Live Like Jesus | Colossians | Part 4

We are in the finale of our series through the book of Colossians. Paul wrote this while he was in prison to a church at Colossae with this idea of helping navigate the church as they have really mixed in some things of the world, some things of culture, some things of the state and Gnosticism and all this stuff. And Paul's saying, no, no, let's get it right back on what it matters most. Let's get it back focused on Jesus. I said it's like the lane warning system of your car. You know how you kind of, you slowly go out of the lane and it starts buzzing at you and you kind of get right back in center. That's what the book of Colossians is. It has readjusted us right back to a Jesus-centered, Jesus-focused life. And if you missed any of the messages, make sure you watch them on YouTube. I think that will help you and be a resource for years to come. We're in Colossians chapter four. As we finish out the series, chapter four is filled with a lot of shout outs that Paul is giving to some of his closest friends. But he also gives a challenge. Five verses that are some of the most challenging verses in the scripture of how we as Christians are called to live in a Jesus-focused life.

So I'm gonna challenge you with them today. I think they will help you. And then I don't want you to run off at the end of the message because I've been giving a benediction at the end of every message, praying the passage over you. And this will be our passage that we'll end this service with today. Colossians chapter four, we'll pick up in verse two. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, and pray for us too that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains. We'll talk about that in a little bit. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly. This is what I've been praying over my life even this week. God, that I may proclaim your word with clarity as I should. Verse five, be wise in the way you act towards outsiders, ooh, even on social media, even at work, even as you're at South Howard walking around. You better be wise as how you act towards outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. And how about verse six? Let your conversations always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. What a challenge for us, five verses. And I think it all is summarized up into one phrase

that I wanna give it to you today. It's simply this, how to live like Jesus. Live like Jesus. In our world today, what we need is we need a group of people who will live like Jesus. Now, I don't know about you, this frustrated me when I was growing up. I grew up in the 90s, and in the 90s, we had these WWJD bracelets. How many remember the WWJD bracelets? And you'd wear those, and my parents would kinda use it to kinda get back at me at times, because they'd go, that attitude is not, how would Jesus respond? I'd be like, well, I'm not Jesus. I don't know if you ever had those moments. And then I'd get really smart. I'm like, and you're not married either, you know? Like, don't do that to your parents. It's not a good moment. But at these moments where I was just frustrated, because, you know, there's like a high bar to set when we're called to live like Jesus. Like when the author of our faith, the one it's all about, is absolutely perfect, and we just, we don't like reach that at many times in our life. We all fall short. And it's important for us, as we read a passage like this today,

that we elevate the idea of what does it actually mean for our life to live like Jesus? Because we all fall short. Let's be honest. When you're in that Publix parking lot, and someone steals your parking space that you've been waiting on, it's hard to think in that moment, okay, how would Jesus respond in this moment? You know what you're doing? You're taking off your pray first wristband, and you're going, that's it, we're going down, right now. Fighting this thing out. It's hard to live like Jesus in a world that's fallen and broken. But let me just challenge you, because the world needs representatives of Jesus more than ever before. The world is hungry for the truth. They're hungry for Jesus. Jesus is wildly popular in our world today. And what they need to see as Christians, they need to see us as Christians stepping up to the plate to say, listen, you can follow my life as I follow Jesus. I might not be perfect in this, which we all aren't, but I'm gonna live a life that honors Jesus in what I say and what I do. Hear me out, because this is significant for our lives. The greatest threat to God's kingdom isn't those who oppose it openly,

