Building a Testimony
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Scripture: Col 4:2-18
Col 12 – Building a Testimony - Col 4:2-18
We have a great text today - to wrap up our study in Col
We had that Grand Finale Question last week
“How Then should We Live”
Which was the follow-up to - - the “New Life Traits” just before that
& Now Paul ends;
1st – with Instructions
Then – with Examples . . .
On How to build a Testimony
You know – most of us have a “Before Christ” Testimony -
“yeah, I used to be like this, & that, & everything . . .”
But now that we’ve inherited
the “New Life Traits” from Jesus Christ . . .
Now that we’ve “Clothed Ourselves” in Christ
What kind of a Testimony should we be building now ?
Today – Paul is going to
1) Give us Instruction on how to build that Testimony - &
2) He’s going to give us some examples to follow
In Col 4:2 –Paul gives us the Foundation
for building a Great Testimony in our Lives
Col 4:2 – NLT
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
ESV - 2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
If you want to build a great testimony in your Life,
Here’s your foundation
The Phrase - Devote yourself – means;
to be constant, persevering, & unwearied in prayer
This is the picture - - of a “Life Style” of Prayer
Be always, constantly, persevering – IN PRAYER
make it your Life Style
& then Paul adds the “Defining” terms;
“with an alert mind and a thankful heart”
The Word - “Alert” means
“to Concentrate” & “to Fight Distractions”
Have you ever found yourself needing to Concentrate
& Fight Distractions when you’re praying ?
We need to figure out what Distracts us from Praying
Then we need to change some things
so we can be;
Devoted in prayer, with an alert mind, and a thankful heart
I promise you – Devoted, Concentrated, Focused Prayer
will CHANGE your Life !
& I promise you - the enemy is aware of this truth
& He will do whatever he can to Distract you
& keep you from Concentrating
SO - Develop a Devoted Life Style of Prayer,
with Concentration & Fighting Distractions . . .
AND (as V.2 says) . . . with a thankful heart
My computer says - there are over 140 Vs’s in the Bible
about being Thankful - - Primarily Giving Thanks to God
Being Truly Thankful to God has tremendous power in our lives
I believe we should always
begin & end our prayers with thanksgiving
If you want to really begin Building A Testimony . . .
Develop a Devoted, Focused Prayer Life – With Thanksgiving
& I will promise you Radical Growth in your Relationship w/ the Lord
AND – you’ll be on your way – to Building A Great Testimony
& Then – when you’re really ready for your Prayer Life (& testimony)
to really take off - - Start Praying for others . . .
Col 4:3-4 - NLT
3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
ESV - 3 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—4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Here Paul asks for intercessory Prayer
which is one of the greatest privileges in our Prayer Life
Paul knew A Critical truth that unfortunately – we very often forget
. . . the success (or defeat) of the Ministry
is determined – 1st & foremost – On the Spiritual Plane
& the FIRST - & foremost - way that we Join in the Ministry,
is in Devoted, Focused, Intercessory Prayer
The Bible is FULL of examples –
of the Prayers of the Saints being the Tool . . .
that actually brings God’s Will to pass in critical situations
Thru-out Paul’s letters he is constantly asking for Prayer
that God’s Will would be accomplished in his life
& pls notice Paul’s specific request for Intercessory prayer
He asks the church to pray
- that he would have More Opportunities to speak about Jesus
- That he would Proclaim the Message clearly, as he should
Wait a minute Paul
Don’t you want us to pray that you’d get out of Prison
Remember you’re in there Wrongly – Under False Accusations
Don’t you want us to pray that God would take out your enemies
& make all the wrongs right - & vindicate you ??
NO – NO – NO
Paul asks for Prayer
that MORE of God’s Will would be accomplished in His life
RIGHT where he’s at – RIGHT in his present circumstances
He doesn’t ask that God would make his circumstances better
He asks that more of God’s Will
would be accomplished in his life
& Specifically - - more opportunities to speak about Christ
Which is what got him in there in the first place (as V.3 says)
AND – Not only does Paul request prayer
for “more opportunities” to Share Christ . . .
but he asks for prayer for boldness in doing so
V.4 – Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
There are TWO great lessons here on “Building A Testimony”
#1) Prayer - & especially Intercessory Prayer
is the Foundation of building a life of testimony . . .
