As we have observed over the last
couple of weeks, knowing one’s candidate and growing more familiar with his/her
platform is absolutely essential to any campaign. The same is true for the ongoing
mission of God that we are called to as believers (to know and grow in Christ).
However, these two elements to the campaign make very little difference to the
world if/when people fail to keep the third and final part of the mission—Showing
Christ to others.
In every presidential campaign, there
are opportunities for candidates to show what they bring to the table. Whether
in stump speeches, press conferences, or especially in the debates, the
candidate must show well in order to convince others to join his/her efforts.
This is where our analogy between our campaign and political campaigns breaks
down, for, in the mission we are called to, God has asked us to do His bidding!
We are the ones who have been asked to stump on Christ’s behalf, present His case,
and, when necessary, make a defense for HIs record and the future hope that He
promises. What an awesome responsibility!
Therefore, in an effort to demonstrate
how we can successfully accomplish this third and final element of our ongoing movement,
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. Colossae’s mixed population of Jews and Gentiles
manifested itself both in the composition of the church and in the heresy that
plagued it, which contained elements of both Jewish legalism, pagan mysticism,
and early Gnosticism. 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 what they know about
the person of Christ. Next, Paul begins to describe Christ as the
head of the church, Redeemer,
Reconciler, and Sacrifice. After defending Christ’s personhood, Paul
delves into the implications that go along with a sophisticated Christology. He
shows how believers ought to join His campaign over inferior movement connected
to the flesh and this world. Finally, toward the end of this rally, Paul begins
to give encouragements to the church. Three of these commands are presented in
chapter 4 verses 2-6. All of them, interestingly enough, identify how to
campaign well for Jesus by showing Christ
to a world that desperately needs him.
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, Paul’s 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 his/her personal prayer
life.
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
Notice also that prayer is
supposed to take place in the context of thanksgiving (1 Thess. 5:17).
Thankfulness provides the proper context for good praying. No one depended on
this context of thanksgiving more than Paul whose own circumstances were often
anything but something for which to be thankful—he was writing this from a prison
cell 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.
The construction of these two
verses may suggest a three-fold pattern in prayer life. 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. Our campaign
cannot be caught without a strong connection to the candidate!
In repeating the word “prayer” in
verse 3, Paul emphasizes its importance, “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. His success was, in part due to the many
prayers offered on his behalf for wisdom and opportunity. You want to spread
the opportunity to spread the gospel successfully? Pray for it! That is what
Paul did and look how God used him! Paul instructs the Colossians to pray that
he would find an open door. The apostle lived for such opportunities and
realized that God alone provided these divine appointments, often, in response
to the prayers offered.
However, What is this
mystery Paul is sharing? The answer is found in Colossians 1:26-27 which says “
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. This is the campaign slogan of
the saints!
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 in campaigning well for Jesus.
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 mystery in them). 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 are two cornerstones of 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). Just as
presidential candidates are believed to score points among independents by
acting “presidential” Christians “make the most” of their witness to the lost of
this world when they conduct themselves with wisdom, love, and righteousness. 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, lest it be lost to something or someone else.
As a campaign nears the end of
its season, it is an all-out blitz for airtime, votes, and turnout. Every
committed volunteer and staff member works with increased urgency so that every
vote that can be retrieved will be retrieved, lest it be granted to the
opposing campaign. The same must be true
of the opportunities we have for our superior campaign, for, we don’t just have
votes on the line and four years of implications on the line, people’s eternal
lives are at stake, and the opposing campaign of sin and this world would love
to add to its ranks.
You may say to yourself, “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. (Perhaps you do not recognize the myriad of
opportunities around you or aren’t being given more explicit opportunities because
you have failed to pray for them). 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 for all its worth for the glory of God. The time is near! Jesus could return
at any moment!
Matthew 24:36ff- 36 “But of that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For
the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For
as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and
they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will
the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two men
in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two
women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be
left.42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which
day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the
head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he
would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken
into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”
One way to be ready is to be
about the campaign we are called to by praying for an opportunity to share the
gospel and ceasing every opportunity to make the most of it by acting
accordingly.
III. COMMAND #3: SPEAK SWEETLY-4:6
Paul’s final command in this
passage reflects both the content of words spoken and the manner of speaking any
matter, “Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with
salt…”(4:6a). Here, two statements illustrate the nature of Christian speech, “in
grace” and “with salt.” “In grace” may reflect an idiom used in that day which
described 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 bludgeons people with their sharp rhetoric of
negativity and deception, a Christian’s words are to stand in contrast as a
presentation 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.”
Salt was used in three different
ways in those days. 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. Rather, Christians are 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 and
customized attention.
So What?
In this passage 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 join Jesus’ campaign in this way: showing Christ to
others. 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 in order to
provide the kind of example that will make people stop and ask us what is
different about ourselves and make the most of every opportunity to share Jesus
Christ. Thirdly, we must speak boldly and graciously with those around 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 around us as individuals and as a church. May we not be caught
hesitant are unwilling to make that call, knock on that door, or engage those
around us for Jesus. May we instead 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 Christ. Our campaign depends on it! It is crunch time! His return
is near!
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