Untitled Sermon (10)

‘Growth is constantly highlighted in the narrative (6:7; 12:24; 9:20): numerical growth (2:41; 4:4); geographical expansion (1:8; 8:25; 9:31; 11:19-20; chapters 13-20, 27-28); growth in ethnic diversity (8:27; 10:1ff.;..). In fact, Luke’s narrative focuses much more on mission and church-planting than on continuing church history’.[1]

[1] Loveday Alexander, ‘What patterns of church and mission are found in the Acts of the Apostles?’ in Steven Croft (ed.), Mission-shaped Questions: Defining issues for today’s Church, London: Church House Publishing, 2009, 134

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Claim - The Christian should be persistent in prayer for kingdom things, (Christ’s return; thankfulness and gospel advancement) coupled with a character that allows Christ to be proclaimed naturally and regularly.Focus - Be persistent in prayer for kingdom things and develop a character that allows Christ to be proclaimed naturally and regularly.Function - Excite us to pray persistently for kingdom things and live to evangelistically. ‘Growth is constantly highlighted in the narrative (6:7; 12:24; 9:20): numerical growth (2:41; 4:4); geographical expansion (1:8; 8:25; 9:31; 11:19-20; chapters 13-20, 27-28); growth in ethnic diversity (8:27; 10:1ff.;..). In fact, Luke’s narrative focuses much more on mission and church-planting than on continuing church history’.[1] [1] Loveday Alexander, ‘What patterns of church and mission are found in the Acts of the Apostles?’ in Steven Croft (ed.), Mission-shaped Questions: Defining issues for today’s Church, London: Church House Publishing, 2009, 134 PRAYLast week I started with a recap of Colossians so far.. and I’m going do that again. Our Faith in Jesus and our love for each other spring from the hope stored in heaven for us, col 1v5We therefore live lives worth of and pleasing to Jesus, col 1 v9Becasue, in all things Jesus has supremacy, col 1v18And he has made us ‘full’ of eternal and glory filled salvation col 2v10 So now we live with our minds and hearts on things above col 3v1putting to death our old earthly habits, col 3v5and putting on the virtues of Christ, col 3v12. We then looked at how relationships within this new life that Christ has given us will look like. In marriage, within families and within our work places. And as we reach the end of this book of Colossians, just before Paul gives his final greetings and personal notes about individuals, he has 3 more instructions. 4v2 seems to follow on from 3v17, with last weeks household instructions slotted in, perhaps so that Paul could return to the idea of thankfulness through prayer and to emphasise how important our public witness for Christ to end the letter. These are very significant verses. For they tell us when and what to pray for.They remind us of a key focus for the church.And they show us how we ought to behave, and what our priorities ought to be towards non-Christians. SO, we’ll go through the 3 instructions,

1 - Pray - being watchful and thankful

2 - Pray - open doors

3 - (Urgent) Witness - natural and regular

So, let’s begin with

1 - Pray, being watchful and thankful

​ NIV - AnglicisedDevote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Devoted is a good word, Not devoted like a dog might be to his owner - devoted until someone else feeds it something better! This is a full on, passionate and continuous or persistent devotion. To continuously, always, steadfastly, persistently, devotedly pray! But what I think is interesting about this life of ‘devotion to prayer’ is the 2 principles Paul gives to govern our prayer. Being watchful and thankful. Or more precisely, being watchful in your prayers, with thankfulness. So let’s address this verse. What should we pray about, and how do we remain ‘watchful and thankful in our prayers. The NT tells us to bring all things to God in prayer.

​ NIV - AnglicisedDo not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

That famous hymn poetically rejoices in the joy of prayer:.What a Friend we have in Jesus,   All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry   Everything to God in prayer! It really is a privilege to carry everything in prayer.. But here comes the perspective Paul wants us to have as we pray. ‘Being watchful and thankful.’ The NT uses the word ‘ to watch’ a lot, and it is used to mean - awake! More than that it is used in the context of being awakened from the darkness, by which I mean sin, our old nature, and the evil of this world - And we are awake for what is to come- with a view that calls on, and lives expectantly of the return of Jesus.You may know the story Jesus told to his disciples in

