COLOSSIANS 4: 2-6 [Christ Above All Series]
BEING ALERT FOR OPPORTUNITIES
Has your Christian Life lost its excitement? Has the fire gone out and you sense yourself just going through the motions? You know that the Christian life is the right way to live but the enthusiasm you once had and know you still should have has waned. Is your church experience dull? Has boredom set in even about worshiping God? Then today we need to look into God’s Holy Word and find out what is keeping us from experiencing the joy of constantly walking in the wisdom of God.
The reason we are not making the most of our opportunities and just sleeping through so many other opportunities is because we have made a division between the life of faith and our daily life. We are to seek to serve God continually in our daily life (CIM). If we don’t, we will be living life for ourselves and not for God.
How can you expect to experience full-time joy and peace of the Holy Spirit when you are only a part-time Christian? How can you expect to be always rejoicing in the Lord when you are living life for yourself? Will the Lord continually fill a life with the Holy Spirit when our aims and purposes are so similar to those of the lost people around us? The Christian life is an adventure for all who will venture to take their faith into the market place of daily opportunities!
Our text divides naturally into two parts.
I. SPEAK TO GOD, 2-4.
II. SPEAK TO OTHERS, 5-6.
Today’s Scripture has much to say to us about persisting in prayer until people come to know Christ. Let’s see what we can get out of today’s Scripture that will help us share our faith more effectively in the week ahead.
As the letter nears its end the emphasis on speaking to God so that we might properly speak to others is stated. Verse 2 opens by encouraging us to devote our self to watchful and thankful prayer. “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with [an attitude of] thanksgiving;”
To devote [proskarteô] is “to persist, to give constant attention to, to give unremitting care, to persevere, to be in constant readiness for, to endure in.” Devoted to prayer refers to a God consciousness that comes from walking with Him and relating each experience in life to Him.
Prayer is the most important expression of the New Life in Christ. It is the means of obtaining for ourselves and others the satisfaction of needs both physical and spiritual. It is a divinely appointed weapon against the sinister attacks of the devil and his demons. The vehicle for confession of sin. The instrument by which a grateful soul pours out spontaneous adoration before the Throne of God on high. [A.C.T.S.]
It is also THE power behind people coming to Christ. The importance of prayer in seeing people come to Christ is often minimized today in our fast-paced society. That is probably why people are not moved by the Word and message of God. Their hearts have not been prepared first by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to see their need. They believe they don’t need to go to church, don’t need the Lord. They think they can handle life by themself.
Next verse 6 tells us how to keep alert [ or “keeping spiritually awake,” grçgoreô, where the name Gregory comes from] in our new life of devotion to God. Our prayers are to be offered “with thanksgiving.” This is the seventh time thanksgiving is emphasized in Colossians [1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15, 16, 17]. To maintain spiritual alertness in prayer and life we must be continuously thankful or have a zeal for thankfulness. [God will not only be keep you alert in praying if you are thankful, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you need for which we don’t know how to pray as we ought (Rom. 8:26).]
All those who serve God need to be remembered in prayer. In verse 3 Paul requests that they pray for him personally. “praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the Word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;”
Paul expresses a personal and specific request that God would open a door for him to share the Gospel. Even though Paul wrote these words from a prison in Rome, he still had a burning passion to see people saved. You would think that imprisonment would have been a down time for him as far as seeing people come to Christ. Paul, however, was able to continue his work not only during the best of times but also in the most unfavorable circumstances in which he found himself. He had a real desire to get the good news out to people because of what the Lord had done in his own life. He had a genuine experience with Jesus. His life had been wonderfully changed by Jesus. How could he not tell people wherever he went about what God’s grace had done for him? He wanted others to have this precious new life also. Paul had learned how to shared his faith in all kinds of circumstances.
Paul had not only committed Himself to constantly speaking to God, he had determined to speak to others for God also. He knew he would need the prayer support of others not only to share his faith but to open doors of opportunity to share his faith. [Being bound in chains could limit your opportunities.]
We too should pray that God would give us and others opportunities to share the gospel with others. We should ask Him daily to open up doors for us to share His love and grace with others. (Of course, we need to take advantage of our opportunities especially if we want to have more of them. Be thankful for the opportunities God gives you and He will continue giving them to you.)
Let me say just a word about “the mystery of Christ.” The mystery of Christ is that Christ Himself is the source of salvation. God’s eternal plan is unfolded in and by Jesus. Come one, come all to the full and free salvation He alone can offer.
