OUR MISSION: SHOW

The Times-Reporter of New Philadelphia, Ohio, recounted that in September, 1985 a celebration of a New Orleans municipal pool took place to commemorate the first summer in memory without a drowning. In honor of the occasion, 200 people gathered, including 100 certified lifeguards. As the party was breaking up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in the deep end. They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but it was too late. He had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season. A Similar tragedy is being lived out in the world today on a far grander scale. There are so many people with the knowledge of the means for eternal life (who know Christ and have perhaps even grown more like Him) and yet they act as though they are completely oblivious to those dying around them without Jesus.

 Over the last several weeks we’ve been delineating “Our Mission.” On week one we discussed the process of conversion by which people come to know Christ in an intimate way after responding positively to the overwhelming revelation of God by placing faith in His Son Jesus. Last week we looked at how growth takes place in the believer by investigating man’s responsibility and God’s responsibility in sanctification. Today, we arrive at the third part of the mission—showing Christ to others. In an effort to demonstrate how we can successfully accomplish this third and final part of the mission, we are going to take a look at one of Paul’s many encouragements to the church of Colossae in Colossians 4:2-6.

Colossae was a thriving city 100 miles east of Ephesus. Although Colossae’s population was primarily Gentile, there was a large Jewish settlement there. After Paul greets the church at the beginning of this letter, he thanks them for their service and prays that the church will grow in wisdom, especially concerning the person of Christ. Next, Paul begins to describe Christ as the head of the church, Redeemer, Reconciler, and Sacrifice. He shows that Christ trumps philosophy and dispels the rumors beginning to percolate regarding Gnostic tendencies and legalism. After defending Christ’s personhood, Paul delves into the implications that go along with a sophisticated Christology. He shows how Christ should be chosen over carnality and describes how a new man and Christian home should look. Thereafter, following a brief address to masters and their slaves, Paul begins to give encouragements to the church in light of God’s coming and God’s grace. These encouragements are given as commands and are presented in chapter 4 verses 2-6. Three of them pertain to how best to show Christ to a world that desperately needs Him and are therefore important to the study of our church’s mission, that is, should we choose to accept it.

I. COMMAND #1: PRAY PURPOSEFULLY-4:2-4

As Paul draws his letter to a close, he calls upon the church in Colossae to first devote themselves to prayer (with consistent and constant intensity with the possible implication of difficulty), “devote yourselves to prayer” (4:2a). In light of all that Paul has taught in the beginning of his letter, his first encouragement to the church is to commit themselves to a life of fervent prayer. Why? Because showing Christ to others is predicated on one’s prayer life. One’s ability to demonstrate Christ to others is in direct proportion to their personal ministry of intercession.  

The Colossians were instructed to pray in a specific manner, with “alertness” or “watchfulness” and “with an attitude of thanksgiving,” (4:2b).  Although prayers do require the individual to be awake, when Paul says “keeping alert,” he is talking about praying with an acute awareness of whatever affects the spread of the gospel. This becomes exceedingly obvious as Paul will soon provide specific requests. Informed prayer is more likely to be purposeful, personal, and powerful.

Notice also that prayer is supposed to take place in the context of thanksgiving (1 Thess. 5:17). No one depended on this context of thanksgiving more than Paul whose own circumstances were anything but something for which to be thankful—he was in prison for crying out loud! However, to ensure a proper perspective in the midst of tribulation, Paul both modeled and urged that prayer be offered in an attitude of thanks. This kind of prayer sees clearly the obstacles and difficulties but recognizes that in spite of all of them, God is able to work and in many cases has already worked in copious ways.

These two verses present a three-part pattern in prayer. First, an individual prays fervently, second, an individual watches or waits for a response, “keeping alert in it,” and third, the individual responds with thanksgiving upon answered prayer. The first requires obedience, as a believer takes on the command to pray. The second requires faith as the believer anxiously awaits the fulfillment of the answer, and third, it requires praise and adoration to God for having answered the prayer offered. While the world sleeps in their disbelief and ignorance, Paul calls Christians to keep awake and devoted to regular and steady prayer. 

In repeating the word “prayer” in verse 3, Paul emphasizes its importance, “devote yourselves to prayer, praying at the same time for us as well” (4:3). In the spirit of being devotedly specific in their prayer lives, Paul gives them some specific requests of his.

First, Paul requested that the church in Colossae pray for an open door for the gospel, “that God will open up to us a door for the word so that we may speak for the mystery of Christ for which I have been imprisoned…” (4:3). Paul always looked for ways to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. No one had better skills to turn any situation into an opportunity for witnessing. Paul’s success was, in part, due to the many prayers offered on his behalf for wisdom and opportunity. You want the opportunity to spread the gospel successfully? Pray for it! That is what Paul did and look how God used him! Therefore, Paul instructs the Colossians to pray that he would continue to find open doors. The apostle lived for such opportunities and realized that God alone provided these divine appointments.

