 Dear God Almighty, please help us and prepare our hearts to hear your word. Lord, as I speak and the people listen, please help us to be thinking about how we're to be under your authority of your word. Lord, I know that if anything of value that we're about to think about the next hour is from your word. So please help us now to not just hear your word, but to be doers of it. I pray this for your honor and glory. Amen. We've been going through a series during the time of break, professional mark. The series has been your ministry in your home, which we covered last week, Sunday morning. Your ministry at work, which we covered last Sunday night. This morning we have your ministry with the world, and this evening you have your ministry with the church where Jimmy will preach again. Tonight or today we have Colossians chapter 4 verses 2 to 6, and you should have received an outline in the bulletin. I encourage you to use that so that you can follow along clearly. There's a story that's told about Charles Spurgeon, and that in his day he had a church called the Metropolitan Tabernacle, and at the time it was the largest church in the world. So some people would come in and ooh and ah at the building, at the size of it, and Spurgeon was showing someone around one time, around the Tabernacle, and he began to point to the different uses that they have of the building, and he said, let me show you the heart of the building. And he didn't go to the pulpit. He didn't go to the sanctuary. Instead he went underneath the sanctuary. And he went to the boiler room, and he said, you see this room? This is where about 300 people pray for me as I preach to the thousands upstairs. And you see Spurgeon knew that is by the power of prayer that the gospel goes forward. So this text is about that combo. It's about your ministry to the world is to pray, and to pray fervently, to pray for others as they go, and to go yourself. The outline has it as one, to press on in prayer, two, to pray for your brothers, and three, to walk in wisdom with a lost. This text is about speaking to God about others, and then speaking to others about God. Or as another preacher said, it's about the new man who has a new mouth. So now consider with me this text. Colossians chapter 4 verse 2. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. So first and foremost, let's consider the definition of prayer. I'm going to use the Westminster Confession. I'm going to do that because it helps me say a succinct, clear, powerful definition for you. It's not because I just like to read things from old guys. Think through how this is worded very carefully. What is prayer? Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies. Well how are we going to know what to pray? Well the Catechism tells us the whole word of God is used to direct us in prayer, but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord's Prayer. So a disciple is teaching us to pray here in Colossians 4. And what does he say first and foremost about prayer in verse 2? He says that we are to continue earnestly in it. This continue earnestly is one word and it's describing how we are to endure, to hang in there, to courageously persist in prayer, to continue with an intense effort. The Lord Jesus Christ used this word when he was preaching near the lake, the Sea of Galilee, and he told the disciples to be constantly ready with the boat because the crowd is so big they may crush me. So do you think the disciples are going to be constantly ready? How are they going to be ready? With vigilance, ready with a fervency. And that's the way Paul is describing how we are to pray. You know that in the Bible the Apostle Paul gives many exhortations about praying fervently, praying consistently in Romans 12-12. He encourages the Romans to pray steadfastly. The same description, Ephesians 6-18. He exhorts those in Ephesus to pray for him in Philippians 4-4. In 1 Thessalonians 5-17 we're encouraged and exhorted and commanded to pray without ceasing. We heard in 1 Timothy 2-1 where Timothy was exhorted to pray that the men are to lift up holy hands and pray in the church. You remember the stories the Lord told. Luke 11 where he describes two neighbors. One neighbor has a man come to visit him in the middle of the night and he goes to the other neighbor and he pounds on the door. And he won't let up until that man wakes up, gets out of bed, unlocks the door and brings him some bread. And why did the Lord tell us that story, that unforgettable story, so that you would be constant and diligent in prayer? Because if that man, because of the persistence of his neighbor, will open the door and hear him, how much more will God, who is good and kind and wants to hear your prayers? You remember Daniel. Daniel in the lion's den, right? Where the people who wanted to kill him, they knew he was faithful in prayer. They knew, oh, it's four o'clock. It's time. Daniel's gonna be praying now. Yep, we can go by his place. See, there he is in the window. They can mark their clocks by him. So if you know these stories, why are you not diligent in prayer? Do you remember Jacob? And Jacob would not let go of the Lord Jesus Christ in this Christophany when he said, he held on to the angel of Yahweh saying, I will not let you go until you bless me. Do you pray that way? You remember Hannah? Hannah, who was living in that home with polygamy, and she did not have a baby, and she cried out to the Lord when she was mocked. She cried out to the Lord in fervent prayer. You remember the Lord, how he tells the story on Luke 18 about the persistent widow who will continue to pray? She will continue to come to the judge who doesn't fear God and he doesn't fear man. But why will he answer this widow? Because of her persistency. It's the same idea. And yet look back