Those Who Are Outside
Introduction:
As Paul is nearing the end of his letter to the
Christians in the city of Colosse, he reminds them of their great
obligation to those who are outside, to bring them to Christ. This
letter was written to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who
are in Colosse. (Colossians 1:2) “To the saints and faithful
brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” NKJV Anyone who is
not a faithful brother or sister is considered by God to be “those
who are outside.” This includes those who have never been citizens
of the kingdom as well as those who have strayed from the faith. As
such, they were without hope! (Colossians 1:13) “He has
delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the
kingdom of the Son of His love,” NKJV (Colossians 1:23) “If
indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are
not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which
was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul,
became a minister.” NKJV Paul instructs the Colossian
Christians that the way to bring them to Christ was four-fold in
nature:
1.
Pray
2.
Walk wisely
3.
Redeem the time
4.
Speak graciously
Text:
Colossians 4:2-6
Body:
I.
Pray
Colossians
4:2-4 “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, for which I
am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to
speak.” NKJV “Continue earnestly” This is from a strong
word in Greek which means “to pay persistent attention to.” Even
though Paul was in prison for preaching the gospel, he pleaded with
them to pray that he would have an opportunity to speak the word,
the message of Jesus Christ.
A wonderful passage of Paul’s is II Corinthians
2:12-17. “Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s
gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my
spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave
of them, I departed for Macedonia. Now thanks be to God who always
leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance
of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of
Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are
perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death,
and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is
sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling
the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in
the sight of God in Christ.” NKJV His desire was to preach the
gospel as it ought to be preached, “manifest”: clear, evident, to
show plainly. (Ephesians 6:18-20) “praying always with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end
with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints – and for
me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth
boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an
ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to
speak.” NKJV There is a way the word ought to be spoken, and a
way it should not be spoken. Being in prison, he may have been
tempted to soften the message and compromise it in some manner. But
he said “pray for me that I may speak it boldly, firmly, and without
fear.” Let us continually pray for the lost, let us speak
plainly, courageously, and without compromise. If we want someone
to change from one position to another, he must be convinced that
the position he is leaving is false and the position he is embracing
is true. Pray that you will do your best to convince him of
that very thing, to come to Christ and remain faithful to Him.
II.
Walk Wisely
Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside,
redeeming the time.” NKJV Show wisdom toward those who are
outside. They possess a soul made in the image of God. They are
priceless. (Matthew 16:26) “For what profit is it to a man if
he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a
man give in exchange for his soul?” NKJV It is wise to seek to
win souls to Christ. (Proverbs 11:30) “The fruit of the
righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.” NKJV
If we walk as Jesus did, our hearts will be heavy
over those who are outside, and we will make the effort to bring the
alien sinner to Christ and bring the prodigal back to the fold.
(Luke 19:10) “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that
which was lost.” NKJV
III.
Redeem the Time
Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward those who are
outside, redeeming the time.” NKJV The psalmist said that it
is like this: “So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a
heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) NKJV Our days are fleeting
and must be used wisely. We should allow no opportunity to
teach the lost to slip through our hands, but should bring up
every passing moment. When the 1st Century church in
Jerusalem was persecuted, instead of lying low, they used this as an
opportunity to preach the gospel. (Acts 8:4) “Therefore those
who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” NKJV
When Paul and Silas were in a jail in Philippi, they used it as a
chance to teach their jailer about Christ. (Acts 16) We
should look for opportunities to teach those who are outside. (John
4:34-35) “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who
sent Me, and to finish His work.’ Do you not say, ‘There are still
four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you lift
up your eyes and look to the fields, for they are already white for
harvest!’ ” NKJV As we go into all the world, preach the
gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) “And He said to them,
‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
NKJV This also includes restoring a fallen brother or sister.
(James 5:19-20) “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the
truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a
sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and
cover a multitude of sins.” NKJV The lost must be taught
before judgment comes for then it’s too late. Listen to Paul’s
advice in Ephesians 5:15-17. “See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are
evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of
the Lord is.” NKJV There are plenty of things in the world to
get us to waste our time. We must be alert to them. A danger
exists in watching too much TV, playing too much ball,
fishing too much. A little is fine, but be sure your time could not
better be spent. We are reminded of I Timothy 4:8. “For
bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for
all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which
is to come.” NKJV Let us be sure we use our time in pursuit of
good.
IV.
Speak Graciously
Colossians 4:6 “As you therefore have received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” NKJV Our speech needs to
always be concerned with others; never abusive, harsh, unkind,
condescending, or coarse but considerate of others’ feelings. Those
who are outside will never listen to us if we speak corrupt words.
(Ephesians 4:29) “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but
what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to
the hearers.” NKJV Our words need to be seasoned with salt,
made fit for use. Tough love is sometimes warranted. Salt has a
saving and healing power. Our words need to reach the lost and
bring them to Christ. Before this happens, we must consider how
best to talk with each person we meet. Listen to the sage advice of
Paul. (I Peter 3:15) “But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks
you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”
NKJV Study so you can give good answers!
Closing:
We have a great responsibility in teaching the alien
sinner as well as trying to retrieve the erring child of God. It is
not an easy task. All of us know many who are “those who are
outside.” We owe them and we must use every opportunity while we
can to bring them into a saving relationship with Christ. (II
Timothy 2:24-26) “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be
gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those
who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so
that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses
and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him
to do his will.” NKJV
Bobby Stafford March 19, 2017
Colossians: Lesson 13 Colossians 4:2-6
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