Well, good morning, church.
Turn with me and your Bibles to the book of Colossians, Colossians page 984, 985 in the
Pew Bibles.
Colossians chapter 4, we're looking at verses 2 through 6 as we've been going through this
short but very powerful and wonderful letter of Paul this fall.
And we are nearing the end.
So we come to the end of Paul's instructions.
Next week will be his closing and greetings.
We'll see some of his friendships and the people, his co-workers in ministry.
But today we're looking at the end of his instructions to the church.
So let's read Colossians chapter 4, verses 2 through 6.
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare
the mystery of Christ on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear which
is how I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought
to answer each person.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his letters and papers from prison wrote this.
He said,
The church is the church only when it exists for others.
Not dominating, but helping and serving.
It must tell people of every calling what it means to live in Christ, to exist for others.
And as long as we're on earth, that's true.
The church is the church only when it exists for others.
Now, I think we would all admit the church has often struggled to live out this calling.
Bonhoeffer was writing in a time and place where the church, when the church in Germany
had become very powerful and very privileged, and as a result, it became self-serving.
It became entangled with the power structures of the day and lost its distinctive witness.
Now, in other times and places, the church has been marginalized and powerless and ridiculed,
a small minority, and the church has been tempted to simply withdraw in fear from the world.
Now, I think we're somewhere in the middle in the United States today.
Christianity still has a privileged place in American history.
But in certain sectors of society, Christianity is increasingly marginalized.
So I think we can face both temptations.
The temptation to compromise with the world, because we want to be accepted by it.
And the temptation to withdraw from the world in fear, to make our faith just a private matter.
Something that we do just on Sundays, and we don't tell anyone else about it the rest of the week.
Last year, I was talking to another pastor in New Haven, and he said to me,
the church is both a family and an army.
And in order to be a healthy church, we need to hold both of those values together.
As a church, we're called to be a family.
We're called to be a refuge, a place of comfort and healing and community,
of personal renewal and growth.
But we're also called to be an army in the sense of a people on the mission to reach the world for Jesus.
And to carry out the commission he's given us.
So how do we live out this calling, this mission to the world to exist for others?
And this morning's passage gives us some very practical instructions about how to do that.
Now before we jump in, let me briefly review what we've seen in Colossians already.
Or if you haven't been here, if you're here for the first time,
this will sort of overview what we've looked at the last couple of months.
The main idea of Colossians is chapter 2, verse 6.
As you receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
Now the first chapter of Colossians is about who is Christ Jesus the Lord,
and what does it mean that we have received Him,
and been brought into His kingdom, and belong to His family,
and the gospel is growing in us.
Chapter 2, starting at verse 8, we see Paul's warnings to the church in Colossae.
He warned them, don't be taken captive by people who claim to offer you something better than Jesus.
He says, there's nothing better than what Jesus has to offer you.
You don't need to go somewhere else to find something that you can't get
from knowing Jesus more deeply and fully.
Chapter 3 is Paul's positive instructions.
How do we live as people who have died and risen with Christ?
And if you've noticed, Paul's instructions go from the inside out.
So chapter 3, verses 1 to 4, he says,
set your minds on things above.
He starts with our own hearts and minds,
and what we're seeking,
and where we're directed, where we're focused.
And then verses 5 to 17 of chapter 3,
he focuses on the internal life of the Christian community.
How we should be putting off sin,
and putting on the character of Christ,
and how we express that in our community together.
Last week, we looked at verse 18 of chapter 3 to chapter 4, verse 1,
which covers the household,
which in the ancient world covered,
was included both the home and work.
And what does it mean to live in Christ in our home and work settings?
And finally, the passage we're looking at today
focuses on how do we relate to the outside world?
How do we relate to people who are outside of the Christian community,
who do not identify as believers in Christ?
And the other thing Paul's doing here,
as he sort of brings his letter to a close,
is he's inviting the Colossian Christians to join in with him.
In chapter 1, Paul began with praying with thanksgiving for the Colossians.
And now here in chapter 4, verse 2, he says,
join me in praying with thanksgiving,
and praying for me.
At the end of chapter 1,
Paul spoke about his efforts in deed and word
on behalf of the Colossians.
And now in verses 5 and 6,
he's going to urge them in their walk and talk,
in our deed and word,
to make efforts to share the gospel with their neighbors.
So this section sort of wraps up the letter
in a few different ways.
So how do we, as the church of Jesus Christ,
how do we exist for others?