but those who claim to follow Christ while living as if they don't. And that's what's happening in our world today. You see, the enemy is not scared of those. oppose it openly. It's those who say, I follow Jesus, but I actually don't live like Jesus in my actions and my attitudes and how I respond. We are called as Christians to represent Jesus well. And might I tell you, the world is hungry for it right now. They're hungry for truth. They're hungry for authenticity. And let us not miss the moment to show Jesus to a lost and dying world. And we've overcomplicated it. So I want to present it today in a simple truth of how do we live in a way that truly honors God with our life. You see, Jesus was very clear that he opposed these people called the hypocrites. And if you ever challenged, if you ever asked someone to go to church before, and they don't want to go to church, they say, well, I don't want to go to church because the church is filled with hypocrites, of course. Well, because they think, oh, well, Christians should be perfect. Christians aren't perfect. We're just in the right pursuit. We're in this pursuit of going, I'm going to live a life that honors God in everything I do. And when Jesus challenged the hypocrites, he says, these people, these hypocrites, they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Radian, let's not miss it out, miss out. This idea of going, let's not just say the right things. Let's make sure our heart is in the right place. Let's live in a way where we have a heart pursuit to say, I want to live like Jesus. When my family, in my marriage, raising my children, in our workplace, that we would be representatives of Jesus and let us represent him well. Can I hear a good amen today, church? So Paul shows us three things that we're to do. And that final challenge to the church in Colossae of how to live like Jesus. And he starts it in verse two, devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Here's how you live like Jesus. Number one, you live devoted to prayer, devoted to prayer. If the church should be known for one thing, it should be known for prayer, that we get to talk to God. Think about this, that we have access to the God of the universe that we can communicate with on a daily basis. This is unbelievable for us. Like, I want you to think of that show. You remember the show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? You remember that show growing up? And there's one of the lifelines where you can phone a friend.

I don't know if you ever had that moment where you're sitting there watching them going, what friend would I call? And then I realized I have no smart friends that I would call. I couldn't think of anybody that would know these answers. Here's the good news for your life. Whenever you're in crisis, whenever you're struggling, whenever you don't know what to do, you have the ultimate lifeline that you as a believer can go to the God of the universe who hears us, who responds to us, who gives guidance to us. Prayer is the lifeline to the believer. Are you using it, church? That's why Paul says, rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. He tells us what to do. In your situation, you pray, you give thanks, you live a life of prayer. Hear me out at all of our campuses. Our prayer life demonstrates our level of dependence on God. Those who pray a lot demonstrate great dependence on God. Those who pray little demonstrate a great dependence on self. I wonder with the current situation that you're in right now, are you worrying about it a lot or are you praying about it a lot? Prayer is the difference between the best that we can do and the best that God can do. And it's not just in the big things, it's in the small things. It's not just who you should marry, it's now that you're married, are you praying for your spouse? It's not just what college you should go to, it's now that I'm at college, how should I live my life to honor God? It's not just what career should I pursue, but how am I representing God at my job? Christians, we are called to pray constantly because we constantly depend on God. He is available for us in the good times, in the bad times. We pray. And if you want to live a life that models a life like Jesus, then you've got to pray more than you're praying right now. Jesus, the Bible tells us, often withdrew to lonely places and What did he do? He prayed. Jesus, God of the universe, came down in the flesh and he showed us a life of significance is a life that is dependent on the Father at all times. You are not too busy, too important, too wise to live a life totally dependent on God.

We have to recognize our place that we go, God, we need you in this moment. We are devoting ourselves to you because without you, we are nothing. And to be honest, there are so many times in my life where I stress more than I pray. And you know how we're supposed to live like Jesus is that we're devoted to pray. That's why we wear these little bracelets. I love it. Every time I get on an airplane, I see somebody up there, whoa, Pastor Aaron, hear me out. Don't just wear the bracelet, do it. Live a life where before you make a decision, you pray about it. Before you go on a date, please, let me help you. Pray about it. Before you respond to that email, you pray about it. Before you go into that meeting, you pray about it. Let me tell you, before you worry about the doctor's report, you pray about it. Why? Because we have a lifeline to the God of the universe. He is waiting to hear from you, church. We are people of prayer. That's how we're like Jesus. Look what he says in our passage. He says, devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Watchful and thankful.

These two words will take your prayer life to the next level. You're watchful and you're thankful. When you are watchful in prayer, you are aware and alert to what God is doing and what the enemy is attempting to your life. So I'm praying with an alertness of going, God, what's your activity in my life? But also, what is the enemy trying to do in my life? And what is he trying to do? He's trying to divert you. He's trying to distract you. He's trying to divide the body. And when I'm watchful in prayer, I'm recognizing what God's activity is but also what the enemy's activity is. And then I'm also thankful in prayer. Thankful in prayer means I am content despite the outcome. I am grateful for a God who's already done so much and if he doesn't do anything else in my life, that's enough. Because what he did on the cross was sufficient for my life. I'm gonna always live in gratitude because what he's done. How do I take my prayer life to the next level? I am watchful. I am thankful. And what does that make me? It makes me more and more like Christ every single day. Can I hear a better amen today, church? Amen.

