Colossians 4

Colossians 4

09-27-2020

Welcome

Well we have finally come to the end of our Colossians letter

What a fitting day as we will see later of a great send off letter especially for us this morning as this afternoon we begin our One Conversation Training

Over the last few weeks we have worked our way through the letter of Colossians

In Colossians 1 we saw that you and I have a hope that lives inside of us and that Hope has a name which is Jesus Christ

We need to share that Hope you and I have in Christ with other people

Now some of you will say we can just bring them to church because we share the Gospel at church

But the Churches responsibility is to be a light and salt in this world

My responsibility is to equip you to share the Gospel

This morning we will begin our training of you all in how too share the Gospel

That is our job we are going to begin to equip you this morning so that you can go out and fulfill the great commission

Matthew 28:18–19 NASB95

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

To GO and MAKE DISCIPLES

We are going to give you the tools in how to share with them the Hope you have in Jesus and then church after they begin a relationship with Jesus you and I still have a responsibility to grow them in their walk with Christ

Make Disciples

Then in Colossians 2 we saw that Paul wanted to encourage the church to not be swept away

Paul wants to encourage us to not be swept away and that we stand firm in Jesus Christ

Jesus is our only Hope

I know we have said it before but our Hope will not come from the government

Our Hope will not come from an election in Nov, no matter who wins

Because it is Christ as our solid rock

Psalm 18:2 NASB95

2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

God is our foundation and let me be very clear this morning there is no other foundation on the face of the earth

It is all Jesus

And last week we looked at Colossians 3

We are to set our minds on the things above and not the things of the world

Now understand that we are to not stick our heads in the sand and not know what is going on

We live in this world but we are not part of it

We are to be not be clueless about what is going on but we our focus and our energy should be focused on the things above and not on the things of this world

Philippians 3:20 NASB95

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Remember church as believers in Jesus Christ, our citizenship is in Heaven and not in this world

This morning we pick up in Colossians 4

Colossians 4:1 NASB95

1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

We are to treat people with justice and fairness because we have a just God who is in Heaven

This picks up where Colossians 3 ends that we are to do everything as if we are working for the Lord

And we don’t have to pretend that we are working for Jesus because as a son or daughter we are actually working for Jesus

We are to treat people like Christ would treat them because of Jesus being in our hearts

Colossians 4:2–4 NASB95

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

Paul reminds the church they are to be a praying church

To always be thankful for what God is doing in and around you

Paul also asks them to be praying for them as they are praying for them

Remember Paul wants to encourage the church and tells them he has heard some of the good things they are doing

Paul wants them to know that he and his group are praying for them and he wants them to be praying for him

Paul is an evangelist at heart

Paul wants to share the Gospel

I would be Paul didnt know a stranger and would always find a way to turn the conversation to Jesus and how they can begin a personal relationship with Jesus

Paul desires to share the Gospel

What a great reminder for us as we begin today to we start One Conversation

See you can tell this is a God thing because this was not planned

But even Paul is asking for prayer to share the Gospel to make it clear in the way he speaks, even Paul knew you would have to speak with someone to share the Gospel

Church that is what we are doing this morning, we are giving you the opportunity to get some training to get some practice so that you can be clear in the way you speak to share the Gospel

Then Paul is going to give his last bit of wisdom before he closes out his letter to the church

Colossians 4:5–6 NASB95

5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Paul wants to remind them that they are different

The opportunity Paul is talking about is the everyday encounters you and I have with the lost people that we get the opportunity to share the Gospel

We need to speak in such a way that when those times come they will listen

If you and I get caught up complaining about what is going on in the world right now, we sometimes miss those opportunities to share the Gospel

Romans 10:14–15 NASB95

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

Church we are to be sharing the Gospel

I understand if you are nervous and anxious and this is outside of your comfort zone

This is so outside of my comfort zone but it is good because it is the will of God that we go and make

So church we are to go and make disciples like Paul is telling the church at Colossae

They are to look at every opportunity to share the Gospel

Now Paul begins to close out his letter

Colossians 4:7–9 NASB95

7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

Tychicus is a Asian man who had traveled with Paul in the past

Paul is going to send Tychicus to Colossae to fill them with what is going in the global church

That they can be encouraged and updated on what Paul is doing

Along with Tychicus he is sending back Onesimus

Now Onesimus who was a slave and stole from his master and escaped and was eventually arrested and met Paul and then came to Christ

This is just me thinking but I wonder if they are not the ones bring the letter to the Church

They will spend sometime there and then bring a report back to Paul

Colossians 4:10–14 NASB95

10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.

Paul is telling them what is going on with him and his current situation and how the Gospel is spreading

Aristarchus is a fellow prisoner with Paul and had traveled with Paul on other mission trips

The Paul also mentions that Mark may be stopping by and if he does they were to welcome him

Paul also mentions Justus and Epaphras and Luke

It is important to see that the church at Colossae was making an impact and some people of importance within the church were taking notice and did not want to distract from the message or what was going but wanted to encourage them

Church you and I should be encouraged this morning I do believe that we are doing the things God is calling us to do

God is calling us to pray, we met last Thursday and we grew, we do still have some work todo, so everyone put it in your calendar or go to the church calendar and add it to your phone

Also we are to be a Gospel centered sharing and equipping church

We are doing that today, please join us today and for the next 3wks as we train you to share the Gospel

That is what we are commanded to do, so lets do it

Then finally Paul closes his letter

Colossians 4:15–18 NASB95

15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.

Paul reminds the church at Colossae to read the letter and to also read it to the church at Laodicea and the church at Colossae they are to read the letter to Laodicea

Because church

2 Timothy 3:16 NASB95

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

This letter and the other letters Paul wrote is good for us

To close his letter out, Paul is encouraging the church at Colossae to ensure they are making the most of every opportunity to share the Gospel with the people they come into contact with who are lost

Church that same encouragement is to us this morning

Look for every opportunity to share the Gospel with the Lost People you come into to contact with each and everyday

Which means church each and every morning you need to be prayed up, read up, and armor on

So when those opportunities come you are prepared to be used by God

As we close this morning

The musicians are going to come up

This morning is a call to action to be obedient to the call that God has given us this morning

Maybe you are here this morning and you already have a personal relationship with Jesus and God is calling you to be a part of One Conversation

Or maybe you need to spend sometime at the altar in prayer

Or maybe you are here this morning and you do not have a personal relationship with Christ

We want to invite you to the front in just a minute and someone will meet with you and can open up the True Word of God and show you in scripture how Jesus loved you so much He chose to pay for you debt of sin by dying on the cross and then defeated death and rose from the grave

They will show you in scripture how you can begin a relationship with the God of the universe by repenting of your sin and running to Jesus and believing in Him

The altar is open

you be obedient