The appeal of faith

We have the Four Pillars at Harvest that define what we put front and centre as a church. Two of those pillars are “witness” and “prayer,” and it is these two that are the emphasis of this week’s passage, Colossians 4:2-6. As he nears the end of his letter to the church in Colossae, the Apostle Paul provides some final instructions for his readers, and he points them to prayer and the sharing of the gospel with those still outside of the faith. After 22 years of having these four pillars, I can say with a sad confidence that of the four, these two are the weakest and the hardest for us to practice. And so, this message is one that our Harvest family needs to hear again and again: if Christ is our life, we must pray for opportunities to witness, learn how to share the message, assume the risks of doing so, have a heart for those who do not yet know Christ and always communicate the message with grace and truth.

Series: Invisible God; Visible Faith (Colossians)
Todd Dugard
Message: 9 – The appeal of faith
Harvest Bible Chapel
Text: Colossians 4:2-6
August 27, 2023

Christ is my life, and so I will…

…pray for opportunities to witness (v. 2-3a)

If we don’t pray nothing else matters.

Work as if everything depends on the working and pray as if everything depends on the praying.

Continue steadfastly (προσκαρτερεῖτε) – to continue to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of doing it despite difficulty.
L&N 68.68

[This is] the “door” that allows the word of God into the hearts, minds, and lives of people and communities.
N. T. Wright

God…open to us a door for the word… in London.
God…open to us a door for the word… in Harvest Kids, Awana, Harvest Youth, Harvest Young Adults; through our livestream and in person services.
God…open to us a door for the word… with family; friends; co-workers; neighbours; strangers.

…learn how to share the message (v. 3b, 4)

Come & See
Go & Tell
Stop & Share

Five Gospel Words

…assume the risks of doing so (v. 3c)

Matthew 10:37-39

…have a heart for those outside of the gospel (v. 5)

Evangelism is first and foremost about our hearts, not our methods. The how-to is important, but the lack of want-to is often the most obvious problem.
Tony Merida, Love Your Church

Acts 4:20
Acts 20:22-24

…communicate with grace and truth (v. 6)

"Seasoned with salt" was used to refer to witty, amusing, clever, humorous speech. Their saltiness will prevent them from being ignored as irrelevant bores…Godliness is not to be equated with stodginess. Flat formulas or lifeless platitudes do not capture the gospel's excitement. It must be made palatable with a savory combination of charm and wit.
David Garland.