Seeking fullness for those who are empty

Good morning. Please turn with me to Colossians. We're reading from chapter 4 and verses 2 to the end of the chapter, verse 18.

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

At the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us the 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 towards 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.

Tychicus will tell you about all my activities.

He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts.

And with him, Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you,

they will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you.

And Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions,

if he comes to you, welcome him.

And Jesus, who is called Justice.

These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God,

and they have been a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus,

greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers,

that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.

Luke, the beloved physician, greets you, as does Demas.

Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea and to Nympha and the church in her house.

And when this letter has been read among you,

have it read in the church of the Laodiceans,

and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

And say to Archippus,

see that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.

I, Paul, write these greetings with my own hand.

Remember my chains.

Grace be with you.

Well, we've been talking about fullness in Christ in the book of Colossians for nine weeks now.

We've come to the end of the letter.

This picture we've been using for a couple of weeks now of the internal bucket being full and overflowing.

We don't need to find ourselves.

We already are full in Christ and it's overflowing into every aspect of life.

But I want to ask, after all this talk of fullness,

is it just talk?

Like how full do you feel most of the time?

This week in particular as a church family,

with all the heartache,

in such pain,

does all this talk of fullness just evaporate?

Is it just talk?

Or maybe we compare ourselves to those who try and live apart from knowing Jesus.

They're pursuing a very different idea of fullness.

And we envy them.

Like Psalm 73 says,

we look and they seem healthy.

They seem strong.

They seem beautiful.

Their houses are big.

They occupy the important and influential places in society.

They've got all the friends.

They've got so much more time,

not having to come to church,

and so much more money to spend.

We can envy them.

Like Psalm 73,

the psalmist goes,

behold, look,

these are the wicked,

always at ease.

They increase in riches.

All in vain

have I kept my heart clean.

Now the psalmist doesn't stop there,

but we can even get to a place of

envying

people who don't know Jesus.

Or maybe,

if we compare ourselves to

other streams of Christianity,

other people who

probably

kind of

think

similar lines

to what the Colossians were hearing,

you can have

an extra experience of God.

Okay, yes,

trusting Jesus is good,

but if you really want to encounter God,

this kind of

being swept up

into a heavenly

experience with the angels,

this is how you do it.

You need something else

other than Jesus

to get there.

Maybe we compare

ourselves to that

kind of Christian thinking.

You can have

victory over

finances

and relationships

and health.

You can have

all those things.

And we can envy.

We can be tempted

to think that fullness

is found somewhere else.

So is all this

talk of fullness

just talk.

Because this is a battle

for our belief

over where fullness

can be found.

I think we could picture

Paul writing this letter,

dictating to his secretary,

just lying back

on a deck chair

by the pool

with a cool drink

by his side,

the sun setting,

like eye of everything

in Christ.

You could picture him

like that.

But he signs off

the letter

in the very last verse,

remember my chains.

Remember my chains.

Grace

be with you.

Now,

if someone from prison,

now he's under

house arrest,

but if someone from prison

wrote you a letter

saying,

here's how you should live,

here's the best life,

would you believe,

would you go,

yeah,

I'm going to work it out

myself,

thank you very much.

You've ended up

in the slammer,

I'm not sure

you can really speak to it.

This guy is in prison,

he knows,

he knows harsh treatment.

And he's urging them,

don't listen

to the false teachers

who can say

that there's something

else other than Christ.

Follow me

as I follow Christ.

Now,

I think

him saying,

remember my chains,

it could just be saying,

this is really hard,

please pray for me.

But I think

he's saying more than that,

like he said earlier

in the letter,

that I rejoice

in my sufferings

for your sake,

for your sake.

And in my flesh

I am filling up

what is lacking

in Christ's afflictions.

He's not ashamed

of his situation.

It's a reminder

that his imprisonment

is for their sake.

He's in prison

because he is speaking

the gospel clearly,

which means the Colossians

have come to know Jesus.

