God Works Through His People

Great. Happy Thanksgiving once again to everybody. we've been looking at, you know, At the New Testament book of Colossians a letter from the Apostle Paul to the somebody's excited about it to the church at the city that would today be found in modern-day turkey. You know what I said this before. So sorry for your tired of me saying it. But you know, we have such great teaching here and Greg and Audrey have been going through it with us. And if you haven't, if you missed and you haven't listened back, you know, you really should because not every I've been seeing a lot of churches, my time and not every church has what we have. So it's a privilege. Don't message. So, if you don't forget the doomscrolling forget the insta, forget Amazon, Prime day. As a friend is over, I guess, is it? Don't pretend you don't know. I know you guys know. I don't forget Marketplace, forget all those things that just take 35 minutes or whatever and listen to some of his teaching cuz it's it's really helpful. Just to recap our Judy last week and I'll just go to build on that or identity is grounded in the work of Christ. Our Unity is based on the love of Christ are labor or activities done of the name of Christ and Evan last week. Audrey talked about never putting on the new clothes taken off the old ones, putting on the new clothes putting on Christ, our new identity. Is that we are raised in new life to Christ. So we put off the Earthly nature and put on the way of Jesus. So today last chapter of the book, we're going to wrap up and we're going to just look at some practical ways Paul gets her a purse all we see is pastors hard today. Remember, he's writing from house arrest, there is there in Rome couple of thousand kilometers away. Probably, maybe probably never even been to Kalesa. He didn't start this church but he just was connected with it, through his ministry of and his Network. So we're going to just serve here. Some of the Practical things he has to say to the church there.

And it's practical for us because it helps us think. How is it that we engage with Newcastle as a community? How does we gauge with our wider World in our generation? Our time, our place in history?

So it's just read Colossians chapter 4, start versus to Audrey. That's a one last week.

Sorry, it took a little wire problem here.

Devote yourselves to prayer. Stay alert and it was Thanksgiving at the same time. Pray also for us, that God may open the door for us to the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in Chains. So that I may make it known. As I should act wisely to art at Siders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious. Seasoned with salt so that you may know how you should answer each person.

