Archives for February 2024

How do you want to be remembered? When your time on earth has come to an end, what will the people who knew you best say about you when you’re gone?  It is not so much what you want people to say about you, as it is about what you want your life to amount to.  It is about what you value, what is important to you, and what really matters to God in the long run.  What impact am I making on my family, friends and my church? 

Faithful Friend 7-9

In a world without commitments, please be faithful! 

If you did not show up to serve Jesus, what would not happen? 

Tychicus name means “fortuitous.”  He’s dependable. 

Paul trusted him.  Are you trustworthy?

Onesimus means “useful.” 

Onesimus was a slave who became a Christian leader!  

God can change your legacy from useless to useful! 

Fellow Worker 10-11

Paul’s closest friends shared in the fellowship of his sufferings. 

Aristarchus name means “a leader among men.”

He was arrested and suffered right along with Paul. 

Mark, or John Mark, was given a second chance! 

He wrote the Gospel of Mark.  The deserter became a defender. 

Justus means “just.”  His given name was Jesus.

He believed in doing the right thing and stuck with it. 

Prayer Warrior 12-13

If you have a friend who prays for you, you are in a very good place. 

Ephapras name means lovely, and prayer is a beautiful thing. 

Epaphras wrestled in prayer for his friends. 

He had a wide vision for the Colossians, Laodiceans and Hierapolis. 

Genuine Friend 14

Luke was the beloved physician. 

He was an extraordinary researcher, historian and writer. 

His great works were the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. 

Demas is the only co-worker who doesn’t receive a commendation. 

In Philemon 1:24 he is called a fellow laborer. 

In Colossians, he is just Demas. 

2 Timothy 4:10 says, “Demas has forsaken me.” 

He was not a genuine friend!

Godly Leader 15-17

Nymphas held church in his house in Laodicea.

He is thought to be a well to do individual with a large house. 

It is an honor use your possessions in service of the Kingdom. 

Archippus was likely the pastor of the church in Colossae. 

According to Philemon the church met in his home. 

If God has given you a ministry to do, fulfill it! 

Now it is up to you what kind of legacy you are going to leave.  Will you be counted among Paul’s faithful friends?  Will you step up and be one of our fellow workers?  Will you be known as a prayer warrior?  Will you be a genuine friend to the end?  And will you become one of the leaders and contributors to the church.  When they write the names of the righteous and read them out in heaven, will Jesus bless your name out loud, and say, “well done, you good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of the Lord.”

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How do you want to be remembered?

It’s a simple question that defies a simple answer. After you are dead and gone, when your time on earth has come to an end, When they talk about you, if they talk about you at all, what will the people who knew you best say about you when you’re gone?

It is not so much what you want people to say about you, as it is about what you want your life to amount to.  It is about what you value, what is important to you, and what really matters in the long run. 

The question is, what can you do today that will determine the legacy you want to leave behind.  In essence, choosing how you want to be remembered is really all about the small life choices you make every single day.  You might as well ask, what are people saying about me today?  What am I memorable for?  What impact am I making on my family, friends and my church? 

When Paul said his goodbyes to the Church at Colossae, he mentioned 10 men.  Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, Epaphrus, Luke, Demas, Nymphas and Archipus.  Each of these men were memorable to him because of what they contributed to the kingdom of God.  Even though most people today don’t even know who these guys are, each of them left a legacy that changed world history in ways that most of us can’t even see today.

The question I have for you is “How will you be remembered?”  Let me just suggest that if you want to leave your mark on this world, that you might want to imitate some of these guys.  We are going to review each of them, and find in their lives qualities we want to have in our own.

Here’s to the Beloved, faithful, hardworking servants among us.  May their tribe increase.  The first two guys were known as faithful men.  That’s a quality in short supply these days!

Faithful Friends

In a world without commitments, please be faithful!  If you want to be trusted, be trustworthy.  If you want your life to count, be someone that we can count on.  What do they say, 80% of success is just showing up!  If you don’t show up for work, nothing gets done.  If you don’t show up to your kids games, no one cheers.  And if you don’t show up to serve Jesus, nothing great happens.  Faithfulness is the building block of the kingdom of God. 

7 Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, 9 with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.

Tychicus name means “fortuitous.”  Anyone would be lucky to have a friend like Tychicus.  Tychicus is mentioned five times in the New Testament.  (Acts 20:4; Romans 15:25–26; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7–8; Titus 3:12).  Each time it’s the same thing.  He’s dependable.  He’s someone that Paul trusted to pass on important information and messages to the churches.  He’s called a beloved, faithful, fellow servant.  When he gave you his word, you could believe it.  That’s why Paul trusted him to pass on the news about himself, and why he trusted his judgment to find out what was going on at the church. 

Onesimus was another man who Paul called a faithful, beloved brother.  His name means useful.  Some people are useless, not Onesimus.  Onesimus had quite a story.  He was a slave at one point and fled from his master.  He encountered Paul while he was in prision.  Paul led him to the Lord and sent him back to his master, who he just happened to know!  In Philemon verse 11, Paul said, “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”  

Tradition has it that Philemon freed Onesimus.  And it must have happened about two years before Paul wrote the book of Colossians.  Because, now Onesimus is serving with Paul, and Paul calls him a faithful and beloved brother. 

