After Jesus had been raised from the dead and had appeared to his disciples over forty days, he stood among his followers and told them that in a few days they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. It’s hard to imagine how many different thoughts might have entered the disciples’ minds at that point. Perhaps they wondered how their lives might change once they received the Spirit. Maybe they had questions about how they would know this had taken place. We do not know. What we do know is that the disciples got together and decided to ask the Lord a question about this moment when they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. They asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6).
Now, if you consider how many times the Old Testament utilizes imagery of Israel being restored and the fruit of that land filling the whole earth, this makes sense. Basically, they’re asking, “Lord, is it at this time that you’ll finally bring about every one of your covenant promises from the Old Testament?” But one thing that Jesus obviously picked up on from their question was that they were missing what the universal nature of his Lordship meant. Their focus was too small. They were perhaps still thinking of Jesus simply as the King of Israel – when he is much more than that. Therefore, Jesus instantly broadened their focus from Israel to the whole world, as he answered, saying, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).
What Jesus was saying to them is, “I am the Lord, and I am not the Lord simply of Israel. I am the Lord of the whole earth.” The reality that Jesus is Lord of all the earth means something. It means that he demands that all men everywhere bow the knee to him. This is why Jesus says here in Acts 1 and in Matthew 28 that his disciples have a mission. In a day and age when people are okay with you believing what you will as long as you do not try to convince others to join you, Jesus demands that his followers go out and make disciples of others so that they will recognize Christ’s Lordship and bow the knee to him. In fact, Russell Moore has described the Great Commission as Christ declaring war and announcing terms of surrender. It’s as if Christ is saying to his followers, “I am Lord of all the earth. This means that everyone must bow his or her knee to me. I am going to pour out my wrath on anyone who doesn’t. Therefore, go out and announce to people all over the earth these terms of surrender (i.e., believing in the gospel) so that they might be reconciled to God and not face my coming judgment.”
Jesus does not allow his followers to sit idly by while people all over the world do not bow the knee to Christ. He won’t allow that. And if any group of believers finds themselves content to do so, they cannot rightly call themselves followers of Christ. The reason is simple: Christ’s followers have a mission. We are to make disciples of people all over the face of the earth. This is the church’s mission.
For this reason, even as I’ve said over the last couple of weeks that it is not surprising to find Paul focusing on how we are to live together as a church and then in our homes, so it is not surprising to find Paul then turning our attention outward to our task of going into the world with the gospel.
Now, some might say, “Hold on a second, we’ve already addressed Paul’s outward focus in the world because we talked about how to function in our workplace last week.” And, it is true that I said last week that I think the slave-master relationship Paul refers to in 3:22-4:1 is best paralleled in our society with the employer-employee relationship. So, I think it was right that we applied it that way. But, remember that in Paul’s time and setting, the slaves – whatever their task (physician, educator, otherwise) – would have been a part of the household itself. Therefore, to this point, Paul has focused on our holiness, living together as a church, and how we are to live in regard to the authoritative relationships in our household. And now, he clearly makes a break in 4:2. This verse is quite different from the list of relationships that started in 3:18 and continued to 4:1. So, what is Paul doing? As I mentioned, I think he’s now moving from our responsibilities within our households to our responsibilities to live in the world and to take the gospel to all men.
Therefore, having focused on how to function as a church and then within our homes (and at the workplace), let’s consider this morning what we need to remember and be about as we devote ourselves to making disciples of all the nations.
First, Paul tells us that . . .
Paul opens these verses, saying, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (v. 2). But before we reflect on this command for a bit, let’s ask ourselves why Paul includes it here. After all, if I’m right that these verses reflect Paul’s focus on believer’s turning their attention to living in the world (i.e., outside of the gathered church and home), then this prayer has nothing specifically to do with the world. That is, no doubt, Paul would have wanted us to be praying together as the church, and he would have wanted us praying in regard to our household relationships. Furthermore, the verses that follow do seem to relate toward making disciples in this world as verses 3-4 reflect Paul’s request for prayer in regard to the gospel and verses 5-6 speak of living and speaking wisely toward “outsiders.” So, again, why include this general exhortation to prayer in this section?
Perhaps we find our best clue to answering this question in the book of Ephesians. I’ve mentioned a few times throughout this series through Colossians that there are a number of parallels with the book of Ephesians in this letter, and this is one of those places. If you look at Ephesians 6, we find the same thing. Paul follows his section on household relationships in 5:22-6:9 with a section on putting on the armor of God so that we might withstand the schemes of the devil. And as he moves through that section, he writes in verses 18-20, “. . . praying at all times in the Spirit, with prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
That sounds very much like Colossians 4:2-4, doesn’t it? So, it seems that Paul is using this exhortation to prayer in a similar way as it is used in Ephesians 6:18. And I think there (and here) Paul is reminding his hearers that as we go out into the world, we are not going into friendly terrain. We are actually going out into enemy-occupied territory, where we will be engaged in spiritual warfare on every front. We go into a world where the god of this age is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Therefore, we should not expect our quest to make disciples of all the nations to be like a walk in a field of lilies. Our Lord has already told us that he sends us out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Therefore, recognizing that our need is greater than any supply we have in and of ourselves, Paul tells us to “continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” By being watchful, Paul no doubt intends something like “being watchful” concerning our own lives. That is, in light of the fact that Christ is returning and our lives are not to be wasted, we must keep a watch on ourselves and keep our minds focused on the reality of our mission, our lives, and the world around us.
