Colossians 4:5-6

Colossians chapter 4. Our text for today will be verses 5 and 6 as we are coming to the conclusion of our first by verse exposition through the book.

Colossians 4 · chapter mention

Look, it's been a joy to be able to preach most of the book to you.

I took a bit of a break this summer and had a couple of wonderfully gifted men in our church fill in on my behalf.

And now we're coming to the end of Paul's exhortation to the church at Colossae.

And then we'll glean, Lord willing, I believe next week we'll finish up the book and glean from it in his final greeting.

A few lessons that we can learn from there as well.

But this is kind of the end, the kind of final punches of what he's trying to say to the church at Colossae.

So I'm going to read just for a little bit of context, beginning in verse 2 down through verse 6.

And our text today will be verses 5 and 6.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

At the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ,

on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

This is God's word to us.

It was written for His glory and our good.

And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Now let me remind you or catch you up if you're a guest with us here today.

As we've been working through chapter 3,

Paul's been presenting to us the concept, the idea of the life of the new self.

Having been made new in Christ, Christ having changed our hearts and set us on a different road,

our life necessarily looks different.

And he lays that out for us, what that difference is and how that changes who we are.

And he does it in an ever narrowing way.

He starts broad and he's getting more and more particular in his exhortation.

And we saw verses 5-17, these exhortations to the Christian church,

the way in which we're meant to engage with one another as believers.

Now in verse 18-4, 1, the Christian household.

In our context, you'll find there at the end of chapter 3,

in the beginning of verse 1, the workplace.

And he comes down now a little more narrow to the individual

and the way in which the individual is going to interact with the world around them.

So last week we saw two exhortations from verses 2-3 and then part of 3, the second one.

Firstly, the prayer of the new self.

That the Christian person will pray because the road that the Christian has been put on

is a road of godliness, it's a pursuit of holiness,

it's living in this world in a different way, set apart.

And this is something accomplished by God in our lives,

by the work of the Spirit who's continually changing us.

We've been set apart, we've been sanctified, but we are also being sanctified.

And therefore, as people set on that road,

we recognize our great need of God's intervention and His continued work in our life.

He has given us grace and we continue by grace and so we pray for that grace.

Christian people recognize that without prayer, nothing.

Sine qua non.

Without which, nothing happens.

We can do nothing apart from God.

And God uses the prayers of His people to enact,

to put in play His providential purposes in our lives.

And so, the new self prays.

We saw, secondly, the opportunity of the new self.

The way in which Paul sought to seize every opportunity,

even his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel,

for the advancement of the kingdom.

And we ought to live in the same way with new eyes.

At the beginning of chapter 3, it says,

with our minds set on things above.

Looking for and seizing every opportunity.

Today, we'll look at verse 5 and verse 6 with a bit of verse 4,

since I didn't quite get to it last week.

For two more exhortations.

That is the activity of the new self and the speech of the new self.

The activity of the new self, verse 5,

and the speech of the new self, verses 6 and 4.

Now, my closing remark from last week was this.

In summary of those first two exhortations to pray and to seize opportunities was this.

Pray and seize every opportunity to experience, proclaim, and display the supremacy of Jesus Christ

in all things to all peoples.

Pray and seize every opportunity to experience, proclaim, and display the supremacy of Jesus Christ

in all things to all peoples.

And if you are wrapping your mind around that,

you don't have it in front of you like I do.

I guess you do a bit here.

But you'll see that these other exhortations are found in that very statement itself.

We are to proclaim, this is the speech of the new self,

and we are to display, this is the activity of the new self,

the supremacy of Jesus Christ in all things to all peoples.

So we're missing something in that phrasing.

Pray and seize every opportunity.

To experience, proclaim, and display the supremacy of Jesus Christ in all things to all peoples.

The word experience.

Am I right?

If you see it in our vision statement up here.

The experience of Jesus Christ as supreme in all things to all peoples,

as a more excellent way,

the way for reconciliation back to God,

has not been ignored in the text.

So if you will with me to walk back up the text a bit,

I just want you to see that.

The beginning of chapter 3, Colossians 3, 1-3.

If then you have been raised with Christ,

seek the things that are above where Christ is,

seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things that are above,

not on things that are on earth.

For you have died,

and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

This has been a reality in your life.

You are finding that Christ is better than,

more supreme than.

You have been raised with Christ,

and your life is now in Christ.

Christ is your life.

Verse 4 goes on to say.

Back up a bit more.