Maybe you are like Onesimus.  You have messed up your life.  Your are essentially a runaway slave.  No matter what you’ve done, God can change your legacy and turn you into a faithful and beloved man or woman.  Thanks for your faithfulness. 

Those are the first two co workers.  They are faithfulThey are a comfort to Paul. 

Fellow Workers

The next three men are some of Paul’s closest friends.  They shared in the fellowship of his sufferings.  They suffered right along with him.  It’s when the going gets rough, that you discover who your real friends are.  If you know someone who is willing to stand up for you when no one else will, you are a very lucky person.  Real friends have your back.  They are there for you.  I think that’s what characterizes these next three:

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 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 was a leader among men.  When Paul was imprisoned for his faith, Aristarchus was arrested as well and served time with him.  In the riot in Ephesus, in Acts 19:29, Aristarchus stood with Paul and was mobbed for it. 

Mark, or John Mark, was the cousin of Barnabas.  During Pauls first missionary journey John Mark had deserted him and returned home.  when Barnabas wanted to give him a second chance, Paul refused and the two of them went their separate ways.  Years later, however, Paul came to realize that Mark had grown up and he gave him a second chance, and here he is, serving once again with Paul. 

This was the John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.  The deserter became a defender.  And that is what his name means.  “Defender of God.”

Justus is Paul’s third friend.  As with Aristarchus and Mark, he’s also Jewish.  His given name was Jesus, which in Hebrew would have been Joshua, meaning Jehovah Saves.  I’m guessing that he didn’t feel worthy to retain the name Yeshua, or Jesus, so they nicknamed him Justus, or “The Just.”  Someone who believed in doing the right thing and sticking with it.  That made him memorable. 

Paul said, “these three have proved to be a comfort to me.”  When you are all alone, and you have a few friends like Aristarchus, Mark or Justus, you find comfort in that!  That’s what you can be.  You can leave a lasting legacy for the kingdom of God by being an encouragement and a comfort to the people around you.  That’s a legacy worth leaving! 

The next gentleman is named Epaphras, and he is a prayer warrior.

Prayer Warriors

If you have a friend who prays for you, you are in a very good place.  That’s a great friend to have.  You need someone who will pray for you. 

12 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. 13 For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.

Ephapras name means lovely, and prayer is a beautiful thing.  You can’t get along without it.  In Colossians 1:6-7, it was Ephaphras who first shared the Gospel with the Colossians.  He was also imprisoned with Paul.  It says that Epaphras labored fervently, or wrestled in prayer for them.  He was vitally interested in their spiritual walk, and wanted them to have everything he had in Christ. 

People who pray are people who care.  And Ephaprus had a wide vision.  He took an interest in the Colossians, the people in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.  These three burgeoning cities were only about 15 miles apart and had vital churches.  And Epaphras legacy was that he was a praying man.  He prayed strategically, that the gospel would grow and flourish in this metropolis.  We could use more men and women of prayer.

Genuine Friends

14 Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.

Luke was the beloved physician.  Be he was more than that.  He was an extraordinary researcher, historian and writer.  His great works were the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.  Both of them are extraordinary works.  His name means “light giver,” and his work sheds good light on the early church. He was a talented and bright man who could have made a name for himself, but instead chose to assist the Apostle Paul.  Paul’s life was certainly enriched by the people who chose to call him friend and co-worker. 

Demas is the only co-worker mentioned who doesn’t receive some special commendation from Paul.  It’s just Demas.  Demas gets three mentions in the Bible.  The first is in Philemon 1:24 where he is called a fellow laborer.  Then here in Colossians, where a few years later he is just Demas.  Did something happen?  Did his relationship with Paul become distant?  A few years later Paul would include Demas in a footnote in 2 Timothy 4:10.  It says, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.”  That’s his legacy.  And it is a legacy that has haunted him for a thousand years.  It is NOT what we want to be known for.  This is one legacy you want to avoid! 

You can be a Luke, who went on to do great things, or you can be a Demas who was never heard from again.  He went into obscurity with the reputation of a deserter. 

Church Leaders

We have two more men left in our message, Nymphas and Archippus.  Nymphas held church in his house in Laodicea, and Archippus was a leader in the church in Collossae. 

15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. 16 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. 17 And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

Laodicea was a well to do city and Nymphas is thought to be a well to do individual with a large house for accommodating a church meeting.  He used his house for the kingdom of God.  It is a privilege and an honor use your possessions in service of the Kingdom.  Some of you open your homes for Bible Study, youth group and other events.  You follow a good tradition.

Archippus was likely the pastor of the church in Colossae.  According to Philemon the church met in his home.  His role was an important one.  Paul reminded him that people were depending on him, and God was the one who had given him that ministry.  When God gives you a thing to do, you ought to make sure that you fulfill it to the best of your ability.  That will be your lasting legacy.

Verse 16 tells them to read this letter in the church in Laodicea.  It was a cyclical letter.  It was meant to be passed around.  It was meant to have a larger than life impact.  And today we still read it.  It’s not only read in Laodicea, but it has been read in Roseburg Oregon to you! 

