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If you'd turn to your Bibles, 
please, this evening to Colossians chapter 4. Colossians chapter 
4, and there was an outline provided this morning. If you are new 
this evening and you didn't perhaps see the outline, you're welcome 
to get one from Doug at the back. It might be helpful just to follow 
along. Or if you forgot yours at home, there are lots back 
there. So it's Colossians chapter 4, verses 2 to 6. Certainly the larger context 
starts at chapter 3 verse 1 to chapter 4 verse 6. I'm not going 
to read that. I'll refer to it, but I'm certainly 
not going to read the whole section. We're just going to read chapter 
4 verses 2 to 6. I'll read the passage, and then 
I'll just open a word of prayer. Continue earnestly in prayer, 
being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Meanwhile, praying also for us 
that God would open to us a door for the word to speak the mystery 
of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it 
manifest as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who 
are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with 
grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to 
answer each one. Amen. Well, let's just go to 
God and ask His blessing to be upon our time here this evening. Our gracious and our loving Heavenly 
Father, we again come before You, a holy God, desirous Father, 
that we might hear from You this evening. Lord, we have Your Word 
and we thank You for it. We pray, Lord, that You would 
be pleased now to send Your Holy Spirit and anoint Your Word, 
cause Your Word, Lord, to find its place in each one of our 
hearts. We know, Lord, that the Holy Spirit is like the wind 
We do not see it coming, we do not see it going, but we see 
the effect, we feel the effect of it. And we pray that again 
this evening, Father, we desire that your Holy Spirit would be 
here amongst us, that your Holy Spirit would guide the preacher, 
guide the ears of the listeners as well. that father all things 
might be done for your honor and for your glory that you'd 
be well pleased to add your blessing here this evening and we just 
pray that you would be pleased to forgive us of all of our sins 
and once again cleanse us in that precious blood of your son 
the Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen. Well, if you know anything about 
the Book of Colossians, part of the Colossae heresy was a 
denial of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is obviously 
a very important doctrine, the deity of Christ, and there were 
people living in the city of Colossae, or in the church, who 
are denying the deity of Christ. And so Paul set out to make that 
straight, to make that clear in the book of Colossians. I 
believe it was Pastor Butler, it was last week or the week 
before, I believe it was Calvin he spoke of her, or some ancient 
who said if you could have one book out of the whole Bible, 
it would be the book of Colossians. It's such an important book, 
and it really contains all the doctrine that we need because 
it so highlights, it so elevates the person and work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Well, Paul has one answer to 
Aaronia's teaching, and that is the person and work of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. That's his answer to to erroneous 
teaching. That's his answer to error. Thus, 
the Book of Colossians, there is a high degree of Christology 
in the book. And I trust that we know that 
from memory, and we certainly see that developed in the first 
two chapters, which are more doctrinal, and chapter 3 and 
4, the section we read in chapter 4, are perhaps a little bit more 
practical. But certainly, the whole idea 
and emphasis is to lift Christ up and have a high Christology. 
So on chapters 3 to chapter 4, verse 6, part of 
which is our area of study tonight, a man by the name of Herbert 
Carson says, it is typical of Paul, having laid a doctrinal 
foundation, he now proceeds to erect an ethical superstructure. Hence, we have the transition 
here from theological statement, which is chapters 1 and 2, to 
practical precept. The Christian, Paul says, has 
experienced a radical change of spiritual environment, and 
this should affect his whole mode of life. Having been raised 
with Christ, he is now a new man and has a new aim in life. And if you look at chapter 3, 
the new man is to set his mind on things above, chapter 3 verses 
1 to 4, to put off vice, chapter 3 verses 5 to 11, to put on virtue. We take something off, we put 
something back on. We put on virtue. And that's chapter 3 
verses 12 to 17. And conduct himself biblically, 
in biblical relationships. That's chapter 3, 18, to chapter 
4, verse 1. and now this new man is instructed to pray, to 
witness, and in chapter 4, 2-6, that's the section that we hope 
to study out tonight, where that new man, who he's been told to 
do all these other things in chapter 3, now in chapter 4, 
has been told effectively to pray and to witness, and that's 
what we would like to look at. tonight. So in terms of the exposition, 
let's look at the first section, which is verses 2 to 4 of chapter 
4. I have four points, as you can 
see in the outline, in terms of what makes effective prayer, 
what makes prayer effective. And the first point would be 
persistence. Persistence is something that 
will make or has been caused or has been written by Paul here 
to make our prayer effective. He says in verse 2, continue 
earnestly in prayer. It doesn't say continue in prayer. 
