PRAYER IS SO IMPORTANT FOR A CHURCH Colossians 4:1-18
Proposition: A church must remember that prayer is so important in preparing His people to live for Christ and to share His love with others as we carry out His Great Commission.
Objective: My purpose is to challenge God’s people to be renewed through prayer to be able to accomplish our Lord’s purpose for our church.
INTRODUCTION:
Let’s begin with some fast facts about prayer. According to pollster George Barna, almost 90% of Americans say they pray in a recent poll. Over 60% of unchurched Americans say they pray. Of those unchurched Americans, one in three believe that prayer makes a difference in their lives. Among “born again” respon-dents, nearly 70% say that God personally answers their prayers. But exactly how do Americans pray? Barna offers these insights:
95% express gratitude to God. 76% ask God to forgive particular sins.
61% make specific requests of God.
So how is your prayer life? I imagine that your answer would be, “It depends. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not so good.” Prayer can be easy or difficult depending on many factors. There are days when we seem to touch heaven with our prayers, and other days when our words seem to bounce off the ceiling. But regardless of how we feel, if we want to know God better, nothing matters more than our prayers. Did you know that nearly 1,400 verses in the Bible speak about prayer? If you want to grow spiritually, you must learn to pray effectively. There is no shortcut to spiritual growth. Prayer is essential.
Have you ever been accused of praying too much? Probably not. The point is not how much we pray—prayer should be our way of life. From a life of prayer, a genuine and powerful witness impacts the world in which we live. God never challenges us to a life of shallowness. We are on earth to make a difference. What instructions does God give the Christian believer? Prayer is such a vital part of the believer’s life. God has chosen to change and do certain things through those who pray. Who is counting on your faithful prayers today?
The immediately preceding paragraph (3:18-4:1) consisted of a series of special appeals based on the several relationships in the Christian household. Now Paul returns to counsel that applies to the entire church. Most of what he says relates to the personal devotional life (vv. 2-5), but the section closes with an appeal for wise behavior toward non-Christians (vv. 5, 6). Maclaren therefore aptly remarks that the injunctions given in this paragraph touch "the two extremes of life, the first of them having reference to the hidden life of prayer, and the second and third to the outward, busy life of the market place and the street.… Continual prayer is to blend with unwearied action."
William Barclay writes, "Even for the best of us, there come times when prayer seems to be unavailing and to penetrate no farther than the walls of the room in which we pray." Yet we need to continue to pray and seek God’s face.
Have you ever wondered what to say to a co-worker, neighbor or friend that would influence them for the cause of the Christ? Have you ever wished you could say or do something that would help you to be more effective witness for Christ? The apostle Paul gives us some timely principles by which Christians can live that would help us all to be more effective in our relationships to others. He writes to Christians in Colosse and as he closes out the section on Christian living he gives this advice
found in these verses.
I. COMMUNICATION: BE DEVOTED TO PRAYER (vvs. 2-4) “Continue earnestly in prayer” This isn’t just a general statement about the importance of prayer, but prayer with a purpose. He tells them to "pray, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ...pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." Here are characteristics of a satisfying and spiritual prayer life:
1. Faithfulness (v. 2a) “Continue earnestly in prayer”-- "Be steadfast in your prayer life; be devoted; don’t quit!" God sometimes delays the answer to increase our faith and devotion and to accomplish His purposes at the right time. God’s delays are not always God’s denials. One thing is crystal clear from this passage and that is that it is God’s will that we pray to Him. We all struggle to know the will of God for our lives, but there are some things that you do not have to struggle to know. One of them is that God’s will is that you pray to Him. Paul is exhorting the Colossian saints (and us) to pray often and regularly. Seek times of quiet communion with God.
Illus: F.B. Meyer, the author of the great little book, The Secret of Guidance said, “The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but un-offered prayer.”
2. Watchfulness (v. 2b) “being vigilant”-- "Being watchful" suggests constant spiritual alertness. Keeping alert" means to keep awake, refrain from sleep and so to remain alert, watchful and ready to meet danger or emergency. It means to be quick to perceive and act; being on the lookout. The idea of alert stresses readiness or promptness in meeting danger or in seizing opportunity. The picture is of a sleeping man rousing himself and of being wide-awake and fully alert. In Gethsemane, deeply grieved to the point of death, our Lord found the disciples "sleeping and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mt. 26:38,40-41) "Keep watching and praying" stresses that prayer is to be our habit and lifestyle.