And Paul gives us two basic commands.
Number one, be devoted in prayer.
This is verse 2 to 4.
And number two, be deliberate in witness.
So that's what we're going to look at this morning.
Prayer.
You could also call this sermon,
Pray, Walk, and Talk.
Pray, verses 2 to 4.
Walk, verse 5.
Talk, verse 6.
How do we relate to people outside the church?
Those are Paul's three words for us today.
So let's jump in.
Verse 2, Paul tells us how to pray.
He says three words.
Be steadfast, be watchful, and be thankful.
So first, be steadfast.
What does that mean?
It means to continue in prayer.
It's a word that means pray with strength,
pray with devotion, pray with endurance,
with dedication and discipline.
Jesus said like the persistent widow in the parable,
we ought always to pray and not lose heart.
We need to keep on praying even when we don't see answers
to our prayers yet.
Sam Storms has a book of meditations
on the book of Colossians.
And he gives a few reasons why God doesn't always
answer our prayers immediately.
Here are a few of them.
He says sometimes we're too entitled.
And through steadfast prayer, God wants to teach us
that everything we receive is a gift.
Sometimes he says we're too impatient.
And through steadfast prayer, God wants to teach us
patient dependence on him and not instant gratification.
Sometimes we're too immature.
We're not yet ready to handle the answers we're asking for.
And through steadfast prayer, God prepares us
to receive the answers that we're looking for to our prayers.
Sometimes our motives are mixed.
And through steadfast prayer, God starts to sort through our motives.
Have you ever been praying for something?
And then the Holy Spirit sort of starts to check your motives.
And you sort of realize,
my motives aren't quite right here.
I really want this, but I need to sort those out before the Lord.
Sometimes God wants to purify our hearts.
Sometimes there's a spiritual battle going on that we're not even aware of,
like it refers to in the book of Daniel.
Sometimes God has his own sovereign reasons that we don't fully understand.
But whatever the situation God's command to us is,
be steadfast in prayer.
But also, be watchful in prayer.
Again, this goes back to the teaching of Jesus.
Jesus taught his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane,
watch and pray that you may not fall into temptation.
Luke 21 for 34, Jesus says,
watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation,
that is distraction and drunkenness and the cares of this life.
And that day, the day when the Son of Man will return,
come upon you suddenly like a trap.
He says, watch yourselves.
Watch and pray.
Now, some Christians have misunderstood this command a little bit.
Some Christians have gotten into the habit of watching for signs
that supposedly indicate when Jesus will return.
But that's not what Jesus said.
Jesus didn't say, watch for signs and then make guesses about when I'll return.
He said, no, you're not going to know.
I'm going to comment unexpectedly.
You won't be able to anticipate it.
He says, watch yourselves.
Sort of like a security guard working the night shift.
You know the morning's going to come,
but you're to be watchful in the face of potential spiritual dangers
in this present evil age.
We're to watch our lives and be in prayer, be watchful in prayer.
Prayer helps us remain alive to the will of God
and aware of the needs of the world,
even as we await the glorious coming of our King.
So be steadfast, be watchful,
and third, be thankful in prayer.
Paul says, pray with thanksgiving.
You know, every once in a while,
I've talked with Christians who are pretty persistent in prayer
and perhaps watchful.
Maybe they even are up in the middle of the night praying,
but they're also anxious and restless.
And you know, interestingly,
prayer by itself doesn't always seem to make things better.
Sometimes prayer even seems to make that anxiety worse.
Because, you know, it's possible for our prayers
to become a sort of meditation on our problems.
But that's why Paul urges us to pray with thanksgiving.
You see, giving thanks to God is one of the best ways
to resist the dominance of anxiety and worry
and restlessness and self-pity.
Giving thanks to God reminds us of God's faithfulness in the past,
and it points us towards God's promises in the future,
and in doing so, it lifts us beyond our present circumstances.
So Paul says, pray with steadfastness,
pray with watchfulness,
and also pray with thankfulness.
So that's how we should pray.
Now, before I go on to verse three and four,
which gives us, which tells us what we should pray for,
let me pause for a moment to speak to you.
Perhaps you're not a Christian.
Perhaps you're a skeptical or secular person.
This week, we're celebrating Thanksgiving, right?
We're talking about Thanksgiving here.
And at one level, Thanksgiving's a great holiday
because everyone can participate, right?
