Have you ever asked yourself, why am I here? Not just here, sitting and watching this video or listening to this audio, but why do you exist? Why were you born? What's your purpose? If you've encountered Jesus, then your life has been transformed, and you've been given a reason for existence. You've been given a purpose to live.
But if you haven't encountered Jesus, I'm fairly certain that those questions of existence and purpose still linger in your heart and mind. And today, I'd like to help you find out the answers. I'd like to help you with those questions. Over the next 20 minutes, we'll discover a pathway to purpose. We'll explore how being redeemed by Christ gives us a meaningful existence and a purpose to live out every single day.
Welcome to Mountain Dew Church. My name is Jeremy. I'm the lead pastor here. Over the past month, we've been working through Paul's letter to the Colossians. During the first two weeks, we uncovered the theological and spiritual impact of redemption offered by God through Jesus. Then last week, we began looking at the practical implications of redemption and living a Christ-centered, heavenly-minded life.
If you missed any of our previous messages, you can always go back and catch up at mountainview.church slash watch dash listen. That's mountainview.church slash watch dash listen. Before we jump into today's content, I'd like to invite you to connect with us by clicking the connect tab at mountainview.church or by texting connect to the number on the screen. For those listening on the radio or podcast, that's 867-322-8001. That's 867-322-8001.
If you have children, we offer a kids program called Base Camp every Sunday morning, either in-house or online. Just visit mountainview.church slash children or text children to the number on the screen, and you can access this week's lesson and activity. For students out there, we offer a youth program every Sunday evening. Visit mountainview.church slash youth or text youth to that same number, 867-322-8001. For all our students out there, we offer a youth program every Sunday evening. Visit mountainview.church slash youth or text youth to that same number, 867-322-8001. Now, let's jump back into Paul's letter to the Colossians.
God, I'm broken. I've spent my life dishonoring you. Years of turning my back to you. Time and time again, I put myself before you and yet I have the nerve to act like you owe me something. But I'm nothing. Just a speck in the middle of the universe. Just a tiny dot that can be wiped away in the blink of an eye. And yet you see me. You see my heart. You see my pain. You see my need for hope. My need for love. My need for a savior.
I will be reading from Colossians chapter 3 verse 23 to chapter 4 verse 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 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.
Today we're concluding the practical implications of being redeemed. Paul outlines how redemption shapes our daily actions and interactions, especially as we navigate the world, a world that denies or even openly rejects our faith. Now that we're redeemed, our minds have been renewed and we're ready to reach out with the gospel so that others can experience that same redemption. Let's get started with Colossians 4.1. Paul writes, Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a master in heaven.
Paul addresses the relationship between masters and servants, emphasizing fairness and justice. Now, at first glance, I get it. You might think, we don't have bond servants in our modern Western context, and I'm not a master, you're not a master, so there's nothing to apply here, right? Don't be so quick to dismiss this teaching. Although the literal context may have changed, the working principle behind this teaching is still valid and extremely useful. Followers of Jesus are called to work with redemptive purpose. This verse is a pointer back to Paul's previous teaching on being heavenly-minded, living with a view of eternity.
When we have our next life in view, we realize that we live under a far greater authority than our own. Related to our work life, we serve under an ultimate provider, protector, and overseer who is above all we say and do and is always watching how we treat those under our care and supervision. So let's pause in that and walk through some of our modern-day experiences and the relationships we have in the workplace. Perhaps your work environment. Now, a caveat. I'm going to take some liberty here in the translation to give us a picture of Paul's instruction on justice and fairness and how it might look in the Western context. So just bear with me. For an example.
For employers and managers out there, treat your employees justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a manager in heaven. For business owners, treat your clients justly and fairly, knowing that you also have an overseer in heaven. For our teachers, coaches and administrators, treat your students justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a headmaster in heaven. For those who serve as doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals, treat your patients justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a healer in heaven. For elected officials and those working in government, treat your citizens justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a ruler in heaven.
For those on the front lines, our police officers, firefighters, EMTs, treat your citizens justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a judge in heaven. This might have felt like a strange exercise to walk through this text in this way, but it's valuable. It's a component of our greater purpose beyond the work we do. For those of us who've experienced Christ's redemption, we're called to be a reflection of him. In our work, we often interact with lots of people who don't know Jesus. Our ability and choice to show justice and fairness can have a redemptive impact on the people we work with.
