Reading: Colossians chapter 4 verses 2-6:
Ill:
• There are 800,000 in the English language,
• 300,000 are technical terms.
• The average person knows 10,000 words and uses 5,000 in everyday speech.
• A journalist knows approximately 15,000 and uses around 10,000.
Ill:
Never underestimate the power of words:
• A judge speaks, and a man is condemned or set free.
• A physician speaks, and a person has surgery or he goes home from the hospital.
• A government official speaks, and millions of dollars can be spent or withheld.
• A preacher speaks and an individual can move from spiritual death to life!
Ill:
• In our own personal lives we know the power of words;
• Words that can bless us and words that can cut us and hurt us.
Our Bible passage is about using words and it naturally falls into two parts:
• Verses 2-3: Prayer: Speaking to God about people.
• Verses 4-6: Evangelism: Speaking to people about God.
In these verses the apostle Paul points out for us three important ministries of speech:
(1). Speaking to God about people - Praying
(verses 2-3).
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message”.
Question: Do you find it easy to pray?
Answer: If the answer is no, then you are in good company!
• The wartime theologian and writer Dietrich Bonhoeffer, for example,
• Once admitted that his prayer experience was; “Something to be ashamed of”.
• The Great reformer, Martin Luther, anguished in prayer,
• Saving three of the best hours of the day to pray; yet he seldom seemed satisfied.
Go down through the list of Christian greats, we find one after another working hard at prayer,
• But frequently you will find they were dissatisfied,
• Some of them even woefully unhappy about their prayer life.
• E. M. Bounds, Alexander Maclaren, Samuel Rutherford, Hudson Taylor,
• John Henry Jowett, G. Campbell Morgan, Joseph Parker, Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
• F. B. Meyer, A. W. Tozer, H. A. Ironside, Billy Graham,
• Great men, strong Christian examples,
• Magnificent role models,
• Yet you can hardly find one of that number who was satisfied with his prayer life.
• Oh, they laboured in prayer, they believed in prayer, they taught and preached prayer;
• But they were all strugglers, who had to work hard at it!
• So if you struggle when it comes to prayer;
• Then you are in good company!
Paul in these verses gives us some advice regarding prayer:
(1). be faithful (verse 2a)
• “Devote yourselves to prayer”
• "Continue in prayer"
Quote: In his book ‘God Came Near’, Max Lucado tells this story:
• Norman Geisler, as a child, went to a certain Church;
• Because he was invited by some neighbourhood children.
• He went back to the same church for Sunday School classes for 400 Sundays.
• Each week he was faithfully picked up by a bus driver.
• Week after week he attended church,
• But never made a commitment to Christ.
• Finally, during his senior year in High School,
• After being picked up for church over 400 times, he did commit his life to Christ.
Max Lucado then makes the point:
• What if that bus driver had given up on Geisler at 395?
• What if the bus driver had said,
• “This kid is going nowhere spiritually, why waste any more time on him?”
• Well I think we know the answer!
In verse 2 the apostle Paul is saying when it comes to prayer:
• “Devote yourselves to prayer”
• "Continue in prayer"
• This means, Be steadfast; be devoted; keep on keep on keeping on;
• In other words don't quit!
Ill:
Jacon Riss, quoted in Readers Digest.
• “I look at a stone cutter hammering away at a rock;
• A hundred times without so much as a crack showing in it.
• Yet at the 101st blow it splits in two.
• I know it was not the one blow that did it, but all that had gone on before”.
That’s why Paul says ‘keep on keeping on’:
• “Devote yourselves to prayer” or "Continue in prayer"
• In other words he says; ‘Don't quit!’
• Too many of us pray only when we feel like it; or when there is a crisis.
• In contrast Paul says be constantly in fellowship with God;
Ill:
Be like Nehemiah when he came before Artaxerxex (chapter 2).
• He fired up an arrow prayer; a fax request, an email to God.
• In other words prayer was not just for mornings & evening devotions.
• Prayer to Nehemiah was part of his life;
• He kept in constant touch with God.
