God Calls Me to Be Prepared to Minister to Outsiders
Colossians 4:5-6
(Children's Sheet for Sermon Interaction is at bottom. Notes are throughout sermon)
Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church
Please turn to Colossians 4:5-6. As you are turning there, I'll mention the flow of the context. In chapter 4, Paul has been teaching on the necessity of engaging in the ministry of ongoing, alert, prayer. Paul urges to practice prayer as a ministry. Now Paul is getting close to ending the epistle. Before he wraps up his teachings with some final greetings, and so forth, Paul gives an important urging which is our text this morning. Let's read it now,
"5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Colossians 4:5-6
Please prepare your heart to learn, along with me, in our sermon study, titled,
God Calls Me to Be Prepared to Minister to Outsiders
[pray]
It does not take a new Christian long, after starting to read the New Testament for the first time, to recognize that practically every page has some sort of "commandment" toward conduct. It is starkly evident when such passages are read that state plainly,
"If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things
[plural, because Paul is talking about many things and not merely one thing.]
which I write to you are the Lord's commandment [Gk. entole]." 1 Corinthians 14:37
@1 Spiritual people recognize that the things which Paul wrote as Holy Scripture are the __________________ commandment. 1 Corinthians 14:37
The "things" are the Lord's commandment for New Covenant people of God. They are not Paul's things. They are not Paul's commandment. What this plainly means is that the New Covenant commandment of the Lord, according to Paul the apostle, are the things which he wrote; and he wrote them for our spiritual conduct. He wrote them for us Christians to, redemptively-historically, do in obedience. It is important for us to realize that the spiritual conduct that God wants us to do is conduct that brings out the manifestation of the Holy Spirit inside of us according to the same Scriptures that describe the commanded conduct. This morning, I am wanting us to glean 4 principles, from our text, concerning conduct that is specific. It is where God calls us to be prepared to minister to outsiders.
/1/
The first principle I want us to glean in our recognition that God calls us to be prepared to minister to outsiders, is that there are outsiders,
"5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders," Colossians 4:5
For us to volitionally conduct our Holy Spirit led actions toward outsiders in any spiritual wisdom way, we must first know what outsiders are. Now think about this:
Since there are outsiders, then there must also be insiders, right?
When we consider what an insider actually is, then we find it easy to understand what an outsider actually is. Let's think about the many ways that being on the inside has been expressed in Colossians already. There are volumes about insiders in the rest of Scripture too, but Paul has laid it out in Colossians in some easy to understand terms. As I go through this, I want us to think about our selves in our own redemptive place in history. You are either an insider, or you are an outsider. Paul starts out the letter,
"2 To the set apart ones [saints] and faithful siblings [I put siblings here because it is neuter, ie. "brothers and sisters."] in Christ who are at Colossae:" Colossians 1:2
Being set apart by Christ, in Christ, is to be set apart from the outside to be an insider. To be a sibling in Christ is to be a child of God inside the family of God, in Christ. To be in Christ is to be an insider "in" Him. Paul goes on with the term of being "in" Christ,
"4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the set apart ones [saints]." Colossians 1:4
To be an insider is to love all the other people who have been set apart in Christ to be insiders too. This is the outflow of supernomianism (which is the manifestation of Christ's high Law to love, empowered by His Spirit). It is the outflow of the love that is inside that has been shed abroad by God into all the hearts of insiders through the Holy Spirit, Romans 5:5. Then Paul gives the dramatic explanation of what it means to be set apart, from the domain of the outside, to the insider's realm,
"12 ... the Father, ... has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the set apart ones [saints] in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son," Colossians 1:12-13
We were once out in the domain of darkness. In our rescue, (saving) we are propelled into the kingdom of Christ-the-Light. We reside in the Kingdom of Light, in newness of life, inside His royal realm. All the unrescued are still on the outside, where they remain dead in their trespasses and sins. They are doomed to perish forever, unless they partake in the rescue themselves. All outsiders are alienated, unless finally reconciled,
"21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death," Colossians 1:21-22
Insiders are not outside of Christ, but rather, are "in" Christ,
"28 ... that we may present every man complete in Christ." Colossians 1:28