He is suffering

for their sake.

It's a reminder

that he's willing

to hurt,

willing to go through

great cost himself

so that they might have life,

they might have

the grace of God.

So Paul's,

even in prison,

even in this harsh treatment,

Paul's still got

the inner resources

to be,

this letter is full

of affection,

it's full of concern

for the Colossians.

Where do those resources

come from?

If he was just focused

on his own story

that he's in prison

under harsh treatment,

he might turn in on himself,

start self-pitying,

but he doesn't do that.

He might spiral down,

but he doesn't do that.

He has these resources

somewhere

that make him

affectionate for others

and still seeking

the salvation of others

and the growth of others.

Where do those resources

come from?

I think asking that question

helps us understand fullness.

That fullness isn't just

a feeling of happiness.

That's not how we should

measure fullness.

Fullness is having

the resources

to live well,

to live for Christ

and actually be

overflowing for concern

for others.

So who do we think

is more full?

The person in our society

who needs the house,

who needs the job,

who needs the relationships

and all their work

to be going well,

to feel good about themselves

and to feel satisfied.

If they lose it,

they must get it back.

If they have it,

they fear losing it.

They're always trying

to manipulate situations

to make themselves

feel satisfied.

And if they look

into their future,

it's a bleak future.

They've got to have it now.

Time is running out.

Is that person full?

Do they have the resources

to live well?

Or, like Paul,

someone who has

earthly things stripped away

and yet they still

have affection for people.

They still have concern

for other people's

well-being.

working hard

that they might receive life.

Fullness in Christ

doesn't look like

feeling happy

all the time.

It's through all emotions.

Fullness is having

inner resources

simply entrusting Jesus

to live well,

to be seeking

the good of others

in every moment,

even filled with thanksgiving,

no matter what's going on.

And where did Paul get

these inner resources from?

It's not his own making.

It's not like he's somehow

just stronger than us.

His resources

are our resources.

It's all in the gospel.

It's all what Christ has done.

Or to put it

a different way,

he knows that his life

is part of a bigger story.

His life is part

of a grand narrative.

This Paul,

who was once

seeking to prove himself

as a religious man,

that's not who he is anymore.

He came to see

that he can't give

the Lord

who created everything,

what can he do

to the Lord

who created everything?

What can he give him

to prove himself?

Nothing.

In fact,

he was shown

his debt of sin

that needed to be paid.

And now,

in knowing Jesus,

he has known

that all that debt,

that mountain

of trying to live

life without God

has been nailed

to the cross.

That full forgiveness,

that full acceptance,

not based on him

proving himself,

but based on

what Christ has done.

He now can call God

not a judge only,

but a father.

He is secure

in the Father's love.

He knows he is qualified

for the eternal inheritance

of the saints.

His future is full and bright,

which gives him strength

in every trial.

He is meaning

and purpose now

to represent

the King of Kings,

to be an agent,

to be an instrument

in the Redeemer's hands

to bring other people

into this new life.

It is in the Gospel

that we have

all the resources

to live well.

And we see that

in this passage today,

this passage seems to be

all about seeking fullness

for those who are empty.

To live well,

we are caught up

into Christ's story.

Christ's goal

is to reconcile

all people to himself.

His passion

is to see lost people

come into the family,

to see empty people

filled.

It's Christ's passion

that then fills us,

gives us the resources

to seek this as well.

So I'm going to go through

four things

that I think

this passage

shows us

we should be

overflowing

with Christ's passion

in

to see people

reconciled to himself.

So I think we see

that we've got to be

depending on his

sovereign grace

in prayer.

We need to be

holding the ropes

of prayer

for those

who are sent

to speak the Gospel.

We're told

to make the most

of the time

speaking graciously.

And I think we see

in all the final greetings

that we are to stand

shoulder to shoulder

with all Christ's people

to see the advance

of the Gospel.