on your week. How many hours did you pray? Could you pray for hours? Did you pray for minutes? How many seconds did you pray? You know God has made the fabric of life so that you have to pray? He made you so you need food. He made you so you need sleep. He made you so you need prayer. With your food three times a day, stomach starts to growl. Maybe some of you, your stomach will start to growl before the sermon's over. And that is a message that is the fabric of life is made so that you need God. You have to lay your head on the pillow each night and say, I'm not sovereign. I'm not sovereign. I'm not sovereign. I need to sleep. Every 24 hours I need to have a chunk of time where I admit I'm not sovereign. God has made life so you are dependent upon Him. And so it is with prayer. Prayer should be the breathing in and breathing out of the Christian. Constant. Ever aware. And setting aside time for it. Believe me, it is both. The person who simply says, well, I will go through life. I will pray as I go. Their prayers will be shallow. Like when the little girl prays, God bless everybody in the world. The kind of prayer that can't be answered. It won't be answered because it's not God's will. But if your prayers are constant and set aside time, think through now. Why do you not pray? You don't pray because of pride. You think you don't need it. You think that you can make it through a day without the Lord. You think you can make it through this hour without the Lord. Believe me, you can't make it through this sermon without the Lord. You should be praying in this sermon that God would give you grace to listen and hear. Pride is what keeps you from prayer. The humble man prays and prays fervently. Maybe you don't pray because of the busyness of life. Very often that is another expression of your pride. That you think that everything has got to be done by you. So you plan such a busy life. People ask you, how are you doing? Well, I'm busy. And you do it with a grieving, ragging your feet. Well, I'm just so virtuous that I have a busy life. But you don't humbly look at your schedule and say, what is of necessity? What must I say no to so that I can pray? Because this thing, this thing is well worth your time. This thing you must do with fervency. Maybe you don't pray because of worldly neglect. You don't realize the life and death battle that we're in. Your mind is full of entertainment, TV, relationships, jokes. And you don't see the tears that are being shed in this week. You don't see the life and death battle, the deceit that Satan has, the need for the gospel to go forward. Maybe you don't see the need because your mind is full of things that are passing away. And that's why you don't pray. Maybe you don't pray because of the wicked sin of unbelief. You don't pray because you don't think the Lord is actually going to use it. Even though he says he will, you call God a liar with your actions. Because you think, if I really pray, it's not going to bring upon effect. That's wicked unbelief. And Jesus preached against unbelief as much as any other sin. And unbelief will keep you from prayer. Maybe you don't pray because you're apathetic and lazy. You're just too tired to pray. You've earned your break today. God knows. I tell you this is something worth putting your mind to. This is something worth working at is prayer. Because this will be used by God in a great and effective way. Maybe you don't pray because you're simply ignorant. And you're new to this thing of Christianity and you don't know the importance of prayer. Well, let me help you today. Let me help you today by telling you over and over about the importance of prayer. Maybe you don't pray because of lack of joy. You think you will be happier if you do, you spend your time in this way as opposed to praying. And I tell you, no, when you obey the commands of the Lord, that's what makes the Christian happy. That's what gives him a clean conscience. That obeying the command to pray will be more joyous to you. You will not regret it. You will not regret a single prayer. Maybe you don't pray because you're unconverted. Jonathan Edwards had a sermon entitled, Hippocrates, Deficient in the Duty of Prayer. And in the sermon, he's marking out and pointing out you see false Christians. They don't pray. Maybe they'll pray publicly where all can see. Maybe they'll pray at small group where everyone else is praying. When they're alone at their home, they neglect the Lord. And like a hypocrite, like someone who loves their child at church, but then at home, disdains them. They do the same to the Lord. At church, yes, Lord. With a fake smile, I love you, but at home, what is your prayer life like? Let's look at James chapter five. James chapter five or 16, he says, Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed that it would not rain. And it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Let's look at that story of Elijah in 1 Kings chapter 18. 1 Kings chapter 18. In this time, Elijah had, it was a time a lot like ours, much false worship. Many false worshipers of God who go to the places of worship but are hypocrites. And in 1 Kings chapter 18, the prophet Elijah, in times like that, you know what the prophet will pray for? He will pray for the judgment of God to come so that the people will turn to God. And he prays so that the rain would stop in verse chapter 18, verse one, because it came to pass it for many days. The word of Lord said to Elijah in the third year saying, Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth. When the prophet prays that the rain would stop, it is a horrible, horrific event that we cannot conceive in our culture and time. Can you imagine going to Publix and there is no food on the shelf? Your money means nothing because there's no food to buy. A loaf of bread goes for 100 bucks. Your money is running out. Children and widows, the shut-ins are the ones who die. People starving, years without rain, and the food is running out. So the prophet prays for the judgment of God to come in order that the people may receive the grace of God. And so when the Lord tells Elijah to get Ahab and get ready, because now will be a time of grace. So Elijah gets ready. And in chapter 18, we have the showdown at Carmel where the prophets of Baal and the prophet Elijah compare who is really God. And in verse 36, we're going to pick up Elijah's prayer. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that Elijah, the prophet, came near. So the prophets of Baal have ahead their chance. They fail. And Elijah, he prays one short prayer. Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God and Israel, and I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me that this people may know that you are the Lord God, and that you have turned their hearts back to you again. And then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, and the dust. And it licked up the water that was in the trench. What an answer to prayer. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh, the Lord, he is God. Yahweh, he is God. And Elijah said to them, seize the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them escape. So they seized them and Elijah brought them down to the brook of Kishan and executed them there. So now the Lord heard Elijah's prayer. But I think James has something else in mind when he talks about Elijah's fervent prayer. It's his prayer for mercy here in verse 41. Verse 41 he says that Elijah said to Ahab, go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain. So wicked Ahab, he doesn't really care about the prophets of Baal. He knows that who wears the pants in the family, he knows his wife back home, she's going to be upset about it. She's the one who really likes the prophets of Baal, wicked Jezebel. He's really there. He's got a meal planned. See how selfish this is in the time of famine? He's got this meal planned and Elijah with disdain is like, go up and eat your meal. And he says, but there's the sound of abundance of rain coming. In this time of repentance where the people are turning. So Ahab went up to eat in verse 42 and drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel. And then he bowed down on the ground. He put his face between his knees so that the dirt is going to be on his nose in humility. He knows how badly the people need the mercy of God. They need the mercy of God and repentance. They need the mercy of God in this rain coming. And he says to his servant, he lifts up his face and he says to his servant, go, go up and look towards the sea. And the servant goes up and he looks clear blue sky, not a cloud in the sky. And all that time Elijah is praying, God be merciful, God hear my prayers, God you promised that you would send the rain and the sky is bare. And the man comes back, the servant comes back and Elijah said, looks up and he says, go, go back, go back and look. I believe that the Lord will hear my prayers. So the servant goes. He goes and he's like, he looks and he's like, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here. There's still no clouds and he goes back again. And Elijah is buying more time. He is fervent for the mercy of God to come to his country. Do you have that fervency? Do you pray like this with your face in the dirt, praying for the mercy of God to come to your family, praying for the mercy of God to come to your coworkers, praying for the mercy of God to come to your nation? And again, he sends away the servant. Not four times, not five times, not six times, seven times he prays and prays and prays and prays. And then the servant comes and he looks one more time and he says, what's that, a seagull? No? He says in verse 40, verse 44, then he came to pass the seventh time. He said, there's a cloud as small as a man's hand. Now that's an itty bitty cloud as small as a man's hand rising out of the sea. Well, at least I got something to report and he tells it to Elijah. And what does Elijah do? Immediately go up and say to Ahab, the storm is coming. The Lord has answered my prayer. What faith? And he says, go tell Ahab, prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you. And he knows the tornado of the mercy of God is coming. Do you pray this way? And what does James exhort you? You are a man just like Elijah. Do not think that Elijah is somehow, if he were to walk in, he would somehow have a halo on his head, like some sort of Catholic painting. No, you wouldn't recognize him. He'd be just like everybody else. He's a man of flesh and bones and his prayers are just like your prayers. Do you see your prayer with that power that you could stop the sky if God were to be merciful? Do you come to God like that? Do you plead like that? Do you pray constantly like that? It takes faith to pray like that. Many of you don't have that faith. Come to God in prayer and he will give you that faith. He'll give you the faith to pray, oh Christian. He'll give you the faith to pray. I tell you, you will see the answer prayers of the Lord. I have seen it time and time again. I remember praying under a tree at college on the campus for evangelist opportunity and a guy came up to me. What are you doing? The Lord answers. Be persistent in prayer. Turn back to Colossians. In Colossians chapter 4 verse 2, he commands. There's two commands in the text. One in verse 2, continue earnestly in prayer and two, walk in wisdom. This is the first in a series of imperatives or in this text and he says, continue earnestly in prayer and the next phrase he uses is saying, be vigilant in it with Thanksgiving. The vigilance here is describing being