He says continue earnestly in prayer. The word means to the 
idea of persistence or continue earnestly. It means to adhere 
to, to persist in, to busy oneself with, and to busy engage. The 
NIV actually translates that verse to be devoted to prayer. It's something we actually devote 
ourselves to. So it's not haphazard. It's not something we do casually. 
It's not merely even to maintain a habit of prayer. The command 
here calls for an ongoing activity or a specific manner of life. 
If you just flip back to Luke, the Gospel of Luke, Luke chapter 
11, verses 5 to 8, I think we see this idea of persistence 
in prayer from the Lord Jesus Himself in Luke chapter 11, verses 
5 to 8, which reads, And he said to them, which of 
you have a friend? And go to him at midnight and 
say to him, friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine 
has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before 
him. And he will answer within and say, do not trouble me. The 
door is now shut, and my children are all with me in bed. I cannot 
rise and give to you. I say to you, though he will 
not rise and give to him because he is a friend, yet because of 
his, there's the word, persistence, he will rise and give him as 
many as he needs. Luke chapter 18, just a couple 
of chapters later, Luke chapter 18 verses 1 to 8. We have another 
parable of the Lord Jesus. Luke chapter 18, verses 1 to 
8. Then he spoke a parable to them, 
that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying, there 
was in a city, or in a certain city, a judge who did not fear 
God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that 
city, and she came to him saying, get justice for me from my adversary. 
And he would not for a while. But afterward, he said within 
himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet, here's 
the key sentence, yet because this widow troubles me, I will 
avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. Then the 
Lord said, hear what the unjust judge said, and shall God not 
avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to him, though 
he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge 
them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of 
Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?" So continuing 
earnestly in prayer is commanded by Paul here in this scripture 
in Colossians when he's instructing the Christian about how he is 
to live later on in Romans. Romans chapter 12, verse 12. 
You don't need to look at it. It's a short section. It just 
says, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly 
in prayer. That was Paul's instructions 
to the Romans. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18 says, take the helmet 
of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word 
of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the 
spirit, being watchful to this end with all, there's the word, 
perseverance and supplication for all saints. And finally, 
it's a short verse, 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 and 17 says, Rejoice always, 
pray without ceasing. Rejoice always, pray without 
ceasing. So I trust that the case has 
been made effectively for here in verse 2. that when Paul says 
to continue earnestly in prayer, that's what it means. It means 
to genuinely persist and not give up, to give God no rest 
in our prayer. The next section, the second 
thing, the second item that I'd like to look at in terms of what 
makes effective prayer, and that is vigilance. That's continuing 
in verse 2, he says, continue earnestly in prayer, And the 
section after that says, being vigilant in it. It's not necessarily 
a word we use a lot, being vigilant, but the dictionary definition 
of vigilant is keeping careful watch for possible danger or 
difficulties. Keeping careful watch for possible 
danger or difficulties. So that is to be part of our 
prayer life, to be keeping watch for difficulties, for dangers. 
Gordon Clark says, verse 2, urges, the Colossians to pray persistently, 
which we've talked about already. They are to keep awake. The latter 
verb, vigilant, does not require midnight vigils in monasteries. 
It does not even mean, don't fall asleep on your knees, but 
rather it urges alertness to the needs of the time. Alertness 
to the needs of the time. I think that's what we're called 
to as Christians, to be vigilant in our prayers. Be alert, be 
aware of what's going on in the world around us, that we might 
want to be vigilant and persistent in praying about those things. 
The church often engages sometimes in general prayers, which are 
good, but we must also pray very specifically as well. We know 
of certain needs, that's why we have the prayer meeting on 
Wednesday night Bible study, we have prayer time as well, 
to try and pray for specific things. Specific things that 
are brought up, or specific things in our nation even. The verb 
use is one that in many contexts is a call for Christians to be 
alert and watchful. Why? Because the evil one makes 
us careless, so we may neglect the very practice of prayer. 