#2) When you pray – or ask others to pray for you
don’t be so quick to ask God to make all your circumstances easy
instead – Pray that MORE of God’s Will
would be accomplished in your life
Because I promise you
It is God’s Will being done in your life - that “Builds A Testimony”
Not God making all our Circumstances just like you want them
God has so much more for you – than you could ever know . . .
So - Set your own will aside – & Join God in His Will
& see how incredible a testimony – He will build – in your life
Lastly – Prayer Mtg – Wed 6:00pm – here
Now – Paul KNOWS - that the ministry battles are WON in Prayer . .
HOWEVER – After we’ve Devoted ourselves to prayer
For God’s Will -with an alert mind & a thankful heart
THEN – we’ve got to climb down - & ACTUALLY LIVE !
& Paul certainly doesn’t forget that
& so now we see – How to Build A Testimony – in our lives
Col 4:5
5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.
ESV - 5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
There are two things that every Christian has said to themselves;
#1) “Oh, that was a stupid thing to do in front of an unbeliever”
#2)“Oh, I missed that perfect opportunity to speak about Christ”
Take heart – you’re not the only one who’s said those things
which is why God’s Word says . . .
Live wisely among those who are not believers,
and make the most of every opportunity.
When you have an opportunity
to Respond (or React) to an unbeliever - BE WISE
WISDOM is best defined as ;
The Right Application of Knowledge, or Moral Rightness
We’ve got to Rightly Apply – What we know is Right !
Know what is right - & know how to apply it - among un-believers
Live Wisely – Be Careful
& then – the end of V.5 says;
and make the most of every opportunity
Have you ever been given a great opportunity
to be a witness for Christ
& then convinced yourself otherwise
Well, maybe they’re not ready – maybe today isn’t the right day
maybe when things are a little different . . .
& then . . . the opportunity slips by
& we end up saying “Oh, I BLEW IT, I MISSED IT”
Let me just say something here
I’ve done this (plenty of times) - so don’t feel so bad
But God’s counsel to us here is simple – direct - & very effective
& it reminds me of a NIKE shoe commercial
JUST DO IT !
Guys – we miss opportunities because we think we’re not ready
But I need to tell you something
You may NEVER be ready
But God is ALWAYS ready
So – As Paul says here in V.5 - JUST DO IT !
V.5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity
Now - there’s one more Crucial Thing – To Building A Testimony
& it is usually HARDER than anything we’ve talked about so far
Col 4:6 - NLT
6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
ESV - 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
We must understand - - The only way this is going to happen
is if you are Walking in the Spirit
you cannot be living in the flesh & do this – you can’t do it !
You’ve got to Devote yourself to Prayer -
So you can be Walking in the Spirit . . .
So your conversation can be Gracious & Attractive
& only then - will you have the Right Response
for everyone around you
(again) . . . Let your conversation be gracious . . .
God’s Grace toward us is best defined as - “Unmerited favor”
It is us “receiving what we do not deserve”
AND - when the word Grace is used
in regard to our conversation toward others
It means - “Unmerited favor”
it is us giving that person “what they do not deserve”
Nelson’s Bible Dictionary Defines Grace as;
“Kindness shown without regard to the merit of the one who receives it”
THIS is how our conversation is to be toward unbelievers (& believers)
(again) – this can only be done –
if the Holy Spirit is in full control of your conversation
& then V.6 says; Let your conversation be “attractive”
For the word ‘Attractive” – ESV says seasoned with salt
What the word actually implies is;
Make your conversation “SAVORY”
Make it “Taste Good” . . .
As opposed to making it Taste BITTER
In Mat 5:13 Jesus said
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? . . .