(2). Our praying must also be watchful(vs 2b)
• “Being watchful”
• "Watch and pray!"
ill:
• D. L. Moody was born in 1837;
• And was one of the greatest evangelists of all time.
• In a 40-year period it is estimated that he won a million souls to Christ;
• This was the days before television and media communication as we know it!
• When he preached in Brooklyn; he preached to 20,000 people a day
• And admitted only non-church members to his meetings and then by ticket only!
• He founded three Christian schools,
• Launched a great Christian publishing business,
• Established a world-renowned Christian conference centre,
• And inspired literally thousands of preachers to win souls and conduct revivals
• Two great monuments stand in the unfaltering work and ministry of this gospel warrior;
• Moody Bible Institute and the famous Moody Church in Chicago.
Ill:
Mr. and Mrs. Moody often had guests in their Chicago home.
• One evening, after a very demanding day,
• Moody asked a visiting Christian to lead in family devotions.
• The man waxed eloquent as he expounded the symbolism in a difficult chapter of the Bible.
• Then he prayed at great length.
• When the worship was over, Mrs. Moody and the guest got up from their knees,
• But Moody remained bowed in prayer.
• The guest thought that he was praying,
• But Mrs. Moody soon detected that her husband was asleep!
Even the greatest of Christians at times struggle:
• Ask the disciples, they fell asleep in Mark chapter 14 verse 38.
• Just at the time Jesus needed them most in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Question: Why do I need to be watchful?
Answer: The New Testament gives us several good reasons.
(1).
• We need to be watchful so that we see the answers to our prayers.
• Answered prayer is a great motivator to encourage us to pray.
(2).
• Jesus teaches us we need to be watchful;
• Because the Lord is coming and wants us to be ready to greet him.
• Matthew chapter 24 verse 42:
• “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come”.
(3).
• We need to be watchful because if we are not;
• We could enter into temptation (Matthew chapter 26 verse 41).
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak”.
Ill:
Consider the difference between two soldiers.
• One is patrolling the fence in Odiham (a very quiet small countryside army base).
• The other is on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq.
• Which one is probably going to be more attentive?
• Which one will be more watchful?
• The one who realizes he's in a real battle.
• Friends, because we're in a spiritual battle, we need to stay on high alert at all times.
Quote:
“Seven days without prayer makes one weak (week!)”
(3). Our praying should also be thankful
(verse 2c):
• “Being watchful and thankful”.
• "Watch in the same with thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is an important ingredient in successful praying:
• We need to count our blessings!
• And remember the goodness and generosity of God to us.
Ill:
• 2 men in a field when a bull starts to chase them;
• “I only know one prayer……..for what we are about to receive”.
• We need to count our blessings!
• And remember the goodness and generosity of God to us.
• If all we do is ask, and never thank God for His gifts, we are selfish.
• Sincere gratitude to God is one of the best ways to put fervour into our praying.
Ill:
• When Paul wrote this letter he was a prisoner;
• He had lost his freedom and was constantly watched by four soldiers.
• Yet through out the letter he is never bitter, only thankful;
• Just scan through book and see how the word ‘thankfulness’ comes again and again.
• Chapter 1 verses 3:
• “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,”
• Chapter 1 verses 12: “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the
• inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
• Chapter 2 verses 7: “Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were
• taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”
• Chapter 3 verses 15: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of
• one body you were called to peace. And be thankful”.
• Chapter 3 verses 17; “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the
• name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”
• Chapter 4 verses 2:
• “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”.
Ill:
In the first half of the 17th century,
• Germany was in the midst of wars and famine and pestilence.
• In the city of Eilenburg lived a pastor by the name of Martin Rinkart.
• During one especially oppressive period,
• Rinkart conducted up to 50 funerals a day as a plague swept through the town;
• And as the Thirty Years’ War wreaked its own terror on the people.
• Among those whom Rinkart buried were members of his own family.
• Yet during those years of darkness and despair,
• When death and destruction greeted each new day,
• Pastor Rinkart wrote 66 sacred songs and hymns.
• Among them was the song “Now Thank We All Our God.”
As sorrow crouched all around him, Rinkart wrote:
“Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voice,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms,
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.”