So,

how will we

overflow

with Christ's passion

to fill

empty people?

First we see

in verse 2,

depending on

his sovereign grace

overflowing

with thanksgiving,

continue steadfastly

in prayer

being watchful

in it

with thanksgiving.

I think

we're being

called to

make a

lifestyle,

a habit,

a way of thinking.

That's

why

the book

Rory the Dinosaur,

it's just

being aware

that sovereign grace

is always

at work.

Prayer

is the natural

response to that.

If you think

you can do it

yourself,

we won't pray.

But if you think

I need grace

in this moment

and I have

grace in this

moment

because I

am in Christ,

prayer is just

the air we

breathe,

depending on

his sovereign

grace.

But we

shouldn't assume

this comes easy.

Throughout this

letter,

whenever Paul

speaks of someone,

often when Paul

speaks of someone

praying,

like we see

in verse 12

with Epaphras,

he's struggling

in prayer.

This is,

it's a hard

work thing.

Or like in

this verse,

being watchful

in it,

being alert.

Now it

could be,

I'm not sure,

but the phrase

being alert,

being awake

and praying,

that might be

an allusion

to Jesus

in the garden

of Gethsemane

when he

is being

tempted

to not go

through the

cross and he

tells his few

disciples,

watch and pray.

But they

can't do it.

They fall asleep

three times.

They can't do it.

He has to do

it for us.

Even our

prayers,

we need grace

to do it.

We can only

do it in Christ

can we do this.

I think sometimes

we think of prayer

as something

we have to

muster up,

but it's only

in Christ

that we can

do it.

And the reason

we need to be

alert is because

the temptation

to look away

from Christ

is constant.

We are

always being

tempted to

lust after

the things

of the world

or to despair

in the dark

seasons of life,

to follow

some other

idea of

fullness.

We need

his grace

all the time

and we have

it all the

time.

if we are

aware of

how dependent

we are

on his

constant

stream

of

grace,

then

we'll make

prayer just

the air we

breathe.

We'll make

prayer the

first port of

call we go

to,

not the

last resort.

I'm not

saying I do

this by the

way,

I think we're

called to

this,

to make

prayer the

first port of

call.

And that's

why Thanksgiving

is so appropriate

to us as

Christians,

because we

have constant

grace.

We have

constant grace

and so it's

appropriate that

all our prayers

just have the

aroma of

Thanksgiving as

well.

So we

need constant

grace to

live well in

life, to

represent Christ

well so that

we might be a

witness for

him.

So I think

the second

way that this

passage tells

us to overflow

with a passion

to see people

come to know

Jesus is in

verses 3 and

4.

That's what I've

called holding

the ropes of

prayer for those

who speak the

gospel.

So verses 3 and

4.

At the same

time pray also

for us, and

the us there

is Paul and

his team, so

to speak, of

gospel speakers,

pray for us

that God may

open to us a

door for his

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.

So we've

already seen

what the

mystery of

Christ is in

chapters 1 and

2.

It's the

gospel, that

the Old

Testament was

preparing how

God would

save his

people.

And then

that has

been revealed,

that mystery

has been

revealed, it's

all in

Jesus, Paul

says.

That's the

mystery.

And although

all believers

are to

confess Christ,

that's just

what we do,

that's just

what a

Christian is,

a Christian

acknowledges

Christ.

So all

believers in

some sense are

to speak

Christ as

Lord, but

some are

gifted, some

are called,

some are

set apart to

speak and

teach and

evangelise.

But it's not

their responsibility

alone to do

that.

The whole

church, I

think we're

being called

in these

verses, pray

for us, that

God may open

to us a door

for his word

and that I

may make the

gospel clear.

The church

is to carry

the responsibility

of praying

for those

whose job

it is to

speak the

gospel.

Now I was

convicted by

this time,

Emma and I

support this

missionary that

we know, this

friend of ours,

and he came

home from the

field and he

wanted to meet

up with us

and he was

telling me all

about it and

at the end of

the conversation

I said, to

my shame,

I said, so

something to

the effect

of, do

you need

more money?

