenge for us. It is hard to remain steady in it if we do not see results.

But Paul is telling us to hold fast and not let go. Pray often speaks about how we are to pray at all times (Eph 6:18) and pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).

In the parable Jesus gives us a clear picture of what it means to remain steadfast

Luke 18:1–8 “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?””

Colossians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Speech of Prayer

True prayer often involves struggling and grappling with God, proving to Him the deepest concern of one’s heart. Prayer is to be a persistent, courageous struggle from which the believer may come away limping

Being watchful or alert, means we must be conscious of what we are praying for. Paul is telling us to not just prayer generally but be focused in our prayer time. Not that there is anything wrong to prayer generally for things when we may not know specifically what to pray for, but this is not to be our normal pattern.

How are we able to pray continually and by being watchful? By filling our prayers with thanksgiving for what God is doing and allow that to fuel us for continued faithfulness as we await answers for the rest.

This is the 5th time that Paul speaks of thanksgiving. He talks about it in regards to salvation (Col 1:12), growth (Col 2:6), fellowship (Col 3:15), and service (Col 3:17).

Which these are things that we can constantly thank the Lord for during our prayer time.

The 2nd area that our speech should be changing is:

2.Our speech should be filled with truth v. 3-4

Paul directs our focus from the Lord towards others.

We are to pray for opportunities to share the truth with others. In the context, Paul is making it clear that he is looking for opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers.

Paul is in prison for sharing the gospel. Sharing the mystery that the gospel is not just for Jews but for the entire world to hear and respond.

This imprisonment is what occurred in Acts 28. If you ever want to be convicted about using the opportunities God gives to share the gospel, this would be it. Paul shares during this challenging time with a mob in Jerusalem, Felix, Herod Agrippa, soldiers, Caesar's household and more. Paul often used his circumstances to share the gospel and saw them as opportunities to point people to Christ.

Which is why Paul felt the compulsion to share clearly. Ought, is the heavy burden that Paul felt in sharing the gospel. It is also the mandate in which God clearly says that sharing must be done in a clear, explanatory way.

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

English Standard Version Chapter 10

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

The 3rd area that our speech should be changing is

3. Our speech should be filled with wisdom and grace v. 5-6

Walking in wisdom means that we must evaluate what we do around unbelievers. What we declare or speak needs to match how we live among unbelievers.

Wisdom that Paul talks about here involves evaluating circumstances and making godly decisions.

Why is it so important? Because we do not know how much time we have. We must make the most of it.

Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Romans 13:11–14 “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime...put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

v. 6 Paul directs our next area of speech towards general conversations with people.

We should be making gracious speech a habit. It is a work that can be done, but again it is only possible in the gospel.

Colossians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Speech of Perfection

To speak with grace means to say what is spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, purposeful, complementary, gentle, truthful, loving, and thoughtful

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

But grace is not the only effect we should have, but that it is effective like salt. It is to be healing, it is to preserve, and it is to build or draw out good things.

It takes wisdom to know how to respond and talk to people. It takes prayerful conversations with the Lord in directing our conversations.

Our prayer should be similar to Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”

Next Steps:

It is easy to think about this area of speech and say its impossible to change and give up. But the gospel says I can change and grow. But how? Through prayer is key to remember as Paul has said. This week set aside time that you are going to pray for these three areas to change.

Communion:

With all that we’ve communicated in regards to our daily conduct of speech. We come to the table...

Coming to the Lord’s table is for believers. It is you saying yes I am a believer and I belong at my Father’s table, as the Bible makes clear. But Paul warns that even as believers if we are living in open rebellion that we need to handle that before we partake of the bread and juice.

This is why it is important for us to remember what it means to live for Christ and our constitution does a great job laying that out for us, as we have committed to these things.

Let’s draw our attention to another part of our church covenant...

We further purpose to , to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct, to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger, to abstain from any practice which would bring unwarranted harm to our body, mind, or testimony, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

We purpose in brotherly love, to remember each other in prayer, to aid each other in sickness and distress, to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech, to be slow to take offense, to be ready for reconciliation and to secure it without delay.

Let’s take a moment to inspect and reflect our own personal lives and make sure that we are coming to the Lord’s table in a worthy manner.

Read 1 Corinthians 11:23–24 “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

*Ask Jacob to pray for the bread

1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

*Ask Bob to pray for the juice

1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

As is our tradition, we are going to take a benevolence offering that is overseen by our deacons. This fund is used to serve our church family members who are in need and is a form of worship before the Lord.

*Ask Tyler to pray for it.