Introduction
Colossians 4:2-6
A little girl got up late one Sunday morning and she hurried and put on her Sunday best. She went outside and began running to the Church and praying “Dear Lord please don’t let me be late, Dear Lord please don’t let me be late. A couple of blocks down the street she fell and got dirt on her and tore her dress. She got back up and started running again and praying “Dear Lord please don’t let me be late, but don’t push me either.
Have you ever been given directions that seemed to be complicated and confusing? You know the ones where there are too many turns and not enough landmarks. In the book of Colossians Paul is attempting to correct false teachings in the Church. In doing this he presents ideas that are not found anywhere else in the New Testament. I’m sure that by the end of this letter his readers were a little confused by all the new teachings. Paul wants them to understand that despite what they have been taught the Christian life is about Christ. In Chapter four he gives them a few practical practices to help them with this idea. Today I want you to focus your life on Christ. So let’s look at some practical practices that will help you focus on Christ.
Transition: In order to be focused on Christ,
I. We must practice the discipline of prayer. (2-4)
A. We must pray like we mean it.(2a)
Paul tells the Colossians to continue earnestly in prayer being vigilant in it. It is not possible to be Christ like and pray wimpy prayers. Jesus was all about prayer. The night Jesus was betrayed by Judas and was to be arrested he prayed so earnestly and vigilantly to the point that he sweat great drops of blood. When you study this passage it is clear that Jesus did sweat drops of blood and this is not just a figure of speech. He was most likely suffering from hematidrosis or hemohidrosis (Allen, 1967, pp. 745-747), this condition results in the excretion of blood or blood pigment in the sweat. Under conditions of great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can rupture (Lumpkin, 1978), thus mixing blood with perspiration. Jesus knew what it meant to pray earnestly. Now I pray that you never find yourself to be under such stress that you find yourself sweating blood. The point is not the blood the point is he was praying even under the most stress a human can bare. If you will remember his disciples were so stressed that they could do nothing but sleep. We need to be faithful to pray. We must never allow our emotions or our physical conditions to keep us from prayer.
B. We must pray in an attitude of thankfulness.(2b)
At the end of verse two Paul tells us to pray with thanksgiving. This is another example of being Christ like. In Luke chapter seventeen Jesus comes across ten lepers and He heals them all. He then tells them to go and show themselves to the priest. A little while later one of them comes back and praised God for his healing. Jesus then ask the question were there not ten of you where are the other nine? Are you thankful for what God has done in your life? When you pray is it always to ask God to do something for you? Will you try praying in an attitude of thankfulness when you pray? I know it will warm God’s heart if more than one out of ten people would show their thankfulness.
C. We must unselfishly pray for ministers of the gospel.(3-4)
1. That they will be comforted and capable
Paul reminds them in verse three that he is in chains. He is actually sitting in prison writing this wonderful letter about living life for Christ. The most amazing part is he is praying for the opportunity to share Christ. I think that the fact he mentions his chains is enough to understand that we should pray for his comfort. If a p.o.w is allowed to write home and he says he is fine you know that he is suffering and you don’t say well we don’t have to worry about him he is doing well. Where we would not forget to pray for someone comfort we do sometimes forget to pray that someone in a bad situation will have the opportunity to share Christ. Part of living a Christ like life is always thinking about the furtherance of God’s kingdom.
2. That they will have the right words
In verse four Paul makes his desire for prayer more specific. That he will say what he ought to say. So often we are quick to say the things that we want to say or that we feel we should say. These things so often turn out to be the wrong things to say. God’s word tell us in James Chapter three that out of the mouth come blessing and cursing life and death. Our words are so much more powerful than we can imagine it is important that when we pray for each other we pray that we will speak in a manner worthy of Christ. Paul understood this concept and even though he was one of the greatest theologians of his time he knew he must depend on God for his words. How often do you purposely consider your need for God to be in control of your speech?