So here's this, agitator in Chains is stuck in house arrest because, you know, he's been causing all the trouble. The Jewish leaders didn't really get into what he was doing, cuz they felt, he was undermining, you know, the truth of of the Old Testament law. The Roman Empire didn't like him that much because like most of Tater chips, they liked no political dissent and they've always syrup sometimes, agitation, especially among the Jews, and the Romans didn't like that. So areas in Rome Writing letters, cuz that's all I can do. Cuz he's a chance, he was allowed to get the visitors. It wasn't one of those terrible prisons. He got that later in his life, where was kind of in the dungeon and and all that, but he was probably on a home and it was a lot of Pros have visitors and so on. But he also I was writing not just to colossal, he wrote the letter to the Ephesians here up to the church and Phillipi. He wrote the letter to Philemon that little shirt one at the end or the end of the Bible. So here we are. Seeing what he's got to say to his friends in colossi and then probably some people. He doesn't even know. But the church and he's instructing them on how, how do we live as God's people? How do we live is God's agents in this world is a colony of the kingdom of God. Outpost of God's people in the midst of a very on Christian culture because that's what we have surrounded. These people in colossi, Apologist stood that God works through his people. And so he's writing to them to say, here's some advice, I have for you, he's built all this Foundation. We've talked about our identities in Christ, Our foundations, in Christ, all these things we talk to me, which are so important. And now it's like, okay. So here here is how you sort of do the finishing touches and really see things come together. Remember, Jesus, last directive to his disciples was go and make disciples, and he said that on the basis that all authority is to give it to me. That's what Jesus said. So Falls, kind of building and not really. Cuz even though maybe you feel like outside that you're surrounded by this, hold on Christian, Pagan culture, with all kinds of problems. In this guy in Roman Caesar, who wants to be known as Lord and Savior, and all these things that are heretical. Maybe you feel that way, but still all sang. I've got some advice for you and how to live. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed today, but it's for you. If you feel like it's too much out there, if you like the world's going down the tubes, this letters for you because Paul saying, here's how we live, even when even if it seems like the rest of the world is turning their backs on Gus and I Jesus so, first thing he says, Devote yourselves to prayer. Stay alert in it with Thanksgiving. What a great little reminder on how to pray in a few short words, be devoted to devote yourselves to prayer. It only shows doesn't what were devoted to. I just heard about a guy, a friend of mine in English. I heard some news about him and his wife died and he spends his hours painting, those little toy soldiers. Anybody know what this dry? You know, but this habit he's got hundreds of these things spends his days painting Toy Soldiers. I think to myself, I would not want to do that but he's devoted to that he prioritizes it and we all do that. Tell me whatever it is. Whatever thing is we prioritise if you want to know if someone's supposed to just kind of figure out how they spend their time, were they talking about where they doing? It might be cars. It might be coffee. It might be family, it might be some kind of hobby. Paul says, be devoted to prayer. Of course. His many good things to be devoted to our families and other things as well. We need to be married or divorced spouse or for a parent with four kids, all those things so it's not be diverted at the expense of other good things. But Paul says, be sure that the mix of all that things are devoted to that your devoted to prayer. Jesus said seek first, the kingdom and all the rest will be added and that's maybe a word for me as I think about a prairie. And if I seek first the kingdom, all these other things which make me feel too busy to pray. Will be added to me. I was just sharing with you go. I think was last week over lunch, I fall out of the habit of doing something. I did a lot in the first two years of our church. And I need to get back to doing it. And that is walking around Newcastle, praying praying for Newcastle break of the businesses. I pray for homes. If I don't know who lives there for the God, will do something new and fresh in our village to the other churches, as I walked by them, even if their churches that I've maybe don't fully agree with, I still pray, God will use them, bless them, just pray for God's blessing, kind of spray Center Church and I don't have a direct line. I don't have a statistically. Valid sample this but here's what, I know. It just felt like the more I did that the more we see new people walk through the door strange. Things happen strange. Good things happen. You know, and I fall it out of habit, why? Because it's not too busy. I'm devoting myself to other things. So Paul's called me back and said, hey, Brian, devote yourself to prayer. Does Elders. We kind of feel, we don't kind of absolutely feel. The God wants us to level up our fur game. A little bit as a church and so you'll hear more and more but that it's great Jared started. The Methodist prayer-meeting Bible study and prayer and I talked to try to get the first time you said it's not just the Bible say prime it sprayer sprayer and then we've been having a great time for us to talk to the food is Amazing. By the way, if you have me coming Ellie and I eat all the food, Jarred and other people just watch us eat. The prayer is great. We're sharing with each other from the word of God. It's not a very structured thing. It's just a chance to converse, but then, there's always good. He says, to notice certain time is right. We got to make sure we have time to pray here and so we stopped you never the middle of discussion. We stopped and we pray. Amateur cats, it devote yourselves to prayer. So come and join us by the way man. This year all available Tuesdays 7 at at the chance, as Wednesday's, thank you for that. Absolutely G. Coming a day early. State of on it, but not only devoted Paul says but be alert be alert. Stay alert in it with Thanksgiving. And that's why I love the kind of walking around town thing. What's going on, who's doing what? Who looks homeless, who like struggling, who looks poor, you know where we live? We live there on the highway and past us is some the trailer park. You know you're to go every morning when I be going off to drive the bus at about 6. I'd see this tired Haggard young woman walking that way almost certainly coming home from the night shift on Sunday pushing a little trolley. You know, I thought would be weird to talk to her. Maybe I should have thought that, so I didn't, but I could pray for her. I could pray for her. I don't know what you got to do that. I don't see her anymore, but be alert alert. What's going on? What's the spirit thing in Audrey's story was great. Wasn't because the ladies talking to her she wasn't saying will you pray for me, but I just thought That's okay. I could do. Would you like me to pray? So be alert to who God has put in front of you. The Situation's, the people, the context. What's going on at the kids school? What's going on your neighborhood? Who do you see in the street? Let people around you and the activities around, you shape your prayer life because your alert to what God's doing. And then at the same time with Chris being alert, to the spirit, may be our new Christian thing all that Spirit got talking to me thing. I'm still sore. Not very good at that. That's okay. Then we'll come it takes time, but you could start just by Frank for what you see and then of course, Paul says you do it with Thanksgiving. Well it's a good day to talk to me, so I'll do that.

It's so powerful isn't Thanksgiving? I find I think it's probably true of most of us. Thanksgiving, reduces anxiety, it restores perspective. It gives me freedom to let go of things that I can't control. It fills my faith. Just that you practice, practice, Thanksgiving just start listing the things you can be thankful for.