Insiders are rooted there, in Him,
"7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him" Colossians 2:7
The outer world is the realm of the outsiders,
"8 ... the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." Colossians 2:8
In terms of being insiders in the King Himself,
"10 ... in Him you have been made complete, ... 11 and in Him you were also circumcised ... 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith ... 13 ... He made you alive together with Him 19 ... holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. 20 If you have died with Christ ... ... you have been raised up with Christ ..." Colossians 2:10-13. 2:19-20, 3:1
All insiders have died to the spiritual death of the outside. Our life is hidden with Christ in God,
"2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." Colossians 3:2-4
The contrast is seen in the outside where insiders used to live,
"6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them." Colossians 3:6
Insiders are outside the old man, and inside the new man, having
"9 ... laid aside the old man with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new man who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all." Colossians 3:9-11
Insiders have been elect and called to be inside the body,
"12 So, as those who have been elect of God, ... indeed you were called in one body;" Colossians 3:12-15
Insiders are in the kingdom serving the Lord of the Kingdom, seeking to obey His "commandments," and His New Covenant "Law" (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:21. Galatians 6:2, James 1:25, 2:8, 2:12) Outsiders serve men, including their own selves,
"23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 ... It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. ... you too have a Master in heaven." Colossians 3:23-24, 4:1
When we look at all these things, we get a robust picture of what insiders and outsiders are. In light of this, we should easily be able to determine if we are insiders or not. To state it plainly;
To be an insider is to be spiritually saved.
To be an outsider is to be unsaved.
If you do not know if you are an insider, then you do not know whether you are saved. If you are not saved, then the Spirit is not teaching you to conduct yourself in any way toward outsiders. Why? Because you are one. By the way, referring to the lost as outsiders is consistent in the Bible. Paul says,
"12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges." 1 Corinthians 5:12-13
2@ Outsiders are unsaved people who are outside of God's _____________________. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13
Paul expects the distinction to be readily understood. Outsiders are those who are outside the spiritual community that God has called out and gathered together from the lost. This is what the Greek word ekklesia, for the Christian church, actually means:
It is the called out and gathered together community of Christians as the body of Christ.
Paul uses the outsider term in 1 Thessalonians 4:12. He says to work so that there would be no need. Paul is wanting Christians to have a proper work-ethic behavior toward "outsiders"--to behave properly toward the unsaved.
With all these Scriptural things in mind, it is also important for us to recognize that the Scriptures describe people who are fake insiders. Jesus calls them tare plants (darnels) that are in, and among, the real spiritual wheat of God's field. What Jesus means is that they are not really wheat, but they look like wheat while they get around, and try to blend with, the true people of God. This means that there may be some false insiders in church fellowships; and there often are. These kinds of people have either been raised with a religious background, so they are associated with a church in some sort of cultural-traditional sense. It could be that they have a family connection to a religious tradition. Whatever the reason, they are outsiders, but they get in, and among, the true saints of God, and because they are there, or because they might seem like they have something like "joy," or they know how to follow a list of "do's and don'ts," the other authentic insiders just assume they are saved. But they are only actors. The judaizers of Paul's day acted like insiders. So did the emergent gnostic sects. Sometimes such people are made evident. They do not embrace Christ alone, by grace alone, in His finished work alone, through the faith that is required alone, for salvation. Sometimes they are false prophets, like Peter and Jude explain as hidden reefs in the waters of the church that are sitting there ready to sink ships with their lies. Sometimes they become evident when they leave,
"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us." 1 John 2:19
They go outside the church because outside is their natural habitat. They do not love God, nor do they love the body. They love their own selves, their own beliefs, their own desires, and their own fictional Christ that they have invented from their lost, dark, deceitful, hearts that are in bondage to sin. The point is that outsiders are lost people. We need to recognize the contrast, and prepare ourselves for proper conduct.