3. Thankfulness (v. 2c) “with thanksgiving”--"Being thankful" refers to the spirit in which prayers should be offered. If all we do is ask and never thank God for His gifts, are we selfish. Since gratitude to God is one of the best ways to put fervor in our praying. Thanksgiving implies that the grateful person is in perfect submission to the will of God, however His will is manifest. Why? Because it is only when one is fully convinced that God is working all things together for good that he or she can really give God being truly thankful. Someone has written that thanksgiving expresses that which ought never to be absent from any of our devotions; namely, the grateful acknowledgment of past mercies, as distinguished from earnest seeking of future mercies. Paul is cautioning against a whining, complaining, and murmuring spirit which is really just an express one’s lack of faith in God’s goodness.
4. Purposefulness (v. 3a) “Praying always for us”— To often our prayers are vague and general. We need to pray for specific needs. God has a plan, and you are a part of it (Romans 8:28). Prayer involves a persevering will, an alert mind, and a grateful heart; and our requests should be specific and related to the ministry of the Word. Paul asked not for an open prison door but for an open door of ministry. "Open" is literally to open up again. Paul uses this same picture of opening a door elsewhere writing to the Corinthians that "a wide door for effective service has opened to me (he remained at Ephesus 3 years to redeem the opportunity), and there are many adversaries." (1 Cor. 16:9). Again Paul writes that "when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord" (2 Cor. 2:12) Is it not striking that Paul, imprisoned, bound under Roman authority, is more concerned about getting out the message of Christ than about getting out of prison? This is a man with an "eternal mindset", one who has practiced what he preached ("Set your mind on the things above...")
Illus: "The purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth."
5. Fruitfulness (vvs. 3b-4) “that God would open a door for us”- This is Paul’s request for prayer for himself while he was imprisoned in Rome. His concern was that he and his associates might have opportunities for witnessing ("that God may open a door for our message") & that Paul might make clear ("proclaim") the great secret ("mystery"; cf. Col. 1:26; 2:2 with Eph. 1:9; 3:1) of redemption in Christ in a worthy manner. There was no selfish motive behind this prayer; Paul’s consuming interest was for the advancement of the gospel, not for his own blessing. Paul does not ask for the prison doors to be opened, but that doors of ministry might be opened (1 Cor. 16:9, Acts 14:27). It is more important to Paul that he be a faithful minister than a free man.
Illus: Howard Hendricks tells the story of a young man who met Christ after many years of life in the world. After his conversion he went to his first prayer meeting. Everyone was getting up and uttering their flowery (and maybe showy) prayers. Finally, this new convert stood to pray and said, "Lord, this is Mel. I’m not sure whether you remember me or not . . . I met you last Tuesday night. I just wanted to say . . . well . . . Thank-you for changing my life." And then he sat down. The simplicity and honesty of that prayer brought tears to the eyes of many. I suspect it brought a smile to the face of the Father, as well.
II. CONDUCT: BE WISE IN THE WAY YOU ACT (v. 5) -- The way you walk (v. 5) “Walk in wisdom”—Walk wisely. “Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity.” It’s not enough to have the right message. We must live the word as well. People will only be as receptive as they see the word of Christ being "lived out" in the lives of believers. The Christian life has a public dimension before outsiders who are outside the family of God.
1. The recommendation “Walk in wisdom”—This is an admonition. Walk refers to our conduct in our daily life. Wisdom is mental excel-ence in its highest & fullest sense & includes the ability to judge correctly & to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge & understanding. In simple terms Biblical wisdom can be defined as skill for living. "Wisdom" is the ability to properly apply the knowledge to each given situation. Wisdom is being able to take what God has revealed to your heart and applying it in given situations in a practical way. The aspect of wisdom in view is that which buys up every opportunity to lead a lost soul to the Lord. Thus the Colossian’s walk in wisdom is to have in view their Christian witness. There must be nothing in our lives that would jeopardize our testimony.