alert, being awake, always ready to pray. This being awake aspect has a particularly convicting message to some of you who fall asleep while you pray. The Lord is saying that you must constantly be seeing the need for this and be ready for it. This word is used by the Lord when he talks about prayer. You know when he uses it? Let's see that example in Mark 14. The vigilance in prayer. You were to press on in prayer in vigilance. Mark 14. Mark 14 in verses 26 to 31, we're coming up on the most important time in human history. The crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord God Almighty. They're departing from the Last Supper. They're walking down the Kidron Valley. They're coming up the Mount of Olives and there's a very famous conversation happening where Peter is talking with the Lord and he says in verse 29, even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be, Lord. I will not be. I will not be. Jesus said to him assuredly, I say to you today, even this night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. What pride, what pride Peter has. And then they come to Gethsemane. This place with many olive trees and they came, verse 32, to the place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. They took Peter, James and John with him and he began to be troubled, deeply distressed. In the greatest time of the Lord's trial, what is he doing? But praying fervently in prayer, how much more do you need it? If you think the Lord needs to pray, but you don't, what insanity is that? And Peter like us, he's got that same insanity. The Lord tries to exhort him, verse 34, and he said to him, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death, stay here and watch. That word watch is the same word for vigilant. It's the same word that Paul uses to be awake in prayer. And he went a little farther, verse 35, it fell on the ground. It's like Elijah. And he prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will. Do you see how you're learning from the Lord how to pray? Humbly, praying fervently, praying knowing God as your Father, praying for His will, not your own. And then verse 37, then he came and he found them sleeping. And then he said to Peter, particularly the Peter, the one who led them in pride just a few minutes before. Why did he fall asleep? Why did he not stay awake in prayer? Because he's prideful. Simon, you are sleeping? Could you not? Watch one hour? Again, the word, same word. He says, now he says in verse 38, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And what happened to Peter? Did he stay awake? Did he stay vigilant in prayer? No. No. And what happened? He went into the sin of denying the Lord. And when he looked across the courtyard to see that the Lord arrested and he locks eyes with the Lord and he remembers and the cock crows and he thinks, what a fool I am that I did not pray. How could I have sinned in this way? And he goes out and weeps bitterly. You don't need to be a fool. You can learn from what Peter has done here and you can pray fervently. In fact, the Lord commands you to pray that way, lest you enter into temptation. Trials, they drive us to pray, don't they? They drive us to pray because it's the fabric of life. It is how the Lord has made life. And in some particular times, he gives you hard times so that you know how much you need him and you go on your face again. When you really should be that way in every day, every time, when you look at your cupboard, you should say, I don't know that that food will go from the cupboard to my mouth. Lord, please provide for me my daily bread, day by day. When you go to work, you should pray, not arrogantly. Well, I've done this job for 10 years. No, you should pray. Lord, help me to honor you. You should not be as a mother. Well, I have six children now and I know how to be a good godly mother, but no, you should pray daily. Help me to lead up my children in the nurture and the ammunition of the Lord. You should be desperate, vigilant, awake, persistent in prayer. That is your ministry with the world. Let's turn back to Colossians. We see another aspect in Colossians chapter four of the prayer that it is to be one of thanksgiving. In chapter two, he says, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. The apostle Paul set a wonderful example for us with that thanksgiving prayer. Turn to chapter one, verse three. He says, we give thanks to God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints. You see how thankful he is? He's thankful that the people of Colossia have become Christians. Look at verse nine. For this reason, we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you. Why doesn't he stop to pray? And what does he pray for? He prays that the people might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. They may know what God really wants and live it out with their life in a spiritual understanding. In verse 10, that you may walk worthy of the Lord. He's praying. I'm constantly praying that the church at Colossia would walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God that they may know him, that they may know God. What else does he pray for? This long prayer, his strength. I pray that they might be strengthened with all might according to his glorious power for all patience and long suffering with joy. He says, I know the suffering's coming and I'm praying that they would receive it with great joy, giving thanks to the Father. In verse 12, who's qualified us to become partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. You see, Paul was thankful in prayer. Also in chapter two, verse six and seven, he says, as you therefore have received Christ, Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you've been taught abounding in it with thanksgiving. You should be thankful in prayer. Turn