Maturity in Christ requires THE SPRING of Gospel-Prayer & Gospel-Outreach
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Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
What an incredible delight to see Christ’s work and that we are in Christ, then to see that Christian living isn’t about our effrot alone, but about you and I partiipacting WITH Christ - dying and risin gwith himin dialy life. Chapter 3 moves us from Christ transforming our character, parituclar.y unifying His body on earth, but then moves to the dialy life of the roles we play in our home t work - participaitng with Christ - understanding how He’s Lord of creeation and of the new humanity the new way of doing things - what we do and say is all Service to our Lord. I don’t know about you - but rebuke, dying away of old ways of doing family friendship, doing churh, doing work - selfishly without Christ. And so before Paul gets tothe clsoing of this incredible letter, he moves from the inididual and specific roles that we are each to fulfillwith Christ onw, to what can emopower you to do those oridnary roles and regular character living WITH Christ. How can you live with Christ in your character and in your speecific roles? It’s a bit like being asked to fix a cement blow out in a tank , but they give you a tooth brush, just rub it down, eventually grind it off? No, you not only need the right tools, but the craft of knwoing how to use them. And Paul is saying to these Christains, who had become undertandably inwardly focused - what ahppenes when problems in a church, denomination, we just talk among ourselves, get defenseive and protective and round the wagons - but Paul by the end of this letter is hardly talking about the problem these false teachers. He ha painted such a magificeint and accurate landcape of the new kingdom of God with Christ on the throne and what that means for your souk, your life, your family, your work - all the false a nd distorted ways of doinng Church and doing the Christian life fade away when instead your focus is doing it WITH Christ.
And as Paul closes his instruction on how to live as a Christain, how to have maturity not just in what you know as a Christs (someitmes that’s allthat’s addedover the years), buthow to have mature Christain serving, loving - in ordr to have that you need a very special gospel tool. And it is this little poiwerful spiritual spring! That’s the tool - Paul is saying you need to know how touse this spiritual spring in your. life. There is a way to compress it so that it fills you with such energy, purpose and potential, and there is a way to release the spring soit launches you out into your neighbours coworker, your family members lives in a way that they will be touched by the gospel of Christ too. So Paul says here\’s your spring Christain, learn how to use it WITH Christ in a twofold way - a compression that filsl you and a relase that launches you into others lives with Christ’s wisdom and grace! The first actio of this tool happens in privacy you by yourself with the Lord in prayer, the second happens in the noisy hubbub of our daily relationships.
Key Truth: The spring that empowers Christian maturity is a life compressed in prayer, but released in out-reach.
Let’s learn how the spring of your soul is to be compressed in a gospel-way, in a way that the lving in Christ fills you. To whom and what do you pray?
A. Gospel-Prayer is to a Reconciled God and for His Work of Reconciliation in your World
Now it is no surprise that Paul calls religious people to pray. In fact I think very very very few people never ever pray. Even among ahteistis very few maintina that belief there whole life, and when they end up in a jam, God i you are there hlep. In fact, a lot of people who take the Lord’s Name in vain, even expressions like By JOve, - even if withoutknowledge, calling on a hgher power. But the way that Pual describes how our soul’s spring is compressed through a very partiuclar form of prayer - has nothing to do with - a siple cry of help - even though that is pure prayer too. Gospel prayer has nothing to do with ritual prayers - like a Muslim with set words re3cite, even prayer ssaid as if mere reptietion does something.
Prof Carl Turman draws attention to too weird news stories, the first of a mwoman in Dakota who after suffering divorce, rather than dating, decided to save herself the trouble and she married herself. I rembmer the story takes herself on dates, enterd into a conveant withherself. Absurd because mariage by definition requires another party- union of two lives. Well alot of generic prayer that really doens’t even thinkof or adress God, that’s just fulll of ourselves and magically getting what we want or need - is like being mearriedto yourself. It just doens’t work. The other story he mentions is the lunacy comong over from Britanin to AMerica, an atheist pastor, of an ahteist church - teaching the attitude of gratitude. And this philospical lly minded professor, exposes that an atheist - though thankful to ceratin people, when it coes to life itself - and that deep down desire that you want to thak a Big Someone for life, that thoguh there is wrongs, still so much that is right and good - the athiest ultiatmely has no one to thank. Like prayer that doesn’t attend to God that’s a reall prpblem.
