TEXT: Colossians 4:2-6

SUBJECT: Colossians #12: Praying and Witnessing

Today brings us to the twelfth sermon in our study of Colossians. The verses contain two exhortations. The first is about praying; the second is about witnessing.

The Early Church was zealous for these things. Born in a prayer meeting, it turned the world upside down with its Gospel witness. But even it needed direction and encouragement. And so do we. Paul provides them in the verses before us.

May God make us "Doers of the Word and not hearers only". For Christ's sake. Amen.

PRAYER

The first duty is prayer, vv.2-4. Paul wants us to "Continue in prayer". He assumes we are doing it now; he wants us to keep up the good work. This recalls the parable of our Lord "That men might always pray and not faint".

To do this effectively, you must have formal times for it. The schedule doesn't matter--as long as you have one! If you don't, you'll find "the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of this life" cutting into your prayer time. Till you've got none at all.

These times are important, but they're not everything. To "continue in prayer" also means you pray informally throughout the day. The prayers may only last a second or two, but they keep you in touch with God.

That's the duty: "Continue in prayer". How to pray is then explained: "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving".

"Vigilant" (or watchful) means awake or alert. This may be taken quite literally. Peter, James, and John slept when they should have been praying. And paid dearly for their neglect. They weren't the last people to do that! We too doze off when should be "Wrestling with the Lord".

That's true, but I think more is meant than that. To be "vigilant" means to be:

Your prayers, then ought to be wide awake. No more sleep walking through them! "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant..."

That's one mark of prayer. Another is gratitude. "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it--with thanksgiving".

Your prayers ought to be full of thanks. The Bible says in many ways:

In short, Psalm 92:1-2.

You should thank God for the things that make you happy. And there are plenty of them! To the pagans (who didn't know Christ and His joy), Paul said, "[God] did us good, sending us rain and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness". This was no new doctrine, of course. Paul was cribbing the Psalms which say, in various ways,

Goodness of the LORD".

You should thank God for the things that make you happy. But that's not all. You should also thank Him for the things that make you...unhappy.

The unhappy things of life also come from God. Job's wife didn't think so, but her husband knew better: "You speak as one of the foolish women speak! What? Shall we accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10).

Of course we should. We should welcome the problems in life. Not because they're pleasant--they're not! But because, somehow or other, they're good for us. This can't be fully explained, but it must be accepted by faith.

This is not easy! It's no easier for me than it is for you. Even the holiest man has to say "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief".

This is the general duty: "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving".

Applications:

Do you pray? I know you pray once-in-a-while. I suppose even atheists do now and then. But do you "Continue in prayer"? Maybe you once did, years ago. But are you praying now?

You ought to. It's your duty. If you don't do it, you'll be in serious trouble. But it's more than that: It's also your privilege. Who are you to speak to the Living God? Yet through Christ, you can. And not only speak to Him, but have His fellowship and obtain the things you ask for.

So why don't you pray? Why not now? If you don't know how, remember: God doesn't want beautiful words; He wants "a broken and contrite heart". If you've got that, give it to Him now. He won't turn you away. Like any loving father, He'll say, "It's good to hear from you, son".

Do you pray with thanksgiving? You ought to, for you have much to be thankful for. God is not stingy to anyone. He's doubly generous to His people.

Even the God of our salvation"!

Having told his friends to pray, Paul goes on to tell them what pray for: "Meanwhile also praying 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".

"Pray for us" he says. That is for Paul, Timothy, and others who are preaching the Gospel.

What does he want? Not money. Not ease. Not safety. He wants an "open door". He wants the Lord to give opportunities for evangelism.

Paul was not a shy man. He was bold and outspoken for the Gospel. Yet he knew that openings to speak up for Christ came from God. He prayed for them himself; he wanted others to do the same.

Do you pray for open doors? If you do, you'll find them. "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you".

When it comes to evangelism--I fear--"We have not because we ask not".

Paul wants opportunities to preach. But that's not all he wants. He also wants the wisdom and power to make the Gospel clear. It's the "mystery" he wants to make "manifest".

Why does he want to do that? There are many reasons, of course: He loved sinners, he wanted to glorify Christ, and so on. But the one he mentions here is his obligation: "To make it manifest...as I ought to".

Paul is an "An Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God". An Apostle is a spokesman who speaks for another. Paul speaks for Christ. And not by his own choosing, but by God's will. He feels the obligation the way few preachers do. "A stewardship of the Gospel is committed to me" he says in I Corinthians 9:17. He has to fulfill his duty--whether he wants to or not.

He wants to--that's for sure. But he knows how weak he is. He pleads with the Colossians to pray for him, that he might "fulfill his ministry".

That's something you can pray for too. No, not for Paul. But for pastors, missionaries, and others committed to Gospel ministry. That we might do God's will faithfully.

In short, "Brethren, pray for us".

WITNESSING

Paul wants you to pray for pastors and others who preach the Gospel. But that's not all. He also wants you to preach the Gospel yourself! Every believer is called to witness for Jesus Christ.

To do this effectively, you must "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside". This means: Witnessing takes more than good words; it demands a good life.

This "good life" is one lived by the Golden Rule. Long before the birth of Christ, the Rabbis had their version of it. They said: "Do nothing to others that you would not have done to you".

Are they right? Of course they are. If you don't want noisy neighbors, don't be one.

But the Rule our Lord laid down was more golden than that. He said: "Whatever you would have men do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets".

He wants us to "Do for others" what we'd have them do for us. Would you like everyone in your office to be polite and thoughtful? If so, you be polite and thoughtful. Would you like your neighbors to be friendly and helpful? If so, you be friendly and helpful. Wouldn't it be great if everyone were a little more patient? If so, you be a little more patient!

This is wise living. If you don't live this way, all the "God talk" in the world won't make up for it.

This sort of life stands out from the ordinary. It makes people wonder where it came from. Some of them will ask.

When they do, you can answer them with the Gospel!

Which must always be given "With grace, seasoned with salt". Salt is put on food to make it taste better. A life of humility, hard work, and love, will make your witness more appealing to those who hear it.

Applications:

When did you last hear this question: "What makes you different from everybody else?" Has it been a while--a long while? If so, maybe you've blended into the world. Maybe your witness has lost its edge. The best way to get it back is to "Sanctify the Lord God in your heart". Start with confession; go on to repentance.

When God gives you the kind of life that stands out from the crowd, use it for Christ. "Be always ready to give an answer to everyone who ask a reason for the hope that is in you".

CONCLUSION

Praying and witnessing. We pray for open doors--and then go through them. We go through them--and pray God will bless them to the salvation of His people and the glory of His grace.

That's enough hearing: It's now time to act. Pray and witness. May God enable us to do so. For Christ's sake. Amen.