“Spiritual Instructions To Heed”
CD No.______also Album
Time: 9/ 22/ 2010 - Wed. N.
Text: Colossians 4: 2- 6 - www.coolspringsbaptist.org
------Introduction – In the previous verses Paul deals with relationships, in these verses he deals with speech. Paul deals with the speech of prayer and the speech of proclamation.
However, I want us to break these verses down into three divisions.
The Continuation Of Supplication
The Carefulness Of Speech
The Conduct For Sinners
I. The Continuation Of Supplication
A. The Prayer Remarks
1. The Extended Time
Did you notice the EXTENDED TIME that Paul mentions? Paul said to CONTINURE in Prayer. In other words, there is no time to quit, no time to stop.
V.1a – Continue in prayer-
Luke 18: 1 – And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that man ought always to pray, and not to faint.
2. The Expressed Thankfulness
Did you notice that Paul mentioned that they were not to forget to EXPRESS THANKFULNESS in their prayers?
V.2 – Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
1 Thessalonians 5: 18 – In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Philippians 4: 6 – Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
For a person to give thanks in prayer > reveals that person has not taken God’s blessing and provisions for granite. This person knows where all his blessings come from.
We can be thankful for God’s Presence. Ps. 75:1
We can be thankful for God’s Provisions. Phil. 4:19
We can be thankful for God’s Pardon. Rom. 6:17
We can be thankful for God’s Promises. 1 Cor. 15:57 & Cor. 2:14
We can be thankful for God’s Purpose. Rom. 8:28
We have a lot to be thankful for therefore we ought to thank God and show our appreciation.
Psalms 68: 19 – Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Ps. 92: 1 – It is s good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High.
The Prayer Remarks
B. The Prayer Request
We find where Paul asks these Colossian Christians to remember him in prayer, and then he goes on to mention some specific areas for them to pray about.
1. The Door Of Opportunity To Witness
· V.3 – Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I also are in bonds.
· Paul was in BONDS, he was in prison, but he wasn’t asking for the PRISON DOORS to open, but the door of opportunity to witness for Christ.
· Even in Jail, Paul’s only thought was to tell somebody about Jesus who could save his or her soul.
· Question? What about us when we are going through trials, are we thinking about some one getting saved? Most of the time we are only interested in getting out of our trials or storms or problems.
· When Paul was speaking of “The Mystery Of Christ” he was talking about the GENTILES being saved as well as the JEWS.
· The GOSPEL had gone to a “WHO SO EVER WILL” Gospel.
· Paul wanted a door to open so he could witness about a God who would save anybody that would trust in His Son as his or her personal Savior.
The Door Of Opportunity To Witness
2. The Duty Of Obligation To Witness
· V.4 – That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
· Paul was saying that this was something that he OUGHT TO do.
· Paul understood that he was OBLIGATED to share the Gospel.
· Romans 1:14 – I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 – So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome. 16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greeks.
The Continuation Of Supplication
II. The Carefulness Of Speech
Paul is telling these Colossian Christians to be careful in their speech in talking to man. .
A. Paul Mentions The Procedure
V.6a – Let your speech be always with grace, season with salt-
Christian speech should be gracious, pleasant and courteous
speech that is gracious and kind and courteous.
Paul is talking about sweet speech!
Season with salt- has reference to speech that is not flat, insipid, dull, and lifeless.
Season with salt speech is interesting, instead of dull speech.
Too many people season their speech with profanity and obscenity.
Our speech is important as a Christian. Eccl. 10: 12 –The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
Paul Mentions The Procedure
B. Paul Mentions The Purpose
V.6 – Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Paul is saying that we are to adapt the message to the situation and speak appropriately to each and every man.
The vast majority of people around us are lost. They might be kind, thoughtful people and they might be religious, friendly people, but they need Christ.
Our conversation should get them asking QUESTIONS, and when they do, we need to know how to answer them. For this we need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
Some people are looking for an ARGUMENT, some are looking for ANSWERS to hearts needs, some are IDLY CURIOUS, and some are victims of WRONG TEACHING.
The Holy Spirit knows the heart of all and what passage of scripture should be used. SO, we are to be ready.
We should know how to give an answer to every man. This is part of being a Christian.
Paul Mentions The Procedure
Paul Mentions The Purpose
C. Paul Mentions The Period
V.6a – Let your speech be always- with grace, season with salt
It doesn’t take but one time to answer or reply the wrong way to hurt your influence with man. If you are responding to a SINNER, it doesn’t take but one time to kill your influence with that sinner.
If you are responding to a SAINT, it doesn’t take but one time to hurt your influence with that SAINT.
It doesn’t take but one time to respond the wrong way and hurt your relationship with your wife.
It doesn’t take but one time to hurt your relationship with your children.
When people are talked to in an unchristian manner will remember the words that hurt them.
Some Christians never give it a second thought to their rudeness, anger, or sharp remarks that reveal there is no love in their heart.
The main thought is about how we answer and respond to lost sinners with our speech.
The Continuation Of Supplication
The Carefulness Of Speech
III. The Conduct For Sinners
Paul is going to tell the Colossian Christians how to live in front of sinners who are watching their life. Not only is our LIP’S important, but our LIVES which they see in action as a Christian.
A. The Twofold Remark
1. The Wisdom Remark Concerning Their Walk
V.5 – Walk in wisdom-
POINT: If we are to walk in wisdom, we need to know where wisdom comes from.
The Bible says- The fear of the Lord is the begging of wisdom.
In James 1:5- we are told to pray for wisdom.
If we are to walk in wisdom, we have a wisdom book called the BIBLE; it tells us how to live wisely.
To many Christians have lived like Fools and have hurt their testimony.
Some have erred from the faith because they started serving GOLD instead of God; therefore they have lived a foolish life. (1 Timothy 6:9)
Some have become legalistic in their teaching and living, and therefore lived a foolish life.
Some have held grudges and hurt their testimony; therefore they have not live wisely.
Some have hurt their testimony through jealousy; therefore they have not live wisely.
The Wisdom Remark Concerning Their Walk
2. The Without Remark Concerning Their Walk
Now, let us notice the main people that we are to walk wisely in front of.
V.5 – Walk in wisdom toward them that are without-
The WITHOUT PEOPLE are lost people. We are to live wisely in front of lost people who are without the body of Christ.
If we want to see them get in the family of God, we are to live wisely in front of them.
Again, we can do this by fearing God, and asking God for wisdom through prayer, and then get into the wisest book that has ever been written and that is the word of God.
By doing all three, we can walk in wisdom toward them that are without.
The Twofold Remark
B. The Time Remark
V.5- Last phrase- redeeming the time.
Every day God gives us 1440 minutes to be spent by us and us alone. We have to spend it. We cannot save up some of today’s time for tomorrow. We have none of yesterday’s time left over for today.
We, as Christian will give an account for our time at the Judgment seat of Christ.
To put it in context of our passage about our WALK and our WISTENESS, we should redeem our time in living right and trying to win people to Christ while we have the opportunity.
Conclusion:
“Spiritual Instructions To Heed”
1. The Continuation Of Supplication
V.2- Continue in prayer, and watch the same in thanksgiving.
2. The Carefulness Of Speech
V.6 – Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
3. The Conduct For Sinners
V.5 – Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming
the time-
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