Now it is up to you what kind of legacy you are going to leave.  Will you be counted among Paul’s faithful friends?  Will you step up and be one of our fellow workers?  Will you be known as a prayer warrior?  Will you be a genuine friend to the end?  And will you become one of the leaders and contributors to the church. 

When they write the names of the righteous and read them out in heaven, will Jesus bless your name out loud, and say, “well done, you good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of the Lord.”

We have just one last thing to say.  Verse 18:

18 This salutation by my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.

In 1540, the Great reformer, Martin Luther’s good friend and assistant, Friedrich Myconius became sick and was expected to die within a short time.  From his bed he wrote a tender farewell letter to Luther.

When Luther received the message, he immediately shot back a reply: “I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church — the Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead, but will permit thee to survive me.  For this I am praying.”

“I command thee to live.”  What a prayer.  Luther needed that man!  Luther loved that man.  He was one of those precious partners in the ministry.  Will you be one?    

This is a great time to be a Christian! Not an easy time—but an exciting one. I know it doesn’t look that way. Spend a few minutes on the news and you’ll see just how lost and broken we are right now. And it’s a dangerous place to be a Christian: We’re now seen as intolerant and irrelevant. Even in this, God is calling us to be bold and strong. 

Live Wisely 5

To set yourself up for success in witnessing, live a godly life. 

“Walk” is code meaning to live your life in a way that is pleasing to God. 

When people observe your conduct can they see Jesus in you?

You should adopt a biblical philosophy of life.

When people go through difficulties they will seek you out.

Walk in a manner worthy of the God. 1 Thes 2:12; Eph 4:1

Live wisely because people are watching you! 

Make the most of every opportunity 5

You’ve got one chance at the moment what are you going to do with it? 

The answer is that you should seize the day.

We all have opportunities, It’s how we spend our time that counts.

To redeem the time is to use the opportunity for Jesus.

God drops divine appointments in your lap if you will look for them. 

One of the greatest ways to witness is to pray for people.

Be intentional: Look for opportunities to connect with people. 

Speak Graciously 6

We should preach the gospel with our woks and our words. 

Words have power to hurt and to heal; use them carefully. Prov 18:21

People don’t care what you know until they know that you care. 

We Christians are supposed to be lights in a dark world

#1.  Be Gracious.  Let your speech always be with grace. 

Your speech should bring grace, encouragement and joy.

#2.  Be Genuine.  Let your speech always be seasoned with salt. 

Salt makes good food taste great!  Mark 9:50 

We should bring a wonderful godly flavor to our conversations

Salt is a preservative that retards bacterial growth.  Matthew 5:13

We should bring biblical principles into that conversation. 

We can build others up and defend the faith In a gracious way. 

Always Be Prepared to Give an Answer 6

Living a godly and gracious life is the best foundation for the Gospel. 

When the opportunity arises we must be prepared.  1 Pet 3:15

If you have spent time with people they will let you know their objections.

That sets you up in a perfect place to give an answer. 

It’s okay to ask them if you can research and return with the answer.

if you know John 3:16, you know the Gospel.

Live wisely because people are watching.  Live intentionally, looking for every opportunity to connect.  Speak graciously and attractively.  Flavor your words with goodness.  And then answer thoughtfully.  This is how you share your faith successfully in a world that frowns people who share their faith.  If you follow these biblical principles for personal evangelism, you will surely see God use you in amazing ways.

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This is a great time to be a Christian. Not an easy time—but an exciting one. I know it doesn’t look that way. Spend a few minutes on the news, and you’ll see just how lost and broken we are right now. Ours is a world full of contradiction and confusion. And it’s not a great place to be a Christian: We’re now seen by most of the world as intolerant and irrelevant.

Our culture is changing every day, leading to an endless list of new challenges and questions for the Church, but here’s the thing: God isn’t fazed by it. He’s not sitting back wondering how this “post-Christian” thing is going to play out. He’s still the same, and His plan hasn’t changed. I don’t know if you’ve checked your Bibles lately, but Matthew 16:16-19 tells us that nothing—not even the gates of hell—shall prevail against the mission and people of God.

And in a time so confusing, so transient, so difficult, God is calling us to be bold and strong—to have courage. He will accomplish His purposes. He will carry out His mission. And He is inviting us to join Him in making disciples of Jesus Christ among all tribes, tongues and nations despite the social climate. Though our world is changing, our purpose hasn’t. He has put us in this time and place with a purpose, and our world is as ripe as ever with opportunity to proclaim the good news of the Gospel. After all, it’s in the darkness, in the trenches, where the Church has always thrived the most.

So how are you doing at sharing your faith?  I’ll tell you how I’m doing.  I’m a little more tentative about conversations with strangers than I used to be.  I wonder how in the world am I ever going to reach the multitudes of homeless, the pro-abortion protestors on the corner, and the Gay Pride parade crowd.  And I’m a little gun shy about knocking on doors cold turkey.  You never know who you are going to meet.  It could be a new age witch or an angry atheist.  It’s not the way it used to be. 

Scripturally, it’s God’s plan to antagonize people with the Gospel.  We don’t cast our pearls before swine.  The Gospel is good news, not bad news.  It is the greatest news you’ve ever heard in your life!  It’s staggering!  The Gospel is like a cup of cold water in the sweltering heat of the desert!  It’s better than the cure for cancer!  It more exciting than winning the lottery!  It a greater treasure than anything this world has to offer. 

