COMMUNICATION RELATIVE TO DIVINE PURPOSE
Colossians 4:2-6
INTRODUCTION:
A. June Hunt, in her Biblical Counseling Keys on Communication opens with this question: Have you ever paused to evaluate the impact of how you communicate?
1. Folks, if you have not noticed already, communication can be a tricky thing - to say the least, it can be problematic when we try to relate our personal desires, thoughts, and feelings
2. Many of our troubles with friends, family and acquaintances can be directly related to ineffective communication, that is why
3. We have spent some time on Sunday nights exploring communication styles and problems as they relate to man and his relationships, so I hope you are doing better in this realm
B. But this morning I want to look at communication from a different stand point - Communication Relative to Divine Purpose
1. If you have been coming to First Baptist long you should already know the purpose of life – to glorify God, this is why we were created, and then saved
- Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God, Paul stated in 1 Cor. 10:31
2. This being the case it should not surprise us that there is an aspect of our communication should have a divine purpose and be carried out in a divinely orientated manner.
- This may also cause us some problems if we are not aware of them and seek to foster better communication habits.
3. So, in the words of June Hunt I ask you, Have you ever paused to evaluate the impact of how you communicate?
C. Our scripture passage for this morning is found in Col. 4:2-6 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
1. As I read through this passage I found 4 areas of communication that take on a divine purpose, which can be divided into two broad categories
a. Category #1: God Oriented – Prayer & Witnessing
b. Category #2: God Honoring - Walk & Talk
2. Lets begin with prayer asking God to evaluate our Communication Relative To Divine Purpose and then to help us improve areas we see are deficient.
PRAYER
As we look at Communication Relative To Divine Purpose this morning we will begin by looking at the first category we mentioned
I. GOD ORIENTED COMMUNICATION, Col. 4:2-4 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. There are two areas I would like to address, the first is
A. Prayer, Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance,…
1. Prayer is to be an important part of our lives as Christians
2. As you read through the Bible you find its significance displayed in many ways.
a. We have recorded for us the prayers of such men and women as Moses, Abraham, Ruth, Esther, David, Paul, Peter – you get the idea
b. Jesus was a man of prayer and taught about prayer
c. And then we are told to pray – listen to this verse found in 1 Thes. 5:17 Pray without ceasing. – You talk about a challenge!
d. But it is not enough to pray we, are to pray with thanksgiving, attached to the above statement to pray without ceasing is: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thes. 5:18
e. As Paul speaks to the Colossians in our text he wants them to be in constant prayer, giving thanks to God for what he has done, is doing and that He might prepare him for His task.
f. This aspect of preparation that is often overlooked in our prayer life – God prepare me for what you want me to do.
1) However, the preparation Paul was speaking about was that God would open unto us a door of utterance - prepare those who will hear!
2) It was not just his preparation he wanted prayer for but the preparation of others to hear.
g. Prayer in accomplishing God’s will is Communication Relative To Divine Purpose!
3. The second area of God Oriented Communication that I want to look at this morning is
B. Witnessing, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Col 4:3-4
1. Paul’s desire was that he could speak the mystery of Christ – What is that, you ask?
2. Eph 3:4-6 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
a. The mystery of Christ is that the Gentiles would hear the gospel and become fellow heirs with the Jews.
b. Now the gospel – the preaching of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is the means to salvation and the receipt of their inheritance.
c. This is why you can hear the gospel today and be saved.
3. Let me chase this rabbit for a minute – You can be saved today.
a. You must first come to realize that you need to be saved- you do this by understanding you are a sinner - Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
b. But Christ died to pay for your sins for God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:8
c. You must believe that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God who came into this world to die for your sin, on Calvary, was buried and rose again.
d. When these two truths converge in your heart it will work a thing called repentance – a godly sorrow for your sin and a desire to be different
e. This is when Romans 10:9 & 13 become great news, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
f. Salvation results in a new life, for if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
g. Praise God for the Mystery of Christ!
4. It was to this end that Paul wanted them to pray – that he might have the opportunity to be a witness of the gospel to those who needed to hear
a. But more than that, That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak, was his desire!
b. He wanted to speak it in God’s timing and in God’s way, that the hears would acknowledge the gospel and be saved!
C. We need to consider our God Oriented communication habits
1. Do we pray – even more specifically, do we pray for the lost and for opportunities to be a witness for Christ?
2. Do we take opportunities God provides to be a witness to others, providing them with the gospel message and the opportunity to make a decision for Christ?
3. If not, it is time we started to work on our God Oriented Communication Relative To Divine Purpose
The second category of Communication Relative to Divine Purposes is
II. GOD HONORING COMMUNICATION, Col. 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Again we have two areas to consider, the first of which is our
A. Walk - Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
1. The Greek word translated “walk” speaks to one’s manner of living, one’s conduct
a. He wants Christians to live in such a manner that Christ is exalted, that we are seen as loving and caring – so as to show them (that are without – not Christians) the love of Christ.
b. This takes wisdom.
c. We are to live our lives in a God honoring way that others might see Christ in us.
2. Paul also speaks about redeeming the time.
a. What he means is “Don’t waste your life on that which does not honor God and will not be a living witness to the love of Christ.”
b. Remember the words of June Hunt, Have you ever paused to evaluate the impact of how you communicate?
c. What does your life say about God?
1) Does it dishonor God?
2) Is it quiet about God?
3) Does it exalt and endorse God?
4) For the Christian the first two are not what we are striving for (in fact the second is as bad as the first, in that it does not honor and promote God to the masses)
d. Life is short, do not waste it on carnal, trivial and temporal things
3. Our life, in all things ought to exalt God – remember 1 Cor. 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
4. This brings us to the second area of communication that is to be God Honoring
B. Our Talk
1. Let your speech be alway with grace, - most of us know that we should talk in a manner pleasing to God
- Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt (that is rotten, worthless, obscene) communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
2. But did you know that we will give an account of everything we say?
- In Matt 12:36 we have recorded these words of Jesus every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
3. According to Col 4:6 we are to speak graciously, redemptively and purposefully
a. Graciously, that it might exhort the hearer
b. Redemptively - Salt was a preservative, thus seasoned with salt would mean to speak in such a manner to preserve (maintain a relationship may be, especially in presenting the gospel)
c. Purposefully – with intent, knowing what needs to be said: that ye might know how ye ought to answer every man.
4. This is God honoring talk.
CONCLUSION:
A. This morning we have looked at Communication Relative to Divine Purpose
1. There are ways that are God Oriented: Prayer and Witnessing – how are we doing?
2. There are ways that are God Honoring: Our walk and talk – again how are we doing?
3. Do we need to improve in one of these areas?
4. Can we commit the change to God and follow through on what He has spoke to us about?
B. Lets follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit and improve our Communication Relative to Divine Purpose.
