Opportunity Beckons

9.30am Sunday 16 September 2007

Readings: Matthew 9:35-38; Colossians 4:2-18

We are all familiar with the saying, 'time is precious' or 'time is of the essence' because it is so true. Time is a non-renewable resource. We can only use it once. When it has been spent, it is gone forever. We can never turn the clock back. This is why Moses prayed, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."[1] It is also why Paul counselled the church in Colossae to "make the most of every opportunity." Paul not only wrote this. He practiced it in his life. He was constantly on the lookout for opportunities to share the gospel wherever he was, even when he was in prison. That was where Paul wrote this letter because twice he mentions "chains"[2] in the verses we read. In Philippians he tells how the whole palace guard heard about the gospel through his imprisonment.[3] Paul never passed up an opportunity to share the Message, be it to Jew or jailer.

Picking up Paul's thought in verse five - "make the most of every opportunity" - this message is entitled "Opportunity Beckons." We will consider this in two ways. First, we want to give you an opportunity to review and/or renew your 'Faith Missions Giving' commitment for the ensuing year. We do this once a year. After the sermon we will provide time for you to pray about this and make your response on the forms provided included in your bulletin. For some of you this may be new, and if so, I encourage you to read the Missions Bulletin. There are spare copies in the foyer. It provides information about the people we are supporting over the next year and the work they are involved in, as well as information about 'Faith Missions Giving' (FMG). Very simply it is asking God what he would have you give over and above your regular giving to the church, to these mission projects, believing that the amount God brings to mind, he will provide over the next twelve months to enable you to fulfil your commitment. This is one of the ways in which we support mission initiatives here in New Zealand and overseas to help further the Great Commission of Jesus to "make disciples of all nations." Last year this congregation contributed approximately $27,000 in this way. Bruce, our Treasurer, gave a break down of how that money was spent in last month's mission slot. This morning Carol has shared about another of the people we help support. We are making this a focus on the third Sunday of each month. In October we will be hearing from Wayne Freeman, the New Zealand Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators. We are hoping that the Talbots will be here in person in November to report on their work with World Outreach in Southern Africa. As I mentioned before, at the end of this morning's sermon there will be time for silent prayer when you can ask God what he would have you give in this way to the missions projects over the coming year, and then to write the amount on the top and bottom of the form in your bulletin.

However, this is the first opportunity that beckons. The second we find as we look more closely at what Paul says here in the passage we read from Colossians. Paul begins by stressing the importance of prayer. He says, "Devote yourselves to prayer."[4] The word Paul uses here carries with it the sense of persistence, constancy, and engagement. That is, prayer is not to be a spasmodic part of the life of a Christian, but something that we engage in daily with diligence and tenacity. We are never to give up praying. This is another example of Paul teaching what he himself practiced. We know from all the letters he wrote that he "devoted" himself to prayer. He opens this letter with the words, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you...," and a few verses later "...we have not stopped praying for you," and goes on to list what they have been praying for. You can read his prayer in Chapter one.[5]

Paul stresses the importance of prayer because he knows full well it is indispensable to the mission of the church. R.C. Lucas in his commentary on Colossians says, "Effective evangelism begins with persevering prayer."[6] We are powerless without it, and especially when it comes to the spiritual battle we engage in when people are to be brought out of the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God's Son.[7] When Paul provides his list of the armour of the Christian soldier in Ephesians 6 people mention "the belt of truth," "the breastplate of righteousness," the shoes of "the gospel of peace," "the shield of faith," "the helmet of salvation," "the sword of the Spirit" and then stop. But the very next verse says, "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."[8] Prayer is just as much part of our weaponry as the other items listed here. It was central to our Lord's ministry as it was central to that of Paul and the other apostles. Prayer is indispensable to the mission of the church. We cannot, indeed, dare not engage in mission without it. It would be exceedingly foolish to do so.

Note the order in what Paul says here. He first encourages watchfulness and thankfulness in prayer. That means being alert to the will of God and the needs of those around us, and expressing our gratitude to God for his extravagant grace and goodness. Colossians has been called one of the most thankful documents in the New Testament because thanksgiving figures so prominently in it. Paul then goes on to ask for prayer for freedom and clarity in proclaiming the gospel. Note that it is prayer first, that is, speaking with God, and then speaking with people. This should always be the order in which it is done. We must speak to God about people, before speaking to people about God. Prayer should always precede and guide our conversation with other people. This is why in the 'Action Plan' for 'Project Isaac,' which I shared about last Sunday, we are asking that you first to pray for four people, and then, when the time is right and appropriate, to share God's love and the Gospel with them. Prayer must always precede proclamation.

Part of that prayer, as Paul says here, is "that God may open a door for our message..."[9] Note that Paul is not asking to be released from prison. It is because of his preaching that he is there in the first place. If he had stopped preaching the gospel to outsiders he would not have been where he was. No, what he is praying for is for God-given opportunities to share the message of God's love and grace. Note what Paul has written here in these opening verses of Colossians 4 because it is very helpful. Paul is addressing the question, What can ordinary people do to make sure that "outsiders" hear about Jesus Christ? He assumes that every Christian is committed to witness to the gospel not only by their lives but also by their lips, while at the same time acknowledging that comparatively few individual Christians are called to stand up and preach. Listen carefully because this is what 'Project Isaac' is all about; how you can respond to the challenge of reaching four people for Christ.