Well, Christian prayer has someone to thank and really asks a real person for help. But it is so much more than that: Listen to how the beginning of the WSC puts it:
WSC 98 What is prayer? A: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.
Do you get that? Risen with Christ, him having reconciled you to God, your prayer is actually a real encounter of your spirit with God’s spirit , with Christ purifying you and your prayers - real open access. Now if that is true - that through Christ, you can spend time and talk with and ask and just be heard by God as your heavenly Father, - if it’s true that reconciled by Christ to God your prayer isn’t earning anything, nor is it only that bare and blind cry for help, well then what should mature Christian prayer be like?
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
This is why the wrod that gets all the stress as Paul writes isn’t prayer - but teh word “continue steadfastly” That’s the heart of the command - be devoted to prayer. Now what other things you are devoted to in your life. Any dedicated watchers of teh Amazing Race - you don’t watch taht show like the evening news hohum ok … mostly in one ear out the other, - you’re tuned in and cheering and agnizing as theose contestat - deoviton means two things and one of them is intenstity. But it also means duraction, I bet you can watch the whole thing, and I bet you do it often. if you are watching a show and its streamed from like Netflix - your dedication can be measured by how many epsidoses in a row you watch - binge aatch. Intenstity and Duration. For me in highschool it was basketball, before school at home until Mr. Mayes said - if I here that before 7:00am I put a hole in it! Every cahnce aIgot, and when we played brtother and I - play all out \until so dark coudn’t see.
Well, prayer coming into God’s presense through jesus Christ, - it’s not an optional for a few “more spiritual Christain”s Paulsays all of us are called to this kind of prayer life. There is first of all a gerneal type of prayer that’s Onoig conversaton with God - delightful medieval monk Brother Lawrence wrote in the classic The Practice of the Presence of God:
The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees. Full devotion to prayer is possible in a busy life.
But there is also a concentrated type, in addition to the daily confession, thanksgiving - there is a peitionary tyope of prayer that Paul is asking all ofthem to engage in. DO you have that kind of prayer in your day? Do you pray? When? At sleepy night? Listen to C.S. Lewis: No one in his senses, if he has any power of ordering his own day, would reserve his chief prayers for bedtime—obviously the worst possible hour for any action which needs concentration.… My own plan, when hard pressed, is to seize any time, and place, however unsuitable, in preference to the last waking moment.… The body ought to pray as well as the head” (The Joyful Christian)
Really some Jesus’ the last intruction from jesus - Watch and Pray - don’t woory about when Christ comes back, can’t know day or hour, but you are to be ready, so watch. The Intruction is less about watching for Christ’ return and more about watching yourself and that you arel iving your life in the light of Christ’s grace. Do you live a “watchful life”? Paul says this is what our prayers shoudl be doing day by day. Taking stock of the spiritual situation around. Do you see the brokenness of spirit , the opporuntiy for good, do you see the attack of evil, In our prayer life we are to take stock , bring our heart to God for these istuation, plead for His wisdom to undertand them, and seek answer solution in prayer for them.
But notice first in 2b the manner in which this prayer should be launched in our lives: being watchful in it Really some Jesus’ the last intruction from jesus - Watch and Pray - don’t woory about when Christ comes back, can’t know day or hour, but you are to be ready, so watch. The Intruction is less about watching for Christ’ return and more about watching yourself and that you arel iving your life in the light of Christ’s grace. Do you live a “watchful life”? Paul says this is what our prayers shoudl be doing day by day. Taking stock of the spiritual situation around. Do you see the brokenness of spirit , the opporuntiy for good, do you see the attack of evil, In our prayer life we are to take stock , bring our heart to God for these istuation, plead for His wisdom to undertand them, and seek answer solution in prayer for them.
dO Outreach - timeint he uiverse we livein right now is God filing the universe with Christ’s glory - , his reign - our relationship s WITH Christ, for CHRIST - …
Outreach - timeint he uiverse we livein right now is God filing the universe with Christ’s glory - , his reign - our relationship s WITH Christ, for CHRIST - …
Corrie Ten Boom said: “The most important question is not how much work is being done but how much Jesus is doing through you. Look up; God’s ceiling is unlimited. Learn to look on Jesus, and more and more you will find that Jesus is directing your wandering look toward the Holy Spirit.”- take those isutation s and bring them to the LORD< filled with peace, filled with a power to follow God’s will in them, filled with and endurance. ISn’t that what ahppened to Christ, - temptations, begninignand end of minsitry, , Spiritual coil too, and it was seaonss of prayer - focused and recharged and opened his soul to possiiblities \before Him.