It gives me eternal life!  What could be better than the comfort, the hope, they joy and the happiness of a pain free, sorrow free, trouble free, and sin free eternity!  This is better than Ice Cream!  It’s better than winning the Super Bowl!  The rewards of eternity are so staggering, that if a man were but convinced of that, he’d be changed, transformed for life!  Nothing else could hold his attention because nothing even comes close to comparing to an eternity with Jesus.  Everything else seems dull in comparison.

We know this, and we believe it.  But the question is, how do you share your faith in a world that frowns upon people who share their faith?  Colossians 4:5-6, address that issue.  They are talking about sharing your faith when no one wants to listen.  How is that done?  I am going to give you four strategies that will do just that.  Today, we are going to tell you how to share your faith when no one wants to listen. 

Strategy #1

Live Wisely 5

The first thing you need to do is to set yourself up for success.  You won’t be successful at winning people to Jesus if your life is a mess, If you are living in misery; If you are floating in the cesspool, why would you want to invite someone else float along side of you?  So the first step of sharing your faith is to get your life right, get your joy back, and get you mojo on.  Listen to what verse 5 says;

⁵ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside

Whenever the Bible tells you to “walk,” this is just a Christian term meaning to live your life in a way that is pleasing to God and an example to man.  The Christian walk is our godly conduct. 

The simplest way to share your faith is to live such a Christ-like way that people know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are a Christian. They observe your character, conduct and conversation and can easily see there is something very different about you.

The key here is to build relationships with people with such godly integrity that when people go through various difficulties they will naturally seek you out for comfort and advice giving you the opportunity to share your faith with them. This method of evangelism is often slow and takes quite a bit investment, time and patience. Paul said,

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God is the one who made it grow. 1 Cor. 3:6

And the way you should conduct your affairs toward those that are outsiders is with wisdom.  sophia σοφίᾳ wisdom  – wisdom, insight, skill, thoughtfulness.  Sophia is the root of the English terms, “sophistication” and “philosophy.”  You should adopt a sophisticated philosophy of life that is so biblical that makes people say, “hey, I wish I had that!”  This is the best defense of the Christian against hostile accusations, and it is the best bait if you are a fisher of men.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 Walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. 

The first strategy is to live wisely and set a good example because people are watching you!  The second strategy is to:

Make the most of every opportunity 5

Are you aware that this opportunity, that we are sharing with each other this morning will only come around once in your lifetime?  Every moment of every day,  every chance meeting with a stranger, every family gathering, every event that you go to, is a once in a lifetime event that will never be replicated exactly the same way twice.  You’ve got one chance at the moment that you are in, what are you going to do with it? 

The answer is that you should seize the day, be present in the present, put down your cell phone, listen earnestly when people talk to you, and engage with them as though this were the last time you will ever see them.  Make every moment and every person feel that important.  It just could be your last, or their last.  How do you want it to go?  This is what verse 5 says;

Redeeming the time!

Just three words.  The last word is “time.”  We each have the same amount of time in a day.  24 hours.  We sleep for about 8 hours, work for about 8 hours, Spend about 1 hour eating, a few hours a day doing housework or shopping, 3 hours watching TV, an hour in recreation, and an hour in bathing and personal care. 

We do this every day.  Eat, sleep, clean the house, watch TV, take a bath and the cycle begins again.  We are spinning our lives in circles and sometimes it doesn’t seem like we are accomplishing much. 

And we are busy.  So busy in fact that often we don’t have time for the opportunities that come our way.  In fact sometimes those opportunities come at the least inopportune times! 

That’s where the word “redeeming” comes in.  Redeeming the time.  exagorazomenoi ἐξαγοραζόμενοι to pay the price, to ransom the captive, to rescue from loss.  In other words it is to make use of your opportunities in a different way than you are used to.  Instead of spinning in circles, we get off the merry go round of busyness and use the opportunities that come our way for Christ.

Now how do you find these opportunities.  I find that God drops them in my lap.  I call them divine appointments.  Believe me, you don’t want to miss a divine appointment.  Be obedient to God’s leading.

God has uniquely prepared you, but it’s up to you to Seize the moment.  I have found that one of the greatest ways is whenever someone tells you a story of sickness, or family problems, or financial problems, the best thing to say is, “You know, I’m glad you told me that. Would you mind if I prayed for you and asked God to answer this prayer?”

Most people, even those not interested in Jesus, are interested in divine intervention!  If there is a God, who doesn’t want the Big Guy on your side.  Most people are pleased to have you pray for them.  This is so easy, even a cave man can do it! 

And then you should ask them, “When God answers would you let me know, please?” And you know what? I have found again and again that the Lord answers and people come back to tell you. And that gives you an opportunity to tell them why you trust the promises of God, how you have seen answers to your prayers and eternal salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

The evangelist, Louis Palau says, I have never been turned down by anyone. Even the atheist president of Uruguay in South America said, “I don’t believe in God and I don’t believe in prayer, but if you want to pray for me, go ahead.” I prayed for him and his family and he was crying when I finished.[i]

Look for opportunities to connect with people.  Do good works.  Help people out.  Invite Them to Church.  Invite them to do stuff with you.  It often starts with hospitality.  The idea of hospitality is tied to loving and welcoming those who are considered strangers and outsiders. It’s about opening your life and your home to men and women who don’t think like you, look like you or act like you. That’s biblical hospitality.  And that opens the door to friendship and to Jesus. 

