Colossians 4:3-4

The Book of Colossians, chapter 4, reading verses 2, 3, and 4. Our focus will be on verses 3 and 4 this morning. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving. Withal, praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I have. am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. Thank God bless to us His holy and sacred word this evening. Famous Baptist minister, C.H. Spurgeon once said that there are those who claim it is useless to pray. He said, people claim nothing ever comes of it, and so it’s a vain exercise. To which Spurgeon said, they remind me of the Irish prisoner who was brought up for murder, and a half dozen people swore that they had seen him do the deed. The prisoner, speaking to the judge, said, your lordship, I could bring you ten times as many people who didn’t see me do it. Spurson said, yes, but that’s no evidence of all at all, because six people actually did see you do it. The same manner, those who claim, he said that prayer is worthless, basically say, I don’t pray and God doesn’t answer my prayers. Exactly. The Apostle Paul certainly believed in prayer. We see him giving it the utmost importance in this text of Scripture. We mentioned last week how after giving all the duties for the Christian, one of the first things he gets into here is prayer. because how difficult it is to carry out all that we’re commanded to do. In verses 2 through 4 here, Paul exhorts believers to pray earnestly. It’s essential for the Christian life. John Owen, the famous Puritan once said, He who prays as he ought will endeavor to live as he prays. Daily prayer focuses your attention on God and His kingdom and His people. We looked at last week in verse 2, your need of prayer, you need to persevere in prayer, you need to be watchful in prayer, and you need to be thankful in prayer. But today, I want to speak on your duty to pray for your minister. Let me begin by saying this. You should earnestly pray for ministers of the gospel. He says, with all, praying also. for us. Now, in general, we could say that the us here implies other believers besides yourself. Let’s just take it in its most widest sense. As we read in Ephesians 6 and verse 18, praying always with all prayer and supplication for all the saints. All believers are partakers of a common salvation. We all face a common foe, we’re all subject to the same types of problems, the same trials, if you would, as we go through the Christian life. So you’re not alone. You’re part of a universal body of Christ. We are members one of another, and therefore the people of God are mutually interdependent upon one another. Perhaps for this reason, we find Samuel believed that it would be sinful if he did not pray for his people. He’s about to step down from his position as prophet because now they have a king. He says, far be it for me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, meaning the whole people of Israel. Look at Abraham. Now Abraham is an example of someone who was justified by faith. He certainly, is someone we can look to as an example for us. He’s suitable in that category. Abraham was greatly concerned about his fellow believer and his relative lot. And you’ll recall that Abraham prayed earnestly for his wayward nephew because he was living in that wicked and perverse city of Sodom. And you find Abraham pleading with God not to destroy the righteous with the wicked. And God heard his intercession. And God sent the two angels. And before they destroyed Solomon and Gomor in the cities of the plain. What did they do? They grabbed hold of Watt and his wife and his two daughters and hauled them out of the city. And God spared him. Lot owed a lot to Lot to Abraham’s intercession. We read in Numbers chapter 14 about Moses who was another example that shows us the importance of praying for the people of God. At one point, God’s anger waxed hot against Israel and God said that he was going to destroy the whole nation for its wickedness. How long will these people provoke me? I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them and make of thee a greater nation. Numbers 14, verse 12. And so Moses begins pleading with the Lord. Interceding on Israel’s behalf. Pardon, I beseech the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now. And the Lord pardoned them. He he heated Moses’ intercession. Now one of the great problems we can have as Christians is to be so focused on our self that we don’t think about others. And so Paul would have us realize we have to pray not only for ourselves, but for all other believers. You can become so consumed with your own problems, even spiritual problems that you may have. And they are certainly a legitimate area of concern for your own prayer life, but don’t forget the us here of the text. Because God would look, have you looked beyond the life of your own life to the lives of others. To pray for one another. To love your neighbor, your Christian neighbor, your Christian neighbor, in this case in particular, as yourself. So don’t be selfish in your prayer lot. But if we narrow this down, because I think Paul certainly means to do that, you should have a great concern for the propagation and increase of the gospel. When he says for us, he’s talking about Paul, and his companions in the ministry in particular. Not just for believers outside of yourself, but here, if we narrow this down a little bit, we have to include the idea of those who are preaching the gospel. There are many things that are to be prayed for from our God. Both for yourself, for the other believers. But the context shows, but one of the great things, things we should be concerned about is the advancement of God’s kingdom on this earth. His kingdom coming, that we would continue to preach, that the gospel continue to be preached and propagated on the earth. So for us, he refers to those who are preaching the gospel, particularly those involved in the missionary work, Paul and Titus and Timothy and Silas and so forth. So pray for your first. fellow believers, but especially for the ministers of the gospel because