Rinkart demonstrated a valuable lesson for us all:
• Thankfulness does not have to wait for prosperity and peace.
• It’s always a good time to praise God for the “wondrous things” He has done.
(4). Our praying ought to be specific (verse 3).
• “And pray for us,”
• "Praying also for us".
Paul was not ashamed to ask his friends to pray for him:
• Even though he was an apostle,
• He needed prayer support for himself and his ministry.
• Now if a great Christian like Paul felt the need for prayer support,
• How much more do you and I need this kind of spiritual help!
Ill:
I am really privileged in this aspect.
• e.g. a letter this week from a couple on the I.O.W. who pray for us daily.
• We fairly frequently encounter those who tell us they pray for us regularly.
Ill:
• Chapter 4 verse 12 a few verses down;
• We have the example of Epaphras who prayed for the Church members individually.
• I guess the question is: Who am I praying specifically for?
• In my Church, among my friends, in my family?
Ill:
Shotgun or a rifle.
• Shotguns use buckshot and the further it travels the more it sprays everywhere.
• Rifles take bullets and when you fire a bullet, you just have one target.
• We can pray shot gun prayers;
• e.g. “Dear God bless all the missionaries in the world.”
• Or we can pray rifle prayers;
• e.g. “Dear God bless the work of Tim Pawson in Ecuador, you know he needs……”
• With shotgun prayers what are we really asking God to do?
• And how can we be watchful for an answer to our prayer.
• But with rifle prayers we can be specific; e.g. “Lord help him in his language studies”.
• When news comes of improvement & exams passed we can rejoice in answered prayer.
Notice:
• That in Paul’s prayer he did not ask for the prison doors to be opened,
• But that doors of ministry might be opened.
• It was more important to Paul that the message of the gospel to have freedom;
• Than for himself to enjoy liberty.
• In fact in all of Paul’s recorded prison prayers,
• None of them were for personal safety or material help,
• Which is so often the very thing we pray for;
• But Paul’s emphasis in prayer was for spiritual character and blessing.
(2). Speaking to people about God –
Witnessing (verses 3b-4).
“That God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should”.
The word ‘mystery’ in verse 3 and elsewhere in the New Testament:
• Does not mean something we cannot understand;
• In fact the very opposite.
• It means something that was hidden but has now been revealed.
• e.g. Christ was hidden with God, hidden in the O.T. scriptures but is now revealed!
Paul knew how important it was to share this message:
• He knew the importance of speaking to people about God;
• Paul gives us three pieces of advice regarding witnessing.
(1). By lips (verse 5):
“Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should”.
Paul’s desire, his ambition, his goal and purpose in life is to proclaim this gospel:
• In fact that was the very reason he was in prison,
• The book of Acts chapter 21-22 tell us;
• It was Paul’s concern to share this great news with Gentiles;
• And his ministry among Gentiles that put him in prison.
Ill:
• When John Bunyan was arrested for preaching illegally and put into prison,
• He was told that he would be released if he promised to stop preaching.
• "If I am out of prison today," he replied,
• "I will preach the Gospel again tomorrow, by the help of God."
The apostle Paul had that same burning conviction:
• He could have played safe and just preach to Jewish people.
• But Paul knew his orders were more comprehensive than that!
• His message was to the Jew first and also the Gentile.
• His message was not for the select few, but the whosoever!
Now you might think being in prison would hinder Paul from sharing the gospel:
• Another part of the Bible Philippians chapters 1&4;
• Gives us some clues as to what happened whilst he was in chains.
• Paul was assigned a Roman guard to watch over him.
• That meant according to the experts a guard of four Roman soldiers.
• Who would change shift every few hours.
• So Paul the evangelist always had a captive audience to hear his message.
• Some of these soldiers were converted;
• As were some of those who came to visit him during his time of incarceration.
• Philippians chapters 1&4 tell us not just soldiers were converted;
• But even some in Caesar’s household (4:22).
• Through Paul’s witness in prison, the Gospel was carried into parts of Rome;
• That would have been inaccessible to Paul had he been a free man.