Perhaps in your prayer life, perhaps maybe you are neglectful 
of it. Well, that's the devil that's behind that. that would 
seek to just, you know, not make us vigilant. Maybe it's our dull 
minds. Maybe it's our distraction that 
would cause us not to be vigilant in our prayer life. So I trust 
that we can see from this passage that we are to continue earnestly 
in prayer, but we're also to be vigilant in prayer. And we 
have a devil, a very real devil, who's working against us to be 
vigilant in that prayer. The third item that I'd like 
to look at is thanksgiving. That's the third item that Paul 
addresses here in verse 2. He says, continuing, or to continue 
earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. The 
act of thanksgiving has been mentioned several times in this 
letter. I would like us just to refer to it in the, if we 
flip over to Colossians chapter 1 verse 2, it says, giving thanks 
to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance 
of the saints in the light. So, giving thanks to the Father, 
that is part of Paul's prayer, that ought to be part of our 
prayer. Chapter 2 verse 7, he says, rooted and built up in 
him and established in the faith that you have been taught, abounding 
in it with, what's that? Thanksgiving. And verse 17, we 
have in verse 17, which, which are a shadow of things to come, 
but the substance is of, is of Christ. I must have a wrong text 
there. Oh, 15. Sorry. Let's look at 
15. Having disarmed principalities 
and powers... I'm sorry, I'm in chapter 2. That's my problem. 
Let's go to chapter 3. That's it. Chapter 3, verse 15. 
Sorry about that. Chapter 3, verse 15. And let 
the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were 
called in one body, and be thankful. Verse 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." So that whole idea of being 
thankful in the Christian life, and in our prayer life, is something 
that I think we perhaps sometimes can neglect. And so I would encourage 
you, as I encourage myself, to make it an important part of 
your prayer life, is being thankful. The Christian is instructed here 
to couch his prayer in thanksgiving to God. If you just flip back 
to Philippians, Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 and 7, it's another 
verse that I think eloquently says what I'm trying to communicate 
in this idea of thanksgiving. Philippians chapter 4 verse 6 
and 7 says, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer 
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known 
to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus. And 
you go forwards to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 8, just over 
the page, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18, sorry, not 8. Verse 
18, it says, Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Notice 
how rejoicing and praying are always intertwined. They're connected. 
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything, 
give thanks. There it is again. Give thanks. 
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. What is 
the will of God? To give thanks. To give thanks 
in our prayer life. I believe that thanksgiving certainly 
imparts a spiritual freshness to our prayer, which acts as 
almost an antidote to sluggishness in our prayer, in our prayer 
life. I was at a conference, we were at a conference last 
weekend, a Sola Scriptura conference, and Donald Whitney was speaking 
at the conference. It was about praying through 
the Psalms. And so if you've ever had the opportunity or you've 
thought about praying through the Psalms, you can't help but 
be thankful as you pray through the Psalms. Because what do the 
Psalms do? The Psalms get our eyes off ourselves 
and our eyes are settled upon God in the heavens. And that 
is just throughout the Psalms. So I would encourage you to think 
about praying through the Psalms. I think it's a great encouragement 
to be thankful when we're using the Psalms as the basis of our 
prayer life. And the fourth and last point 
of what makes an effective prayer, 
and that is petition in verses 3 and 4. So if I read verses 
3 and 4, they read this way. Meanwhile, praying for us, that 
God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery 
of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it 
manifest as I ought to speak." So, not only are we to have, 
in our prayer life, to be persistent, to be vigilant, to be full of 
thanksgiving, but also to be making petitions before God. That is what we are called to 
do here in a very specific manner, which I hope to kind of open 
up a little bit. The opportunities, pray, what are our petitions? 
We have two petitions. Pray for opportunities to preach 
the gospel and pray for boldness. Paul says pray for boldness and 
clarity in preaching the gospel. So the first one, pray for opportunities 
to preach the gospel, the petition involves asking God to open doors. Open doors of opportunity for 
Paul. Paul is saying, pray that I would have doors open for me 
to preach the gospel. Pray that God would open doors 
for my companions to preach the gospel. 1 Corinthians chapter 
16, verses 7 to 9. If you want to turn to that, 
1 Corinthians 16, 7 to 9. says, for I do not wish to see 
you now on the way, but I hope to stay a while with you, if 
the Lord permits. But I will tarry in Ephesus until 
Pentecost, for a great and effective door has been opened to me." 