In the next few verses, Paul begins to focus more directly on sharing the gospel. That being said, you might notice a section separator between verses 1 and 2 that reads, further instructions. Let's mentally for a moment remove that title. We need to remember that for the Colossians, this was a single letter that they received from Paul. Although it can be helpful that the editors separated our scriptures into themes and sections, it can prevent us from making connections, like in this text.
Chapter four, verse one is a connecting verse to the previous instructions found in chapter three and the gospel centered insights found in chapter four. With that in mind, let's keep going. Colossians four, verse two states, continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Here, Paul emphasizes the importance of consistent and thankful prayer. Followers of Jesus are called to pray with redemptive purpose.
Paul is encouraging the church to develop an ongoing practice of prayer, emphasizing spiritual watchfulness and gratitude within their prayer life. Full disclosure, I've served as a pastor for 15 years, and prayer can still be a struggle. I know, maybe you're not supposed to say that, but that's the reality. Sometimes my ability to focus is non-existent, and my thoughts wander all over the place. It's not uncommon for me to be in prayer, and then without even realizing it, I start thinking about a memory, or I start planning a project in my mind. Then suddenly it dawns on me, I'm supposed to be praying. I end up feeling frustrated and defeated. Maybe you've had similar struggles to this. Maybe you've had moments like this in your prayer.
It's in these moments that verses like this are helpful to me. And they can be helpful to you as well. Prayer can happen at a set time. Totally can. But it can also happen all the time. It can be constant. We might get distracted and our minds might drift off, but we can always come back. Paul writes, continue steadfastly in prayer. So prayer continues throughout our entire day. We can choose to be an ongoing, watchful person within our prayer. We can be constantly in thanksgiving.
And there's another level to this. The practice of continued prayer is a supernatural defense. As biblical scholar William Barclay notes, prayer must be constant. We can never afford to relax our watchfulness. The enemy is always on the alert, and the only way to defeat him is to keep equally on the alert ourselves. Coming back to our core text, Paul's not finished talking about prayer. Not quite yet. In verses 3 and 4, he 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, on account of which I am in prison.
This is kind of like a part two for praying with redemptive purpose. But this time, Paul has moved from continual prayer to a very specific prayer request for his pastoral ministry. With that in mind, followers of Jesus are also called to pray with specific redemptive purpose. Specific to what, you might be wondering? Well, the gospel mission, what Jesus gave us before he left this earth. Paul is requesting prayer from the Colossian church for opportunities to share the message of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, he emphasizes the necessity for clear and bold communication of the gospel.
It's also interesting to note that although Paul's in prison, his work hasn't stopped. Quite the opposite. He realizes that his imprisonment gives further evidence for the gospel. As theologian N.T. Wright explains, Paul's imprisonment is not a sign of the gospel's failure, but a means by which God is making the gospel known more widely. As I reflect on my own pastoral ministry, I am so thankful by God's grace that I serve in a free country. Canadian pastors and ministry leaders don't have to live in fear of being in prison for sharing the gospel. Nevertheless, we still need your prayers.
Paul is asking for the church to pray for his ministry. In the same way, I would ask that you pray for my ministry and the ministries of Mountain View Church. Pray that God would draw people into this building, people who are searching for answers and looking for that meaning and purpose. And don't just pray for our church, pray for our regional and national church leaders, all of us striving to keep our Canadian churches healthy and on mission for Jesus. And pray also for our missionaries that are scattered all over the world, many of whom are sharing the gospel in difficult places, some who might even face imprisonment if they're caught doing their work. In all these settings, please ask the Lord to give us clarity of mind and speech. Pray that every message, ministry, and mission points people to Jesus and gives them an opportunity to experience his redemption. So far, we've highlighted work and prayer, but we're not done yet. Before signing off his letter to the Colossians, Paul lays out some specific instructions for our day-to-day interactions with those outside the church.
When you and I meet and greet people who haven't encountered Jesus before, what should our conversation sound like? As we walk through this fallen world as redeemed people, how should we act and speak to those we run into? Paul writes in verses five and six, 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. Pastors and church leaders aren't the only ones called to proclaim the gospel. Everyone, hear me, everyone who's experienced the redemption found in Jesus should live out that redemption.