Transition: Next in order to be focused on Christ,
II. We must practice a disciplined walk or lifestyle. (5)
A. Live life on purpose. (5a)
Rick Warren in his book Purpose Driven Life says “People ask me, ‘What is the purpose of life?’ And I responded: ‘ In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be in Heaven. If God wants us to be in heaven then guess who else God wants to be in heaven? Everyone! So we must live our lives, as Paul tells us in verse five, by walking in wisdom. Now I have always been told that wisdom is the ability to apply the knowledge you already have. We know that God wants us to sacrificially give of ourselves so that others will be saved so the question comes down to will we walk in wisdom and apply this knowledge. Rick Warren also makes the comment "One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.”
B. Live life on the clock. (5b)
Rick Warren also says "One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.” If you go to work and your boss gives you a list of things to do is it right to not do them and expect to get paid. Of course not! We must live our life as if we are on the clock because one day the old ticker is going to stop. Now will God fire us absolutely not, but that does not make our laziness right. God’s word tells us in the book of James compares life to a vapor of smoke it quickly goes up and disappears that is why we must redeem the time.
Transition: Look at verse 6,
III. We must practice tasteful conversation.
A. Always speak as if to Christ
1. With Grace
We are saved by grace through faith according to Ephesians. Here Paul uses the same root word as found in that verse. Part of living a Christ like life is to show to others the same Grace that He as shown you. When people make us angry we are so quick to tear them down. A man once hired his new son in law to build him a house. The man told his son-in-law that the house was going to be a surprise for his wife for their 30th anniversary and he did not want him to spare any expense in building it. The son-in-law was already a cheap man who made his living ripping people off and his mother-in-law never liked him and didn’t think he was good enough to marry her daughter so he was really going to enjoy getting a lot of money from them while he did everything as cheap as possible. He charged his father in law for all the best equipment, lumber, roofing, plumbing and anything else he could think of while he only used the cheapest and even second hand materials he could find. When the house was finished he took the keys to his father-in-law who then handed them back to him and said this house is my wedding present to you and my daughter. One day we are all going to be rewarded according to every work and every word.
2. Making an effort to be kind
Have you ever been invited to someone’s house to eat and you put that first fork full in your mouth just to realize that there is no seasoning of any kind in your green beans. Most of us now days will simply say pass the salt please. God does not want people to be speaking to His children and wishing that they could get away because of their tasteless speech. We must make an effort to season our words so that they are encouraging and kind. If we ask someone if they want to visit our church and then begin blasting someone in it they are not likely to want to come. Do not think that this verse only applies when speaking of the church we are to be like Christ everyday and everywhere.
B. Know that there is a way we ought to speak!
Paul has already asked for prayer so that he will speak as he ought now he is telling us to speak as we ought. If you were to study this word ought you would find that it implies that it is necessity we must speak this way as Christians.
Conclusion
“Practical principles” is kind of difficult to say. In the world we live in I believe that they are even harder to live by. I want to encourage you to strive to live by these principles that Paul has laid out for us today. So, instead of recognizing them as practical principles I want you to think of them as powerful principles that you are going to purpose to practice. In all seriousness we need to recognize that Christ is King. He is the Lord of our lives because we have been bought with a price. Will you revive your prayer life today? I’m not asking if you will say a prayer I’m asking if you will respond to God’s call for you to practice the discipline of prayer. Will you decide to walk in a way that reflects Christ to others? I’m not asking if you will walk down the aisle. I am asking if you will live your life in the way that God is convicting you to live it. Will you let your words become words of encouragement and strength? Not in a public prayer here today but from this point on will you speak words that would make your Savior proud?
If you’re here today and God is speaking to you, and He has made you aware of the fact that you need His love and forgiveness in your life and you cannot wait until the service is over then come to the front and I will pray with you right now. If you know that something is happening in your heart, but you’re not sure what to do about it then I will be at the back of the Church after the service and you are welcome to come and speak with me then. I will be honored to answer any questions you may have.