And he

was like, no,

that's not

why I'm

having this

conversation.

I want you

to care about

the people

I'm encountering.

I want you

to be praying.

So I was

a bit

convicted, I

was very

convicted by

that.

The main

way we

are to be

supporting

gospel workers

is by

caring and

praying or

as

William

Carey.

He's the

guy from,

he's kind

of known

as the

missionary who

kind of

founded,

not founded,

sorry, I'm

trying to find

the word here.

He's the

father of

modern missionary

movement.

Obviously

missionary work

has been going

on since

Christ.

But the

modern push

to go into

other cultures,

he's one of

the first to

go and he

went to

India.

And he

told his

friend and

fellow Christian

brother, Andrew

Fuller, I

will go down

into the

pit if you

will hold

the ropes.

Do you

get the

image?

He's saying

this is a

dangerous

calling.

People do

not want to

hear the

gospel.

They're going

to be

close to

it.

I'm going

to have

no effect

whatsoever if

God's grace

does not

open the

door for

effectiveness.

You better

hold the

ropes or I'm

going to

fall.

That's the

picture he's

using.

I think it's

a call on

us as the

church.

Hold the

ropes.

Pray for

an open

door for

the word

and the

message to

be clear.

I think the

door for

the word

isn't just

opportunity.

It is

opportunity but

like in

Acts 14

27, Paul

and Barnabas

report the

missionary

journey and

they say

they went

around to

all these

Gentile regions

and they

declared all

that God

had done

with them

and how

he had

opened a

door of

faith to

the Gentiles.

So this is

praying that

not just

opportunity for

the gospel but

that the

gospel would

break through

hearts and

open a

door of

faith, a

faith response.

So it's

praying for

the gospel to

be effective

and it's

praying for

the message to

be spoken

clearly.

Now this

might sound

like a human

responsibility to

speak clearly,

which it is.

It's how I

ought to speak.

But they

need sovereign

grace to do

it.

They can't do

it on their

own.

To grasp the

meaning of

scripture, to

understand people

who you're

talking to so

that you can

make the

gospel as

clear as

possible to

their culture

and what

they're thinking,

that needs

sovereign grace

to do that.

For the

gospel worker to

have the

motivations right,

not to do it

for their own

reputation, but

to do it for

Christ's glory and

people's salvation,

that you need

sovereign grace for

for our gospel

workers.

So how are we

holding the

ropes of prayer

as a church?

Is that a

culture in our

church to hold

the ropes of

prayer?

It is, isn't it?

Our gospel

partners, they're a

permanent feature

in our

bulletin.

We pray

weekly for

that.

But I

wonder, as we

send those

newsletters

around, when

we get them

and email them

on, is there

a part of you

that just

thinks, this

is just a

useless

activity?

I'm not

sure, am I

the only one

who is

struggling with

that temptation?

Shouldn't we

get on with

things we can

do?

Do we see

prayer as the

power of God

to break through

hearts?

When we get

those newsletters

sent around,

let's take time

to pray.

Can I urge us,

let's make a

plan to pray.

I think if we

don't make a

plan, we don't

really do it.

If we can make

a habit of it.

I know some

people use a

prayer app,

because there's

so many people

to pray for.

Sometimes there's

a prayer app

where you can

say how often

you want to

pray for someone

and it just

comes up.

If you want to

pray every three

days, it will

come up every

three days.

There's plenty

of resources

out there.

Recently, I've

made Friday

mornings, the

mornings where I

pray for those

newsletters, because

they just became

overwhelming.

I'm just like,

Fridays will be

it.

I'm just giving

concrete examples.

You don't have

to do that, but

let's make a

plan to pray so

that we actually

hold the ropes

for people.

So we

overflow with

Christ's passion

through dependent

prayer for

ourselves and

holding the

ropes for those

who speak the

gospel.

