Audio Access Available Above
“The Gospel And Her People” • 5.24.14
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- We noted last week that Paul often moves from
the theological to the personal in his letters to the church. Colossians is no
different.
- Paul has given us inspired information
regarding the Person and Work of Jesus Christ in chapter 1. He has Provided Protection from philosophies and legalism in
chapter 2.
- He has revealed what we are Principally and
Practically in chapter 3:1-18 and
how that works our Privately in verses 19
through chapter 4:1.
- Today, he brings the book of Colossians to an
end with some Personal Exhortations regarding the message in verses 2-6 and the messengers in verses 7-18.
- It's important to understand that Paul is in
prison and what he ends his letter with the things are closest to his heart and
the most important in his mind. It's the gospel and her people!
Text
•
Colossians 4:2-4 : "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." : The Colossians are
commanded to continue to persist steadfastly in their prayers. The word
"continue" reminds us that prayer is already happening.
-
As a believer, it should not be a foreign environment to pray. We are to pray
at all times, unceasingly for all things, making requests and giving thanks to
the Lord!
-
Continue and never be casual about it. Be vigilant, a word speaking of being
roused to stand watch. Pray like you are watching an enemy's movements against
you! It's not like that. It is that!
-
How vital is that moment in prayer when God "wakes you up" to pray
for something, either literally or figuaratively! Dire need in our life or in
another should draw you immediately to prayer!
-
Do it with a thankful heart. Thank Him that that He is able to meet the need
and that He has brought you in on His program for the person or situation that
you are praying for!
-
Paul says, "Hey, while you're at it, remember us in prayer!" Paul
wasn't too proud to ask for prayer! He wanted their prayers and asked for them!
-
He never furnishes any details about the prison, so we are left to imagine what
it must have been like but know for certain that our modern prisons are virtual
palaces in comparison!
-
What did he ask for in prayer? "Get us out of here! You don't know how bad
things are!"
-
Paul did not pray that he would get out, but that the Word would get out!
-
The Apostle simply wanted an opportunity to speak to those who were in the
prison house!
-
He just wanted them to see the power of the Lord's gospel. He needed their
prayers in order that he would speak clearly.
-
Paul may have had to overcome some timidity. He knew that he needed to speak
and possibly was intimidated to do so fully, given the environment.
-
That should encourage each of our hearts! We aren't the first people to need
God to enbolden our hearts to speak clearly!
•
Colossians 4:5,6 : "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." : Paul wants to share, but needs to be careful with each
opportunity. He says "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside!"
-
Always ask the Lord for His wisdom when you deal with those who aren't yet in
the faith. When is a good time? What shall we say? Words need to be chosen
carefully and not be esoteric.
-
Knowing what to say and when to say it are integral parts of walking in wisdom
toward these people, but we can't wait forever! We need to make the most of the
opportunity!
-
That is the concept behind the phrase, "redeeming the time," which
literally means to "buy it back." You never know how long you have to
minister to a person.
-
God may call you or the other person to move on. Perhaps it will be the final
opportunity of a person's life. Either way, seek for opportunities, which leads
us to this next phrase.
-
Paul assumes that you will have relationships with those who are not presently
Christians. He assumes that you will have a strong desire to minister your
faith to them.
-
And he expects that you will speak! Let your speech be gracious, not
inflammatory or accusatory. Be gracious. Refuse to be baited into an argument.
-
Let your speech be seasoned, prepared or arranged with salt. This is
interesting to me. Speaking to someone may come out from a spontaneous
conversation.
-
There may not be time in some instances for a prepared conversation. In those
cases, you and I must trust that the Lord will guide our lips and speak through
us.
-
The disciples were warned that they would be brought before synagogues and
rulers as a testimony to them. The Lord told them not to worry about what to
say in that moment.
•
Mark 13:11b : "But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is
not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit."
-
While there is not a one to one correlation, the Lord will equip us for this as
well when we are surprised with an opportunity.
-
However, when I consider these words, there seems to be premeditation. Prepare
what you will say. Consider objections and how they might be answered.
-
I consider this especially given the final phrase, "That you may know how
you ought to answer each one." This likely refers to the obections
themselves, as well as the objectors.
-
There are answers for objections and one very good one is "I don't know.
Let me get back to you!" The walls of a skeptic fall quickly when they see
you grapple for an answer as well!