the page to chapter three, verses 16 and 17. Let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom. Keep the Bible in you, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts of the Lord. You see how you're supposed to be singing to the Lord in thankful prayer. Some of you have bouts of depression where you go through your week and you think, nobody knows the trouble I've seen. Nobody knows my sorrows. And you need to sing the Bible. You need to sing the Bible to the Lord. There's a reason why the psalms continually exhort you. Sing to the Lord, sing to the Lord, sing to the Lord, sing to the Lord because you're supposed to sing to the Lord. What amazing work it does in your heart to sing to God with thanksgiving. And it's in the context of our text of how the Christian goes about living in this way because the Word of God is dwelling in him and he's singing it back to the Lord. In verse 17 he says, 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. And even in chapter 4 verse 12, we have the example of a papyrus who is one of you. He was from Colossity, 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. So now back to chapter 4 verse 2. What are you supposed to do? Point number one, you are to press on in prayer constantly, awake with thanksgiving. So what do you do? Pray four. Point number two, pray for your brothers. Verses three to four, pray for your brothers. Look at how the apostle Paul asks for a prayer request. 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, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. So he says, pray for me. Pray for me. That he says that the Word of God may go forward. Do you pray fervently, vigilantly for open doors for the gospel? Do you pray for Lake Eola? Do you pray for Crane's Roots? Do you pray for the people going throughout the week? Do you pray for Saturday morning, door to door? You cannot attend all these events. Some of you have tried by God's grace and you cannot attend them. So what do you do? Let your prayers go with them. You can't, many of you can't go to Bolivia. So your prayers can be there. Many of you can't be with Mike Abendorff or many of you can't be with Pastor Matteo in Bolivia. Many of you can't be in these places but your prayers can go. Many of you can't be with the pastors during the week but your prayers can go. Paul is humble knowing that the opportunity for the gospel comes through prayer. It's literally and figuratively for us because we go door to door. That door won't open unless the Lord opens it. When it opens a little bit and you see the person's eye and they say who is it? You know the Lord has opened that door. When you see the person who's at work even wanting and praying the opportunity to evangelize them and the Lord works it out just the way that you're walking to your car at the same time and their car just happens to be parked right next to yours. And you just happen to be holding your Bible that you read at break time. The Lord has opened that door. The Lord holds back weather so you can preach the gospel. The Lord sets up circumstances so you can preach the gospel. Particular people come along just at the right time and Paul knows how dependent he is on the Lord for this. But do you realize it? Do you pray in that way? That dependent, that fervent, begging God for an open door? Do you pray for your pastors? Do you pray for your small group? Do you pray for your family? Do you pray for your missionaries? Do you remember at the end of Acts Luke adds this little note that where Paul was in house arrest in Rome he was able to preach the gospel, the kingdom of God. Why was he able to do that? Because of the answered prayer. The all the answered prayer. Do you remember in Philippians when he says even though I'm in chains I've been able to witness to the the Caesar's guard, the Praetorian guard. Why was that? Because of the answered prayer when the Bolivia team comes back and those of you who have prayed faithfully and you see the results and you see what has happened that's honoring to Christ you know what you can say with a clean conscience? Look Lord praise your name you heard my prayers for eternal work but if they come back and they give their post testimony and you say oh yes I should have been praying for them you will feel the guilt. The Lord commands you to pray for an open door that he and Paul his prayer is that he may speak the mystery of Christ for which I'm in chains in verse 3. Pray that the mystery of Christ may be spoken despite the cost. Do you know the mystery of crisis? The mystery of Christ is what was not revealed in the Old Testament about the gospel and now is revealed in the New Testament. In Romans 11 25 he talks about how the mystery this particular aspect of the mystery is where the Jewish people become hardened so that Gentiles may come in as part of the mystery. In Romans 16 at the very end of the book verses 25 and 27 he looks back at the book of Romans and the message of the gospel and he says that was an amazing mystery revealed. In Mark 4 verse 11 when the Lord is giving parables he says you know what these reveal? These parables reveal the mystery of the kingdom. Let's look in Colossians and it'll define the mystery for us. Colossians chapter 1 verse 19. The mystery is the gospel and how does he preach the gospel in Colossians? Test yourself if this gospel is in you. Verse 19 for it please the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell that Jesus Christ is God of gods fully God fully man all things have been made by him all things are for him. Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ in that way? Is he not just is he Lord in name only to you? This one who has made you? This one who has revealed to you his character and his word he's come to reconcile you. You don't come seeking him but in verse 20 and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of his cross. This God who has the authority to cast you into hell instead he comes to you to reconcile you to himself what mercy and what kindness because in your hypocrisy most of us have believed ourselves to be Christians and in verse 21 you are alienated and enemies of God in your mind by wicked works you believe because of your many prayers whether one prayer or many prayers that you trusted in you believe that you have been close to God but in hypocrisy we were enemies of God and away from him our good actions did nothing to bring us to God you are not a good person you are not a good person you are not a good person and when you realize that you're beginning to understand the mystery of the gospel that you're separated from him and an enemy of God by your wicked works but he comes forward to reconcile you yet now he is reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless without reproach in his sight what mercy of God to wash away all your sins to give you holiness to give you blamelessness and this faith this genuine Christianity it is one that continues on till death it continues on in verse 23 it is no mere ritual if indeed you continue in faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you've heard which was preached to every creature under heaven of which I Paul became a minister this is the mystery to be revealed to you that God is Lord Jesus Christ that he is your sovereign he is your master you are his slave and that you have been his enemy but he reconciles you you don't reconcile yourself to him and when he does he makes you holy blameless and continuing on till death and Paul in verses 25 24 of 25 he describes his ministry of revealing this mystery and then in verse 26 he says the word of God the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but now has been revealed to the saints this is what Paul wants to preach this is what Paul is asking for prayer requests so that he would make it clear and make it clear and verse 27 he says to them God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles what is mystery like which is Christ in you the hope of glory that Christ himself will be inside you what hope what wonderful good news is this that if you acknowledge these truths you turn from your sin you repent and believe in this gospel then you can be forgiven holy pure and blameless you will have Christ in you the hope of glory back in chapter 4 his prayer request is that he may make the mystery of Christ known and he suffers for it well for which I'm in chains he's in chains then when he's writing this later in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 9 he says how he's in chains but he says the word of God has not changed and that's what he prays for here that though he's in literal change that he prays the word of the Lord may run may run in verse 4 he says that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak manifests is often a word that's used with the mystery and it simply means to be made clear do you pray for that pray that the gospel preaching may be clear that people may understand it pray for the evangelist pray for your brother pray for your sister that they may speak as they ought to speak and this word ought is important word it it means must it is the word day in Greek and it means it is necessary the exegetical dictionary the New Testament says about this about day in the New Testament statements with day or must in English are normally understood more or less as divine decrees what they're saying in this theological dictionary is that when you see this word it means because of a divine decree that must be obeyed God has commanded the apostle Paul that he must must must speak do you pray for your brothers like that this word for must is used in acts 529 when the Peter and John were before the Sanhedrin and they said we must obey God rather than men same word is used Christ use it many times as described his his death he says I must go to Jerusalem I must be given up and crucified Jesus used this word when he described having to go through Samaria to witness the the Samaritan woman at the well he says I must go through Samaria and now the apostle Paul uses it and he says I must speak the gospel and he knows he must speak you see the the bounds of God's sovereignty and he knows God must act he's a Calvinist he knows that he needs these prayer requests but he also knows his responsibility he's a true Calvinist he knows he must speak the gospel he said this before you remember where he said 1 Corinthians 9 woe is me if I don't preach the gospel you remember in first in Romans chapter 1 verses 14 to 15 I'm a debtor to Jews and Greeks I'm not ashamed of the gospel it's something he must do you remember in Acts 20 where he says I'm I don't have the blood of of you on my hands I'm innocent because I've preached the whole counsel of God to you so now if you were to press on in prayer and you were to pray for your brothers what is the final point in verses five and six this text linked together but that you would have walk in wisdom what kind of wisdom are you supposed is this talking about right living well look at the context he just spoke about the need his necessity to preach the gospel and he says walk in wisdom not generally walk in wisdom with those who are outside he's speaking about intentional evangelism not merely go as you go but he's saying you must set aside a time for it you know how you do it wisely you set aside the time you look at your calendar okay this time this time this time i'm going to set it aside and i'm going to do it that's wise he wins souls proverbs 11 30 is wise that is true wisdom and it is a command here for you as the church it's a command corporately and