People of all religious faith and none
can agree that feeling and expressing gratitude
is a good thing.
It's one thing that almost all sociologists
and psychologists agree.
The practice of gratitude will make
for a happier and healthier life.
And so we can all take time to honor friends and family
by thanking them this week.
But I think practicing gratitude
also raises a deeper question.
If you're an atheist,
if you're an agnostic,
or if you believe in a higher power
or a distant force
rather than the personal and living God of the Bible,
let me ask you a question.
Where do you direct your feelings of gratitude
aside from other human beings?
Who do you thank
when you feel overwhelmingly lucky to be alive?
Gifted far beyond anything you've deserved.
Rescued from a seemingly impossible predicament.
Sustained and nourished in body and mind.
Awaken to beauty and love
and the mysteries of human life.
Don't all those things make us
intuitively want to thank someone?
Not only have feelings of gratitude inside
that have no object,
or feeling grateful to the random variations
of the universe.
Don't our feelings of gratitude
point us to someone
whose wisdom astounds us
and whose kindness beckons us.
That's who the Bible speaks about.
The Bible speaks about
the infinitely wise God
who made us for himself.
And the Bible says
that the kindness of God,
the many gifts that all of us receive,
whether we recognize them
as coming from God or not,
the kindness of God
leads us toward repentance.
That is towards turning to God.
To look beyond ourselves
and turn to the God who made us
and the God who sent his son
to reconcile us to himself
so that we may know him
as our heavenly father
and as the source of every blessing.
So let me challenge you
as you celebrate Thanksgiving
to consider
who are you thankful to?
And is the truly fitting object
of your gratitude
the God who is revealed
in Jesus Christ?
Christ.
That's what the Bible
has to offer.
But moving on to verse 3 and 4,
for those of us
who are believers in Christ,
Paul tells us
not only how we should pray,
but also what we should pray for.
Now verses 3 and 4
are not a comprehensive teaching
on Christian prayer.
There are many aspects of prayer
that are not covered
in these verses,
but these verses tell us
to pray for two things.
Verse 3,
Paul says,
pray that God
would open doors
for his word.
Now that phrase
of God opening things
that are previously closed
is used in at least
three ways
in the New Testament.
God opens the door
to his kingdom.
God opens the door
to his family
so that people
from all nations
can come in.
So Acts 14.27 says,
they declared
how God had opened
a door of faith
to the Gentiles.
to the nations
of the world.
But also God
opens up opportunities
for the gospel message
to go out
into all the world.
Paul writes
in 2 Corinthians 2.12,
when I came to Troas
to preach the gospel
of Christ,
a door was opened
for me in the Lord.
Or 1 Corinthians 16,
verse 8,
I will stay in Ephesus
for a wide door
for effective work
has opened to me.
And there are
many adversaries.
So God opens up
opportunities
for the gospel
to go out
and also God
opens the hearts
of people
to respond.
Acts 16.14,
the Lord opened
Lydia's heart
to pay attention
to what was said
by Paul.
So God opens
the door
to his kingdom.
He's done that
in Christ Jesus.
God opens up
opportunities
for the message
to go out
and God opens up
people's hearts
and minds
so that Christ
can come in.
And in all these cases,
God is the one
who opens doors.
Revelation 3.7
describes Jesus
as the one
who has the key
of David,
who opens
and no one
will shut,
who shuts
and no one
opens.
And so when Paul
prays here
that God would
open a door
for his word,
Paul is praying
for God
to do something
that only God
can do.
And we too
should pray
earnestly
for God
to do
what only God
can do.
To open hearts
that are closed
and resistant
and hardened.
To open doors
for his word
to go forth
in places
where there are
barriers
and hindrances
and opposition.
Now if you've been
coming to our
adult Sunday school
class,
you've heard stories
about this
just this morning
and last week.
Last Sunday,
Kelechi was teaching
and he told about
his friend in Nigeria
who had a dream
two years ago.
And this young man
felt that in his dream
God impressed
upon his heart
to go to a certain
village in one of
the most dangerous
provinces in Nigeria.
The headquarters
of Boko Haram
which is sort of
a violent group
felt that God
was impressing
upon him
to go to this village
and tell people
there about Jesus.
They had never
been there before.
They prayed
about it together
and four days later
three people
got in a car.
Kelechi,
his friend,
another friend,
they decided to go.
And as they went
they prayed
because they realized
that this was
a very risky venture.
They traveled
eight hours by car
to a place
they'd never been before.
