Supreme: Colossians 4:2-6

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This may will mark 10 years since I officially learned how to drive a car. Every single one of you in this room, some sooner than others, will eventually take drivers ed, get behind the wheel of a car, and hopefully, will receive your drivers license.

I will never forget my first couple of times learning how to drive. Drivers ed is important because it teaches you all the rules of the road, different traffic laws, etc… but it does not teach you how to ACTUALLY drive.

When I first drove, I was so stressed out. I had no idea how hard or soft to press the pedals, I accidentally slammed on the breaks and brought the car to a complete stop… I sat perfectly straight, gripped the wheel extremely tight, and overthought EVERY move that I made.

After driving with my permit for a while, it started to become easier for me. I still relied on the teaching from my parents and would occasionally have a scenario where I didn’t know what to do.

Then, the day came where I finally got my license. It was incredible. But, the first time driving the car alone was still stressful.

Overtime, driving became like second nature. Now, I don’t even think about turning on a blinker or looking in my mirrors or over my shoulder, because I have done it so many times that it has just become like second nature.

Learning how to drive started out confusing and overcomplicated but was made clear to me how simple it was after I did it enough times.

I even think about when I was a kid learning how to ride a bike. At first I started out wobbly, constantly putting my feet down to catch, and now, I can go years without riding a bike but because I did it so many times, it is just muscle memory.

Subject

I start there because much like developing clear habits and being intentional on how we learn and do things, I think sometimes, following Jesus and SHARING Jesus with others can be a bit unclear.

Over the last couple of months, we have learned that it is often easy to overcomplicate what it means to follow Jesus and share him with others.

We have been going through Colossians, talking about how Jesus is SUPREME. We do not need rules, we do not need “extra”, we do not need to be perfect.

Because, if he truly is supreme, he is all that we need.

Need

Here is why this is important.

Sometimes we give into the rules, so we forget about the heart change he has made.

We get nervous in how we may be viewed, so we get fearful.

We run into a situation we have never experienced, so we stay quiet and do not know what to say.

Big Idea - Make Jesus clear to others

In order for us to make Jesus clear to others - we ourselves first need to be clear on our relationship with Jesus.

clear in prayer

clear in how we act

clear in how we share

Text Address

We are wrapping up our series in Colossians tonight and are about to read the final sign off from Paul. He leaves them with a simply challenge:

devote yourself to prayer

be ready to share with others

Text

Colossians 4:2–6 CSB

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. 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.

Point 1 - Be Clear in Prayer

What does it mean? - Don’t stop praying. Let prayer mark who you are

If you have read a lot of the new testament, specifically the books that the Apostle Paul has written, he almost ALWAYS starts with a prayer of Thanksgiving. Everything he does, starts with prayer.

Verses 2-4 tell us:

Devote ourselves to prayer

Stay Alert in prayer with thanksgiving

“pray for us”

Why is this important?

He picks up in verse 4 saying “to make it known” and in other translations, “that I may make it CLEAR”.

Paul is telling us to stay commited in prayer in two different ways here.

prayer on your own - with thanksgiving to God (worship to God)

prayer for fellow believers - to give them the words to make the truth of the Gospel CLEAR for others to hear.

For context, Paul is writing this in prison. He says in verse 3 “for which I am in Chains”

Colossians 4:3 CSB

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,

Paul, one of the greatest missionaries to ever walk this earth, writing a letter of encouragement to other believers, while in prison, is asking that they can pray for HIM to have the words to make the Gospel clear.

I think this teaches us something important. If we want to make Jesus clear to others, it needs to start with Prayer.

What can we do about it?

Being clear in how you pray is the main way that we connect with God. When I say be clear in prayer, I mean be CLEAR. Don’t hide emotions of feelings. Give it to God.

Philippians 4:6–7 CSB

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul lays out for us how we can be CLEAR in how we pray (WAR)

worshipping him (examples)

admitting and confessing your mistakes

requesting your needs (examples)

A life that is centered around prayer is a life that is centered on God. It is a life that is connected with God.

It is easy to go through life thinking about you and how YOU want to do things. But, that will leave you confused and lost…silencing Gods voice. But, through prayer, we can be clear with God and he will be clear with us.

Transition

There was a funny time this fall when I was in Ireland. My wife and I were there to watch the Vikings play, and we had just left the stadium after the game had gotten out. We were probably an hour away from our hotel and the place was a zoo. People EVERYWHERE.

We had a plan to go somewhere afterwards but, those plans fell through, and we were going to try to get back on our own. As soon as we left the stadium, BOTH of our phones died.

