Dwelling Place

Guest (Male): Coming up today on the Dwelling Place, we begin our final message in Colossians.

Al Pittman: Paul reminds us as believers that we ought to live with a sense of redeeming time. Realizing that every moment is precious that we may not have tomorrow. In fact, according to the to Thayer's Greek and English lexicon, the Greek word here for redeeming it means literally to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good.

Guest (Male): Welcome once again to the Dwelling Place, the radio ministry of Calvary Worship Center in Colorado Springs. Pastor Al Pitman will return in a moment to begin our final message in our verse-by-verse journey through Colossians. Have you ever had that feeling that someone was watching you? Well, if you're a Christian, that feeling is legitimate because the world is watching. We have an awesome responsibility as believers to live a pure and holy life so the world will see the difference Christ has made in our lives. Here's Pastor Al Pitman in Colossians chapter 4 verses 5 through 18.

Al Pittman: Colossians chapter 4 we're going to be looking at verses 5 to 18. I've entitled this message this morning Time Redeemers. Redeeming the time. Paul says in verse 5 of Colossians chapter 4 he says walk in wisdom. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Time is that precious commodity that we never seem to have enough of. Amen. With the God that was like 35 hours in a day. Always seem to run out of time.

For many of us it seemed like only yesterday we were 18 years old starting out in life. And we wonder where is all the time gone. Seem like when we were young you couldn't get old fast enough. Amen. And now that we're older we can't drive slow enough. Cherishing every moment, you know. I said when I get to be about 80 years old or so I'm going to get the big fedora hat always wear a suit and buy me the biggest Cadillac that I can find. Get in the left hand lane and drive 20 miles an hour.

Amen. I didn't know her young man. You're in a hurry but you don't know where you're going. Yet many of us sometimes in regards to time and we live in that world of would have should have and could have. You know as the saying goes if if ands and butts was candy and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas. Amen. Should have done that, could have done that, would have. You know I play the game about oh every other day. Oh if I would have should have, you know. But the reality is that whether you're young or old we can't relive the past.

Paul said I press on forgetting those things that are behind. I move on in my upward calling in Christ Jesus. We can't redeem the past but the good news is we can redeem the present. And we might live to to the glory of God in the future. Paul urges the believers in the Colossian church to redeem the time. Why? Because Satan wants you to waste your time. In fact one of his favorite words is tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll work out. Amen. I've been saying that for about 6 months. Tomorrow I'll pay that bill. Tomorrow I'll call that friend that I know the Lord really wants me to call.

I've been putting it off. Tomorrow I'll serve the Lord. Tomorrow I'll get right with God. But the problem with tomorrow is that tomorrow never comes. And we waste time. Satan is an expert at convincing us that we have more time than we really do. Remember the rich man in Luke chapter 12 Jesus told told the story of a man who was wealthy pulled himself up by his own bootstraps plenty of stocks and bonds all these barns. He's going to build a greater enterprise, increase his business. Talking about what he's going to do in the future.

And remember what the Lord said to him at night. He said to him thou fool. This very night your life is required of you. In other words you have squandered your life with chasing riches and have ignored God and you think you have more time than you really do. In reality tonight you will meet your God. Paul reminds us as believers that we ought to live with a sense of redeeming time. Realizing that every moment is precious that we may not have tomorrow. In fact, according to the to Thayer's Greek and English lexicon, the the Greek word here for redeeming it means literally to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good.

Using zeal and well-doing as the purchase money by which we make the time our own. In other words through goodness and through the zeal that we have for living for the Lord we can buy back time. We don't have to waste time any longer. In order to make wise and God-honoring use of our time however we must give attention to a couple of things and Paul tells us that here in verses 5 and 6. Number one he says you must walk in wisdom. If you're going to truly redeem the time and make the best use of your time walk in wisdom.

What does that what does that mean and walk means walking according to the word of God. God's word is our road map for life. It is it is what we need in our lives to lead and direct us. The Bible says it's a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. If we're going to walk in life then we must walk in wisdom lest we walk in our own wisdom or the wisdom of the world. Ephesians chapter 5 verses 15 and 16 again Paul in a letter to the church in Ephesus says see then that you walk circumspectly.

That means carefully not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil. Now that was way back in Paul's day nothing much has changed. Redeeming the time because the days are indeed evil. The word wisdom means to walk skillfully with discretion according to the principles of God's word. Walk in wisdom. Walk in wisdom so that our walk will affect our talk. Amen. So Paul says in verse 6 the second reason or thing we need to do if we're going to honor God with our time is not only walk in wisdom but to make sure that our our talk matches our walk or our walk matches our talk.

Verse 6 he says let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer each one. What does Paul mean here? Well, the second thing we have to do is walk in wisdom we have to also let our speech be seasoned with salt. Let our speech reflect the walk that we profess. Speech seasoned with salt. What is that all about? Well, to have our speech seasoned with salt literally means to have our speech arranged in such a way as to bring glory to God. Our speech should be arranged in such a way as it brings to bring glory to God.

Lest we speak in vain just simply running our mouth in in participating in ungodly speech saying things that that are just a waste of time. Now it's important for us to you know there are courses you can take to tell you how you can make presentations, how you can be a better speaker and and all of that and there's nothing wrong with those courses. And you know they're they're they're beneficial and helpful but when it comes to godly speech only God can give a godly speech speech that is truly God-honoring. Some time ago I hadn't gotten a letter from this guy in a couple of years but there's a guy just just send this thing to me all the time anonymously encouraging me to get speech lessons.

He would send it to me every now and then and say Al I think this will really help you out. But he would never sign his name. He just put an initial J. And I don't know who J is to this day. Got a idea who it might be but it you know never never identified himself, never had a return address or anything like that. And it sort of dropping the hint but you know I hadn't heard from him in a couple of years because I think he finally understanding that God can use crack pot pots and vessels like me that is not by might or power but it is by the spirit thus saith the Lord.

Not on your proficiency or ability to speak you know before people or in your learnedness as it is in what the Holy Spirit is able to do through your life because God seasons us not through education God seasons us through the fire of a of affliction. So I oh I want to speak like Billy Graham when you got to get seasoned. God will send you through a fire of affliction. Change your speech. You know Paul said here he said now that your speech would be a part of being seasoned is that your speech would reflect that would would be with grace with grace.

Those who speak with grace are those who've gone through something. You know when you haven't been through a whole lot you've got a lot you're opinionated about a lot of things. And young people have an answer for everything. Well, if we would just you know you know and they haven't really lived through a lot to really understand. I've always found it interesting that people who don't have kids are experts on telling you how to raise your kids until they get their own kids. Because their kids are going to be perfect, remember? Remember when our kids were going to be perfect?

But life takes us through the fire of affliction. Things don't always turn out the way we want them to. Jesus said in Mark chapter 9 verses 49 and 50 that everyone speaking of believers everyone will be seasoned with fire. Wow. Those are kind of seminars you don't hear people going through to you know. I'm signing up for the season with fire seminar. I'm here because I want to go through affliction. Sign me up. You don't get a whole lot of takers on that. But the reality is is that's the the spice of life spice of life is that you know people talk about the spice of life.

The spice of life as a believer is to be seasoned with fire. Now you've got something to offer folks.

Guest (Male): We'll pause right here but Pastor Al will be back in a few moments with part two of today's message in Colossians chapter 4. But first I want to thank you for being a faithful listener to the Dwelling Place. And we would ask you to pray for this radio ministry as we seek to reach the world with the gospel. And to do that we could use your help. Would you pray about partnering with us financially? To join our support team please give us a call at 844-221-3363 or visit our website at cccs.org. And we have a brand new address to share with you for Pastor Al's podcast.

It's anchor.fm/cccs-podcast. That's anchor.fm/cccs-podcast. Now let's return to today's message in Colossians chapter 4. Here's Pastor Al Pitman.

Al Pittman: Remember Peter old Pete had he was opinionated, wasn't he? I mean Peter was so arrogant in his opinion and confident in himself that he thought that he could actually give Jesus advice. Now that 's pretty arrogant. It's one thing to tell other folks but now you're pulling God aside the son of God aside and saying you know Jesus said I'm going to Jerusalem to be crucified Peter said you know Lord can I talk to you a minute? Yeah yeah yeah. Hey no hey guys we'll be right back. Lord you know that's not a positive confession.

You're bringing you're bringing the room down Lord. The negativity is not you know we just were not getting there. You're not going to go die. You're going to you know. Jesus gave him a new name. Get behind me Satan. You're mindful of the things of men and not the things of God. I 'm sure Peter stood there wondering well I thought my name was Peter. Got a new name for you. Because you're thinking of the things of the flesh and not the spirit. But remember what Jesus said to Peter Satan has asked for you and he might sift you like wheat.

But I've prayed for you. Satan can ask but Jesus is always praying. And he said to him he said after you've uh gone through this time of affliction he said when you return to your brother he said he said restore your brother. He said to speak to them to to to minister to your brother. When you return to me go strengthen your brother is what he said. And we find a different Peter after the resurrection. We find a seasoned Peter. Sometimes it takes failure in your life to get seasoned. Sometimes you got to go through something.

Peter had been through something. He had failed the Lord utterly but now when you read first Peter and second Peter you find him speaking with grace. Because he had gone through something. He was now seasoned with salt. Now salt is an interesting concept when Paul says let your speech be seasoned with salt because salt is a first and foremost a preservative. I believe the reason Paul uses that obviously because of the Hebrew connection but also just the practical connection and that salt preserves the integrity of the believer in the community when we speak with the wisdom of God.

Salt from in the Hebrew sense is symbolic of covenant. It was added to the sacrifices that were offered to God and it represented covenant as a preservative as God preserving this covenant with his people. You can find that a reference to it in Numbers chapter 18 verse 19 and second Chronicles 13 5. Therefore the application here is that our speech should reflect a relationship founded upon the promises of God, the covenant of God. My speech should reflect the covenant of God the word of God. Reflect the fact that I'm in relationship with God. So Paul says let your speech be seasoned with salt.

In verses 7 to 14 in our text in Colossians 4 right after Paul points out that these are the two things that you guys need to do. He he he gives us examples of of of those who live a life redeeming the time to the glory of God. I won't spend a lot of time talking about each one of these people just to read it this morning. Take a couple of comments. There's one in particular that I wants us to focus on here but in verse 17 Paul says it just walk uh in verse 6 he says let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer each one how we ought to talk to one another, how we ought to engage one another in communication.

Let our speech be reflective of our relationship with God. In verse 7 he says a beloved brother and he gives him three titles faithful minister or beloved brother, faithful minister and fellow servant. I mean this guy was a he was a he was a very valued relationship that he had with Paul. And Paul said he's a beloved brother, faithful minister and fellow servant. He said he will tell you all the news about me. I'm sending him to you for your for this very purpose that he may know that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts.

With Onesimus faithful and beloved brother. Here's a faithful and beloved brother who is one of you. Uh in fact Onesimus was a founder of the church, the Colossian church. He's one of you. He said they will they will make known to him all things which are happening here. So um you know Paul is sending these two out to comfort the people and to and to and to check up on the believers in the Colossian church. Aristarchus verse 10 my fellow prisoner meet greets you with Mark. Aristarchus is with Mark the cousin of Barnabas about whom you received instructions.

If he comes to you welcome him. He said and Jesus who was called Justice. Jesus was a common name or Yahshua, Joshua a common name among the the Jewish people. And there was a gentleman by the name of Jesus who was also called Justice. He says these that is Justice and Mark and Aristarchus are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision that are Jewish that are with Paul at this at this time. They have proved to be a comfort to me. In other words they're Paul's homies. These are my home boys.

They they bring some comfort to me. We come from the same hood. So anyway today's vernacular. Then he says Epaphras who is one of you a bond servant of Christ. Now bond servant of Christ this is his reputation. Greet you always laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness. Paul said I've been with this brother. I've seen him. I I I've lived with him. I watched him. He said I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you and those who are in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.

Three different cities he has a great zeal for. There's three different cities he's praying for. He's a prayer warrior Hierapolis or or Epaphras, I'm sorry. Um and he's a prayer warrior. He's praying for these cities beseeching uh the Lord laboring the Bible says fervently in prayers for them. So it shows us that some of the integrity of these men's life, the lives of those who are who are who are redeeming the time. And then it says in verse 14 Luke the same Luke who wrote the gospel of Luke and also the book of Acts. Luke the beloved physician uh is also another one that he mentions here and I'm leaving one out on purpose and that is Demas.

And Luke of course traveled with Paul as well. He was a physician. One commentator made note of the fact that Luke although a physician uh traveled with a man who had the power to heal. And um you know so he was but then at the same time Paul who had the power to heal traveled with a physician. You know and he was the one who wrote to Timothy and said take a little wine for your stomach's sake. And because it was using in the medicinal sense to help Timothy with his stomach ailment. Uh but uh so anyway they had a great relationship Luke and Paul and Luke uh is is beloved of Paul.

And then he says lastly the latter part of verse 14 and Demas greet you. He throws Demas in there without any sort of title or reference if you notice that. The reason I left Demas out of that list there's actually seven listed here um that I believe were the faithful and Demas is the eighth person in this list before Paul goes into his final greetings um because Demas serves as an example of what happens when we fail to redeem the time. Demas he's only mentioned three times in Paul's letters and each time there appears to be some type of downward spiral in his life spiritually speaking.

In the book of Philemon verse 24 he is called Demas. Paul refers to him as Demas my fellow laborer. Then here in the text as we've just read he's simply referred to as Demas. And the last reference we have to him in second Timothy 4 10 Paul writes for Demas has forsaken me having loved this present world. The Greek word for world that Paul uses in second Timothy 4 10 refers to the world system or the whole system of things that runs this world or a society with a without God. Demas has more love for a society without God than he does for the kingdom of God.

He loved the world. The pride of life, the the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, all of those he was into all of that. And eventually he abandoned and forsaken forsook Paul. I think the lesson for us is this if we will not redeem the time we will become victims of the time. If we don't start taking the word of God seriously and redeem the time and look at how we're spending our time and give our time back to God as an offering we will become victims of the time and find ourselves walking in apathy with hardened hearts toward the things of God having a form of godliness and denying the very power thereof.

Guest (Male): Thanks for listening to the Dwelling Place with Pastor Al Pitman. If you'd like to hear today's message from Colossians again, you can get an audio CD by calling us at 844-221-3363 or listen online to an archive of Pastor Al's messages at cccs.org. Can I ask you today to take a moment and send Pastor Al an email and let him know you're listening to the Dwelling Place. It would mean a lot to Pastor Al and all of us at this radio ministry. Send your email to amen at cccs.org. That's amen at cccs.org. And include a prayer request if you'd like.

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Join us at our west side campus or our creek side campus. You can find service times and directions for both on our website. The Dwelling Place with Pastor Al Pitman is brought to you by Calvary Worship Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. May the Lord richly bless you.