Notice in verse 4:
• Paul was aware that the proclamation of the Gospel;
• Is more effective when supported by prayer.
Ill:
In the 1800’s five young college students were spending a Sunday in London,
• So they went to hear the famed C. H. Spurgeon preach.
• While waiting for the doors to open,
• The students were greeted by a man who asked, “Gentlemen, let me show you around.
• Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?”
• They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July.
• But they didn’t want to offend the stranger, so they consented.
• The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened,
• And their guide whispered, “This is our heating plant.”
• Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer,
• Seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above.
• Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself.
• It was none other than Charles Spurgeon.
• Like Paul, Spurgeon knew the importance that prayer made to proclamation;
• And so Paul requested the assistance of the Colossians in his ministry.
Personal:
• Question: Do you pray for the preachers who fill this pulpit week by week?
• Answer: If not, why not! You can make a difference to what is said and shared!
(2). By life (verse 5-6):
“Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone”.
• Mark chapter 4 verse 11 Jesus made a distinction between His disciples (those on the inside).
• And the crowd (those who were outside the family of God).
• Paul also made this same distinction;
• In this passage and also in 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 12-13).
Those of us who are born again, who have been converted,
• Who name Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour;
• Are those whom Paul refers to as the "spiritual insiders"
• Because we now belong to God's family and God has given us his Holy Spirit;
• And the gift of eternal life.
That does not mean that Christians should have a sanctified superiority complex.
• In fact the very opposite every Christian now has a responsibility, a duty, a task;
• To witness to those on the ‘outside’ and to seek to bring them into God's family.
Notice: the little phrase ‘Making the most of every opportunity’.
• This phrase is a commercial term and means to "buy up."
• It's the picture of finding something on sale that is so cheap;
• That you buy as much as you can, because you know it will not be this cheap again!
• Likewise, we're to buy up every opportunity to speak for Christ when we see one
Paul tells us in these verses two insights that will help us buy up those opportunities:
(1). Walk wisely (verse 5).
• “Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders”
• “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without”
The word ‘walk’ in the New Testament refers to the way we live:
• Paul reminds us that non-Christians are not stupid;
• They watch how we live and act and take notice.
Ill:
C.S. Lewis & Mrs Williams.
Quotes:
“I can’t hear the words that you are saying because your life is speaking too loud!”
“I tuned into God, got interference from my friends, but his signal proved so strong that they changed channels”.
(2). Talk wisely (verse 6).
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone”.
"Season your words with salt" is a great expression:
• In the ancient world the phrase could mean using some form of wit;
• As well as wisdom.
Quote: Jerusalem Bible:
“Talk to them agreeably, and with a flavour of wit,
and try to fit your answers to the needs of each one”.
Ill:
Perfect example was Jesus,;
• Who was the perfect embodiment of both truth and grace, wit and wisdom.
• Just read through the synoptic gospels and you will see!
Paul is telling the Colossian Christian’s to be appetizing:
• Our conversations need to be seasoned with salt.
• Salt enhances flavour and makes food appetizing.
• "Salty speech" in Paul's day referred to witty and clever discussion.
• It was the opposite of being boring or monotone.
• When we talk about our faith how can we not be interesting?
• We have the greatest message that has ever been given to mankind!
• Remember salty speech makes people thirsty for more.
• We should be talking about Christ in such a way that we make someone's mouth water!
ILL:
A little girl was on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said,
• "Mommy, the Preacher’s sermon this morning confused me."
• The mother said, "Oh! Why is that?”
• The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?"
• "Yes, that’s true," the mother replied.
• "He also said that God lives within us. Is that true too?"
• Again the mother replied, "Yes."
• "Well," said the girl.
• "If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?"
God wants to show through our conversations with those on the ‘outside’:
• Our aim as Christians is not to win arguments;
• But to communicate and demonstrate Jesus Christ.
• Quote: “You can have a hot head and win an argument”
• Or you can have a hot heart and win a soul!”
• The Christian's walk and talk must be in harmony with each other.
• Nothing will silence the lips like a careless life.
• But when character, conduct, and conversation are all working together,
• It makes for a powerful witness.