“The most important question is not how much work is being done but how much Jesus is doing through you. Look up; God’s ceiling is unlimited. Learn to look on Jesus, and more and more you will find that Jesus is directing your wandering look toward the Holy Spirit.”
olman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 342.While this would be true of the Colossians sorting through their church friendships and the danger of false teacher; even more for maturity in Christ, take those isutation s and bring them to the LORD< filled with peace, filled with a power to follow God’s will in them, filled with and endurance. ISn’t that what ahppened to Christ, - temptations, begninignand end of minsitry, , Spiritual coil too, and it was seaonss of prayer - focused and recharged and opened his soul to possiiblities \before Him.
Corrie Ten Boom
Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 342.While this would be true of the Colossians sorting through their church friendships and the danger of false teacher; even more for maturity in Christ, take those isutation s and bring them to the LORD< filled with peace, filled with a power to follow God’s will in them, filled with and endurance. ISn’t that what ahppened to Christ, - temptations, begninignand end of minsitry, , Spiritual coil too, and it was seaonss of prayer - focused and recharged and opened his soul to possiiblities \before Him.
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison
Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 344–345.
Look at
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—
Mature Christain prayer fill you and change you and equip you , but at the same time when we pray as Paul instructs us, you are not the only thing prayer changes. God has socveriegnly include the mature Christian’s prayer in teh working out of his good plan of salvaito in people’s live in this world! You and I before the LORD in prayer are to pray about the gospel misnitry we partner together in. Do you? Favourite moements on Sunday when I drive with Reuben - and he prays forthe preaching of God’s Word. That type of prayer essential! I feel it in this puplit, sustatined by prayers of god’s people, doesn’t fall flat, bring an offering like ELljah, pray for God for His SPirit to bring the fire. Wihtout the Spirit and just the Word we dry up, without the Word and just he Spirit blow up, but with the Spirit and the Word we grow up. And Paul says, pray for leaders and teachers youp partner with in sharing theg ospel: Ie. Coffee Break biggest group, Mne’s Fellowship, Catechizing - covenant relatinships, doctrine, youth young adults, get to know and ask and pray; what we do for vacant churches, david Walter’s in nursing home and rewtirmenet hoem - in in all nations, Steve Friseswick, Gurret.
But what about the us- that you know more personally , less official - got a friend, parent, trying to share word, do you tell a Chrsitian friend or a o-worker like prayer for? At dinner table pray for salvation of your own children,of neighbours?
How would we do that? Paul doens’t pray for an open door for himto go through, or foryou and I (even though have to be in people’s lives if want these opprotunities), what is he saying Christains pray for? They pray that God would open a door in peope’s lives for what? I once idd ca classical exiamination - asked what’s the gospel - my life is the gospel - whll Paul isn’t saying pray that you can share your life or expeirence, may come into it and helpful but not the core! Pray For the Word of God to go through and enter their lives and save them, rearrange, transform them. Pray that we might be able to and its says declare, but its the ordianry word for speaking word of God - My brother in law - in two months went from strongrecently retirted RCMP sargernt, to weak, can’t lift a fork or spoon, pain racked body. Lime disease, sister calls out to rest of family pray. Pray for healing - but God open his heart to your word - to he who is the word, to need of Saviour not just out of bind, but for life and life etenral. Then repsond to email, speak Word, God let your Word tdo teh work.
What about God’s wrod should we speak, and pray they will see and hear in us - mystery of Christ in us the hope of glory, mystery of outsiders becomiong insiders to God’s people, mystery of Messiah Saviour, His reign. and saving power. Oh do you ever feel tongue tied when it comes to speaking of Christ, not church not religion, but Jesus Christ, what a joy last Sunday thoguht of jesus. It’s Messiah’s work not only to open blind eyes, but through prayer, that our tonguded tongues be losenend to become haerld’s of good news. To be watchful in poeple’s lives, and share how Christ hanges everything. Paul feels it his own life may be chained, inmprisoned but:
for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
It is a test of faith, for us isn’t it, to share a gospel truth applicable to a person’s life, and then after casting our bread upon many waters, to be watchful and expectant for God’s wWord - to actually pray for particualr peope in our lives, \even our sevles, God open the doors for this truth in their life my life.
