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.
Introduction
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
Effective Prayer: Four Marks
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 in Prayer
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.
Vigilance in 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.
Thanksgiving in 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
Petition in Prayer
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.
Two Petitions: Doors and Clarity
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.
Faithful Witness: Two Elements
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: Walking in Wisdom
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.
Conversation: Grace and Salt
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.
Application
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.
Closing Prayer
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.