Colossians 2, 6.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,

as you have received Him,

as you have experienced the saving work of Christ,

so walk in Him.

Let me go back a bit further.

Colossians 1, 15-23.

Here's the strong supremacy statement.

Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation.

For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.

All things were created through Him and for Him.

And He is before all things,

and in Him all things hold together.

And He is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

that in everything He might be preeminent or supreme.

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,

whether on earth or in heaven,

making peace by the blood of His cross.

And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind,

doing evil deeds,

He is now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death,

in order to present you holy and blameless

and above reproach before Him.

If indeed you continue in the faith,

stable and steadfast,

not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard,

which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven,

and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

So do you see that the experience has been carried throughout,

and then the appropriate response thereof?

Verse 21 of chapter 1,

you, Colossian believers,

and us, those of us who have received the gospel,

we once were alienated and hostile in mind.

We once were separated from God.

We once were not part of God's family.

Our minds were hostile towards the things of God.

We were doing evil deeds.

We see the evidence of that.

Everything we did was a fist shake at God.

Everything we did said,

I am king.

I am self-directing.

I rule, which is a massive offense to God.

We were God's enemy.

Verse 22,

But He's now reconciled in His body,

fleshed by His death,

in order to present you holy and blameless

and above reproach before Him.

Because of what Christ has done on our behalf,

if we place saving faith in Him,

it was our sin that He died for on the cross.

It is His righteousness that we now have.

And Paul goes on to say,

if indeed you continue in the faith,

stable and steadfast.

So we are not saved by works.

We are saved by the providential purposes of God.

God the Father is sovereign in salvation

from the very beginning to the very end.

God saves us.

We cannot save ourselves.

God saves us.

However,

once we are in Christ,

this work of God takes part,

there must be an evidencing of it beyond.

There must be a reality

that our heart has been changed.

That our heart has been set on a different road.

That we are no longer His enemy,

but rather His friends.

And this has been thematically developed

throughout the book of Colossians.

Gospel reconciliation leads to gospel living.

And we live in a day

where I'm so fearful

that there are so many

that are not found in Christ

that they think they are

because this is not being taught to them.

That there's not an appropriate response

to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many fear that this is a works-based salvation.

Hear me clearly.

I'm not saying we ever earned it.

What I'm saying is that we have it.

Therefore, we live in light of it.

There must be a healthy response.

Right and proper living

is the right and proper outcome

of changed hearts.

Paul writes in Romans 12.

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers,

by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies

as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.

The first 11 chapters of Romans

have been a systematic gospel presentation.

It's in this beautiful outlay

of the doctrines of salvation.

And then he turns from there

in chapter 12, verse 1,

to say, now, in light of that,

because of what God has done

on your behalf,

now live in this way.

And beloved, we have to ask ourselves

a serious question

as we don't see our lives

lining up with the command of Scripture.

And we don't.

None of us do.

None of us are carrying this out perfectly.

We all sin still,

even if in Christ.

Right?

If you don't think you do,

therein is your sin.

Right?

Be humble before God.

You are not perfect.

All of us still sin.

All of us carry the old self.

All of these things

we're meant to be putting to death

and putting off.

All of that is still carried with us.

We do still sin.

We have to ask ourselves the question,

am I in Christ?

I progress in these things.

Am I in Christ?

Has He saved me?

Or has He not?

If He hasn't,

repent and believe.

I plead with you

to repent and believe.

Because final judgment

is going to be harsh and severe

and forever.

If He has,

repent and believe.

You're in Christ.

Repent and believe.

Turn from the sin

and pursue holiness.

Unrighteousness should not

be named amongst us.

We too often, I think,

elevate grace to this degree.

This cheap grace idea

where we can just go on

being the messes that we are.

And in so doing,

we say that God doesn't have

the power to change me.

Heresy.

Heresy that is.

God can and He will

change you

if you're in Christ.

Don't belittle

the power of the Spirit of God

in your life

to make you new.

You must progress

in holiness.

Right?

I've talked to you before

about laying the plot lines

of your life.

You should be able

to look back on your life

and see

that you once loved sin

more than you do now.

Right?

You're hating sin more today

than you did before.

And you once didn't

love righteousness

the way you do now.

There's a progression

in these things.

Right?

That you're moving toward

the city of God.

You're moving toward

Christ-likeness

and not away from it.

So there has to be

some activity.

There has to be

some outward display

of what's been happening

in your heart

or it's not happened

in your heart at all.

So test yourself.

Consider this

as we look at these exhortations.