However, what is this mystery Paul is talking about sharing in these opportunities, “so that we may speak for the mystery of Christ for which I have been imprisoned”(4:3)? The answer is found in Colossians 1:26-27, “the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The substance of Paul’s message, the mystery that he longed more than anything to solve for people was that by grace through faith, anyone can have Christ in them, the hope of glory. This was the kernel of truth that Paul hoped to share with those who were lost.

Paul’s second request was that he may proclaim the gospel as he should, “That I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak” (4:4). Paul not only looked for new doors to walk through but he also looked for ways to make the gospel known. He did not pray for a specific method of spreading the gospel, but for the wisdom to know what to say in specific situations, all the while doing justice to the gospel.

In this first command given in this passage, Paul reveals that to show Christ adequately, one must adopt a dynamic prayer life which includes: praying for the lost, praying for opportunities to share Christ with the lost, and praying for wisdom so that the sharing done may be appropriate and winsome. However, prayers are only the first step of three.

II. COMMAND #2: ACT ACCORDINGLY-4:5

Paul’s second command is to live out the gist of what they are praying, “conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders” (4:5a). The Colossians were to ensure that their lives, speech, and appearance reflected Christ in them (the hope of glory). To “conduct yourselves with wisdom” means to follow Christ as God’s pattern for full and authentic living. Paul knew all too well the importance of giving the world no reason to criticize the behavior of Christians. Blameless living alongside a dynamic prayer life is another large cornerstone a good witness. Why?

A blameless walk naturally affords a believer the ability to make the most of every opportunity given to him/her to show Christ, “making the most of the opportunity” (4:5b). The word for “making the most” insinuates that every opportunity you have to spread the seed or water on planted ground needs to be snapped up like an unpassable bargain.

You may say, well I have very little if any opportunities to share the gospel. However, the very fact that you are left on this earth and here today suggests that your opportunities have not run out. You may not recognize the myriad of opportunities around you because you have failed to pray for them to be revealed to you. Time itself is an opportunity to seize for the kingdom of God. What are you going to do with it? Decide today to snap it up and redeem it for all its worth for the glory of God. We are not casual window shopping here. It is a black Friday kind of situation and a host of others in this world are longing to snatch up those around us before we do. Therefore, a little urgency is called for.

III. COMMAND #3: SPEAK SWEETLY-4:6

Paul’s final command in this passage reflects on both the content of words spoken and the method of speaking any matter, “Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with salt…”(4:6a). Two specific phrases illustrate the nature of Christian speech, “in grace” and “with salt.” “In grace” was an idiom used in that day to describe charm or charisma. However, Paul wants it to mean more than just tactfulness. Ultimately, Paul is trying to get the Colossians to speak with grace as those who live in grace or speak in a distinctly Christian way. While the world slanders and bludgeon’s people with their sharp words, a Christian’s presentation is to stand in contrast as a presentation of grace given with grace.

1 Peter 3:15-“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to 

everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Speech was also to be “seasoned with salt.” In the ancient world, salt was used in three different ways: it could preserve a food, sterilize a food, or season a food. Here Paul is talking about the latter. Conversations are to be seasoned in such a way that they bring life and richness. Paul knew that a lengthy and laborious monologue is often useless in evangelism. Therefore, Christians are instructed here to work at making their witness lively and colorful while at the same time making sure they stay true to the gospel.

This kind of speech is required “so that” as Paul says “you will know how you should respond to each person” (4:6c). Respond to what? Well If verses 4 and 5 are being carried out properly (that is we are engaged in prayer and living rightly), outsiders will begin to ask Christians about their new life and its source. Although many questions are predictable, each questioner is an individual and must be respected, loved, and responded to as such. One technique or approach may not be suitable to each and every person you meet. Instead, each outsider must be given special customized attention.

So What?

In this study we’ve observed the unmistakable priority of prayer, the need for an authentic lifestyle, and a proper and gracious presentation. Paul in his encouragements to Colossae desired for that church to become fellow workers with him in the call to show Christ to a lost world. . We must also take on the charge in our own lives. We too must devote ourselves to prayer in eager anticipation of an answer for those we know and for this community. We too must strive to live blameless lives so we might provide the kind of example that will make people stop and ask us what is different about ourselves. In response to such questions, we make the most of every opportunity to share Jesus Christ. Thirdly, we must speak boldly and graciously with those around us as we communicate the flavorful truths of God’s Word. These three commands of Paul are paramount if we are going to adequately show Christ to others as individuals and as a church. May we not be caught standing on the edge of the pool unaware of those sinking around us. Rather, may we choose to live with open eyes and ears, aware of those in need around us, and dive into their lives with the saving knowledge of Jesus. Our mission depends on it!