As we have observed over the last
couple of weeks, knowing God and growing in Christ is essential to
accomplishing the mission that has been handed down to us of sharing the good
news of the Gospel. However, these two elements of our mission 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.
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 verses
2-6 of chapter 4. 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 provide
specific requests. Informed prayer is likely to be more purposeful, personal,
and powerful.
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 element (fervent prayer) requires obedience, as
a believer takes on the command to pray. The second (waiting for a response) requires
faith as the believer anxiously seeks the fulfillment of the answer. The third
(thanksgiving) 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 kingdom-building mission cannot be caught
without a strong connection to the king and this comes by praying in this way.
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 specific in their prayer lives, Paul gives
them some specific requests of his. Listen carefully to what he asks the church
to keep in mind.
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 good news 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 opportunities. You want an
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 wanted to share? 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 disclose 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 mission of God!
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 understandable. 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 for the
church is to live out the truth they are
proclaiming, “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 are two
cornerstones of a good witness.
2 Corinthians 6:1-3-And working
together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the
grace of God in vain— 2 for He says, “At the
acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold,
now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— 3 giving
no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited.
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, lest it be lost to something
or someone else.
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 mission we are called to by praying for an opportunity to share the
gospel and seizing 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 involves both the content of words spoken and the manner of speaking
them, “Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with
salt…”(4:6a). Here, two statements illustrate the nature of Christian speech.
The first is “in grace.” “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 bludgeon’s
people with their sharp rhetoric
of negativity, division, 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.”
The second way Paul describes the
speech of a believer is “with salt.” Salt was used in three different ways in the
first century. It could preserve food, sterilize food, or season 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? If one obeys the first two commands (pray purposefully
and act accordingly) are being carried out properly outsiders will begin to ask
Christians about their new life and its source. As these opportunities present
themselves and people are engaged, believers must respond to each person as an
individual. 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. This was Paul’s instructions for the church
in Colossae as they endeavored to show Christ to their brave new 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 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 mission depends on it! It is crunch time! His return is near!
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