Not only are we to be concerned about opportunities to speak, we need to pray about how we use our opportunities. In verse 4 Paul asks them to pray for CLARITY in his presentation of the gospel. “that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”
The consuming interest and investment of Paul’s life was sharing the Gospel with others. So he ask the Colossians to pray that he and his associates might have opportunities to witness and clarity in witness. He wanted to proclaim the redemption of Christ in a clear, wise and worthy manner. Paul’s consuming interest was for the advancement of the Christ through the salvation and sanctification of others.
He knew that Satan wants to muddy the water or the message so that others would not readily understand. So Paul was prepared to share the Gospel. We are offering you a training opportunity to help you learn how to share the Gospel in April and May. It is the simplest approach to presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ I have found. It’s aim is to teach you how to “Share Jesus Without Fear.” In fact, that’s the name of the process. Only four simple sessions, so begin praying for it and pray about your participation in it.
The Roman’s Road to Salvation is one of the clearest ways to present the Gospel. You know how to share it don’t you? Every Christian should. Let me refresh The Roman’s Road to Salvation for you.
1) Every person is a sinner (Romans 3:23, 3:10).
2) God’s penalty for sin is spiritual death (Romans 6:23).
3) In His great love, God has made provision for the salvation of all (Romans 5:8).
4) Each person must put his or her trust in God’s Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10, 13).
Do you ask God to give you opportunities to speak for Him? Do you ask Him to clear your mind and fill your heart with courage to speak for Him?
II. SPEAK TO OTHERS, 5-6.
Verse 5 calls Christians to show God’s wisdom daily as we interact with society. “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”
Let outsiders see that your decision to follow Christ is a wise one--that it has made a difference in your life. Believers therefore are to be considerate and tactful so as to avoid needlessly antagonizing or alienating their neighbors. We should conduct ourselves so that the way of Christ will be attractive and impressive to others and may even convict them of their waywardness.
Don’t give people an occasion to call you a hypocrite or to say, “Well if they call themselves a Christian, I don’t want to be one.” Or “if they get to heaven, then I KNOW I will.”
Paul says, “walk in wisdom.” Do not increase their prejudices against Christianity and give them an justification for their distance or dislike. Do all the good you can for them and in the proper season recommend your faith to them. Let how you live as well as what you share influence them into becoming a Christian.
As they were on the way HOME FROM CHURCH a little girl 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?”
The verb [exagorazomenoi] in the phrase “make the most of every opportunity” meant “to buy out, to purchase completely.” Christians are to “purchase fully” every opportunity God offers us to share our faith in Jesus.
A woman took a SHORT TRAIN TRIP through an area known for its scenic beauty. Once on board, it took her quite a while to get her packages stowed just the way she wanted them in the overhead rack. Then she had trouble getting the window shade adjusted. Deciding she would rather be farther back in the coach, she moved to another seat. After searching through her handbag to make sure she had her return ticket, she decided to relax and enjoy the passing scenery. Just then the conductor announced the train’s arrival at the woman’s destination. "Oh my!" she exclaimed. "If I had only known that we would be here so soon, I wouldn’t have wasted all my time in fussing.” She was so concerned about her personal comfort and satisfaction that she missed the beautiful sights along the way.
Many things are so trifling. Get your mind on the main business of life. Live as you will wish to have lived when you hear the call of “the last station.” As we travel through life, are we concerned about what really matters? Or are we simply fussing with trifles? [Time misspent is not lived but lost.]
All people matter to God! Listen: “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them”(2 Cor. 5:19 NLT). This is the WONDERFUL message God has given us to tell others. Love leaves us with no choice. Listen: "There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out
fear" (1 Jn 4:18). A parent will run into a burning building to save a child. Why? Because their love for that child is greater than their fear! If you’ve been afraid to share the Good News with those around you; ask God to give you a greater love for them. As long as there’s one person in your circle of influence who isn’t in God’s family, you must try to reach them. To do less is to say, in effect, "I don’t care if you go to hell!"
What are you willing to do so that the people you know will go to heaven? Invite them to church? Share your story, your testimony? Give them a tract? Take them a meal? Pray until they’re saved? Your mission field is all around you.
Will anyone in heaven be able to say to you, "Thank you? I’m here because you cared enough to share your story with me?" Imagine the joy of greeting people in heaven whom you’ve helped to get there. The salvation of a single soul is more important than anything else you’ll ever achieve. Why? Because only people and God’s Word are going to last forever!
Verse 6 emphasis the importance of how Christians speak. “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”
To be “full of grace” basically means to be gracious or pleasant in our speech. Before we can make disciples, we need to make friends and build rapport. Concerning Jesus, Luke 4:22 says, “All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips.” Ephesians 4:15 talks about “speaking the truth in love.” Remember that we are to be witnesses, not judges or prosecuting attorneys!
