Colossians 4: 2-28

Devoted to Prayer

Dearly loved people of God,

Paul and Timothy give instructions to the Church in Colossae and the believers who read this letter over their shoulder:

Colossians 4:2 NIV

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (NIV)

What does it look like to be devoted to prayer?

What does it look like to be devoted to anything? What picture comes to mind if I mention:

(NIV)

a devoted mother

someone devoted to his art

If you’re devoted to something, you’re willing to invest a great deal of your resources into it: time, energy.

Is that how you feel about prayer? You don’t need to answer aloud.

You don’t need to answer aloud. Honestly, how do you feel about praying? Is it a joy and delight? Is it a burden? Does it feel unreal and unproductive?

Honestly, how do you feel about praying? Is it a joy? a delight? Is it a burden? Does it feel unreal and unproductive?

This has been a ministry goal for this year. My goal was to help you grow in your ability to pray.

What does it look like to be devoted to prayer?

What does it look like to be devoted to anything?

What ideas come to mind if I mention:

a devoted mother?

Series on the Lord’s Prayer

someone devoted to his art?

Why Pray?

Picture of grandchild on tractor with grandpa

If you’re devoted to something, you invest lots of resources of time and energy. You pour love, effort, and passion into it.

Prayer Meetings on Sunday evening

Is that how you feel about prayer? (No need to answer aloud)

Honestly, how do you feel about praying?

It’s hard to say someone isn’t mature in praying. Prayer is simply talking to God the way a child talks to a parent. But there’s a difference between someone who is comfortable talking to God and someone who doesn’t make it a habit to address the Creator and Redeemer of the Universe.

Is it a joy? a delight?

Or is it a burden? Does it feel unreal and unproductive?

Growing in prayer is one of our ministry goals for this year.

Pray that God opens doors for the message: 1. Paul 2. Colossians

Daily prayer suggestions – added to Bible readings

Sermons on the Lord’s Prayer

Making Why Pray? available; you can still grab one.

Prayer Meetings on Sunday evening

Prayer is nothing more than talking to God: the way a child talks to a parent.

Or, in John deVries’ word-picture, being able to help grandpa do farm-work by sitting on his lap, your little hands on the steering wheel with his big strong, experienced hands. There’s a difference between someone who is not comfortable talking to God and someone who has a habit of chatting with the Creator and Redeemer of the Universe.

I’ve heard people say that prayer is powerful. It isn’t; not really. Prayer is simply talking with your loving heavenly Father.

The triune God is powerful! He responds to our prayers out of his boundless wisdom, his endless love, and his mighty power.

It might sound surprising, but when you talk to God, those thoughts, feelings, and opinions are among the factors that God Almighty considers as he works in the world and upholds it, leading people, and caring for his creation. Because God is loving and powerful, he invites us to depend on him for everything: from our salvation and the coming of his Kingdom, to the daily food we rely on. Praying arises out of learning to depend on God; learning that our heavenly Father is not just powerful, but also dependable.

So what should we pray about?

Paul has some guidance. He asks the Christians in Colossae to pray for him. Yet his requests might surprise us.

Remember the situation. Paul is in chains – maybe prison, maybe house arrest. Either way, he spends each day in handcuffs, limited in his movements by the chain. He’s not a murderer nor a thief. Paul was arrested for preaching the news of Jesus’ victory: Jesus Christ is Lord.

As he’s dictating this letter to Timothy, what prayer requests do you think Paul would have?

A fair trial? Freedom? Health? Yet what does he write?

Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. (NIV)

(NIV)

Paul wants word of Jesus’ victory to get out!

I’m really intrigued with what Paul and Timothy encourage the Colossians to pray about. Paul is in chains - maybe in prison, maybe under house arrest. You would think he’d pray for a fair trial, for freedom, for health. That’s what you’d expect, when Paul and Timothy write: “And pray for us too.”

He’s less concerned about his safety, or Timothy’s. He’s concerned that those they encounter: guards and judges, visitors and recipients of his letters will hear the mystery of Christ explained. Paul’s prayer request reveals his deepest longings, the passion that drives his life. His first and foremost concern is for the gospel to be proclaimed clearly.

