Instructions for the Church

Good Morning

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

If you are new with us this morning would you please take the time fill out that little flap on the side of your bulletin. If you put it in the black boxes by the back door we will make a donation in your name to a local charity and send you cookies. Church can we show our guests some love this morning.

Thank You

Mark and Rhonda

November 14th We will be Celebrating Thanksgiving as a Church Family. This is a great opportunity to invite your unchurched family and friends to join us for a meal and celebration. We will be taking part in a Global initiative that Sunday called One Day to Feed the World. I am inviting you to join Michelle and I as we give one days wages to Convoy of Hope. There is a sign up in the back of the Sanctuary. Please sign up to bring one of the side dishes for the meal.

Lets’ Pray! Pray over the Offering!

Over the last several weeks we have been on a Journey through Paul’s Letter to the Church of Colossi. In the beginning I reminded you that when we read a book in the Bible we have to look at it with the mindset that it was written to a place in history for a purpose. The purpose of this letter was to correct false teaching in the Colossian Church. False teaching that stated that in order to have a more enlightened spiritual life you had to be part of a secret society or mystic group. They were being taught to worship angels by one group, while another group was trying to impose legalistic rules in order to obtain salvation.

As we have studied this letter we have learned what aspect of the world we need to depart from and what attributes of Christ we need to grab a hold of in order to have a closer walk with God.

Today we are going to finish the Journey. In Paul’s final words to the Church of Colossi he pulls everyone together and address the body as a whole. The title of today’s Message is Instructions for the Church. Let’s pick up in the Book of Colossians Chapter 4 Verse 2.

Instructions for the Church

Colossians 4:2–6 ESV

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 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— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Instruction #1

Be Devoted to Prayer.

Prayer is the most effective tool that God has given us. Yet the majority of Christians walk through life barely using it.

Prayer is your life line, your direct connection to God through the Holy Spirit. Paul is ending this letter by pointing the church to the only source of higher relationship with God. It isn’t found in being part of a Special Bible Study, It isn’t found in Listening to the most Woke Pastor on Youtube, or even doing a service project or special missions trip.

Those are good things...

Higher Relationship with God = Continual Communication + Consistent Encounters

Colossians 4:2 NLT

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

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

17 pray without ceasing,

Ok Paul, Who has time to spend their whole day on their knees.

Paul isn’t saying go into a closet all day and never come out. He is saying that you should be in a constant attitude of prayer.

If you want to Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk as a person connected to God you need Consistent meetings with God.

Then you begin to adjust your attitude to reflect a dependence on God, realizing he is present with you, and a determination to obey him fully.

When your attitude shifts you begin to make frequent stops through out the day to praise God, ask for direction, and lay aside the road bumps.

Every Spiritual Giant I have ever met has three characteristics.

Spiritual Giants devote themselves to prayer, stay alert to God’s Presence, and have a heart of gratitude towards God’s promises.

Devoted to Prayer

Stay Alert

Heart of Gratitude

The idea of Thankfulness is a pattern that Paul has repeated through out this letter.

Colossians 1:3 ESV

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Colossians 1:12 ESV

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Colossians 2:7 ESV

7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Colossians 3:12–17 ESV

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:15–17 ESV

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What I have found in my life that my darkest seasons are usually missing thoughts of thankfulness.

Instruction #2

Pray for Missionaries and Pastors.

Colossians 4:3–4 ESV

3 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— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

Paul teaches us to Pray for Two Key things.

Open Doors

The Ability to Speak Clearly

When we pray for missionaries and pastors we should pray for opportunities to share the message and the ability to share it clearly.

Instruction #3

Use Wisdom with Outsiders.

Colossians 4:5–6 ESV

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

The mindset of who cares what they think has no place in Christianity.

A few weeks ago Jeff Jay and I attended a funeral.

Jeff told me the story of meeting the Priest and How he prefers to be called Father because of his Dad.

The reality is this once I become a devoted follower of Christ I should always be clothed in Christ. Therefore I am alway be representing Jesus.

No one should ever say to us or about us “Really they go to Church.”

Followers of Christ should be held in High Regard by nonbelievers.

A Church should not be country clubs for elite groups. It should be a training ground for how to win the world.

We should be making the most of every opportunity to share the Gospel.

That means we pay attention to what we say and how we say it.

Speech that is seasoned with salt is interesting, invites interaction, adds “spice”to the discussion, and is pure and wholesome.

Colossians 3:8 ESV

8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Paul says it this way in his letter to the Ephesian Church

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Jesus put it this way.

Matthew 5:13 ESV

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Peter continues the pattern

1 Peter 3:15–16 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Everyday we face a choice to be a life giver or a life taker.

In a world that is completely against judgement there is a gray area where Christianity sits. By the worlds standards the only people held to a standard are Christians. Jesus, Paul, and Peter all recognize this pattern. They teach us to embrace the standard and use it to win people to Jesus.

Once Paul is through these instructions he ends his letter with some Final Greetings. Now most people skip this portion of the letter thinking not much is usable. However, I see some great value here.

Colossians 4:7–18 ESV

7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Though Tychicus, Paul affirms that the message doesn’t only have to be recieved from the leader.

Through Onesimus and the Letter to Philemon we learn about forgiveness of fellow believers.

Onesimus was probably a servant by means of debt and fled Philemon.

Though Mark we learn that there should be reconciliation.

Then Paul ends the letter by telling the Church to share the message with others.

As we close this series I believe there are some important things we need to take hold of and carry with us.

Keys From Colossians

1. Salvation and Deeper Connection only come through Jesus.

2. Relationship with Jesus doesn’t need additives.

3. Life, Love, and Relationships are much better when We put on Christ.

4. We have a Responsibility to Share What We have Received.

Stand with me this morning.