Colossians 4:2-6

hey 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 will make it from the book of Acts to Second Thessalonians well we have some coffee we'll pray and we'll get into God's word oh 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 chapter 4 verses two through six so a shorter passage today but I think it's a good one well they're all good ones but I think we'll enjoy today let's go continue earnestly in prayer being viligent 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 summarizes and see what do we call it to do in response to these words right so first a what is this about oh 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 Bond servants or slaves and their masters and now he exhorts the entire church he says hey you know what you ought to be doing pray right pray continue earnestly in prayer but this prayer that he wants some to be diligent in notice what type of prayer it is being viligent 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 diligent 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 at work for our eyes I can see for our taste buds that could taste for our ears I 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 viligent 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 he's being bold with the Jews and 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 right he asked for a few different prayer requests here regarding his ministry first he asks that God would open to us a door for the word right so one opportunities to speak the word number two to speak the mystery of Christ right so not just the word but also to speak them specifically the mystery of Christ that God himself humbled was humbled becoming in the likeness of man and reconcile 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 manifest as I ought to speak right that I might make it manifest so 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 over statistics show in them in America over 70 percent of the people who have ever walked in a church don't actually come because a pastor comes to talk to them but because someone like you A co-worker a friend a neighbor actually invites on the church actually tells them about Jesus Christ just so we're going to be praying this morning that God would open that door but we also need to pray for for anyone who's sharing the gospel that God would make it manifest right that they would speak with Clarity and with boldness the boldness that they would let it be known what the gospel is and that it would be done with effect so he needs something to pray for him and then he also tells them to walk in wisdom towards those who are outside right 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 you need to walk with wisdom this is knowing what the scripture tells us to do and by his Spirit actually living it out right so he says walk in wisdom toward those who are outside Redeeming the time it's you you need recognized 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 right the the day is near to be reconciled to God now walking 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 that they know that when they come and talk to you there's going to be grace to be heard oh what's this about first pray with thankfulness and pray for gospel Ministry and then look for gospel Ministry and that's that second part look for gospel of 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 going to do that right now we're actually going to pray for the gospel the message to go out and when it comes to the second part I'd like to challenge you to really ask yourself what does your speech and life communicate your faith I'm Gonna Leave You with that question but for now let's pray the father we do pray that you would open doors for us open doors for pastors open doors from missionaries open doors for evangelists opened doors in our lives with our friends open doors in the lives of our co-workers opened doors and 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 name amen well may the Lord bless you may you walk in the joy and peace of Jesus Christ may 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 RP Church in rural Southeast Iowa we pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith in your life this week if you'd like to get more information about us feel free to go to the website Sharon rpc.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 foreign [Music]