In conversation – we are to
- “show kindness without regard to the merit of the one who receives it” (Grace)
- “make our conversation ‘taste good’ – make it attractive
So – we can have - the “Right Response” for everyone
SO - - To Build a Testimony
- Devote Yourself to Prayer
- Live Wisely
- Make the Most of Every Opportunity
- Speak with the Right Response
That is Awesome (& practical) Counsel
on how to Build A Testimony
& now – to close – we are going to see a HIT PARADE . . .
of Examples – of Saints who did Build their Testimonies
from V.7 on – Paul lists some of the Servants
we could say are in the Colossians Hall of Fame
I’ll tell you a little about each of them - as we go thru their names
But what I’d Really Like is – For you to ASK YOURSELF . . .
Am I Building a Testimony like THAT
Am I Building a Testimony like THAT
You don’t have to be Building a Testimony
like EVERY ONE of these saints . . .
But I pray you see yourself somewhere in here
Col 4:7-8 - NLT
7 Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work.8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.
Tychicus – carried 3 of Paul’s letters (Eph, Col, Phile)
He often traveled with Paul
& Paul often sent him to deliver letters & encouragement
He was a
“Beloved Brother”, “Faithful Helper”, “Serving in the Lord’s Work”
Are you Building a Testimony like THAT ?
Col 4:9 - NLT
9 I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.
Onesimus – is the runaway slave (orig from Colossae)
the letter of Philemon is about his conversion & repentance
& He is most probably carrying
the Epistle to Philemon (his master) with him at this point
Paul’s sending him back – In Repentance
to be Reconciled to his master
Are you Building a Testimony like THAT ?
Col 4:10a - NLT
10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, . . .
Aristarchus [AIR-IHS-TAR-KUS] – is from the church in Thessalonica
& he traveled with Paul to take an offering to Jerusalem
He was with Paul at the Riot in Ephesus
He went with Paul into Rome
AND ended up in Prison WITH Paul
He never Flinched – He never Looked back –
& He suffered with Paul for the sake of the Gospel
Are you Building a Testimony like THAT ?
Col 4:10b - NLT
and so does Mark [send his greetings] , Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way.
this is THE John-Mark – Who deserted Paul & Barnabus in Acts 13
& in Acts 15 – because of him – there was such a conflict
between Paul & Barnabus - that they went their separate ways
But John-Mark has been redeemed as a faithful minister
& so Paul says - make Mark welcome if he comes your way
in 2Tim 4 – at the end of Paul’s life – he asks that Mark be sent to him because Mark has become helpful to him
Are you Building a Testimony like THAT ?
Col 4:11 - NLT
11 Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!
& Justus – (Sur Name Jesus)
A Jewish Believer, & Co-Laborer with Paul
Working for the Kingdom of God
& what a comfort they have been
Are you Building a Testimony like THAT ?
Col 4:12-13 - NLT
12 Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God.13 I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Epaphras – The Pastor of Colossae,
who brought news of the church to Paul in Prison
He always prays – in Intercession for the church
praying for their strength & maturity . . .
Confident that they are following the whole will of God
He prays hard – for his church - & for the other churches
Are you Building a Testimony like THAT ?
Col 4:14 - NLT
14 Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas.
Dr. Luke - The Apostle - was with Paul,
& was probably finishing writing the book of Acts about now
But Sadly – I want ask you about Demas . . .
In 2 Tim 4 (just before his death) Pauls writes;
10 Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life . . .
Can I ask you . . . Are you Building a Testimony like THAT ?
Col 4:15-16 - NLT
15 Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
16 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.
The “House Church” of Laodicea - met in the house of Nympha
about 30 years later – Jesus would send a Letter to this church
thru the Apostle John in the book of Revelation
& in Rev 3:15 Jesus says to them
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
I Pray – you are NOT Building a Testimony like THAT !
In Col 4:17 – Paul sends out an encouragement to Ar-Kip-Us
to be sure & “Build A Testimony”
Col 4:17 - NLT
17 And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.”
& Finally – The Apostle PAUL
Col 4:18 - NLT
18 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. Remember my chains. May God’s grace be with you.
Paul the apostle –
ALWAYS seeking more of God’s Will in his life
NEVER focused on His Circumstances
ALWAYS focused on God’s Will
in the Midst of His Circumstances
LET’S PRAY – That we would Build a Testimony like THAT !!