I invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning again, once again, to Paul's letter to the Colossians, Paul's letter to the Colossians, that's Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, chapter 4, it's on page 1, 2, 5, 4 in the Pew Bible. Our text this morning will be from verses 2 through 5, I'm sorry, 2 through 6 of that chapter. Which brings to a close what Paul has been presenting to us from chapter 3, verse 5. And through these verses, from 3, 5 through 4, 6 now, Paul has been turning our attention away from false teachers to the law of God as the only guide for our Christian life. The only guide for what it means to practice true holiness, true piety, not only as individuals before the face of God, but in our relationships with one another, here in the church and especially at home. And in bringing the law of God to bear on our lives and to instruct us in how to live, Paul has been careful to remind us over and over again of the gospel as the only ground for this holiness, as the only motivator and power source for this holiness. So we hear the weight of the law, and we need to hear it, but we must always hear it remembering that it's the gospel that drives us to obey, that enables us to obey. When our text is sworn in, Paul's going to turn our attention apart from ourselves, outside of ourselves, to those that he calls outsiders, and instructs us for how we are to relate to them. And as he speaks, he speaks to us in the church, those who are here who have been converted once and for all, who have been redeemed in Christ to live inside his kingdom. And he reminds us that the mystery of the gospel through which we were saved, by which we were brought into this kingdom, is not ours to hoard, but it is ours to extend to outsiders. So until Christ returns in glory, converting day by day involves us in making known this good news to those who are outside the church. But we ask, why did the church in Colossae need to hear this? We might ask, why does the church today need to hear this? It's because we who have been made insiders easily forget that we were once outsiders. So that we lock ourselves up in holy huddles, our backs to the world and our faces to each other, and we stay there so long that we can turn into the frozen chosen, content to live in what some have called the Christian ghetto. Reverend Don Carson warns, the last thing the church needs is a local church that hunkers down into ethnically and culturally pure enclaves that is biblically wrong and stupid strategically. What Paul sets before us this morning is biblically correct and strategically wise. And he prescribes the way to relate to outsiders. So that through the mystery of the gospel, more and more may be brought inside before the way of salvation is closed. So Paul's part of an exhortation to the church today is to be who you are in Jesus Christ for the sake of outsiders. Keep your attention now to the word of God. I will lead up to our text by reading a few verses from chapters 2 and 3. Beginning at chapter 2, verse 6, By way of reminder, therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Then dropping down to verse 9, For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And across the page, chapter 3, verse 1, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. And this is the launching point for which Paul steps out to start applying to us the word of God. And so we bring that launch with us today when we hear these words from chapter 4. Verse 2, continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 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. 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. Here ends the reading of God's word. Well, we want to begin by noting that Paul is speaking to those who have already been converted. To those who have been converted once for all and who have become thankful to God for being brought inside. Prayerful as a result and walking in wisdom. This is the way of living on the inside. So when Paul refers to outsiders in verse 5, it implies that he's speaking to insiders, which is what we are. and our flesh likes that we always like to be on the inside and as soon as we hear that we can be tempted to boast just as the saints in Corinth did so that Paul had to rebuke them saying what do you have that you did not receive and if then you received it why do you boast as if you did not receive it we're reminded that there's no room for boasting inside the church we've done nothing and we've deserved nothing that God has given us in Christ our insider status is something that God has given us of grace alone it's a standing that is ours by his hand just as Paul told you and me in chapter 1 verse 12 that it's God who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light therefore our status as insiders is not a cause for pride or boasting, it's a cause for thankfulness we recognize what God has done for us, we will be thankful it's not something we have to conjure up it's not something that we have to commit ourselves to as we remember and believe and rest in the work of God for us in Christ we are thankful and so as insiders we have begun to be thankful thankful to god for our salvation