[0:00] Turn in your Bibles to Colossians chapter 4, where we pick up in Colossians.
And we're going to look at verses 2 through 6 this morning.
And stand with me as I read these verses.
Colossians chapter 4, verse 2. 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.

[0:41] For which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak, 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. Lord, we thank you for your Word. We ask that we would grow in our faith as we look to you, that our sword would be, for sure, pulled out of the sheath and that it would be sharpened by your spirit and that you, would sharpen us Lord, to follow you and to declare the mystery.
Of Christ, which is the gospel through our lives. And so bless your people today in Jesus' name, amen.
You can all be seated.
So this letter was written to the church of Colossae at that time, and now it's written to us presently.

[1:48] The word of God is living and it continues and the word of God is eternal.
God's Word is life-giving insight to our faith and direction for living.

[2:01] It teaches us how to love God and to love others. According to the Bible, that's the priority of man, to love God and to love one another.
And it is our primary privilege to do that.
God's word, we know it's Psalm 119 of 105. Your word is a lamp to my feet.

[2:24] It's a light to my path, which declares not only does it illuminate in the very area where we're, what we're dealing with, it sheds God's counsel, God's wisdom, God's instruction right here, right now, keeping us from stubbing our toe as much as possible.
But it's like a light and it's shining ahead and we look for the soon return of Jesus Christ and the events ahead.
We know also God gives us wisdom for that as well. But it also tells us in Hebrews chapter four, it says in the Bible, for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.
And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
And so we're instructed to study the word, to be instructed by God.
And sometimes I think.

[3:32] Studying the word is like going on a diet. It's like, oh, but I want to eat that, you know, but I can't, and there's a discipline factor there and it's like, you know, reading the word, all of a sudden you're tired or you think of a hundred million things to do, like praying. It's so hard because I've got to do this now, and it seems like I'm accomplishing nothing.
And so you're reading the word and you're accomplishing great things in your spiritual man, and so it is a discipline.
But, we just finished a section teaching a Christ-centered family, and in this next section,

[4:16] It's all about the subject of conversation.
Conversation, our talks with God and our talks with one another.
And hence the title, Our Words to God and Man, title of this message.
Now James, when he's teaching on the tongue, you know the tongue.
The tongue is a transfer, it's a transfer of words.

[4:45] That's what the tongue is. But it's not the originator of the words.
It's only a transfer of the words.
It's a transport station.
It's a relay station. That's what the tongue is. because Jesus says, from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
And so we have in James where he writes for, we all stumble in many things.
If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
Indeed, we put bits in horses mouths that they may obey us and we turn their whole body.
Look also at ships, although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a little small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.
Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles.
And see, words, they can accomplish good, but they can also accomplish great evil.
And so the conversation of our lives, In The Proverbs, this is a Proverbs that I really, I think about often and it's recorded in many places, this idea in the scriptures, but here in Proverbs 10, 19, in the multitude of words, sin is not lacking.

[6:13] But he who restrains his lips is wise.
So it's kind of like, hey, he who speaks very little is considered wise, but he who speaks a lot, You know, he's gonna end up saying the wrong thing, is kind of what it's saying.
You know, sin is not lacking.
And there was a saying that was well-worn in the day when I was a youngster.
I used to hear it a lot and actually use it.
I don't hear it so much anymore, but that is, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
And that was usually said when somebody would call you a name and you would say that.
But it's so far from the truth.
So far from the truth and now you don't hear it much anymore.

[7:01] But it couldn't be further from the truth. Words can be either destructive or delivering.
Destructive or delivering. There's a quote from Winston Churchill.
You know, Winston Churchill, that British statesman, who was prime minister over Great Britain during the World War II and the parliament there, they had a rift in it, a great rift.
And so Winston Churchill would deliver speeches and he delivered one and after delivering this one speech, the parliament came together for war.
And a person there in the parliament was asked, what just happened?
And this is his quote.
He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.
Words, words are powerful. Words can alter relationship.
Words can destroy, but words can also deliver.

[7:59] And the battle we're concerned with is spiritual battle. Now simple to this section is that our words would be pleasing to the Lord and representing Him to others.
Just simply put, simply put, you know, not to be confusing here.
And so we pick up there in verse two. It says, continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Prayer.
You know, we know what prayer is. Prayer is talking to God. It's talking to God regularly, routinely, and matter-of-factly. prayer.
And that's why it tells us in scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 5, where it says, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit, which you would say by doing otherwise, but pray without ceasing.
How do you do that? Well, it's an attitude of heart.
Heart. It's that sigh. It's being thankful in all situations. It's that challenge. That's, why it's ongoing. So Paul writes, continue earnestly. Don't be a slacker. Don't be a, slacker. It speaks of being steadfast along with the quality to wait is built into the.