/2/
This leads us to the second principle we want to glean in our recognition that God calls you, me, us, to be prepared to minister to outsiders. It is the issue of spiritual wisdom:
"5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity." Colossians 4:5
3@ God wants us to conduct ourselves with Christian _____________________ toward outsiders. Colossians 4:5
Godly wisdom is an important area that we need to nurture. Paul prayed earlier for the Colossians to,
"be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" Colossians 1:9
He urged,
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another ..." Colossians 3:16
The way God wants us to act around, and toward, outsiders, is in respect to being filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding; letting the word of Christ dwell in us so richly that the value overflows out of us in our words and actions.
Let's think about this for a moment because there are philosophies of Christian action toward outsiders that are often called wisdom philosophies in our day; but ironically, they amount to foolishness. It is seen in the seductive trend to try and repackage biblical Christianity in such a way as to make it appeal to the carnal mind that is darkened by sin. It is really fool's gold. It is either mined out of a culture-driven church, or, it is the seductive glitter of the personal philosophy that Christ will be rejected by outsiders if I don't appear to be like an outsider myself. This trend to blend is often postured as a "calling." The problem is that there is no Biblical precedence for it. Often, Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 9 is quoted as a defense of this stuff, but Paul is talking about something else there. He is talking about his context of chapter 8 going through 9 and on through chapter 10 of accepting money, and the eating habits of Gentiles eating meat sacrificed to idols, plus all the various people who are "weak" ie. 1 Corinthians 8:7-11, in respect to New Covenant freedom in those things. In respect to this, Paul is also alluding to Jewish customs (9:20) and those who think they are under the Mosaic Law in respect to observing days, and those kinds of dietary concerns too. The weakness of the "weak" is that they do not understand that observing days, and eating banned foods, is lawful in Christ, even though it is not always "beneficial," or "edifies." This is why context is so key. Paul is primarily saying that He chooses "not" to do certain things covered in 1 Corinthians 8, 9 and 10, that he has "a right" to do, because he makes it his ambition not to offend, 1 Corinthians 10:23, (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:12 for the same motif in Paul's concern). Not doing certain things of Gentiles, and Jews, and those who think they are under the Mosaic Law, and those who are not under the Mosaic Law is real reason why Paul said,
"19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak;" 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
1 Corinthians 9:19-22 is not the reason that people give today who want to use this passage to support anything they want "to do," and then call it their "ministry." Maybe you've sensed this kind of false belief driving some of your own actions. Maybe you think God has called you to minister to outsiders by being an insider who will show outsiders how much like them that you (an insider) can look and act to be acceptable. Maybe you think that in this way, insiders will be perceived by outsiders as really being more like them than not. And so because of your chameleon theology, you think reprobates will be comfortable with Christians, which will supposedly make them receptive to Christ. Let's think about this a moment. There is something about this that seems like a strategy--like a plan. But the question is,
"Is this really God's wisdom?"
Like I said, there are some folks who want to believe that it is. Before you run head long into embracing this downgrade sales tactic, remember Christ's analogy of the tares among the wheat. Think about the spiritual metaphors that God has given us, but let's look at it from the perspective where wheat are comfortable in coming at it from the other direction. What I mean is that when we analyze that so-called "end justifies the means" strategy from the wisdom of God, we see what is really going on:
The wheat is putting itself into the tare field, thinking that the more it can look and act like a tare, it is going to somehow attract the tare, and change the tare into a wheat plant.
Think about that. God's wheat is putting itself into the tare field specifically to look like a tare. This is where the wheat make tares into the ones who dictate the terms to them of how to be. This isn't ministry. This is man centered manipulation. Because of bad discipleship in this stuff, God's wheat think the Devil's tares will accept them and therefore want to become wheat too. There is a reason for this foolishness. It is not new. It finds its roots in the false theology of Pelagianism, Arminianism, and Synergism. I think about this trend to blend and I am reminded of the contrast to it found in the spiritual wisdom example of the humble servant of God, Warren Chastain. He was the man who was attributed to planting more churches among Muslims than any other individual. He planted numerous churches among animistic tribal people of the jungles of Indonesia too. People to this day are amazed. They ask,
"How did he do it?"
