COMMUNICATION With GOD—Colossians 4:2
Attention:
A Cowboy Named Fred
A cowboy lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh Amarillo Theater.
When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the cowboy, "Sorry, sir, but you're only allowed one seat."
The cowboy groaned but didn't budge.
The usher became more impatient: "Sir, if you don't get up from there I'm going to have to call the manager."
Once again, the cowboy just groaned. The usher, realizing he’s dealing with an ‘impaired’ individual, marched briskly back up the aisle, and in a moment he returned with the manager.
Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move the cowboy, but with no success.
Finally they summoned the police. The Texas Ranger surveyed the situation briefly, then asked, "All right buddy, what's your name?"
"Fred," the cowboy moaned.
"Where ya from, Fred?" asked the Ranger.
With terrible pain in his voice, & slowly pointing one finger painfully toward the ceiling, Fred replied, "...The Balcony..."
Effective Communication is essential in some circumstances, but communication with God is essential in every circumstance.
Need:
Paul & Timothy exposed the Colossian church to the necessity of maintaining effective communication with God.
Christians are called to maintain effective communication with God.
Christians are charged with maintaining effective communication with God.
How can we maintain effective communication with God?
3 essentials for effective communication with God.
Thankfulness is tied to personal appreciation...for that which affects our lives & for the way our lives effect others....
Personal Appreciation comes from the way we value &/or devalue things(Possessions/Events/Relationships).
1—Effective communication with God is maintained in...
CONTINUANCE(:2a)
Explanation:(:2a)
:2—“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;”[NKJV]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;”[NASB]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful & thankful.”[NIV]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.[HCSB]
“Continue earnestly/Continue/Devote”—proskarterew—Pres. Active Imperative—1) To adhere to one, be his adherent, to be devoted or constant to one; 2) To be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing; 3) To continue all the time in a place; 4) To persevere & not to faint; 5) To show one's self courageous for; 6) To be in constant readiness for one, wait on constantly. Strong—To be earnest towards, i.e. (to a thing) To persevere, be constantly diligent, or (in a place) To attend assiduously all the exercises, or (to a person) To adhere closely to (as a servitor). Used 10X.
From—prov—a preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward (with the genitive case the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated).—&—karterew—To be strong, i.e. (figuratively--Steadfast(patient).
“Prayer”—proseuch—N. f.—1) Prayer addressed to God; 2) A place set apart or suited for the offering of prayer. A word of sacred character, being limited to prayer to God & giving prominence to the element of devotion. dehsiv ...refers chiefly to prayer for particular benefits, while proseuch is more general.
Argumentation:
Don’t ever give up on God! He will not fail you:
1Chron. 28:11, 20—“Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, & the place of the mercy seat;”.....“And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong & of good courage, & do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God--my God--will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.”
*2Tim. 1:8-12—“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us & called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose & grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death & brought life & immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, & a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed & am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”
1Sam. 12:20-22—“Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. “And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. “For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.”
And it has also “pleased the LORD to make you His people” by faith in Christ Jesus!
Eye-opening reasons why & how we should pray both for ourselves & for each other:
Ps. 109:2-4—“For the mouth of the wicked & the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause. In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer.”
*Col. 4:12-13 “Epaphras, who is one of you[Colossian Christians], a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect & complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, & those who are in Laodicea, & those in Hierapolis.”
Col. 1:8-11—“who[Epaphras] also declared to us[Paul & Timothy] your[Colossian Christians] love in the Spirit. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, & to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom & spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work & increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience & longsuffering with joy;”
Lack of prayer is “sin” in God’s eyes!:
1Sam. 12:23-24 ““Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good & the right way. Only fear the LORD, & serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”
Job 15:4-5—[Eliphaz accusing Job]“Yes, you cast off fear, And restrain prayer before God. For your iniquity teaches your mouth, And you choose the tongue of the crafty.”
Rom. 12:9-12—“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”
1Thes. 5:16-17—“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,”
Illustration:
Baja 1000 is an annual off-road race that takes place on Mexico’s Baja Penninsula every November(ended this weekend 14-17th)/Mileage actually varies from 650 to 1100 miles either from Ensenada to La Paz or a singe loop beginning & ending at Ensenada, Mexico/Dry, dusty unforgiving course/both occupants are seasoned mechanics/They are able to solve mechanical problems swiftly & without aid/The teams carry spare pats, tires & survival gear/Why?...They must Stay the course in adverse circumstances!/CONTINUANCE
Application:
?Can Your Communication with God considered CONTINUAL?