In this passage Paul first asks for prayer for God to open a door for the message "...so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ..."[10] In several places Paul uses the word "mystery" to describe the good news of the gospel,[11] in the sense that it is something that was previously hidden but now needs to be revealed to the world. This takes place through preaching. As the message is proclaimed, God opens people's minds to the truth revealed in Jesus, and the faith necessary for salvation is given. The Bible says, "...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."[12] We need to rediscover this important truth today. God has revealed himself in history in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible bears witness to this revelation of God. But if people's minds are to be opened to the truth, God's servants must tell them about it. This was what Paul had been called by God to do. When he was converted on the road to Damascus, Jesus said to him, "I am sending you to (the Gentiles) to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." The challenge for those of us who preach is to make every sermon an 'eye-opener.' So the first duty of Christians is to pray for those whose responsibility and calling it is to preach the gospel. This is the preacher's task.

But what about those who are not called to preach? Do they also have a responsibility to share the message? Paul says 'Yes.' Every follower of Christ has the responsibility of 'speaking to people about God.' Paul points out the difference in the responsibilities of the preacher to that of the congregation in the final phrases of verses four and six. The King James Version of the Bible expresses best what Paul is saying: "Withal praying for us ... to speak the mystery of Christ ... as I ought to speak." Paul then goes on in verses 5 and 6, "Walk in all wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how you ought to answer every man." Note the difference. Paul asks for prayer so that he might make the gospel known as he "ought to speak." He then gives helpful advice so that the Colossian Christians, and ourselves, might know how we "ought to answer."

The difference between the two can be described by saying that while Paul looks for many opportunities for direct evangelism and teaching, the typical Christian in Colossae, as also we ourselves, are to look for opportunities for responsive evangelism. To put it very simply, every Christian has the privilege of providing an "answer" to everyone who asks us a question about our faith, rather than initiating conversations on spiritual things. In other words we are to 'accept' openings rather than 'create' them. Paul is making a very practical distinction here. There will be numerous opportunities for providing an explanation about life and its meaning, particularly if you do as Paul says here, "Be wise in the way to act towards outsiders," and "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt." These are the opportunities you and I are to "make the most of."

13a&b

13

Sometimes if you are conscientious about being a witness for Christ you can get uptight about having to share your faith with others. Being naturally concerned for the eternal welfare of those whom you meet each day, you can feel pressured to raise the matter with them, and this can make it difficult to live or talk normally. In any case you need to remember that you go to your place of employment to work, not to evangelise. However, by being ready and willing to respond when opportunities present themselves, the way is open to a more relaxed, natural and successful sharing of your faith in the workplace and elsewhere. It also makes you more dependent on the Holy Spirit's leading in what you share so that it is relevant and sensitive to the person who has asked the question. It also brings a greater freedom to speak when the person you are talking to has chosen the time and the place and the subject you are discussing. This is why Peter counsels us, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."[13] Philip's conversation with the Ethiopian Eunuch is a good example of a Christian who was alert to the Spirit's leading, and who was able to respond to an enquirer's question in an appropriate way. Acts tells us: "Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus."[14] Peter says to be "prepared to give and answer to everyone" in the sense of both being willing, but also being ready in advance for these opportunities when they arise. And so it is vital that we "know the reason for the hope" we have.

Peter goes on to say we are to "do this with gentleness and respect." That is, we need tact and discretion in how we go about sharing our faith. This is what Paul means when he writes, "let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt." That is, being courteous and respectful, but also compelling their interest and attention, making those with whom we speak want to know more. That's what salt does, it adds flavour but it also makes people thirsty. The word 'piquant' sums up what Paul means here. It means being mentally stimulating. Such speaking makes people stop and think but does it in an agreeable way. This is the kind of speech that wins people.

Perhaps the abiding impression left by this most practical section of Paul's letter is that there is never a time, according to Paul, when our responsibilities to those outside the faith can be out of mind. We must be constantly praying that God will give opportunities for the gospel to be preached to them. We must always gladly take those opportunities, even if the time is unsuitable or inconvenient. There are eternal issues at stake. It may mean having to put aside what we had planned to do in order to answer the question. We must always take up the offer making a Christian response when people give us opportunities. And always, however far off in understanding the questioner may be, we must seek the wisdom and grace to answer with words that will awaken his or her appetite for the things of Christ.

One further thing to note is that Paul puts the verbal expression of our faith last. He says first to be "wise in the way you act towards outsiders" and then follows it up by saying, "Let your conversation be always full of grace..." Actions are to preceded words. For without the backing of a genuine Christian life, reaching beyond church to home and work, our words of witness will lack the ring of truth. Only then will our actions and words be such as to make the faith attractive to outsiders.

Remember this difference. The preacher needs your prayers to proclaim the mystery of Christ. You are to be alert to every opportunity to answer the questions people ask, and to do so in a manner that is gracious and stimulates their interest to want to know more.

In the remaining verses of this chapter Paul identifies eleven individuals who are involved with him in different ways in the life of the church. This highlights the fact that the work of the gospel must be a team effort. It cannot be done by just a few. At this point Woojong is going to come up and share with us about '40 Days of Community' and its theme, "Better Together."