I was privileged to sit under Warren Chastain's teaching at a missionary training school. Chastain was a monergist. What that means is that Chastain recognized God's sovereignty in saving His people as he walked in faith in the wisdom of God for his strategy. Chastain explained that he never changed his clothing style for anyone. He never changed his appearance. He did not learn the local dialects of the people he went to. He hired interpreters to translate His preaching as he went out to gather from the tare fields. The whole time, he trusted in the spiritual secret that he had already discovered from God's word. He trusted God to work in the clear proclamation of God's simple wisdom of the gospel message. Whenever I went to Northern India to preach the gospel among unreached people of Gujarat and Rajastan, I did the same thing. I did not change my clothing style to match the people of the areas. I did not try to look like a Gujarati man, a Rajastani man, a Hindu, a Muslim, or an animist. I had two interpreters; One who translated what I said into Hindi, and then another who translated into the local language. I came in the Spirit, and in power, without any clever gimmicks. God did His work through His word, and multitudes were saved. There are churches in those places that have grown from those seeds, and are still growing. They are sending out their own missionaries. Did I try to blend? No. Did God turn tares into wheat by His own power according to His own terms. Yes. But, the trend to blend philosophy is such a popular one that presents itself as wisdom in our day, that we must be aware of it. We must avoid it, and we must fight it. Listen to it again, and notice how it might be easy for the spiritually immature to think it has the appearance of wisdom;
It is thinking that a way God has called one to be prepared to minister to outsiders is by being an insider who wants to show the outsiders how much like them that Christians can look and act to be acceptable to the outsiders, so that Christians will be perceived by outsiders as really being more like them than they probably think.
This failing philosophy's older sister is where people foolishly try to present Jesus to the unsaved like He really is a lot like they are. This is supposed to make the "real" Christ Jesus acceptable to minds that are enslaved to sin in the domain of darkness. The problem is that the real Lord-Christ is rejected by the lost precisely because He is nothing like them. Further, He is nothing like what their sinful minds want to make Him be. Armed with this thinking, though, wheat who want to look like tares, or make churches look like tare fields, actually believe they are doing effective ministry! But, we want to act in spiritual wisdom toward outsiders in real ministry. So let's ask the wisdom conduct question this way:
How much like the intense Christian culture of the heavenly kingdom of Christ can I look like, as someone inside, and act like, as someone inside, so I can show the outsiders that I am really not as much like them as they probably think? In which case, I will be used by the Spirit to repel those who do not care about Christ, and will be used by the Spirit to draw those who God is effectually calling to the inside.
This probing analyzation reveals what kind of beliefs you truly have in your heart about God's sovereignty and man's responsibility--particularly what one believes about the depravity of man in his sin nature. This is the wisdom of seeking to manifest Christ in you as the standard to be judged by. True wisdom is to seek the miracle in ministry by faith in the miracle worker. We must allow the Lord to weed out the tares from the wheat in His way. We must allow the Lord to miraculously change tares into wheat where their spiritual DNA is completely born again into a brandnew creation. You see, instead of trying to make the miracle, we are trusting God, in faith, that He will make His miracles. The miracle starts by applying the wisdom from God's word. God uses us like tools in His hands to do this in loving, salted, uncompromising, confrontation that is countercultural. It is God's wisdom that we utilize in our efforts. What outsiders need from us is what we truly have in Christ. We insiders have the wisest message around. It is the true riches, so let's present it wisely and let its value stand alone. As living testimonies of Christianity, our primary wisdom message should be Christ; Christ crucified, and Christ raised from the dead. Our lives are supposed to be living light reflections of this too. Our lives should reflect the message that Christ is in me, and I am in Him; I have been crucified with Christ; I have been raised with Christ as a new creature. As a new creature in Christ, I am radically different than the unsaved outsider that I used to be. I am part of the body of Christ now. I am different from the lost body of the first Adam. This is our God glorifying, perfectly wise, statement to outsiders. The true power of the Spirit is there. The true wisdom of God is there. You can not separate the wisdom from the Spirit. In Acts, we find that several men were chosen to be leaders. The requirement was clear. They must be,
"full of the Spirit and of wisdom." Acts 6:3
A few verses later, we see that some men tried to argue with Stephen,