So when we're praying for missionaries, when we're praying for one another, 
pray that there be doors that would be open, effective doors 
be open. 2 Corinthians 2.12 says, Furthermore, 
when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was 
opened to me by the Lord." So, Paul very much, his language 
is recognizing that there are doors that are closed and there 
are doors that are open. So pray that a door would be open. Pray 
for your own life, that doors would be open for you to share 
the gospel, to spread the gospel. As we pray for missionaries, 
as we pray for pastors, pray that doors would be open for 
them to preach the gospel. Gordon Clark, in a... I have 
one quote from Gordon Clark, and he says it this way, The 
phrase, open the door for the word, is usually taken metaphorically, 
an opportunity to preach, but there may be here a latent literal 
sense in Colossians chapter 4. The opening of the door of the 
prison so that Paul could walk out, of course he would walk 
out to preach. So, obviously, he was in a prison 
cell, praying the door would be open, but not only did he 
pray and hope the door to be open, but when he got out, that 
there would be opportunities for him to be effective and have 
that opportunity to preach the Word. The second idea that's 
under petition, if we look at verses 3 and 4, not only is it 
to open us, open to us a door for the Word, but also to speak 
the mystery of Christ. So, the boldness and clarity 
in preaching or or we might even use the word, gossiping the gospel, 
speaking the gospel to somebody in the neighborhood or at work 
or at school, whatever it may be. Because an open door is necessary, 
But when the door is open, Paul desires here in Colossians chapter 
4, he desires that the message may be proclaimed properly. I 
don't want just doors to open. I want it to be open and I want 
to proclaim the gospel properly. And he refers to the mystery 
of Christ here in chapter 4. in chapter 4, verse 4 as well. And in verse 3, sorry, it's in 
verse 3, refers to something that was hidden before, but it's 
now been revealed. I think the background for Paul's 
use of the word mystery is probably found in the Old Testament, specifically 
Daniel 2, where it refers in Daniel 2 to a rock cut out of 
a mountain, not by human hands, that will crush the kingdoms 
around it. That was the mystery that Paul was speaking of here. 
It was mysterious. It was in the Old Testament. 
It was not clear. It was not perceptive in the 
Old Testament or as perceptive as it would be later on in the 
New Testament. So a mystery is a truth about 
God and His plan of salvation that at one time was hidden, 
but that now has been revealed. The truth of the Gospel was much 
more clear in the New Testament than perhaps it was in the Old 
Testament. So it was mysterious. It did appear to be a mystery. 
And that's why he's so often referring to his Jewish brethren, 
or Jewish unconverted individuals, that it was a mystery in the 
Old Testament, but now it's no longer a mystery. Now we can 
preach Christ and Christ crucified. We can have a high elevation, 
a high view of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please turn back to Romans 
chapter 16, verse 25. Romans 16 and verse 25, in regards to this idea of boldness 
and clarity in preaching the gospel. Romans 16, 25 says, Now to him 
who was able to establish you according to my gospel and the 
preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery 
kept secret since the world began." Right? So Paul there again refers 
to that mystery that would have been mysterious to the Old Testament, 
but it's no longer mysterious to us, but it's mysterious to 
the unsaved. It's mysterious to those who don't have the Scriptures, 
who have not read the Scriptures, not familiar with the Scriptures. 
It is a mystery to them, so we need clarity in proclaiming that 
gospel to them. 1 Corinthians, excuse me, 1 Corinthians 
chapter 2 verses 7 to 10 speak of the same thing. But we speak 
the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained 
before the ages for our glory. And the last section, I won't 
read it because it's a little bit longer section, but you can 
refer to it at home. It's in your notes there. Ephesians chapter 3, 1 
to 10 speaks about that same mystery. We won't take time now 
to look into it. Nevertheless, the Gospel is a 
mystery until it becomes clear, until the Holy Spirit reveals 
it to the individual. So we need to be aware of that. 
If it is a mystery, then we need the help and aid of God to not 
only open the door, but also to make it clear, to make that 
mystery clear to those that we are presenting the Gospel to. 
