Stuff That Matters

In one paragraph

Pastor Mark preached the closing chapter of Colossians, working through Paul's final instructions and personal greetings as a way of talking about what actually matters in the life of a church. The sermon moved between the ancient church at Colossae and the daily life of First B, with communion at the close. Paul opens his closing remarks by calling the church to steadfast, watchful, thankful...

Read together

1. Colossians 4:2-4 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving, and praying for an open door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ
2. Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time
3. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person
4. Colossians 4:7-9 Tychicus and Onesimus introduced as beloved brother and faithful minister sent to encourage the church
5. Colossians 4:10-11 Greetings from Aristarchus, Mark cousin of Barnabas, and Jesus called Justice, fellow workers for the kingdom
6. Colossians 4:12-13 Epaphras always struggling in prayer that the church may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God
7. Colossians 4:14 Luke the beloved physician and Demas send greetings
8. Colossians 4:15-16 Greetings to Laodicea and Nympha, and instructions to exchange letters between churches
9. Colossians 4:17 Tell Archippus to fulfill the ministry he has received in the Lord
10. Colossians 4:18 Paul writes greeting with his own hand, asks them to remember his chains, and closes with grace
11. Titus 3:3 We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, slaves to passions, hating one another, used to show outsiders were once insiders too
12. Ephesians 2:12 Remember you were separated from Christ, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world
13. Exodus 22:21 You shall not wrong or oppress a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt
14. Romans 3:21-24 Righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, all have sinned and are justified by his grace as a gift
15. Ephesians 2:8-9 By grace you have been saved through faith, not of yourself, it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about Paul praying for an open door to declare the mystery of Christ while he was already in prison, and pointed out that Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians came out of that imprisonment. When has a situation where you felt stuck actually turned out to open a door you did not expect?
2. The pastor brought up the idea of making the mystery of Christ clear rather than overly complicated, and quoted Gypsy Smith saying that most people will never read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John but they will read the Christian. What does your life currently communicate to the people around you who do not believe?
3. Colossians 4:5 says to walk in wisdom toward outsiders and make the most of every opportunity. The pastor drew a distinction between meeting people where they are and staying there with them. Where do you find that balance hardest to hold in your own relationships with people outside the faith?
4. The pastor went through the list of people Paul named at the end of Colossians and noted that some, like Tychicus and Onesimus and Francis, serve faithfully without recognition, while Demas is remembered for walking away. Which of those two directions feels like the bigger temptation or risk for you personally right now?
5. The pastor closed by saying that grace should be how we start and end every interaction, and that even when someone has to leave he wants them to go with a blessing. Is there a relationship in your life right now where extending that kind of closing grace feels difficult, and what is making it hard?