And then in

verses five and

six, we have a

very broad

command to

make the most

of the time.

Always seeking

to live and

speak a

counterculture of

grace.

Walk in

wisdom towards

outsiders, that

is those outside

Christ's family,

making the best

use of the time.

And how do we do

that?

I think verse six

tells us the

primary way we do

that.

Let your speech

always be gracious,

seasoned with salt,

so that you may

know how you ought

to answer each

person.

When are you

witnessing to the

gospel?

Is it only when

the topic turns to

God or Jesus

religion?

Is that when

you're witnessing

for the gospel?

Because these

verses, they put a

high calling on us

to be witnessing

for the gospel in

everything.

Walk is just a

description of every

choice you make in

life.

Walk in wisdom as

you live in this

world, making the

best use of the

time.

Let all your

speech, let your

speech always be

gracious, whatever

the topic of

conversation.

I think to

understand what it

means to be making

the best use of the

time is an

orientation thing.

time is urgent.

It's

realising what

time in history

we're in.

That time is

urgent.

We're not to

panic, but it's

urgent.

Christ could come

any day.

We are in the

last days.

We are in the

days of salvation

between Christ's

first and second

coming.

So things are

urgent, make the

most of every

opportunity.

There is no

hobby or interest

or possession that

we can shut off

from Christ and

say this is ours.

We're being called

here to walk in

wisdom in everything

we do so that

people might just

get a sense that

we are full of

grace, that we are

living differently or

the changing power of

the gospel.

In all we say,

we're being called

that grace is what

people sense in us.

I think Ephesians

4.29 helps us

understand this.

I don't think it's

saying we have to

have nice words all

the time.

Grace can be pointed

words sometimes.

But Ephesians 4.29 I

think helps us

understand what our

speech being filled

with grace means.

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.

I found that verse

really helpful.

It's fitting to the

occasion.

You're conscious of

what does this person

need in this moment?

How can I build them

up?

It's an orientation

thing.

It's not the tone of

your voice necessarily.

It's not the specific

words necessarily.

It's what's your goal.

Is it to build that

person up who's

listening?

Now these are broad

commands, so can I

just narrow in on

social media?

We don't talk about

technology and social

media much.

Is your words online

filled with grace,

wanting to build up

those who are

listening?

I stumbled on a

video this week.

It had Steve

Wozniak in the

video.

He, with Steve

Jobs, helped invent

the first computer,

the Macintosh.

I was really

surprised because the

guy was praising

Steve going, wow,

you changed the

world.

He made this

comment, I kind of

regret what I did.

Imagine that.

He has changed the

world as we know

it.

And this guy,

I kind of regret

because of how the

tech companies are

using it to

manipulate people.

And I think what he

meant by that was

there's a guy called

Tristan Harris.

He used to work for

Google and now he's

really passionate about

trying to change how

the technology industry

operates.

And he uses this

phrase that the

technology is hacking

human vulnerabilities.

hacking human

vulnerabilities.

So an example of

this, like the list

in chapter three,

like all the things

we're meant to be

putting to death,

all the anger and

the greed, all that

self-interest.

The technology is

actually hacking that

to bring, draw that

out of us.

So for instance, the

social media

algorithms.

I found out recently

that the things that

spread more, the

posts that spread

more, they're not the

balanced comments of

like giving nuance,

it's the outrage.

It's like if someone in

politics says something

putting down the other

side, that is the thing

that will spread.

The algorithms play on

our desire to be full

of malice and anger.

Or for instance, the

addiction of social

acceptance.

You can post something

and potentially have

dozens or hundred

people validate you

instantly.

That is addictive and

the tech people know it.

So that's what he's

meaning, that kind of

thing, by hacking our

vulnerabilities.

Like do you go back

and check your online

posts to see how many

people liked it?

Like why would you go

back and check?

I think it boils down

to this.