We are also to pray with thanksgiving. This has been a recurring theme in Colossians and is no doubt rooted in our recognition of what the gospel has done in our lives. That is, we are to remind ourselves of our standing with God based on the work of Christ, and pray in that light.
But let’s get back to the foundational command itself. We are to continue steadfastly (or persevere) in prayer. Prayer is to be a regular part of our lives. This means, I think not just a spirit of prayer throughout life so that we are ready and quick to pray in all situations – though it should definitely include that. But it should also include, it seems, established times of prayer. That is to say, the Bible seems to envision believers having established daily times of prayer in their lives. I think this is what Paul is referring to early in this letter when he told the Colossians that he had not ceased to pray for them (1:9). That is, Paul was telling them that every time he stopped to pray at his established times, he mentioned the Colossians to the Lord.
Just this past week I saw a video where Mark Driscoll was talking about how quality times with our children comes in the midst of spending great quantities of time with our children. It’s hard to say to your seven-year-old, “I’ve got twenty minutes; let’s have some real quality conversation.” Similarly, sometimes we might find ourselves objecting to established times of daily prayer in our lives because we think, “I want it to be more spontaneous or more genuine because they’re driven from my heart.” But the problem with that is that our hearts might go a long time before they are driven to prayer, and the longer we go without prayer the more hardened our hearts can become toward it. You see, there are always things your flesh will desire over prayer. Even Bible study can be more appealing than prayer because it provides you knowledge. Therefore, in light of the battle we’re in as we go through life in this world, we must not ignore prayer but make it a daily and regular reality in our lives, which is undergirded by our recognition of what Christ has done for us and cries out for that which we are powerless to control ourselves.
Yet, Paul continues. Not only must we must be steadfast in prayer, but also . . .
I make this point in light of what Paul does in verses 3-4. Paul is one on whom the Lord has poured much grace, isn’t he? I mean, he’s suffering for the faith. He’s praying for the churches. He’s doing so much. Yet, we would be thinking wrongly if we thought that somehow Paul had gotten to some point of maturity that had placed him beyond the point of needing others and their prayers. Rather, Paul writes in verses 3-4, “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 – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”
Now, consider this for a second. Paul is writing to a people who already seem to have a group trying to convince them to take on rules and regulations that the Bible doesn’t require. They no doubt have the issues of life going on, perhaps problems with their children, financial struggles, etc. And Paul has the audacity to tell them, “Oh yeah, when you pray, make sure you pray also for us.” Isn’t that a bit selfish and self-centered? The answer to that is, “No, it isn’t.”
Actually, what Paul is doing by requesting that they pray for him is recognizing the way God has designed the church. The Lord did not call us out of the world to himself and then separate us from all other believers. He’s called us out of this world so that he might call us together. In fact, the church is put together like individual stones making a building or different parts of the human body making up a whole person. The Lord has made it so that we are to yoke ourselves to other believers for our spiritual good and theirs.
Paul clearly got this. This is why he begins this letter telling the Colossians that he prays for them and ends the letter asking them to pray for him. This is what is required if we are to live the Christian life. We are to make ourselves vulnerable to and dependent on other Christians. And one who does not want to make himself dependent on other believers does not recognize the enormity of the calling he has and his own person weakness in walking in that calling.
In fact, as I was writing this, the interns were meeting with Aaron together in my office, and one thing they were discussing was 1 Timothy 4:16, in which Paul writes to Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” That is, Timothy’s hearers were dependent on Timothy keeping a close watch on himself. In the church, it is not selfish to ask others to pray for you and to focus on your faithful walk before Christ. In fact, it is selfish of us if we merely turn our focus toward others and do not focus on our own faithfulness before Christ. Husbands, you do not help your wives by loving them while not nourishing your own soul in the Word and prayer. Fathers, you do not love your family by leading them while refusing to keep watch on your own faithfulness before the Lord. Taking the body imagery, if one of our organs somehow was able to turn its focus toward all the others and eventually stopped functioning itself, our body would not be better for it but worse.
Therefore, in this very request, Paul is reminding us of our need for one another. We must yoke ourselves to other believers at all times, recognizing that we are about a corporate task. Even if we are on the mission field, thousands of miles away from others – even as Paul was writing to a people he had not met in person – we must find ourselves yoked with other believers and dependent on them. Noting the illustration Paul Washer has used with us: we may be the ones holding the rope being lowered into the pit or we may be the ones standing above and outside the pit, holding the rope for the one being lowered down. But either way, each is necessary and both will have rope burns on their hands. We need each other to live the Christian life well and to obey the Great Commission.