So verse 5 says,

Walk in wisdom

toward outsiders,

making the best use

of the time.

Put your salvation,

put your faith

on display

in real ways

to those

outside

the faith.

Walk in wisdom.

NASB,

I like the rendering,

says conduct yourselves

with wisdom.

It means to

go about

the dealings

of your life

wisely.

Stated in the negative,

that's the positive.

Walk in wisdom.

Stated in the negative,

do not walk

in foolishness.

To be the opposite

of wise

is to be foolish.

Don't be foolish.

Be wise.

Ephesians 5,

11-15.

It's a parallel text

to ours today.

It says,

Take no part

in the unfruitful works

of darkness,

but instead expose them.

For it is shameful

even to speak

of the things

they do in secret,

but when anything

is exposed

by the light,

it becomes visible.

For anything

that becomes visible

is light.

Therefore,

it says,

Awake, O sleeper,

and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine

on you.

Look carefully then

how you walk,

not as unwise,

but as wise.

So what Paul is saying

here is that

if you were to walk

in wisdom,

you're going to walk

in the light.

You're going to do

those things

that we know

or we're meant to do

that are righteous things,

that are good things,

that are right things,

and you're not going

to walk in the darkness

as those who aren't

in Christ do.

Careful.

Be careful how you walk.

Not as unwise,

but as wise.

So how do we know

the difference?

How do we know

the difference

between what is wise

and what is unwise?

How are we to discover

the wise way

in which we should walk?

And I hope the answers

are popping up in your head

as I ask the question.

How are we supposed

to discover

the wise way

in which we should walk?

Exhortation,

walk in wisdom.

How?

What do we do?

How do I know?

I want to walk in wisdom.

I want to be obedient

to this exhortation.

What do I do?

And there are four sources

of wisdom.

Four sources of wisdom.

The first one is worship.

And I don't mean music

when I say that.

We don't call that...

That's worship,

but it's musical worship.

I don't mean

show up at a service

and sing some songs.

Right?

Worship.

Put yourself

in proper relationship

with the Lord God Almighty.

The Creator of heaven

and earth.

The One who created

ex nihilo

from nothing.

The One that existed

before anything existed

for all eternity past.

He is the Creator

and you are merely creation.

Worship Him as such.

Humble yourself before Him.

Recognize that He is the Lord

and you are merely

a subject.

Proverbs 9.10 says,

The fear of the Lord

is the beginning of wisdom

and the knowledge

of the Holy One

is insight.

Proverbs 3.7 says,

Be not wise

in your own eyes.

Fear the Lord

and turn away

from evil.

So it begins with that.

It begins with that subjection.

Understanding rightly.

You come up underneath

the Creator.

Far too many people

read their Scripture

in judgment over it.

Right?

As if this is a book

that's meant for us

to critique and deal with.

When we find error in it,

the problem is not with it.

The problem is with us.

Right?

Our dark minds

are of inability

to understand.

This thing

is the Holy Word of God.

It stands over us.

We should submit ourselves

to it

as we submit ourselves

to God.

So worship is the first.

Second, prayer.

We've already talked

a bit about that last week

from verse 2.

James 1.5 says,

If any of you lacks wisdom,

let him ask God

who gives generously

to all without reproach

and it will be given him.

You want to know

how to be wise

and to walk wisely

in the world?

Ask that God would help you

to walk wisely

in the world.

And it's just that.

Simple.

I get asked so many questions.

Help me, Nathan.

Help me with wisdom

in this particular thing.

And so often I say,

Have you been in prayer

about this?

And the answer is no.

Pray.

Ask that God would show you

the wise way

and the more excellent way.

Thirdly, the Scripture.

Proverbs 2.6 says,

For the Lord gives wisdom

from His mouth

come knowledge

and understanding.

Colossians 3.16

Not too long ago

we looked at it.

Let the Word of Christ

dwell in you richly,

teaching

and admonishing

one another

in all wisdom.

God has spoken.

He has written us

a book.

And it's not an outdated book.

It's not an irrelevant book.

It's a sufficient book.

It contains within it

everything we need to know

as a guide and rule

for holiness.

You want to know

how to walk wisely?

As you worship God

and you pray and ask for wisdom,

read His Word.

He's spoken to you

for every situation

that you're going to encounter

to give you wisdom

to walk as you should.

And lastly,

counsel.

Now by counsel,

I certainly mean

godly counsel.

It just seems

a bit redundant

to say that in this setting.

But I do mean, of course,

godly,

well-informed,

biblical counsel.