​ NIV - Anglicised“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

Our prayers are to be calling on and expectant of the return of Jesus. Watchful!Awake Oh church - pray, pray, pray - for Christ will come again. This changes our prayers in several ways I think.Firstly - it builds ‘certain hope’.Secondly - it keeps us from complacency and darkness.Thirdly - it gives perspective So a prayer we currently say might sound like this:“please Lord, I can’t cope any longer . I’m in such emotional/or/physical/or/spiritual pain - please ease my pain” Now a watchful version fills out the prayer. \So our prayer now sounds like this:“Come lord Jesus, for I know all pain will go when you do. Easy my pain now I pray, for I cannot cope much longer, but in this pain may I be ready for your appearance/ May my pain remind me that time is short and that I must warn other’s of your return who have no hope. May my hope in you keep me awake. Come Lord Jesus.” A watchful prayerbuilds hope,keeps us from complacency and darknessand gives us eternal perspective Or perhaps our prayer, “Lord please, give me this promotion at work”becomes ‘Come Lord Jesus, that the world may see your glory, test my heart so that I am awake to your light and life, see that there is no pride in me. If it be your will, and I can give more to your gospel work, influence more with my faith, may you give me the promotion at work. But Lord, I want to be ready for you, more than anything.’ .A watchful prayer is a glorious way to pray, in the best and worst of times. And it leads naturally to the second perspective we are to have in prayer - thankfulness. The Christian life is a thankful life. Read Colossians again if you’ve missed all we have to be thankful for, past, present and future! Jesus has died for all your sin. Your old nature has died with him, and you now stand blameless before God almighty! We now live with our motivation of an eternity with Jesus before us. That ought to cause us to be thankful at all times. It doesn’t mean smiling and being chirpy, pretending that everything in this life is wonderful. There is no need for what I call a ‘Fixed Evangelical Grin’. FEG for short.We should be honest with each other about life.But even in the darkest of times, our souls are to whisper a thankfulness to God. Devoting yourself to prayer is a high calling, but it is a wonderful one too. If you struggle to pray can I suggest a few practical ideas to get started. Your first port of call is simply to pray the Lord’s prayer each day. It is a model for our prayers, so as you get more and more used to it, you can expand the sections as you go. But you will find it a refreshing, simple and encouraging way to start each day. And it should be no suprise that it picks up this idea of being watchful.

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name

Here comes a watchful focus - your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us your sins, as we forgive those who sin against us,

Lead us not into temptaion, but deliver us from evil,

for yours in the kingdom, now and forever,

Amen,

Another suggestion is to download the app ‘PrayerMate’

helpful prompts and readings and prayers.

Fill it with your own prayer request.

Or keep a prayer note book to hand.

Ok - Paul’s next sentence.

2 - Pray - open doors

While we are to devote ourselves to prayer that is watchful and thankful, we also ought to be praying for the advancement of the gospel.

​ NIV - AnglicisedAnd 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.

There isn’t any sense in Colissionas that the Christians in Collossee are under any persectution. There is no call to persevere under trials and persecutions. Simply a call to exult Christ in all things. So they perhaps reflect our situation today here in England. And so Paul calls on them to get involved with the advancement of the Gospel where it is not so free. And they can do that in prayer. Notice Paul doesn’t ask for his release from prison. He simply reflects that he is in prison becasue of his proclamation of the gospel. What he wants, is for opportunities to keep sharing the gospel. He calls them to pray for open doors.Its worth noting that by open doors he does not mean, if the door opens he will preach, but if it doesn’t he wont. Open or closed doors are not God’s way of directing our life as we often think today. The doors are closed for Paul - he’s in prison - for most of us today we’d have taken that as a closed door from God and tried to go home! No - Paul, in his chains - is still trying to open the doors that seem firmly closed. Pray that they would open. Pray for oppertunity. pray for a way forward for the gospel - even though I am in chains. And we can do that today.Pray for each other here at GC, that we have opportunities to share the gospel - where there have so far been closed doors, pray they would be open. Perhaps more fittingly to the passage though, is to pray for those we support around the world who are trying to reach the least reached people of the world with the gospel. This is why we devoted last Wednesday’s prayer meeting to praying for missions and the persecuted church. Pray for the persecuted church who are still preaching the good news of Jesus.Pray for the missionaries in the hardest parts of the world, still trying to preach the good news of Jesus. But don’t just pray that they would be free from persectution, and don’t just pray that life would be easier for missionaries.