Or, as I say, if we're to pray for others, if we're praying 
for our missionaries, we're praying for our pastors, praying for 
churches in other communities, as we do on a Sunday morning, 
every second Sunday morning, let's pray that God would open 
doors as well as make the proclamation of the gospel clear and bold 
to those who would hear it. The petition here demonstrates 
the heart of Paul, the Apostle Paul. He's in a prison cell and 
when it comes to soliciting prayer on his behalf, What's it for? 
It's for opportunity and effectiveness in preaching the gospel. He's 
not praying that the door is necessary to be opened, and that's 
his only prayer. Certainly you could take that open doors to 
a couple of different ways, but he's certainly praying that there 
be opportunity and effectiveness in preaching the gospel. John 
Calvin, I have a quote from John Calvin, which I think is quite 
quite profound on this particular subject. It says, Consider too, 
at the same time, his amazing ardor, speaking of Paul, his 
amazing ardor of zeal. He is not solicitous as to his 
own safety. He does not ask that prayers 
may be poured forth by the churches on his behalf, that he may be 
delivered from danger of death. He is contented with this one 
thing, that he may, unconquered and undaunted, persevere in a 
confession of the gospel. Nay more, he fearlessly makes 
his own life a secondary matter as compared with the glory of 
Christ and the spread of the gospel." That was the heart of 
of the Apostle Paul here in this section that we've been looking 
at. I'd like to move on to the second 
section, the first being what is effective prayer, and there 
are four items there. The second section has two items 
to it, the elements of a faithful witness contained in verses 5 
and 6. The elements of faithful witness, 
and that is the two elements being our conduct and our conversation. conduct. In verse 5 it says, 
walk in wisdom toward those who are outside redeeming the time. Walk in wisdom toward those who 
are outside redeeming the time. A quote from Douglas New, is very apt here. He says, Paul 
does not want his warnings about avoiding false teachers to lead 
the Colossian Christians to distance themselves from non-Christians 
generally. They must resist the false teachers, but they must 
also continue to reach out to their fellow citizens. Right? 
They must, they may, they are to resist the false teachers, 
but continue to reach out to their fellow citizens in their, 
in their conduct. Edie says, but they were not 
to go out of the world because it was bad. They were to remain 
in it for the purpose of making it better. That was their conduct. 
That's what Paul addresses here in terms of their to walk in 
wisdom. Don't get out of the world. Don't try and hide from 
the world. but rather walk in wisdom toward those who are outside 
the faith. Our specific duty is the necessity 
to walk in wisdom. That's what Paul is communicating 
here in verse 5 of chapter 4 in Colossians. The necessity to 
walk in wisdom. Walking in wisdom is also described 
in Ephesians, just back to Back two books, a couple of books, 
to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 15, Ephesians 5 verse 15, where 
Paul is instructing the church there on how to live as children 
of light. And what does he say in verse 
15? But see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, 
but as wise. Right? That's how we are to conduct 
ourselves as Christians, according to the Apostle Paul. and certainly 
that's what he's referring to, I believe, in verse 5 in Colossians 
here, to walk in wisdom. Excuse me. We need wisdom when we interact 
with unbelievers in order that we may not give them any unnecessary 
offense. It's so easy to offend a non-Christian, 
so we ought not to walk in order to try and give them offense. 
We ought not to bring dishonor upon Christ or his gospel. Thus, 
we need wisdom in the way in which we conduct ourselves. and 
also to get defiled in ungodly conduct. That would be another 
reason why we need to be wise in the way in which we walk in 
this world. We don't want to become stained 
with sin, stained by the behavior of those we might seek to witness 
to or witness amongst. So there's good reason. to have 
wisdom when we do interact with unbelievers, that we walk in 
wisdom. The necessity to redeem the times. Paul says at the end 
of verse 5 there, redeeming the time. It's further taken up in 
the following verse, back in Ephesians that is, back in Ephesians 
chapter 5 verse 16. I read Ephesians 5.15 in terms 
of our walk is to be in wisdom. Paul takes up the same theme 
in Ephesians 5.16 in terms of redeeming the time. He says, 
redeeming the time because the days are evil. Therefore, let's 
make the best of every opportunity we have, is what I would like 
to finish saying there, on how we are to conduct ourselves, 
the responsibility towards those outside the church, and our specific 
duty is to walk in wisdom. And finally, the second and last 
section of the elements of being a faithful witness, is in our 
conversation. It's found in verse 6 of Colossians 
chapter 4. It says, let your speech always 
be with grace. Not sometimes, not most of the 
time, but always be with grace. And we all know that's hard to 
do, isn't it? That's hard to do. That requires the wisdom 
spoken of in verse 5. Let your speech always be with 
grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to 
answer each one. So graciousness, that's what 
the Apostle Paul is saying here. The new man in Christ is to speak 
graciously with people. The new man in Christ ought not 
to ever sound caustic, found rude, abrasive, angry in his 
speech towards the non-Christian, but we ought to be gracious in 
our speech towards them. Gordon Clark says, the sentence 
of So, explanation must be given with grace. Not graceful or eloquent 
literary style, but with a godly spirit appropriate to the total 
situation. That's what graciousness means. 