They arrived
at the village
at night time.
They met with
the village chief
who is a devout Muslim
and they said,
we're just visiting here
and we weren't sure
if people knew
what Christmas was about.
It was around
Christmas time
they were visiting.
We'd like to share
with you why
Christians celebrate
Christmas.
And the chief said,
sure.
I'll get my boys
to round everybody up
and bring them
to my palace
and you can talk
to them tomorrow.
So the next day
the chief summons
everyone to his palace
and they share
for hours
about why Jesus
came into the world
and the kind of life
he lived
and why he died
on the cross.
They had brought
t-shirts with Bible verses
in the local
tribal language
about Jesus
as the prince of peace
and about that province
as a place
of peace.
They also talked
to the chief
about the possibility
of opening a health clinic
in the village
at some point
in the future.
God opened a door
for his word
in a very unlikely place.
And now we can pray
that God would continue
to open doors
for his word
in that village.
That it would grow
and bear fruit.
So we should pray
that God would open doors
for his word.
But the second thing
Paul tells us
to pray for
is to pray
that Christian missionaries
and preachers
would proclaim Christ
with power
and clarity.
To declare
the mystery of Christ
on account
of which I am in prison
that I may make it clear
which is how I ought
to speak.
So Paul says
pray that God would do
what only God can do
that he would open the doors
that no one else
can open
or shut
once he opens them.
But Paul also says
pray that God
would enable me
to carry out
the responsibility
that God
has given to me.
Now on a side note
if Paul asked people
to pray for him
we shouldn't be above
asking people
to pray for us.
Occasionally
I talk with Christians
who almost
seem to almost
never ask anyone else
to pray for them.
You say
can I pray for you?
And they say
no don't pray for me
pray for somebody else.
But you know what?
Paul knew
that God
often chooses
to work
through the prayers
of his people.
And so we should
ask others to pray
that God
would give us
the strength
to carry out
the responsibilities
he has set
before us.
All of us need that.
Need others to pray
that God would help us
to be faithful
in the mission
he's given
to each of us.
That we'd have
the courage
and wisdom
and power
and love
to fulfill
all responsibilities
before God.
Now Paul's
responsibility
was to preach
the gospel
and to go
to new places
and begin churches.
As he says
in verse 3
to declare
the mystery
of Christ.
Now the mystery
of Christ
is simply
the gospel
of Christ.
Romans 16
25
Paul describes
the gospel
as the mystery
that was kept
secret for long
ages
but has now
been disclosed
to all nations.
And in Colossians 2
verse 2
Paul says
God's mystery
is Christ
in whom are hidden
all the treasures
of wisdom
and knowledge.
So when Paul talks
about the mystery
of Christ
he's simply referring
to it as something
that had been hidden
in the past
in the Old Testament
before Jesus came
and now
the curtain
has been opened.
In Jesus coming
to earth
in his life
in his death
in his resurrection
in his ascension
to glory
the heavenly curtain
has been drawn back
and now the whole world
can see God's plan.
God's plan
to reconcile
sinful people
to himself
by his grace
and God's plan
to renew
all of his creation
for his glory.
Now Paul's role
and every Christian
preacher's role
is simply
to make
that gospel
known
to make it clear
to preach it
true
truly
as it is
and not
to mix it up
with other things.
One writer said
the gospel
is a summons
to faith
and obedience.
It is an offer
of reconciliation
and peace
with God.
It is a warning
of judgment
to those who
continue in sin
and it is a gift
of hope
in a world
that is brutal
cold
and dark.
So we should pray
that missionaries
and preachers
and evangelists
throughout the world
would make the gospel
clear
in all these ways
as a summons
as an offer
as a warning
and as a gift
of hope.
We should pray
that through
as the gospels
preach
that people
would see Jesus
in his glory
and be drawn
to him
across all the barriers
across cultural barriers
across language barriers
across intellectual barriers
above the noise
of all the distractions
that clutter
our modern world.
We should pray
particularly
for believers
who are suffering
like Paul was.
Paul mentions here
he's in prison
or at least
literally that means bound.
He was probably
under house arrest
on account of the gospel.
Now at some times
Paul did ask
other Christians
to pray for his release.
Philippians 1.19
Paul encourages
the Philippian Christians
to continue praying
for his deliverance.
But here
in Colossians
Paul's prayer
is not
that God
would open the door
so that I can go free
ASAP.