"10 But they were unable to cope with
[a.] the wisdom and
[b.] the Spirit with which he was speaking." Acts 6:10
One consistent pattern that the Lord has revealed to us is that the Spirit always works along with the Scriptures--with His words of wisdom. You can always trust that it is God's wisdom that comes by His Spirit when you speak, and live, Biblically. But, we must also understand something else. Some outsiders will not be able to cope with the wisdom, and the Spirit, that you minister with. Why? Because this is the sap, and the substance, of the life of wheat. Sometimes outsiders are confounded by the uncompromised truth. They may reject it. But sometimes the Spirit illuminates their hearts. They receive, and believe, as miracle. It is not that you have persuasive words of wisdom that are so articulate that you have convinced someone of the way to the inside. God wants you to understand that it is His wisdom and His power that permeates your message to outsiders. Paul was keenly effected by these facts when presenting the things of Christ to outsiders. Think about yourself. Think about when you are in the world. It could be when you are around relatives. They might think you are a religious weirdo. You may be around people in your work place who think you are a fanatic. Some outsiders treat you okay, but they disagree with you. The problem is that they keep on rejecting the gospel. There are times when you are around the lost and you feel like your words aren't coming out perfectly. You keep wondering if the message is connecting. Most of us are in some kind of situation like these at times. I want you to think of yourself as I read where Paul says;
"And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling," 1 Corinthians 1
How many of us can relate to that statement? We know we are weak. Sometimes we are gripped with fear. Sometimes we may experience much trembling concerning our situation. We think that every attempt in own earthly wisdom to speak forth a truth of Christ has failed. We think as Paul says next;
"4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, ..." 1 Corinthians 1
I can not tell you how many times in my life that this has happened to me. These are the times that I need to be abiding in faith, right? All of us need to embrace the fact that we must walk by faith and not by sight in these situations. We walk, trusting in God's wisdom, not in persuasive words of a salesmanship kind of wisdom. God's wisdom is what He requires. It is what He works with beyond the fact that we are not persuasive. Notice what happens as Paul continues,
"... but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." 1 Corinthians 1
Listen to me: This is the central issue of our conduct toward outsiders. God reveals to you what needs to be revealed in His wisdom through the Spirit. In God's calling to prepare you to be a minister to outsiders, He wants you to know that no matter how clumsy you look, no matter how unworthy you feel, no matter how much you think you can't get the wisdom of God right, and no matter how unpersuasive you think you are in trying to apply human-generated wisdom, God is the one who reveals the Light to the outsiders through you because He is doing it through the Spirit inside you coming out of you in accordance with the simplicity of the word. Our job is to be wheat plants everywhere we are. God's wisdom either repels, or it attracts. Paul did not come with superiority of speech, eloquence, and savvy, or of human wisdom, proclaiming to outsiders the wisdom-testimony of God. But God used Him. God uses you and me and all of us, who seek to abide in the wisdom of His word, in the same way. You must recognize that the Holy Spirit is the Power-person who works in your ministry. He will use what you say. In some way, he will take it and accomplish His desired goals. Your job, and my job, is to proclaim God's wisdom. Be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Colossians 1:9
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another ..." Colossians 3:16
Keep thinking about yourself as Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians 1
"11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." 1 Corinthians 1:1-13
4@ We learn God's wisdom from the things in the Scriptures because they are taught to us by the ____________________. 1 Corinthians 1:13
My strong encouragement to you is that you rest in the comfort of knowing that there is pure godly superior wisdom in your message when you proclaim the simple gospel. The gospel is the treasure. The gospel alone has all the value to take care of what God wants it to do. So, whenever you get it out--Whenever you proclaim anything of God's word to the outsiders, the things you speak are;
"... not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."
But, like most issues with ministry, this is a faith issue isn't it? God wants you to believe that He is using what you say in Biblical ministry no matter how the outcome seems to be developing. And then, if we do see miraculous change in people, God wants us to believe that it is His Spirit, and His power, through His word, that has done it. The point is that, even though you are the one speaking, God is the One Who is at work to either repel, or attract by His power. This is what matters.