which he has accomplished on our behalf from first to last we're thankful to the father for choosing us we're thankful to him for sending his son into the world for us we're thankful to god the son who gave himself by living a perfect life in our place and to dying on the cross in our place we're thankful to god the holy spirit who raised jesus christ from the dead on the third day and raises us up in christ through faith by the hearing of the gospel. We have begun to be thankful for being joined to Christ through faith so that we've been translated from death to life and from darkness to light, from being enemies of God to becoming children of God, from being outside to being inside the kingdom of God. For this we are thankful. And the more we are thankful, the more we are prayerful. Again, it's automatic. If you're struggling with your prayers, you're struggling with gratitude. If you're struggling with gratitude, you've forgotten the gospel. But as we're more and more thankful, we're more and more prayerful. And the reason for that is, as the Heidelberg says, that prayer is the chief part, the first part, the most important part of our gratitude to God. It's our primary expression of our gratitude. And so as insiders, we have begun to pray. To pray to Almighty God as our Father in Heaven because of Jesus Christ. To pray to Him for the work of Christ that has justified us in His court and has sanctified us by His Spirit through His Word. And as insiders, we are growing more and more confident that until this sanctification process is complete, Christ is at work in us by His Spirit to more and more want to and more and more be able to pray. See, prayer is the delight of insiders. It's a distinctly Christian privilege. There's a lot that passes for prayer in this world, but the only prayer that is prayer in the biblical sense is prayer that is to God the Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ, our only mediator in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's a distinctly Christian privilege. And so for insiders, our thankfulness leads to our prayerfulness and by our prayerfulness, our dependence upon God in all things, we grow in our sanctification. We grow in our obedience. We grow in our wisdom to walk as Jesus wants us to walk. We grow in our ability to walk in a manner that's pleasing to God. We more and more walk in wisdom. Now, 2 Timothy chapter 3 says that through faith in Jesus Christ, the scriptures are able to make you wise unto salvation. And for those who are saved, the word of God now is profitable for teaching, reproofing, correcting, and training in righteousness. To what end? That the man of God, the people of God, may be complete, equipped for every good work. Walking in wisdom comes by walking out of this Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. It takes wisdom to make the vital connection between our knowledge of God's Word and our ability to obey God's Word. Wisdom is the work of the Holy Spirit that connects the mind of Christ, which is ours in the Scripture, to the work of Christ through us in this world. It connects our doctrine, which is important, to our living, which is important, but neither of which can stand on their own. Wisdom is what ties them together, and we are to walk in wisdom. We are walking in wisdom and growing in this walk. And the more we walk in wisdom, having our minds renewed through the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit, the more we are able and willing to rightly apply this word in whatever circumstance we come into. We'd like to think that approaching life needs a little cheat sheet. I need to know what to do when this happens. I need a proof text. It's not how it works. As we deposit the word of God in our minds and in our hearts by the power of the Spirit, It's there, and we, by wisdom and the power of the Spirit, we react to things in a different way than we used to. We can get paralyzed trying to look for the thing, to look for the clue, to look for the exact thing to say or do. When we've been freed to walk in wisdom, spending time in God's Word, and trusting that by the Spirit, that as we approach new circumstances and we approach new people, we're just free to be who we are in Christ. And to live toward them as his people. We've reviewed all this because all of this is presupposed by what Paul brings to the Christians in Colossae today. All this is presupposed as already happening in the lives of the people to which he issues two commands. You see, as Christians, we have been given much, but we are not to hoard it to ourselves. we're called to be who we are in Christ for the sake of those who are yet outside. And that's what Paul wants to have us turn what we're already doing toward. So as we press forward, converting day by day, God calls us to keep looking and pressing outward toward those who are outsiders in two chief ways. First, as we continue steadfastly in prayer, Our prayer life is to concern outsiders. And as we continue to walk in wisdom, our living would have a concern for outsiders. And both of these commands are commands to continue in what we've already begun to do as insiders. But as we do, we must not turn our