INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE COME TO THE LAST LESSON OF OUR STUDY IN PHILLIPIANS
AND COLLOSIANS. I AM SORRY IT IS OVER. BUT IT IS NOT OVER YET, SO LETS
TURN TO COLOSSIANS 4.
I. PRAYER – TOPICS
A. READ COL 4:2-4. B. WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU PRAY ABOUT? C.IF YOU
THINK ABOUT IT, ARE THOSE THE KINDS OF THINGS YOU SHOULD BE PRAYING ABOUT?
1. OUR LESSON SUGGESTS THAT “PERSONAL COMFORT” AND “MATERIAL
ADVANTAGES” MAY BE THE CHIEF OBJECT OF OUR PRAYERS. WE ARE PRAYING
FOR OURSELVES. IT POINTS OUT THAT PAUL IS ASKING FOR PRAYER SO THAT HE
CAN SPREAD THE GOSPEL.
2. IS PAUL BEING SELFISH WHEN HE ASKS FOR PRAYER FOR HIM? THAT IS, IF
OUR LESSON SUGGESTS THAT WE SHOULD BE PRAYING FOR OTHERS, WHAT ABOUT WHEN
A PERSON SAYS “PRAY FOR ME?” (PAUL WAS PRAYING FOR THEM: COL1:3)
3. JAMES 4:3 SUGGESTS THAT SOMETIMES OUR PRAYERS ARE NOT ANSWERED BECAUSE
THEY ARE ASKED WITH THE WRONG MOTIVE: “THAT YOU MAY SPEND WHAT YOU
GET ON YOUR PLEASURES.”
II. PRAYER – METHODS
A. PAUL SAYS IN 4:2 THAT WE SHOULD “DEVOTE OURSELVES TO PRAYER.”
1. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MEANT BY “DEVOTING” OURSELVES TO PRAYER?
2. DO YOU REMEMBER LUKE 18:1-8 WHERE JESUS TELLS THE STORY ABOUT THE
IMPORTUNATE WIDOW–THE WIDOW WHO KEPT COMING AND COMING TO THE JUDGE. AND
FINALLY HE WAS SO ANNOYED WITH HER PESTERING HIM THAT HE GAVE HER WHAT
SHE WANTED?
3. DOES DEVOTING OURSELVES TO PRAYER MEAN THAT WE SHOULD PESTER GOD?
4. DOES PESTERING GOD MAKE IT SEEM AS IF HE IS A HUMAN WHO CAN FORGET?
OR WHO IS TOO BUSY WITH OTHER MATTERS THAT HE LOSES SIGHT OF WHAT WE WANT?
(THE POINT OF THE PARABLE IS THAT IF UNWILLING AND SINFUL HUMANS HONOR
PERSISTANCE, HOW MUCH MORE WILL OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.)
5. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS STORY IS A COMFORT OR AN ILLUSTRATION FOR
US? THAT IS, DO YOU THINK THAT THIS STORY ILLUSTRATES HOW WE SHOULD PRAY
TO GOD, OR DOES THIS COMFORT US TO LET US KNOW THAT OUR PRAYERS ARE NOT
BEING IGNORED BY GOD?
6. I READ JOHN MACAUTHUR’S COMMENTARY ON THIS AND HE POINTS TO JACOB
WHO WRESTLED WITH GOD ALL NIGHT (GEN 32:25) HE SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS AN
EXAMPLE OF HOW WE MUST BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH GOD. DO YOU THINK THAT
IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE SHOULD DEAL WITH GOD?
7. SOMEONE READ MATT 6:7-8. WHAT MEAN “BABBLING WITH MANY WORDS?”
IS THAT HOW WE PRAY SOMETIMES? IS THIS PERSISTENT PRAYER?
B. LETS CONTINUE: PAUL SAYS THAT WE SHOULD BE “WATCHFUL.”
1. DOES THIS, ONCE AGAIN, SOUND LIKE WE ARE TO BE VIGILENT IN PRAYER?
2. CONSIDER THE DISCIPLES AND JESUS ON THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION.
IN MATT. 26: 40-41 JESUS SAID KEEP WATCHING AND PRAYING.
a. WAS GOD LISTENING TO JESUS?
b. DID GOD NEED A CROWD TO ANSWER JESUS’ PRAYER?
c. DID JESUS OR THE DISCIPLES NEED TO SAY IT OVER AND OVER FOR GOD TO
GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY WANTED? (MAYBE A PART IS FOR OUR BENEFIT.