So he tells us, he says we start by being devoted to prayer. Then here's your second one. And pray for us too. That God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I'm in chains. He's writing this from prison, in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should. Here's your second way to live like Jesus is that you are clear in mission. We start in prayer, but we're not just in prayer just going, okay, we're just gonna sit there and just hide in our house and hide from this crazy world. No, no, we're devoted in prayer and then we're gonna be sent out on mission. You have a clear mission from God for your life. There's an assignment that God has for your life. And my question for you is, are you living on mission? What is that mission for your life? Think about it this way. If your life was a movie, would it be worth watching? Like would anybody even wanna watch it? And what would it really be about? So I thought we'd have a little bit of fun today to describe, man, what would some of your lives be about if it was a movie? So I thought, you know, let's have some fun with it. Some of y'all would be Groundhog Day. It's just the same day over and over and over again. Nothing ever changes.

Some of y'all are just the Titanic. You're a disaster. And a lot of people are freezing around you because of you, right? So, all right, hear me out. Some of you, you parents, a lot of you parents, you're in Jurassic Park. You're feeding these little things that are gonna destroy you, you know what I mean? This is bedtime every night for you right there. That's bedtime. You know what it's like. Some of y'all live in Inception. That's your life right there. Inception, what are you doing? You're just dreaming. You're dreaming, past dreaming, past dreaming. You never do anything, and nobody really knows what's going on in your life, but you just dream a lot. Some of y'all, you live with How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Come on, that's your life right there. You can't keep a relationship. It's just one after another after another, and you lose him in a week and a half. Some of y'all are in this season, you're brave heart. You're just, I'm saving the country right now. I got it. Warrior. Some of you guys are in the hangover. You're 35, living like you're 22 right now.

Came to church, popped some Advil and got in the church today. We're glad you're here today. There's hope for your life. Can I just challenge you in this? Live with a clear mission of what your life is about. What is the mission? Paul describes it in the book of 1 Corinthians. He says, here's the mission. Here's what it's all about. That Christ died for our sins. According to the scriptures, and he was buried, and then he was raised on the third day. That's what Paul's prayer is. Paul's prayer is that I would proclaim this mission clearly. That when people think of your life, they think, oh, that is someone who Christ died for their sins, according to the scriptures, buried, raised to new life. I want my life to be known for the mission of God, of why Jesus came, why Paul preached, and why you exist today. You see, as Christians, the message of Jesus is the mission of our lives. It's about letting people know this gospel is for their lives. It's good news. It changed you, and it can change them. It's not a gospel that you keep to yourself. It's a gospel that you pray for clarity and opportunities to share it with a lost and dying world that so desperately needs to hear that Jesus loves them. He died for their sins. He was buried. He didn't stay in that grave. He rose again, and it's the best news that our world needs to know today with clarity that the gospel is for them. This should be a gospel that you bring into your workplace, into your home, to your children,

to your friends, at the golf course, everywhere you go. It should be what's on your lips, that you have the gospel of Jesus Christ, and you're praying every week, God, give me opportunities to proclaim it clearly, clearly. Imagine what would happen as a church with 11 locations and thousands of people that if every morning we were devoted to prayer, and in our prayer times we say, God, give me an opportunity today to share your life-giving, life-changing message with somebody that needs it today. You go, well, Aaron, well, people don't want to listen to it. Well, Paul knew that, because guess where? Paul's writing this, in prison. By the way, if you're looking for the perfect opportunity, the most noncombative opportunity, the one that'll cost you nothing, you'll never find it. Paul found the opportunity. He's praying for an opportunity to share the gospel while he's in prison. He's not going, well, when I get out of this, and I make a lot of money, and then everybody sees the success of my life, and if they ask me, then maybe I'll say, this is the reason why. No, no, Paul's saying, when I have nothing, when I have a lot, I'm bringing one message to the world. It's that God loves you, God died for your sins, and there's hope for you. Paul's praying for that message at all times. You go, well, my friends don't want to hear that. Listen to me, across Tampa Bay. A life mission that costs nothing is a life mission that's worth nothing. Your faith should cost you. It might cost you some friends, it'll cost you some time, it'll cost you some money as you reprioritize your budget, putting God first and funding the kingdom of God. It'll cost you some of your opinions, some of your choices, some sacrifice, some influence, but let me tell you, it's worth it. Not everybody is going to be happy with you as someone who is living on mission.