-
You are now joined with them in searching out a difficulty. Thankfully, because
you know the Lord, have His Word and know His people, the answers will come
quickly to the diligent.
-
Paul may also be referencing the type of people that will object. Are they
truly teachable or are they merely seeking to test you? Are they hardened
skeptics or simply inquisitive?
-
Are they openly hostile or passive aggressive? With each type of individual
there must be an individual way in which to prepare our presentation of the
message we have!
-
Whatever the case may be, our answers should be as well prepared as possible
and as gracious as can be. This kind of salty response leads to genuine thirst
for more!
-
Paul's not telling us to be manipulative, nor to sell people something that
isn't already what they really want. He calls us to understand that this
enterprise rides on wisdom and we need it!
•
Colossians 4:7-9 : "Tychicus, a beloved brother,
faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news
about me. I am
sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your
circumstances and comfort your hearts, with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of
you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here." : Paul begins a list of 10 men that served the Gospel with their
lives in one form or another.
-
He begins with Tychicus, who was one of the brothers who accompanied Paul to
Jerusalem and had followed him to his present location in Rome.
-
Tychicus was the courier who brought the letter to the Ephesians and it's very
likely that on that same trip, Tychicus is bringing the Colossians their letter
as well.
-
Consider that these men were traveling great distances, facing incredible
danger, all dedicated to the mission of God's Word and how needful it was for
the believers.
-
The distance between Rome and Colossae was at least a thousand miles. The very
least we can do is be incredibly grateful for such a man! This serves as his
introduction to them!
-
And what a great endorsement of Tychicus! He was beloved, faithful and a fellow
servant!
-
What more could a person want to hear about themselves? This was how Paul
considered him and why he would send him to them. Paul never sent a stranger.
He always sent his best!
-
Tychicus would get to know what was happening in Colossae for Paul and bring
them needed encouragement from the Lord regarding what was happening with the
Apostle.
-
Additionally, Onesimus would come with him. Onesimus was a runaway slave who
had gotten into trouble and was imprisoned with Paul.
-
According to the book of Philemon,
Onesimus came to Christ while in prison. It's intriguing to consider that in
this letter, Paul is introducing Onesimus to the Colossians.
-
All that they need to know is that Paul considered him a faithful and beloved
brother from their own country.
-
But what they didn't know was that he would be coming back to his home town and
to a potentially testy relationship with his Master, now brother in the faith,
Philemon!
-
Paul doesn't need to go into that with them. He doesn't need to shine a light
on all of the concerns and difficulties that might come with Onesimus. They
need to love him for him.
•
Colossians 4:10,11 : "Aristarchus
my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you
received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus.
These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the
circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me." : Aristarchus, Mark and Justus were the only Jewish men who
worked alongside of Paul. Aristarchus had been with Paul in Ephesus during the
riot of Acts 19.
-
He also accompanied Paul to Jerusalem and then to Rome. Some have even
suggested that Aristarchus became Paul's personal bondslave, volunteering to be
imprisoned with him!
-
Mark, Barnabas' cousin came to Paul in Rome and was potentially coming to
Colossae as well. They had their orders, not instructions, with regard to Mark
and they were to welcome him.
-
Sometimes in the life of a Christian, you'll see a friendship tested, as Paul's
and Mark's was. Paul had vocally and heatedly refused to bring Mark along on
the second missionary journey.
-
It got so bad that Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways and Barnabas took
Mark along with him. You know that those two talked about it during their
unrecorded trip.
-
It must have been hurtful to hear that someone would rather part company than
to be partnered with you! I'm sure that Mark could simply have ignored or lived
a fruitful life without Paul.
-
But he came to Paul and became a steady help and blessing to the Apostle! In
the Lord, it's possible to see reconciliation and a return to right
relationships.
-
Jesus called Justus, we know nothing about, save that he was a Jewish fellow
worker in the Kingdom of God who brought the Apostle some relief and solace.
-
It may be that you will never have a "name" in this world, but
perhaps you can lend yourself so that another can serve well! That's the story
of Tychicus, Aristarchus, Mark and Justus.
•
Colossians 4:12,13 : "Epaphras,
who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring
fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in
all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for
you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.: What a gift Epaphras was to the church of Colossae!