On the other hand, we can go to the opposite extreme by trying to be so gracious that we never share the gospel with others. Some Christians have become so hypersensitive about offending non-Christians that they never present them with God’s truth clearly and directly. Many people never darken the door of a church because they have never been invited in. We are not showing compassion or love if we choose to keep meekly silent and never share the truth about Christ with those who need desperately to hear it.
Let your speech be seasoned with salt. That means--it gives flavor and it preserves. Both are valuable assets for Christians in order to commend their message to others. Part of the right flavoring consists of suiting your conversation to the hearers. Being able to choose the best means of answering questions about your faith is important to understanding.
Verse 6 also tells us why we should cultivate this winsome speech; “so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Conversation should be appropriate for each person to whom we speak.
Nellie Packard loves to TELL PEOPLE about Jesus Christ. She does it so often that she’s written a series of books describing how she witnesses in everyday situation. In Just Say It! she tells about her phone call to a health-food store. She had noticed that bee pollen was on sale, so she asked the manager about the benefits of using it. "You’ll live forever," he replied.
To Nellie, the words “live for ever” were an open invitation “I know you’re joking," she said, "but I know I’m going to live forever, and not because I buy your bee pollen."
His response was encouraging. "I’d like to hear abut it. I’m really interested in why you think you’re going to live forever." Although he didn’t trust Jesus as Savior at that time. Nellie had planted the seed by being wise "toward those who are Outside.”
Opportunities abound, yet our words are often graceless. Instead of directing our conversations with unbelievers toward spiritual matters, we tend to stay in the safe zone. Doing as Nellie does is a skill we need to develop and a challenge given to in God’s word.
We must look for these openings. With sincere kindness and genuine concern we can turn many conversations to eternal matters-even if the subject is bee pollen. The best place to witness is where God puts you.
How do we do our part to see people saved? There is a story told about a faithful old DEACON whose often repeated prayer expression was, "O Lord, touch the unsaved with Thy finger." One prayer meeting night he was leading in prayer when he abruptly stopped praying. Supposing he had been taken suddenly ill, someone went to him and asked if there was anything wrong, if he were ill. "No," he replied, "I’m not ill. But the Lord seemed to say to me, ’Thou art the finger.’” Be on fire for Jesus so that others don’t burn without Him.
[There is a lodge nestled in the forest in GLACIER NATIONAL PARK in Montana. It overlooks many beautiful lakes, and the view of the mountains is magnificent. The area has been justifiably called Little Switzerland.
One summer day in the mid-1930’s the employees were warned that a forest fire had started and there was a chance it might jump the lake and destroy the lodge. The employees spent the whole day watering down the roof and sides of the building until it was almost water-logged. Later on that day, sure enough, they saw the fire moving down the mountainside toward them and it soon jumped the lake and burned everything in its path until it reached the lodge. Fortunately, it had been so thoroughly soaked by those young men that it remained unscarred.
Like the warning received by the employees of the lodge, sometimes the Holy Spirit alerts us that there is danger ahead for us or a loved one and prompts us to bathe our self or that loved one in prayer. If we are obedient, we are preparing a defense against the "fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16) just as the young men provided protection for the lodge.
Is the Lord prompting you to pray for someone today?]
IN CONCLUSION
Would you like to live in wisdom and speak with grace? Would you life to be good steward of your time? Would you like to make the most of the daily opportunities God gives you? Then you need to walk, to live in constant fellowship with Jesus, looking for opportunities first to be thankful, then to share His love for others.
The real answer is to cultivate intimacy with God by bowing to the supremacy of Jesus in your daily life. We won’t really pray until we see prayer as a way to express our love to Christ and recognize that He is even more eager to meet with us than we are to meet with Him. Likewise, it’s impossible to salt our speech with the deliciousness of Jesus when we haven’t been enjoying the taste ourselves. If evangelism is what spills over when we bump into someone, then we must make sure that what bubbles over is appetizing.
Prayer and witness flow out of relationship. Are you growing in your love for Jesus?
I would like to suggest a SEVEN DAY EXPERIMENT. Find a friend in Christ with whom you can share this experience. Agree to pray for each other daily. Pray that each of you would have a new awareness of opportunities the Lord is preparing for you. Commit yourself to recognizing and taking hold of these opportunities at home, at work, at the store - wherever you are. Consciously pray. “Lord, what are You up to now? What do You want in this situation? What should I say to this person? Then at the end of the week, get together with your prayer partner and share what has happened. You may want to make every week like that till you stand before God and present your new forever friends to Him.