Can I just say it with all love? If everybody loves you and nobody has a problem with you, you're doing something wrong, especially in the climate of our world today. You should have lost a couple friends on Facebook over the last couple weeks, because it is a time where it is very clear who is going to stand for truth and who's going to just be like wishy-washy, back and forth, kind of blend in with everybody. No, as for me and my house, we're serving the Lord. We're living for God. We're standing for truth in this hour. This is what we're called to do. We're going to live like Jesus. You go, well, I just want everybody like me. Jesus was perfect, and yet people hated him. You're in good company. Jesus was perfect, and yet he was betrayed. by the people closest to him. If it's happened to you, you're in good company. You're not here to win the approval of people. You're here to honor God with your life. Live in such a way that you say, you know what? I'm going to live with the gospel mission in mind. Think of it practically. Who's impacted because of your life? Who's getting drawn closer to Jesus because of your challenge to them? Is the world improved? Is the gospel going forth because of what you're doing? It's time to live on mission. Can I hear a better amen today, church? How do we live like Jesus? We're devoted in prayer. We're living in mission. And then here's your last one, and this is where it gets a little challenging. So be wise in the way you act towards outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity and let your conversations always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. This verse is so crucial. Katie and I will go out to eat. We'll do a little date night. It's so fun. It happens all the time. Then someone will instant message me on Instagram or something. They'll go, hey, I was just sitting next to you in the restaurant. I didn't want to bother you, which I'm always like, come up and say hi. That's weird. But then the first thing Katie and I will always do is like, what did we talk about? If they listened to every part of the conversation, would they be drawn closer to Jesus?

Would they be okay? So what is Paul telling us here? Paul's telling us, here's how do you live like Jesus? All right, here's your third point. Ready? It's that we're devoted in prayer. We're clear in mission. And here's your last one, is we're wise in action. Our actions are wise, meaning that we don't respond a lot of the ways the world responds. We don't post the way the world posts. We don't react the way the world reacts. We live with wisdom in how we act. Let me tell you, the Bible is very clear for us that our pursuit as a Christian should be wisdom in every area of our life. So we challenge our kids on this. Listen, it's not about the right or wrong thing. Is it the wise thing to do, the way you're acting? Are we representing Jesus well? That's what Paul's saying. He said, in your conversations, in your life, live with wisdom in the way you act towards outsiders. Hear me out, and I want you to hear this. We are in a world that has an abundance of knowledge, but a scarcity of wisdom. Knowledge is knowing information. Wisdom is applying that information to your life. So knowledge is knowing what diet you should do. Wisdom is not going to Krispy Kreme. Do you know what I mean? Knowledge is setting a budget. Wisdom is actually making coffee at home. Do you see that? Knowledge is what built the Titanic. Wisdom avoids the iceberg. A lot of your lives, you have a lot of knowledge. We're an information overload in our world today, but we don't have a lot of wise people that are walking into their family reunion, into the boardroom, into their home, into that conflict with their child and going, God, give me wisdom in this situation. It is a church filled with wisdom that changes the world and shows the world what it means to walk and act and talk like Jesus. That's why Proverbs says getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do. In every situation, you get wisdom. People ask me all the time, Pastor, how can I pray for you? How can I pray for you? My prayer request is the same every single day. I need wisdom. I need wisdom because with wisdom, we are able to now navigate every scenario that happens so that we can walk and talk and look like Jesus in that scenario. James tells us what to do. If any of you lacks wisdom, here's what you should do. You should ask God. Now, it would do a show of hands, but it would be every hand. How many of us lack wisdom? All of us. The reality is that's what we do. We ask God who gives generously all without finding fault. Oh, I can't believe you didn't know that already. You didn't know how to respond to that. That's not how God responds. He gives us wisdom without finding fault and it will be given to you. I'll just close by just saying this. The world is watching you