Paul uses the metaphor of walking as we journey through this life. Followers of Jesus are called to walk with redemptive purpose. Paul's exhortation emphasizes the importance of being wise and having gracious speech when we interact with those outside the church. He calls us to be mindful of our time and use it effectively for Christ. He uses the metaphoric phrase seasoned with salt, which suggests that our words should be clean, well-preserved, and flavorful. Our words should add value to their lives. The message of the gospel should be clear and understandable.
To get a fuller picture, a fuller understanding of Paul's instruction, let's break this down into five distinct parts so we can start living this out throughout the week, starting this week. First, we need to be intentional with time. We recognize that every moment is an opportunity to demonstrate the love and truth of Christ. This could mean taking the time to listen to a co-worker's struggles, maybe offering a prayer for a friend, maybe sharing a word of encouragement with a total stranger. For me, this principle challenges my busy pastoral life. I can be so overcome with ministry work that I miss interacting with people outside of the church. This is unacceptable. It's not right. I have to make choices in my schedule so that I will regularly interact with those outside the church. One way I do this is I choose to work in coffee shops for a good portion of my week. If you happen to serve in full or even part-time ministry, scheduling work in a coffee shop will give you a constant attachment to the real world, and it'll provide loads of opportunities for gospel conversations. You'll get to know the people in your community.
Next, we speak graciously. We ensure that our words to those outside the church are kind, uplifting, and truthful. We should avoid harsh or judgmental language that could turn people away from the gospel. Instead, we should aim to communicate in a way that reflects Christ's grace. Granted, I hear you. I know what you're thinking. This can be extremely difficult, especially when people outside of the church show disdain for Christianity or maybe even mock Jesus. There can be a form of kind of like a righteous anger that wells up inside of us when we hear people ridicule our Lord and Savior. And yet Jesus said that the world would hate us because we follow him. We need to maintain that heavenly minded outlook and knowing that without God's Holy Spirit, that lost person outside the church.
They don't know any better. As Jesus said from the cross, they know not what they do. Although we might want to lash out when people mock Christianity, we need to seek Christ's grace and respond accordingly. We need to chill out. And remember, it's a long game. Remember the bigger picture. Third, we should be prepared to share. We should always be ready to explain our faith in Jesus when asked. This doesn't mean we need to have all the answers, but we should be prepared to share our personal encounter with Jesus and the basics of the gospel. And we should do it in a way that's clear and compelling.
We each have a redemption story. We should be prepared to tell anyone who asks about our encounter and so that we can explain why we've chosen to follow him. If we're willing to speak, the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say when we need them. He'll give you the words. Next, we should always aim to reflect Christ's character. Our actions often speak louder than our words. Living a life that reflects the character of Christ can open doors for gospel conversations. This includes showing honesty and integrity in all our dealings with the outside world. People are always watching, especially those who are skeptical of Christianity. They're watching for hypocrisy. If we're different people at church or on Sundays than we are at home or in the workplace, then we totally miss the mark.
Too often, there's a facade that's portrayed in a church building on Sunday mornings. It's not good. We should be the same people Monday through Saturday as we are on Sunday. It's also worth mentioning that younger generations wrestling with their faith will see this form a mile away. They'll see this facade. They are completely repelled by Christians who lack authenticity in their walk with Jesus. They do not expect perfection, but they do expect honesty. Even if that means letting them in on our doubts and our faith struggles, it's okay.
As we strive to follow Jesus in all areas of our life, we admit failure when it happens. We seek restoration and walk forward. It's totally okay if people see you struggle because they'll see the power isn't in you, it's in Christ. It gives them a true perspective of our walk with Jesus and it gives them a hope for their future walk with him. Finally, we engage with outsiders thoughtfully. It's important to understand the cultural and personal context of the people we interact with. We should tailor our approach to meet them where they're at, using language and examples that resonate with their experiences and understanding. This is where we come back to Paul's metaphor of seasoning our conversations with salt. In the ancient world, salt was used to sterilize, to preserve, and add flavor. If we add that metaphor to our conversation with those outside the church, our words should be pure. It shouldn't be filthy or vulgar. Our conversation should last for weeks, months, or even years as we continue to build into that relationship while we share the gospel.
As pastor and author Warren Wiersbe states, our speech is to be pure, but it must also be properly seasoned. Grace and salt go together. Our words should be seasoned with salt so that they are pure and attractive. Strive for gracious, well-seasoned discussions, not arguments or even heated debates. Use intentional speech that can transform a conversation into something a person meditates on and hopefully comes back to later on in life, hopefully later on that week.