Not necessarily eloquence, eloquent and gracious, but eloquent in 
speech, that we would not be rude and abrasive. Salty. Paul 
says it's to be seasoned with salt. Well, we all know that 
food is seasoned with salt in order to make it more appetizing. 
A food with no salt really does taste very bland. We say, oh, 
it needs a bit more salt to it. What does that do? It brings 
out the flavor. Well, similarly, the Christian 
here, Paul is instructing the Christian, we ultimately, in 
2014, that we must live in an atmosphere of grace so that, 
excuse me, so that Our words will be palatable to those that 
we meet with. Palatable, right? That they will 
enjoy it. That it will be like food that's appetizing. That our speech will be appetizing 
to the hearing of those that are outside of Christ. Mu says 
again, the idea is that Paul is calling on Christians to speak 
with their unbelieving neighbors and friends with gracious, warm, 
and winsome words. all with the purpose of being 
able to answer unbelievers. So that's the idea of saltiness. 
So that our conversation be gracious, salty, and then finally Paul 
says that it be wise, or that we know how we ought to answer 
each other. The ability to answer various people on matters concerning 
Christianity and the Gospel certainly does require wisdom. There's 
some difficult questions out there that they like to ask. 
And it does take a great deal of wisdom to answer those questions. So we need to be wise, and that's 
what Paul suggests. We ought to pray that we would walk in 
wisdom, that our speech be with grace and salt, but that we know 
how to answer a non-Christian. If we flip towards the end to 
1 Peter 3.15, just after Hebrews, 1 Peter 3.15. 1 Peter 3.15. It says, but sanctify the Lord 
God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to 
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with 
meekness and in fear. So that is why we need to be 
wise because we do give an answer and we're answering for God. 
And that's a humbling thing to consider. That's who we are answering 
for. So we want to be giving a right answer, a proper answer, 
a wise answer. And if you go to Proverbs chapter 
26, Proverbs 26 verses 4 and 5, they can appear to be opposite 
in what they are saying, but they really are not. Proverbs 
24 verses 4 and 5 in regards to the wisdom that's required 
to answer, to be a faithful witness. If we are to be a faithful witness, 
we need to understand Proverbs 26, 4 and 5. It says, do not 
answer a fool, according to his folly, lest you also be like 
him." So in other words, don't don't accept a fool's worldview. 
Don't just accept because he says that, because he says that 
it's true. So we ought not to accept a fool's worldview. But rather the next verse, verse 
5, answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in 
his own eyes. So in other words, take an atheist, 
take it on Christian to the logical often absurd conclusions of their 
own convictions, right? So we ought not to accept their 
worldview, but rather take their worldview to the logical conclusions 
that they ultimately will take, will head towards. Well, to me, 
that's the sum and substance of the chapter, the exposition 
of chapter 4, verses 2 to 6, and just a couple of words of 
application, and then we will close. in regards to this passage. I have four applications, the 
first one being the necessity of participating and persevering 
in prayer. It is what the Apostle Paul considered 
normal Christian living, to be participating and persevering 
in prayer. It's not set apart for the super-spiritual, 
the super-Christian, because ultimately the super-spiritual, 
the super-Christian, they don't really exist. There is no such 
thing as a super-spiritual or super-Christian. We're all just 
Christians. We're all Christians seeking to be Godly, seeking 
to be healthy, seeking to be sincere, as we spoke about this 
morning from the passage in Deuteronomy. So it is, it ought to be, prayer 
ought to be a normal part of every Christian's life. And that 
we would participate and persevere in prayer, that's what, that's 
certainly an application we can make from this text tonight. The second application I would 
make is the place of intercession regarding missions and evangelism. Let's pray for opportunities 
for those that we pray for when we pray for missionaries, when 
we pray for the church overseas, when we pray for the church across 
the country or across the street, when we pray for ourselves. Let's 
pray for those opportunities that they will be used biblically, 
that God will open doors, and that they will be used biblically. 