2. The reflection “toward those who are outside”—Build better relationships. In their everyday behavior, they should realize that they are being carefully watched by unbelievers. The world is more interested in our walk than in our talk. In the language of Edgar Guest: “I’d rather see a sermon, than hear one, any day. The unsaved are outside the family of God, and God has assigned us the privilege to be His ambassadors to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to them. Effective witness involves walking wisely, being alert to every opportunity, and being careful in what we say and how we say it (1Pet. 3:15). We are to first speak the Gospel clearly with our lives, which may open a door for us to speak the gospel with our lips.
Illus: This story has often been told about Dr. Will H. Houghton, who pastored the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City and later served as president of Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute till his death in 1946. When Dr. Houghton became pastor of the Baptist Tabernacle in Atlanta, a man in that city hired a private detective to follow Dr. Houghton and report on his conduct. After a few weeks, the detective was able to report to the man that Dr. Houghton’s life matched his preaching. As a result, that man became a Christian.
3. The recognition “redeeming the time”-- We all have the same time. "Redeeming the time" means buying up the opportunity. This is a commercial term and pictures the Christian as a faithful steward who knows an opportunity when he sees one. Paul goes into the open market and buys it up by using it rightly. This does not mean that the Christian should not also confess Christ with his lips, but the point is that his walk should correspond with his talk. "Making the most of the opportunity" means to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way, and in the context of this section in Colossians refers to an opportunity to speak the Gospel.
Illus: When the Russian writer Maxim Gorky was a child his father died, so he and his mother went to live with his grandparents. His grandfather was a very religious man, but stern, irritable, and often very cruel. His mother was also religious but she was kind, gentle and understanding. Gorky says that when he saw his mother and grandfather kneeling side by side in church, he could not believe that they were praying to the same God. He felt that there must be two gods; one cruel and vindictive, the other loving and forgiving.
III. CONSIDERATION: Be Careful In What You Say --The way you talk (v. 6) “Let your speech always be with grace”— Paul says it this way, "Let your speech be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Husbands know this well. Our wives tell us, "It’s the tone of your voice!" We respond with, "I don’t HAVE a tone!" It’s not what you say...but how you say it!
1. Be gracious “Let your speech always be with grace” “Be gracious in your speech.”-- If our conversation is to be always with grace, it must be courteous, humble & Christlike. It should be free from gossip, frivolity, uncleanness, and bitterness. These words which bring grace to those who heed. Paul turns from the believer’s walk to his talk. Our talk should match our walk and should be spiritual, winningly pure and apt. “With grace" is literally "in grace" (en chariti) and can mean gracious or charming, as in classical Greek. However in the context of Colossians and the NT as a whole, this phrase surely has a deeper sense. "Graciously spiritual" might capture the force and intent of Paul. Believers are aliens and strangers, not earth dwellers, and our citizenship not of this earthly kingdom but is in heaven, so it is reasonable to expect that our language or "accent" should give testimony to the kingdom (and King) to which we belong.
2. Be gentle “seasoned with salt”-- Compare all the sacrifices seasoned with salt (Lev._2:13 #2). Our glad task is to speak with like attractiveness, avoiding any manner of speaking in public discourse or private conversation which would leave the impression that the Gospel message is dull & flat & uninteresting. The expression seasoned with salt may have a number of meanings. Remember, that salt heightens flavor, & so Paul is saying that our conversation should never be dull, flat, or insipid, but should always be worthwhile & profitable. Lightfoot says that heathen writers used “salt” as a figure of speech for “wit.” Paul changes wit to wisdom. Perhaps the best way to explain the expression is to study the language of the Lord Jesus. To the woman taken in the act of adultery, He said: “Neither do I condemn you: go, & sin no more.” Here we have the grace & the salt. First of all, the grace, “neither do I condemn you;” then the salt, “go, and sin no more.” Then again the Lord Jesus said to the woman at Jacob’s well: “Give Me a drink. ... Go, call your husband.” The first speaks of grace, whereas the second reminds us more of salt.
3. Be graceful-- “that you may know how you ought to answer each one”-- The Christian must have charm and wit in his speech so that he may know how to give the right answer in every case. Here is an interesting injunction. It is all too true that Christianity in the minds of many is connected with a kind of sanctimonious dullness and an outlook in which laughter is almost a heresy. The Christian must commend his message with the charm and the wit which were in Jesus Himself. Perhaps the Apostle Paul is here thinking particularly of the Gnostics who came to the Colossians with their plausible doctrines. They should be ready to answer these false teachers with words of wisdom and faithfulness. The Christian’s walk and talk must be in harmony with each other.