they’re in the front lines of advancing the kingdom of God. Your prayer should include that idea that Christ’s kingdom is to advance on this earth through the preaching of the Word of God. So you should have a great concern for the propagation and increase in the gospel. You should realize even spiritually great men need the prayers of the common saints. Let me narrow that Astan even further. Not only just for all the other believers, not just for the ministers of the gospel, that here’s an apostle includes himself. Me. Don’t forget me. What man is of such gifts and abilities that he doesn’t need the help of God? God through the prayers of the people of God. Even the great apostle himself cannot do without the intercessions of the saints. What a staggering thought, this mighty giant of the faith. This man who has had a revelation of Jesus Christ, an exceptional apostle, needs prayer. Paul was certainly gifted. courageous spiritually strong but he cannot do without the prayers of the people of God. Let us learn from this. It doesn’t matter what church office you hold. It doesn’t matter how spiritually mature you may be. How elevated you may be, even in the eyes of the church, you need prayer. Satan knows that if he strikes the shackes, this sheep will be scattered and therefore the ministers are always on the front lines and are the targets of Satan? Who did Satan target among the disciples of Christ? That was that outspoken Peter, wasn’t it? The one that had the boldness to speak. The one who would be early on used to propagate the gospel of Jesus. He’d be the chief spokesman. Satan desired to sift him as wheat to destroy his credibility and his usefulness for the kingdom of God. And he needed Christ intercession in prayer. I have prayed for you that your faith doesn’t fit. Augustine said, the apostle prays for the people. The people pray for the apostle. All members pray for themselves, and the head intercedes for all. Let me make this observation. In comparison to the apostle, Paul, I am a rather poor, weak minister of Jesus Christ. Don’t ever think that I don’t need your prayers. My second observation is this. Perhaps if the people of God were more diligent about praying for their minister, then we would have the kingdom of God advancing more and declining less. So you should earnestly pray for ministers of the gospel. I think that certainly is an emphasis here. Now, what you should pray for regarding ministers of the gospel, he takes up also. In the second part of verse 3, you should pray for Christ to open a door of utterance for the minister. Praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance. You remember what Jesus told. the disciples in Luke 2115, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Now, what does he mean he’s going to give them a mouth and wisdom? He means that he’s going to give them the ability to speak well, to have freedom of expression when they give out the gospel of Jesus Christ, to skillfully relate the truth, to speak to speak to, speak pertinently and freely on the subject. And he’s going to give them wisdom. Give them the ability to prudently answer the questions or those ensnaring questions or the difficulties that they face. He’s going to prefer to furnish such knowledge of the gospel that they’re going to be able to only preach it but to defend it. To marshal the arguments in such a way. That they will leave their people that hear their opponents confounded by the message. I want you to look at Acts chapter 4 with me a moment. I’ll just take a couple examples from Acts. There’s some in the Old Testament we could look at as well, but let’s just look at a couple of the news this morning. Acts chapter 4, let’s look at verses 8 to 14. We read here, then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost. said unto them, ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which, was set at naught of you builders, which has become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, but there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be said. Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled, and they marveled, and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. God gave them a mouth. He gave them wisdom in this response and in dealing with this situation. You find the same thing in chapter 6 of the book of Acts with regard to Stephen in verses 8 to 10. and Stephen, full of faith and power and did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the libertines, and the Chiririnians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Solicia, and of Asia, disputing with Stephen, but they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. So the first thing here, open a door of utterance that God would indeed give a mouth and wisdom to ministers to preach the gospel of Christ and proclaim it convincingly. The second thing this indicates to us is the opportunity to preach the gospel. A door is usually necessary as a way of entrance. We think about a gate or a wall that has a gate in it, a door in it. you may be shut out of access to something, and then the door is open, and you can go through the door. Paul says in 1st, Corinthians 169, for a great door and effectual was open to me. And he’s going to take advantage of that open opportunity, that door. So Paul desires that the gospel to have a free course, that he would have an opportunity to preach it in new areas. God’s providence, controls this door of access. As Paul’s, as Christ’s words reveal to the Church of Philadelphia in the book of Revelation, I’ve set before you an open door and no man can shut it. I’ve given you an opportunity. God controls the spread of the gospel. At times, forbidding Paul to go to one area and sending him to another, as the book of Acts indicates. Paul, desires not only the opportunity to preach, but an opportunity that will be effectual. For a great door, and effectual is open unto me. For the conversion of many souls here. He wants success in his ministry. The third thing this indicates to us is the removal of any obstacle opposing the gospel of Christ. no