[9:23] Greek word. So not only are you steadfastly praying, but you're doing it with patience before the Lord and His timing.
Because you know, oftentimes we get prayer right, but we get the timing wrong.
And if you don't understand that, you can get frustrated real easy.
And so it says to be vigilant. It means to be watchful.
It means to give strict attention to, be cautious, active in your prayer life.

[9:48] Talking with the Lord. Lord, is there something more here? Is there something I need to see?
You know, Lord, directly, direct me. And it means to take heed, less through remission, and indolence, some destructive calamity suddenly overtakes you.
So if you just sort of side, put prayer like that to the side, then all of a sudden you're overtaken, you're caught off guard, you're ambushed, by the enemy to whatever degree, and it causes problems.
But we are to have thankful, thankful hearts.
The focus here is on what's your attitude of heart.

[10:29] And so we're to be prayerful with a good attitude of heart. It's not the yeah, but, yeah, but, yeah, but.
You know, you hear that, that's a bad attitude.
Yeah, but, if it wasn't for that person, if it wasn't for this situation, it wasn't for that, yeah, but, yeah, but.
And it's wrong. Paul writes in 1st Thessalonians.
Chapter two, verse 13, for this reason, we also thank God without ceasing, because when you receive the word of God, which you heard from us, you welcomed it, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you, who believe.
So is God's word, God's word to you, or is it just the word of man?
And that's what makes a distinction there.
And in verse three, he says, Meanwhile, praying also for us.
I love that.

[11:26] Also to include in your prayer discipline and practice others.
He adds us. Now the application is that we don't at this point still pray for Paul to have an open door.
No, Paul's in heaven. We're not praying for Paul anymore. But the principle lives on.
You need to pray for one another just like Paul requested it.
We also requested, that's correct, that's proper.
And so the word keeps on giving, keeps on instructing us in the principles, keeps on teaching us how we are to be, as we read these things, you know, like passing on the baton in a race.
You know, Paul talks about that many times in 1 Corinthians 9, he talks about that, where he says, Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?

[12:22] Run in such a way that you may obtain it, and everyone who competes for the prize is tempered in all things.

[12:29] Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty, thus I fight not as one who beats the air, but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, less, I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." and so Paul, so it's like he makes a reference that the principle here is being passed on to you. Being passed on to, you. Meanwhile, verse 3, are also, while you're at it, include me into your prayer. That's the principle. While you're at it, also, would you include me into your prayer.

[13:20] Also, that God would open to us a door for the Word. A door. That's where his, heart was at, to deliver the Word. And a door speaks of opportunity. Opportunity.
Jesus said to the faithful Church of Philadelphia, which is the faithful End Times Church, in Revelation chapter 3 verse 8, I know your works.
See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it, for you have a little strength, you have kept my word, and have not denied my name.".

[14:06] And what jumped out at me was, see, see, I have set before you, in other words, it was obvious that there's an open door.
That's what Jesus says.
I've opened up a door. You have strength, why? You notice why?
It says there, the reason why was they've kept his word and they did not deny him, both obedience.
And so that open door was given and blessing followed obedience.
And so they were continuing, they weren't draft dodgers in the fight.
They did not deny the Lord, they were unashamed of what they did.
And so they were given strength and an open door. Jesus, of course, said, you know, He is the door. John 10, 9, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. He's the door, ultimately, and he's everlasting. But the door swings both ways. And we have free, will. We're going to enter in by Jesus Christ. And then Paul.

[15:16] Paul makes reference, he says, to speak the mystery of Christ.
That's the gospel, the good news revealed to us for which I am also in chains.
And again, there he, there's a reminder. You know, Paul is not backing down because he's in chains.
He's not slowing down. Paul hasn't lost his spark because he's in chains.
He didn't throw in the towel because he was in chains, despite what could be considered the negativity of being locked up.
You know, some people go right to the negative. This has happened to me, so I must be out of God's will because this has happened to me. Oh, this hard trial has happened to me.
I must be in sin. I must be out of God's will, and on and on.
And that's not necessarily true. You know, I mean, I don't discount that idea completely, but you'll know, Holy Spirit isn't vague to his children.
He's clear to his children, and too often, when a Christian's knowledge of the word and how God works is shallow, then they're susceptible to be taken out in the fight.

[16:20] You gotta know the word of God. It's the sword of the spirit in the fight.
And I think there's just this big old grace period when people first come to Christ, it's like there's this grace period.
It's like everything is, you know, the Lord protects us from every little thing and smooths over everything. But as we learn, we become accountable to trust him in faith.
We're not supposed to know everything right out of the gate. I remember that.
It's like the Lord. Hey Lord, how come you don't just answer every prayer that I pray anymore?
How come now I have to wait? Oh, because you're growing, you're learning the word.
And so, you know, and so it's important not to be taken out of the fight or sidelined because you've learned God wrong.
God is not harsh. God is not impatient. God is gentle.
Who comes with the message that God is harsh, God is condemning, God is judgmental?
Who comes with that message? not Jesus, but the devil.
And so some have learned God wrong. Well, sometimes it's because of the teaching that they're under.
You know, where you see somebody, you know, beating the pulpit and just roaring.