Illus: Does your tongue ever become paralyzed when you are given an opportunity to witness, or when you are confronted with the claims of a false religion? God wants each of us prepared to respond with a strong witness when opportunity arises. "Some years ago, Dr. Henrietta Mears visited the Taj Mahal in India. The famed structure is noted for its unusual acoustical qualities. Standing in the center of the white marble mausoleum, the guide said loudly, ‘There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the prophet!’ "His voice reverberated through all the chambers and corridors of the tomb. "Dr. Mears asked, ’May I say something, too?’ "The guide courteously replied, ’Certainly.’ In a clear, distinct voice, Dr. Mears said, ’Jesus Christ. Son of God, is Lord over all!’ "Her voice, too, reverberated from wall to wall and through the corridors of the...shrine, saying, ’Lord over all...over all...over all...over all!’" How often we are silent when someone gives us an opening to tell what the difference is in our lives. We need to have an answer for every one who does not know and recognize the only living and true God.
CONCLUSION: The men who stayed (Aristarchus v. 10a, John Mark v. 10b, Jesus Justus v. 11, Luke v. 14a), The man who prayed (Epaphras—likely the pastor-- vvs. 12-13 “He has a strong zeal for you”) & the man who strayed (Demas v. 14b—2 Timothy 4:10 “Demas has forsaken me, having loved the present world, and has departed for Thessalonica”).
Picture Acts 4:31, "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." Let’s do that!
In closing, let us remember the wonderful truth that "CHRIST IS IN YOU!" (Col. 1:27) Then we need to remember the glorious truth that "CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL!" (3:11). We need to move on to discover who He is in ALL. Then comes the blessed fact that "YOU ARE COMPLETE IN HIM!" (2:10) These are the blessed mountain peaks in Christian maturity. Beware of any teaching that gives "something more" than we already have in Christ. All of God’s fullness is in Him. He has perfectly equipped us for the life that He wants us to live. We do not live and grow by addition, but by appropriation.
Illus: Once a missionary who had come to the end of himself had lost his zeal. His own spiritual life had dried up. He had no concern for souls and hated himself for it. His eyes fell upon the Scripture in Col. 1:27 and the words "CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY." For the first time it came alive in his heart, this blessed fact, "CHRIST IS IN YOU." He said it again and again, "CHRIST IS IN ME!" He leaped and shouted saying, "Why hadn’t I seen it before? It’s not I but Christ living in me! GLORY TO GOD." A new day came to his life and ministry on the basis of the simple but pivotal fact "CHRIST IN YOU!" Thus we have the great mountain peaks of Colossians. There are not peaks to be struggled toward but realizations which bring victory to our lives when we acknowledge them as being true in utter surrender to Christ. Say it until it begins to become clear..."CHRIST IS IN ME, HE IS ALL IN ME, HE BEING ALL IN ME MAKES ME COMPLETE."
Now I am one of His; and this my fame.
Pride, power, wealth, all else is loss.
I live in time to herald forth His Name
And light in souls the wonder of a Cross.
You see me, Paul, an all-consuming flame
Kindled by Him--I, driftwood, dross.
You see these hands outstretched to blind and lame
In healing love. It was not always thus;
There was a once I strode, cursing the light,
Eyeing with discontent the spirit free.
One blood-bent day, a sky-bold struck my sight,
And filled my eyes with God-lit truth. I see,
And now I seek the stars beyond earth’s cynic night.
I live, yet now not I, but Christ my Lord in me!
O, the bitter pain and sorrow,
That a life could ever be,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
"All of self and note of Thee."
Day by day, His tender mercies
Healing, helping, full and free,
Brought me lower, while I whispered,
"Some of self and some of Thee."
Then He found me, and I beheld Him
Bleeding on the cursed tree,
Then my wistful heart said faintly,
"Less of self and more of Thee."
Now, higher than the highest heavens,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered,
"NONE OF SELF AND ALL OF THEE!"
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