/3/
This leads directly into the next principle we can glean from Paul's directive to recognize in God's call for me to be prepared to minister to outsiders. We need to be,
"... making the most of the opportunity." Colossians 4:5
Again, this is another faith issue, and it is based upon focus. As Christians, we should be doing all things to God's glory--whether we eat, drink, or whatever we do, 1 Corinthians 10:31. Here Paul is talking about having the continuous mindset of recognizing every opportunity, and seeking to make the most out of it for Christ. It is not that we have to do this like some burdensome task. It is that you get to do it. This reminds me of what the head of To Every Tribe Ministries, David Sitton, says, when he speaks of the opportunity to go out to front-line missions to the unreached. Difficulty must be expected. Martyrdom may come. Sitton explained at the Purpose Driven Death Conference in Austin a few months ago, concerning the possibility of missionary martyrdom in respect to how God advances the gospel through the blood of His saints:
"I have no doubt that To Every Tribe Ministries, we will have Martyrs. I mean it is easy to predict that when you look at the places that we go. We are going to places where they have already killed some. ..."
Sitton goes on about the reality of how God uses persecution for advancement, but also what to expect, saying,
"Some seed is going to fall into the ground. Some seed's going to fall to reap those crops. It's going to happen. It's just a matter of where and when, and how many of us--listen to this; are going to get to do it. You hear that? Not how many of us are going to have to do it, but how many of us are going to get to do this. We belong in these hard places where the gospel has never gone, and if some of our missionaries come home in coffins, if they are buried in foreign soil somewhere, and we have been faithful, you wait and see what is going to happen because Jesus is faithful; His promise is sure. If that happens, there's going to be an explosion of love for Jesus in those places. The church will be established in those places. I believe that. I don't believe the blood of martyrs ever falls without its harvest. Somehow, someway, all the time, Jesus said that if a seed falls into the earth and dies, it will produce a harvest."--David Sitton (TETM)
You may never go out to front lines of missionary work to the unreached. You may never put yourself in the arena of martyrs, but the essence of what Sitton is saying here is what I mean when I say that this is a faith issue, and it is based upon focus no matter where we go in resepect to outsiders. It is not so much whether I have to make the most of the opportunity while trusting God with the outcome. It is a matter of,
"How can I make the most of the opportunity because I get to do it?"
And;
"Will I see the opportunity when it arises, and then act upon it because I get to do it?"
The NASB puts, "making the most of the opportunity." Other translations put "redeeming the time." Redeeming the time is an accurate translation. It brings out the strong meaning of what the Spirit is urging. The Greek participle that Paul uses here for this is, "Exadorazomenoi." This word was a term used in the market and commerce in Paul's day. It literally means "to buy out;" "to purchase completely." Paul uses the same word in his parallel passage of Ephesians, where he tells Christians to
"be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16
When we put all of what Paul has said together, our marching orders involve being careful and wise in our conduct and speech--using each and every moment that God has allotted to us in this earthly life like they are precious moments of divine appointment for God's glory concerning outsiders. So we should be seeking, as a goal, to redeem (to buy out) every single opportunity of contact with outsiders for getting around to the clear proclamation of Christ and His good news. We only have one lifetime to do this. Once we are gone, the time to redeem is gone. Finally, we should do all of this because "we get to do it." It is not a burden.
/4/
This leads to the fourth principle to glean in recognizing God's call for me to be prepared to minister to outsiders,
"6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Colossians 4:5-6Paul already expects the Colossians to know the gospel. Any of us should be able to proclaim the simple gospel message to people. You say:
"But it's too complicated."
"I don't know what to say."
