Christian Graces

Hey, good morning. Good morning, friends. Welcome back to the office. It's so good to have you this morning. This is where every day you and I, we get together. We get into God's word. We have a little bit of coffee. We grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, Lord willing, 2022, we'll make it from the book of Acts to second Thessalonians. While we have some coffee, we'll pray and we'll get into God's word. Ooh, it's hot. Let's pray.
Father, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for the mercy that you have shown us in Jesus Christ. Thank you for the redemption in his blood. Thank you for your word. And we pray, Father, that as we read your word, you would teach us and that your Holy Spirit might be working in us. Lord, please watch over us in Jesus' name, amen.
All right, we are at Colossians chapter four. Colossians 4, verses 2 through 6. A shorter passage today, but I think it's a good one. Well, they're all good ones, but I think we'll enjoy it today. Let's go. 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." Well, we need to ask ourselves three questions like every morning. A, what's this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what do we call it to do in response to these words, right? So first, A, what is this about?
This is about Paul continuing to instruct in the ethic of Christ. We ended on Friday when we looked at the household of God with wives and husbands, children and parents, bondservants or slaves and their masters. And now he exhorts the entire church. He says, hey, you know what you ought to be doing? Pray. Pray, continue earnestly in prayer. But this prayer that he wants them to be diligent in, notice what type of prayer it is. Being diligent in it with thanksgiving.
You know, there's a lot of us who are really good at praying to God about the things we want, the things we desire, the stuff that we think we need. And it's true that the book of James tells us that we receive not because we ask not, and when we do ask, we ask with ill motives. But how often is our prayer life vigilant with thanksgiving? How often are we thankful for the food we eat, for the clothes we wear, for the houses we live in, for the Bibles that we read, for our furnaces that work, for our eyes that can see, for our taste buds that could taste, for our ears that can hear, How often are we thankful to God for the good things that he has blessed us with? It's as we grow in our thankfulness to God for all that he has done, all that he has given us, all that he has blessed us with, especially and most importantly in Christ. that our whole demeanor starts to change. As we are more and more thankful to God, bringing to Him our thanks, He changes the attitudes of our lives. And so here we are commanded to be vigilant in prayer with thanksgiving. Meanwhile, right, so there are other things to pray about, but meanwhile, praying also for us.
Now, isn't this interesting? We think of the Apostle Paul, and he's, you know, he's a mighty apostle. He's the one who's going to the Romans. He's preaching to kings. He's being bold with the Jews, and he says, hey guys, I need you to pray for me. While you're giving all your thanksgiving to God, I need you to remember me in prayer. I need you to remember that I need the power of God. I need the spirit of God. I need the Lord to spur me on to speak the mystery of Christ. He asks for a few different prayer requests here regarding his ministry.
First, he asks that God would open to us a door for the word. So one, opportunities to speak the word. Number two, to speak the mystery of Christ. So not just the word, but also to speak specifically the mystery of Christ that God himself was humbled, becoming in the likeness of man and reconciled Jew and Gentile to himself. And he says, to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in chains that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak, right? That I might make it manifest. He could be bold. Would you do that?
I'm gonna, at the end of this, we're gonna pray specifically for pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and just normal people in the church. By the way, statistics show in America, over 70% of the people who have ever walked in a church don't actually come because a pastor comes and talks to them, but because someone like you, a coworker, a friend, a neighbor, actually invites them to church, actually tells them about Jesus Christ. So we're gonna be praying this morning that God would open that door. But we also need to pray for anyone who's sharing the gospel that God would make it manifest.
That they would speak with clarity and with boldness. That boldness, that they would let it be known what the gospel is. and that it would be done with effect. So he needs them to pray for him. And then he also tells them to walk in wisdom towards those who are outside. So as they conduct their lives in the world, as they are going about with non-believers, those who are in the world, he says that you need to walk with wisdom. This is knowing what the scripture tells us to do, and by His Spirit actually living it out. So he says, walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
You need to recognize, Christian, that your life, you're living on borrowed time. You're living on borrowed time. And so God is telling us when we're around people who aren't Christians, realize the day of judgment is coming. The day is near. So be reconciled to God now. Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside.
Let your speech, right, so if we're specifically talking again with those who are outside, let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. As people know that you're a Christian, as people talk to you, as people hear about you, do they hear your speech and do you sound like everyone else at work, everyone else at the neighborhood HOA meeting, everyone else at the local PTA meeting, everyone else at the local restaurant, everyone else at whatever group that you're at? Do you sound like everyone else or are the outsiders able to tell somehow that your speech is seasoned with grace? Somehow you walk your life in a different way. And they know that when they come and talk to you, there's going to be grace to be heard. Well, what's this about?
First, pray. Pray with thankfulness and pray for gospel ministry. And then look for gospel ministry. That's the second part. Look for gospel ministry. Live your life in wisdom, redeeming the time. And when you're with outsiders, always let your speech be seasoned with grace. Well, what are we called to do? Well, we're gonna do that right now.
We're actually gonna pray for the gospel, the message to go out. When it comes to the second part, I'd like to challenge you to really ask yourself, how does your speech and life communicate your faith? I'm going to leave you with that question, but for now, let's pray.
Father, we do pray that you would open doors for us, open doors for pastors, open doors for missionaries, open doors for evangelists, open doors in our lives with our friends, open doors in the lives of our coworkers, open doors in the lives of our neighbors, that Father, we might be bold in the gospel, that we would be able to tell others about the faith the mystery that Jesus Christ has come and saved sinners like us.
Father, please, please, Lord, give us courage. Give us your Holy Spirit. Let us not be afraid when that time comes. But Father, we pray, pleading with you, that you would open our mouth. Keep us from being worried about what we will say. But Father, give us opportunities to speak your truth.
May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in Jesus's name. Amen. May the Lord bless you. May you walk in the joy and peace of Jesus Christ. May you always abound in loving kindness and patience. I'll see you next time. Bye.
Thanks for listening to this week's message from God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in rural southeast Iowa. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith and your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website, SharonRPC.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10 a.m. every Sunday at 25204 160th Avenue. Morning Sun, Iowa, 52640. May God richly bless you this week.