Make the most of every opportunity, use your time wisely, be intentional, and reflect His love to everyone around us.

The first strategy is to live wisely, the second to make use of every opportunity and the third is to:

Speak Graciously 6

The first strategy had to do with our deeds, and this one has to do with our words.  We should preach the gospel with the way that we live and express it graciously with our words. 

Words have power to hurt and heal; use them cautiously. Words are incredibly powerful. When people speak, many do not consider the impact their words have on other people. Proverbs 18:21 states that the power of Death and Life are in the tongue. Verse 6 says,

⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt,

The old saying is ever so true:  you can catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.  And the fact of the matter is that People don’t care what you know until they know that you care, and words are a powerful way to say, “I care.” 

There is so much conflict, strife and bad blood going around in our world.  Everywhere you turn, someone has a cut, a cuss word or a downer to lay on you.  There is too much confrontation and blame going around in our world.  We Christians are supposed to be little lights that shine in a dark world.  And one of the ways that we let our light shine is by the good news and encouragement that comes out of our lips!

There are two suggestions I have for you about improving your language skills.

#1.  Be Gracious.  Let your speech always be with grace.  This is the word chariti χάριτι grace – blessing, favor, or kindness. This is the Christians gold standard for his speech.  If your speech does not bring grace and joy to those who hear, you should probably retool your language skills.  If people don’t respond in appreciation to the words you say, it could be that you are using your words wrongly.  But if your words bring hope, delight, laughter and warmth, you are likely using your words the way God meant them to be used.  Practice speaking graciously.  It’s amazing how attractive that is.

#2.  Be Genuine.  Let your speech always be seasoned with salt.  Now what does that mean?  I am a salt loving guy.  Salt makes good food taste great!  And salt is a preservative.  Salt preserves pickles, cheeses and meat.  Salt reduces water content in food and retards bacterial growth. 

Our first contribution to conversations should bring out a better or godly flavor to those conversations, to build others up and make a good conversation great.  Our second contribution to conversation should be to bring godly preservation of biblical principles into that conversation.  So in a gracious way, we can build others up as well as defend the faith. 

Jesus called believers to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).  Salt is an important mineral; it preserves food, brings out flavor, soothes and heals, and is necessary for life: it balances fluids in the blood and is vital for nerve and muscle function. 

Jesus said to his disciples, “Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other” (Mark 9:50b).  Salt can sting when rubbed into a wound (Prov. 27:6).  Having an unwholesome, distasteful attitude is not becoming to the gospel of Christ; unsavory motives and attitudes do not produce words “seasoned with salt.”  We should bring a wonderful Christian “flavor” to what might otherwise be an unsavory conversation. What a Christian says and how he says it ought to add value to a conversation just as salt does for food.

Speak kindly.  Use your words carefully, and be a blessing to others.  And for our fourth principle.

Always Be Prepared to Give an Answer 6

We’ve come a long ways in this message.  We talked about living wisely, being intentional with your opportunities, and speaking graciously.  Those have all been pre-evangelism.  Now we get to the fourth truth, and it is this; at some point you have to pull the trigger.  At some point you need to share Jesus. 

It may take time working up to it with your genuine Christian living, and making use of as many opportunities as possible – getting to know them personally, and being as generous as you can with your compliments and gracious speech, but there will come a time when you get to share Jesus.  And this is it.  This is your opportunity.  We must listen carefully so we can answer appropriately.

That you may know how you ought to answer each one.

If you have spent time living a godly life, and if you have been intentional in getting to know people, and if your speech is gracious and good, then you have laid a great foundation for the Gospel.  And if you have spent time in conversation with these people, at some point they will probably let you know what their obstructions and objections to Christianity are.  That sets you up in a perfect place to give an answer. 

That’s why you must often lay the groundwork.  Verse 6 says “that you may know” how to answer.  If you don’t know their questions, you aren’t likely to be able to answer them. 

Don’t Pretend to have all the Answers.  It is very common for Christians to face very hard questions that challenge our beliefs. Questions like, “What about evolution?” or “What does God say homosexuality?” Sometimes, these questions can be very hard to answer, especially when you aren’t prepared beforehand. Don’t panic. It’s okay to tell your listener that you want to give an adequate answer to their question, so would them mind if you research and return with the answer. And then do your homework.

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. And always be prepared to give a answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you with gentleness and respect.  1 Peter 3:15

Find Common Ground.  Know your audience as well as your material!  Listen and ask good question.  Be courageous.  Be tactful and clear.  And then share the life changing Gospel.  And what should you share.  Let me tell you, if you know John 3:16, you know the Gospel.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

That’s the Gospel, and any of you is smart enough to share it.  God loves you!  He loves you so much he sent Jesus to die for your sins.  All you need to do is believe in Jesus and entrust your life to him and you will have everlasting life!  You can do this! 