Paul’s request also reminds us that . . .
We must keep our focus on the gospel, regardless of our circumstances
It is interesting to note in verses 3-4 exactly what Paul asks them to pray for, isn’t it? He asks them to pray that God might open a door for the gospel to be spoken and that Paul might speak it clearly and openly. That is, pray for a opportunity for the gospel to be spoken, and then pray that I might have the boldness and wisdom to proclaim it. That seems to be what Paul is saying.
But Paul also lets us see the setting from which he is making this request. He tells us that he wants an opportunity to declare the gospel and make it clear, but he adds at the end of verse 3 this phrase: “on account of which I am in prison.” That is, Paul was writing this letter from prison. He may have even written this letter while being chains to a prison guard or fellow prisoner because in Ephesians he notes that he is in chains.
Now, consider this for a second, if you found yourself in prison and had an opportunity to write a letter to fellow believers, listing a prayer request, what would it be? It would be hard for me to imagine that my prayer request wouldn’t include the phrase “get out of prison.” After all, prison is not some desirous place to be. Nor was it somehow different in Paul’s day and time. It’s not as if in the time that the Bible was being written prison was something that everyone was taking part of periodically as if you might greet someone saying, “Next week, I think I might spend some time in prison and the week after that go visit Rome.” Of course not. Prison was prison. It was a place where you went when you were no longer a free man, had committed a crime in the state’s eyes, and were being punished.
But Paul’s prayer request doesn’t mention anything about getting out of prison, and I don’t think it’s because he’d grown accustomed to and liked prison. His prayer request, rather, focused on spreading the gospel. That is, when Paul found himself in prison, the priority thought in his mind was, “How might I continue to spread the gospel and make disciples from here?” He even rejoiced when he wrote to the Philippians from prison because his imprisonment had allowed the gospel to spread throughout the whole imperial guard (Phil. 1:13). He did not lose sight of his mission. And it’s a reminder to us that we cannot lose sight of our task of making disciples.
I know it’s easy to make the focus of our minds, thoughts, and actions the circumstances we’re in, especially if they’re troublesome. So, we mind find ourselves and our prayers driven by things like wanting children, a spouse, a job, our house to sell, etc. because we are troubled by our present circumstances. And there’s nothing wrong with praying about those things. The problem is when we allow our unpleasant circumstances to fill our minds and prayers to the degree that we lose focus from making disciples. Here, Paul’s prayer is incredibly instructive for us.
Finally, Paul reminds us that . . .
Paul writes in verses 5-6, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Because the Lord has charged us to make disciples of all the nations, we cannot live in such a way that we drive outsiders away from the gospel. We must, rather, walk in wisdom with them, living intentionally before them, so that we make the most of our time with them.
I know of so many times that I’ve had regret because I had an opportunity to spend with an unbelieving family member and lost sight of what was important. In fact, I perhaps said things or did things that might hinder their desire to listen to a conversation about the gospel. And the reason I did it is because I failed keep in my mind what was my task and did not think of my time as something that I needed to take advantage of.
In our opportunities with unbelievers, Paul tells us that our speech needs to be gracious. That is, the gospel message itself is offensive, but we do not need to be unnecessarily offensive with our language. People may and will reject the gospel, but don’t hinder their hearing the message because of how we act and talk. And our speech needs to be seasoned with salt, a metaphor at this time for wisdom.
That is, your actions and talking need to be gracious and wise so that you’re always ready to answer their questions in a God-honoring, gospel-glorifying way. We need wisdom and graciousness so that when an opportunity opens to speak into a situation, we’ll know what and how we need to say something, seizing every opportunity. That is how Paul envisions our lives. No doubt, he sat there in prison, listening to the guard talking about his life with his kids or whatever else, knowing that the Colossians were praying for an opportunity for the gospel, looking for a moment to speak graciously and with all wisdom so that the gospel message might spread. Again, as we consider living as believers, we cannot lose focus on the church’s mission – making disciples of all the nations. This means that we must give ourselves to prayer, yoke ourselves with others, not lose sight of the gospel, and be wise in our speak and actions with unbelievers.
And, if you are like me, these exhortations remind me of my failures left and right. I cannot count the number of times I have not made the most of my time. I cannot tell you how many times I convinced myself to put off prayer until a time later in the day when I’d feel like praying, only to find that other things cluttered my life and pushed out prayer. I cannot tell you the number of times the painful circumstances of my life became all-consuming so that I lost focus of the mission of making disciples. I cannot tell you the number of times my pride has kept me from saying to other believers, “I need you, pray for me.” And, if you are like me, then as we are brought low by this reality, let us look up to the table this morning and realize that our only hope of being justified before God lies in what Christ has done for us, living, dying to pay for our sins, and being raised on the third day. Let us declare our trust in him as our only hope for righteousness as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup. And let us pray for strength, as justified believers, to live in accord with these exhortations that we have seen this morning from Colossians 4:2-6 so that we might live an honoring and obedient life before the one who did not spare his own Son for us. Amen.