I don't mean

pop psychology counseling.

Right?

Ask a brother

or ask a sister.

Ask a leader

about a situation.

Do the others first

and then ask.

What do you think?

What's your perception

of this situation?

Proverbs 27.9

says,

Oil and perfume

make the heart glad

and the sweetness

of a friend

comes from his earnest

counsel.

Again,

in the book of Colossians

1.28

Him we proclaim,

Jesus Christ.

Him we proclaim,

warning everyone

and teaching everyone

with all wisdom

that we may present

everyone mature

in Christ.

So if you desire to,

if you want to walk

in wisdom,

these are the sources.

These are the ways

in which you gather wisdom

that you may walk

as such.

We're supposed to walk

in wisdom,

but specifically,

Paul says,

toward outsiders.

Toward outsiders.

And I just want to point

out two things

from that two-word phrase.

Firstly,

Christians should

interact with those

who are not of the faith.

Christians should

interact with those

who are not

of the faith.

We often tend

to be

so monastic.

We pull ourselves in.

We huddle together

in the castle,

rather than being

the army that goes

and advances

against

the purposes

of the devil.

The presupposition

in this phrase

is that they will.

There's an assumption

there that

Christian people

will be interacting

with outsiders.

That there will be

a normative thing

happening there,

not a monastic thing,

a pulling away

from the world.

But we are to follow

the example

of our Lord

who ate

with sinners

and tax collectors.

Mark 2.16.

Firstly,

secondly,

when those

who profess Christ

display foolishness

toward outsiders,

the gospel

of Jesus Christ

appears to be

of little worth.

Do you recognize

that so many of us

seem to be

peddlers

of a belief

that doesn't really

have any bearing

and effect

in our life

at all?

In some ways

it does.

Maybe for you,

your faith

somehow

is affirming

to you,

you have some

experience

that you enjoy,

but it hasn't

changed who you are

in an outward way

that people can see

and observe

that this person

doesn't walk

as a fool,

this person

walks in the way

of wisdom.

Quite a few months ago

we started studying

the book of Proverbs

together in our

community outreach groups

for this very reason.

We should be a people

very familiar

with the ways

of wisdom,

the way in which

God has designed

and built the world

though corrupted

by sin

and disrupted

there are still

things at play

in the world

that are right

and proper ways

that we should live

and people can see

that.

Do you know

a Christian person

whose life seems

to be fairly put

together

because they walk

in the way

of wisdom?

And there's this

affirming

note because

of who you are

to the gospel

of Jesus Christ.

Some of you

are more of a mess

than the people

around you.

Does the gospel

have power

to affect

and to change

and to direct

your life?

Of course it does.

You should be living

in light of that.

So we are to

walk in wisdom

towards outsiders

and make the best

use of the time

making the best

use of the time.

Beloved,

our lives

are very,

very short.

And I know

that it doesn't

always feel that way.

College students,

your life right now

seems to take

an eternity

because you have

a plan of study

and you can see

everything you're

going to have to do

until this phase

of your life

is over.

If you don't have

a plan of study

you should get one.

Trying to get

to that spot

and get to that end.

I'll tell you

right now

that being beyond

that and not

having the major

thing coming next,

your life accelerates.

I think if you ask

the older folks

in the room

if this is true,

it absolutely is.

Where has this

decade gone?

We are halfway

through it already.

It's staggering

to me

that this is the case.

Our life

is so incredibly

fleeting.

The Bible

speaks of this.

Psalm 103,

15 and 16,

as for man,

his days are like

grass.

He flourishes

like a flower

of the field

for the wind

passes over it

and it is gone

and its place

knows it

no more.

Not very significant

in span

are our lives.

Our lives

are incredibly

short.

And the opportunities

to share

the supremacy

of Jesus Christ

are limited.

so we should

leverage our time

for the sake

of the kingdom.

Every moment

that we have,

every possibility

that we have

to work for the kingdom

ought to be used

in that manner

because our lives

are so,

so very fleeting.

We too often

live as if

this life

is all that there is.

Christian people

who should have

minds set on eternity

so often live

like this is it.

My joy

and satisfaction

right now

in the things

of this world

is all that matters

because there is

nothing out

and beyond

which is so,

so very foolish.

Do not divorce

making the best use

of the time

from walk in wisdom.

The two things

carry together.

Remember,

we're in the same sentence

here.

Walk in wisdom

and make the best use

of the time.

It's foolish

not to do so.