No,
Paul's primary concern
is that God
would open a door
for his word.
And Paul knows
that even if he's
sitting there
under house arrest
chained to a guard
that they're still
letting him have visitors.
And so the gospel
and they're still
letting him write letters.
And so the gospel's
going forward
even through
his imprisonment.
That's actually
the last word
of the book of Acts.
The last sentence
of the book of Acts
says Paul was
under house arrest
and it says
he proclaimed
the kingdom of God
and taught about
the Lord Jesus Christ
boldly
and unhindered.
The word of
even though Paul
was confined
the word of God
was going forth
and Paul
could rejoice
in that.
And Paul was released
from that imprisonment
we think.
The New Testament
doesn't give us
the chronology of that
but as we put
some things together
it seems most likely
that Paul was released
from that particular
imprisonment.
He was able to go
and travel
and preach the gospel
in other places
again.
But regardless
we should pray
for Christians
who like Paul
are persecuted.
Who are
pray for the persecuted
church around the world
that they would be relieved
and comforted
and released
but also pray
that they would be
emboldened
and empowered
and encouraged
like Paul.
Now there's lots
of opportunities
that we have
right here at Trinity
to be reminded
to pray for the church
around the world.
If you just go
downstairs
in the fellowship hall
there's a bulletin
board on the wall.
It's just been
nicely redone.
It's called
Trinity Around the World
and you can see
some of the ministries
that we support
and pray for
throughout the world.
In the month
of December
we'll be highlighting
some of our global
ministry partners
in the bulletin
each week
so you can take
your bulletin
home with you
and pray for them.
We'll also be continuing
our adult Sunday school.
Next week we're not
having Sunday school
just the morning service
at 10
but again
once December comes
we have three more
weeks of our
global missions
Sunday school class
at 9 o'clock.
You can join
the prayer email list
email Michelle
call the office
so you can receive
email updates
from the ministry
partners we support
as a church.
There's all kinds
of ways.
We'll be having
some people visit
Joseph and Michelle
coming we'll be
visiting in a few
weeks in December
to share about
their ministry.
So let me just
encourage you
to take advantage
of these opportunities
to be reminded
to pray
for the church
around the world
and to remember
that what God
is doing is much
bigger than what's
going on in our
individual lives
or even in this
local church
but to pray
as Paul encouraged
the Colossians
to pray
for the work
of God
throughout the world.
We've tried
to start doing
this with our
kids
with one or two
of the families
that they have
met who have
been part of
this church
who are now
serving in other
parts of the world
and so we try
to pray for
those missionaries
maybe once a week
or at least
every so often
when we pray
together at night
to pray specifically
for them
and our kids
pray for them.
So let's find
ways to be
doing that
and remembering
that together.
So that's
Paul's first
command
be devoted
in prayer
for the church
around the world
but Paul's second
command
in verse 5
and 6
is not only
be devoted
in prayer
for the church
in other parts
of the world
but also be
deliberate
in witness
to your neighbors
next door.
Verse 6
this is the walk
and talk
part.
You see
the gospel
the point is
that the gospel
of Jesus
does not only
go forth
through missionaries
and preachers
and traveling evangelists
like Paul.
The gospel
goes forth
through the walk
and talk
of ordinary
followers of Jesus.
In verses 2
to 4
prayer supports
the church's mission
of proclaiming
the gospel abroad
and verses 5
and 6
wise living
supports the church's
mission of spreading
the gospel
at home.
So let's
look at verse 5
about our walk
and then we'll get
to verse 6
about our talk.
Verse 5
walk in wisdom
toward outsiders
making the best
use of the time.
Now when Paul
talks about our walk
he's talking about
our pattern of life
our attitude
our behavior
and notice
that when Paul
gives instructions here
about sharing
our faith
with people
outside the church
he begins
with our walk.
Bonhoeffer said
the church
must not
underestimate
the importance
of human example.
It is not
abstract argument
but example
that gives
its word
emphasis
and power.
I mean think
about it this way.
What was Jesus'
primary goal
in coming to earth?
Well most of us
would say something like
to die on the cross
for our sins.
That's certainly
very central
to why Jesus came.
But if Jesus'
primary goal
in coming to earth
was to offer
his life
as a sacrifice
for us
why did he spend
33 years
obeying his parents
working as a carpenter
teaching the crowds
healing the sick
casting out demons
instructing his disciples
praying to his father?
Well one reason is
because Jesus'
life and example
matters.