backs on the world. We must not turn our backs on those who are still outside. We must not turn our backs on the Great Commission, which tells us to go. To go and to make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teaching them all to observe all that I have commanded you. We are to go. So Paul's first command that applies to this going in verses 2 through 4 is for the saints to continue steadfastly in prayer. And as we do, we are to continue to be watchful in it. Meaning we are not to neglect prayer. And when we practice prayer, not to be careless in how we do it. How well Paul knows we need this encouragement in prayer, does he not? To be watchful in prayer. It can become automatic. It can become empty. It can remain undone. Continue steadfastly in prayer. Be watchful in it. You see, to continue steadfastly in prayer requires perseverance. It requires hard work through faith against the distractions of a world that tell you that there's better things and more important things to do. Against the resistance of your own flesh that has a hard time learning a new habit. And every time we stop, we have to start all over again. to persevere against the opposition of the devil who certainly discourages our prayers. Undermining our assurance, giving us pause, causing us to doubt our worthiness. Of course, we're not worthy apart from Christ. We're to persevere in prayer. We're to fight for it. We're to work at it because we know the Holy Spirit is at work in us to want to do it and to be able to do it more and more. And then Paul reminds us to continue praying with thanksgiving. And as we've already rehearsed and reviewed, thanksgiving alone is what motivates us to pray. Thanksgiving alone is what gives perspective to our prayers so that when we are asking God for things, we're not forgetful of all that He's already given and all that He's promised to give. And then in verse 3, Paul calls on the saints to include a particular request. Whenever you pray, he says, at the same time, whenever you pray, pray also for us. And what's implied here is that we pray, as he asked the saints to pray for him, it's for the purpose of those that Paul would have influence with. It's for the purpose of outsiders. Paul didn't pray for more food, better shelter, freedom from chains, or an open door for him to leave prison. He prayed for the sake of the gospel, of which he's a minister, that it might be effective for others. Paul calls for prayer that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ. To the Colossian saints who were once outsiders and who had become insiders through the hearing and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul is now calling on them to pray that Paul and his companions would be able to declare the same gospel to others that they would not consider themselves to have it all to themselves that they would long for it to be shared and proclaimed to others, to outsiders and to this request Paul added this personal request in verse 4 he says that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak now it's certainly true that Paul would want to be clear whenever he proclaimed the gospel. As every minister of the gospel longs to be clear. But Paul is asking for something much more specific here and we need to recognize it. And it has to do with him being in prison on account of the gospel, which is what he just said. I'm in prison on account of the gospel. Pray that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak. Well, in one sense, Paul is in prison as a result of the gospel. as a result of preaching the gospel. The final chapters of Acts tell the story, and it's quite a saga. But in another sense, which is the point here, Paul was in prison for the purpose of preaching the gospel. He was there for the purpose of preaching the gospel to outsiders, to the Gentiles. His journey to Rome began with a visit from Jesus, who told him to Paul, he said, Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so shall you testify in Rome. This is your mission. And along the way to Rome, at every stop, Paul had opportunity to proclaim the gospel before every official that wanted to hear his case. And from prison in Rome, Paul also wrote a letter to the Philippians, and there he said, I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. So that it has become known throughout the whole Imperial Guard and to all the rest of my imprisonment that it is for Christ. My imprisonment has served the purpose for which I have been called, and that is to proclaim the gospel to outsiders. And even here we must remember that when Paul wrote these letters, he had yet to appear before the judgment seat in Rome. And it's in anticipation of that climactic event when he would finally, in Rome, present the gospel to the Caesar, whom they considered Lord of lords and King of kings. He was going to present the gospel to Caesar. That Paul called on the saints to pray for him that he would make it clear. It's necessary for him to speak it clearly. That's why he's there. So Paul wanted them to pray that when the time came for him to fulfill his commission to stand and deliver the gospel before the court of Rome, that he would make it clear, leaving