Closing Thoughts
Communion Sunday • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Reading:
Psalm 109:1–4 “Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.”
Introduction:
I believe it is fair to say that many of us have written letters to people we know and love. In those letters, we put a lot of thought into what things we wrote about, and the messages we wanted to get across.
All while writing the letter. In the back of our minds, keeping the focus of our message in a direction towards our final point.
The ending is one of the most important parts of the letter.
It is usually the most memorable and impactful thoughts from the person writing the letter.
This is where Paul is in his letter to the Colossian church; his final statements to culminate all he had written.
Transition:
What he finishes with in the letter provides us with some golden nuggets to apply to our lives.
Colossians 4:2 hones in on prayer; but what does Paul ask of the Colossian believers and us:
Continue in Prayer.
Continue in Prayer.
Colossians 4:2 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
Paul requests that the Colossian believers continue in prayer.
- The word “continue” portrays something powerful about prayer then what we may understand.
Perseverance is possible through prayer.
Continuing in prayer suggests that we are always in a constant state of praying.
A consistent position before the Lord, in humility by faith.
The heart position when we are trusting in Him to act on our behalf in our lives; by orchestrating circumstances to fulfill His will and provide for us.
How many times in our lives are we not sure about all the things happening in our lives?
So much that is happening we have no control over?
By faith we pray and ask the Lord to make His will clear or to intervene.
Then we trust Him to be in control of it.
We can make it through because in praying we are believing in Him to handle it.
But how many of us believe in the power of prayer?
Are we praying about everything and looking for the answers to what we are praying?
Not in exact detail for how we think it should happen; but for what His will is?
We should. There is power in being at the Lord’s feet anticipating how He will answer.
There are a lot of passages that speak of prayer, and in them we can find many different ways prayer is described like:
Crying out to God.
Pouring out the soul and heart.
Drawing near to God.
Seeking God. - and many more.
Prayer is an important part of God’s will for our lives.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
It must be the constant “connection” and “communication” with our Lord!
We would do well to remind ourselves about a truth of God:
Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
God is always in control and His will is going to be done.
He protects
He provides
He directs
So...
- Prayer is the constant communion with God.
-Recognize our dependence upon Him and consistently thank Him.
Continue steadfastly in prayer and the rest of verse :2:
Colossians 4:2 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
The word watchful points towards an action.
The New King James uses a word that is found in the Greek word’s definition:
“…, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
Be vigilant in our prayers!
I like the word vigilant since it conveys the point that action is to be done in your constantly praying.
It teaches us that we need to be watchful, alert, and cautious.
We can be watchful in praying
Watchful is that sensitivity to all the things happening in our lives physically and spiritually.
Hearing the voice of the Spirit as we read, or are going about our daily routines.
We should be alert in our praying
Not just sensitive to how He is answering; but consistently evaluating our motivations for why we are praying.
We can pray with caution and care.
The cautious approach to our prayers can come when we could very easily want our will instead of looking for what His is!
How many times do we pray and ask for what we think is best, instead of asking Him to reveal what His best is?
These actions in our prayers is us vigilantly praying for the things happening around us and to us.
Following Paul’s statement and charge in verse :2, he presents a request.
Colossians 4:3 “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—”
Continue praying for Paul’s ministry!
Specifically praying for:
God’s hand to open hearts to receive the word.
Pray that God prepare the soil to be ready for the seed of the gospel to be sown.
Recall that at this point in time when he was writing this letter, Paul was in prison.
Who was he witnessing to?
Jailers and Inmates.
“Pray for my ministry”
For those who accept faith to continue learning and growing.
To specifically speak the mystery of Christ.
? You ever leave a person after telling the gospel to them and feel like you haven’t presented it clear enough?
Conversations are easy, all the small talk in the world you don’t trip and stumble over your thoughts or words.
When it comes to the conversations of Jesus and His death and resurrection in their place…It’s all thumbs.
We only desire to clearly and effectively tell others of the grace offered in Christ.
So they know the truth and that the Lord provided everything for them.
Sometimes where we are in life may hold back the message of the Gospel.
Like for Paul being in prison.
Many churches today may say: He isn’t innocent or else he wouldn’t be in prison.
Which asks us to do our due diligence: Why was Paul in prison?
He is in chains because of his desire for the world and his burden to reconcile them with our Lord and Creator by preaching faith in Christ.
Paul’s reveals his inability (showing humility) or lack of confidence in himself.
This would express his dependence upon three things:
the Lord
Holy Spirit
Others prayers
Transition:
Our fervent prayers for one another, whether a request or an offer for others, shows our dependence upon Christ and our need for each other.
It is very difficult to maintain our spiritual dependence upon Christ if it seems others don’t care or support what we are striving for, we should be all together in our fight and efforts.
As a representative of Christ we possess:
Our Testimony
Our Testimony
Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”
Together we must:
Walk in wisdom.
Our testimony effects other believers.
Someone could’ve made a fleshly choice fifty years ago, that has since impacted many people for the rest of their lives.
Ushering in a foul smell in their noses, or a taste in their mouths at the mention of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes it is a person who has been part of a church that we come in contact with.
We didn’t taint the name of Christ to that person; but we represent the same Holy name as the one who first was a hypocrite.
The world will judge us because of others choices!
All the more reason we must exercise extreme caution and passion to represent Christ to the world.
As an good and worthy ambassador.
“Toward outsiders,...”
2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
“making the best use of the time.”
Time is the only thing we can’t ever get back.
“The term spending time” comes to mind.
We can be careful how and what we spend our time on.
Transition:
Being dedicated to thinking about our testimony and being cautious with our time, it will transform our speech.
Matthew 12:34 “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
With that point we are able to bring to the table:
Our Speech
Our Speech
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Our speech should be seasoned with grace.
Gracious in nature.
After someone has a conversation with you, they should feel more encouraged then before they spoke with you.
Even if they just needed you to be a willing ear.
They should know they can trust you with private information for your own personal prayer time; not to spread to anyone else.
The things they say is reveals what they can trust you with.
Gracious in message.
When someone asks us advice we should be gracious in the truth.
Not sugar coating it; but in the manner we give it.
Always portraying the best for the other person.
Our speech should be:
Seasoned with salt.
Which preserves
Which brings out the flavor for meals
The salt may sting sometimes; but when it is needed for preservation of the person it can be graciously spoken.
We can’t control the way they receive what we say; but we can make sure that nothing can be said against us about how we said it.
Conclusion:
As we go about each and every day of our life, we are asked by Paul in his closing statements to the Colossians
To:
Preserve one another in Prayer.
Keep in mind our outside testimony.
Allow the power of our Speech to work through the Holy Spirit.
Pray!