Final Admonitions

Final Admonitions

Colossians 4:2-18

Colossians 4:2–18 NLT

2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. 5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. 7 Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. 9 I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here. 10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. 11 Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been! 12 Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. 13 I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. 15 Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. 16 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them. 17 And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” 18 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. Remember my chains. May God’s grace be with you.

INTRODUCTION:

I- DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER (Colossians 4:2-4)

A- Totally Focused in Prayer (Colossians 4:2)

Colossians 4:2 NLT

2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

“Τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖτε, γρηγοροῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ,”

1- Focused Prayer requires devotion.

( “Devote yourselves to prayer” - Τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖτε)

a. “Devote”= προσκαρτερεῖτε = to continue to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of despite difficulty—‘to devote oneself to, to keep on, to persist in.’

b. “Prayer”= προσευχῇ = to speak to or to make requests of God—‘to pray, to speak to God, to ask God for, prayer.’

2- Focused Prayer requires alertness.

a. “With an alert mind” = γρηγοροῦντε = to be in continuous readiness and alertness to learn—‘to be alert, to be watchful, to be vigilant.

3- Focused Prayer requires gratitude

a. “and a thankful heart”= αὐτῇ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ = to express gratitude for benefits or blessings—‘to thank, thanksgiving, thankfulness. Literally, “be thankful to Him (the Lord)”

B- Thoroughly focused on Mission in prayer (Colossians 4:3-4)

Colossians 4:3–4 NLT

3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

“ 3 προσευχόμενοι ἅμα καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ ἡμῖν θύραν τοῦ λόγου, λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, διʼ ὃ καὶ δέδεμαι,

4 ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι.”

1- Focused on God-created opportunities to carry out Christ’s mission.

a. Pray that “ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ” “God would make it possible for doors to be opened (θύραν τοῦ λόγου) for the Gospel to be shared.

b. The Lord is the source of opportunities to carry out His mission.

(Revelation 3:7-8)

2- Focused on the God-given and empowered ability to carry out Christ’s mission.

a. Accurate conveyance of the Gospel for all people.

“λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ” telling the mysterious message about Christ… for all people.

b. The ability to proclaim the clear, life changing message of the Gospel.

“Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.”

“ ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι.”

φανερώσω = to cause something to be fully known by revealing clearly and in some detail—‘to make known, to make plain, to reveal, to bring to the light, to disclose, revelation.

II- DEDICATE YOURSELVES TO PURPOSEFUL LIVING (Colossians 4:5-6)

A- Purposeful use of time. (Colossians 4:5 b)

Colossians 4:5b NLT

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

“Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω, τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι.”

1- Every God-provided opportunity is to be maximized for the sake of advancing the Gospel of Christ.

“τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι.” = “make the most of every opportunity” Literally, “take full advantage of (καιρὸν) and redeem, purchase (περιπατεῖτε) every opportunity.

Believers are urged to maximize every opportunity to carry out the mission of Christ- with the same purposefulness as a person would purchase and expensive item.

Unlike those who offered lame excuses for not coming to the man’s dinner. (Luke 14:18-19)

Luke 14:18–19 NLT

18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’

B- Purposeful use of relationships (Colossians 4:5 a)

Colossians 4:5a NLT

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

1- The focus is to live “wisely” among nonbelievers, to provide a living example of Gospel transformation.

a. “Live wisely (Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε) among those who are not believers (πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω,= to those who are outside [of the faith]”

2- Every relationship is an opportunity to be on mission for Christ.

C- Purposeful use of communication (Colossians 4:6)

Colossians 4:6 NLT

6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

(ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι.)

1- Every communication opportunity is a missional opportunity.

a. We are to be careful be “gracious and attractive” in all that we say.

III- DETERMINE TO BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHERS (Colossians 4:7-18)

A- Encourage on purpose (Colossians 4:7-9)

Colossians 4:7–9 NLT

7 Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. 9 I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.

B- Encourage through comforting others (Colossians 4:10-11)

Colossians 4:10–11 NLT

10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. 11 Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

C- Encourage through dilligence (Colossians 4:12-13)

Colossians 4:12–13 NLT

12 Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. 13 I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

D- Encourage through God’s Word (Colossians 4:14-18)

Colossians 4:14–18 NLT

14 Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. 15 Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. 16 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them. 17 And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” 18 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. Remember my chains. May God’s grace be with you.

CONCLUSION: