Richvale Community Church
Sunday, May 31, 2026
- This time of year is filled with graduations and commencement speeches.. One of the most memorable and famous commencement addresses was given by David Foster Wallace in 2005, called This Is Water.He began with a simple story.Two young fish are swimming along when they meet an older fish swimming the other way.The older fish nods and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?”The two fish keep swimming. After a while, one turns to the other and asks, “What the heck is water?”Wallace’s point was simple: the most obvious realities are often the easiest to miss..As we come to the end of Colossians, Paul is making a similar point… he says “Don’t miss Christ”Don’t lose sight of the One who saved you, sustains you, and reigns over all things.This has been Paul’s message throughout the letter to the ColossianS.... that..Christ Himself is supreme over all creation…. all things are made through him by him and for him..Christ is sufficient — He is enough… we dont have to add toChrist ..He is enough.because..Christ is our life.And the way we live this out is by continuing in Him. we are to..Continue in the truth.Continue exalting JesusContinue in holy living.Continue in loving one another.And.. when pressure comes.PaulSays stay steady in Christ.He sums it up in Colossians 3:17
Colossians 3:17 ESV And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. .”In other words in every thing Christ is everything......As st Patrick prayed..Christ be with me,Christ within me, Christ behind me,Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me,…. This is our Water...The way we stay inChrist..our in h is flow.. is through perseverance..In Colossians 4, Paul highlights three areas where perseverance fuels our faith.First…1. PERSEVERING FAITH FUELS OUR PRAYER LIFEWhen it comes to flying, there is a big difference between what happens in the cabin and what happens in the cockpit.When we board a flight, most of us are not thinking about logistics.We are not considering weight limits, fuel calculations, navigation systems, or flight paths.We simply find our seat, buckle up, and wait for the pretzels.But in the cockpit, it is very different.The pilots are working through a careful checklist. Every detail matters. They are monitoring systems,tracking weather patterns,reviewing the route,and calculating fuel requirements.And when it comes to fuel, precision is everything.There must be enough fuel not only for takeoff, but for the entire journeyNothing can be left to chance.Paul reminds us in Colossians that prayer is the fuel that sustains the Christian life.. for the whole trip ..from lift off to landing..Let read our text..Paul says.. vrs 2Colossians 4:2–4 ESV 2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 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.Paul says “Continue steadfastly in prayer…”It is easy to treat prayer… like that emergency glass in next to fire hydrant — which we Break only in an emergence —.”Things get bad and so we seek prayer.Paul paints a different picture for prayer…Paul describe a prayer as the fuel or the power…that keeps us engaged and connected with the Lord and his mission —Paul uses the word GR..proskatereo- which means“to continue to do something with intense effort, …Paul’s says be tenacious in prayer..don’t give on prayer… prayer is stored up heaven.. ever y prayer is remembered… in heaven..Paul then says, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it" (Colossians 4:2).This reminds me of Nehemiah.When Nehemiah learned that the walls of Jerusalem were down, he wept and prayed.And God touched the heard of the king and he opened the door for him to return and lead the rebuilding of the walls.But as soon as the work began, opposition arose.The end y came in…Sanballot..threatened attacked..bringing intimidation, and discouragement. So the people rebuilt while remaining alert.Some worked while others stood guard.They prayed, and the y kept watch.What followed was remarkable. Despite the opposition, the wall was completed in just 52 days...And this is exactly what Paul is calling us to do in ColossiansPaul says: Stay awake…because prayer fuels the mission…Prayer is protect us from the the enemy yand his plans…the minute step out in Faith..the enemy is right there..…Peter warned us1 Peter 5:8 ESV 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.We need to be watchful and prayerful…an d alert.Paul gives another layer to prayer —Paul sayspray..“with thanksgiving…”Thankfulness comes from an old English..word , which means to be “thinkful.”In other words Thankful people are thoughtful people …The scotish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson once saidThe person who has stopped being thankful has fallen asleep in life…Remember Paul is writing from prison…He could have a list complaints.. Yet his prision letters of full praise and thanksgiving and JoyPaul knew that prayer is fuel for the mission… (Prayer was going carry them through all the turbulence..Paul prioritizes prayer…prayer is not optional..Paul says to the church … we need your prayers…Paul doesn’t pray forcomfort. release. easier circumstances.He asks:“that God may open to us a door for the word…”We need to remember we face as we face hurdles and road blocks..that prayer opens doors..Paul’s prayers were answered.In the book Acts, we learn that although Paul was under house arrest in Rome,the gospel continued to advance.For two years he welcomed visitors, preached the kingdom of God, and taught about the Jesus with boldness.Paul later tells the Philippians tells is that..his imprisonment had actually served to advance the gospel, so much so that the entire imperial guard knew he was in chains for Christ.Paul leaned heavily on the prayers of the church -and God answered the prayers… prayerT/s Persevering faithfuels our prayer lives…second.2. PERSEVERING FAITH FUELS OUR PURPOSEWhat is our Purpose?Purpose speaks of intention…Thomas Carlyle the Schottish Historian …said..The man without purpose is like a ship without a rudder.Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Historian)… purpose speaks of direction.We often find Purpose in what we do…Last week we talked about the importance of Work…that work is more than just earning a living… It is about Glorifying God…The problem is that we often get our identity from Work…When I went to seminary.. I had already been minstry for 14 years… and it was a big switch from being pastoral minstry to a student… kind of lost my identity..I learned had to seperate my idententy from my work ..Paul tells us our work is to glorify God..Colossians 3:23 ESV 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,In other words —Our work — our retirment.. our life.. is simply … this —about this… showing others how God is working in our lives..…We are all trophies of grace… that display… who God is..Paul says live your life with purpose .. lets look at our text.…Colossians 4:5–6 ESV 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.Pauls says“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders…”The Christian life —starts in the private world… in the inner life…There is no such thing as undercover Christian… there are no secret agentsOur Faith.. begins witha Personal relationship with Jesus…But it has a ripple affect…—- When we come to Christ - it like standing over a Goldengate bridge and dropping rock into the water…. it going to send waves..The book of James reminds us that real faith is not hidden it is visible:James says…“Faith without works, is dead.” (James 2:17)He says.. “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18)In other words ..What begins in private life moves into the public arena.And so Paul says walk with wisdom…people see important!We are about reaching others with the message of FaithPeople notice.They watch how we respond.They watch how we treat others.They watch how we speak.They watch how we carry ourselves.That is why Paul calls us to walk in wisdom toward outsiders—because our lives either confirm or confuse the message we proclaim.Paul says..when do this we are... Redeeming the Time…making the most of every opportunity..Opportunities are passing moments.A conversation. A burdened person. A divine appointment.There have been these God encounters… when you know that conversation.. ways a God thing..Paul says …“Let your speech always be gracious…”What is gracious speach?The bibles says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks…When we full minds and lives with God word…graceWhat happens is grace comes out..Sometimes gracious speach is saying nothing..Speech is … only good when it is better than silence.Richard SibbesPaul says our speach should be seasoned with Salt//Salt both preservetive and It adds flavor….Seasoned means that they are enticing — they not tiring but inspiring…Seasoned with salt..Paul adds.. …“so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”this small detail is importantThe gospel is personal…Different people carry different wounds, questions, and struggles.Wisdom helps us speak truth in the right way.T/s Perevering FaithFuels our pray life. Persevering faith fuels our purpose.And finally…3. PERSEVERING FAITH FUELS OUR PARTNERSHIPSOne of the ways the Kingdom of God moves forward is when the church …locks armsIn partnership.We often talk about fellowshipWe all love fellowship… and it is good that we share in relationship with one another..,but Paul frequently spoke about partnership in the gospel.Fellowship and Partnership are are related, they are not the same.Fellowship speaks of our shared relationship in Christ.Partnership speaks of our shared commitment to Christ's mission.Fellowship is togetherness; partnership is togetherness with a purpose.D. A. Carson writes:"Fellowship in the New Testament is more than warm fuzzies. It is committed partnership, in which personal interests are subsumed under the common mission." D.A CarsonWhen you read the life of Paul, one thing becomes clear: he never did ministry alone.We know more about Paul's life than any other apostle, and throughout his ministry he was surrounded