[17:34] And talking about judgment and hellfire and damnation.
Well, that message is there. When you get to it, you know, you preach it in the style that you preach.
But if it's an imbalanced message, it's not representing the Lord.
And so many times repeated through the Bible and through God's word, we're to learn his word.
Lessons of hard knocks through and through are oftentimes ordained by God, allowed by God to further to bless his children.
Hard knocks, lessons like that.
And you know, of course, well-known scripture regarding that is in 2 Timothy chapter three, you know, where it says, it says, but you have carefully followed my doctrine.

[18:29] Manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch and Iconium and Lystra.
What persecutions I endure and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions.
Learn that one well, so that the devil doesn't heap condemnation on you because you're going through hard things.
No, you know what?
When you're in Christ, wear those hard things like a badge and be courageous because God is faithful.
He doesn't allow more things than what we can deal with because he's with us, and so we're to study our Bibles.
Don't back off and you won't back down. And there we read in verse four that, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.
Well, how will he make it manifest? Well, he said, you know, he said to us in just the last chapter, Colossians verse 17 there.

[19:35] And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
So in our words, in our deeds, in word and deeds, that's how he's gonna make manifest the word of God, both be doers of the word. But then he said, you know, Paul is saying that he needs prayer for himself, as that he would correctly represent the Lord by what he says.
Here he says there, as I ought to speak. And that just went, I just went, wow.
Because this makes me think, you know, how important it is to pray for the basics.
The bottom line things, you know, doesn't get any more basic than, you know, pray that I can talk right.
That's what he's asking for. And we can easily apply this prayer principle to every aspect of our activities in our life and our prayer time.
When either you pray for yourself or others, don't think it has to be some great reason or great problem that validates genuine heartfelt prayer.
No, because matter of factly, you're having conversations with the Lord about life.
If it concerns you, it concerns Him.
And this way mountains don't grow out of molehills, you might say.
Rather consistent prayer would be mostly routine in general.
This should be understood.
This should be understood as being effectual prayer. Those things.

[21:02] And then you would not question, oh, I don't, my prayers really aren't, God's not really listening to me because I don't have a powerful prayer life. Really?
So you're supposed to go to school to learn how to pray? No.
And you know, that's why in James, It tells us there, James 5.16.

[21:26] Where it says, confess your trespasses to one another.
Pray for one another, again, pray for one another that you may be healed.
The effective, vervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
In other words, prayers that are on target. You're firing for effect, so to speak.
You're praying for effect. You know, it's sort of like you have the longitude, longitude, longitude, yeah, longitude.
It does that line representing the east and west. Then you have latitude, that line, you know, north and south.
And so you're praying, you're praying for effect.
And you get that lined up in  the crosshairs, and then it becomes effective prayer. Why?
Because that's equating to praying in Jesus' name. You know, you're lined up and you're praying, and so now you're praying for effect, and the coordinates are right.
You're praying according to God's will, and bam, that prayer's answered, and that's an effective prayer.
The simple ones, Lord, help me to speak. Guess what?
Coordinates are right. The Lord says, I'm on that.
Yeah, because you do need help. I'm glad you asked.
You know, the simple things that we overlook, we give ourselves too much credit sometimes for things.
And so pray as we ought, ought to speak.

[22:55] And then verse five, walk in wisdom towards those who are outside redeeming the time.
I had to look up, redeeming the time, the time, I had a look at the clock.
I actually have a good amount of time. Walk in wisdom toward those who are out redeeming the time.
Walk. The best way to understand this word is putting one step in front of the other. It's that simple.
It's moving forward, making progress. And Paul conveys in this verse the thought of action and choices that will move you forward, forward progress, making headway in your Christian walk.
That's the idea, in wisdom. Wisdom, what is wisdom?
Wisdom, this is a knowledge in the broadest spectrum.
But is knowledge used correctly? And so we know in the word, we've been studying in 1 Kings, Solomon had more wisdom than anybody, but he squandered it.
He didn't use it correctly.

[23:58] But this is, speaking of Paul saying, and pray for this wisdom.
And notice Paul's focus here specifically is that we would have wisdom towards the unbelievers, those that are on the outside.
Because we believe in the soon return of Christ, we're living differently than those in the world, right?
John writes that if we are, we have this hope, 1 John 3:3, everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.
So we're seeking to live different, we're standing out, we have this message of wisdom that's being, communicated and the challenge there is, is that or are we walking managing, our  lives as those who seem to care about this life more than the next one. To the point that we're willing to compromise our walk and hinder ourselves, which is unwise. And.

[25:03] So maybe living as one who seems to adopt the philosophy of the world, which of you dies with most joys wins.