Do we let social media

control our sense of

self, trying to fill up

our self by our online

presence?

Or are we so full of

Christ that we control

our social media?

That we are using it to

benefit and build up

anyone who reads it?

That's the question.

Are we using it?

Are we being used by it

to fill our bucket, to

use that analogy?

Or are we so full of

Christ we use it as a

good tool to give grace

to those who hear us?

In all we do, not just

social media, but all our

choices, in all we say, we

want people to just get a

taste of grace as they

encounter us.

The fourth and final thing I

think we see in this passage

is in verses 7 to 17.

Now, all these final

greetings and greet this

person and all these things,

that's a long list.

I look through the other

letters and that's quite

unusual for Paul to have

such an extended list of

this person greets you and

this person greets you.

The only other one is the

book of Romans.

I'm wondering why.

Like, we could be tempted to

just chop this off.

It's pretty useless for today.

Let's not chop it off.

Let's trust that God has it

here for our benefit.

Why might the Colossians have

benefited from all these

greetings?

And therefore, why might we?

Let me just quickly survey

what's in here.

It seems to be four sections.

Verses 7 to 9 is about the

person delivering the letter.

Tychicus, I don't know if that's

how you pronounce his name or

not.

He's going to expand on that

letter.

Anything that Paul meant, he

will be able to teach further.

And then you've got one

simmius.

He's a runaway slave, but he's

to be treated as who he is, a

beloved brother.

So you've got verses 7 to 9.

You've got the letter carriers.

Then verses 10 to 11, you've got

three Jewish gospel workers with

Paul.

Then 12 to 14, you've got three

Gentile gospel workers with

Paul.

Especially Epaphras, who is

struggling in prayer for them,

filled with concern for them.

And then, verses 15 to 17, the

Colossians are told to greet the

church at Nympha's house.

They exchange letters with

Laodicea.

In other words, sit under the

authority of Paul's teaching and

for Archippus to fulfill his

ministry.

Okay, so that's just a quick

survey.

I think two things stand out in

this section.

The first is just the affection

that the gospel creates.

When Paul earlier said that Jew and

Gentile, there is no Jew and

Gentile.

Christ is all and in all.

He means it.

They are striving shoulder to

shoulder for the gospel.

There is such affection.

My beloved brother, faithful

minister, fellow servant.

This is full of affection and

unity.

It breaks down social and racial

divides.

There is affection.

And the second thing is it's

affection with a common purpose, the

advance of the word of Christ, both

in believers and in people coming to

be saved.

I think the Colossians are being

reminded that they are part of a

much broader household of faith than

just themselves and just their local

church.

Such a, which is filled with mutual

concern and affection and all striving to

see God's word bearing fruit.

This could encourage them because as they

stand apart from the false teachers, they

might feel quite alone.

They are not alone.

They are part of a wide family of faith.

The fruit of the cross puts us in a story

that's much bigger than your individual

story.

It's even bigger than grace

evangelical.

We have a broader story.

We have a wider family of faith.

And it crosses all human divides.

We can have deep affection and partnership in

real time and space.

I think we can express this reality.

We already did it, didn't we?

The Hunter Gospel Ministries conferences.

Isn't there something deeply encouraging about

meeting other people who believe the same

gospel, different faces, different names,

same gospel?

Somehow you just, even if you can't speak the

same language, sometimes you can just, you

have the same, I don't know what to call it,

spirit, let's call it spirit, Holy Spirit.

There's just this affection that you can have that

crosses cultures.

When we pray for people, we can express this.

I think when we visit places on holidays and we go to a

different church, we can express this same gospel, just

different places, different faces.

As we're called into the mission of Christ, his passion to

save people, we have to have broader horizons than just

grace evangelical church.

We are part of his global family of faith.

So let's be spurred on by that.

Whenever we're feeling alone as the only ones trying to be

faithful or when we get too narrow-minded, we need to

remember we're part of a much bigger family of faith.