I'm old enough that we used to use road maps and know where we're going now. I just follow this phone. I have no idea where I'm going and no idea where I am that way. Or is that just me? Like, I used to know when I was at Kearney where in the world that was. Now I just follow the phone. But here's what I do. Sometimes I press that little button which gives you the big picture anybody ever do that, if you'll just follow the next right turn, that's in like 500 yards. You're so I find the little button that gives you the big picture. It's kind of with Thanksgiving toast for me. It gives me a bigger picture of what God is doing in the rocus. Somehow, it just gives you perspective if I just thinking about my knees and my situations in the crises are the situations around me. I can lose that big picture of all the gods doing in the world so Thanksgiving so important so important cuz that for me it takes the urgency, the worry and confusion out of life and it reorient. Its me to Ward, what God is doing his cares, kindness is powerful. Rule has been shepherding, all those things, come into perspective, just like I stepped back to the map when I Practice Thanksgiving. So, let's meet about the prayer. A guy named Alistair, Begg preacher. Maybe you've heard of my online or something. He's great. If you haven't heard of me, should look at look up for a great Scottish accent. He Compares his Devotion to prayer like a soldier on the battlefield. He said, you know, if you need constant communication with your commander, so you know, what's going on? What to do next? Where should I go? Where is it safe? Where is it not safe? How do I respond? How do I act, who do I connect with her to prayer as a good servants of Christ? A devoted alert, thankful. Pakistan versus races at the same time. Also pray for us that God may open the door to us for the word to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am and Shane's so that I may make it known as I should. So here's this guy in prison, house arrest in Chains, literally in Chains. And he says, pray that God may open a door. So that's what I'd be praying. I haven't changed, let's open the door, open the locks, but maybe that's why he's pretty much. He really says to speak the message of Christ's. So whether and Chancellor not fall sang, My First request is that God will open the door for me. So I can speak this mystery of Christ because, you know, he said, it's what he's called. Me says that later in the game, maybe that means in his mind, he's thinking, I'll get out of this house arrest. I wouldn't blame him for thinking that, and maybe that's how God would answer it. Later before he went back to prison. But the thing here is pulse, primary concern is not for my life, is not very good right now. Pray that God will fix it. His concern is for those out there, those who don't know Christ, he wants to have a chance to speak the mystery of Christ. So that he can make it known as I should, he says he has a great sense of calling. This great sense of Burden. Course we know the story when he was converted on the road to Damascus and your God gave him a commissioning. You think I want to be faithful, only faithful to her guts made me not to be so pray that God will open a door sweeps. Got this concern for those around him so you're a devoted and we're praying for those around us.

The last week, Audrey spend some time, talking about submission in her a message. And she made the point that first and foremost were submitted to Christ and Jesus said, go and make disciples. And she said that when we pray that we should pray your kingdom come, and the poll showing some real time with that means, no matter what pressure, we feel the matter, what our circumstances about how difficult life. I'll say keep your focus on God and his kingdom. I want to pray. I want to have a chance print like a chance to preach. As I should to those we need to know the mystery of Christ.

Just thought about what God is doing in us. It's about what's God doing in our world. So people persistence and prayers, the first step in the for those people in that magnificent process of how God works. Then he says, this act wisely, making most of the most of the time, let your speech always be gracious seasoned with salt so that you may know how you should answer each person. Well, simple act wisely to work at Siders easy. Write something happens at work. Something happens on, the street, something happens at the kids school. How do I act wisely toward Outsiders? Well, it's not always easy, really is it? We trust the Lord. I have a friend Dave, which he lived about 15-20 years in the Philippines, work to watch the urban poor are, the poorest of the poor. And I said it. Dave, once I was visiting him in the Philippines and a two. All these people are begging and I said, what do you do? If you've been here fifteen years, you know, me to tell me, how do I feel this? Because it's so overwhelming. That I have no idea. Should I just ask God in every situation? What do I do for this person? Cuz he said I can't meet every need to hear. There's millions of these people, I can't do it. But you know what, he just pray that he would act wisely in each situation. Book of James says, if any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives to all generously and then gradually and it will be given to him. So if you feel like you're in a context where you don't know what to do, ask God for wisdom because he would like to generously and ungrudgingly. Give you the wisdom, you need. Another piece of advice for you. My friend Bill, who I worked with, for a long time, he started bunch of churches in the Kazakhstan, way back in the day and that was so wise for you. I still know him, but in his twenties, I first met him and I thought this is wise Beyond his years. I said, Tim, what's the deal? How did you get this everyday? The first thing I do is I read one chapter The Book of Proverbs. So I basically read the whole Book of Proverbs every month and I really think that's giving me a lot of wisdom for life.