nothing hidden about the mystery of Christ. So that the outsiders would listen to him, understand him, and believe, Lord willing, that Jesus is God's beloved Son, in whom alone there is redemption and the forgiveness of sins. The mighty Paul, apostle to the Gentiles, the most prolific of gospel writers, letter writers, the most prominent ambassador for Jesus Christ, knew his dependence upon God to fulfill his purpose and the power of God's people to pray for him toward that end. Well, Paul has since died and has, of all the apostles, but the apostolic mission continues. The ends of all the earth shall hear, but have yet to hear. And therefore, this commandment comes down to us today. And it has bearing on us today. So, as we, the people of God, who have been brought inside the kingdom of God, as we continue steadfastly in prayer, We must add to our petitions that are often for ourselves and for others who are on the inside. The petition and pray for the minister of God that he will bring to us to preach the gospel to us here. Be in prayer for the ministers of the gospel in this federation that proclaim the gospel to God's people and to the world. Both here in church plants and in mission fields around the world. And to every minister and every true church and every mission field that God would open the door for the gospel to be proclaimed not just for insiders, but for outsiders. That the kingdom of God would be extended, it would grow. That's to be part of our prayer, that's to be part of our awareness, that's to be part of our purpose. Our purpose as saints of God in Escondido is so much bigger than Escondido. It's so much bigger than our own households, our own families. We are to continue steadfastly in prayer. And in those prayers to ask God to open the door for the word. Until the Lord Jesus comes again in the flesh, we who have been made insiders are to continue to pray whenever we pray that the means of the gospel preached would be used of the Holy Spirit to create faith and make insiders out of outsiders. until Christ returns. Now, every insider is called to pray for the public declaration of the gospel. It needs to be part of our regular prayer life. The Church of Jesus Christ requires it. But not everyone's called to preach. Every insider is, however, called to continue to walk in wisdom. And this is Paul's second commandment in verses 4 through 6, or 5 through 6. And we are to do so at least in part for the sake of outsiders. As we walk in wisdom, which is part of our life on the inside, this walk is to be at least in part for the sake of outsiders. In the answer to question 86 of our Heidelberg Catechism, we confess that one reason that we do good is so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. And that's exactly the point Paul is going to make in these verses. That's the purpose, one of the purposes for why we do good. That by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Well, Paul helps us understand how this looks in two ways. First, to walk in wisdom toward outsiders involves making the best use of the time. Making the best use of the time. Well, this certainly suggests that we're to make the most of every opportunity, which is how the NIV translates it. It's good, it's helpful, it's part of what's involved here. Because if every interaction with an unbelieving neighbor is a divine appointment established by God, and it is, even when it cramps my personal calendar, if it's a divine appointment, then it is certainly precious. And it's something that we ought to be diligent to take up, and when we do, it's something we ought to act wisely in. We need to recognize, learn to recognize opportunities, and take them up, and exert ourselves in them. But we're pressed to greater diligence in this regard when we remember that God has limited these appointments to the time that remains until Christ returns. This is not an unlimited offer. We don't have unlimited opportunities. Now, Paul says, is the day of salvation. And 2 Peter chapter 3 tells us that God grants this time because he's patient with outsiders, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But as patient as God is, the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the day of salvation will come to an end. And the burden of this time falls on those who are insiders by the grace of God. This burden is ours. It is we who are to walk. It is we who are to live toward outsiders, not them toward us. And the time is short. We live like it's forever. The time is as short as a breath. Even though your bumper sticker may say not of this world. While we live in this world, we are to engage and not avoid outsiders. And we're to do so for their sake, not ours. So how do we do it? How are we supposed to act? Another book in the making. You want a checklist, don't you? I can't give you one. But I can tell you where to look. And that's to look at how God has lived toward you and Jesus Christ as the model for how you are to live toward those who are outside. If you don't know what to do in the presence of an unbeliever, reflect on what Christ has done for you while you are still dead in your trespasses and sins, while you are still his enemy. While you were still unlovable. While you were still a miserable sinner. You know what it is to be loved by God in Christ. As you think on that, that's how you are to love your neighbor as yourself. Even your enemy. You know what it is to receive mercy from God in Christ. As you look at the outsider, you show him the mercy that you've received from God in Christ. