April 2 2017_Prayer and Sharing the Gospel
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsThe Vital Relationship Between Prayer and Sharing the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Read
Read
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
The CSB takes this opening command, προσευχή προσκαρτερέω, and translates it as
Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
The force of the passage is stronger than just continue; the word for continue is to persevere devotedly — to persevere in some activity or cause to the point of devotion.
What does it mean to be devoted to prayer?
to persevere devotedly — to persevere in some activity or cause to the point of devotion.
The next command is to watch, which has the idea of being vigilant, and it gives a description of what should accompany the vigilance
Why is thanksgiving important?
We are to pray for open doors to give the Gospel
If God elects people to salvation why pray for open doors?
Notice what qualifies the open door - speaking the mystery of Christ. This is a revealed secret — a divine secret that is now openly revealed.
What does say?
Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.
I would sum this as revealing the mystery of the Messiah to others
Do you believe those who are unsaved see Christ as a mystery?
Is this passage teaching that there is a way we should make Christ known to others?
In verse 4 the word ought is understood as to be required by obligation, compulsion, or convention.
What is the issue here? What prevents us from fulfilling our obligation?
to be obligatory v. — to be required by obligation, compulsion, or convention.
Verses 5-6 tell us how we should relate to those who are unsaved
Act wisely toward outsiders.
What does this look like?
Making the most of the time
Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
What does this look like?
Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person
What does this look like?
Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. What is a man benefited if he gains the whole world, yet loses or forfeits himself?
How would you sum up the Gospel?
1 Corinthians 15:
\So what do you think the issue is?
Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it. You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed for no purpose. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures,
that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures,
and that He appeared to Cephas,
then to the Twelve.