man can shut the door that God opens. And so that’s what the prayer is. A divinely open door, no one can shut. God can sweep away. He can remove all hindrance so that the gospel goes forth in power and deals with hearts. Often, when the gospel was preaching, you see this with Paul, how much opposition he had. He had opposition from the Gentiles because he was, speaking against idol worship. And the people who they were engaged in making money off of fashioning idols, they weren’t happy. You find that the Jews weren’t happy. And so on and on it goes. No matter where he goes, he seems to have trouble. There’s opposition to him. But God can prevent the most hardened animosity from silencing the message of the gospel. of Christ. Keep the door open. You remember when Paul and Silas started the missionary work on the island of Cyprus, their first endeavor. They encountered a certain Jewish sorcerer. This evil man named the Limus, withstood them, the Bible says, seeking to turn people away from the gospel of Jesus Christ, particularly Sergius Paulus, a chief official on the island. Paul being filled with the Holy Ghost severely rebuked him saying, oh, full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, will thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord and God struck alimus with blindness and he removed that obstacle. I will not let you close the door to the gospel here on this island of such. for us. I will allow Paul and Barnabas to preach the gospel. I will keep that door open. Let me make these observations this morning. You should pray for God to give your minister the skill and the wisdom to proclaim God’s word faithfully. Let us be clearly understanding this point. No one has the natural ability to open up the scriptures. The gift comes from God. The ability to be someone who can give you something sound, useful, and practical comes from God. A mouth and wisdom. Secondly, many people come to church expecting the minister proclaim wondrous things from scripture. Let me ask you this. Did you pray for him at home before you got here? Have you been praying that he would be given something wonderful from the word of God to give to you? A third thought is this. You will endeavor in vain to spread the gospel if God does not open a door of opportunity for you. Lord, give me an opportunity to proclaim the gospel of Christ, not only for the minister, but for all of us, really, we should pray that. Give me an open door. Open an opportunity for him. The fourth thought is this. Political leaders, false teachers, ungodly men, have often attempted to hinder the spread of the gospel of Christ. Satan has his agents, and yet we find that God can keep the door open. If Satan had his will, he would keep the gospel from ever going out from Jerusalem. He couldn’t do it. If God had his will, if God had his will, way he would have put Paul to death a lot of Satan had his way he would have put Paul to death a lot earlier, but he couldn’t do it. God kept the door open for Paul and he continued to preach the gospel and established churches despite all the opposition. If they stoned him, it didn’t matter. However great the opposition, God can still keep the door open for us, keep the word of God effectual. Nothing is too hard for God to remove. So you should pray for God to open a door of utterance for your ministers. Now, you should pray for the enablement of ministers to speak the mystery of Christ. He says here, this is what he needs prayer about. To speak the mystery of Christ. What is the main purpose of preaching? The main purpose of preaching is not just give you some kind of moral code, but is to proclaim the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. Christ and his person, his nature, his offices are a mystery. Revealed to it. These things are revealed to us in His Word. God’s Word. The incarnation that God could be manifested in the flesh. The eternal sonship of Christ as the only begotten of the Father. The union of the two natures of Christ. in the God man, the offices of Christ’s prophet, priest and king, the sinlessness of Christ, and he’s the perfect man who obeyed every jot and tittle of the law of God. All these things are mysterious. We can talk about Christ in his gospel work being a mystery. His redemption of sinners by blood atonement. His granting of a perfect righteousness. to the sinner so that we are justified in the sight of God. His sancta, satisfying God’s holiness by his sacrifice on the cross is a mystery. The resurrection from the dead that he would be the first fruits of those who slept. His ascension to God’s throne to reign as king. All these things are wrapped up in the mystery concerning Christ. My friends, these things about Christ and his gospel were in a sense hidden. They have to be divine. revealed. Preaching the gospel unveils these secrets concerning Christ. Of which the world has no knowledge, what do they know of Christ? A minister should desire to set forth the glorious Lord and Savior sinners Jesus Christ. To preach Christ, the gospel is the main subject of the minister. Even when the minister preaches the law of God, when he proclaims the Ten Commandments, what is its purpose? What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments? It’s a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Right? So, ultimately, everything circles back to Christ. Do I preach from Genesis? Ah, but Moses spoke of him. Right? If I speak about the law of God and all those rituals and sacrifices? What is that all about? It’s about Christ. Is it not? On and on we could go. We think about the kingdom established, and David being the king. What is all that a type of? Christ and his kingdom and so forth. Let me make this observation. Any minister who strays from proclaiming the mystery mystery of Christ must be rejected as being unfaithful to his is calling. Has to be. So the main purpose of preaching is to preach the mystery of Christ. How do you know whether somebody’s faith for it? Are they preaching the mystery of Christ? Is that a priority? Notice something this. Something else