That’s the message we have for you.  Live wisely because people are watching.  Live intentionally, looking for every opportunity to connect.  Speak graciously and attractively.  Flavor your words with goodness.  And then answer thoughtfully.  And this is how you share your faith successfully in a world that frowns people who share their faith. 

In November of 1996, the news media covered the story of a hijacked jet with 163 passengers and 12 crew members that crashed near the Comoros Islands because it ran out of fuel. What we did not read or hear was a dramatic story of what God did in the final moments of that ill-fated flight. There was a man on board named Andrew Meekens, an elder in the International Evangelical Church of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was on his way to a Bible conference. He was described as a reserved man, yet deeply committed in his faith. According to survivors of the crash, after the pilot announced that he would be attempting an emergency landing, Meekens, seizing the moment, stood up and quickly shared the gospel message with all on board, and invited people to respond. A surviving flight attendant said that about 20 people accepted Christ, including a fellow flight attendant who did not survive the crash.[ii]

While the opportunities God gives you to share your faith may not be as dramatic, they are just as significant to the Lord. If you follow these biblical principles for personal evangelism, like Philip from the early church, you will surely see God use you in amazing ways.

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[i] https://www.palau.org/resources/share-your-faith/5-steps-to-sharing-your-faith

[ii] https://harvest.org/know-god-article/basic-principles-for-sharing-your-faith/

Did you know that I have preached nearly 50 sermons on prayer?  By now you’d think that I would have said everything there is to say about it.  Some of you have heard them all.  By now, you would think that we would be experts on prayer.  BUT, did you also know that you can know everything there is to know about prayer, but unless you pray, you really don’t know anything about prayer at all! Prayer must be experienced in order to be known.  You actually need to pray in order to learn how to pray! 

Three obstacles to prayer! 

• Distractions
• Busyness
• Not knowing what to say

Your Personal Prayers 2

Praying for yourself is not selfish.

Prayer is most effective when we pray persistently. 

Continue means be devoted, constant in prayer or regular in prayer. 

Don’t stop praying.  Keep it up as your daily exercise. Luke 18

Be vigilant in prayer.  Guard your prayer life!

Pray as though your life depends on it, because it does!

When you pray with thanksgiving, prayer changes you!

Prayer fights stress and brings health.

Prayer brings inner peace and joy. 

Your Missional Prayers 3-4

Prayer is most effective when we pray for the mission of the kingdom.

Pray for the troubled world that they would find Jesus. 

This is a prayer for anyone who shares the good news of the Gospel. 

Pray for an open door for the Word. 

We should always look for opportunities to share our faith. 

When God opens doors he provides a divine appointment.

Pray that you will have the words to speak! 

We need to know what to say. 

We also need boldness to speak up.  Ephesians 6:19

Sharing the good news got Paul in trouble. 

If you are going to get in trouble do it for the Gospel. 

We want to shove it down their throat! 

We don’t want to cast our pearls before swine. 

Paul wanted people to understand the message. 

Speak in terms people can understand.

If they don’t understand they can’t respond to the message. 

Pray for open doors.  Pray for the message to get out, and pray for clarity.  Above all things, pray persistently and consistently.  And pray for the Mission.  Don’t just pray for it, do it!  Share your faith.  And notice making it clear is the way we ought to speak.  If they don’t understand, it’s up to us to simplify and clarify the message, because getting it right may mean the difference between eternal life and being lost! 

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2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

3 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, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Did you know that I have preached nearly 50 sermons on prayer?  By now you’d think that I would have said everything there is to say about it.  Some of you have heard them all.  By now, you would think that we would be experts on prayer.  BUT, did you also know that you can know everything there is to know about prayer, but unless you pray, you really don’t know anything about prayer at all!

Prayer is not something you just learn about from a lecture, you must regularly practice it in order to know prayer.  Prayer must be experienced in order to be known.  You actually need to pray in order to learn how to pray! 

How is your prayer life?

Now, most Americans pray.  It is the most common faith practice among American adults.  According to Barna, 94% of American adults have prayed at least once in the last three months. [i]  (That’s not really a good track record.  Praying once every three months just doesn’t cut it).  And about 68% of those who claim to be Christians say they pray daily. [ii][iii][iv]  Another 17% pray weekly.  The other 15% don’t pray much at all.[v]

But here’s the kicker.  Only 2% of people surveyed would say they’re satisfied with their overall prayer lives.[vi]  Maybe that’s why most (60%) Christians say that they have not spent 10 minutes in prayer in the last 24 hours. [vii] [viii] That’s no good.  We are out to change that today.

If you feel discouraged in this area, you’re not alone!  According to Crossway pubishers the three greatest barriers to prayer are distractions (57%), busyness (15%) and not knowing what to say (13%).  (The fourth problem was motivation.  15% just weren’t interested in prayer at all.)  [ix]

Take a minute to assess your own prayer life, considering particular areas where there is room for growth.   Do you get distracted easily?  Maybe plan to pray at a time when there are less distractions.  Put your phone down.  Find a quiet and peaceful place.  Pray about your distractions.

Are you too busy?  If you don’t have time to pray, maybe you are doing too much.  Maybe you need to simplify your life, or maybe you just need to prioritize your life.  Sometimes the things we think are important are not as important as they seem.