You want to see the gospel spread.

So we can be joined to Christ's mission to fill empty

people as we struggle to rely on his grace, as we hold the

ropes of prayer for those who speak, as we make the most of

the time, as we strive shoulder to shoulder with other

gospel churches in Newcastle and others, we have the privilege

of meeting.

We can strive and show a counterculture.

So let me just briefly finish by asking our usual question.

What will keep us from seeking fullness for those who are

empty?

What will get in the road of passion for Christ's mission to

reconcile empty people to himself?

We could talk about a lot of things, but I just want to pick one.

And the reason I've picked this is because it's just a constant

theme in this letter.

It just keeps coming up again and again and again.

And that is thankfulness.

I think our passion for the grace of Christ reaching more and more

people will depend on how thankful we are for the grace that is

ours.

If our lips say that Christ is our life, he is so good, and yet our

hearts aren't full of thankfulness, why would we expect others to

believe us?

There's an inconsistency there.

That's a negative way of putting it.

But the positive way of putting it is God is calling us to fight the

fight of joy, of thankfulness for all the grace that is ours.

For people to encounter in us something just different, thankfulness in

any situation is, especially in the hard situations, is strange in this

world.

It's so easy to complain and seek your own interests, but thankfulness for grace all

the time will both motivate mission because we'll realise the grace we have and it will

stand apart from this world.

It will show that we have a fullness that isn't dependent on our circumstances.

So I just want to finish up by reminding us of all we've got to be thankful for, for the

grace that is ours in this letter.

So I'm just going to jump to four verses.

The first is chapter 1, verse 13.

Isaiah 1:13

Verse 12, sorry.

12 and 13.

We're to be giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance

of the saints in light.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved

son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I don't know what's going on in your life, but you can always be thankful for that.

You are qualified for the inheritance, that eternal new creation.

It started in your heart and it's going to finish up the whole world, your body as well.

We can always be thankful for that.

We can be jumping to chapter 3, verse 17.

Our calling.

We have the highest meaning and purpose in Christ now.

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

We're always representing him.

Giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We are an ambassador of grace now.

We have, I don't know what menial, difficult thing you're going through.

That is an opportunity to be an ambassador of grace.

Giving thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

We have the highest meaning and purpose.

And we're not alone in trying to do that like we've seen in chapter 4, verse 2 today.

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

We have constant, present grace.

Power.

To live well.

We are in Christ who is seated at God's right hand.

We have sovereign grace all the time.

Whatever we're going through.

Isn't that reason to be thankful?

And to finish, as Paul started this letter in chapter 1, verse 3, we can be thankful.

Paul says, he starts by praising God.

I always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus.

And their love and their hope.

So, as we see others growing in their faith, as we see people coming to faith, that should just produce thankfulness in us.

Thankfulness to the Father that his grace is at work.

So, I think, will we be a culture of thankfulness in this church?

Remembering God's grace will empower us to want grace to go to others.

And having that thankful spirit will just show how full we are in a world that desperately needs it.

Will you pray with me?

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, we praise you as the one who created all things, whether things in heaven or things on earth.

You created us.

All things are created by you and for you.

We praise you that despite all our attempts to be sovereign ourselves and to live apart from you, that you opened the door of faith in our own hearts.

That you persevered and pursued us.

And that you have reconciled us to yourself through your blood, making peace.

Lord, thank you for qualifying us for the inheritance that is surely coming, that we've got the first fruits of already.

Lord, please continually refresh our hearts in this grace.

Help keep us from being self-pitying.

Keep us from being complaining.

Please help us to be people who are full of thanks, even and especially in the hard times.

Lord, we pray this so that we might give you the response of gratitude that you deserve.

But we also pray this so that we might be just an aroma of life to those who are trying to find life in all the wrong places.

So please be using us as a church for your glory and the salvation of many.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

We pray this so that you are in your heart.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

É.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.