?Your Communication with God Effective?
2—Effective communication with God is maintained in...
VIGILANCE(:2b)
Explanation:(:2b)
:2—“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;”[NKJV]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;”[NASB]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful & thankful.”[NIV]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.[HCSB]
“Vigilant/Watch/Keeping alert/being Watchful”—grhgorew—1) To watch; 2) metaph. Give strict attention to, be cautious, active—2a) To take heed lest through remission & indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one. Strong—To keep awake, i.e. Watch (literally or figuratively).
Argumentation:
Mt. 26:36-41—“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, & said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go & pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter & the two sons of Zebedee, & He began to be sorrowful & deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here & watch with Me.” He went a little farther & fell on His face, & prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples & found them asleep, & said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? “Watch & pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””
Eph. 6:10-20—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance & supplication for all the saints-- & for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
1Thes. 5:5-7—“You are all sons of light & sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch & be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, & those who get drunk are drunk at night.”
*1Pet. 4:7—“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers.”
1Cor. 10:1-12—“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud & in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, & all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, & that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat & drink, & rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, & in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, & were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, & were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, & they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Lk. 18:1—“Then He[Jesus] spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray & not lose heart,”
*Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
Only vigilant watchful prayer can grant you peace—in seeing the world, & particularly your present circumstance, as God sees it.
Illustration:
Night watchman who sleeps on the job can be compromised/He is paid to maintain VIGILANCE
*Prison guard/My semi-sister-in-law works at the Albemarle Correctional Institute as a ‘guard’(?)—ACI in a medium security prison/In one dorm there are over 30 inmates & an area containing 4 dorms/Only one guard directly patrols the area while others monitor thru electronic surveillance/That one person must remain VIGILANT because anything can happen!
Application:
?Can Your Communication with God considered VIGILANT?
?Your Communication with God Effective?
3—Effective communication with God is maintained in...
THANKSGIVING(:2c)
Explanation:(:2c)
:2—“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;”[NKJV]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;”[NASB]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful & thankful.”[NIV]
:2—“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.[HCSB]
“When it's genuine, Thanksgiving is spontaneous, even involuntary— you recognize you've been blessed & can't help but share your joy through thanksgiving.”—David Lose in article—‘Why Preaching on Thanksgiving Is So Difficult’ posted 11/17/2012 on SermonCentral.com
“Thanksgiving”—eucaristia—1) Thankfulness; 2) The giving of thanks. Eucaristia is thanksgiving, the grateful acknowledgment of God's mercies, chiefly in prayer. Strong—Gratitude; actively, Grateful language (to God, as an act of worship).
Argumentation:
Heb. 4:2—“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”
Likewise being vigilant, keeping or staying alert, & being watchful, cannot be maintained properly outside of its being mixed with thanksgiving. This is not merely voicing some ‘magic’ words of “thanks” but living with a heartfelt attitude of thankfulness in God’s manifold graces.
Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
1Thes. 5:16-18—“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Heb 12:25-29 “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence & godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”
Any life lived “graciously” is fundamentally keenly attuned to their undeserving nature. Living by God’s “grace” received thru faith in Christ Jesus, leaves one thankful for all that is released by & incorporated in such “grace.” Therefore these “serve God acceptably” & reverently. Knowing God’s true & perfect nature & His immense power wielded in perfect love.
*Col. 3:17—“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Illustration:
When you ‘fell in love’ with the one you knew you were called to marry, you approached each other with caring attitudes/You maintained an Effective Communication in THANKSGIVING
In the middle of your Thanksgiving feast, surrounded by those you love & those who love you....If you are able to separate yourself from the hubbub & view the whole of the crowd before you, it should put a huge smile on your face...realizing how God has indeed blessed you!/THANKSGIVING
Some will celebrate a solitary Thanksgiving. The kids live elsewhere & your friends are with their families...Yet God is still good! & you have much to be thankful for/THANKSGIVING
Others are convinced that there is nothing to be thankful about/Jesus Himself said in Jn. 16:33—“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””....& that is worth your every THANKSGIVING!
Application:
?Can Your Communication with God considered THANKFUL/Grateful?
?Your Communication with God Effective?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
A Cowboy Named Fred
"Where ya from, Fred?"...The Balcony..."
Action:
Effective communication with God is maintained thru...
1. CONTINUANCE(:2a)
2. VIGILANCE(:2b)
3. THANKSGIVING(:2c)
Presented 11/18/2012pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