Do it because it is tricky to act wisely to know how to respond to. I don't have to speak, but here's something. Ignoring things putting things off. It's not the answer to this. Emergency Paul says, making the most of the time. Making the most of the time, there's an urgency to our ministry to other people around us as well, because their perishing, they're dying. There's some of them are living their lives to that Jesus and there's an urgency to that timer on people.

We have a few people quite a number of people here in our church, relatively speaking to run their own businesses, either side gigs or their main gate and here. So I see, but all of them when I talked about their business, when I'm not working, I'm not making any money because that's the way it is. If you work for yourself, right? If you're not working, you're not making a mess right now. You know, where can I make a money? Yea So all those people were they always trying to do, make the most of their time makes sense to me. That's what God says. What's a Paul says? And God says to us make the most of the time. I accrue a prophet. Bill have treasure in Heaven by making the most of the time. So there's an urgency. We don't want to be stressed about it because we had all these things to God we trust in me. Know what's a good shepherd? With the same time? We want to be Faithful Servants working. It is Vineyard. So we make the most of time and God's going to reward us. One day story of treasure in heaven. He says so walking wisdom. Speak with Grace. well, where do we start with the Grace, the First Act of this wisdom to where it's supposed to. And pulses here is its to speak with Grace. Will what's Grace? It's something we get which we don't deserve. Most of, you know, me well enough to know that, I find this very hard, very difficult. I was just talking to someone last week and I thought Are you really here? So I was really thinking Are you really like this irrational and illogical and like not getting the point here? And I'm sure it came across, was that Godly. No, absolutely not. I find it so hard to speak with Grace. And I have to remind myself all the time that God's perspective is actually Brian wisdom, comes from above and not from your amazing intellect insights and Analysis of every situation you walk into So we need some humility to speak with Grace. And by the way, I don't think it's any accidents. That Paul's exhortation to speak with graceful is right on the back of peanut butter sprayer. If you're praying for people, you're going to speak to them differently. Almost certainly you got an issue in your life with someone, pray for them and see how that changes your attitude and how you speak another time. Acted like a jerk, the remedy.

What does driving a bus? I'd receive three emails, and three days from the safety officer. God bless her. She's lovely. And I was driving the bus and there's something totally messed up on her little tablets and they sent me the wrong way. And so I walked in, you know, after I finish this run, there she is. Unfortunately, for her. And I just entered, I won't say her name because she have a solicitor said to her, why don't you send an email about this? Instead of all those other emails and she just looks at me, like, I watch the way she should have told me to do something at my lunch. I thought that was really bad, so, I went back to her. And after lunch before yesterday afternoon, I said, I'm really sorry acting like total jerk. You please forgive me and she looked at me like what? I hear everyday. Thank you for being the bigger person, but I didn't even think anything of it, cuz it's all I hear everyday. It's not awful like isn't that awful that that's all she hears every day. Even more awful, it's like hell yeah. She knows I'm going to church because I told her. She act just like everybody else. That's not be those kind of people. So if you're like me and most of you aren't exactly, but if you like me, pray, I just act with Grace toward other people. Okay, there's my little talk. So Paul shift gears now and that he gets into some personal messages and that it's easy to gloss over these. It's a list of people. You don't know who they are, a camper down, some of the names, but this is the inspired word of God. So I just want to bring a few things as we close up the book, your overarching point. I want to make here is that it takes a village of somebody has written. God, wants us to work in community. God wants us to work safe partnership because none of us has all that it takes. Let's read these verses 7 through 18. Tychicus. Our dearly loved brother faithful Minister. And fellow servant will tell you all the news about me. I have sent it to you for this very purpose so that you may know how we are. And so that he may encourage our hearts, by the way, he probably carry this letter so he had an important job. Actually is coming with a new submissive faithful and dearly loved brother. Who is one of you. They will tell you. But everything here, anybody remember the story of a nice of us when we find it, you Bible experts. Philemon, who was he? Play, what have you done?

You're right away. Yeah, he was escaped slave, became a Christian and was sent back to his master. We don't know if he was a bondservant. One of those people who's heard was enslaved themselves in a sense of self. Or if he was just, you know, sort of a slave. But anyway, he become a Christian. He was going back so on this mess is now part of Paul's that team. I think a tent are Stark as my fellow prisoners since you greetings. Perhaps our circus was a prisoner because he asked that I be with all the surf. And we're not sure where that as does. Mark burns. His cousin even remember, Mark storage on Mark. What did he do? What happens if you gave up on them?