a command individually because it's a letter to the church walk in wisdom with those who are outside how do we do that paul how do we do that redeem the time this is the same word redeeming the time is buying it back it's a marketplace term is used for particular redemption particular atonement how the lord bought particular people the same word here is used for buying particular time you got like a number of bucks that are worth time it's it's uh just like money so much time you have and then you're out what are you doing with your time what are you doing with your time what keeps you from evangelism do you think well do you think pragmatically it's not worth the time i got so many other things to do people aren't going to get saved anyway the other brothers will go anyway do you think pragmatically like that no faith i tell you be wise redeem the time by the time you will not regret it are you afraid of man is that why you don't use the time is it unbelief are you hearing the same sins are keeping you from prayer as they do they keep you from evangelism you lack the joy it will make me happier if i don't do it i don't have the time i'm too busy and i warn you it may be the same unconverted state that keeps you from prayer keeps you from evangelism the mark of someone who does not evangelize is that's the mark of an unbeliever that's what the lord said in matthew chapter 11 if you do not be before man i will deny you for the father in the context of evangelism so walk with wisdom redeeming the time look in first Corinthians chapter seven is an example of this exhortation to redeem the time first Corinthians chapter 7 verse 29 but this i say brethren the time is short so what should we do paul so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none those who weep as though they did not weep those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice those who buy as though they did not possess and those who use this world as not misusing it for the form of this world is passing away this by no means is contradicting what paul has already preached about the importance of caring for your family but he is saying that you gotta be have such an understanding of time that even your family will one day pass away and what matters what matters but did you walk in wisdom redeem the time you will not regret it like john bunion tells stories about when angels they come to him he's not charismatic he wasn't charismatic they were just parables that he would tell allegories hear hear a parable now an angel comes to you and he says to you i want to show you the importance of how you use your time couple means with heaven and the angel brings you up to heaven and you're shocked you think when we'll meet the lord he says i'm not going to let you meet the lord because you won't want to go back says but i have someone else for you to meet and you get over your disappointment but you understand and he comes up to this fat british man and you say oh i know who this is this is charles virgin and he says the angel introduces you to spurgeon and spurgeon says to you my son do you know what i would do if i had more time about the cross i would take isaia 53 a text that's worthy for an angel this angel to speak and if i had more time i would speak about the cross to everyone i came across my time is up but yours is not and the angel says we must move on let me show you jonathan edwards he comes up to jonathan edwards and jonathan edwards tells you dear believer you still have time if i had time you know what i would say i would tell people about the glory of christ and how heaven is unspeakably joyous and i would warn them about sinners in the hands of an angry god and how hell is horrendous but you have time the angel takes you on it takes you on to george whitfield and whitfield says oh but one more time one more time to preach of the gospel in the open air and to see the tears flowing down the faces of sinners as they come to the savior oh but one more time and he tells you with all the emotion and all the vigor he used to preach and then he preaches to you don't waste your life don't waste your time it will soon be gone and what's done for christ last your prayers you're walking in wisdom with the lost in the angel he takes you you to the edge of hell you look down and you recognize someone you say did not i not go to church with him here's before and the angel allows him to speak and he speaks with gritting teeth and curses i used my time i was at church i spoke to others about the gospel he says and i read my bible i gave my finances and this christ sends me to this place the angel takes you away from the end of the cliff and he says you see he used his time for himself all the religious things he did were not for christ they were not to make them manifest to make it clear the mystery of christ they were so that he would consider how a good person he is that's why he curses christ now he thinks he uses his time for the lord but he didn't use it all for himself all the time the lord gave him he used it saying jesus but he's trying to use jesus his name for his own glory an angel takes you he brings you back to earth he tells you how will you use your time don't let the witness and the testimony of others go for nothing don't let the apostle paul's command here go for nothing redeem the time take that time take that time and don't let go of it set it aside and say i will pray i will use it for wisdom with those who are outside i will not waste my life i will not waste my time you will never regret it so i tell you in order to do this faithfully consistently you must take a stand you must man up and take a stand for christ your time will run away with you and you've got to say what is important you've got to humble yourself and say what i will not do in