Psalm 90,

Psalms 90:12

verse 12

says,

so teach us

to number our days

that we may get

a heart

of wisdom.

The psalmist is saying,

give us proper

and right perspective

on our life.

Help us to know

not the specific

number of our days.

That's not the prayer

happening here,

but to help us to know

that our life is short

and it is passing

and it is fleeting

so that we will walk

wisely.

We will have hearts

of wisdom.

Again,

the parallel text

to our text

in Colossians,

Ephesians 5,

16 and 17

says,

making the best use

of the time

because the days

are evil.

The days are evil.

Verse 17,

therefore,

do not be foolish,

but understand

what the will

of the Lord

is.

Are you foolish

with your time?

We should not

waste it.

You have a limited

number of years,

a limited number

of days,

a limited number

of hours.

What do you waste

your time on?

I believe that in America

one of our greatest

vices is leisure.

Which isn't to say

that we're not

meant to rest.

We're designed

that way

as creation

that's sinful.

Things have been

disrupted.

We're falling apart.

A lot of you young people

are still building.

Soon,

you're going to start

degrading.

We're not invincible.

We're designed

to go through cycles.

We're designed to rest.

I'm not saying

that we can't rest.

I'm not even saying

that we can't rest

doing things.

I'm not just saying

only sleep.

There's relaxing things

that help us

to reset our minds.

There's a good design

for us to be

doing this.

But what are we doing

with the extra free time?

The out and beyond?

I want my life

to be spent

to the very last drop.

I want to leave it

all on the table

when I die.

You will not look back

at your life

on your deathbed

and say,

if only I had spent

a little more time

playing video games.

If I could have

just passed that level,

my life would be complete.

I wish I had given

more of my time

to Facebook.

My life would have

been better spent

being more versed

in UGA football

history and stats.

I'm not against

watch football.

I don't care.

I'm just saying,

how much of your time

do you invest

in these pursuits?

I just wanted

more time

in my deer stand.

I would be happy

if I could dig my toes

into beach sand

one more time.

You will, however,

if you are in Christ,

have more heavenward

regrets.

I think we all will.

I would like to be able

to say that on my deathbed

I will be fully satisfied

with the life

that I lived for the Lord.

I'm sure I will have regrets,

but I hope at least

they're heavenward.

Like,

I wish I had given

more time to my

lost family members.

If only I had invested

more gospel

in my children.

If only I had served

my pastor more.

I said that one

to make sure

you're paying attention.

I'm kidding, of course.

I hope that our hearts

can join with

that of David Brainerd.

This is on the front

of your bulletin.

David Brainerd

was an 18th century missionary

to the Delaware Indians

of New Jersey.

Not New Jersey as it is.

It was very rough.

It was a wilderness

at the time.

And he said,

Oh, how precious is time

and how it pains me

to see it slide away

while I do so little

to any good purpose.

Paul writes in Romans

Romans 13:11–14

chapter 13,

verse 11 through 14,

Besides this,

you know the time

that the hour has come

for you to wake

from sleep.

For salvation is nearer

to us now

than when we first believed.

The night is far gone,

the day is at hand.

So then let us

cast off the works

of darkness

and put on the armor

of light.

Let us walk properly

as in the daytime,

not in orgies

and drunkenness,

not in sexual immorality

and sensuality,

not in quarreling

and jealousy,

but put on

the Lord Jesus Christ

and make no provision

for the flesh

to gratify its desires.

You see that

what he's saying

about the importance

of us putting on

new self,

that is putting on

the Lord Jesus Christ

in light of

the evil days

and the shortness

of time.

Pursue righteousness

with your time.

Make the best use

of it.

Charles Spurgeon said,

this is all in your bulletin

as well,

serve God by doing

common actions

in a heavenly spirit

and then,

if your daily calling

only leaves you

cracks and crevices

of time,

fill them up

with holy service.

I'm not suggesting

that everybody

stop working,

please don't do that,

stop going to school

and devote

100% of their time

to vocational service

of the kingdom.

God has intended

to work in so many

varied ways

in the world

by giving us

tasks,

schooling,

jobs.

Those things are good

and right

and proper to do,

but to do so

with that heavenward

bent,

to do so in order

to glorify God.

Sometimes that means

you're going to do

things that are mundane

and seem pointless

and boring,

but you're to do them

with a right and proper

heart through the glory

of God.

You don't have to

understand completely

how it is that God

is working and moving

in those mundane

things of life.

Take the classes

that aren't part

of your major.

Work the job.

Do whatever is asked

of you to do.