Paul says this type of prayer is essential to Christian living and witness. God not only uses it, but it changes your confidence. Listen to Paul n
that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Now he is not only praying for the door open in people lives, but for in his speaking that he make it clear. Actually strongest word for revealing a mystery to someone. TO reveal, or manifest a secret. Paul already said the gospel of Jesus was hidden for ages, but now teh Spirit and Word DISCLOSE, t - this is the same word. Paul said:
When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Paul says when we manifest God’s Word, truth in Christ, to somone’s life situation - it is a glory event - little God-momemtns, says aha I get it, Eureka this is God’s plan -that we say to people - I’ve got a secret, make it clear to you - cahnge your life -
What do we call that these days. on the internet - look up a Hack - little trick to doing a hundred and one things from a life hack to preventing paint from gonig bad to - tell a friend painting - they’re like Oh that’s so cool - really save me,thatnks Wowe I’ve got to try that?!!
One of you has an aquainenace - had an affair - ready to throw the marriage away - Here’s a test of fatih - thinkChrist and His gospel regardless of the outcome of the marriage can work a wonder in the middle of that mess. Other one of cancer, Other one of you stressed out, aAnother one of you suffered abuse. Tell you mystery of Christ in you the hope of glory in every situation. Help make it clear - booklets - faith in Christ with life’s situation. And Paul is saying: pray for the open door, then also prayfor the person explain9ing the hope, the mystery the gospel, for clarity. Or a Bible like this:
Well congreation , mature in Christ, your id in Him, and your future part of his reign, and you lseeking to have his Lordship in your life, this first tool with the spring - is get alone with god, throught he day and in concnetrated time with others - have real prayer that includes peititon ofro those sharing the gospel, and watchful for pettion for those whose heart needs to be opened up to it :Do you think it would work - dare you pray, pray a life time - and some of you know the comfort of the first question and answer of the Heidelbreg Cartechism - about your idenity in Christ like the first part of this letter, but do you know the comfort of the last part of the heiedelvberg Catechsim deserves to be known and loved just as much:
HC 129 Q. What does that little word “Amen" express?
Q. What does that little word
"Amen" express?
A. "Amen" means,
HC 129 . "Amen" means, This is sure to be! It is even more sure that God listens to my prayer, than that I really desire what I pray for.
This is sure to be!
It is even more sure that God
listens to my prayer, than that I
really desire what I pray for.
This is the expectation with prayers of faith, time with the Lord, and asking - like our life gets concentrated the spring compresses in that time - don’t go through the day with no reference to Christ, with no union with His power His iwsdom, but in prayer - each day full of potential and steppinginto each opprounity, challenge recieve\ing each blessing
But the second part of the this spring action in the Christian soul, gets copmressed in prayer daily, but then it gets released, and pushes out tohe edges of yourl ife beyond circle of your home and this fellowship. So easy to be an ingrown church, but the gospel tells us
Outreach - timeint he uiverse we livein right now is God filing the universe with Christ’s glory - , his reign - our relationship s WITH Christ, for CHRIST - … and
He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
If we want our lives to be part of that, if we won’t to grow into maturity in Chirst, can’t just be concerned about how our family, how our church , our friendship s going. Like Coffee Socials, somene new into your home, into your circle. The second spring action, which is a tool for maturity, to get the rest done, is the releasing of the spirng and it shoots outward to to those onthe fringes of your life!