We were literally lost in a foreign country.

I was walking up and down random irish streets, trying to find a place to charge my phone but, couldn’t find one anywhere.

Finally, I was able to get my phone charged but, the service was bad! It was useless with no connection! Again, I was walking trying to find a place to get cell service. Long story short, I got it, and was able to get directions back to our hotel.

What I learned is, if your battery is dead. The phone is useless. Even if your battery is charged, you still have zero connection to give you direction.

In the same way, I think oftentimes all we need to do is “charge our battery” by just reading more or going to church more. But, if that is all we are doing, we are missing the main point - the connection. Which starts with prayer.

When we are connected with Jesus in prayer, he will guide us.

Point 2 - Be Clear in your actions

What does it mean?

In verse 5, we read “act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time”.

Paul shifts from prayer to how to live. To live in a way that is making the most of the time that we have here on this Earth.

Are we bringing people closer to Jesus or are we actually bringing them farther away?

How are we acting, talking, treating others?

How we act at school, home, with friends, or online is all a reflection of who we are in Jesus!

What is your mission? Is it to make yourself known or make others known? Does your mission change when life gets hard?

Why is this important?

I have heard too many times that people are turned off to Jesus and Christianity because someone knew someone else that was a “christian” but, never modeled a true life that follows Jesus and actually pushed non believers farther away from Jesus.

They were either…

judgemental

hypocritical

rude

living in sin

Friends, if we want to make Jesus clear to others, we need to be clear on how we are going to live. Is your life showing people what Jesus is like?

John 13:35 CSB

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

What can we do about it?

Here is something that motivates me to want to be clear on my mission. Paul did not mess around with his time on earth. His goal never changed. He even lists things he had been through that would easily make the average person quit but, it actually motivated him to stick to his mission.

In 2 Corinthians 11 - Paul talks about everything that he has gone through in his journey of sharing the Gospel.

whipped

beaten

stoned

shipwrecked

robbed

put into prison

cast out

He ends by saying “there is a daily pressure on me… my concern for all the churches”

Paul went through all of this and his mission was still clear. Continue bringing the Gospel to the lost. He did not care what he faced, he wanted people to know the truth.

Much like how Paul was clear about his mission, we are to be as well. His mission was to be clear in sharing the Gospel.

Point 3 - Be clear in sharing

What does it mean?

Paul closes by saying “let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

He goes from:

how to…

pray

live/act

share and speak

Making Jesus clear to others does not mean:

being harsh

pushy

judgemental

It means to be gracious, thoughtful of the other person, kind, and ready at all times to share the truth.

He mentions that we are to be “seasoned with salt”.

Think of food. Something that is bland and unsalted is exactly that. Bland, boring, no flavor. But, when you add salt, not only does it add flavor, it works as a preservative to keep and purify food!

What he is saying here, like salt in food, our speech should be “seasoned” with wisdom, and love. Speech that can convey the gospel in a way that would make someone want to listen and give their life to Jesus.

Why is this important?

As believers, our words should reflect to others the truth of the Gospel. It should show to others that the Gospel has truly changed our lives.

In school, the way you talk should be different than a friend who isn’t a Christian. If your friends are constantly swearing, you should be the one to set the example and not swear.

I hear some of you guys speak that way here on Wednesday nights! Do you think that is a reflection of a life that is changed by Jesus?

But, we need to know WHAT it is that we are sharing.

We are sharing the GOSPEL - the story about how God created us to be with him but, because of our sins, Jesus died so that we might be saved.

An easy way to think about it is this acronym

G - god created us to be with him (explain) O - our sins separated us from god (Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”) S - sins cannot be removed by good deed (Isaiah 64:6 “6 All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.” ) P - paying the price for our sins… (John 3:16 “16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”) E - everyone who believes will be saved (romans 10:9) L - Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever

That is the Gospel.

What can we do about it?

Now, I get it. Learning how to pray, live a life that reflects Jesus, and sharing the Gospel can all be tricky at first. It takes time. It is like a muscle that needs to be worked out to grow.

Sometimes there are growing pains with it.

Learning how to drive was unclear at first. But overtime, it became second nature.

In the same way, making Jesus clear to others may feel challenging or scary at first. But as you grow in you prayer, actions, and words, you begin to naturally make Jesus clear to other simply by the way that you live.

Application

My challenge for all of you tonight is this

both acronyms in small groups (re - explain)

you can never say it enough

learning how to do these things takes time but then it will come natural

Summary

Make Jesus Clear to Others

clear in prayer

clear in your actions

clear in how you share

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