We see
from the way
Jesus lived
that he is
uniquely qualified
to be our savior.
We see
that he's
utterly wise
and fully trustworthy.
We see
that he's
a merciful
and faithful
high priest
who has been
tempted in every way
just as we are
yet without sin
so we can approach
him with confidence.
You see
Jesus'
walk matters
and our walk
matters too.
Someone said
we are the only
Bible
that some people
will ever read.
what does it
mean to walk
in wisdom?
Well John
Piper described
wisdom as
knowing what to
do for the
glory of God
when the rule
book runs out.
Knowing how to
become all things
to all people
without compromising
holiness and truth.
Creativity
and tact
and thoughtfulness.
It's a good
picture of
biblical wisdom.
It's not just
following the
rules
but it's
seeking to
live out the
mission that
God has given
us.
Seeking to
live out
the
live according
to the character
that God is
developing in
us.
And Piper
went on to
say there are
four sources
of wisdom.
Four ways we
can grow
in wisdom.
First,
meditating on
scripture.
Psalm 19
7 says the
testimony of
the Lord is
sure,
making wise
the simple.
That word
simple means
those who
are naive.
And the
word of God
can help us
grow and
become wise.
Especially as
we meditate on
it.
Not just read
it quickly and
forget about
it but chew
on it.
Maybe that
means write
a verse
down and
repeat it and
read the same
verse for a
week so that
it gets into
us.
Prayer.
James 1 5,
if any of you
lacks wisdom,
let him ask
God.
Prayer is a
source of
wisdom.
Listening to
wise counselors,
Proverbs 19 20,
listen to advice
and accept
instruction and
at the end
you'll be
counted among
the wise.
Fourth,
constant
practice.
Hebrews 5 14
says that
mature Christians
have trained
themselves to
distinguish good
from evil by
constant use
of God's
word.
That is by
obeying biblical
commands and
applying biblical
principles day
by day just
like an athlete
trains for the
game by
constantly daily
practicing the
principles that
they've learned
from their
coach.
church.
So meditating
on scripture,
praying,
listening to
wise counselors
and seeking
out wise
counsel and
constant practice,
those are ways
that we can
grow in
wisdom.
And Paul
says walk
in wisdom.
All right,
the question
is does your
walk increasingly
reflect the
wisdom of God
in your
interactions with
people outside
the church?
can people who
are not
Christians look
at your life
and see not
perfection and
not someone
pretending that
they have it
all together
when they
don't?
Because none
of us will be
perfect and so
we shouldn't try
to pretend that
we are.
But can people
see sincerity
and can they
see growth over
time?
That's what Paul
is challenging
us to.
To walk and
to be growing
in wisdom.
He also says
making the best
use of the
time.
Think about
how do you
use your
time.
The best
use of our
time requires
intentionality.
Not just going
with the flow,
not just doing
whatever you feel
like doing in
the moment.
Now that doesn't
mean you have to
be type A and
have every hour
of your life
scheduled three
weeks in advance
and never be
spontaneous.
Right?
Type A people
have our own
problems.
We know that.
Even Jesus
accepted interruptions
from people.
It's a good
example for us
to follow.
But it does
mean that the
time we have
on earth is
short and we
ought to use it
well in light
of eternity.
You see,
the way we
use our time
is ultimately
a reflection of
our priorities.
priorities.
And the Bible
says that our
priorities ought
to be shaped
by eternal
realities.
You know,
Paul wrote this
letter to the
church in Colossae
and just a few
months or at
most a few
years after they
would have
received this
letter, the
entire city was
decimated by an
earthquake.
The time was
short and they
probably had no
idea how short
it was.
Here's a
question for us.
If your life
were unexpectedly
cut short
tomorrow, would
you have regrets
about how you
were using your
time today?
Are there
things that God
has commanded you
to do that you
are procrastinating
on or delaying?
Are there words
of comfort,
repentance,
forgiveness,
that you need
to speak to
someone else
and not keep
delaying?
Paul says,
make the best
use of the time
because the time
is short and we
will never know
how short it
might be.
But if verse
five focuses on
our walk,
verse six
focuses on
our talk.
Now, there's
a quotation
that is frequently
repeated and
it's almost
always attributed
to St. Francis
of Assisi that
says, preach
the gospel always
when necessary
use words.
There are at
least two
problems with
this quotation.
First, St.
Francis never
said it.
Okay?