B. Gospel-Outreach is Seizing Opportunities to Wisely Walk Beside Others with the Grace and Truth of Christ
And again just like everyone prays, but maturing Christain needs to be devoted to real gospel prayer, so too here, everyone has a walk, a way of life, a manner of living with the poepole around you, but justlike Pu7al’s command was to be deovted with the empahsis on the type of prayer, so too hear the emphasis isn’t on walk but on IN WISDOM walk.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
This is Paul’s final exhortation the middleo f the book revealed how Christ is wisdom from God come down to earth. While 2:23 says false teacher relyingon visions, rigourous disciplines, esoteric knwoledge, and strict ascetism - may have an appearance of wisdom - no value and just self-made religion. Buy contrast if in God’s Word risen with his Spirit, Christ dwells in you, declares that you have Christ
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And Paul says tool for Christain living - livng out the Lordship of CHirst, is that your wise living inChirst gets directed towards outsiders. Earlier Paul said we are to teach and admonish one antoher with a ll spiritual wisdom, that’s within the body of Chirst. But how about with the people you make sales with, the coworkers you have lunch with? Never forget bob Caroll, early life in sales big company travelled alot - hotel - did drink socially, but that kindof dirnkking with outsiders new Xn didn’t sya I have to drink liek them to reahc them. In 1 Cor Paul says Chirst has become our wisdom from God, the one great er than Solmon, alive in us, we with HIs mind guiding us know practically how to live with others - truth and grace!
Live wisely for the gopsel witness to them. Not thoughtlessly. how frewquently don’t trust Christains this how they cheated me, wronged me - But Paul sdays, you got to buy up the oppotrnities make the best of the time you have with those outside the church. And when he says making the besto f the time. Two wrods for time, one is the ordinary sense of one minute after another. But the other is for those special times, a season. Paul sense that comiong of Christ was such a time inthis world a kairos moement, the return of Christ another kairos moment. When he shares God’s word, but he is also saying, when you spend time with unbelievers you have kairos moments.
So interesting son at college for frist time, calendar allstuff - social life, going to work - overwhelmed all that stuff all that time - suffocating. But reminded him of illustration I used here at New Years. Big jar pebbles, try to fit 3 big stones doesn’t fit. But putin those big stones the pebbles fit. Paul is saying, you have moments that are big opporunities to hshow and speak grae and truth and wisdom. Sieze the regular time to actually be in your neighbours lives, but especially recognize those moements. How do we do that well, Well this tool of gosepl outreach like any other reltatinoshioprelies on the fabirc that binds relationships to gether and that fabric is words. And Paul sas in addition to siezing opproutiesbecause walking wisely with them,
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Paul has asked for prayer butnow he says,, you have yourown evange4liistic mission around you. He doesn’t just say speak nicely. Speak gracious words, season what your saying with the gospel. So many of our many words heard and exchanged, like grease small talk - keep things going but no the purpose of the machine. Kind of like salt most plentiful commodityin the Med and Dead Sea- purpose to preserve, vaulalbe ofor preserveing that covenant used salt to say LASTING WIEGHTY WORdS. and in the NT symbol ofmaking something tasty.
Paul is saying believers manifest the Lordship of Christ, head of creation and the church in our daily lives, when with outsiders he have simple, clear, clever, interesting things to say in kind manner about life and God and rght, truth, beauty, joy and peace. YOu know salt in the ANE could go bad, ipmurities, and even more chemical leakage in the humid weather. Sodium chloride leaks out. SAalt lost is seasoning and good for nothing but to be trampled under feeet.
Our words are not to be lkie that. Intersting R#ebecca Pippert, out ofthe slat shaker - perosnal eveangelism. With her husaband at psoh event with a friend, who was a high ranking diplomoat you know how Rebecca was introduced by this high fluting official: Recently at a party I was introduced by a very staid diplomat with: "This is Becky and she really believes. She's really devout and she's so interesting!" Wes and I have laughed many times over how people have introduced us here with great enthusiasm, fascination and respect. This comes out of the context of our efforts to genuinely get to know these people and their interests. We go to concerts together, see films together and out of scores of conversations, our Christian beliefs have emerged. We don't do this as a gimmick to slip in the gospel. We do it because we are genuinely interested in relating to non-believers and their world views.
And thisi s what Paul means about each unique peson getting a gospel answer - you know how to respond to each person differently according to thier needs their situation. I can’t do that with your neighbours and coworkers - like you can, as pray and overflow knowing them and applying the gospel.
This ithe other great tool for living WITH Christ in daily life. We recive Christ who is the owrod of God and our hearts over flow back to Him in prayer, and then our hearts filled with the fulnnes of God - must overflow to the world with the gospel. That’s the spring compressed in prayer with God, relased toward others in grace and truth of gospel outreach.