That's cleaning the floors

or typing up a spreadsheet.

Do it for the glory

of God.

And what Spurgeon here

is suggesting

is you take the extra time

and you fill it in

with things that are

particularly of holy service.

The cracks

and the crevices.

Many of you don't fill

the cracks and crevices

with that type

of activity.

Some of you

have large gaps,

huge schisms

to fill

and you should figure

the best use

of that time.

So display.

Display the supremacy

of Jesus Christ

in the way you live

before others

and proclaim it.

Let your speech

always be gracious.

Season with salt

so that you

may know

how to answer.

Excuse me.

So that you may know

how you ought to answer

each person.

Now before we address

the specific exhortation,

I'd first like to make

just a few comments

and point you to

a few references

concerning speech.

And I want to do so

because the Scripture

throws a great deal

of weight

into warnings

concerning what we say

and how we say it.

I also want to do so

because we're a small

congregation

of a lot of young people

and news travels fast

in this congregation.

You all have no idea

how many things

I hear

throughout a week

that I find

it's not my business

to know.

There's a lot of

gossiping

that happens.

And I think sometimes

with the best intention,

with the hope of

helping us all

to be transparent,

a lot of times

that's not your place.

What you end up doing

is you betray trust

rather than helping

build it

in people.

So let's look

at a few places.

I want you to go with me

to Luke chapter 6.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

Verses 43, 44, and 45.

This should be familiar

to you

if you were singing

with us this morning

with the kids.

Jesus said,

Therefore,

no good tree

bears bad fruit,

nor again does a bad tree

bear good fruit,

for each tree is known

by its own fruit.

For figs are not gathered

from thorn bushes,

nor are grapes

picked from a bramble bush

or bananas from plum trees.

The good person

out of the good treasure

of his heart

produces good,

and the evil person

out of his evil treasure

produces evil,

for out of the abundance

of the heart

his mouth speaks.

Now, Jesus is directly

speaking to,

he's specifically speaking

to in this text

to the Pharisees,

and he's pointing out

their evil nature

because of the words

that they speak.

But the truth of this

gives application

to us as well.

Those who are found

in Christ,

if we don't speak

true things,

if our language

is not grace-filled,

it says something

about our heart.

Even if it's redeemed

in Christ,

it says something

about our heart.

Possibly that we still

love the sin,

we love the gossip,

we love the no,

more than we love

Christ and his kingdom

and his ways.

It speaks about

who we are.

This is why I try

to be very careful

with my language.

I know I'm not always

very careful

with my language.

One of the great

troubles of my heart

when I get up to preach

is that I give

misunderstanding

to something that's

of weight

and is true.

It's the reason

that we're very careful

about what we call,

what we do up here

with music.

It's why we're very careful

to not talk about

altar calls

because Jesus

has once and for all

paid the price.

There's no longer

a need for an altar.

The work has been finished.

It's why we're careful

about calling this building

the church

because it's not.

It's a building.

It's turning to dust

someday,

but we are God's

holy people

because out of the

abundance of our hearts,

our mouth speaks.

Listen to what James

had to say

about the way

we speak.

James chapter 3.

James 3 · chapter mention

Go there with me,

please.

James chapter 3,

James 3 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 3.

James here talks

about the tongue.

He's talking about

the speech.

What we do

with our mouths

is what he means.

If we put bits

into the mouths

of horses

so that they obey us,

we guide their whole body

as well.

A very small thing

guides the entire body

of a horse.

Look at the ships also.

Though they are so large

and are driven

by strong winds,

they are guided

by a very small rudder

wherever the will

of the pilot directs.

So also,

the tongue

is a small member,

yet it boasts

of great things.

How great a forest

is set ablaze

by such a small fire.

And the tongue

is a fire,

a world of unrighteousness.

The tongue

is set among our members,

staining the whole body,

setting on fire

the entire course of life,

and set on fire

by hell.

Strong words

about the tongue,

are they not?

Verse 7.

For every kind

of beast and bird,

of reptile and sea creature

can be tamed

and has been tamed

by mankind,

but no human being

can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil,

full of deadly poison.

With it we bless

our Lord and Father,

and with it we curse

people who are made

in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth

come blessing

and cursing.

My brothers,

these things

ought not be so.

Does a spring

pour forth

from the same opening

both fresh

and salt water?

Can a fig tree,

my brothers,

bear olives,

or a grapevine

produce figs?

Neither can a salt pond

yield fresh water.

And this question

should ring in our heads.

Is it even possible

to tame the tongue?