by co-workers, companions, and fellow servants.Whether on missionary journeys, planting churches, or enduring imprisonment, Paul always had others laboring alongside him.Even here in Rome, during his final imprisonment, Paul issurrounded by men who share the same compelling sense of mission.Paul understood that the work of the gospel is a team effort.That is why, at the end of Colossians, he takes time to mention these individuals by name.Each person played a different role, but together Their partnership strengthened Paul, encouraged the churches, and helped move the gospel forwardLets read..Colossians 4:7–18 ESV 7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.At first glance this looks like a list of names.But each these names matter.Tychicus — - was a Faithful ServantHe was just around Paul for along time. He had been with Paul for several years.He spent 3 years in Ephesus — with Paul teaching and then lecturing daily halls of tyranusHe is know as a beloved brother. and A faithful minister… He had quality — he showed up dependable.Paul is able trust him and he gives.Tychicus was given the job to carry the letters to the Colossians and the EphesiansThink about that for a moment. The very letter we are studying reached the Colossian believers because a faithful servant delivered it.The kingdom is built on dependable people.Onesimus — The Redeemed FailureIn someways an unlikely companion for Saul… He was a fugitive a runaway slave…He Broken past. Complicated story.Yet Paul now calls him“a faithful and beloved brother.”Thank God the gospel rewrites our identity.Onesimus reminds us that your past may explain you, but it does not have to define you.Paul partners with those who have a past… but no stand redeemed in grace…Aristarchus — is The Suffering CompanionHe had already suffered for the gospel ..During the riot in Ephesus, an angry mob seized him and dragged him into the theater (Acts 19:29).Later, he accompanied Paul on the dangerous voyage to Rome and endured the terrible storm and shipwreck recorded in Acts 27 (Acts 27:2).Through danger, hardship, and imprisonment, Aristarchus stayed by Paul's side.Some people are fair-weather friends. They are present when life is easy but disappear when trouble comes.Not Aristarchus.He stayed when the crowds turned hostile.He stayed when the ship was sinking.He stayed when Paul was in chains.Faithful friends are one of God's greatest gifts.Proverbs says, "A friend loves at all times" (Prov. 17:17).then there was Mark —Restored Servant —John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, had once walked away from the mission field. During Paul's first missionary journey, he quit and returned home.His departure created such sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas that the two eventually parted ways.For a time, Mark's failure seemed to define him.But God was not finished with Mark.Years later, we find him here among Paul's trusted co-workers.In fact, near the end of Paul's life, Paul would write, "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry" (2 Tim. 4:11).What a testimony to the grace of God.The man who once quit became a man Paul could not do without.Paul admitted that Mark was “profitable” in the ministryThat is encouraging: Failure does not have to be final.Justus — The Quiet EncouragerEpaphras — The Burdened IntercessorFounder of the church at ColosseePaul says he was:“always struggling on your behalf in prayer.”Spiritual leaders carry burdens in prayer.Real ministry is not performance. It is spiritual labor.Luke — The Faithful CompanionThe physician. The careful historian.He used his gifts for the kingdom.God uses different personalities, different abilities, different backgrounds.God even usedDemas —for a while..Later Paul says:“Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me.”Not everyone who starts finishes well.God gave Paul Partnes in the Gospel…The kingdom of God has always advanced through ordinary faithful people.CONCLUSIONPaul closes the letter by encouraging the Colossians to share the letter with the other churches. That is our mission…The gospel was never meant to stop with one congregation. What God was teaching them was to be passed on.Then he singles out Archippus:“See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”It’s a simple but weighty charge.Finish what God has called you to do.Stay at your post.Do not quit.Do not drift.Fulfill the ministry you have received from the Lord.Wallace.. at the end of his commencement speech..Says this is water..Paul’s ends with the wordsColossians 4:18 ESV 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.Paul says these are my words to you.Everything I’m this life can be summed up with the words in Christ…It comes down to grace — Gods Grace towards us…. grace towards other.Continue in graceKeep going.Stay faithful.And finish well in Christ.Amen.. Colossians 3:17ESV
Colossians 4:2–4ESV
1 Peter 5:8ESV
Colossians 4:2–4ESV
Colossians 4:5–6ESV
Colossians 4:7–18ESV
Colossians 4:18ESV
Richvale Community Church
5308453694
24 members • 9 followers