Do you struggle knowing what to pray?  Depend a little more on the Holy Spirit.  He promises to help you there.  (Romans 8:26)  Start praying Scripture.  Pray the psalms, or use Paul’s prayers like this one in Colossians as a way to guide you in prayer. 

Prayer is life changing.  And this is not only a life changing guide to prayer, it is a world changing prayer.  Let’s start with your personal life.

Your Personal Prayers 22

A good place to start in prayer is to pray for your own self and your personal needs.  Now praying for yourself, may seem selfish, and it could be; but for the most part, it is not.  You need to pray for yourself!  Your own heart needs self examination.  You have a lot of needs, and there is no one better than God to talk to them about.  You can ask God to forgive your sins, to fill you with the Holy Spirit, to restore your soul, to give you wisdom, to protect your mind, to keep Satan away, and the list goes on.

But let me just say prayer is most effective when we pray persistently.  That is what Paul is telling us in Colossians 4:22:

Continue persistently in prayer. Col 4:22

Continue in prayer; The word continue is προσκαρτερέω pros kartereo – And it is a word which means be devoted or constant in prayer or regular in prayer.  Persevere in it and don’t give up.  In other words, don’t stop praying.  Keep it up as your daily exercise.

Jesus told a parable of a widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18.  The widow filed a complaint with the court system.  She had likely been swindled by a wealthy businessman who took advantage of her, But the Judge refused to hear her.  He dismissed the case.  But the woman decided that her only course of action was to show up in court every day!  She was so persistent, that the unjust judge finally heard her case and ruled in her favor.

If persistence works with an unjust judge, how much more effective do you think it work with a God who loves us.  “Hey this is Dennis, checking in again, on the status of that prayer!”  “Hey Dennis, this is God.  I’ve got this.  At the right time, in the right way, the answer will come!”  Keep praying.  Continue in prayer.

“Continue persistently in prayer, being vigilant in it.”  Col 4:22

Be vigilant in prayer.  γρηγορεύω gregoreuo – to watch carefully.  to take heed lest some calamity suddenly overtake your life.  We are told to be vigilant

• Because we don’t know when the day nor the hour when Lord will come. Mt 25:15 
• Because that’s what it takes to overcome temptation: Mt 26:41 
• Because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, stalks about, seeking whom he may devour:  1Pe 5:8 

Prayer prepares us for Christ’s coming.  It is the antidote to temptation.  It is the hedge of protection from our enemy the Devil.  You should pray as though your life depends on it, because it does!

“Continue persistently in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”  Col 4:22

Did you know that studies have shown that when you pray, especially when you practice thankfulness, the first thing that prayer changes is you!

Herb Benson, the renowned author of the prayer study at Harvard, said “prayer affects metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and brain activity” increases your oxygen level.[x]  he concluded “that prayer affects body functions and fights stress.”

But prayer does much more than that!  When coupled with thankfulness, Prayer brings peace, it resolves our inner conflicts, and changes our outlook, when we submit to the will of God.  The primary impact of prayer involves the person doing the praying.  Give prayer a chance!  And be thankful. 

So let’s review.  Pray persistently.  Pray like your life depends on it, and pray with thanksgiving.  That’s how to pray for yourself.

But we are not finished with prayer yet, because not only should we pray for ourselves, but we should pray for our world.  I have called this:

Your Missional Prayers

You may start with yourself, but you should end with the world around you.  And the best way to pray for our troubled world is to pray that they would find Jesus.  Prayer is most effective when we pray for the mission.

Pray also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ. Colossians 4:3

Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him, as I wish that you would pray for me.  This is a prayer for pastors, missionaries and anyone who shares the good news of the Gospel.  This is a prayer for the mission of the Kingdom of God. 

And the first request is for an open door for the Word.  Paul was always looking for opportunities to share his faith.  He prayed for open doors.  Relationships are a lot like doors, and we are the gate keepers of our own doors.  If you want to share the gospel, you have to knock.  Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you.” 

Some people will stare out of the little peephole and say, “go away!”  But some will open the door and invite your conversation!  Open doors are divine appointments.  When God opens doors he enables you to have a conversation about spiritual things.  Pray for divine appointments.

Pray also for us, that we would speak the mystery of Christ. Colossians 4:3

Paul’s second request is that God would give him the words to speak!  It’s one thing to get an audience with someone, it’s another thing to know what to say.  Even Paul needed prayer for boldness. 

In Ephesians 6:19 Paul asked, “Pray for me that I might open my mouth without fear. Pray that I will use the right words to preach the Good News.” 

This is a prayer you can pray for our missionaries.  And it’s a prayer you can pray for yourself.  I don’t know how many times I wished I had the right words to say!  I don’t know how many times I wished I had spoken up!  It’s much easier to talk about politics, sports, the weather and the accident that happened down the road, than it is to talk about Jesus!  Pray for me that God would give me the right words to unveil the mystery of the gospel to people who don’t understand it. 

And no wonder Paul needed boldness.  Because in the next breath he shares with us his predicament.  He says, “for which I am also in chains!”  Paul was in prison because of the Gospel!  Sharing the good news got him in trouble. 