Can mankind

tame the tongue?

And the answer to that

is no,

but God can.

What we speak

is an overflow

of our heart.

And God changes

our hearts.

And so we have to be

constantly checking

what we say

and why we say it

because it's indicative.

It's a symptom

of what's going on

inside of our heart.

One last quick note

and we'll get back

to the main exhortation.

Proverbs 26, 20.

I happened across this

this week,

which was timely

and wonderful.

It says,

For lack of wood,

the fire goes out

and where there is

no whisperer,

quarreling ceases.

I think that needs

to set in some

of your minds

this week.

So verse 6,

let your speech

always be gracious.

Gracious speech

is what we're to have

as believers.

NASB renders this,

Let your speech

always be with grace,

which I really like

the translation that way.

Let your speech

always be with grace.

And that is,

the redeemed

should speak like

their Redeemer.

Luke 4, 22.

And all spoke well

of Him,

Jesus Christ,

and marveled

at the gracious words

that were coming

from His mouth.

The words that we speak

should be with grace.

And I take that

to mean that they

should be both

from grace

and for grace.

From grace,

we can see verse 3.

Paul writes,

At the same time,

pray also for us

that God may open

to us a door

for the Word

to declare the mystery

of Christ,

that God would give us

opportunity

to declare the gospel

on account of which

I am in prison.

And then verse 4,

here we're picking

verse 4 back up

from last week

and bringing it in,

that I may make it clear

which is how I ought

to speak.

And so you see

what Paul is saying is,

please pray for me

that I have both

opportunity and clarity

in my speech.

So it's from grace.

Paul recognizes

that he needs God

to work in the way

in which he shares.

Also the last part

of verse 6,

so that you may know

how you ought to answer

each person.

How are we to know?

We are to speak

with grace,

with the grace

that God provides

to give us words

for utterance

of the gospel.

So we're to speak

from grace,

we're also to speak

for grace.

To bring it about

in others.

Ephesians 4.29

says,

let no corrupting talk

come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good

for building up

as fits the occasion

that it may give grace

to those who hear.

So whether you're speaking

to an outsider

or for the sake of my language

call them the insiders,

those who are outside of faith

or in faith,

our talks should be

building one another up.

Our language is to be

seasoned with salt.

Salt is purifying.

Something is,

if you have a wound,

salt is a way

that you can heal that wound,

that you can kill

the stuff in the wound

that's bad for the wound.

It's purifying.

It's preserving.

Most of us know this.

In case you don't know this,

a lot of your preserved food

has salt in it.

It helps with that process.

And it's flavorful.

It's the way

that our speech should be.

It should be purifying,

preserving,

and it should be flavorful.

I really tried to find you

a third P there

for flavorful,

but pungent didn't have

the white ring to it.

So it's purifying,

it's preserving,

and it's flavorful.

And our speech

should also be such.

And we should know

how to answer

each person.

Again, verse 4,

that I may make it clear,

which is how I ought

to speak.

Because God employs

human means

in His salvific purposes,

we should give clear

presentations of the gospel

and appropriate responses

to objections

to the gospel.

We should be able

to do this.

If you're found in Christ,

you should be able

to do this.

And if you can't do this,

in even the basest of ways,

you may feel foolish

as you're doing it,

you may not think

you're giving clear

explanation,

but if you can't do this

in the basest of ways,

I have a concern

for your soul.

Hear me carefully.

If you have responded

in faith to the gospel

of Jesus Christ,

you should know

the doctrines

of the gospel

of Jesus Christ.

Not that you give them

fancy terms,

not that you use

flowery speech

to explain it,

that you give up

and you give a sermon

and someone's interested

in your faith

and you stand up

and you go,

well, let me tell you

and you thunder on with it.

But if you can't lay out

the simplicity

of the gospel,

I try to do this for you

week in and week out.

It's not all that complex.

But if you can't do that,

then I'm concerned

that you've believed

in something

that you don't even understand.

You can't possibly

be found in Christ

if you don't know

the gospel.

And there are too many churches

that don't preach

the gospel.

Churches that ignore

sin altogether

and the just punishment

of it.

And that's where

the gospel starts.

The gospel starts

with a holy God

who had a standard

for us.

We're covering it

with the kids.

He had one rule

and man broke it.

Separated us from him

eternally.

Nothing we could do

to get back

to that place.

We were then

by nature

sinful.

Adam is our

federal head.

We are all sinful

in Adam.

Born into sin.

If you don't have kids,

you'll know one day.