Paul gave up on him, right? The guys, writing this letter and is sending him. Back is saying early on and actually read it falls at this guy's a loser, he doesn't have what it takes and Barnabas, who is called the son of encouragement. Took this failure under his wing evidently disciple. Let me know what Paul saying to us.

Concerning he'll be received instructions if he comes to welcome him. So he's been rehabilitated restored and so has Jesus called Justice. We don't know anything about him except that. This alone as a circumcised circumcised, are my co-workers for the kingdom of God? So those are those people, they have been a comfort to me, a path for us was one of you. A servant of Christ Jesus. Probably the one who planted the church actually said, Jesus said you greetings. He's always wrestling for you in his prayers so that you can stand mature and fully a shirt and everything. Will's fry test by about him that he works hard for you. And for those in a lot of CF, for those aren't helpless Luke, The Physician and IMA send you. Greetings, give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in love to see you and nympha and the church in her home. If she had a church in her home, she probably was wealthy and successful and Rich. So we've got a slave and we've got a rich probably business person of some kind of the church. After this letter has been read at your Gathering have it. Reds also the Church of love seat of the last decisions and see that. You also read the letter from loud to see it until octopus, pay attention to the ministry of received in the Lord. So that you can accomplish if I fall in writing this greeting with my own hands and remember my chains Grace be with you. Just a few cursory observations are first of all the church was diverse wasn't slaves. The bottom of the totem pole and Society them for this probably rich person Jews and Gentiles will be put grown-up you know deep in the scriptures are there so just come to Faith out of nowhere. Luke at Doctor Highly Educated John Mark, a failure who had been rehabilitated and restored back to service.

I look at this little group of people and there's a lot of diversity here, there's people with more money and less money. These people have got long, Christian history and short Christian history. There's people who are in all kinds of Social and family situations ethnic diversity. Like they had also in this church We're just the perfect church for God to use to influence because it's what he does as sweet as so. Who are you? Are you tickets? Are you the one who encourages? Are you part of us the one, who restores? The person whose may be struggling and failed. Are you an SMS to one who has been forgiven much? And now you want to be useful. I think it's what his name means, if I'm not mistaken. I think his name was really mean to you. So are you John Mark, the person of Second Chances, and, and you've just want to be faithful after some of the lessons, you've learned, our MoviePass wrists, are you going to wrestle in prayer for other people in the church?

In our friend Cheryl who helped in the Adelphi Center. When I said, hey, can you pray for this? And she said, I said it starts a bit late. You'll probably get in the morning sis. Now, she said, I stay up. I stay up till about 3 or 4, most nights taking care of the problems of the world. She was being a little sarcastic as they taking care of it. Through point is, she's an intercessor. That's what she does. She said my old and then I talk to you later since I can't sleep my old age. So what do I do? I just pray. I pray for local stuff. I pray for the world, what a Ministry. She's wrestling in prayer for our church, for all kinds of churches, after some of you cuz she's mad. So are you an octopus? Who will be an intercessor in wrestle in prayer for those around you?

In any case as I'm writing in my own hand, he has this relationship. He doesn't even want his his scribe to write the letter form. He wants to write in his own head, why? Because it's so personal and we start a church. A few ever said, we want this to be a family. I still remember the what's your name

I remember the Troy and this part is just the other part and that there was Patrick and he said, oh it's Brandon Audrey part of our church, family. All this is amazing that was like just a month or two in the life of the church as I recall and he had it. He got the idea while he got it from. I'm sure cuz his parents were helping him. Understand that part of our church family, Paul's writing to his family here. These are just his projects and that's so important. We deal with people there. Another project. Third person, their friend or somebody care about no church, whoever you are, whatever you are. God has a role for you here, whether you're the encourager, the forgiving, the one who wants to just serve and carry letters from one place to another pass on news. All these different things, you can have some of them seemingly, very simple, someone perhaps less. So God has something to do and that's how he's building his church. So let's stay alert and prayer. What state devoted in prayer, let's keep Thanksgiving in prayer. Let's act wisely to wear that Siders. Let's ask God for that wisdom. And then let's just use the mystery have. Pray that God will open the door for each of us to fulfill. The ministry has called us to pick up for a question to. Where's a church? Can have an impact on the Troy and his workplace in our community. So Troy please go ahead.