There are a lot of things you can get in trouble for, but if you are going to get in trouble for anything, may it be because you love Jesus and want people to hear the message of the Gospel.  Not that we want to shove it down their throat!  That’s not it.  If the door closes, we go knocking on other doors.  Not that we are looking to pick a fight over abortion or some other moral issue.  That’s not our way of doing things.  Certainly we take a strong moral stand, but we don’t want to cast our pearls before swine.  Our job is not to judge or condemn unbelievers, that’s God’s job.  Our goal is to seek and to save those who are lost. 

And that leads us to our third prayer for the mission. 

Pray that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak. Colossians 4:4

φανερόω phaneroo to make visible or known, to be thoroughly understood

Paul didn’t just want to string together a bunch of words that people don’t understand like, have you received the gospel?  are you saved, sanctified, delivered, justified, washed in the blood and filled  with the Holy Spirit. 

These are precious terms!  They mean something very important to us inside the church, but outside the church, they don’t understand our terminology.  So you have to keep is simple and explain it in terms they can understand.

If all your friends don’t understand when you share about redemption, that you’ve been washed white as snow and you desire to follow the Lamb.  If they tune you right out, you may be on fire for the Lord, but you’ve left them clueless. 

This is so important that Paul prayed a prayer for clarity!  Make it clear Paul!  So that they can understand and respond to the message.  And notice making it clear is the way we ought to speak.  If they don’t understand, it’s up to us to simplify and clarify the message, because getting it right may mean the difference between eternal life and being lost! 

Pray for open doors.  Pray for the message to get out, and Pray for clarity.  Above all things, pray persistently and consistently. 

In 1940, a professor of Theology in England by the name J. Edwin Orr called some of his theology students together, and decided to take them on an excursion, a field trip so to speak.

They were to visit some of the historical places in England, which has some sorts of theological significant; some religious sites, and places which had been very strategic in building of the church, and the Christian Faith.

One of the places they visited was the Epworth rectory.  The rectory which now serves as a museum, was the home of one of the great reformers of the church, his name was John Wesley.

John Wesley was a great preacher.  He studied, preached, taught, and prayed that revival would spread out, not only in England, but also in our country.  In prayer, He and others like him ushered in some of the great revivals that swept through America in the early 1900s, where people in mass were coming to know Jesus Christ as their Lord.  This happened because men like John Wesley were on their knees praying that God would move.

So the theology students went to visit the house where he lived.  They entered the kitchen, and professor Orr showed them all that John Wesley would have eaten as dinner, lunch, and what he would have cooked – how he would have lived his life.  He took them into the study room, where John Wesley spent hours studying. 

Then Professor Orr walked the students up to the second floor.  They entered into a place where would have been the most intimate quarters of John Wesley – his bedroom.  As the students began to file around the bed in the tiny space in that bedroom, one of them noticed around the far side of the bed, there were two small worn patches in the carpet fibers of the floor right next to each other.

Professor Orr explained that those two patches were the very place where every single morning – for several hours, John Wesley will plant his knees right beside his bed, and he prayed so long and so hard for revival, that his knees had actually imprinted themselves onto the floor.

After some minutes, the students left the room for the bus outside.  Professor Orr stood in front of the bus, counting the students as they enter the bus, to make sure everybody was there, and he realized one was missing.

He went back into the house, walked into the kitchen to look for the student – nobody was there.  He checked the study room for the student – nobody was there.  He walked up the stairs into the bedroom, and he could just see across the other side of the bed – the head and shoulders of a student who had planted his knees down in those well worn patches on the floor.

He could hear the student praying “Do it again LORD. LORD, would YOU do it again! And would YOU do it again with me…”

Professor Orr walked around to the side of the bed, and placed his hand on the shoulder of the student, and he said “It’s time to go…”

And rising from his knees, BILLY GRAHAM went to join the rest of the students on the bus that day. 

And then, GOD did it again…  All because someone prayed!

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[i] https://www.barna.com/research/silent-solo-americans-pray/

[ii] https://www.deseret.com/faith/2023/5/4/23709607/national-day-of-prayer-research-americans-divine-connection

[iii] https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/150915-u-s-statistics-on-prayer.html

[iv] https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/150915-u-s-statistics-on-prayer.html Of those who do pray, 75% percent were Christian.  • 64% say they pray more than once a day. • 56% say they most often pray for family members, with 3.3% saying that they pray for strangers. • A little over 38% say that the most important purpose of prayer is intimacy with God. • 41% say that their prayers are answered often. •only 1.5% say that their prayers are never answered.  According to Pew Research 68% of Christians pray daily, and another 17% pray weekly. 

[v] https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/christians/christian/frequency-of-prayer/

[vi] https://www.crossway.org/articles/infographic-how-is-your-prayer-life/

[vii] https://www.crossway.org/articles/infographic-how-is-your-prayer-life/

[viii] https://www.baptistboard.com/threads/how-long-do-you-spend-in-prayer.5612/ According to Barna…. the average Christian spends only 1 minute a day in prayer.

[ix] https://www.crossway.org/articles/infographic-how-is-your-prayer-life/

[x] https://www.templeton.org/news/what-can-science-say-about-the-study-of-prayer