Don't say
that somebody
said something
when they
didn't because
you wouldn't
want someone
saying that
about you
after you
die.
In fact,
St. Francis
preached a lot,
sometimes up
to five times
in a day,
so he didn't
even live
according to
this principle.
Second,
in order to
proclaim the
gospel of
Jesus,
words are
necessary
in some
form or
other,
whether it's
written down
or whether
it's spoken.
Now,
Paul,
a better
quotation is
this,
a godly
walk must
be accompanied
by godly
talk.
They have
to go
together.
That's why
Paul is
talking about
our walk
in verse
five,
and in
some ways
that's
foundational,
but talk
in verse
six needs
to go
along with
it.
Now,
Paul is
not saying
that all
of us
must stand
up in
front of
groups of
people and
give
speeches.
No,
but what
he does
say here
is that
our talk
matters.
Our
conversations
matter.
Let your
speech
always be
gracious,
seasoned
with salt,
so that
you may
know
how to
answer
each one.
Now,
Paul's
assumption
here is
that Christians
will regularly
be in
conversation
with people
who do
not identify
as believers
in Christ.
Right?
Earlier in
Colossians,
Paul warned
the Colossians.
He said,
don't be
led
astray
by deceptive
philosophies.
But here
we see
very clearly
that Paul's
warning not
to be led
astray
by false
teachers
does not
mean that
Christians
should
disengage
and withdraw
from all
of our
relationships
with people
who don't
identify
as Christians.
No.
We should
be engaged
in ongoing
relationship
and conversation.
That's a
basic assumption.
Paul doesn't
even need
to say it.
It's the
assumption
behind what
he's saying.
And in
fact,
Paul's
instructions
about how
we should
speak to
one another
inside the
church in
chapter 3
are quite
similar to
his instructions
here about
how to speak
with people
outside the
church.
So,
if you look
at chapter 3
verse 12,
Paul says,
put on
kindness,
humility,
meekness,
and patience.
And then here
in chapter 4
verse 6,
he says,
let your speech
always be
gracious.
Chapter 3
verse 16,
again,
within the
church,
we should be
teaching and
admonishing one
another.
And that
corresponds in
chapter 4
verse 6,
let your speech
be seasoned
with salt.
Right?
So,
there's a
parallel.
Right?
There shouldn't
be a huge
difference between
how we speak to
one another
inside the
church and how
we conversate
with people
outside the
church.
We shouldn't
only ever talk
about anything
spiritual with
only other
Christians and
never even
mention to
anyone else
that we
even go
to church.
No,
there should
be a
wholeness to
our life.
Right?
Christians are
not supposed to
be schizophrenic
and sort of
multiple personalities
in multiple
places.
No.
Our life is
supposed to be
integrated and
whole and
truthful wherever
we are.
And we
shouldn't be
putting on a
show in front
of other
Christians when
we're not
living honestly
in the world.
Right?
There needs to
be a unity
here.
The only
difference I
can find is
Paul does
not say that
we should
sing psalms,
hymns, and
spiritual songs
to our
non-believing
neighbors.
Okay?
Probably in
most contexts
that would be
weird to go
up to your
non-Christian
neighbor and
start singing
one of the
songs that we
sang this
morning.
They'd
probably think
you're a
little odd.
And Paul's
saying, no,
you don't
need to be
odd.
You don't
need to be
deliberately
weird.
But here in
verse 6, what
we do see is
a picture of
how ordinary
non-weird
conversations can
unfold in a
way that leads
to opportunities
to share about
Christ.
Let your
speech always
be gracious.
What does
that word
mean?
It means
overflowing
with God's
grace.
Attractive,
gentle,
kind,
not harsh,
not overbearing.
Gracious
talk as
well as
gracious
listening,
because James
says we
should be
quick to
listen and
not just
to speak.
Gracious
talk as
well as
gracious
listening is
a testimony
to the
grace and
kindness that
we have
received from
God.
Someone said
people don't
care how much
you know until
they know that
you care.
So let your
speech always be
gracious.
But second,
our talk is
to be seasoned
with salt.
Now,
what does that
mean?
Well,
think about the
difference that
salt makes.
It adds flavor
to a meal.
It stimulates
appetite.
It makes you
want more.
In the ancient
world, salt was
also a preservative,
even today,
right?
If you have
sausages,
right?
They're probably
preserved with
salt and some
other things that
prevent the meat
from spoiling.