-
He was a Colossian who had given himself as a willing slave of Christ, who
never gave up on the Colossians, but worked hard for them, agonizing in prayer
from his remote location.
-
What did he pray for? That they would stand fully mature and full of all that
they needed in the will of God! The Lord had given him a wonderful vision for
this entire area!
-
Paul was a man who knew zeal, enthusiasm, and Epaphras had it for his home
area!
-
That is such a great prayer that I would pray for you. I pray that you would
come to full maturity in the faith and that you'd be complete in all the will
of God for your life!
•
Colossians 4:14,15 : "Luke the
beloved physician and Demas greet you. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the
church that is in his house." : Luke,
the beloved physician, the possible slave of Theophilus seemed to attend to
Paul as a personal physician.
-
Luke wrote both the gospel attached to his name as well as the book of Acts,
recording what he experienced along with Paul. Many believe that the two are
actually part of Paul's legal defense.
-
But imagine our lives without the book of Luke and Acts? Aside from his
writing, his gift as a physician was a ministry that allowed Paul to minister
the way that he did!
-
Never underestimate what your natural gifts or learned skills can effect in the
hands of God! Let God use you! Nothing is wasted when given to Him!
-
But then there is Demas. He's with Paul here and has the blessing of being
named with Paul. It is intriguing that
there are no adjectives applied to him. He's just Demas.
-
We'll see him mentioned in Philemon
as well, listed as a fellow laborer, but it seems that something isn't quite
right.
-
Some years later, in his final letter to Timothy, Paul let's Timothy know that
Demas had forsaken him for a love of the world! Imagine that!
-
Demas had the privilege of walking with a legitimate Apostle, sitting at the
feet of one of the greatest minds in Bible history, but for all that training,
you couldn't break his love of the world!
-
There are two things that really stand out to me in this. First, if your heart
is left unguarded, it doesn't matter what your mind knows. In the end, you will
follow your heart!
-
It's our hearts that are deceitfully wicked and unknowable! Guard your heart!
See that it wants what God wants by seeking it's conformity to God's Word!
-
Second, Demas' name has become a byword, a reminder that it's not how you run,
but how you finish! He was a man of great privilege and great opportunity at
one point.
-
What is his legacy? He didn't complete his course, a powerful warning for you
and I!
-
Finally, Paul greets the brothers from Laodicea and Nymphas the person who opened
his house for the church to meet in!
•
Colossians 4:16-18 : "Now when
this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the
Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, 'Take heed to
the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.' This salutation by my own
hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen." : The twin Epistles were both specific to these two churches, yet
general enough to be instructive to the other church.
-
The epistle to the church of Laodicea has not been preserved, letting us know
that not everything Paul wrote needed to be perpetually studied.
-
What we do have is the letter that Jesus wrote to Laodicea years later and we
find that there are difficult words that needed to be said at that time!
-
It's interesting with that in mind to question why it was the the Lord did not
write to the Colossians in the book of Revelation. Had they not taken heed to
Paul and died out as a church?
-
As I've said time and again, it's not really how they responded two thousand
years ago, it's about our response today!
-
Will we cling to the orthodox teaching regarding Jesus Christ? Will we forsake
philosophies and legalistic trends, realizing that what we have in Christ is
sufficient?
-
Will we put off the old man dominated by the flesh and put on the new man? Will
we let that be our way of life in the private moments of our earthly tenure?
That's what matters now!
-
In the final moments of Colossians, Paul makes sure to reach out to a final man
among them named "Archippus," a name meaning "Horse
Master."
-
"Make sure you pay strict attention to the service that God has called you
to do! Do it until it's done! Obey to the fullest measure!" What a thing
to hear in a public letter!
-
You wonder if Archippus, who is mentioned in Philemon as a "fellow soldier" needed his commander's
proverbial boot to the behind!
-
I wonder if there is an Archippus here, who knows that there is use for them in
the Kingdom, but is dragging their feet or hiding away.
-
God has given His people gifts and ministries, aptitude for spiritual service.
If you sense that call from the Lord, rise up and fulfill it! Obey Him! Make
yourself available!
-
Paul finishes by asking to write a little hello with his own hand, signing his
name with the words, "Remember my chains!" "Keep me in
mind!"
-
He ends with his usual favorite ending, a word that changed his life and is
changing ours: Grace! Grace be with you! Amen!
Conclusion
Let's pray!