here. Suffering ministers make you realize the true treasure of the gospel. For which he says here in the last part of verse 3, I am also in bonds. You know, somebody doesn’t, a person doesn’t suffer for something that’s inconsequential, something that’s not important. When person is willing to suffer for it, it must be something it’s essential. Something that is of primary importance. And so we see here that Paul is willing to suffer in order to speak the mystery of Christ. He lies in chains in a prison for proclaiming his wonderful Savior. does it deter him? No. he will write about the Savior if he can’t get there in person and speak to them. He will write about the Savior. He will preach to those who come to see him at the cell. He’s not ashamed of the gospel of Christ regardless of what happens to him. No doubt Paul would have the Colossians pray for his release. if that would be good for the sake of the kingdom of God in Christ’s cause on this earth as he says to the Philippians that that’s one of the things that he is concerned about whether he should depart or whether he should stay because it’d be more needful for you to stay. I think I’m going to probably stay and that the Lord will free me and let me preach to you. Let me make this observation. You should greatly honor and appreciate any minister who suffers persecution for the cause of Jesus Christ in order to proclaim the mystery of Christ. So you should pray for the enablement of your ministers to speak the mystery of Christ. My third thought under this second heading is that you should pray for ministers to make the gospel manifest as they ought. Verse 4. That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. The message we said concerning Christ is a mystery. It’s a secret which was hidden in God from all eternity. And during the Old Testament error, we have all the shadows and types. They were not easily discerned. They had to be discerned by the eye of faith, didn’t they? Even during the New Testament error, we know that the things of God are hidden from the natural man. He cannot discern these things. Have repulsed, desires that he may make the gospel manifest here, and I want to put this in a ministerial way. In other words, he wants to plainly and openly declare the truth concerning the salvation which is in Jesus Christ. For only God by His Spirit can make it manifest in a spiritual and effectual way. He can’t do them. Paul can’t do that. So the minister’s task is to faithfully declare the whole counsel of God as is revealed in the Holy Scripture. Let me be faithful to that calling is what he’s asking here. Pray that I would be. He must not be ambiguous. He must not foul off the edges of sharp truth. He must not seek to please men by saying only the smooth things that it will be comforting and calming, but boldly proclaim the mind of the Lord. It’s not be afraid of the faces of men and their opposition and their threats and reproaches. Let me make this a few observations under this. You should pray that God would grant your minister boldness. He says this actually in Ephesion 619 and pray for me, that utterance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. So, very similar statement, and one of the things he emphasizes is the boldness. friends, the ministers many times have to say things that are unpopular. Even Christians are going to find some of the things he has to say. It’s hard sayings. I’m called to represent God. Which is an awesome task. Do you pray that I may speak boldly, that I may be frank? That I may hold nothing back that would be profitable for you? I think that’s one thing you ought to be praying about. Second thing is You should pray that God would enable your minister rebuke sin. Isaiah 581. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up by voice like a trumpet. Show my people their transgressions. It’s never easy for someone to get up and rebuke sin when it involves people you love. Your pastor who doesn’t want to make you sorrowful. I remember Paul writing to the Corinthians he says, I don’t want to write a letter of rebuke and make you sorrowful? Because I want you to make me glad when I get there. I don’t want you to be all long-faced and sorrowful. But he says, if it causes you to repent, it’ll bring joy to you and that’ll reverberate to joy to me when I get there. We’ll all be joyous in the things of Christ. Do you pray that I will be able to convey the truth about what sin is and point people to the need to repent. The third thing is this. You should pray for God to grant your minister faithfulness. The erroneomy commands this. You shall not add under the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it. But I like what Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 23, 28. He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. That is the duty of the minister of the Lord. Do you don’t want to hear the whole counsel of God? Should the minister withhold from you anything that God has revealed? Pray that I might be faithful to declare all of God’s word. That I would carefully explain its meaning, that I would attempt to apply it to your life. This is not an easy task. I find it quite demanding. I find it requires much divine illumination. I find it beyond my capabilities at times. I can’t do this work in my own strength. I must have the prayers of the people of God. I must have God’s spirit to help me, to teach me if I’m going to be of any good to you. Many people believe prayer is a worthless exercise. It’s a waste of time. Paul gives it priority. Pray, he says. You should earnestly pray for your minister. Even such a great saint as Paul, never reached a point where he’d say, I don’t need it. Pray for the propagation and increase of the gospel in this world. A minister needs a mouth and wisdom. He needs an opportunity to preach. And he needs to have obstacles removed that would oppose the gospel when it is preached. Pray for the enablement of your ministers to speak the mystery of Christ as they ought to speak, boldly, fully, and faithfully. Let us close with a word of prayer this morning.