So Paul's
saying our
talk shouldn't
just be sweet
and inoffensive,
never challenging
the status quo,
never confronting
anyone, never
taking any risks.
No, our
talk also needs
to be salty.
It needs to be
sweet and gracious,
but it also needs
to be salty and
provocative.
You know,
invite someone to
come to the
Christmas carol
service with you.
Really?
What do you have
to lose?
They might even
say yes.
Look for
connections between
biblical truths
and ordinary
conversations.
And point them
out sometimes.
Learn to ask
thought-provoking
questions like
Jesus did.
Look at all the
questions.
Read through one
of the Gospels
and look at all
the questions
Jesus asks.
He asks people
a lot of
thought-provoking
questions.
And we can ask
questions like,
what are the
things you value
most in life?
Sincere questions
that help us
get to know
someone else
and get to
know what are
some of their
core concerns?
What's your
spiritual background?
Or maybe even
who do you think
Jesus was?
Or where are
you with God
in relationship
to God
if someone
is there?
Or even
this question.
If you were
to die tonight
and stand
before God
and God were
to say,
why should I
let you into
heaven?
How would
you respond?
God?
Now,
that's probably
not the most
helpful question
to ask an
atheist,
right?
Because they
would say,
well,
I don't believe
in God
at all.
But if someone
comes from a
nominally Christian
background,
that's actually a
really helpful
question to ask
because it's
really asking,
what are you
depending on
for your
salvation
and for being
right with
God?
those are
just some
examples.
But think
of your
own,
right?
What questions
can you ask
people that
will offer
an opportunity
for the
conversation to
go deeper?
But you know,
the only way
that our talk
will really
be both
gracious and
seasoned with
salt is if
we are resting
in the grace
of Jesus and
if we are
savoring Him.
If we've
tasted and
seen that He's
good and we
want more of
Him because
you know what?
You can't give
what you don't
have.
And so if
you're a
miserable
Christian,
you're not
going to be
able to share
it very well.
If you're
angry at God,
you need to
deal with being
angry and
bitter with
God before
you try to
go share the
gospel with
somebody else.
Although God
can sometimes
draw a
straight line
with a
crooked stick,
as they say.
But if
you're not
desiring more
of Jesus,
start there.
Because someone
who's hungry for
more of Jesus
and who's
finding satisfaction
in Jesus,
it'll overflow
naturally.
You might not
even need this
passage.
It'll just
start coming
out of you.
You might
sometimes need
some wisdom
and discernment,
but that's
another sermon
for another
day.
Finally,
verse 6 ends
with this,
so that you
may know how
you ought to
answer each
person.
I mean,
I think that
this verse
almost gives a
picture of
sort of a
relationship or
a conversation
that progresses,
right?
Someone sees
your walk,
you're growing
in wisdom,
your speech
is gracious,
you're building
a relationship,
your speech
is seasoned
with salt,
you ask
provocative
questions,
and then
eventually
someone asks
you a question
or they say,
you know,
I want to
know more
or,
sure,
I'll come
with you
to church.
I sort of
want to see
what it's
all about.
And then
you'll have
an opportunity
to answer.
And as 1 Peter
3, 15 says,
you'll have an
opportunity to
give a reason
for the hope
that we have
in Christ
and to do
this with
gentleness
and respect.
You see,
in verses 5 and 6,
we see a picture
of how the gospel
of Jesus
goes forth,
not only by
preachers,
not only by
missionaries,
not only by
famous Christians
like Paul,
but they're
ordinary people
in one-to-one
conversations,
in,
through ordinary
Christian believers
who walk in wisdom
and whose talk
is gracious
and salty.
so brothers
and sisters,
pray,
walk,
talk,
because the church
is a church
only when it
exists for
others.
Let's pray.
Lord, we pray
that you would
help us to be
people of prayer,
people who pray
with steadfastness
and watchfulness
and thankfulness.
We pray for
open doors
for the gospel
people,
in other parts
of the world,
especially where
there are
hindrances.
churches,
but we pray
also that your
word would go
forth through
us.
Lord, we pray
that each of us
would be growing
in our walk
and in wisdom
as we meditate
on your word
and pray
and seek out
wise counsel
and seek to
constantly practice.
Lord, we pray
that our speech,
our talk,
would be gracious
and it would be
salty,
that our speech
would be truthful
and sincere.
And we pray
that many would
come to saving
faith in Jesus
Christ.
In his name we
pray.
Amen.