We've been redeemed and our minds have been renewed, so we should be ready to reach out. Living with a redemptive purpose is crucial for our place in the greater gospel story. If we don't prioritize living with a redemptive purpose, we might find ourselves adrift in this world, lacking direction and fulfillment. Maybe you lack direction and fulfillment. Maybe this is the first time where you're seeing Jesus is the answer. He's your purpose. Without Jesus, we miss opportunities to positively influence this world, pass this world into eternity, and we'll fail to experience the fullness of this life that Jesus offers.
As Charles Spurgeon once said, every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. Recollect that you are either doing good or evil to those about you, and that therefore you are accountable to God. By intentionally living out your redemption, you will see personal growth. You'll make a significant impact on others, and you'll contribute to a more just and fair society. Most importantly, you'll maintain an eternal perspective that brings you peace and purpose, and brings it to others as well.
You are redeemed, renewed, and ready to reach out and impact the world for God's kingdom. Let's commit to living out this redemptive purpose every day, making the most of every opportunity to share the hope, grace, and love of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Dear Father, thank you so much for the Colossian letter and thank you for this series that we've walked through, the key points. There's so much we didn't hit on, but I pray that as people go this week, that they read through these four chapters again and that you might illuminate them to new truths and new ideas and thoughts that will impact their life in a positive way. But most of all, bring them closer to your son, Jesus. Father, if there's anyone who's listening today who is...
who hasn't had a purpose and a meaning to life and they're just adrift. Father, I pray in this moment that they would give their lives to Jesus, that they would accept that Jesus died on the cross for their sin and that he was buried, but that you raised him from the dead to conquer sin and death, that they can be forgiven and redeemed and they can have a new life, not just in this life, but in the next. Father, I pray that you would draw them to yourself and they might feel that conviction and the movement of your spirit and they would give their lives to you. And for those of us that know you, help us take this letter seriously and live it out. Live with that redemptive purpose this week. In Jesus' name, amen.
Okay, a few more updates, and then we'll get to our discussion and prayer focus. School has finally come to a close for another year, and we want to send a heartfelt congratulations to all our graduates. Your hard work and dedication have brought you into this wonderful milestone. Well done. Great achievement. And we want to be there to acknowledge our graduates in our physical gatherings this coming Sunday. We're going to congratulate you with a special gift, and we want to pray for you. So make sure you're there this Sunday.
For our youth, this is a reminder that your $200 deposit for the Fusion Alaska Youth Conference is due this Sunday, June 23rd. Space is limited, so please submit your deposit ASAP. If you have any questions or need assistance, please drop us a message or connect with us at the welcome desk. Looking ahead to next week, we have an exciting event planned in celebration of Canada Day weekend. We'll be hosting a family-friendly Canada Day-themed gathering led by our children's pastor, Herbert Campos. You'll experience music, delicious treats, fun door prizes, and a Canada Day-themed photo booth right here in the studio. Best of all, we'll be offering baptisms for those who have decided to publicly declare their faith in Jesus. If you'd like to be baptized during our Canada Day gathering, drop us a DM or comment below or email admin at mountainview.church. That's admin at mountainview.church.
Now let's move to our discussion and prayer focus for this week so we can further reflect on today's message and spend some time in prayer together. All right, our discussion question. What practical step will you take this week to purposefully live out your redemption? Again, what practical step will you take this week to purposefully live out your redemption? After you spend time talking about that, discussing it, maybe leave a comment or a DM, spend some time in prayer. Pray for guidance to live out our redemptive purpose so that we might proclaim the gospel in our words and actions.
Again, spend some time praying for guidance to live out our redemptive purpose so that we might proclaim the gospel in both our words and actions. Thank you again for walking through Paul's Colossian letter with us this month. As we wrap up our Redeemed series, let's take the lessons we've learned and live out our redemption story every day. Let's keep supporting each other, growing in our faith, and sharing the message of Jesus with our community and the entire world. If you prayed to receive Jesus today or would like to connect with our church community, visit mountainview.church and click the connect link. If this podcast and radio ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us or making a tax-deductible donation at mountainview.church. Thanks for listening to Mountain View Church Audio. Join us next week for more Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City of Whitehorse UConn.