Born into that sin.

Willfully committing

sin.

In all kinds of ways

saying to God

that we hate him.

I've said this to you before.

We want to be king.

We want to be like God.

This very problem

that Adam and Eve had,

the very lie

that they believed

that Satan told them

is that they would be

like God

and they said

that sounds great.

We don't want to be creation.

We want to be creator.

And that's what

was disrupted there.

Christ sets that

straight for us.

Christ came and lived

a perfect life.

He had to.

He had to be both

human and divine.

He came and lived

a perfect life for us.

The perfect righteousness,

the fulfillment of the law,

God's holy standard

given to his people

to keep

in order for him

to keep his covenant promise,

we couldn't do.

Christ did it for us.

He came and lived

a perfect life,

right?

So that if we believe in him,

we're given righteousness.

We have his righteousness.

And he died a sinner's death.

He took our sin

and put it on himself,

right?

Just the death

wasn't enough,

right?

That would have brought us

back up to neutral.

That would have put us

at ground zero.

No longer a debt to God,

but we hadn't yet

made the payment

that was necessary,

which was righteousness.

So we have this

double imputation

that happens,

right?

Our sin given to Christ,

his righteousness

given to us.

Martin Luther called it

the great exchange,

right?

So that if we place

believing faith in him,

we are found right

before God.

You should be able

to explain this to people.

It doesn't have to use

the words I use.

You should be able

to do it.

There are resources

for you to do it with,

right?

You get all jumbled

and nervous.

There's some great tracks.

I'm not against tracks.

I'm just against you

putting them in random places

like on the back of your journals

and leaving,

right?

You ought to be able

to share the gospel.

You ought to be able

to entertain objections

to it,

right?

You have to have

all the answers.

No one expects you

to have all the answers.

But you ought to be able

to entertain

and go find the answers,

right?

You have resources

abounding at your fingertips.

You have resources

in this church.

Many, many faithful

men and women

who are wonderful

at sharing their faith

that you can pull

that information

from.

Now,

in the sharing

of the gospel,

even in the clearest

of ways,

right,

illumination by the Spirit

is required,

right?

For God to do

a work in people's lives,

our sharing

has to be combined

with His work

to change the hearts

of people

that they would believe it,

right?

Dark hearts

don't hear the gospel.

They don't want

to hear the gospel.

It's foolishness

to them.

So this won't

always find success,

but we ought to know

how to answer each person,

and we ought to make it clear

and let God work.

And sometimes this is going

to come out

in favor of what we would

think is the right outcome,

that people would turn

to Christ,

and sometimes it won't.

And that's up to God.

It's our job to share

and to go

and to do so faithfully.

2 Corinthians 2,

14-17 says,

But thanks be to God

who in Christ

always leads us

in triumphal procession

and through us

spreads the fragrance

of the knowledge

of Him everywhere.

Is this true

of our church?

For we are the aroma

of Christ to God

among those

who are being saved

and among those

who are perishing.

To one a fragrance

from death to death.

To the other a fragrance

from life to life.

Who is sufficient

for these things?

For we are not

like so many

peddlers

of God's Word,

but as men of sincerity,

as commissioned by God,

in the sight of God,

we speak in Christ.

If we go out this week

with that in mind.

In Thessalonica,

Paul and Silas

are accused of being

men who have turned

the world upside down.

And here Paul is just saying,

I just want to make it clear.

Just give me the opportunity

to make it clear

to preach the Gospel.

In other places,

in Ephesians,

he talks about

the way in which

we're to share

and to not be of offense.

1 Peter 3,

15-16 says,

In your hearts,

honor Christ the Lord

as holy,

always being prepared

to make an offense

to anyone who asks you

for a reason

for the hope

that is in you.

Yet do it

with gentleness

and respect.

Have a good conscience

so that when you are slandered,

those who revile

your good behavior

in Christ

may be put to shame.

These men shared

the Gospel in that way,

speaking it clearly,

in love,

and the Thessalonians

said that they were

turning the world

upside down.

These weren't

happy recipients

of the Gospel

of Jesus Christ.

They were disrupting

everything

with this kind

and loving,

amazing message

of Jesus Christ.

And so we are

to display

the supremacy

of Jesus Christ

in all things

to all people.

We are to proclaim it

as well.

And beloved,

I believe

that if we would

begin to pray,

if we would get

on our faces

and we begin

to ask that God

would pour His Spirit

out on our community

and that we would

be faithful

in our own experience,

not looking to this world,

not setting our mind

on it,