THAT WE WILL KNOW THE SOURCE OF OUR STRENGTH. SO HE CAN KNOW THAT WE ARE
SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. AND MAYBE BECAUSE WE WILL BY NATURE KEEP BRINGING TO
GOD THOSE THINGS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO US, MUCH LIKE WE WOULD TALK
TO SOMEONE ELSE ABOUT WHAT WAS OF CONCERN TO US.)
d. THIS WORD TRANSLATED “WATCH” MEANS TO BE ALERT. ARE YOU
ALERT IN YOUR PRAYERS?
(1) DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DRIFTING OFF ON TO OTHER IDEAS?
(2) DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DRIFTING OFF TO SLEEP?
(3) IF YOU WERE TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE, AND THEY WERE PAYING AS CLOSE
ATTENTION TO YOU AND YOU ARE TO GOD, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?
C. FINALLY PAUL SAYS TO BE “THANKFUL.”
1. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT PAUL IS A PRISONER WHEN HE
WROTE THIS? (I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE IN REBELLION AGAINST GOD BECAUSE LIFE
DID NOT TURN OUT QUITE THE WAY THEY WANTED. INSTEAD OF BEING GLAD THAT
GOD GAVE US A WAY OUT OF THIS MESS, THEY ARE UPSET BECAUSE THE MESS HAS
TOUCHED THEM. PAUL SAYS TO BE GRATEFUL.)
III. OPEN THE DOOR
A. IN v.3 PAUL SAYS OPEN A DOOR FOR OUR MESSAGE. IF YOU WERE IN JAIL,
WHAT WOULD YOU BE PRAYING FOR? (TO BE RELEASED FROM JAIL.)
B. PAUL DOES NOT ASK THAT HE BE RELEASED FROM PRISON FIRST, HE SAYS
“OPEN A DOOR TO ME HERE AND NOW, PLEASE.” WE DO NOT NEED TO WAIT
FOR SOME CIRCUMSTANCE TO CHANGE IN OUR LIFE TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS FOR JESUS.
IV. SPEAKING TO OTHERS
A. READ COL 4:5-6. DO YOU SEE THAT PAUL HAS ASKED THEM FIRST TO PRAY
THAT HE WILL FURTHER SPREAD THE GOSPEL AND NOW HE IS SAYING: YOU DO IT
TOO.
B. HOW DO WE DO IT? IN THE TIME OF THE REV SEMINAR (WHICH I HAVE NOT
BEEN IN TOWN TO ATTEND) WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT PAUL SUGGESTS. WHAT DOES
HE SAY?
1. BE WISE, MAKE THE MOST OUT OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY. WHAT DO YOU THINK
THAT MEANS? THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY BEFORE YOU SAY IT!) 2. SPEECH—————–>FULL
OF GRACE AND SALT.
a. WHAT KIND OF SPEECH WOULD BE FULL OF GRACE? (THE GREEK WORD IS “CHARIS”
“INDICATING FAVOR ON THE PART OF THE GIVER.’ THE NEXT GREEK WORD IN
STRONG’S IS CHARISMA.)
b. IS YOUR SPEECH FULL OF FAVOR? OUR LESSON QUOTES EVANGELISM, p.636-637
“GUARD AGAINST BEING ABRUPT AND BLUNT. DO NOT REGARD SUCH PECULIARITIES
AS VIRTUES; FOR GOD DOES NOT SO REGARD THEM.”
(1) I’VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, “WELL, THAT’S JUST THE WAY I AM.”
THEY NEED TO CHANGE.
C. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS SALT IN YOUR LANGUAGE? (SALT IS A FLAVOR ENHANCER
AND A PRESERVATIVE. BORING LANGUAGE WOULD NOT ENHANCE YOUR SPEACH. CORRUPT
LANGUAGE WOULD NOT PRESERVE. JESUS HUNG HIS TEACHINGS ON STORIES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
OUT OF DAILY LIVING. IT MIGHT BE A STRETCH, BUT MAYBE THAT CAN BE SAID
TO “PRESERVE” OUR SPEECH.)
V. NEXT WEEK: NEW QUARTER: HAVE’NT SEEN THE NEW QUARTERLIES, BUT UNDERSTAND
IT IS REV14.
