Centering Life on Christ: Prayer, Mission, and Partnership

How many of you guys know the gospel is clear and it is simple, but it's very easy to muddy it up. And they muddied it up by coming in. All these people from all these other faiths and things are coming to Christ and hearing the gospel and going, well, this sounds really good, this Jesus, this sounds really cool. But don't forget, in order to be really spiritual, you still gotta keep the law and you still gotta pursue spiritual mysticism and all these different things that that culture was doing during that time. They said you gotta keep all these things in order to still be spiritual. And Paul says, we need to talk about this. [00:44:42] (32 seconds)  #ClearGospelUncomplicated

If our mission that God has called us to is going to be something sustainable, it's not going to be sustained in our strength, it's going to be sustained in his. And so he starts with prayer. And the first words he says, so devote yourselves to prayer. Now, the Greek word translated devote means to persist, to be steadfast, or to hold fast and not let go. It's actually the same word we see used in Acts, chapter two. I think it's verse 42. Where it says they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread and prayer. [00:48:48] (34 seconds)  #SustainedByPrayer

When he says devote yourselves to prayer, he's not talking about, about these. Toss up prayers for quick questions like oh God, what am I gonna oh God, help me pass this test. Oh God, help me pay my bills. Oh God, help me, I'm sick. It's not one of those prayers. We're talking about a life anchored in prayer, a life devoted to prayer, to. [00:49:25] (21 seconds)  #AnchoredInPersistentPrayer

This is really interesting because, you know, we see what he asks for here, but do you notice what he does not ask for? I know if I was Paul and I was sitting in shackles in a dungeon, I know what I'd be asking for. I'd be writing letters to everybody I knew. I'd be putting her on the prayer chain. I'm in shackles. Help me. Get me out. Do you see Paul asking for that? He doesn't. Was it a desire of his? He was asking for prayer for. He doesn't ask for prayers that the chains would fall off. He doesn't ask for prayer to be released from prison. He asks for an open door. Not to freedom in the physical, but for the gospel. Does that not show you his heart? [00:52:17] (47 seconds)  #PrayForGospelDoors

Paul still sees himself as a missionary. As he's sitting shackled in a prison cell. He's saying, don't just pray that I'll get out. Pray that the Word will get out. He actually uses the phrase in verse three there, open a door. Pray for us that God may open a door and open a door. That's a phrase that Paul uses quite a number of times. We see it a lot in 1st and 2nd Corinthians, and he uses this. It seems to be kind of his favorite way of describing, like, evangelistic opportunities. And so he is implying here, though, when he says, pray for us that God may open a door. He's saying that it's not something that we adore, that we pry open in our own human strength and effort. It's something that God does. And our role is to pray and. [00:53:04] (60 seconds)  #PrayerIgnitesMission

So in these first three verses, in verses 2, 3 and 4, we see the flow here he says to be persistent or devoted in prayer, be watchful and thankful in prayer, pray for open doors to the gospel, and pray for boldness and clarity. Paul shows us that prayer. We pray so the gospel breaks forth. [00:55:15] (50 seconds)  #LiveYourWitness

Paul moves from prayer in verses 2, 3 and 4 to witness in. And he reminds us that the mission isn't only about the missionaries way out there somewhere, you know, out in the world somewhere. He reminds us that it's about how we live, live and speak in our everyday actions with those who do not yet know Christ. Making the most of your time. Act wisely. [01:01:48] (40 seconds)  #LifeAndSpeechWitness

So our words should preserve truth and should add flavor. Our word should never be rotten. They should always be life giving. And then finally he says, do this so that you may know how to answer, how you should answer each person. How do you know that witnessing is. Look, you can, you can memorize a. But let me tell you, that may work here and there, and it's good to know those things. To discern the moment. And you've got to be just spirit. We've all had telemarketers call us, right? And you can tell. It just takes a second. You realize they're reading from a script. Guys, people aren't looking for a script. And so Paul's teaching us that our life and our speech are inseparable parts of our witness. [01:04:46] (86 seconds)  #ChristCenteredMission

So we've seen in six weeks Christ is supreme in all creation. We've seen Christ dwelling in us, the hope of glory. We've been rooted in Him. We've put off the old self and put on the new. We've learned to live out his character in our homes and in our workplaces. And now Paul says, take that into all the world. You are called to pray, as Paul. Walk wisely among outsiders, to speak graciously. [01:19:17] (57 seconds)  #StepUpBeSaltAndLight

Because we're praying. We're contending for a door to the Gospel to be opened and for this person to come to the saving knowledge of the grace, the saving grace of Jesus Christ. So I want you to hold that up. When you're done, come meet me down here. Somebody's got to be the first one. Bring your slip of paper down forward. Just come up in an atmosphere, a posture of prayer. Guys, are you really believing for this person? Are you standing? Are you contending? Are you ready to do what it takes? Are you ready to pray and contend for the door of the gospel to be open in their life and for potentially for God to use you to. [01:24:21] (50 seconds)