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful, Jesus said. You get the idea, in these ways and in every way, we're to be imitators of God as his beloved children. He's our Father in Christ Jesus, and we have been given the revelation of his life toward us in Christ. That we might have a life toward outsiders in the name of Christ. And we need to know that whether we like it or not and whether we think we're ready or not, your neighbor on the outside sees the sermon of your life before you ever speak. Therefore, Paul says, walk in wisdom toward outsiders. You're being watched. Well, in time, Lord willing, you will have opportunity to speak. And when you do, Paul says, let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. Well, I can tell you that books have been written about this. And the topic seems so overwhelming and we get tongue-tied when we think about speaking to an unbeliever. We're afraid we're going to say something wrong. we're afraid we're going to use the wrong word at the wrong time in the wrong way. And so we zip it. You know how we are. We don't know what to say. We don't say anything. Well, Jesus says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And therefore, at the risk of oversimplifying, let me encourage you with these guidelines. When the gospel of grace is what drives your speech, your speech will be gracious. And when the wisdom of God from His Word informs your speech, the words that you choose will be savory, tasty, substantial. So all you need to remember is the gospel of Jesus Christ for you. And out of that motive, your words will come. And whatever you know from God's Word, as it permeates your thinking and controls your understanding and informs your speech, your speech will be salty. It will be good. That's enough. That's all you're called to. The work on the other end is God's, not yours. You see, your goal, after all, not only in the way that you live, but especially in the way that you speak, is to earn the right for the gospel to be heard by those on the outside. Your goal is to come to know with time and with experience and with walking in wisdom how you ought to answer each person. You're on a learning curve, and it's okay. You don't have to get it right. You just have to get to it. And Lord willing, the Lord will give you opportunity to grow in this way. You see, the gospel of Jesus Christ itself is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. When they finally hear the gospel, that's where the rubber meets the road, and that's where the Spirit does His work, and that's where sheep and goat are divided. We are called to walk and talk toward outsiders in such a way that we're not the cause for stumbling. And we're not the cause of offense. that we would stand in the way of them ever hearing the gospel. Persevere in prayer that the gospel would be extended and proclaimed and continue to walk in wisdom toward outsiders that by the sermon of your life and by the graciousness of your speech they would have opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we ask that God would grant us the grace today to heed this word and to remember that we used to be outsiders so that we break out of our holy huddles and turn our backs to each other and out to the world and enjoy a new vitality in walking and talking with wisdom toward those who are on the outside to the glory of God to be sure but for the benefit of our neighbors. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we must confess that in our sinfulness, we grow too comfortable on the inside of your kingdom and forget from whence we came. We tend to be forgetful of the gospel of Jesus Christ that has brought us in. As we do, Father, we are thankful. And as we're thankful, we are prayerful. And as we're prayerful, we are wise to walk according to your will. And Lord, we pray that from your word today we would know and we would be willing and we would be able to add to our repertoire of prayer a remembrance of the gospel proclamation that you have willed to go to the ends of this earth and that we would be used of you to extend it there through our prayers. We pray, Father, that you would equip us by your spirit to walk ever more wisely, with eyes to the outside with a concern for our neighbor that shows in how we live and how we speak and that we would earn the right to be heard and that curiosity would be piqued to ask what it is we believe and why it is we do what we do that we might be able to witness to our faith to the faith that is ours through the power of your Spirit. And Lord, that we would be given opportunity to bring outsiders in to hear the proclamation of the Gospel that by the working of their Spirit, faith would be created, new lives established, and the Kingdom of Christ extended. This is our prayer we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.