Colossians 4:3–4 NIV

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Colossians 4:3 NIV

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

That’s Paul’s concern for those in Colossae as well.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (NIV)

It’s an odd request, given what Paul is facing.

but here you get something of the same flavour I find in John de Vries’ book, Why Pray?, the concern first and foremost is for the mission, for the Kingdom of God, for the God’s Word to have powerful effect on those who hear it. The concern is less for Paul and Timothy’s safety or comfort, and more for those whom they will encounter, and who will hear the gospel from them. They are concerned in being effective Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

Speaking of which, that’s the main concern for the Colossians as well:

Colossians 4:5–6 NIV

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

(NIV)

Why? What do they have to say that is so important?

Why?

What mystery, what topic of conversation, what answers do these Christians have?

The Message

The message of the gospel is at the heart of the letter. Paul has explained it several times in the pages previously. You can bring this message in a variety of ways:

SIN

: 21-

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

SALVATION

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

SERVICE

Colossians 1:21–23 NIV

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Colossians 1:21 NIV

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

CONCLUSION

Colossians 1:22 NIV

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (NIV)

SALVATION

(NIV)

This is the only message we have. Is there anything that would prevent you from trusting God’s word that Jesus’ death will give you life?

Col 1:22

Colossians 1:23 NIV

if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Since Jesus’ victory over sin and death is the only hope for a world knocked out of whack by sin, full of brokenness and grief, our conversations should also be full of grace and seasoned with salt. Not everyone is gifted or called to be an evangelist, but each believer should be prepared to make the most of every opportunity.

SERVICE

I know this is a stretch for some of us. Our culture views spirituality as a private matter. Some parts of the CRC have a heritage of acting in faith rather than saying much about it. That hasn’t always served us well in making new and better disciples. Out of all the ways an all-powerful God could grow his family, God seems pleased to use ordinary people like you to spark faith in other people. It’s in a community like this that faith is kindled and grows warm.

Or you could tell it from

So I spent a chunk of time this week developing the narrative budget with several of the elders and deacons. It was illuminating to gather the stories of our ministries. It’s fascinating to ponder how everything in our church budget for 2019 is geared towards helping people grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. We have a message to tell and retell, to each other, to the next generation, and to those in the neighbourhood hungry for hope and a future. Along with Paul and Timothy, our prayers ask God to ensure that the mystery of Christ is unfolded so that his name is hallowed, his Kingdom comes, and his will is done. And it would be really cool if God used our skills and resources in that mission.

Colossians 2:9–12 NIV

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

: 9-

Working in the kingdom of God is a collaborative project. That becomes clear in the final paragraphs of the letter to the Colossians. Nearly a dozen names are mentioned: people with Paul and Timothy who send greetings and people in and around Colossae who Paul and Timothy wish to greet and encourage.

Epaphras is praying that you may stand firm

As the final point of this sermon, I want to look at one of them. It’s a picture that God’s Word paints of what it looks like to be devoted in prayer. This is a hero of faith who isn’t well known even among Bible scholars. His name is Epaphras.

Epaphras is one of the Colossians. He’s the one who came back to his hometown to unpack the mystery of the Christ Jesus for his friends, coworkers, and neighbours. Although he’s far from Colossae now, he’s still working hard on behalf of the Christians in the tri-cities of Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. What work is he doing?

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. (NIV)

(NIV)

Wrestling in prayer on behalf of others is a vivid image. It’s a way some people talk about prayer, but I when I encountered it this week, I wasn’t sure what it means. So I looked it up.

As members of the body of Christ, we work together for the salvation a benefit of the whole Church.

Paul alluded to his efforts earlier in the letter.

To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

(NIV)

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

(NIV)

But it isn’t just Paul and Timothy. Epaphras is also contending on their behalf by lifting them up in prayer. One resource I consulted described it this way:

Again the form of battle is prayer. In prayer there is achieved unity between the will of God and that of man, between human struggling and action and effective divine operation.

When we pray, we are collaborating with God and working with each other so that the church of Jesus is built up, protected, strengthened and grow. That’s the service that Paul, Timothy and Epaphras offer on behalf of the believers in Colossae.

Here’s encouragement for you too, then. Be part of the struggle. Be part of the mission of Jesus.

By shining the spotlight of prayer on your church family and neighbourhood, participate with God in making more and better disciples.

How?

Simply tell God what you desire for them; tell our heavenly Father what you hope for them.