What does it mean to be biblical? To be wise. According to Colossians 
4, 2 to 6, or certainly 5 and 6, that they be used with wisdom. That would be something else 
that we can turn in terms of making an application. The third application 
I would make is the role of the Christian toward those outside. I would say godly conduct, godly 
conversation is absolutely necessary. Our prayers toward God and our 
conduct and speech toward man, they really do matter, according 
to Colossians chapter 4. Right? Our prayers toward God, 
they really do matter. God has set out four things in 
the passage here that he desires, or I guess Paul is pointing out 
here, four things that he desires our prayers to be, and certainly 
our conduct is equally important. Our prayers before God and our 
conduct. our conduct and speech toward 
man. They really do matter. There's 
a need for wisdom to answer those who question the Bible, who question 
Christianity, and we need to take up that role as Christians 
towards those outside of the church. And the fourth and final 
application I would make is, I suppose, similar to this morning's 
last application, and that is I open this evening with Paul's 
instructions to the saints who are in Colossae about what the 
new man is to do. He's to set his mind on things 
above and to put off vice, put on virtue, and conduct himself 
biblically in relationships to pray and to witness. Well, what 
if you're not a new man? What if you know nothing about 
being in Christ Jesus? That's where you need to begin. 
2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 says, If anyone is in Christ, 
he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. 
So if you are not one of Christ, then these verses really don't 
speak to you in many ways. They aren't something you can 
enter into. But we would trust that you would seek to be that 
new man in Christ. To put away the old man and to 
become a new man in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we know that 
He's a wonderful Savior. to those who have gone to Him, 
to those who have sought refuge in Him. He is a forgiving God, 
a kind God, a benevolent God. And I would only pray and ask 
that you, if you are not a believer tonight, and you really can't 
enter into any of these things that I've been speaking about, 
that you would start with base one, going to first base, and 
that is to become a Christian, to believe in the Lord Jesus 
Christ, to trust Him, to give Him your your sin and seek His 
forgiveness and walk as one of these new creatures, that new 
man in Christ Jesus that I began speaking about. Well, let's go 
to God in prayer and just ask His blessing upon what we've 
heard this evening. I trust it's something you can 
take into your closet this week. to pray, and pray according to 
the way Paul has set out here in Colossians chapter 4, 2-6, 
and consider even in our witness how ought our witness to be conducted 
before men, to live out the gospel, to not give any reason for offense 
towards those who are unsaved. Well, let's pray. Our gracious 
and our loving Heavenly Father, we praise you, Lord, for your 
word. Your word is a living word, and we thank you that even though 
Paul wrote it to the Colossian Christians 2,000 years ago, yet, 
Father, it's an effective word. It's a word that still speaks 
to us today, and we can still gain and glean much from it. 
Lord, how we pray that each of us this evening would go from 
here, considering our own ways, considering perhaps areas of 
our own prayer life that we need to consider and to shore up We 
pray, Lord, that you would be pleased to cause us to truly 
be a thankful people in this coming week when we consider 
the things that you have done for us, Father, our salvation, 
our great salvation, by sending your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
We are grateful for that. We are thankful for that. We 
pray, Lord, that we would persevere in our prayers, that we would 
seek to that we would seek to pray for opportunities, for doors 
to be opened in the coming days, in the coming weeks as well. 
And Lord, we pray that you would be pleased to draw any who are 
here this evening who are outside of Christ, that they would seek 
to make it right with you, that they would seek to be on that 
narrow way towards heaven. that they would seek to plant 
their feet firmly upon the rock, upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
find their security and their hope and their assurance in Him, 
we do pray. And we ask all these things in 
Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.