Pray that, as Paul requests -

1 - Doors would be open - oppertunities would arise

2 - That in their situations - Christ would be proclaimed

3 - That they would proclaim the true gospel faithfully and accurately. as Paul asks in v4

​ NIV - AnglicisedPray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Not a diluted version that suits the place, not a distracted from Jesus version - simply the pure and true gospel of Jesus. For is we’ve lerant nothing else from Colossians - nothing and no-one can save apart from faith in the Lord Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins. thirdly then...

3 - (Urgent) Witness - natural and regular

I’ve already suggested that Collossee Christians were not seemingly under significant persectuion - it was probably a situation similar to us today. So, the final reminder Paul gives them is about their relationship towards outsiders. To non-Christians. People they work with,their neighbours, mums in the playground, friends at the cricket club.

​ NIV - AnglicisedBe wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

​ NIV - AnglicisedLet your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

There is one overriding assumption in these verse - and that is that we ought to have a sense of ‘urgency about our witness’ to non-Christians. But within that witness, we are to be ‘natural and regular’

- sounds like a tag line for constipations medicine doesn’t it. Urgent, natural and regular!

You shouldn’t forget it now! Firstly then - the Christian is to (urgently) witness- by which I mean share the good news of Jesus with everyone. That is very clear from these verses. But it is not just a secondary or after thought - witness - or evangelism - is to be on the forefront of our minds.

​ NIV - AnglicisedBe wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

This verse communicates an urgency. Be wise - think about it, be careful, plan and pray - in the way you act before non-christians - so you can make the most of every oppertunity. Do not waste chances to speak of Jesus - who can save them from hell for heaven! But be intentional/wise about creating oppertunity. That said though, says Paul - don’t be, OTT,a bull in a china shop, Fixed Evangelical Grinners, who uncomfortably rams Jesus into every conversation.

Did you see the football last night?

Oh Yes - isn’t Jesus wonderful?

Who, What?

I was reading my bible and enjoying the beauty of Jesus when the 3rd goal went in!

Is that the time!

You better run - Jesus is coming!!

No - v 6 tells us how we should be.

​ NIV - AnglicisedLet your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Full of grace - in the normal sense of the word, not full of the grace of Jesus theologically (although that is the ultimate aim obviously)This is simply meaning- full of gentleness and kindness in the way we talk. Seasoned with salt - This saying at the time implied you brought a bit of life to a conversation. It implies we bring wit and intrigue. It picks up on the idea of salt bringing flavour and presevation to food.so we too ought to bring flavour and extend interesting converstaions - so that.....we may know how to answer everyone. What is Paul saying...We should practice being good conversationalist, Were we are able to engage people in a way that entertains and intrigues them naturally. We are people who make an effort with relationships, show an interest in others interests, are kind and gentle, while interesting and funny. SO THAT - we can naturally and regularly Witness to the gospel of Jesus who can save them. On occasion, but very rarely, we get the chance to speak of the gospel straight away with someone. They might just say - who is Jesus, or why do you believe in God. So tell them. Don’t waste the oppertunity. But on the whole, to be wise, full of grace and seasoned with salt - while maintaining a real sense of urgency, means we need to be intentional but patient in our witness - so we are natural and regular in our opportunities. HEre are some practical suggestions to help with this. There are 3 of them, they are in order, and they begin with my initials - S P W.Before I loose you all to thinking about what my middle name is, it’s Peter - no back to the practical ideas. 1 - SS - Start Small - Plant the seed of opportunitiesLet people know you are a Christian as soon as possible. Telling someone you’re a Christian is not the same as telling them the gospel. It’s not going to offend people to know you go to church or read your bible. So get that into your relationships straight away. Becasue, that will provide opportunities in the future to: speak more - invite them to things, and even share the gospel with them. 2 - PP - Plan and Pray - Make the opportunities Plan your relationships. Think about and pray for those you know. Who and how can you add salt to a relationship? What could I invite them to. What could I talk to them about that interest them. Could I play squash with them and then go for a beer. Could I arrange a play date between our kids.Could I invite them to a curry night, holiday club or even church! 3 - WW - Witness Well - Take the opportunities. The ground work is done, They know you’re a Christian, you’ve put effort into an interesting relationship, they may have heard the gospel becasue you invited them to something - but Now you, as a friend, need to tell them the gospel.Take the opportunities you have made! Pray - being watchful and thankfulPray - for open doorsUrgently Witness - naturally and regularly Lets PRAY