order to get what is necessary what i must do so i plead with you do that do that for the lord and you can only do that if you understand the mystery of christ if that work has been done in you so he says in verse five you must redeem the time and he says in the last verse he says let your speech always be with grace season with salt this is an appropriate balance we need it because some of us will rush out like tigers gobbling up the next person we see but he says when you speak to them remember the grace of god in your life and remember when you speak to them speak to them graciously kindly if you're not ready to cry over a soul then you're not ready to preach that soul about the wrath of god doesn't Jeremiah preach much about the wrath of god and what does he know and he's known as the weeping prophet are you that way do you have the kind gracious words some people don't have them because they don't understand grace and they but they know the responsibility to preach so they just preach the wrath but they don't do it in a gracious way the lord jesus christ was a great example of preaching the grace and wrath at the same time graciously and there's a there's a figure of speech here that's used to highlight that let your speech always be with grace season with salt in the greco roman world this is something that is used to express witty speech you know the appropriate answer for the appropriate time you know when to yell and you know when to whisper you know when to put your hand on the person and cry with them and you and you know when to make them laugh and you wouldn't know when to make them feel guilty you know how that's gracious to them learn this wisdom learn this wisdom and this verse ends that you may know how you ought to answer each one do you see that word ought you remember it from verse four the same divine necessity and now paul does not say it about himself but who does he say it to the church he doesn't say it to the perichurch he says it to you he says it to you corporately and he says it to you individually that you must must speak the gospel you must know how to answer you must respond in this way it is a divine necessity many churches even churches with the true gospel they speak of this dichotomy that is unnecessary this this contradiction that is unnecessary where they say well we have we don't want to have programs of evangelism we just want to have a culture of evangelism so they don't set aside a time to do it they don't redeem the time some people do it individually in those churches and praise god but there is no there's no contradiction between having a culture of evangelism where people talk about evangelism do it in their own daily life and they set aside a time for it these two things go together just like the prayer where the prayer where you pray constantly on your own and you pray assembled in the church see the context here see that this is a divine necessity for you see that this destroys evangelizing as you go but instead you set up a time set up a time to close let's look at the the lord jesus christ and how he used his time in mark one verses 35 to 39 what was his ministry with a world word with a world his ministry with the world was one of praying fervently praying for the believers and then finally walking with wisdom with a lost mark 135 he says now in the morning having risen a long while before daylight he went out and departed to a solitary place and there he prayed when was the last time you woke up in the middle of the night to pray jesus knows that he needs it are you humble enough to know that you need it and simon and those who are with him searched for him and they found him they said to him everyone is looking for you and he said to them let us go into the next towns that i may preach there also because for this purpose i have come forth how did the lord jesus christ use his time but to pray fervently to pray for others and to walk with wisdom with a lost in the parallel passage in luke 4 43 you know what word he uses he uses day he uses i must he says i must preach the kingdom of god to the other cities also because for this purpose i have been sent so go go dear christians with this use of your time and christ will be honored i exhort you one more time one more time before i close because my time is short i don't know when i will pass away take your calendar and say well how can i please christ with my calendar how can i please christ with my time budget and set aside just like you do for tithe you set aside this first set aside what is needy what the lord tells you to do and do it with a fervency do it with a commitment that you want to please him this is the right response to the gospel this is the right response to the gospel set it up i tell you i'm going to make my stand i'm going to make my stand to use my time by god's grace for his glory like a mighty man of david where shema where he takes the the lento field and he posts he takes a stake and he ties a rope to that stake and he says come on philistines i'm not giving up this field i'm going to stand my ground do that with your commitment for the lord where you stand your ground and say this i will use for the lord is the least you can do for our lord let's pray dear god i'm so thankful that we get to pray to you now in a sermon on prayer and we can do it together as a church we pray lord we need help to understand the mystery of the gospel daily in our lives so that by that by what you've done we would be have these desires and this obedience in our life to pray fervently to pray for our brothers to walk with wisdom and lost where we want to honor you and please you we love you lord thank you for giving us an example of how you spend your time i won't we want to spend our time like you did lord so help us to do that amen