Listen to me carefully: The pure wisdom of God is found in quoting John 3:16;
"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son so that those believing in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
5@ God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that those ___________________________ in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
The point is that you can say that, can't you? You can also say it with conviction. And when you do, you are speaking the wisdom of God in Spirit and in power. Knowing the Gospel, though, is not Paul's main point about always seasoning your speech with grace. Grace talk, is where the things that you say should be as though seasoned with the flavor enhancer that make things taste better. This is the way all Christians are to respond to outsiders. I want us to notice that "respond" is the key word here. Paul is talking about responding to the outsiders when they confront you. Peter puts it this way,
"but set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you,
[That is the response part. Now I want us to notice the seasoning,]
yet with gentleness and reverence;" 1 Peter 3:15
Can you taste that? Gentleness and reverence are key ingredients that taste delicious. They are fruits of the Spirit that are sweet, and savory. When Paul says to have grace in our speech, the word that he uses for grace is the Greek word, "charis." It usually means "favor." Here, it is used in the broader sense of the word's full range of meaning in its semantic expanse. It means our speech should be with "pleasantness." We should endeavor to have flavorful, palatable, conversation that is pleasant when we are confronted by outsiders. This reminds me of the wide wild world of the barbecue subculture. Maybe you did not realize that there is a barbecue subculture. There actually is a kind of a subculture of people who are into smoke barbecue. They enter contests; they experiment with techniques for barbecuing. They create secret recipes. It is both a science, and an art-form. They are the alchemist's of the grill world, attempting to turn raw flesh into roasted gold. They are every vegetarians nightmare. They are the sweet dream makers who create the cuisine of legends for carnivores all across this country. In my own fascination with barbecue, I have noticed a consistent attribute in all the meat rubs, marinades, and sauces. It is salt. Salt is the royal flavor enhancer that makes things that taste okay, taste even better. This pleasant flavor that Paul is getting at, is the difference between rudeness, or condescension, or being antisocial, or crass. If we are going to be offensive, then let it be because of Christ being manifested out of us, in love. Let's not be offensive because of some austere, or obnoxious, manner of our speech. The point is to season your speech with a little salt.
This morning we have been learning from God's word concerning His call for us to be prepared to minister to outsiders. Let's be mindful of the first one. We must consistently be aware that there actually are outsiders. We must know what they are, and who they are. An outsider is someone who is lost in their sins. They are outside the New Covenant. Insiders are saved in Christ Jesus with the Holy Spirit living inside. Remember the second principle. We need to be making it our ambition to consistently apply God's wisdom from His word in our conduct. We are looking to make the most of the opportunity that we have to do so. Let's not forget Paul's prayer and urging: Be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching. In God's wisdom ask yourself the insider's question:
How much like the intense Christian culture of the heavenly kingdom of Christ can I look like, as someone inside, and act like, as someone inside, so I can show the outsiders that I am really not as much like them as they probably think? In which case, I will be used by the Spirit to repel those who do not care about Christ, and will be used by the Spirit to draw those who God is effectually calling to the inside.
Our words are representative of the body of Christ to outsiders, so our big statement with our lives should be Christ; Christ crucified, and Christ raised from the dead. It is pure wisdom. Our life message is that Christ is in me; I have been crucified with Christ; I have been raised with Christ as a new creature. To do so is to be living wisdom to everyone around you. Always trust that it is God's wisdom from His Spirit, when you speak and live Biblically. Sometimes we are gripped with fear. Sometimes we feel dumb, or inadequate. God wants you to know that no matter how clumsy you look, and no matter how unworthy you feel, God is the one who works through you because He is doing it through the Spirit inside you coming out of you. Rest in knowing that there is God's wisdom in your message when you proclaim the simple gospel. Remember the third principle. Always be looking to redeem the time. It is a faith issue, and it is based upon focus. It is not a matter of inconvenience. It is all about the fact that you get to make most of the opportunity. It is a privilege to be part of God's great ministry plan. Finally, remember to speak grace words. Season your words, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Remember that salt is a flavor enhancer. It is meant to make things taste good. You can not make someone like the gospel. You can not make someone want the gospel. But all of us can impart the savory taste of grace by having pleasant conversation--even if it means confrontation. This is what we want for ministry to outsiders.
@1 Spiritual people recognize that the things which Paul wrote as Holy Scripture are the __________________ commandment. 1 Corinthians 14:37
2@ Outsiders are unsaved people who are outside of God's _____________________. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13
3@ God wants us to conduct ourselves with Christian _____________________ toward outsiders. Colossians 4:5
4@ We learn God's wisdom from the Things in the Scriptures because they are taught to us by the ____________________. 1 Corinthians 1:13
5@ God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that those ___________________________ in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