and we need to walk devoted in prayer, living in such a way that we are clear in mission and wise in action. Here's why. Here's why. Here's why. Because your life may be the only sermon some people ever hear. It may be the only church they ever attend and they might be watching you and you might be the only Bible they ever read. So let's display Jesus well. Let's be honest. There are moments. We're gonna fall short, but that's okay Because we're not what we're pointing them to We're showing them that you know what we proclaim a message that's greater than us that even as we fall The goal is not to get their eyes on us, but to give their eyes on Jesus Then we're devoted to prayer and we're clear in mission and we're wise in action, but when we do screw up We go to the same Jesus that we're pointing them to that gives us a fresh start a new day That his mercies are new every morning Can we give him some praise for the fact that he's a God that we continue to go to And as we go to him, he makes us more and more like him Can we show it? Can I show you how Paul ends the letter? Paul ends the book of Colossians so beautifully. He says I write this greeting with my own hand remember my chains Paul is writing this in prison and he's saying remember what I had to go to Through to give you this message and you look at this hero of the faith. His life was not easy He didn't have it made we see that five times. He was given what's called 40 lashes minus one 39 whips He faced threats stoning Shipwrecked three times. He was beaten with rods thrown into prison Wrongfully accused and then within about a year and a half of writing the book of Colossians. He would be executed for his faith This man did not have it easy and at the end of his life his challenge to the church was Remember my change, you know why he's saying that because you're gonna have some things that your faith cost you You're gonna have some difficult seasons that your faith is gonna get you through and Paul's telling them Hey, listen, you remember what I went through you? Remember what my faith has cost you because listen, this is truly living like Jesus and it's not always gonna be perfect But then he says this last part

But God's grace will be with you He says remember my chains and may you have the grace to go through it grace be with you This isn't like a formal greed ending like hey, we're in a grace is on you But what Paul is telling us in this passage is he's saying what you need in your seasons Where it's difficult and it's a trial and it's tough to live like Jesus. You need the grace of God The grace of God is not a license for you to sin and live whatever way you want to live No, God's grace is the ability to go and be on our current Situation and be on our current strength to walk into the plan and the purpose of God has for us We don't live like Jesus because of our own grit. We live like Jesus because in our weakness he gives us supernatural strength and that's his grace on our life and it's unmerited favor and Blessing and you get through your tough seasons not because of who you are But because of his power that's at work within us Paul believe this and it's true for your life, too That's why Paul mentions the word grace a hundred and ten times in there in the epistles Why does Paul say it because Paul knows that life can be hard? Your faith can cost you this pursuit after living like Jesus is tough. And here's hear me out Living like Jesus doesn't happen because of your own strength But by his spirit his grace that he gives you And I want you to know that some of you that are in a tough season right now You feel like you're chained up in this season You're in you're you're struggling with the season of life You're in God can give you a grace even in the midst of that season Paul Found purpose in the midst of the prison why because God's grace was on him I want you to know this no matter how you've fallen No matter how broken up you are God can release his grace on your life to even turn good in the midst of your struggle and your season Because that's how God works in our life. Can we give him some praise today church? I Don't know about you. I need more of God's grace so that I can live like Jesus I'm gonna pray over you right now and then we're gonna have a little moment of worship across Tampa Bay

Don't put those three things right back there on the screen. Just one more time Because many of you are looking at those things and you're going Aaron. I'm struggling in one of those. Maybe I'm struggling in prayer Struggling and just living on mission Maybe just you you know what to do, but you're not wise in your actions of how to react Would you just open up your hands all across Tampa Bay and can I pray over you right now Lord? I pray over your people Lord in their seasons where it's tough and they're struggling And it's not going the way they want it to go Lord Lord, let them still represent you well. Lord, I pray that you would give us a grace to be devoted to prayer. Lord, in seasons that prayer's difficult, and we feel like we're not connecting with you, God, give us a fresh grace for it, even this week, to live a pray-first lifestyle. Lord, that we would be clear in mission. Lord, to know what our life is all about. Lord, that your, the message of Jesus would be the mission of our life. God, give us a grace for that, to make it the thing our life is known for. And God, I pray that you would release a grace over us to be wise in our actions, in our speech, our communication, and how we act towards outsiders, that we truly would represent you well. Just pray right now, right in your seat, God, help me represent you well. Even when I stumble, Lord, that I would not walk in shame and guilt, but Lord, that we would be renewed and refocused on the fact that it's all about you in the first place,

in Jesus' name.